Summary
You’ll find thatKunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddessis made a lot easier by the efficient use of Mazo Talismans. If you are struggling with a certain mission or boss encounter, it is most likely because you aren’t using thebestMazo Talismans. But worry not, we’ve got exactly what you need here.
This list has identified the best of the best when it comes to Mazo Talismans. We are taking multiple things into consideration, but we will give more priority to talismans that you get earlier in the game, as they are going to get considerably more use than something you unlock in the last stage of the game.
We are focusing on the Mazo Talismans you can acquire in the first pass through the game, not the talismans you’ll acquire in additional playthroughs.
10Skanda’s Agility
We’re starting things off with one of the least flashy choices on this list: Skanda’s Agility boosts Soh’s running speed. That’s it. However, before you write this one off, consider that being able to run faster is helpful during the day,andduring the night. There are a bunch of Mazo Talismans that are able to improve how quickly to perform certain tasks, but most of them (except for one talisman that is higher up on this list), feel a little too specialized.
With Skanda’s Agility, you will be able to get more done in the day and cover more ground during the night. One of the trickier bosses in the game also has a tendency to run away, which will be harder for them to do when you are sprinting around the stage. It isn’t what I would consider to be a high-priority Mazo Talisman, but it is still one I find myself going back to fairly frequently.
9Deva, Bodhisattva, Nyorai
The Diva, Bodhisattva, Nyorai talismans all do the same thing: make Soh deal more damage. Obviously, since the Nyorai talisman gives you the larger power increase, you are going to want to use it over the other two. However, you aren’t getting that one until you are at the end of the game. Meanwhile,you’ll have the Deva talismanby the fifth stage.
Look… Soh hit harder = good. That’s simple math. Outside of a few missions where Soh isn’t the primary combatant, it will always make sense to have one of these equipped. But they are pretty route one, right? Well, that’s why we put them at the bottom of the list. They are great, but you surely knew that already. Still, they deserve a spot in your arsenal!
The effects of these talismans stack.You’ll probably want to ditch the Deva talisman, but pairing the Bodhisattva and Nyorai with some of the other attack-boosting Mazo Talismans can make Soh a real boss masher.
I’m lumping the Kai Oni, Saki Oni, and Tsurigane Oni in with these talismans. They are the same deal, they just mitigate damage instead of dealing it. Worth considering, for sure, but less essential.
8Grief And Pleasure
The Grief And Pleasure Mazo Talisman is a great option… for specific missions and builds. In specific battles, Soh’s attack power is considerably more important than that of your villagers'. Especially given the stages where Soh is on their lonesome. Additionally, if you are using Aecetics and Sorcerers, attack power just isn’t important.
That being said, there is a pretty significant caveat here, as you really don’t want to undermine your troops when you need them to hold multiple positions on stages where Yoshiro is surrounded by Seethe. Basically, it is easy to justify the tradeoff when there are enough bottlenecks that Soh and take the lead with damage dealing, but the more positions you want your villagers to hold, the less viable this talisman is.
7Faultless
One of the most important tools you will utilize in this game are the Chozusha Basins. Gaining the ability to use them iseasily one of the most important upgrades in the game. Not only will these basins make Soh stronger and faster, but it will also make them invincible. Pretty handy! With the Faultless ability, you can extend that invincibility to Yoshiro as well.
Ideally, you have your troops so well positioned that Yoshiro will never be in danger. However, we aren’t always going to be able to play optimally. If you have the Faultless Mazo Talisman, you can keep Soh defending a position that is close to a basin, and then, if the Seethe ever gets too close to Yoshiro, get that buff and make Yoshiro invincible.
6Happiness And Anger
The Happiness and Anger talisman is the reverse of the Grief and Pleasure talisman. This one will weaken Soh and strengthen your villagers. Originally, I was going to group both of these talismans together. However, while both Mazo Talsimans clearly have missions where they shine, and other missions where they would be a liability, the Happiness and Anger talisman has a lot more utility in general.
That increased utility comes from being able tocompensatefor that decrease in Soh’s attack power by also equipping the Diva, Bodhsatva, Nyorai, or Sacred Tamagushi Mazo Talismans. By doing so, you’re able to keep Soh a force on the battlefield, while also buffing up your villagers. The same cannot be said for the Grief and Pleasure.
5Crow-Billed Tengu
Soh’s bow is so-so. The bow’s slow. So, Soh will likely often go without using their bow. Which is a sing-songy way of saying that the Crow-Blled Tengu makes that bow attack considerably more viable. For the stages that take place on a barge, the Crow-Billed Tengu will make your life so much more pleasant.
It is also worth noting that the attack raising Mazo Talismans will aslo improve the damage Soh’s bow deals. Combine those damage-boosting talismans with the ability to rapid fire, and you’ll be able to utterly decimate flying foes.
4Rabbit’s Cup
While the Rabbit’s cup says that it only “slightly” increases the speed that spiritual power recovers, that is an undersell. By using this talisman, you will be able to use your Tsuba Guard specials more often.Considering how overwhelmingly powerful these specials can be, that is nothing to sneeze at. The Rabbit’s Cup pairsespeciallywell with the Toda’s Snare Tsuba Guard attack. That one recovers pretty quickly already, and having this talisman equipped will cut that recovery time in half.
The Rabbit’s Cup is a great Mazo Talisman the second you get it. At that point, it is likely that you will have already unlocked three Tsuba Guard slots. However, once you beat Yatsukahagi in under three minutes, you canthenpair the Synergy talisman with it, allowing you to recover all three of your Tsuba Guard attacks more quickly. That is a potent combo!
3Soultaker
The Soultaker is a once per night deal. You get a single shot to dish out big damage. Big deal, right? Who cares? Well, if you have Soh stacked with attack-boosting Mazo Talismans, and you activate their boost with the basin, and then you use a hard hitting Tsuba Guard special (like Byakko’s Claws), you can erase half of a boss’s health with that single strike.
The Soultaker can be the single most important Mazo Talisman while fightingmostbosses for that reason alone. When chasing those bonus clear times, you will want to have this talisman equipped. It is a total lifesaver (by way of being a Soultaker).
2Esteemed Craftsman
I would strongly discourage using the majority of Mazo Talismans that speed up how quickly you can perform actions during the day. The Demon Squadron will make it so that the villagers will be able to clear rubble quicker, but that isn’t something you need to have done in the first day, and there is always enough time to clear all the rubble. You can carve a Spirit Path faster with the Foot of the Gods talisman, and speed up the time it takes to purify a Defilement with the Exorcism talisman, but both of those actions are already pretty quick. However, the Esteemed Craftsman Mazo Talisman is a game changer.
With this talisman equipped, your carpenter will go from raising a barrier and repairing a platform to sweeping through the stage and repairing half of the obstacles. The improvement is massive, and it means that you will have a far more rounded out defensive position during the night. Obviously, you shouldn’t have this equipped for boss battles, but the Esteemed Craftsman talisman should be on Soh for nearly every other stage.
1Sacred Tamagushi
The Sacred Tamagushi is a powerful Mazo Talisman that you acquire relatively early in the game (in the first third of the game). This amazing accessory increases the damage you do based on how many Crystals you have in your possession. Seeing as how you’ll accumulate a larger maximum amount of Crystals you can carry, makes the Sacred Tamagushi more and more powerful as the game progresses.
If you use a lot of the cheaper units (which you should, as they provide excellent bang-for-buck), the Sacred Tamagushi can provide an incredible boost to your damage, far above what you get with even the Nyorai. And, naturally, you can stack both of those talismans for devastating results. It is easily among the best Talismans you will earn in the game and you’ll likely always have it equipped once you do.
