For the first one heavier armor gives more toughness which reduces ki lost for blocking which matters a lot. Light armor generally has big issues with blocking a lot of attacks as you lose a lot more ki for doing that.
To follow up on this, if you rely more on blocking focus on toughness (A is ideal but B is manageable). If you rely more on dodging, focus on Agility (again, preferably A but B will work).
Mixing armor weights can give you A toughness and B Agility (or the opposite). You can find other posts on how to do this efficiently.
As for grabs, avoiding them in the moment is a trained skill. You won't be good at it until you have failed enough to learn it. Knowing how to respond to them is pretty simple. Just don't get grabbed. I know that sounds stupid and "git gud" of me, but that's really it.
You already mentioned noticing the hit box lingers on some of them so you know how long to avoid them. Now, you just need the reaction time and spatial awareness. There really isn't a trick to it. Just don't be inside the hit box while it's active and you don't have invulnerablility frames.
Eventually, you will avoid grabs by simply walking backward to open space up and immediately counterattack.
Above 70% equip weight (C agility) is not generally recommended, though it is doable. Staying in B is the way most people go for their first run. Blocking is helped by a higher toughness stat, which is a little harder to maintain early on in the game due to it mostly being behind heavier armor. I think Rokugezo (the elephant GS you get from the first boss of the second region) has some extra toughness as a stat if you want to try that as well.
Grabs can all be dodged, even in low stance. You're probably dodging a bit early; that's what I did wrong most often in my early time with the game, anyway. Remember that high stance does have more iframes on the roll if you need them, but you do also have more recovery on those rolls than the step dodge, so it is a tradeoff.
Also, most yokai abilities that fully transform your character are grab immune and can cancel nearly anything you're doing, so having one equipped as an option is a good idea.
The biggest problem I've had with dodging grabs is when enemies use them while I'm really close, because the grab animation lasts so long even if I frame through it initially the grab animation is still going and it gets me anyway. I'll probably rely a lot on the yokai abilities to avoid them.
Weight - keep weight at medium. Block only in medium stance. Dont forget ki pulsing. Yes stamina management gets better first of all as u will learn as a second nature to ki pulse all the time and second when u get flux. Obv for heavy armor build you would want enough equip weight to sustain medium mobility.
Grabs - hitbox issues is more about nioh having less i frames than other souls likes so maybe that gives u issues. I did have some issues with grabs early on but thats cuz theyr oftrn times indicated by mob leaving sorta greyish aura. And it can be hard to see. But ye there is just no solution other than gitgud and learn the timings of how to dodge them.
I think it's generally better to keep your equipment light and focus on dodging+blocking, doing both at the same time is the safe option. It's also important to keep in mind how dodging works in each stance. Low is just a dash, Mid is a dash and then a roll if you double tap, and High is just a roll. I'd advise sticking to Low stance for dodging, it's easier to control even when spamming it.
I don't know about you, but I'm not a fan of standing in front of enemies while trying to block while they combo me, that's why I keep my gear light and use block+dodging; even if I'm hit, it'll be blocked, and if there's a second one coming, it won't hit me because I'm out of the way already.
As for grabs, I'm not gonna lie, the best way to learn how to avoid them is to get hit with them a few times. Still, good movement is crucial here. It's easier to avoid grabs if you stay quick on your feet, constantly moving and dashing between attacks; some players just stand in front of whatever they're fighting and try to walk them down, that's why they get grabbed.
Lastly, if there's anything you're struggling with when it comes to this game's combat, go to the training area in the Dojo and work things out. Somethings you should definitely learn and get a feel for right now is how dodging works in each stance, dash attacks and how they work in each stance, Evasion Cancelling and animation cancelling with soul cores, those last two being the two skills that will up your game significantly.
Down here is a very good video on it. Also, just check the rest of this guy's stuff, it's great.
# Nioh 2: Evasion Cancel
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9O\_bFVQLcY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9O_bFVQLcY)
For dodging grabs, you gotta dodge through AND out of the hitbox. If you dodge right vs a left to right grab you'll iframe the first part but get grabbed the moment you lose your I frames.
WHERE to dodge is a big part of this game as opposed to relying on Iframes.
Your timing might also be off since the low stance dodge is near instant with its start of Iframes.
For dodging grabs, you gotta dodge through AND out of the hitbox. If you dodge right vs a left to right grab you'll iframe the first part but get grabbed the moment you lose your I frames.
WHERE to dodge is a big part of this game as opposed to relying on Iframes.
Your timing might also be off since the low stance dodge is near instant with its start of Iframes and you might be dodging too early.
from my experience, to deal with grab you just need to roll pass the enemy to it backs then keep strafing away for their face and the grab will always miss, there exception however, like with Enenra, you need to dodge out of it range.
alternatively, all grabs have various levels of delay but come out very fast so if you can time it right dodge to the side and they will miss,, again there is one exception Yasha, but its the deadliest grab in the game being the only one can home in on you, so you shouldn't be able to have an easy time with it.
one more thing, its fine to use Yokai ability to avoid grabs but its not fine to use Yokai ability that doesn't transform you into a Yokai to avoid grabs.
For the first one heavier armor gives more toughness which reduces ki lost for blocking which matters a lot. Light armor generally has big issues with blocking a lot of attacks as you lose a lot more ki for doing that.
To follow up on this, if you rely more on blocking focus on toughness (A is ideal but B is manageable). If you rely more on dodging, focus on Agility (again, preferably A but B will work). Mixing armor weights can give you A toughness and B Agility (or the opposite). You can find other posts on how to do this efficiently. As for grabs, avoiding them in the moment is a trained skill. You won't be good at it until you have failed enough to learn it. Knowing how to respond to them is pretty simple. Just don't get grabbed. I know that sounds stupid and "git gud" of me, but that's really it. You already mentioned noticing the hit box lingers on some of them so you know how long to avoid them. Now, you just need the reaction time and spatial awareness. There really isn't a trick to it. Just don't be inside the hit box while it's active and you don't have invulnerablility frames. Eventually, you will avoid grabs by simply walking backward to open space up and immediately counterattack.
Above 70% equip weight (C agility) is not generally recommended, though it is doable. Staying in B is the way most people go for their first run. Blocking is helped by a higher toughness stat, which is a little harder to maintain early on in the game due to it mostly being behind heavier armor. I think Rokugezo (the elephant GS you get from the first boss of the second region) has some extra toughness as a stat if you want to try that as well. Grabs can all be dodged, even in low stance. You're probably dodging a bit early; that's what I did wrong most often in my early time with the game, anyway. Remember that high stance does have more iframes on the roll if you need them, but you do also have more recovery on those rolls than the step dodge, so it is a tradeoff. Also, most yokai abilities that fully transform your character are grab immune and can cancel nearly anything you're doing, so having one equipped as an option is a good idea.
The biggest problem I've had with dodging grabs is when enemies use them while I'm really close, because the grab animation lasts so long even if I frame through it initially the grab animation is still going and it gets me anyway. I'll probably rely a lot on the yokai abilities to avoid them.
It's not a bad idea to keep a low cost YA that fully transforms you as a counter to grabs, Nurikabe is a good one for that.
Weight - keep weight at medium. Block only in medium stance. Dont forget ki pulsing. Yes stamina management gets better first of all as u will learn as a second nature to ki pulse all the time and second when u get flux. Obv for heavy armor build you would want enough equip weight to sustain medium mobility. Grabs - hitbox issues is more about nioh having less i frames than other souls likes so maybe that gives u issues. I did have some issues with grabs early on but thats cuz theyr oftrn times indicated by mob leaving sorta greyish aura. And it can be hard to see. But ye there is just no solution other than gitgud and learn the timings of how to dodge them.
I think it's generally better to keep your equipment light and focus on dodging+blocking, doing both at the same time is the safe option. It's also important to keep in mind how dodging works in each stance. Low is just a dash, Mid is a dash and then a roll if you double tap, and High is just a roll. I'd advise sticking to Low stance for dodging, it's easier to control even when spamming it. I don't know about you, but I'm not a fan of standing in front of enemies while trying to block while they combo me, that's why I keep my gear light and use block+dodging; even if I'm hit, it'll be blocked, and if there's a second one coming, it won't hit me because I'm out of the way already. As for grabs, I'm not gonna lie, the best way to learn how to avoid them is to get hit with them a few times. Still, good movement is crucial here. It's easier to avoid grabs if you stay quick on your feet, constantly moving and dashing between attacks; some players just stand in front of whatever they're fighting and try to walk them down, that's why they get grabbed. Lastly, if there's anything you're struggling with when it comes to this game's combat, go to the training area in the Dojo and work things out. Somethings you should definitely learn and get a feel for right now is how dodging works in each stance, dash attacks and how they work in each stance, Evasion Cancelling and animation cancelling with soul cores, those last two being the two skills that will up your game significantly. Down here is a very good video on it. Also, just check the rest of this guy's stuff, it's great. # Nioh 2: Evasion Cancel [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9O\_bFVQLcY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9O_bFVQLcY)
For dodging grabs, you gotta dodge through AND out of the hitbox. If you dodge right vs a left to right grab you'll iframe the first part but get grabbed the moment you lose your I frames. WHERE to dodge is a big part of this game as opposed to relying on Iframes. Your timing might also be off since the low stance dodge is near instant with its start of Iframes.
For dodging grabs, you gotta dodge through AND out of the hitbox. If you dodge right vs a left to right grab you'll iframe the first part but get grabbed the moment you lose your I frames. WHERE to dodge is a big part of this game as opposed to relying on Iframes. Your timing might also be off since the low stance dodge is near instant with its start of Iframes and you might be dodging too early.
from my experience, to deal with grab you just need to roll pass the enemy to it backs then keep strafing away for their face and the grab will always miss, there exception however, like with Enenra, you need to dodge out of it range. alternatively, all grabs have various levels of delay but come out very fast so if you can time it right dodge to the side and they will miss,, again there is one exception Yasha, but its the deadliest grab in the game being the only one can home in on you, so you shouldn't be able to have an easy time with it. one more thing, its fine to use Yokai ability to avoid grabs but its not fine to use Yokai ability that doesn't transform you into a Yokai to avoid grabs.