How to Start Standoff in Ghost of Tsushima

The Standoff is a dramatic pre-combat ritual in Ghost of Tsushima that allows Jin Sakai to initiate a duel with a group of enemies, potentially taking out multiple foes before the main fight even begins. Mastering the Standoff is a stylish and effective way to gain an early advantage.

To initiate a Standoff, you must first approach a group of enemies who are not yet aware of your presence. Once you are within a certain range and have line of sight, you will see a prompt to press the Triangle button. This will trigger the Standoff sequence, where Jin draws his katana and faces off against the closest enemy. The other enemies in the vicinity will also draw their weapons and stand ready.

The core mechanic of the Standoff involves timing your attack. Once the Standoff begins, you must wait for the enemy to make the first move. Watch their animation closely. When they lunge forward to attack, press the Triangle button again to strike. A successful timed strike will result in an instant kill for that enemy.

Here's a breakdown of the Standoff process:

Approach undetected: Ensure enemies are unaware of your presence.
Initiate Standoff: Press Triangle when prompted near a group of enemies.
Wait for the attack: Observe the enemy's lunge.
Execute the strike: Press Triangle precisely as they attack to perform an instant kill.

If you successfully kill the first enemy, the Standoff continues with the next closest foe. You will need to repeat the timing process for each subsequent enemy. The number of enemies you can defeat in a single Standoff depends on your skill and the number of enemies present. Successfully defeating all enemies in a Standoff grants you a significant advantage and a satisfying visual flourish.

Be aware that some enemies, particularly those with shields or heavier armor, may require multiple successful Standoff strikes or cannot be killed in a single hit during a Standoff. In such cases, a successful strike will wound them, and you'll need to finish them off with regular combat. If you miss your timing, the Standoff will end prematurely, and you'll have to engage in standard combat with all enemies.