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DYNASTY WARRIORS 4: XTREME LEGENDS (US)
Character Guide: Sima Yi
Version 1.0
Created by: Sima Zhongda
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CONTENTS
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1. Introduction
2. Biography
3. Attacks
3.1 Charges
3.2 Musou
3.3 Mounted Attacks
3.4 Other Attacks
4. Recommended Items
5. Weapons
5.1 General Table
5.2 Level 10
5.3 Level 11
6. Legend of Sima Yi
6.1 Story
6.2 Zhuge Liang's Ploy
6.3 The Enemy Generals
6.4 Additional Facts and Figures
7. Legend of Sima Yi: Expert Difficulty Strategy
7.1 Recommended Items
7.2 Zhuge Liang's Ploy Thwarted
7.3 In-Combat Recommendations
8. Thanks
9. Copyright and Contact Information
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1. Introduction
===================
This guide presents information regarding some of the most important aspects of
playing Wei strategist Sima Yi in the US version of Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme
Legends. Since I intended to make it useful for players who seek a strategy, as
well as for those who would rather develop their own, I dedicated two chapters
to the Legend of Sima Yi: the first is a description with specific facts and
figures; the second deals with a strategy to clear the stage in Expert
difficulty, meeting the requirements to unlock Sima Yi's level 11 weapon. As
for his level 10 weapon, I included the unlocking procedure for DW4:XL but not
the original DW4, because this allowed me to focus on XL for a more thorough
and accurate guide. Though I am open to the possibility of including the DW4
procedure at a later time, I cannot promise anything; besides, Muni Shinobu
has already written a very effective guide to unlock level 10 weapons in the
original DW4. This being said, let us proceed.
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2. Biography
================
From DW4:XL Encyclopedia:
Sima Yi (179 - 251)
A Wei vassal. He was promoted after Cao Cao recognized his talent and ability.
In the battle with Shu, he refused to be lured out by Zhuge Liang, putting his
heart and soul into a strong defensive effort, which resulted in victory. After
serving four generations of the Cao family, he won a battle with Cao Shuang to
seize control of the Wei Empire, laying the foundation for what would
eventually become the Jin Dynasty.
From Kongming's Archives (http://www.kongming.net):
Sima Yi (Zhongda)
Comprehensive Officer Biography*
Translated & Authored by Jonathan Wu
Place of Birth: Wen County, Henei Prefecture (Presently Wen County in Henan
Province)
Lifespan: AD 179 - 251 (73 Years)
Titles: Great Commander-in-Chief Who Pacifies the West, Grand Preceptor, Prime
Minister, King Wen
Family: Sima Fang (father), Sima Juan (grandfather), Sima Fu, Sima Lang
(brothers), Sima Shi, Sima Zhao (sons), Sima Yan, Sima You (grandsons), Sima
Wang (nephew)
Sima Yi began his career as Secretary of Literature under Lord Cao after the
pacification of the north. Zhongda’s first military assigned was against Zhang
Lu in Hanzhong. Sima Yi’s strategies were a success and Lord Cao was greatly
impressed. Sima Yi advised Lord Cao to press the attack further into Yi Zhou
before giving time to Liu Bei establish himself, however Lord Cao wanted to
rest the troops and did not advance.
Cao Pi had a great trust in Sima Yi, appointed him Chief of the Secretariat
and titled him Lord of Hejin Precinct. Later in his career, Zhongda was
appointed as Senior Assistant to the Prime Minister.
In the last year or Rebuilt Tranquility (AD 220), after the death of Lord Cao,
his son Cao Pi took his place and wanted to force Emperor Xian to abdicate the
throne. When the letter of Emperor Xian regarding the abdication came, Zhongda
advised Cao Pi to reject the first offer to silence the murmurings of the
people. Cao Pi took this advice and rejected the seal of rule three times
before becoming the Wei Emperor.
When Cao Pi’s son Cao Rui succeeded the throne, Sima Yi was appointed as Great
General of the Flying Cavalry, and was in charge of defending Xiliang district.
By a plot of Zhuge Liang, Sima Yi was later dismissed from his office.
Without Sima Yi however, Cao Rui and Cao Zhen suffered many losses against
Zhuge Liang and his officers. Thus Cao Rui appointed Sima Yi as Great
Commander-in-Chief Who Pacifies the West.
Zhongda’s talents as military strategist and his able leadership prevented
Zhuge Liang from gaining the upper hand in the battles between Wei and Shu. In
the second year of Beginning Prospects (AD 238), Zhongda put down the rebellion
of Gongsun Yuan and was promoted to Grand Commandant.
When Cao Fang succeeded the throne, Sima Yi was appointed as Grand Preceptor;
however he lost the control of the military to the regent of the Emperor, Cao
Shuang, the son of Cao Zhen.
In the first year of Joyous Stability (AD 249), Sima Yi decided that the reign
of the weak Wei Emperors needed to stop and pulled off a Coup d’etat. In the
process, Cao Shuang and his sympathizers were put to death.
Henceforth, Sima Yi was appointed as Prime Minister and received the Nine
Dignities from Cao Fang. Sima Yi placed his sons Zhao and Shi in high positions
and took away power or killed anyone who still supported the Cao Family.
In the third year of Joyous Stability (AD 251), Zhongda eradicated Wang Ling
who usurped against his authority. In the same year, Sima Yi died of natural
causes at the age of seventy-two. When his grandson Sima Yan united the land
and established the Jin Dynasty, Sima Yi was posthumously titled King Wen.
* Copyright 2002 - 2003 Jonathan Wu
A Kong Ming's Archives Exclusive Production
Major Sources: Beifangshi - Han/Ming Professor E.Lin (1982 Beijing)
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3. Attacks
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3.1 Charges
T - A typical light arrow.
ST - Target is tossed into the air by Sima Yi's fan.
SST - The enemy is hit once by a single laser beam. Stunning move.
SSST - Sima Yi laughs evilly and slides backward on one foot, while his fan
goes forward and moves from side to side in a horizontal line. Press T a second
time and he will slide forward, his fan spinning around him. Note that in the
SSSTT move the equipped orb can take effect twice. It is possible to change
direction while performing this charge.
SSSST - The enemy is tossed into the air by Sima Yi's fan, just like in his
SST. Press T a second time and Sima Yi will jump after his foe and hit them
once (equipped orb can take effect again) before returning to the ground.
SSSSST - Sima Yi shoots four homing laser beams (forward, right, left,
forward).
3.2 Musou
Normal - Sima Yi laughs evilly and shoots series of three purple homing laser
beams that go forward into his target, stunning or knocking them down; ending
move shoots five lasers. It is very lethal against crowds or single enemies.
True Musou - Sima Yi yells, "Fools!", and performs a musou with added fire
elemental. Fire is replaced by equipped orb's elemental if he has his level
10 or 11 weapon (in DW4:XL only); in such case, having a vorpal orb equipped
makes this attack more devastating than ever.
Note: Although the musou attack is Sima Yi's greatest strength, it must be
pointed out that it is highly ineffective against targets located on an
elevation different from his, even at very short range. In other words, the
homing lasers cannot hit far above or below a horizontal line.
3.3 Mounted Attacks
Normal - Sima Yi swings his fan in an arc from one side to the other; this
means that enemy units in front of him also take damage. He is no Ma Chao but
this is still a nice move when a Wind Scroll is equipped.
Charge - Same as his normal attack but more damage is inflicted.
Musou - Same form as his normal attack, with faster, more damaging swings.
3.4 Other attacks
Rush - Sima Yi laughs evilly while sliding forward on one foot; his fan moves
from side to side, horizontally, in front of him. Stunning move.
Jumping S - Sima Yi's fan moves downward, diagonally. The enemy is knocked back
by the hit.
Jumping T - Sima Yi shoots a laser beam downward, diagonally. An explosion
occurs when it hits the ground, yet this is a very low damage attack.
Taunt (R3) - Sima Yi says, "Imbeciles!"; purple Chinese characters circle
around him and enemy units nearby are knocked back.
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4. Recommended Items
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Harness: Red Hare or Shadow
Orb: Vorpal
Item 1: Tiger Amulet
Item 2: Tortoise Amulet (Replace for another item if he has his level 11
weapon, since it comes with a built-in level 18 Tortoise Amulet).
Item 3: Wind Scroll
Item 4: Elixir
Item 5: Secret of Orbs
Item 6: Speed Scroll or Way of Musou (The latter if his weapon is level 10+).
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5. Weapons
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5.1 General Table
/---------------------------------------------------------------\
| Level | Name | Power | Attacks | Exp. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
| 1 | Strategist's Fan | +11 | 4 | 0 |
| 2 | Strategist's Fan | +14 | 4 | 1000 |
| 3 | Strategist's Fan | +17 | 4 | 3000 |
| 4 | Command Fan | +21 | 5 | 6000 |
| 5 | Command Fan | +24 | 5 | 10000 |
| 6 | Command Fan | +27 | 5 | 15000 |
| 7 | Black Feather | +35 | 6 | 21000 |
| 8 | Black Feather | +38 | 6 | 28000 |
| 9 | Black Feather | +41 | 6 | 36000 |
| 10* | Dark Feather | +50 | 6 | 36000 |
| 11** | Abyssal Feather | +60 | 6 | 36000 |
\---------------------------------------------------------------/
* Must be unlocked, DW4 or DW4:XL. Level 9 weapon is required.
** Must be unlocked, DW4:XL only. Level 10 weapon is required.
5.2 Level 10 Weapon
Weapon's Name: Dark Feather
Power: +50
Built-in Bonuses: None
Mode: Legend
Stage: Battle of Mt. Qi (Legend of Sima Yi)
Difficulty level: HARD
Requirement: Get 26 KO count* to trigger the rain; defeat Wei Yan within 2'30"
after it starts raining. Must already have his level 9 weapon.
Easier said than done. The major problem here is to manage to defeat Wei Yan
within 2'30" after the rain starts. As I will explain in later chapters, Wei
Yan is an extremely tough enemy who will not waste any opportunity to hit Sima
Yi. How to ensure success? First of all, save as soon as the rain is triggered,
as this initial part is the most annoying and time consuming. Second, try to
stay away from Wei Yan as much as possible and deal with his troops before
focusing on him. It is also a good idea to use Sima Yi's musou as soon as it
becomes available, and to keep the horse (Shadow recommended) handy; the latter
can be useful to protect Sima Yi from damage when running to a recovery item,
since doing so on foot with low health often results in death (Wei Yan is a
fast runner).
If the mentioned requirements are met, the message: "Sima Yi has earned the
ultimate weapon Dark Feather" will appear after the notice of Wei Yan's death.
Run to the escape point if you wish to end the stage; it is not necessary to
kill anyone else.
Please note that it is necessary to trigger the rain; when testing the
requirements to unlock this weapon I waited until it automatically began to
rain (approximately 5 minutes into the stage), defeated Wei Yan within the next
2'30" and did not obtain the weapon. I also tried triggering the rain but
killing Wei Yan after the 2'30" had passed and did not obtain the weapon. I did
obtain it when both of the required conditions were met.
* Although it is common knowledge that the rain is triggered by a KO count of
26, this number is not always necessary. There are 26 units (25 archers and 1
bombardier) in the area between Sima Yi's start point and the gate located to
the west. While it is expected for the elimination of these units to get Sima
Yi's KO counter to 26, this is not always the case; the reason is that, if his
musou is used, some of the units can be thrown into others, killing them and
not counting them as Sima Yi's kills. However, if Sima Yi's KO counter is below
26 but the mentioned area has been cleared of enemies, killing the bombardier
that stands by the eastern hill will trigger the rain, regardless of KO count
(I obtained such results with as few as 19 KO's). I succeeded to obtain the
weapon under these circumstances.
5.3 Level 11 Weapon
Weapon's Name: Abyssal Feather
Power: +60
Built-in Bonuses: Tortoise Amulet - Level 18
Nanman Armor - Level 15
Cavalry Armor - Level 16
Seven Star Sash - Level 11
Mode: Legend
Stage: Battle of Mt. Qi (Legend of Sima Yi)
Difficulty Level: EXPERT
Requirement: Defeat at least nine out of the ten generals in the stage, to
obtain grade S. Must already have the Dark Feather (level 10
weapon).
See chapter 6 for information regarding the stage, and chapter 7 for a strategy
to clear it with the required grade S.
The message "Sima Yi has gained the final weapon Abyssal Feather" should appear
after the ninth officer is defeated.
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6. Legend of Sima Yi
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Stage: Battle of Mt. Qi
Restrictions: No bodyguards
Time Limit: 20 minutes
Condition for Victory: Sima Yi reaches the escape point.
Condition for Defeat: Sima Yi is slain.
6.1 Story
After the establishment of the Three Kingdoms, Zhuge Liang of Shu led countless
campaigns north against the Wei forces. The struggling Wei Kingdom would
eventually call upon their own military genius, Sima Yi, to lead its forces.
Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi were evenly matched as strategists, thus the fighting
entered into a long stalemate. But one day, Sima Yi received a report that the
Shu forces were suffering from food shortages, and he decided to take action.
The opportunity to outshine Zhuge Liang had finally come. Sima Yi struck out
and immediately routed the forces of Shu general Wei Yan, and pursued the
fleeing enemy troops into a valley. But this had been Zhuge Liang's plan all
along, and Sima Yi was suddenly faced with the greatest predicament of his
life...
6.2 Zhuge Liang's Ploy
The stage begins with an event in which Sima Yi is lured by Wei Yan into Zhuge
Liang's ambush. There are many archer units and bombardiers in the area, land
mines have been set, and the only way out (a gate located ahead and to the left
from the starting point) is closed. How much damage Sima Yi will take from this
ambush is highly dependant on difficulty level; if his health bar goes down to
yellow he curses Zhuge Liang. However, 5'00" into the stage or (normally) right
after Sima Yi's KO count reaches 26 things change: it begins to rain, which
defuses the mines. Upon realizing that the rain has ruined his plan, Zhuge
Liang opens the gate and sends Wei Yan to attack.
6.3 The Enemy Generals
+ Wei Yan. He charges into Sima Yi at Zhuge Liang's command. He is enraged
(just like Lu Bu in DW4 Hu Lao Gate) and very possibly the toughest general
in the stage, as in the high difficulty levels he can easily kill Sima Yi
with just a few hits.
+ Gao Xiang. He appears with many troops when Sima Yi walks into the area
between the encounter with Wei Yan and Zhuge Liang's location. There is
nothing special about this fight.
+ Zhuge Liang. Located near the eastern enemy gate, he will not attack until
Sima Yi encounters him. Like Wei Yan, he is enraged and can cause major
damage, but is somewhat easier to fight.
+ Yue Ying. As soon as Zhuge Liang's health goes under 50% she will appear from
the eastern gate and move towards Sima Yi. She is not any tougher than usual;
watch out for her freezing charges.
+ Liao Hua. He arrives from the southern gate, usually between 5 and 9 minutes
into the stage.
+ Zhang Yi. Arrives from the eastern gate, 90 seconds after Liao Hua.
+ Ma Dai. Arrives from the southern gate, 90 seconds after Zhang Yi.
+ Jian Yong. Arrives from the eastern gate, 90 seconds after Ma Dai.
+ Jiang Wei. Arrives from the southern gate, 90 seconds after Jian Yong. Though
not enraged, he can inflict major damage.
+ Wang Ping. Shu's last attempt to stop Sima Yi, he appears in the area near
the escape point, along with some soldiers and archers. Be careful if you
intend to kill him, since Sima Yi might end up being pushed into the escape
point, automatically finishing the stage.
6.4 Additional Facts and Figures
+ Mines and bombs cannot kill Sima Yi; the worst they can do is empty his
health bar.
+ The location of the mines in the first part of the stage never changes.
+ Once activated, mines do not regenerate.
+ The rain can be triggered with a KO count below 26, if the area between Sima
Yi's start point and the western gate has been cleared of enemies and the
bombardier standing by the hill on the east is killed.
+ There is a Meat (+200 life recovery) inside a jar by the exit from the
ambush place.
+ The enemy entry points (gates) are restored 20 to 30 seconds after being
sealed.
+ Once encountered, most generals and their units follow Sima Yi; even gate
captains leave their posts to pursue him.
+ There can be a maximum of 3 enemy generals (not counting Zhuge Liang) on the
map at the same time. If this is the case at the time Zhang Yi, Ma Dai, Jian
Yong or Jiang Wei are due to appear, they do not show up until at least one
of the generals on the map dies.
+ Some of the generals that arrive throughout the stage stay behind their gate
for a while. They advance if Sima Yi gets close enough.
+ The stage ends as soon as Sima Yi goes fairly near the escape point. It does
not matter how many enemy generals are alive.
+ Triggering the rain and defeating the 10 enemy generals results in the
maximum possible grade, depending on difficulty level played (B for Beginner,
A for Easy - Hard, S for Expert).
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7. Legend of Sima Yi: Expert Difficulty Strategy
====================================================
The Battle of Mt. Qi is not a particularly difficult stage. What Sima Yi must
do in order to achieve the maximum (S) grade is relatively simple: defeat at
least 9 out of the 10 enemy generals in the stage. Although Sima Yi is all
alone in a stage in which many hundreds of enemy soldiers are entirely
dedicated to attack him, the major difficulty resides in the fact that he must
first manage to survive Zhuge Liang's infamous ploy.
It is highly recommended for Sima Yi to have maximum stats before attempting to
play his Legend in Expert mode. Level 10 weapon is required in order to unlock
level 11.
7.1 Recommended Items
Harness: Shadow
Orb: Vorpal
Item 1: Tiger Amulet
Item 2: Tortoise Amulet
Item 3: Wind Scroll
Item 4: Elixir
Item 5: Secret of Orbs
Item 6: Way of Musou
7.2 Zhuge Liang's Ploy Thwarted
This is the most difficult part of the stage. It took many attempts for me to
develop a solid strategy to escape alive and, finally, this is the one I found
to be most effective and less time consuming (if done right, it should take
around 3 minutes or less to trigger the rain). Success, however, might still
take more than one attempt, especially when the stage is played for the first
time in Expert difficulty.
As soon as you gain control of Sima Yi, assume guarding position (L1) and move
left and all the way back towards the gate. Do not turn Sima Yi's back to the
archers. Do not move to the extreme left of the gate; there is a mine there.
The line in which the gate stops Sima Yi from moving further back is a safe
place; fully charge his musou bar. Following the right side of the area, ride
down the hill to one of the nearest groups of archers and start the musou (keep
in mind the limitations of Sima Yi's musou when it comes to uneven terrain).
Get back on the horse immediately, ride back to the gate the exact same way you
got down and repeat the procedure until the lower 26 units are dead. If they
are dead and Sima Yi's KO count is still under 26, ride all the way to the wall
opposite to the starting point, with a full musou bar, and kill the bombardier
by the hill. The importance of doing the musou from that specific point resides
in the fact that it is out of range for the archer units located on the hill.
The rain is triggered immediately after Sima Yi's KO count reaches 26 or the
bombardier is killed. Get back on the horse and save your game.
As it starts to rain the mines are defused and Zhuge Liang realizes that his
ploy has failed, so he opens the gate and sends Wei Yan after Sima Yi. It takes
Wei Yan a few seconds to get there, but many common soldiers charge ahead of
him. This is why Sima Yi must exit through the gate as soon as it is opened,
and break the jars located to the right; a +200 life recovery is inside one of
them.
Note: It is very possible for Sima Yi to find himself with a completely empty
health bar due to the large amount of damage the land mines cause. While the
land mines themselves cannot kill him, they do leave him at risk of dying from
an arrow shot. For this reason, you must not have Sima Yi stand still in this
area, unless positioning for a musou attack or in a safe place.
7.3 In-Combat Recommendations
+ When fighting Wei Yan, attempt to eliminate his soldiers first, since they
contribute to put Sima Yi in a more vulnerable position for Wei Yan to
attack. Do not advance further on the map until he has been defeated. It is a
good idea to save the game after defeating Wei Yan.
+ Use Sima Yi's musou as much as possible, but carefully. Always keep in mind
that the units thrown back by it can collide with others and kill them; such
kills DO NOT count as Sima Yi's. Hence, when fighting generals, wait until
they get close to Sima Yi before starting the musou and stay alert for the
"Enemy officer defeated" message as a confirmation of the kill.
+ War God's Axe (30 seconds x2 attack), War God's Armor (30 seconds x2 defense)
and Wine (full recovery of musou gauge) are plentiful in this stage. Use
them.
+ After defeating Yue Ying, advance to the area between the two enemy entry
points (gates) and fight there until Jiang Wei is defeated. Not only does
this let Sima Yi encounter the arriving officers faster, but also provides a
steady source of Meat Buns (+50 life recovery): the gate captains.
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8. Thanks
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+ To KOEI, for creating the Dynasty Warriors series.
+ To Kongming's Archives (http://www.kongming.net), for providing such useful
information regarding the people of the Three Kingdoms.
+ To Muni Shinobu, for his excellent DW4:XL Walkthrough and FAQs.
+ To The Left Wings, for his also excellent "Level 11 Weapons Guide".
+ To my best friend, whose aid, support and constructive criticism helped me
write and improve this guide.
+ To the real Sima Yi, who inspired the creation of my very favorite Dynasty
Warrior.
+ To GameFAQs, for publishing my work.
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9. Copyright and Contact Information
========================================
Copyright 2003-2004 Sima Zhongda.
This document may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for
personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise
distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on
any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited,
and a violation of copyright.
For questions, contributions, etc., e-mail me at sima_zhongda@hotmail.com. I
will give proper credit to the author(s) of any contributions I decide to post
as part of this guide.
