To a beginner, the rifle can be an obtuse and confusing weapon. The player is given grenades, various bullet types, all of which behave differently and have different effects when used to detonate grenades... and what are Spirit Mitama?

I gave up on playing the rifle for a while because I simply didn't know how. I wanted to learn, but I couldn't find enough resources online to teach me.

One night, I set out in search of Japanese Toukiden 2 videos, hoping to find something -- anything -- that would give me insight into this weapon.

That's when I discovered Tyndis' video, "Seems like a good build..." Search him up, he's great!

The problem was that he didn't share his build or explain any of what he was doing. Still, it was the best I could find, and so I spent two hours studying his video and figuring him out!

I'm saying all of this because I want to give credit where it's due. So, thank you, Tyndis, for showing me how it's done. Also, thanks to AGO, whose chain whip video taught me the most about Mitama.

I decided to write this guide so that people wouldn't have to work as hard as I had to in order to use this weapon.

The SPT rifleman is equal parts mage and marksman. There are two main elements to mastering this build:

• Understanding the rifle, its moveset, and how it should be used with SPT Mitama.
  
• Understanding the mechanics of the Spirit Gauge and SPT abilities.

It is recommended that new players complete the in-game rifle tutorial before proceeding, since this guide seeks to teach a specific playstyle and assumes the player already has a working knowledge of the weapon. Basic information regarding the rifle's moveset, bullet types, grenade effects, and SPT spells can be found in-game or on the wiki and will therefore be left out in an effort to keep things focused.

There will not be a recommended "best" rifle, since weapons typically come down to personal preference and the situation at hand. Information on the various rifles and the rifle weapon tree will also be omitted, as that can be found elsewhere.

Holding RB/R1 charges the Spirit Gauge. When fully charged, the Spirit Gauge will turn orange, adding damage to the next attack. This damage triggers the effects of skills like SPT Master (Quicken) and Knowledge (Absorb), even from the basic attacks of non-elemental weapons.

The recommended build for SPT Mitama is as follows:

Niijima Yae

• Exuberance: Increases damage while at full health.
  
• Reload+: Increases reload speed.
  
• Handsome Woman: Spirit Gauge charges faster, and SPT abilities deal more damage.

Saika Magoichi

• Readiness: Increases movement and attack speeds when aiming.
  
• SPT Master (Bolster): Increases the damage of SPT abilities.
  
• Precision Strikes: Lock-on is always visible, and damage to the targeted area is increased.

Lady Suzuka

• Knowledge (Absorb): Restores Focus based on the damage dealt by elemental attacks.
  
• SPT Master (Augment): Charges the Spirit Gauge faster.
  
• SPT Master (Quicken): Reduces SPT ability cooldowns when dealing damage.

Niijima Yae is crucial to this build. Handsome Woman stacks with Lady Suzuka's SPT Master (Augment) and boosts damage, making it very powerful and efficient. Exuberance is another welcome damage increase, and Reload Speed+ improves the rifle's quality-of-life.

Saika Magoichi is not strictly necessary, but Readiness is another boost to the build's quality-of-life, and SPT Master (Bolster) and Precision Strikes provide even more damage.

Lady Suzuka comes with Knowledge (Absorb), which generates nearly unlimited Focus through both spells and basic attacks empowered by the Spirit Gauge. In addition to that, SPT Master (Quicken) enables basic attacks empowered by the Spirit Gauge to reduce cooldowns by a significant amount. SPT Master (Augment) helps the Spirit Gauge charge faster, thereby making this process painless. Note that multiple SPT Master (Augment) abilities do not stack.

If using elemental weapons, Saika Magoichi can be replaced with the following:

Taira no Masakado

• Transposition (Attributes): Increases elemental damage but reduces physical damage.
  
• Fountain+ (Bolster): Increases the damage of Fountain.
  
• Prince of the East: Increases elemental damage. Also increases damage at max health.

Taira no Masakado is one of those Mitama that synergizes with itself. Transposition (Attributes) and Prince of the East, combined, are an incredible boost to elemental attack power, and Fountain+ (Bolster) improves one of the build's most damaging abilities. When exploiting an Oni's elemental weakness, this Mitama can bring a 7 minute kill time down to 5 minutes.

The origins of this idea are unclear. According to the Google spreadsheet, Tyndis does not use Transposition (Attributes) on Taira no Masakado. But when I studied his video, I wrongly assumed he did, accidentally stumbling upon this great synergy myself. Around the same time, another Youtuber named Hiraga Yu seems to have had the same idea as me but claims that the build is not his/hers.

This build revolves around charging the Spirit Gauge to empower basic attacks and casting spells in quick succession. Some of the rifle's mechanics can be safely ignored until the player runs out of spells.

The opener:

• Tag an enemy with a basic attack.
  
  
• Charge the Spirit Gauge.
  
  
• Cast Eruption -- The spell with the highest damage and longest cooldown should be cast first. It also staggers enemies and makes it easier to land Fountain.
  
  
• Charge the Spirit Gauge.
  
  
• Cast Fountain.
  
  
• Charge the Spirit Gauge.
  
  
• Cast Pursuit.
  
  
• Use a basic attack that is now empowered by the Spirit Gauge, reducing skill cooldowns and dealing additional damage.
  
  
• Charge the Spirit Gauge.
  
  
• Use basic attacks to further reduce skill cooldowns.
  
  
• Cast spells on cooldown, prioritizing Eruption > Fountain > Pursuit.
  
  
• Use Curse as needed.
  
  
• Use Illumination as needed when targeting a specific area with SNP bullets or at close range with SCT bullets. This buff is less useful if using PRC or EXP bullets. The reason for this is because it reduces damage to other body parts, so while it may increase the damage of an Eruption or a few SNP bullets, it will decrease the damage of Fountain, as well as bullets (especially PRC) and Pursuits that don't (or can't) hit the specified target. Use carefully and wisely.

Players should prioritize casting spells over using the rifle's moveset to maximize damage. Grenades and Charged Shots (O/B) are largely ignored because their DPS is overshadowed by the other options, and there simply isn't enough time to do anything else between charging the Spirit Gauge, casting spells, firing shots to reduce cooldowns, aiming Pursuit, et cetera.

When choosing a weapon, bear in mind that Dexterity matters, even if SPT abilities can't normally achieve critical hits. Basic attacks still make a large contribution to DPS and should not be ignored.

Both PRC and SNP bullets work well, but SNP bullets have certain advantages over PRC, such as better synergy with Illumination and easier targeting of specific body parts (which helps when casting Eruption).

If possible, the player should take aim while charging the Spirit Gauge by having a sense for the center of their screen. This will allow for faster firing.

If any small Oni are present, the SPT rifleman should focus on killing them with basic attacks empowered by the Spirit Gauge. The Spirit Gauge provides free damage, and that alone will often be enough to kill small Oni quickly and easily, thus saving the team effort and resources. If necessary, stop attacking the boss and focus on the small Oni to maintain control of the battlefield.

The most important thing is to stay mobile, stay at full health (for the damage bonus), and maintain good positioning. Good positioning helps ensure that Pursuit hits its target.

Remember that the rifle is secondary, supporting the Mitama as a glorified wand. It's the opposite of many other builds, where the Mitama exist solely to enhance a weapon and its moveset.

In prolonged engagements, such as those with multiple Oni in Phase 12 multiplayer, this build will run out of spells -- even with a prayer stone nearby. During this time, the player should use the rifle's moveset to maintain their DPS.

General tips:

• When using PRC or SNP bullets from a distance, players should always use the Spirit Gauge to empower their attacks, as it is a large increase to DPS, and it helps manage Focus.
  
  
• For bipedal Oni, PRC bullets are less effective. SNP and SCT bullets deal more damage to a single miasma node. Illumination may help.
  
  
• For quadraped Oni, PRC is one of the most effective bullet types, but other bullet types work as well.
  
  
• SNP, SCT, and EXP bullets are excellent for detonating grenades. When doing so, it is not necessary to charge the Spirit Gauge.
  
  
• Using Destroyers and Oni Burials when low on Focus can help minimize DPS loss by letting Focus regenerate during the animations.
  
  
• Always prioritize survivability over DPS. Getting knocked across the arena and stunned is a bigger DPS loss.

Using basic attacks empowered by the Spirit Gauge is usually the best option for maintaining DPS. Charged Shots can be ignored when using SPT rifles, as they simply do not deal enough damage.

Grenades
Initially, I had written that grenades do not have a noticeable impact on DPS. I was (a little) wrong. Throwing a grenade, detonating it, and dodge-rolling to cancel the animation does seem to produce more DPS than a basic attack. However, it doesn't produce more DPS than a basic attack empowered by the Spirit Gauge, so their use is somewhat limited for this build.

SNP bullets are the main exception. Grenades detonated with SNP bullets debuff the enemy by lowering a weak point's defense. Players can debuff the enemy if there is an opening, but they should not place themselves in danger to do so.

Other bullet types can still find uses for grenades, but their use is less clearly defined. For example: Grenades help quickly fill the Weapon Gauge when detonated with SCT or EXP bullets at close range, which can be a useful tactic when trying to break a specific body part with a Destroyer.

Grenade DPS is fickle. The closer the player is to the enemy, the less distance a grenade has to travel, the faster it can be detonated, and the more accurate the throw will be. Where the grenade lands and the amount of time it takes to reach its target both affect its DPS. To maximize a grenade's effectiveness, it's best to stay close to the enemy and use the dodge-roll to stay mobile.

For grenade usage, try to maintain this priority system:

• If the enemy is under control and there is enough Focus to perform a dodge-roll, throw a grenade and detonate it.
  
  
• If the enemy is out of control or Focus is low, use basic attacks empowered by the Spirit Gauge to build Focus.

These are just general guidelines. They may not apply to all situations and are subject to change.

To summarize: Spam spells and basic attacks! Everything else is extra... until you run out of spells.

That is the build in a nutshell. Any questions or corrections, please leave them in the comments section below, and I will respond ASAP.