Mingjin Hong — Beginner Swordsman Complete Guide
Nameless Sword Art + Nameless Spear Art — A complete progression guide from beginner to advanced for the Mingjin Hong style
1. Playstyle Overview & Strengths/Weaknesses
1.1 Mingjin Hong vs Mingjin Ying Comparison
Where Winds Meet has no traditional "classes" — instead, weapon pairs define your combat style. The sword tree has two paths: Nameless Sword Art (Mingjin Hong) and Jiju Nine Swords (Mingjin Ying), each with a distinct role:
| Category | Nameless Sword Art (Mingjin Hong) | Jiju Nine Swords (Mingjin Ying) |
|---|---|---|
| Paired Weapon | Nameless Spear Art | Jiuqu Startling Spear |
| Build Tier | T1 | T0 |
| Damage Type | Sustained DPS, charged Sword Qi is the core | High burst, combo-based |
| Difficulty | ★★☆☆☆ Beginner-friendly | ★★★★☆ Requires practice |
| Core Inner Art | Nameless Inner Art, Yishui Song | Sword Qi Unleashed (mandatory) |
| Team Role | Stable sustained DPS | Burst DPS / speedrun core |
| Best For | Dungeons, open world, beginner progression | Hard dungeons, speedruns |
1.2 Strengths & Weaknesses
✅ STRENGTHS
- • Q skill grants a shield — strong survivability
- • Charged Sword Qi is a safe ranged damage tool with high margin for error
- • Jiju Nine Swords has extreme burst — T0 DPS potential
- • Spear off-hand adds crowd control and gap closing
- • Excellent open-world exploration with smooth Qinggong integration
❌ WEAKNESSES
- • Jiju Nine Swords is completely dependent on Sword Qi Unleashed inner art
- • Squishy in melee range — relies on positioning and Parry
- • Solo Nameless Sword may benefit from swapping to sword+fan, needing two gear sets
- • Long damage windows during skill cooldowns — must fill with Secret Arts
2. Skill Point Allocation (Lv 1-30)
2.1 Nameless Sword Art (Mingjin Hong) Skill Priority
Early game focuses on Nameless Sword Art. Max your damage skills and Q skill first to ensure solid dungeon DPS. For your off-hand Nameless Spear, just unlock the crowd control skills.
| Level Range | Skill Name | Priority | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lv 1-5 | Nameless Sword · Q (Charged Sword Qi) | ★★★★★ | Core damage skill — multi-hit Sword Qi + shield, max first |
| Lv 1-5 | Nameless Sword · Basic Combo | ★★★★☆ | Fundamental chain, boosts light attack damage |
| Lv 5-10 | Nameless Spear · Dash Strike | ★★★★☆ | Gap closer + CC, bridges into sword combos |
| Lv 10-15 | Nameless Sword · Charged Heavy | ★★★★☆ | Second damage source after Sword Qi |
| Lv 15-20 | Nameless Spear · Special | ★★★☆☆ | Supplementary CC and AoE damage |
| Lv 20-25 | Secret Art · Shenlong Fire Breath | ★★★★☆ | Best filler skill during martial art cooldowns |
| Lv 25-30 | Secret Art · Dragon Rider's Strike | ★★★★☆ | Weapon swap chain skill, improves combo fluidity |
2.2 Attribute Point Allocation
- ① Physique → Prioritize to Lv 30 (increases grappling and throw damage)
- ② Perception → To Lv 30 (speeds up bow drawing and gathering)
- ③ Coordination → Max late game (immune to fall damage)
- ④ Elegance → Max late game (reduces swimming stamina cost)
Recommended starting traits: 1 Gold (20 pts Physique or Perception) + 2 Purple (10 pts same attribute) + 2 Blue
3. Early Game Gear — Top 5 Must-Haves
Early game gear centers on the Douyi Set (Yudou + Yixiang). This set provides the critical "Insight" and "Momentum" stats. The Yixiang pieces also extend your shield duration, letting you safely fire two rounds of charged attacks.
How to get: Chapter 1 Qinghe boss drop, or Hundred Trades shop exchange
Key stats: Insight, Momentum
How to get: Qinghe side quest "Hidden Moon Mountain" reward
Key stats: Shield extension, Insight
How to get: World boss "Shadi Shen" drop in northern Qinghe
Key stats: Move speed, Momentum
How to get: First clear reward from "Wuxiang Huang" in starter village
Key stats: HP, Crit Rate
How to get: Baicaoye exploration chest (near North Bamboo TP), or Black Market vendor
Key stats: Physical ATK, Insight
4. Inner Art Recommendations
| Inner Art | Style | Effect | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nameless Inner Art | Mingjin Hong | Exclusive inner art, boosts all Nameless Sword Art damage | Must-have |
| Weimeng Song (Fierce Ode) | Universal | Universal damage boost inner art | Must-have |
| Yishui Song | Universal | Universal damage boost, core for early game | Recommended |
| Liaoyuan Heart Fire | Universal | Paired with Yishui Song, recommended for current patch | Recommended |
| Qianshan Art | Universal | Replaces Yishui Song in late game, stamina-focused | Late game |
| Sword Qi Unleashed | Mingjin Ying | Core inner art for Jiju Nine Swords — don't play Mingjin Ying without it | Jiju mandatory |
5. Core Combo Guide
5.1 Nameless Sword Art PvE Rotation
Opener:
Q Dash → Charged Sword Qi (core damage) → Spear Special for CC
Damage Loop:
Light×3 → Charged Heavy → Special → Execute (when Qi Exhaustion triggers)
Cooldown Filler:
Shenlong Fire Breath → Taibai Drunk Moon → Dragon Rider's Strike → Charge → Weapon Swap to Spear
5.2 Jiju Nine Swords Burst Rotation
Max Burst:
Fire Breath (opener) → Parry interrupt → Martial combo → Dragon Rider's Strike → Charge → Weapon Swap → Sword loop
6. First Raid Guide — Mingjin Hong Role
The early game raids are the 5-man "Yunmeng Jinming Pool" and the 10-man "Lion Dance Brothers". As Mingjin Hong (DPS), your core duty is consistent damage output while helping with mechanics.
Jinming Pool — Sleeping Daoist: Key Points
Vine Prison: When marked, run away from teammates immediately. If caught, call for help to break the cage. Pro tip: you can triple-jump over the thorn cage.
Add Spawn (biggest wipe cause): The whole team must focus adds. More adds alive = more damage when the boss leaps down. Save your charged Sword Qi and Secret Arts for this phase.
Boss Leap Response: When the boss jumps, pop Q shield to tank it, or stack with the team for healer AoE. Mingjin Hong's Q shield is very handy here.
Jinming Pool — Rong Yuan: Key Points
Barrel Mechanic: You must move 4+ dangerous barrels — don't greed DPS. Carry them outside the fire ring. This is Rong Yuan's core mechanic, priority over everything.
Triple Yellow Line Detonation (5-man, biggest wipe cause): Everyone but the tank grabs barrels. 1 explosion is survivable; 2+ is likely a wipe. Mingjin Hong has high mobility — prioritize distant barrels.
Shield Phase: The entire team must focus fire to break the shield ASAP or it's a wipe. Mingjin Hong should save charged attacks for maximum burst in this phase.
7. Advanced Tips & Common Mistakes
1. Charged Sword Qi is everything
The bulk of your damage comes from charged Sword Qi, not basic combos. The Yudou + Yixiang set extends your shield specifically so you can channel in peace. Never interrupt your charge to squeeze in auto-attacks.
2. Leverage Q's shield
Q grants a shield on cast. Pre-cast it before big boss damage phases to tank a hit. Combined with Yixiang pieces, the shield lasts even longer.
3. Secret Arts fill the DPS gap
Martial art cooldowns create long damage windows. You must fill them with Shenlong Fire Breath, Dragon Rider's Strike, etc. Secret Arts account for 30%+ of total output.
4. Parry beats dodge
Mingjin Hong is a melee style. Learning to Parry (Deflect) is more effective than dodging. Successful parries build the boss's True Qi gauge, pushing them into Qi Exhaustion faster.
5. When to switch to Jiju Nine Swords
Only consider Jiju Nine Swords after obtaining the Sword Qi Unleashed inner art. Without it, Jiju deals less damage than Nameless Sword Art. Practice combos in easier dungeons before tackling hard content.