O=============================================================================O
I I
I YOSHITSUNE EIYUDEN: SHURA I
I THE STORY OF HERO YOSHITSUNE SHURA I
I FAQ/WALKTHROUGH I
I I
I April 25, 2006 I
I Version 1.05 I
I I
I By: Ian Kelley I
I Email: masakadokou@yahoo.com I
I I
O=============================================================================O
This Document is Copyright 2006 Ian Kelley. All Rights Reserved. It is
protected by US and International Copyright Law. It is for private and personal
use only, and cannot be reprinted in or reproduced in part or in entirety
without the express written consent of the author. This document is intended to
be free and may not be used for any sort of commercial venture, be that selling
it, giving it away as a promotion, or making otherwise making available for
profit. It may not be used or distributed by any website, organization, or
individual, nor may it be used as a refererence or altered by anyone (such as
strategy guide authors/publishers or magazine staff) without express permission
of the author.
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| VERSION HISTORY: |
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
1.05, 4/25/06:
Made some important changes (Yeesh, how could I have forgotten to add a table
of contents?) and some formatting changes.
1.0 4/22/06:
Initial release
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| IMPORTANT NOTES: |
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE:
======================
This document is formatted to look right with a fixed-width font, and looks
best in around a 9 point font in an 79-column window. It uses Shift-JIS for
Japanese character encoding.
This guide is divided into three sections--an FAQ, under which all the
pertinent info regarding the game's system and so forth is covered, a
walkthrough as a step-by-step guide through the actual game itself, and a data
section with various game data. (Items, characters, etc.)
EMAIL/CONTACT POLICY:
=====================
I get a ton of email about the various guides I write, and I don't have the
time or the inclination to answer it all. I actually do not answer the majority
of the email I get regarding my FAQs, because most of them are not worth
responding to. If you are writing me an email and want me to respond, keep the
following things in mind:
* Please try not to ask any redundant questions. If you need to ask something,
make sure the answer isn't already in this FAQ. The "Find" option of your
text editor is your best friend.
* Really basic translation questions I will generally consider as "stupid
questions." If you are playing this game, I am going to assume you can at
least read the Hiragana and Katakana; there is far less English in this game
than most Japanese games have. I've gone further than I have before in
earlier FAQs for other games and even translated menu choices; while
questions regarding clarification or further explanation of the FAQ are
welcomed and encouraged, requests for language help are not.
* Please put the name of the game you're asking the question for in the
subject line or at the very least, in the body of the text! I get mail
regarding a lot of FAQs and it'll help if I know what game you're talking
about.
* I'm not going to be anal about it, but try and keep a decent semblance of
grammar and punctuation. Also refrain from using AOL-netspeak; use "you"
instead of "u" and the like. It's only two keystrokes difference, come on.
HOSTING THIS FAQ:
=================
If you want to host this FAQ on your site, your site must be either A)
GameFAQs.com or B) a Yoshitsune Eiyuden-specific site. If you are B) email me
first to ask so I know. If you have just a general-purpose game FAQ repository
site that leeches off GameFAQs, do not even bother to email me to ask for
permission to host this FAQ as the answer is no. I explicitly deny the use of
this FAQ to the FAQ thieves at cheatcc.com, Cheatcc.com may not use this guide
in any way, shape or form. If you find this, or any of my other guides, at
cheatcc.com, it does not belong there, and the webmaster has stolen it. Email
their upstream providers at Yahoo and complain, as they never pay any attention
to complaints themselves.
o#############################################################################o
# #
# CONTENTS #
# #
o#############################################################################o
THE BASICS
CONTROLS
THE MAIN MENU
THE MAIN MENU OPTIONS
STORY/FREE/SPECIAL MODE
UNIT MANAGEMENT
TACTICAL TRAINING
THE GIKEIKI
SETTINGS
GAMEPLAY
BASIC GAMEPLAY
STRATAGEMS AND FORMATIONS
FLOW OF A STAGE
AFTER THE BATTLE
WALKTHROUGHS
MINAMOTO NO YOSHITSUNE
KURAMA TENGU
FIRE AT SHOSHAZAN
THE GOJO BRIDGE
THE KAGAMI INN
HIRAIZUMI, OSHU
THE BATTLE AT FUJI RIVER
MEETING WITH YORITOMO
RAIN DANCE
BATTLE AT UJI RIVER
HUNTING YOSHINAKA
RETURN TO THE CAPITAL
TREASURED MEMORIES IN THE MOONLIGHT
THE BATTLE OF ICHI-NO-TANI
THE BATTLE OF YASHIMA
THE BATTLE OF DAN-NO-URA
ASSASSINS
I LONG FOR HIM
KOROMOGAWA
ABOVE THE PURPLE CLOUDS
KISO NO YOSHINAKA
THE GENJI FROM KISO
FALLING INTO KURIKARA
YOSHINAKA ENTERS THE CAPITAL
THE SETTING SUN OF MIZUSHIMA
ATTACK ON HOJUJI TEMPLE
THE UJI ROAD, DUSTED WITH SNOW
THE END OF KISO
THE RISING SUN ASCENDS TO HEAVEN
THE TAIRA CLAN
PRINCE MOCHIHITO'S EDICT
CONSUMING THE MORNING SUN
SUBJUGATING THE WESTERN PROVINCES
CHERRY BLOSSOMS SCATTERING IN SUMA
CLOUDED MOON
LONG SHOT
SINKING BENEATH THE SURF
TO THE EAST
STEWARTIA FLOWERS
SPECIAL STAGES
MOCK BATTLE
DEFEND YOKOTAGAWARA
MOPPING UP THE MINAMOTO ARMY
SHEER DROP
KILLING A THOUSAND
DEFEAT
CALLING ALL HEROES
SINGLE-PLAYER SECRETS
VERSUS MODE
VERSUS MODE OPTIONS
VERSUS MODE NOTES
CHARACTERS
YOSHITSUNE GENERALS
MINAMOTO NO KURO YOSHITSUNE
USHIWAKA-MARU
MUSASHIBO BENKEI
GOLD MERCHANT KICHIJI
RIN
SATO SABURO TSUGUNOBU
SATO SHIRO TADANOBU
SHIZUKA GOZEN
NASU NO YOICHI MUNETAKA
ISE NO SABURO YOSHIMORI
HITACHIBO KAISON
YOSHINAKA GENERALS
KISO NO JIRO YOSHINAKA
IMAI SHIRO KANEHIRA
NENOI DAIYATA YUKICHIKA
TOMOE GOZEN
TATE ROKURO CHIKATADA
HIGUCHI JIRO KANEMITSU
TAIRA GENERALS
TAIRA NO TOMOMORI
TAIRA NO NORITSUNE
TAIRA NO SHIGEHIRA
TAIRA NO ATSUMORI
TAIRA NO TOKITADA
KIKUO-MARU
"SECRET" GENERALS
KARASU TENGU (KAMATA MASACHIKA)
MINAMOTO NO JURO YUKIIE
PRINCE MOCHIHITO
GOCHIIN-TAJIMA
JOMYO-MEISHU
MINAMOTO NO YORITOMO
KAJIWARA HEIZO KAGETOKI
KAKUHAN
SAITO BETTO SANEMORI
STRATAGEMS AND FORMATIONS
STRATAGEMS
FORMATIONS
SKILLS
WEAPONS
SWORDS
NAGINATAS (SMALL)
NAGINATAS (LARGE)
BOWS
SHIELDS
CLUBS
CONCEALED WEAPONS
ITEMS
SUBORDINATES
GENERIC SOLDIERS
MONKS
FEMALE SOLDIERS
ELITE FOOTSOLDIERS
SPECIAL SUBORDINATES
HISTORY
BIBLIOGRAPHY/RECOMMENDED READING
THANKS
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
o#############################################################################o
# #
# THE BASICS #
# #
o#############################################################################o
WHAT IS YOSHITSUNE EIYUDEN?
---------------------------
Yoshitsune Eiyuden: Shura is a "Army Battle Action" game, in a similar vein to
the more widely known "Musou" series by Koei; Sengoku Musou/Sangoku Musou,
known better in the West as "Dynasty Warriors" and "Samurai Warriors." However,
in contrast to those series' "wade-into-a-horde-of-enemies-and-beat-the-tar-
out-of-them" feel, YE:S focuses more on careful planning, tactics, and
effective command of your army. YE:S is based on the Genpei War at the end of
the Heian period in Japan, and on the legends surrounding Minamoto Yoshitsune,
one of the most famous figures from that period. While not completely faithful
to the source material the game is based on, YE:S is heavily influenced to try
and make it as historically accurate as possible while keeping it playable.
It's very clear that the designers had history geeks in mind when making this
game, which adds a whole lot to its charm, in my opinion. You can literally
spend hours perusing the historical information section provided in-game. This
is, more than anything, the greatest appeal of the game in my opinion, but then
again the main focus of my studies in college was premodern Japanese history,
so I am somewhat biased. :)
YOSHITSUNE EIYUDEN VS. YOSHITSUNE EIYUDEN: SHURA
------------------------------------------------
I don't actually own the original Yoshitsune Eiyuden, and only played it
briefly in a store display in Osaka; most of my information comes from the
official site and a few third-party "strategy" sites, but from what I can tell,
YE:S is less like a direct sequel to the original YE, and more like the mother
of all expansions. YE:S contains all the characters and levels from the
original YE, (though the contents have changed for some) but also added two
entirely new scenarios, 15+ new characters, a bunch of new gameplay additions,
etc. You can directly import your data from YE into YE:S to transfer items and
character development (though some items have been renamed) as well.
QUICK BACKGROUND:
-----------------
The Genpei war took place between 1180 and 1185, at the end of the Heian period
of Japan, and was fought between two warrior clans, the Taira and the Minamoto.
The winner of the war was the Minamoto, whose leader, Minamoto Yoritomo, became
the first Shogun of Japan and founded the Kamakura Bakufu, (warrior government)
starting what would be 700 years of warrior rule of Japan. This game focuses
on the exploits of three men, who each led their own army: Minamoto Yoshitsune,
Minamoto Yoshinaka, and Taira Tomomori--and is divided up into three scenarios,
one for each.
Minamoto Yoshitsune was the younger half-brother of Minamoto Yoritomo and is
generally considered the greatest hero of the war. He was a brilliant tactician
and general, and was the commander of the forces that finally put an end to the
Taira. He was not as good at politics though, and had a falling out with his
brother that ended up in his becoming a fugitive, and eventually led to him
being tracked down and killed.
Minamoto Yoshinaka was the cousin of Yoshitsune and Yoritomo. He was from the
Kiso area of Japan, and is usually known as Kiso Yoshinaka. (exclusively so in
this game) He led the early stages of the war against the Taira and met with
some great success, but rivalry between him and Yoritomo grew and eventually
the Minamoto split into two camps, one under each man. Yoshinaka lost the
competition and was killed in battle with Yoritomo's forces.
Taira Tomomori was the primary tactical commander of the Taira forces. While
not the leader of the Taira clan (that title went to his elder brother,
Munemori) he was the best tactician and won the most battles for the Taira.
However, after a string of defeats he finally drowned at the battle of Dan-no-
Ura.
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| CONTROLS |
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
Here's a list of the controls in the game. Here--and elsewhere in the guide--I
have abbreviated "Square Button" and "Triangle Button" to "S" and "T" buttons
respectively.
MENU CONTROLS:
--------------
D-Pad: Move cursor
O Button: Confirm choice
X Button: Cancel choice
S Button: Quit Gikeiki/Remove General or Subordinate from lineup
T Button: Get Gikeiki info/See Game Stats on main menu
L1 Button: Change missions/Go back to previous category in Gikeiki
R1 Button: Change mission/See linked topics in Gikeiki
IN-GAME CONTROLS:
-----------------
Left Stick: Moves commander
Right Stick X Axis: Rotates Camera
Right Stick Y Axis: Zooms camera in/out
D-Pad X axis: Turn Mini-map on/off
D-Pad Y axis: Zoom Mini-map in/out
O Button: Guard/Get on or off horse
X Button: Jump
S Button: Fast attack
T Button: Strong Attack
T + O: Evasion attack
S + T: Setsuna-no-Saku
L1: Open General 1's Stratagem menu
L1 + O: Use General 1's Stratagem mapped to O button
L1 + S: Use General 1's Stratagem mapped to S button
L1 + T: Use General 1's Stratagem mapped to T button
L1 + X: Put General 1 on Standby/Cancel Stratagem
R1: Open General 2's Stratagem menu
R1 + O: Use General 2's Stratagem mapped to O button
R1 + S: Use General 2's Stratagem mapped to S button
R1 + T: Use General 2's Stratagem mapped to T button
R1 + X: Put General 2 on Standby/Cancel Stratagem
L1 + R1: Open Formation Menu
L1 + R1 + S: Use Formation mapped to the S button
L1 + R1 + T: Use Formation mapped to the T button
L1 + R1 + O: Use Special Formation (if any)
L1 + R1 + X: Cancel all Stratagems/Formations
L2 + Left stick: Walk
R2: Move camera angle behind commander
Start Button: Pause
Select: Turn on/off enemy health display
o#############################################################################o
# #
# THE MAIN MENU #
# #
o#############################################################################o
This is a list of all the options on the main menus in the game. As you'll note
from this menu, (and the game in general) YE:S is not a very foreigner-friendly
game. Aside from "The Story of Hero Yoshitsune Shura," a few "ON/OFFs" and
"EASY/NORMAL/HARD" in the options, there's no English in the game whatsoever.
Actually, before getting to the main menu, it's probably best if I go through
the title menu options:
Start Game (はじめから)
Continue Game (つづきから)
Versus Mode (対戦)
Good enough? OK. Versus Mode will be covered in more detail after the main
walkthrough; for the time being I'm assuming you're playing in single-player
mode. When first starting a game, you'll be prompted to change your options;
they'll be covered in more detail later.
DATA CONVERSION:
----------------
When you first start a game you'll be asked if you want to convert your
Yoshitsune Eiyuden data into Yoshitsune Eiyuden:Shura data. As I don't own the
original Yoshitsune Eiyuden, I've never done this. But the manual makes three
notes about this:
1) Items and weapons that don't exist in YE:S won't be transferred (duh)
2) Some Items and Weapons have their names changed from the previous game
3) If any characters being transferred from YE are less developed than the
defaults for YE:S, the YE:S defaults will be used.
THE MAIN MENU OPTIONS:
======================
PICTURE SCROLL OF RIVAL WARLORDS (AKA Story Mode) 群雄絵巻
----------------------------------------------------------
This is the main "story mode" of the game, the real meat-and-potatoes of the
single-player game. Here you play in chronological order the exploits of the
Minamoto Yoshitsune, Kiso Yoshinaka, and Taira armies. You start out only with
access to the Yoshitsune scenario, but after you complete a few of his levels,
the Yoshinaka and Taira scenarios will open up to you.
Story Mode is where you advance through the stages of your scenario to reach
the ending(s) for your army. In each stage, your Commander is pre-determined,
and sometimes your generals are too. (For information on the difference between
Commanders, Generals, etc, look at the gameplay basics section) Even if your
generals aren't pre-determined, what generals you can choose to bring with you
are sometimes limited. (For example, during the story some of your generals
will die, and you can't play with them in later stages because they're dead)
The location and types of items present are preset in Story Mode as well. You
can re-play Story Mode stages as many times as you want, though the special
items in each stage can generally only be gotten once, after which they will be
replaced with less valuable items. (usually by Certificates)
Each Story Mode Scenario has two different endings. There is a historical
ending and a "gaiden" ending. Seeing as all three armies were the losers in
actual history, the historical ending chronicles the respective demises of
Yoshitsune, Yoshinaka, and Tomomori. However, by turning the tide and winning
certain battles during Story Mode that each army historically lost, you can
unlock "secret" stages (colored in purple on the stage select screen) that have
no historical background, but are "what-if" scenarios describing what might
have happened had each individual army survived.
BATTLE PRACTICE (AKA Free Mode) 合戦演習
----------------------------------------
Free Mode is a lot like Story Mode; here you can play any stage you have
completed in Story Mode, except that you have a lot more freedom over how you
play each stage. To start with, there are fewer restrictions on who you can
bring into the stage. Your Commander and Generals aren't pre-set at all, so you
can control or order whomever you want. The only restriction is that you can't
normally bring characters from other armies into a stage. For example you can't
bring a Taira general into a Yoshitsune stage, even in Free Mode. (However,
once you start completing the game with multiple armies, even these
restrictions start to be lifted...)
In Free Mode, it is possible to unlock new playable characters or subordinates
and record new completion times or stage rankings, but you cannot unlock any
new story content. For example, there are some stages in the game that have
branching paths; you MUST unlock those branching paths in Story Mode if you
want to either see new endings or unlock new stages. Furthermore, all
unlockable cutscenes must be unlocked in Story mode. (you can only see most of
the cutscenes in Story mode anyway)
Gameplay in Free Mode is essentially identical to that in Story mode, only that
certain events either don't occur or occur differently. Also, special items in
the stage are not pre-set like in Story Mode, but are generated randomly. There
is one major addition, however: Stage Difficulty. When you play a stage in Free
Mode, before you start, you're asked to set the Stage Difficulty, which is
separate from the standard Difficulty level. A Stage Difficulty of 0 indicates
the same difficulty as in Story Mode, but you can increase this number to make
enemies tougher. Stage Difficulty can go as high as 100, but you can only play
up to ten Difficulty levels higher than you've completed the stage on before.
For example, when you first play a stage in Free Mode, you can only play it
from level 0-10. If you decided to play at level 8, the next time you played
Free Mode you could set the Stage Difficulty as high as 18. You tend to get
better random items on high Stage Difficulty levels, so it can be to your
advantage to boost it up.
SPECIAL PRACTICE 特別演習
-------------------------
"Special Mode" allows you to play special stages with no real story content to
them, just an opportunity to play stages with unusual characteristics or
conditions. For example there's one Special Stage where you can't control your
Commander and have to finish it by giving orders to your generals, and there's
another Special Stage where all your enemies run away from you rather than
fight, so you have to chase them down. Each Special Stage is unlocked by
completing other stages, sometimes with Stage Rank conditions as well.
In terms of play style, Special Mode stages are essentially the same as Free
Mode stages in that you can pick your characters freely, change the Stage
Difficulty, and the items present are random. The army that actually unlocked
the stage is the one that gets access to it. (For example "Defending
Yokotagawara" is unlocked on a Yoshinaka stage, so only Yoshinaka's army can
play it normally)
UNIT MANAGEMENT 部隊編成
------------------------
Unit Management is where you can delve into the nitty-gritty of managing your
characters and their armies. While you can jump into Unit Management before
going out on a mission, this option on the Main Menu allows you to manage your
characters without having to go into Story or Free modes. It's here that you
use items, learn Skills and Stratagems, assign Subordinates, and map Stratagems
to the S, T, and O buttons for each of your characters.
TACTICAL TRAINING (AKA Tutorial Mode) 戦術指南
----------------------------------------------
Tutorial Mode allows you to learn the basics of the game before you start play
in earnest. There are several different tutorials on different aspects of the
game such as movement, attacking, using Stratagems, etc. More advanced topics,
such as things like Archer Towers, are not available in Tutorial Mode when you
start the game; as you proceed through the Story Mode levels new tutorials will
be unlocked for you to try.
GIKEIKI 義経記
--------------
"Gikeiki" literally means "Record of Yoshitsune" is actually a Muromachi-era
work of literature detailing the legends around the exploits of Minamoto
Yoshitsune. (And in fact, if this game could be said to based on any one
particular source, it would be tied between the _Gikeiki_ and the _Heike
Monogatari_) In-game, the Gikeiki is a giant repository of information.
Detailed
information on the game system can be found here, along with descriptions and
stats of all the items and weapons you've found so far, usage of Stratagems,
etc.
The real charm of the Gikeiki, however, is the wealth of historical and
legendary information available in the game. Detailed information on the
background and story behind every character in the game can be found here, down
to the minor generals and subordinates you only see once. Chronology and
terminology of the events of the Genpei War is also available. If anything
present in-game differs from the actual historical or legendary record, be it
person, place, or whatever, you can be sure to find a note of it here. You can
even read about what kind of armor Heian-era soldiers wore and how it was made
in the terminology section. It's basically a great resource for history geeks.
If you can't read Japanese you'll unfortunately miss out on all the great info
here, but if you can, be sure to spend some time browsing it--there's some
fascinating information to be had. Plus there are topics on various historical
sources with more information, so you can know where to go if you want to learn
more.
The various Gikeiki topics are linked to one another via the R1 button. For
example, were you to look at the links of "Kumagai Naozane", one of them would
be "The Battle of Ichi-no-Tani" as he was a major contributor there.
Furthermore, the Gikeiki topics are linked via the T button to other in-game
options for easy access. For example, if you were selecting Subordinates to go
out on a mission with you, you could use the T button to jump to the Gikeiki
entry on that particular soldier. Or, if you were browsing through your list of
items and wanted to know what the item does, you could use the T button to jump
to its Gikeiki entry and get a detailed description of what it's used for.
SETTINGS 環境設定
-----------------
This is where you change all the settings for your game.
RECORD 記録
-----------
Here is where you either Save (保存) or Load (読込) your game. You'll
automatically be prompted to save every time you finish a level, but if you
want to save (or load) at other times, this is where you do it.
QUIT 終了
---------
Use this option to quit the game and return to the title menu. You'll be asked
if you want to save your game first before exiting, and then asked for
confirmation once again.
BATTLE RECORD 戦績
------------------
You can get to this screen from the Main Menu by pressing the T button. Here
you will be presented with a list, from top to bottom:
Play Time: How long you've been playing the game
People Killed: How many enemies you've defeated
Times Battled: How many battles you've fought (Tutorial counts too)
Max Linked Stratagems: The highest number of Stratagems you've linked together
Stratagem Ranking: The three Stratagems/Formations you've used the most
Stage Ranking: The three stages you've played the most
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| STORY/FREE/SPECIAL MODE |
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
STEP 1: STAGE SELECT SCREEN
---------------------------
All three of these modes start out pretty much the same. The first thing you
need to do is select your stage. Except for Special Mode, stages are organized
chronologically and by army--Purple for Yoshitsune, green for Yoshinaka, and
red for the Taira. At the bottom of the screen will be the following windows:
1) Stage Description:
Here will be a short description of the stage your cursor is highlighting.
2) Stage Ranking:
This lists the ranks you've achieved in this stage. If you score the highest
rank, Gunjin, the gold "Gunjin" medal replaces the lower medal(s) here.
3) Record Time:
The shortest amount of time you've completed the stage in. The default value
listed here is the "par" time for the stage. If you complete the stage faster
than par, you'll get a stage score bonus.
4) Joined Soldiers:
This lists the number of soldiers (generals or subordinates) that you can get
to join you upon completion of this stage, and how many you've gotten. I.e if
it says 0/2 it means that you can "unlock" two soldiers on the stage, but
haven't done so for either yet.
5) Times Won:
This is the number of times you've finished the stage.
6) Max Chained Stratagems:
This shows the highest number of Chained Stratagems you've linked on the stage.
STEP 2: STAGE CONFIRMATION SCREEN
---------------------------------
Once you pick your stage you'll get sent to the Stage Info screen. On the right
hand side of the screen you'll see a map of the stage, and on the left hand
screen will be a list of the Missions for the stage.
There are three choices here:
1) Form Ranks 陣立て
This option will send you to the General Select screen, where you pick your
generals and/or Commander for the stage.
2) Situation 状況
You only get this option in Story Mode. It will give you a recap of the
situation surrounding the stage.
3) Check Battle Conditions 戦況確認
This choice allows you to read more detailed information about the tasks you
need to complete on the stage, called Missions. (Well technically they're
called "Achievement Conditions" but I call them Missions for short)
Except for the Special Stages, every Stage has five Missions. Only the first,
top Mission is required to complete the stage; the remainder are optional.
However, completing as many Missions as possible is the best (usually only) way
to get a really high ranking on the stage. Also note that some Missions can be
completed in more than one way.
By moving the D-pad you can highlight each mission to see a more in-depth
description of each Mission with Check Battle Conditions.
STAGE 3: GENERAL SELECT SCREEN
------------------------------
After picking "Form Ranks" on the Stage Confirmation Screen, you're sent to the
General Select Screen. There are 3-5 choices here:
1) To Battle 出陣
This option is your final confirmation; it sends you to play the stage itself.
2) Unit Management 部隊編成
This option sends you to the Unit Management Screen, identical to the one you
access from the Main Menu.
3) Commander 隊長
This option is where you pick your Commander. The Commander is the character
that you control when you're playing the level, with the sole exception of one
of the Special Levels, where you can't directly control anyone. During Story
Mode, the Commander will always be predetermined, and you won't be able to
change it.
4) First Unit 一番隊
This option is where you pick your first General, that you can command with the
L1 button. Depending on the stage, you may not get this option. Also, in Story
Mode, sometimes this choice will be predetermined, and you won't be able to
change it.
5) Second Unit 二番隊
This option is the same as the First Unit option, except that you choose the
general for the second unit, that you command with the R1 button. Like First
Unit, this option may not be present depending on the stage, and sometimes is
predetermined in Story Mode.
STAGE 4: PLAYING THE STAGE
--------------------------
This is where you actually play the stage. Check the Gameplay section for more
details. However, I'll note here the options you'll get on the Pause menu you
get when pressing the Start Button:
1) Go back 戻る
Return to play.
2) Unit List 部隊表
This option will let you take a look at the detailed statistics of your
Commander, your Generals, and their Subordinates. Use this if you want to see
the numeric stats for their Health levels, or if you want to see just how well
your Formations are boosting their stats, etc.
3) Check Battle Conditions 戦況確認
This is identical to the same option on the Stage Confirmation Screen.
4) Quit 終了
Use this option if you want to prematurely end the stage and return to the
title menu.
STAGE 5: COMBAT REPORT
----------------------
Assuming you don't die or otherwise lose the stage, once the stage is over
you'll get the Combat Report screen. Here you get a report on how you did in
the battle.
1) Time Elapsed 経過時間
This displays your play time of the level.
2) Casualties 死亡数
This displays the number of soldiers killed in the battle. It's divided into
three sections: Enemy army (敵軍) in red, your army (自軍) in blue, and allied
army (友軍) in green.
3) Achievements 達成条件
This list displays your achievements in the level--specifically, what Missions
you completed, and how you completed them.
4) Stratagem Success Rate 作戦成功率
This is a percentage of how many of the Stratagems you enacted succeeded.
Formations are included in this number as well, even though they don't
technically succeed or fail; they count as a success if they finish normally
and a failure if you cancel them or the level ends before it can finish.
5) Maximum Chained Stratagems 最大連策数
This is the greatest number of Stratagems you chained together at once in the
level.
6) Rank 評価
This is an overall rating of your performance in the level. Check the gameplay
section for more information on Rank.
STAGE 6: CLEANUP TASKS
----------------------
After getting the Combat Report, there are only a few things left to do before
you can save your game and go on to the next stage.
1) Character Advancement
Based on the amount of experience they gained in the stage, your commander and
generals will advance in levels. You decide how your characters level up by
distributing advancement points (one per level) to their stats. Each individual
stat can reach a maximum of 20 levels. (with 5 stats, this makes your generals'
maximum total level 100)
2) Subordinate Advancement
Your subordinates advance their levels along with your generals. Since
Subordinates don't have a Command statistic, they max out at level 80 rather
than level 100. Also, subordinates distribute their advancement points
automatically; you can't decide how they spend them. However, if any
Subordinate died during the level, they will not make any gains, and in fact
will lose a level from one statistic.
4) New Ally Reports
In some stages, you'll get new allies, either new controllable characters or
Subordinates. If you do, there will be an announcement as such and you can take
a quick look at each new character's status.
5) Item Report and Certificate Usage
Lastly, you'll get a list of all the items you won in the stage; both items you
got in the stage itself and what Rank Rewards you won. (Colored icons will
appear by Rank Rewards) If you got any Certificates during the level, you must
use them now. Certificates will advance a particular statistic's level by 1.
You can use Certificates on any character that participated in the stage,
including Subordinates. However, you cannot use the Certificate on a character
who's level for that statistic is already at 20. You can choose not to use
Certificates you found, but if you do, you will lose them.
STAGE 7: SAVE GAME SCREEN
-------------------------
Every time you complete a stage, you'll be asked if you want to save your game.
This is the same as saving your game on the main menu.
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| UNIT MANAGEMENT |
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
This all-important screen is where you configure the makeup of your individual
character units and the units they lead. It's divided into two main sections;
the Unit Selection screen and the Unit Details Screen.
THE UNIT SELECTION SCREEN
=========================
This is the first, main screen that you see, with all the portraits of the
characters you have unlocked. Blank spots are for characters you have neither
played nor unlocked, and greyed-out characters are for characters that you've
played but not unlocked. (For example, you get to play as Shizuka for a stage
in Story mode a few stages before officially unlocking her to use in any stage
or in Free Mode)
When you move the cursor over a character, you'll be presented with a bunch of
different information: (Press the T key to get Gikeiki information about that
character)
1) NAME, TYPE, LEVEL, AND SPIRIT INDICATOR
This box appears in the upper-left hand of the screen. It indicates your
character's name, level, (成長) and type. The character types are as follows:
Swordsman (刀兵)
Mounted Swordsman (騎馬刀兵)
Naginata Soldier (薙刀兵)
Mounted Naginata Soldier (騎馬薙刀兵)
Archer (弓兵)
Mounted Archer (騎馬弓兵)
Shieldsfighter (盾兵)
Elite Footsoldier (特殊歩兵)
Club Soldier (棍棒兵)
Engineer (工作兵)
2) CHARACTER DETAILS
This box takes up the full right side of the screen. The options listed are as
follows:
Health (体力): The character's Health value, level, and bonuses
Attack (攻撃): The character's Attack value, level, and bonuses
Defense (防御): The character's Defense value, level, and bonuses
Technique (技量): The character's Technique value, level, and bonuses
Command (統率): The character's Command value, level, and bonuses
Weapon (武器): The weapon the character is equipping
T/S/O icons: The character's stratagems mapped to the Square, Triangle,
and O buttons (these are changable) and their levels
All T/S (全体TS): The character's Formations mapped to the Triangle and
Square buttons (these are not changable) and their levels
Square+Triangle: The character's Setsuna-no-Saku (this is also not changable)
3) CHARACTER STRATAGEM/SKILL SLOTS
This box takes up the bottom-left side of the screen. It's a list of all the
Stratagems and Skills that the character currently knows. Stratagems are in red
and Skills are in green. Stratagems also list their levels next to them and
what, if any, buttons they are mapped to.
4) AVAILABLE ITEMS
The three lines in-between show a list of the items that the character can
currently use:
Equippable Weapons (装備可能武器)
Learnable Stratagems (習得可能作戦)
Learnable Skills (習得可能技能)
The numbers after each simply list the total number of Weapons/Stratagem
Tomes/Skill-granting Items that you have that the character can use.
THE UNIT DETAILS SCREEN
=======================
This screen is where you make all the changes to your character and his or her
unit. If you press the S button on this screen you'll get a list of that
character's attacks and how to use them. Also, if you press the Select button
you can cycle through information that's printed on the right half of the
screen. Also, the following options are available on this screen.
WEAPON: 武器
------------
Use this option to equip weapons. Once you pick it a list of the weapons you've
found (and that character can equip) appear; just pick the one you want. Each
weapon's stats are listed on the right side, and how many you've got available
is listed as a fraction in the middle. (For example if you see 1/2 that means
that you have two of that type of weapon, but only one is available--someone
else is equipping the other) Use the T button to jump to the Gikeiki entry on
whatever weapon you're highlighting. Also, the S button will display a list of
characters that are currently equipping that weapon too.
SOLDIER MANAGEMENT: 兵編成
--------------------------
This option is where you assign Subordinates to the character you're getting
details on. When you first pick this option, there will be three choices:
1) Manage 編成
This takes you to the main Soldier Management screen.
2) Auto-Manage 自動編成
This option assigns the four highest-level Subordinates available to your
general. "Available" means that no other general currently is commanding them.
3) Release All 全解除
This option releases all of the Subordinates currently under the character's
command so you can reassign them to other generals.
The main Soldier Management screen is where you can do individual assigning of
Subordinates to your character. Highlight a slot and press S to release the
Subordinate currently occupying it, or the O button to assign or change
Subordinates to it. (You can use the T button to get Gikeiki info on the
whoever is currently occupying the slot)
Once you've picked a Subordinate slot and pressed O, you're presented with a
list of all the Subordinates you can assign to the slot, along with their
individual experience levels. There are four types of Subordinates: Generic
Soldiers, Monks, Female Soldiers, and Elite Footsoldiers. Each character can
command only one of these categories:
Monks: Musashibo Benkei/Hitachibo Kaison/Gochiin-Tajima/Jomyo-Meishu/Kakuhan
Female Soldiers: Rin/Shizuka/Tomoe
Elite Footsoldiers: Ise Yoshimori/Kikuo-maru/Karasu Tengu
Generic Soldiers: Everybody else
By highlighting an individual Subordinate, you can see their stats and a
picture of them (if you've unlocked the ability to "mix" subordinates, their
uniform will also show whether or not they're a Yoshitsune, Yoshinaka, or Taira
general) and what their "default" weapon is if they're not currently assigned
to another general's unit. Once you've found a Subordinate you like, press O to
confirm that choice, or T to get Gikeiki info on them.
While looking at the Subordinate list, you can sort them by any one of their
stats, by Unit, (部隊順) by Level, (成長順) or by Japanese alphabetical order.
(五十音順)
If a Subordinate is currently assigned to another character's troop, that
character's name will appear by the Subordinate's. For example, if you were
browsing the list and saw "義経隊" by Kumagai Naozane, you'd know that Naozane
is currently one of Yoshitsune's Subordinates. You can "steal" subordinates
from other characters with no problem, should you decide to. If the slot is you
are currently seeking to fill is occupied and you "steal" another character's
Subordinate, you will actually swap the two. So, expanding the example above,
if you were changing Tadanobu's lineup and selected a slot with Sasaki
Takatsuna in it, then picked Kumagai Naozane, they would "swap" so that now
Tadanobu would have Kumagai Naozane in his troop and Yoshitsune would have
Sasaki Takatsuna where he formerly had Naozane.
ITEM: 道具
----------
This option is where you get a list of all the items you currently have access
to. Items that are greyed out you either don't have any of, or are unusable by
the character you're getting details on. You can use items with the O button,
or get Gikeiki info on them with the T button. You can learn Stratagems and
Skills this way, but it's generally easier to learn them by putting them
directly in your skill slots (see below)
STRATEGEM/SKILL SLOTS:
----------------------
The last option of the Unit Details screen is where you can manipulate your
character's Stratagem and Skill slots. Each character gets a total of eight
slots, which can be filled with any combination of Stratagems and Skills. (that
the character can use, of course) By moving your cursor over a spot and
pressing the O button, you can get some or all of the following options.
1) LEARN 覚える
This will allow you to use one of your Stratagem Tomes or Skill items to teach
your character a Stratagem or Skill and put it in that current slot. If the
slot you are highlighting is not empty, if you learn something new it will
replace whatever was there beforehand and you will lose whatever benefits that
Stratagem/Skill gave you. However, when replacing Stratagems, your characters
do not lose the Stratagem Experience for it--if you decide to "re-learn" a
Stratagem it will be at the same level it was when you "forgot" it. (Of course,
it will still cost you an extra Tome to re-learn) Note that there are some
Skills--the Mastery Skills--which cannot be replaced once learned.
2) READY ON (O/TRIANGLE/SQUARE) O/T/Sに装備
This option will assign a Stratagem to the corresponding button so that you can
use it during play.
3) MOVE 移動
You can use this option to shuffle slots around and swap their positions. It's
purely there for organizational purposes.
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| TACTICAL TRAINING |
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
Tactical Training is divided into three sections: Character Control, System,
Stratagems, and Structures. Some of the most basic training sessions are
available to you at the start of the game; others are unlocked as you progress
through the game and get into more "advanced" situations. The following is a
basic list of each of the lessons, how they're unlocked, and what you have to
do for each of them.
CHARACTER CONTROL:
==================
Movement (移動)
---------------
Initially available
To start with, you'll be taught how to run--use the left analog stick.
Next, you learn how to walk--walk around using the left stick + L2.
Lastly, you learn how to jump--the X button. Jump 5 times.
Attack (攻撃)
-------------
Initially available
First you learn how to use Fast and Strong attacks, with the S and T buttons.
Kill the lone enemy (he won't attack you.)
Next you learn how to use combos, by chaining the S and T buttons together in
succession. Use combos to defeat the three enemies.
Lastly, you'll get a note on how character's moves differ and how to view them
with the S button on their status screen. Then you will be asked to attack the
enemies once more. This time, the enemy will be knocked to their feet and the
game will tell you how to do Killing Moves, by attacking right while you're
near a crawling enemy.
Guard (防御)
------------
Unlocked along with "The Gojo Bridge"
First you're taught how to block; hold down O. You can move while guarding too.
All you have to do is block 3 enemy arrows to complete the training.
Instant Kills (瞬殺)
--------------------
Unlocked along with "The Gojo Bridge"
Here, Instant Kills are explained. You need to dodge the enemy's attack and
then hit them while they're recovering to defeat them instantly; if you
succeed,
there will be a bluish attack effect. Instant Kill at least one of the enemies
facing you. The game will explain that Instant Kills won't work on enemies with
High Technique or on Generals, but that instead they will take more damage than
usual. Also you're told that before an enemy fires an arrow or when they're
jumping, that also counts as an opening. (Of course, I've NEVER seen an enemy
jump, outside of Elite soldiers jumping over fences to get away)
Evasion Attacks (回避攻撃)
--------------------------
Unlocked along with "The Gojo Bridge"
This is a quick lesson; it teaches you how to use an Evasion attack with T + O.
First you just have to do an Evasion Attack, then you have to hit an enemy with
one. After a quick explanation that Evasion Attacks take 1 Spirit, the lesson
ends.
Setsuna-no-Saku (刹那の策)
--------------------------
Unlocked along with "The Gojo Bridge"
First the idea of a Setsuna-no-Saku is explained; a special Stratagem usable by
the Commander with T + S when you have a full 10 Spirit. First you have to use
your Setsuna-no-Saku. Next you have to hit some enemies with it as well.
Horses (馬)
-----------
Unlocked along with "The Kagami Inn"
The first thing you have to do here is get onto the horse. Run up to it and
press the O button. Next you have to control the horse; move it around, and use
O to get off it.
Next you learn how to do attacks on the horse. You're given some enemies to
attack; you can do it simply by smashing into them, or using the S/T buttons.
Finally, you're taught how to move the horse around slowly so you can target
enemies better; make it walk by holding the L2 button. Attack the enemies while
walking. Lastly you're told about how you can get knocked off a horse.
SYSTEM:
=======
Game Screen (ゲーム画面)
------------------------
Initially available
First, you learn how to change the mini-map, using up and down on the D-pad to
zoom in and out, and left and right to turn it on or off. Use the D-pad to
manipulate the map.
Next, the game explains the different markers on the map--your commander in
yellow, your Generals in blue, allied soldiers in green, and enemies in red.
Afterwards, your status itself is explained. The purple gauge is your Health,
the four boxes under it are your Subordinates' Health, which change from green
to yellow to red as it dwindles; if it's black, there's no Subordinate.
The next thing to be explained are your Spirit Spheres, the yellow spheres,
which regenerate on your own.
Unit types (部隊の種類)
-----------------------
Initially available
This training explains the different types of soldiers. Soldiers with Spirit
Spheres by their Health gauges are Captains; soldiers without them are those
Captains' Subordinates. Defeating the Captain will reduce his Subordinate's
morale and sometimes Confuse them or cause them to Flee. You must now defeat
the Captain first. Once you kill the Captain his Subordinates will become
Confused.
Next, enemy Generals--characters with names--are explained. Generals lead the
surrounding units; defeating them is often a stage requirement, and when you do
defeat them, it reduces enemies' Spirit even more than defeating Captains. In
addition, Allied Units are explained; they have green life bars and often join
you if you keep them alive in a stage. Now you have to defeat the generic
"Heike General."
Lastly, before the training ends, the different colored units on the minimap
are explained; yellow for you, blue for your Generals, green for Allied Units,
red for enemy Generals, and pink for all other enemy units.
Items (道具)
------------
Initially available
First, the game explains that items can be found in boxes. Run and destroy the
box in front of you and get the Reimyogan. The game will then explain that
there are healing items, weapons, Tomes, etc.
Next the game explains that enemies carry items too. Defeat the Captain and
steal his Reimyogan. Finally you're told to look in the Gikeiki for item
explanations.
Incapacitation (戦闘不能)
-------------------------
Initially available
You don't actually do anything at all in this lesson; it just explains to you
what happens if you or your allies run out of Health. If your Commander does,
it's game over. If one of your generals or Subordinates run out of Health,
they're removed from battle, and if a Subordinate, will lose a level after the
battle.
STRATAGEMS:
===========
Stratagems (通常作戦)
---------------------
Initially available
This lesson explains Stratagems. You're told to use L1 and O to order Benkei to
use Spear Charge. It will automatically succeed, since you can't move and order
Benkei to charge the wall. After you succeed, the game tells you that the L1
button commands the first General, the R1 button commands the second general,
and that Stratagems are learned from Tomes.
Next you're taught how to Chain stratagems. First you're told to hold L1 and
press S to make Benkei use Yaribusuma. You're told to note the blue bar that
has now appeared over Benkei's Health bar; this shows the time that the
Stratagem will remain in effect. Now the game tells you to chain some
Stratagems together by having Kichiji Taunt the enemy with R1 + O. As soon as
Kichiji's Taunt succeeds, the game makes a note the time counter that appeared
in the upper-left corner of the screen; if another Stratagem succeeds before
that time expires, it becomes a Chained Stratagem. The enemy will run into
Benkei's Yaribusuma to successfully Chain. The game will tell you that during a
Chained Stratagem, your Generals' Attack and Defense will increase. Then it
goes on to explain how there are three levels for each Stratagem, and chaining
them together makes them advance levels more quickly. Finally, you're told that
the bars under each Stratagem when you're ordering them show how close each is
to gaining a level.
Now you're asked to make a Chained Stratagem of your own. You don't have much
choice here--it's either Spear Charge/Yaribusuma then Taunt, or vice versa.
Formations (全体作戦)
---------------------
Unlocked along with "The Kagami Inn"
First you're given a primer on Formations (literally "Stratagem Affecting All")
and how to use them; by holding down the L1 and R1 buttons. In this case, you
want to order "Charge Formation" by holding L1 and R1, and pressing the O
button. (I don't know why they mapped it to the O button, considering there's
not a single Formation in the game that's not mapped to the S or T buttons)
To finish the lesson, you have to defeat the enemies while using Charge
Formation.
Surprise Attacks (奇襲)
-----------------------
Unlocked along with "The Battle at Fuji River"
You're given an explanation of Surprise Attacks; using Attack Stratagems while
the enemy's not paying attention. Order Benkei with L1 + S to use Assault on
the enemies while they're not looking.
STRUCTURES (建造物)
===================
Gates (門)
----------
Unlocked along with "The Battle at Fuji River"
The first thing to do in this lesson is break down the gate with your sword.
Next, you're introduced to the Elite Soldier ability to open gates with L1 + X.
Order Kikuo-Maru (Why is Ushiwaka commanding a Taira general?) to open the gate
with "Open Gate." As a final message, the game will tell you that Elite
Footsoldiers can only use this Stratagem when they're near gates.
Archer Towers (矢倉)
--------------------
Unlocked along with "Subjugating the Western Provinces"
First, you're given an explanation of archer towers and why they're a pain; you
can't get up there to attack the archers. You're told that "Fire Arrow" is
especially effective against them and are told to eliminate the Archer Tower in
front of you with it.
After torching the tower, you're told that small enemy boats work pretty much
the same way.
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| THE GIKEIKI |
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
The Gikeiki is one of the greatest features of Yoshitsune Eiyuden: Shura, and
is loaded with extensive information, both about the gameplay system and the
history and legends behind the story. Needless to say, without the Gikeiki, a
lot of the information in this guide would not have been possible, or at least
much more difficult to discover.
Unfortunately, if you can't read Japanese, you'll miss out on the Gikeiki, as
it's nothing but text. You can still use it to replay music and/or watch in-
game movies again, or maybe get stats on a weapon, but its primary use, that of
historical information, you won't be privy to.
If you can read Japanese, odds are you won't need to know any of the navigation
or functionality of the Gikeiki, but for the sake of completeness, I'll put it
here anyway.
There are 10 categories in the Gikeiki:
1) PEOPLE: 人物録
This category details all of the people that appear in the game: Generals,
Subordinates, enemy Generals, and other characters that don't appear directly
in any of the stages but either get passing mention or are otherwise major
players in the time period. (such as Taira Kiyomori and Emperor Go-Shirakawa)
Information about who these people were, what (if any) of their recorded
exploits were, and where they appear in-game is all listed here. Some is really
brief (ie. "Person X's daughter") and some is long enough to span multiple
entries. Most playable characters get two entries; one detailing who they were,
and one detailing their ultimate fate. Also, if the character you are viewing
has any recorded "lines" in the game, you can hear some of them by pressing the
O button.
2) LEGENDS: 逸話集
This is primarily a list of legends and stories from sources like the Gikeiki;
(that is, the actual book "Gikeiki," not the in-game Gikeiki) things that may
not have actually happened, but are recorded to posterity in the form of oral
legends, Noh or Kabuki plays, etc. Accounts of things like the Burning of
Shoshazan, the fight between Benkei and Ushiwaka on the Gojo Bridge, etc. are
covered here.
3) CHRONOLOGY: 年代記
As opposed to Legends, which deals with the more narrative accounts of the
Genpei war period, Chronology is more of a detailed history of what actually
happened. As some of the information is culled from not-entirely-historical
accounts like the _Heike Monoagatari_ it's not entirely reliable (but then
again, ancient history rarely is) but is more grounded in fact than some of the
unlikely legends that have sprung up around the period.
4) TACTICS: 兵法書
Tactics is where you can get details about all of the Stratagems, Formations,
and Skills that you find in the game. It will tell you here exactly how they
work, what happens when Stratagems level up, etc. To find out which characters
can use any particular Stratagem or Skill, press the T button while looking at
its information to get a list.
5) ARMAMENTS: 武具
Armaments is a list of all the weapons that you can find in the game. It not
only tells you the stats of each weapon, but the history and/or legends
surrounding it as well. Pressing the T button while looking at weapon info will
give you a list of who can equip that particular weapon.
6) ITEMS: 道具
Items is a list of all the items that you can find in-game. It's mostly a list
of healing items and Skill-Granting items. (all the Stratagem Tomes are lumped
into one entry, 兵法書) Both the effects and any historical or legendary
information about the items are listed here.
7) GLOSSARY: 用語集
Glossary is a basic list of terminology used in the game. The terminology
actually goes into great detail, and is sort of a catchall for information not
covered in other categories. For example, you can get information about each
individual province here, the shoen system of land ownership, the jito/shugo
system of land management enacted by the Kamakura Shogunate, how Japanese bows
were constructed, etc. As with most of the other Gikeiki entries, the
information here is brief but informative.
8) SYSTEM: システム
System covers the nitty-gritty of the game system. From what each individual
statistic does to how the Stage Rank system works is covered here. It goes into
far more detail than the game manual does, so is worth a look. (Then again,
most of the information in this particular Gikeiki category is covered in this
guide)
9) ILLUSTRATIONS: 画集
This is where you can view the pictures and movies that you've unlocked. Note
that not every movie you can see is on file here; usually only beginning- and
end-of-stage movies are shown, unless they're of particular importance.
10) MUSIC: 音楽
Music is where you can replay any of the music you've heard in-game. The music
you pick will continue to play while you browse the rest of the Gikeiki, until
you go back and change it again.
GIKEIKI LINKS
-------------
One of the greatest things about the Gikeiki is its "linked" topic ability.
Every topic in the entire Gikeiki is "linked" to other pertinent topics. (For
example, the Minamoto Yoshitsune entry is linked to to the Minamoto Yoshitomo
entry, Yoshitomo being his father) To see any linked topics, just press the R1
button, and select one with the O button. Should at any time you wish to go
back in the heirarchy of links, just use the L1 button to go back.
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| SETTINGS |
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
On this screen, you can change the various options to the game.
1) SOUND: サウンド
Pick from "Stereo" or "Dolby Pro Logic II" here.
2) BGM
This bar allows you to set the volume for the background music.
3) Sound Effects 効果音
This bar allows you to set the volume of the sound effects.
4) Voice 音声
This bar allows you to set the volume of the character voices.
5) Brightness Adjust 輝度調整
This bar lets you adjust the brightness of your screen.
6) Difficulty 難易度
This allows you to set the base difficulty of the game, to Easy, Normal, or
Hard. This difficulty level is separate from that of Stage Difficulty. On
higher difficulty levels, enemies do more damage, are harder to kill, and the
quality and number of healing items on each stage are reduced. However, the
higher your difficulty level, the more often you'll get rare items.
7) Display Blood 流血表示
Use this option to turn blood on or off. This only affects visual blood effects
in the stages. (spurting, streams turning red, etc) The "blood spray" sound
effect still stays, and none of the movies that have blood in them are
censored,
even if blood is turned off.
8) Viewpoint Motion 視点移動
This changes the left-right viewpoint rotation of the right analog stick. You
can either select Normal or Reverse.
9) Vibration Function 振動機能
This turns controller vibration on or off.
10) Display Enemy Health 敵体力表示
This turns the enemies Health Bars On or Off in battle. Note that you can use
the Select button in the middle of a stage to have the same effect.
11) Mini-Map ミニマップ
This allows you to change the settings of your minimap--All (全体) which
displays the entire stage in your minimap, Detail (詳細) which displays a
close-
up around your Commander's position, and OFF, which turns off the mini-map
entirely. Note that you can use the D-Pad in the middle of a stage to have the
same effect.
O#############################################################################O
# #
# GAMEPLAY #
# #
O#############################################################################O
This section describes the core gameplay system and how it works. Before
actually delving into the game proper, I highly suggest that you play the
Tutorial missions first; they allow you to test out the system and get a good
feel of it before playing a "real" stage.
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| BASIC GAMEPLAY |
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
In each stage of the game, you control your Commander. The Commander is the
head of your army, and the only character in the game that you can directly
control, move around, attack with, etc. In Story Mode the Commander is always
pre-decided for you; in the other gameplay modes you can choose who you want
commanding.
STATISTICS:
-----------
All characters in the game have the following statistics:
HEALTH: (体力)
Health is your character's life. Your character's maximum Health indicates how
much punishment they can take before dying. If a character's Health reaches 0,
they die. If your Commander's Health hits 0, it's Game Over.
ATTACK: (攻撃)
Your character's attack power. The higher this value, the more damage you deal
with direct attacks.
DEFENSE: (防御)
Your character's defense power. The higher this value, the less damage they
take when hit with an enemy attack. It also affects the amount of "tick damage"
you receive when you block an enemy attack.
TECHNIQUE: (技量)
This is kind of a catchall statistic that indicates your character's overall
skill. Its primary use is to determine the "window" for Instant Kill attacks
(see below) but it also has a lot of other effects, like improving the
effectiveness of Stratagems and Skills.
COMMAND: (統率)
Only controllable characters get this statistic; Subordinates don't have it.
Command is a measure of your character's leadership. It grants a bonus to all
Subordinates working under your character. Specifically, their stats are
increased by 0.1% for every Command point you have. That may not sound like
much, but it adds up; with a Command value of 500, a Subordinate with 4000
energy will enter battle with a Health of 6000, which is quite a bonus, and if
you manage to get someone's Command up to the maximum of 999, all their
Subordinates' stats will be essentially doubled. In many ways this is the most
important of your statistics.
MOVING:
-------
There isn't too much to say about moving, except that it's done with the left
analog stick. By holding the L2 button you can walk instead of run. (Walking is
very slow and generally not worth it) It's also worth noting that characters'
running speeds are not constant. Rin runs a whole lot faster than Yukiie, for
example.
ATTACKING:
----------
There are two types of attacks; Strong and Fast attacks. Fast attacks are the
main type of attacks you'll be using in the game. They generally don't do as
much damage as Strong attacks, but they're usually fast and are the only type
of attacks that can be chained together.
Strong attacks are, for the most part, like "finishing" moves that wrap up a
combo. Often they're wide-range attacks that are good for crowd clearing. Most
"special" attacks, such as Power Charges, are Strong attacks. Also, most
characters have a special "charge" attack they perform when using a Strong
attack while running. Also, with a few exceptions, all Strong attacks with
archers are bow attacks. Most of these aim automatically.
EVASION ATTACKS:
----------------
If you get caught in a crowd of enemies, each character has an "Evasion Attack"
which is a wide-range attack designed to give you a little breathing room. An
Evasion Attack consumes one Spirit Sphere. (see the section on Stratagems and
Formations to learn about Spirit Spheres) Usually Evasion attacks aren't really
worth using, in my opinion.
KILLING MOVES:
--------------
Occasionally enemies will temporarily lose their will to fight and start
crawling on the ground in fear. Usually this happens when you deal severe
damage to them, or they're hit with some sort of status ailment. If you walk up
to a crawling character and hit the S or T buttons, you'll finish them off,
regardless of how much life they had left. However, your left analog stick MUST
be in a "neutral" position to do this; if you're moving you'll just do a normal
attack. (This is actually a good thing--Killing Moves are usually pretty slow
and you want to have a way to avoid dishing them out in a pitched battle)
INSTANT KILLS:
--------------
If an enemy attacks and misses you, they become vulnerable. If you hit them
after a missed attack before they have a chance to recover, you can kill them
instantly, even if they were at full life. The timing for pulling this off
depends on your character's Technique value. The higher your Technique value,
the larger the "window" for Instant Killing. Characters with high Technique can
instant-kill enemies during any part of their attack animation, whereas those
with low Technique are usually restricted to openings after the attack is
thrown.
Not all enemies can be instant-killed. Generals cannot be Instant-killed, for
example. If you attack during a General's "instant-kill window" you will often
deal a critical hit to them that does more damage than usual. (again, depending
on your Technique) Also, you and your Generals cannot be instant-killed.
(though you can take critical hits) I believe your Subordinates CAN be instant-
killed, but it is very, VERY rare. (In fact, it's only happened to me once--Ise
Yoshimori one-hit-killed a level 80 Subordinate at full health--it's unlikely
he would have dealt a critical that damaging, though I suppose it's possible)
BLOCKING:
---------
The O button allows you to block; any incoming attacks from the front will
bounce off your guard (unless your opponent has the Guard-Breaking skill) and
you will take little or no damage. Blocking does nothing for attacks from the
rear. Blocking is important, especially when facing off against boss-class
enemies. Sometimes it's a good idea to prematurely end an attack combo with a
block, so that your enemy doesn't hit you in between blows. However, blocking
in the middle of a pitched battle is generally not a good idea; when you're
surrounded by enemies, your back is always going to be open. It's better to
focus on dodging in that case.
JUMPING:
--------
The X button allows you to jump. Some characters jump higher than others. The
Elite Footsoldier-type characters (Ise Yoshimori, Kikuo-Maru, and Karasu Tengu)
can jump highest of all, enough to clear some of the low fences. As nifty items
or shortcuts are often behind these low fences, it can be worth your while.
Otherwise jumping isn't terribly important, (there's not much in the way of
climbing to be done in the game, and jumping attacks are almost never
effective) though it can be useful in a few situations. For example, if you're
faced with mud or shallows, you can jump at the edge into the middle, rather
than having to slog the whole way. Also if you order Stratagems or Formations
while jumping, your character will forego the "Commanding" animation, which can
be helpful.
HORSES:
-------
Certain characters are "mounted" generals, meaning that they can get on
horseback if they want. (Non-mounted generals can never ride horses) To mount
or dismount a horse, just press the O button.
Horses have several advantages. First and most obvious is that they're a lot
faster than foot travel. Second is that while charging a horse, all you have to
do is merely touch an enemy/crate/flag to attack/destroy it. Horse charging
attacks don't do a lot of damage, but they do send the enemy flying. While
riding a horse, you also don't take any damage at all; instead, the horse takes
the damage. If you get hit by a particularly strong attack, you'll get knocked
off the horse, unless you have the Horsemanship skill. (exception: characters
with Horsemanship will still get knocked off of horses by characters with the
Anti-Cavalry skill) If the horse runs out of Health, you'll not only get
knocked off the horse, but the horse will run away and leave the stage.
The disadvantage to being on a horse is that it's a lot harder to effectively
attack enemies on horseback. You can't turn a horse around on a dime like you
can a soldier on foot, and you have to attack enemies from the side rather than
directly ahead, so it's very easy to overshoot the enemy and then have to get
back into position. Furthermore, horse attacks are usually slow and clunky.
Running in a clockwise circle on horseback around the enemy while whacking
furiously at them can be effective, but it's usually faster and more efficient
to get off your horse and fight. And of course, if the remainder of your army
ISN'T on horseback, you may arrive at your destination and have to wait for
them to catch up before you can do anything.
MUD AND SHOALS
--------------
Two levels in the game have "mud" areas. The mud/water goes up to your waist,
hindering your movement rate a lot. You move extremely slowly in mud/shoals,
and cannot run or jump. If you use the "Force Formation" (see the Formations
and Stratagems section) then you only take a small hit to your speed through
the mud. (You still can't jump, though)
GATES
-----
Many levels have gates in them. Gates remain closed until you knock them down.
You can also use your Elite Footsoldier generals to climb over the gates and
open them from the other side. (This has little utility though) There are a few
levels where you have to protect gates rather than destroy them; if these gates
are destroyed you lose the level. Your own attacks won't damage the gates in
these cases.
ARCHER TOWERS AND BOATS
-----------------------
Some levels have Archer Towers and Boats in them, where enemy archers will fire
down on you from a somewhat protected position. Occasionally you can kill
enemies in Archer Towers with jumping attacks, but the only way to take out
enemies on boats is with archers of your own. Both Archer Towers and Boats have
one weakness; they are flammable. If you attack an enemy archer on either with
a burning attack, the tower/boat will catch flame and start draining the Health
of all the archers stationed there. Usually this is enough to turn the enemy
archers into crispy critters, but sometimes they're hardy enough to survive
until the flames die down.
COMMANDERS, GENERALS, AND SUBORDINATES
--------------------------------------
All soldiers in your army can be broken down into Commanders, Generals, and
Subordinates. Below is a summary of each role; more information is provided in
detail in the "Stratagems and Formations" section.
1) COMMANDER:
While covered briefly earlier, this is the highest rank of command, and is the
character you control. Commanders can use Formations, and order their Generals
to use Stratagems. They can't use Stratagems themselves, except for their
Setsuna-no-Saku. Enemies don't really have Commanders. Your Commander's
information is displayed in the upper-left hand corner of the screen. If your
Commander dies, it's Game Over. Note that in one particular stage of the game,
you actually get two Commanders.
2) GENERALS:
This is the next highest rank of command, under Commander. Only playable
characters can be made Generals. Generals cannot use Formations, but they can
use Stratagems. Their information is displayed in the bottom-left (for General
1) and bottom-right (for General 2) hand corners of the screen.
3) SUBORDINATES:
This is the lowest rung on the totem pole. Your Subordinates are all grunts
(albeit important grunts) that directly serve under your Commander or Generals.
Their only status is indicated by little colored spheres located under the life
bar of the character they're serving. The color of these spheres indicates
their life level, slowly changing shade from green (healthy) to yellow (hurt)
to orange (hurt badly) to red. (practically dead) If a sphere is black, that
means either that Subordinate slot was empty to begin with, or your hapless
Subordinate is now kicking daisies.
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| STRATAGEMS AND FORMATIONS |
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
Stratagems are the most important gameplay facet of Yoshitsune Eiyuden: Shura.
Stratagems and Formations are basically individual tactics that allow you to
take special actions in battle to make things easier for you in one way or
another. They are the primary (in fact only) way of commanding your soldiers in
battle. Your soldiers are of critical importance as well; rarely if ever will
you go out and play a stage entirely alone. This is really what separates YE:S
from other games in the genre like the Musou series; whereas you can do pretty
well in those games by yourself mowing down crowds of enemies, you can't in
this game. Just for fun, try it; unless you're LOTS tougher than the enemies
you're facing, you'll be slaughtered very quickly.
SPIRIT SPHERES:
---------------
In order to use a Stratagem, you need Spirit Spheres. Spirit Spheres are sort
of a measure of your unit's morale and zeal rolled up into one. You can have up
to a maximum of 10 Spirit Spheres at any one time. Every Stratagem or Formation
has a Spirit cost, which will deplete your stock.
Spirit Spheres regenerate on their own, but very slowly. There are several ways
that you can increase Spirit more quickly:
1) Kill enemies
2) Cut down enemy flags
3) Succeed Stratagems
4) Use Spirit-enhancing Skills, Formations, or Stratagems
5) Get Spirit-regenerating items (Versus mode only)
On the flip side, there are a few ways that your Spirit can decrease:
1) Use Stratagems
2) Witness your own flags being cut down
3) Get hit with Spirit-Reducing Skills, Formations, or Stratagems
These rules work the same for enemies too. Also, if a unit's Spirit level dips
into negative territory, it may be afflicted with a Status Ailment (more on
that later)
STRATAGEMS: AN OVERVIEW
-----------------------
Stratagems are individual tactics that are used by your Generals. To order a
Stratagem, hold the L1 or R1 button (for the first and second General
respectively) and then use the Square, Triangle, or Circle buttons to order
whatever Stratagem you have mapped to that button. Their effects and usage vary
wildly from Stratagem to Stratagem; check out the Stratagem list at the end of
the guide to learn the details of each. However, all of them share a few
characteristics.
1) Stratagems either Succeed or Fail
Simply using a Stratagem doesn't necessarily mean it's going to work. Each
Stratagem has specific conditions that you must meet before it's considered a
"success." If a Stratagem succeeds, the unit using it usually will regain a
little bit of the Spirit Spheres that they used. If a Stratagem fails, nothing
will happen, but just because a Stratagem "failed" doesn't mean it was
necessarily a waste.
2) Stratagems have Timers
Whenever you use a Stratagem, it only is in effect for a limited time period
before the General stops using it. When you first use a Stratagem, the general
using it will have their Stratagem Timer Bar (the little blue bar above his or
her Health bar) filled, and it will slowly drain. Once the timer hits 0, the
Stratagem stops. There are also times where the Timer will stop prematurely;
usually (but not always) when the Stratagem succeeds, everyone using it gets
hurt, etc. If you manually Cancel a Stratagem, it will stop prematurely as
well.
And of course, if the General using a Stratagem gets killed, that'll put a
quick end to it too.
3) Stratagems Level Up
Stratagems gain experience the more you use them. When a General first learns a
Stratagem, it always starts at level 1, but with experience, can raise to level
2 or 3. (once it hits level 3, it's maxed out) As a General raises his or her
Stratagem levels, it increases in effectiveness. Just how it increases in
effectiveness depends on the Stratagem being used.
SUCCESS TIMER AND CHAINED STRATAGEMS
------------------------------------
Every Stratagem has a pre-set "Success Timer" value. Once the Stratagem
succeeds, you'll hear you general say "Stratagem Succeeded!" or somesuch and
its Success Timer value will be added to your Chained Stratagem clock, which
rapidly counts down. While the clock is ticking, the succeeded Stratagem's name
will be displayed on the left edge of the screen.
If another Stratagem succeeds before the Chain Stratagem clock hits zero, then
it will be considered a "Chained Stratagem," its Success Timer value will be
added to the clock, your Chain Stratagem count increases by one, and the name
of the new succeeded Stratagem will be added to the list at the left side of
the screen. If you hit 10 or above Chained Stratagems, instead of counting up
by numbers you will be deemed a "Shinbo-Renten" (神謀連天) and while the game
will keep track of how many you continue to link, it won't be displayed
onscreen.
There are several reasons to link Stratagems together. First, chaining a
certain number of Stratagems is sometimes a Mission. Second, you get a hefty
Stage Score boost for chaining Stratagems. (More on Stage Score later) Third,
your units get an Attack and Defense boost while in "Chained Stratagem" status.
Lastly, you get more Stratagem Experience for Chained Stratagems, so if you
want to level up your Stratagems quickly, Chaining them is the way to do it.
SURPRISE ATTACKS:
-----------------
If you hit an enemy with an offensive melee Stratagem while they're not aware
of your presence (usually from behind) you'll score a Surprise Attack.
(Actually I have scored Surprise Attacks with ranged attack stratagems, but it
appears to be much more difficult. I think the character using the Stratagem
has to be practically on top of the enemy for it to work in that case) When a
Surprise attack succeeds, the words "Surprise Attack Succeeded" (奇襲成功) will
appear in the middle of the screen, and usually the Unit you attacked will be
Confused.
SETSUNA-NO-SAKU:
----------------
The Setsuna-no-Saku (Literally "Instantaneous Ploy") is a special type of
Stratagem that your Commander can use. It's a pre-set Stratagem that for all
intents and purposes is the same as any other Stratagem, except that your
Commander can use it. There are a few differences though; first, it costs a
full 10 Spirit Spheres to use a Setsuna-no-Saku. Second, Setsuna-no-Sakus don't
level up with use. Actually, they do and they don't. A character's skill with
their Setsuna-no-Saku is the same as their skill with the corresponding
Stratagem. For example, Yoichi's Setsuna-no-Saku is Fire Arrow; if he has
leveled up Fire Arrow to level 2 as a general, then when he uses his Setsuna-
no-Saku as a commander then he will fire Level 2 Fire Arrows.
FORMATIONS:
-----------
Formations are really a special type of Stratagem that your Commander uses.
(Technically they're called "Affect All Stratagems") Unlike Stratagems,
Formations are pre-set and are not equippable. They gain experience and cost
Spirit Spheres the same way as regular Stratagems, but they don't succeed or
fail, nor can they be used in chained combos. To use a Formation, press the T
or S buttons while holding down the L1 and R1 buttons. They're generally more
passive than a bona-fide Stratagem, doing things like boosting stats for the
duration and the like.
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| FLOW OF A STAGE |
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
This section deals with the individual mechanics of playing a stage of the
game,
to give you an idea of layout, enemy setup, etc...basically, what to expect
when actually playing a stage.
CHARACTER TYPES:
================
Each character in the game, be it ally or enemy, is a different type of
soldier,
(generally) defined by the type of weapon that they use. Each type, and their
characteristics, are as follows:
SWORDSMEN:
----------
Wielding a standard Tachi, these guys are both the most well-balanced and
numerous type of soldiers, both among your own characters and the enemy. Sword
fighter attacks usually have average speed, range, and power. Some swordsmen
are also mounted, and will attack you from on horseback. In terms of their
Stratagems, swordsmen have the ability to throw speedy projectiles at the
enemy,
either stones or flaming missiles at their enemies, though they cannot do this
from horseback. I've never seen a CPU swordsman throw flaming projectiles
though.
NAGINATA SOLDIERS:
------------------
The Naginata is a Japanese polearm that consists of a sword blade attacked to
the end of a long staff. Naginata soldiers tend to have much better range and
power in their attacks than swordsmen, but on the flip side, they are slower,
have larger openings, and have poor Technique. Like swordsmen, Naginata
soldiers can sometimes be on horseback. The primary Naginata Stratagems are
Spear Charge (does what it says) and Yaribusuma, a "lie in wait for the enemy"
attack. These are the only Stratagems you generally see CPU naginata soldiers
using, though there are more. There are two types of Naginata soldiers; small
and large. (referring to the size of the weapon) Female characters and Kakuhan
use Small Naginatas; everyone else uses Large ones. In addition, there are
three Buddhist Staffs which count as being Small Naginatas.
ARCHERS:
--------
Archers use bows. (However, minor nitpick--the bows that the characters use in-
game are NOT Japanese bows; Japanese bows are much longer at the top than at
the bottom. Ironically enough, they specifically go over that characteristic of
the Japanse bow in the Gikeiki...) While mounted archery was actually the
primary form of warfare in Heian Japan, you'll never see an enemy archer on
horseback; they're always grounded. Archers tend to be both slow and weak
offensively and defensively, but they have a big advantage in their long-range
attacks; a steady volley of arrows can seriously hinder enemy progress. In
addition, archers have the widest variety of "unique" Stratagems, many of which
are very deadly. The most common one you'll see is "Fire Arrow," where enemies
light their arrows on fire to do additional damage.
SHIELDSFIGHTERS:
----------------
Shieldsfighters wield short spears, but their main characteristic is the
oversized shields that they carry, which can also be used as weapons in a
pinch.
Shieldsfighters are generally pretty slow and weak offensively, with a poor
range to boot (not counting the two playable Shieldsfighters) but they have
huge amounts of Health and Defense, allowing them to be hardy front-liners. In
terms of their Stratagems, Shieldsfighters can create a "wall of shields" to
prevent enemy advance, or charge with shields out at the enemy. In addition,
they have a Stratagem for scaring horses and unseating their riders. CPU
Shieldsfighters tend to restrict themselves to the Shield Wall Stratagem,
though CPU Shieldsfighter Generals sometimes use others.
ELITE FOOTSOLDIERS:
-------------------
Elite footsoldiers are melee warriors that wield paired Kodachis--Japanese
shortswords--or similar weapons. (The official term in-game for their weapon
type is "暗器," which literally means a "concealed" weapon, aka something
that's
a weapon but looks like something else) Elite Footsoldiers are weaker than
swordsmen both offensively and defensively, and have a very limited range in
their attacks. However, their Technique is exceptional, allowing them to make
lots of critical hits or instant kills, and their attacks are very fast, with
little in the way of delay and usually covering a wide area. Furthermore, Elite
Footsoldiers are fleeter of foot than any other soldier type, and they can also
jump higher, allowing them egress to shortcuts and areas other characters could
never reach. Elite Footsoldiers share the "thrown projectile" Stratagems of
Swordsmen, but also have their own unique "trap" Stratagems where they either
set traps or fake being dead, then attacking when the enemy comes near. I've
never seen a CPU Elite Footsoldier use any unique Stratagems at all though.
ENGINEERS:
----------
There's only one Engineer troop in the game, and that belongs to Nenoi
Yukichika, one of the playable characters. Engineers are for all intents and
purposes regular swordsmen, though they cannot use the projectile Stratagems.
Instead, they have their own unique set of Stratagems, involving creating
mechanisms from the materials in Yukichika's cart. They can create an Ishiyumi,
(a ballista-like weapon of Chinese origin) place barriers, or make healing
items, though you'll only see the CPU using the Ishiyumi.
THE UNIT
========
The most important concept to know when you're playing a stage is the concept
of a unit. Rather than being organized soldier-by-soldier, all characters in a
stage are organized into units. A unit is a group of soldiers, led by a single
Captain. The number of soldiers in a unit can vary, but can go as high as five
soldiers--one Captain and four Subordinates. Your Commander and your Generals
are all Captains of their various Subordinates. Usually (but not always) units
consist of the same type of character--all Naginata soldiers, all Cavalry, etc.
Captains are easy to spot, as they're the only soldiers with Spirit Spheres by
their life bars. (Captains without any Spirit still have yellow at the end of
their life bars as well) If you kill a Captain, then it also removes all the
Spirit of his/her Unit, and any surviving subordinates may become Confused or
Fleeing. For this reason, it's often a good idea to kill Captains first, as
this weakens the remaining subordinates greatly.
Subordinates are basic grunts. They can't do anything by themselves, unless
commanded by a Captain. While Subordinates can participate in Stratagems, once
their Captain is dead, they won't be able to as there's nobody to order it.
Sometimes it's to your advantage to kill Subordinates before you take out their
captain. Soldiers without captains frequently go into Fleeing status, and it's
usually VERY difficult to chase down fleeing soldiers as they run as fast as
you do. (unless you're controlling an Elite Footsoldier) If for whatever reason
you need to kill as many enemies as possible, Fleeing soldiers are not what you
wnat to deal with.
Enemy Generals are like Captains of Captains. You can tell Enemy Generals apart
from ordinary Captains because their names appear over their heads. (Usually
generals are a historic person, but even if it's not, you'll still get the
words "X軍大将" or "X army General" over their heads) When you kill an enemy
General, in addition to sapping the Spirit of his or her direct Subordinates,
you also lower the Spirit of all the enemy units nearby--usually not enough to
put them into negative territory and get them with a status ailment though.
Once you kill an enemy Captain or General, any surviving Subordinates will
become their own units of just Subordinates. However, those "Subordinate-only"
units will not be able to use Stratagems. This applies to both your characters
and the enemy.
STAGE FEATURES AND THE MINIMAP
==============================
Most of the stages are rather large, and thus you get a mini-map in the upper-
right corner of the screen. There are two modes for the mini-map, All and
Detailed. You can switch between the two at any time with the D-pad. "All"
displays the entire level, whereas "Detail" gives you a closer-up
representation of the immediate area around you. I almost always find "All" to
be the better choice and rarely if ever use Detail view, but your mileage may
vary.
EXITS:
------
Nearly every (but not all) stage has several Exits. Exits are easy to identify
as they go off the screen on the map. If a unit decides to flee, they always
head for the nearest exit. Once they get beyond the exit gate, you can no
longer follow them. (if they're an enemy) It IS possible to kill enemies with
ranged attacks beyond the gate of an exit, but it's not easy.
UNIT MARKERS:
-------------
You may notice a lot of colored arrows on the map; each colored arrow indicates
an individual enemy Unit. (NOT an individual enemy soldier) They are color-
coded as follows:
Yellow: You (Your Commander)
Blue: Your Generals
Pink: Grunt enemy units
Red: Enemy units led by a General
Light Green: Allied units
Dark Green: Allied units led by a General
POINTS OF INTEREST:
-------------------
Sometimes you'll see a big yellow star(s) on your map. This indicates a
waypoint, or some sort of point of interest. Most often, the stars indicate
your destination or where you have to go to complete the level.
EVENTS:
-------
Events are little snippets of story that appear mid-way through the stage.
Almost all stages have events of one kind or another, and they often indicate
new developments in the stage. (enemy or allied reinforcements arriving,
important characters joining you, etc) Sometimes you will have to complete
Missions before certain events happen; it varies from stage to stage.
REINFORCEMENTS:
---------------
Sometimes you'll note a unit marker that spontaneously appears in the middle of
the map while you're playing. For lack of a better term, I call these
"Reinforcements." There are both Allied and Enemy reinforcements, though the
latter is much, much more common. Reinforcements usually appear after Events or
when you move over certain areas on the map. Certain Reinforcments are
"infinite;" after killing them, they will continue to respawn again and again.
However, sometimes completing certain tasks or events will "cut off the flow"
of Infinite Reinforcements.
CRATES, BARRELS AND FLAGS:
--------------------------
While not displayed on the map, just about every stage in the game has at least
some of these strewn about. They can all be destroyed. The main reason to break
open barrels and crates is to look for items. Flags serve a different purpose.
Cutting down an army's flag demoralizes them, and drains the Spirit of any
member of the army that happens to witness one of their flags getting cut down.
In addition, cutting down flags raises the Spirit of the army cutting them
down.
STATUS AILMENTS:
================
Status ailments affect the AI of characters, and while "under the influence" of
one, characters can not do anything else, like enact Stratagems. Being hit with
a Status ailment yoursel if extraordinarily rare in single-player (in fact,
it's never happened to me) but your enemies will probably suffer them
frequently. There are four status ailments in Yoshitsune Eiyuden Shura:
BERSERK (逆上)
--------------
Berserk is always initiated by either a Stratagem or a Skill. Characters that
go Berserk will charge whatever unit inflicted that status ailment on them,
ignoring everyone else. Berserk can be cured by the Calming Stratagem.
CONFUSED (混乱)
---------------
Confusion is probably the deadliest of the status ailments. It can be inflicted
on a character by either a Stratagem or a Skill, or if a unit's Spirit levels
dip into negative territory. Confused characters will sit still doing nothing,
neither attacking nor defending, and thus make pretty easy kills. Sometimes
confused characters will fall to the ground so that they are vulnerable to
Killing Moves. Confusion can be cured by the Calming Stratagem.
BEWILDERED (困惑)
-----------------
Bewilderment can only be initiated by a Stratagem or a Skill. Bewildered
characters aren't sure what to do and flee for the nearest exit. However, when
they reach the exit, they will not leave the battle, but become Berserk and
charge whatever character made them Bewildered to start with. Bewilderment can
be cured by the Calming Stratagem.
FLEEING (壊走)
--------------
Your characters can never be hit with this status ailment, though both Allied
and Enemy soldiers can. It can usually only happen when a soldier's Spirit
level becomes a negative value, though there are a few Skills that can produce
it as well. Fleeing characters make a beeline for the nearest exit, and once
they reach it, leave the battle. This ailment is incurable and permanent.
Usually you can "change" status ailments on characters with the right
Stratagem,
but not this one.
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| AFTER THE BATTLE |
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
STAGE RANK
==========
Once you finish a stage, you're given a Stage Rank. There are 5 possible ranks
you can score in any given stage. From highest to lowest:
1) 軍神 Gunjin (War God)
2) 闘将 Tosho (Battle General)
2) 智将 Chisho (Strategic General)
3) 凡将 Bonsho (Average General)
4) 寓将 Gusho (Foolish General)
(Note that Tosho and Chisho are both rank 2. That's not a mistake; I'll explain
below)
From what I understand, the system works as follows. Every stage has a "target"
score to it. (Whether the target score is the same or different for each level,
or what they are I couldn't tell you, as the game never shows your score
numerically) If you reach or surpass this target score, you will score Gunjin.
If you score reasonably close to the target, you will score either Tosho or
Chisho; Tosho if you did most of the killing yourself and Chisho if you had
your generals and subordinates do most of it. If you did a mediocre job on the
level and weren't very close to the target score, you'll score Bonsho. And if
you were nowhere near Gunjin level, you'll score Gusho. (Gusho is actually very
difficult to score on most stages)
One thing that should be noted about Rank is that you will never, ever score
Gunjin on Easy. It's not possible, no matter how well you do. You have to play
the game on at least Normal level if you want to be able to score Gunjin.
The main reason to shoot for a high rank is the rank rewards you get. For each
stage, there are separate rewards for scoring Tosho, Chisho, and Bonsho. These
rewards are predetermined, but after you get them once, they will be determined
at random should you win them again. Should you score Gunjin on a stage, you
will get all three rank rewards at once.
The primary method of racking up points on a stage is by completing Missions.
On most stages, it's virtually impossible to score Gunjin without completing
all five Missions, and in some stages even that's not enough. The following are
the major ways you gain (and lose points)
ACTIONS THAT GAIN YOU POINTS
----------------------------
Killing enemies
Making enemies flee
Succeeding Stratagems
Chaining Stratagems together
Destroying enemy objects (like flags)
Finishing the stage in less than the "par" time
Keeping allied soldiers alive
Succeeding Missions
ACTIONS THAT LOSE YOU POINTS
----------------------------
Getting your own generals and subordinates killed
Finishing the stage in much more than the "par" time
Letting allied soldiers die
Since you never actually see what your stage score is, let alone the target
score for a stage, it's hard to tell exactly the best way to score points is.
On some stages, it's pretty clear that the total points you get from all the
Missions, when succeeded, still isn't enough to make you to the target score,
or at least is exactly the same as the target score. (E.g. in the stage
"Yoshinaka Enters the capital" if you finish all 5 missions, you'll get Gunjin.
If you finish all 5 missions and a single allied soldier dies, you won't.)
So, on particularly frustrating stages, you may have to resort to playing a
flawless game in addition to finishing all the required missions. From my
experience, killing large numbers of enemies is actually the least effective
way to rack up stage points. Succeeding and Chaining stratagems is the best
non-mission-oriented way to score points, followed closely by finishing the
stage quickly. If you're having particular trouble scoring Gunjin on a
particular stage, keep trying to do it more swiftly and bring in Generals with
easily-chainable Stratagems.
EXPERIENCE
==========
Separate from the Stage Score is your characters' Experience levels. Like Stage
Score, you'll never actually see how much experience each of your characters
has, but from seeing how you level up after playing a stage, you can get the
gist of how it works.
Experience appears to be unit- rather than army-based; while some actions
appear to produce experience for the entire army as a whole, (fleeing soldiers,
for example) most rewards, like killing enemies, appear to be given only to the
unit that performs them. The net result is that the Units that do the most work
also gain the most experience.
THINGS THAT GAIN YOU EXPERIENCE:
--------------------------------
Killing enemies
Making enemies flee
Succeeding Stratagems
Destroying enemy objects
Succeeding Missions does NOT appear to gain you anything, nor does breaking
"neutral" objects, (such as the fallen trees in the cliff to the Battle of
Ichi-no-Tani) or finishing the stage quickly; experience mainly is given out
through battle.
The amount of experience you get for each of the above actions scales depending
on the strength of the enemies you are facing, but not, apparently, on the
strength of the characters fighting--in other words a low-level character will
get the same amount of experience for killing a tough enemy as a high-level
character would. While the difference between experience gained on different
difficulty levels seems to be minor, this is not the case for experience gained
on different Stage Difficulty levels. There will be a huge difference in
experience gained on the same level at +0 and +100 Stage Difficulty.
One thing to note is that killing a few strong enemies will gain you much more
experience than killing a horde of weak enemies. Killing 30 bandits on "Kurama
Tengu" (the first stage) with +100 difficulty will gain you twice as many
levels as killing 1000 weak soldiers on "Killing A Thousand" with +10
difficulty. The most experience can be gained on tougher levels with higher
Stage Difficulties.
The following are my favorite levels to build experience:
#1) I long for him
#2) Kurama Tengu
#3) Calling all Heroes
However, your mileage may vary; find a stage you're comfortable with on high
difficulties and play it over and over again until you can raise it to Stage
Level 100. From there on out, it becomes a great spot to gain experience for
both your Generals and your Subordinates.
ITEMS:
======
As mentioned earlier, when you complete a stage, you'll get a breakdown of the
items you won. You'll get a report of the items that you found in the stage,
along with any items that you win with Rank Rewards.
Overall, Free Mode is much better for finding items than in Story Mode. The
primary reason for this is that in Free Mode, most of the items you find in
each stage are randomized after you get them for the first time. In Story Mode,
items are almost never random; after the first time you get an item, it will
usually be replaced by a Certificate of some sort. Certificates are not
useless,
but increasing your stock of weapons, Stratagems, or Skills (as well as getting
stat-increasing items) is better. There are some items (such as the Taira and
Minamoto Secrets) that can ONLY be gotten randomly. After the first time you
get them, Rank Rewards will be randomized even in Story Mode, however.
The more difficult the stage, and the higher your Stage Difficulty, the better
your chances of scoring rare Random Items. Also, when you set your base
Difficulty to Hard, that will improve your chances, too. An endgame stage on
Hard with a Stage Difficulty of 100 will be your best shot to get great items,
though admittedly surviving with your army intact could be an issue there.
The best stage for searching for random items is the Special Stage "Calling all
Heroes," hands-down. A skilled army can finish the stage in a matter of
minutes,
and you can get a grand total of six Random Items if you score Gunjin.
o#############################################################################o
# #
# WALKTHROUGHS #
# #
o#############################################################################o
The categories in the walkthrough for each stage are as follows:
INTRODUCTION:
This is a translation (sometimes paraphrased) of the intro text to each stage.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
This is just an overview of the history and/or legendary background, if any,
behind the stage. Note that my knowledge of Genpei history and legends are not
overwhelmingly comprehensive--most of my background info derives from either
the _Heike Monogatari,_ the _Gikeiki,_ or, in a few exceptions, the _Genpei
Seisuiki_ or more-famous legends and/or plays. (See the bibliography)
MISSIONS:
This is a list of the missions that you are given at the beginning of the
stage,
and what you need to do to complete those missions and get a comment at the end
stage evaluation. Note that the descriptions of the missions are not always
intuitive as to what you have to do.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
This only appears in the "special stages." There are no missions per se in
these special stages, but you're "graded" based on how well you performed in
the stages at the end with "accomplishments." This is a list of what your
accomplishments are.
ITEMS:
This is a list of the items in the stage. Because healing items like Reimyogan
show up in every stage in large numbers, I've separated them from "special
items." Sometimes you will see things in an "Item 1/Item 2" format. In these
cases, the item you get at that specific location differs. The first time you
get the item, it will be Item 1, and for all subsequent playthroughs, it will
be Item 2. Note that "special items" are random in Free Mode.
RANK REWARDS:
This is a list of the rank rewards in the stage you get for scoring Bonsho,
Chisho, or Tosho. (For Gunjin, you get all three rewards) You only can get
these rewards once; for subsequent playthroughs, any rank rewards are random.
UNITS:
This is a VERY rough list of the number of allied and enemy units you'll see in
the stage. They're divided into the following categories:
Allied: "Green" units that consist of "grunt" soldiers.
Allied Generals: "Green" units with actual names, that you can Guard.
Enemies: "Orange" Enemy units that consist of "grunt soldiers" that appear at
the beginning of the stage.
Enemy Generals: "Red" Enemy units with actual names. Those with an asterisk
indicate generals that are also reinforcements.
Reinforcements: Any enemy units that don't appear at the beginning of the
stage. Note that this does not only refer to enemies that come out of the
stage exits, but also those that spontaneously appear in the middle of the
map. Also note that certain reinforcement units continually respawn after
getting killed. (Sometimes I note which ones do, other times it's hard to
tell so I don't)
A side note that this just counts units, and not the number of soldiers within
that unit. Some units have three soldiers, some have 5, etc. Basically I just
took a tally of unit captains and what kind of weapons they have, as trying to
tell which soldier belongs to what unit is next to impossible in a pitched
battle. Also note that some stages I didn't even try to count, due to excessive
chaos and/or situations like enemies/allies getting killed before you can even
get to them. Bottom line: these are ballpark estimates at best.
STRATEGY:
A general walkthrough of the stage. I've geared the walkthroughs toward scoring
Gunjin on each stage, so the strategies listed may not be appropriate for other
goals, such as character or Strategem level-building, scoring high kill counts,
or item hunting. As getting Gunjin is generally the real challenge (and appeal)
of Yoshitsune Eiyuden Shura, that's why I focused on this.
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
|#############################################################################|
|#############################################################################|
|############### MINAMOTO NO YOSHITSUNE ###############|
|#############################################################################|
|#############################################################################|
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
===============================================================================
YOSHITSUNE SCENARIO, STAGE 1:
KURAMA TENGU: (鞍馬天狗)
===============================================================================
It is the end of the Heian era. The government's control of the land through
the Ritsuryo legal system started to weaken, and to increase their power the
many powerful families throughout Japan started to arm themselves. This was the
beginning of the Bushi, the warrior class. In order to survive in time of war,
these families created clans of Bushi. These warrior clans were organized by
the Heishi, who were led by Taira Kiyomori, a descendant of Emperor Kammu, and
the Genji, who were led by Minamoto Yoshitomo, a descendant of Emperor Seiwa.
These two men both held great power. The rivalry between the Taira and the
Minamoto grew, and finally, in 1159, the two clashed in the Heiji Disturbance,
and Minamoto Yoshitomo lost his life. As the winners of the war, the Heike
exploited their newfound power as much as they could, and their tyrrany brought
misfortune to the people, the nobles, and the other warrior clans. "If you're
not a Taira, you're nobody" was a saying frequently expressed by the Heike at
this time. The Genji, having lost the war, were shunned, and many of them lived
under assumed identities as a result. Time passed. Here, in Kyoto's Kurama
temple, a young man unaware of his lineage was being raised as a monk. His name
is Ushiwaka-Maru. This was the childhood name of the man that would later be
known to the world as the unparalleled military genius and hero, Minamoto
Yoshitsune.
Ushiwaka spends his days at Kurama temple, unaware of his lineage. While being
raised as a monk, he could not abandon his dream of becoming a samurai, and
secretly learned the martial arts. One day, Ushiwaka hears rumors of bandits
that were hiding near Kurama. Thinking this would be a good chance to test the
result of his training, Ushiwaka set out to defeat the bandits.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
There actually isn't that much in the way of historical background in this (or
any of the Ushiwaka missions, for that matter) as it's primarily based on
legends. This particular story of Ushiwaka fighting back thieves doesn't exist
anywhere as far as I know either, and is mainly used as an excuse to introduce
Kurama Tengu/Kamata Masachika. In the Gikeiki, Ushiwaka spends his formative
years as a monk-in-training at Kurama temple. Upset at the Taira's power,
Kamata Masachika snuck into Ushiwaka's quarters at night and told him of his
true lineage. Also, according to legend, Yoshitsune was instructed in
swordsmanship under the Tengu king of Kurama, Sojobo. The game takes a less
fantastic approach and says that the Tengu that trained Yoshitsune is really
just Kamata Masachika in disguise, rather than being an actual Tengu. Note that
Yuri Taro actually DOES exist as a character in the Gikeiki, but he doesn't
ever appear at Kurama, but instead, at the Kagami Inn, when Ushiwaka is
traveling from Kurama to Oshu.
Note: Before you even get to play this mission and first start the game, there
will be a cutscene with Shizuka in Kamakura with Yoritomo. She's dancing at
Yoritomo's request, and then sings a songs of Yoshitsune--which really pisses
him off, as Yoshitsune is "a rebel." She tells him that "only one commands my
heart" and Yoritomo is taken aback. This actual cutscene chronologically takes
place near the end of the game, so don't worry about it now. (This scene is
based on a chapter of the _Gikeiki_ actually)
MISSIONS:
=========
Defeat Yuri Taro (由利太郎を倒せ)
--------------------------------
This is the main goal of the stage. The boss of the bandits is Yuri Taro; once
you kill him, the stage is over. He's hanging out by the south edge of the
area.
Stop the Bandit raiders (野盗の狼藉を止めろ)
--------------------------------------------
To beat this mission, you need to kill as many bandits as possible. You don't
have to kill them all, but it doesn't hurt. You complete this mission by
killing at least 30 bandits.
Display your Ability (自らの力を示せ)
-------------------------------------
If Ushiwaka-maru deals the killing blow to Yuri Taro, you complete this
mission.
The Bandit Mob (野盗の群れ)
---------------------------
There's a big bandit mob, where most of the enemies are concentrated. You can
complete this mission by killing them. There are two ways to finish it; you can
rush them head-on, or you can take the long way and hit them from behind. You
get more credit for taking them head-on.
Valuable Item (貴重な道具)
--------------------------
Find the valuable item in the stage to win this mission. The valuable item is
being carried by one of the leaders of the bandit mob. The first time through
the item is a Koaoe, afterwards it's a Valuable Scroll.
ITEMS:
======
Koaoe/Valuable Scroll: Carried by one of the leaders of the bandit mob
Reimyogan: 1) In a crate near the north exit to the stage.
2) In a crate on the "long route" around the bandit mob. (Easy/Normal only)
Rank Rewards: Fukurokuju Scroll/Ebisu Scroll/Bishamon Scroll
UNITS:
======
Allied: Kurama Tengu
Enemies: 9 Sword Bandits, (8 Sword/1 Naginata)
Enemy Generals: Yuri Taro
Reinforcements: 5 Bandits (all with swords)
STRATEGY:
=========
As the first mission you'll be playing, this stage is pretty easy. None of the
bandits are particularly tough, and even by yourself you should be able to do
pretty well; scoring War God is not particularly tough either. After you've
dealt with the first two or three Bandit units, you'll come to a clearing where
you'll find Kurama Tengu. After learning you're out to kill the bandits, he'll
join you, and advise you to avoid the mob of bandits that are nearby.
If you're going for a high score, ignore Kurama Tengu's advice and charge
headlong into the bandits. He'll scold you, but don't give him any heed and
take them out. If you go around the long way, you'll have to run into Yuri
Taro,
and if you want to kill the bandit mob at that point, you'll have to take them
AND Yuri Taro's followers on at the same time. Of course, you can avoid the
Bandit Mob entirely. (which you might want to do if you're playing a fresh
character solo in Free Mode, since they throw stones which can get dicey)
Once the mob of bandits are dead, be sure to get sure to get the Valuable Item
from them, then double-back and take the long way around so that you can kill
the bandits hanging out on that side. When you reach the end of the path, there
will be a little exchange between Ushiwaka-maru and Yuri Taro, then you have to
fight him. He's not very tough, but be sure to deal the last blow yourself if
you want to grab the extra points. If you're worried about one of the other
soldiers killing him, you can order Kurama Tengu's troops to stay behind before
you approach him.
After winning, Kurama Tengu explains to Ushiwaka-maru that he is really the son
of the head of the Genji clan Yoshitomo, and about how he got made a monk.
Kurama Tengu is Kamata Masachiku, and was Yoshitomo's retainer.
===============================================================================
YOSHITSUNE SCENARIO, STAGE 2:
FIRE AT SHOSHAZAN (書写山炎上)
===============================================================================
Harima's Shosazan. Many warrior monks train in this temple, and it is almost as
famous as the western Mount Hiei. Around this time, a monk from Hiei,
Musashibo-Benkei, wandered here. He had been driven from Hiei for being too
violent, and could not get along with the Shosazan monks either, so continued
his training alone. One day, after returning from his training, he discovered
his own Shosazan temple in flames. It was this occurance that would later lead
Benkei to meet Ushiwaka at Gojo Bridge.
Benkei returns from training to find Shosazan burning. Benkei learned that the
temple was attacked while he was gone. There are many monks still trapped in
the flames. Benkei charges into the temple to rescue the other monks and beat
back those who attacked it...
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
The back story to this stage isn't historical; it's a legend that comes from
the Gikeiki. The legend is pretty much the opposite of what happens in the
game.
In the game, Benkei defends the monks of Shoshazan temple from marauding
bandits who are burning it down; in the Gikeiki, it's Benkei that beats the
stuffing out of the monks and burns down the temple. As the story goes, Benkei
had stopped there after training, and while he was asleep, the monk Kaien wrote
insults on his face. He didn't realize this until after he awoke and everyone
started laughing at him. In anger, Benkei started a huge brawl with all the
monks. Kaien attacked Benkei with a lit torch, but Benkei tossed him up onto
the roof of the main temple hall. Kaien fell off but his torch stayed, burned
down the main hall, and the fire spread. Though the fire started as an
accident,
not wanting to leave the job half-finished, Benkei torched the monk's quarters
to burn down the whole complex.
MISSIONS:
=========
Attack the Bandits (野盗の襲撃)
-------------------------------
This is the main mission of the stage; to win it, you have to kill or drive off
all the bandits on the stage.
Save the monks by the hall (木堂の僧)
Save the monks at the plaza (広場の僧)
Save the monks at the living quarters (僧房の僧)
------------------------------------------------
To complete these missions, you must rescue the monks at the hall (in the
center of the map) at the plaza (in the west part of the map) and the monks'
living quarters. (in the northwest part of the map) If so much as a single monk
in either of these groups dies, you'll fail the respective mission.
Act quickly (迅速に行動せよ)
----------------------------
In order to complete this mission, you must complete the stage in under four
minutes.
ITEMS:
======
Kobizen/Valuable Scroll: In a crate south of the monks' quarters. (It's
obscured by long grass, so is easy to miss.)
Reimyogan: 1) In a crate right near the entrance to the temple
2) Near the cart in the southeast area of the clearing right after the temple
gate
3) Right west of the Plaza monks
4) In the northeast corner of the Hall courtyard
5) North of the building directly west of the Hall
6) In the isolated area to the east of the map with two Bandit units
(Easy and Normal only)
Rank Rewards: Fukurokuju Scroll/Daikoku Scroll/Benzai Scroll
UNITS:
======
Allied: Kaien, 6 Warrior Monks (2 with Naginatas)
Enemies: 12 Bandits (all with swords)
Reinforcements: 2 Bandits (all with swords)
STRATEGY:
=========
If you are going for a good score on this stage, you have to work very quickly.
The three monk teams will not last very long against the bandits. If you're
fast, it doesn't matter too much what order you take them in. I usually save
those in the Plaza first, then the Hall, and lastly the Monks' Quarters, as
that way I don't have to double-back; the Monk's Quarters are a little off the
beaten path. Also, the fewest number of monks are located in the Plaza and
those in the Hall face the largest opposition. (In addition to the two Bandit
units the Hall monks start out fighting, the three other Bandits by the
entrance of the stage will join in the brawl later)
Once the three groups of monks have all been saved, it's pretty much smooth
sailing. Get the special item near the monks' quarters then head to the far
east area of the stage to deal with the last few bandits. At the north end of
the stage is an event where Benkei meets up with Kaien. (who refuses to fight
and runs away) You get nothing from this event, so you don't have to see it if
it's out of your way.
After all the bandits are dead, you win the stage. It shouldn't be hard at all
to finish the stage in the 4 minute deadline unless you really drag your feet.
Benkei is a strong character, and there are plenty of healing items here just
in case. Benkei's SSST combo is great for clearing out crowds of enemies, so
make good use of it in this stage.
After winning, there's a short cutscene where Benkei is upset about not being
able to protect the temple, and decides to go to Kyoto to show his strength.
===============================================================================
YOSHITSUNE SCENARIO, STAGE 3:
THE GOJO BRIDGE (五条大橋)
===============================================================================
After learning his true identity, Ushiwaka-maru spent his days training hard in
the martial arts under Kamata Masachiku. One day, Masachiku told Ushiwaka-maru
that there was someone in the capital that he wanted him to meet. However, as
becoming a monk was a condition for his being spared, Ushiwaka-maru could not
freely leave Kurama. Therefore, Ushiwaka-maru went to the meeting place
secretly, under cover of night.
The Heian capital has been such for 400 years, since the reign of Emperor
Kanmu.
Here, someone who wants to meet Ushiwaka-maru awaits. Even though it is
nighttime, there are still quite a few guards. Ushiwaka headed toward the
designated meeting point, while looking out for patrols...
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
The clandestine meeting with Kichiji is not historical (according to the
Gikeiki, Ushiwaka met Kichiji when he came to visit Kurama temple) but the
legend of Yoshitsune fighting Benkei on Gojo Bridge is very famous. As the
story goes, Benkei was mugging passers-by for their swords, and had collected
999 swords when he met Ushiawaka, who would be his 1000th victim. Ushiwaka
trounced Benkei and while initially Benkei didn't give up on taking his sword,
after another defeat he capitulated and became Ushiwaka's retainer. The stories
of this fight differ from version to version; for example, wheras the
traditional spot for their battle is the Gojo bridge, the fights between Benkei
and Ushiwaka don't take place there in the Gikeiki.
MISSIONS:
=========
Fierce Monk at Gojo (五条の怪僧)
--------------------------------
Defeat Benkei to complete this mission. As this is a prerequisite for
completing the stage, you have to do this one.
Great Naginata (大薙刀)
-----------------------
To complete this mission, you cannot get hit by Benkei even once when fighting
him one-on-one. Blocking his normal attacks is OK, but his Shura attack will
break through your guard, making you fail the mission.
Defeat the Thieves (盗賊を倒せ)
-------------------------------
There are two bands of thieves in this stage, one at the center of the map and
one in the northeast corner. You have to defeat them both to complete this
mission.
Make good use of your Setsuna-no-Saku (刹那の策を活用せよ)
----------------------------------------------------------
To complete this mission, you have to use your Setsuna-no-Saku (and have it
succeed) at least once.
Fujiwara Kunitsuna (藤原那綱）
-----------------------------
Fujiwara Kunitsuna is off at the northwest end of the map; to complete this
mission you have to kill him and take the treasure he leaves behind.
ITEMS:
======
Sanjo-Munechiku/Valuable Scroll: Carried by Fujiwara Kunitsuna.
Reimyogan: 1) Right behind the wall north of where you start
2) Along the river near the Thief units (Easy/Normal only)
3) Behind the wall north of Kunitsuna (Easy only)
4) Right before the Gojo Bridge (Easy/Normal only)
Rank Rewards: Daikoku Scroll/Konjo/Iron-wrought Onaginata
UNITS:
======
Enemies: 5 Naginata Guards, 1 Sword Guard, 1 Shield Guard, 4 Sword
Thieves
Enemy Generals: Fujiwara Kunitsuna, Musashibo Benkei
Reinforcements: 10 Naginata Guards
STRATEGY:
=========
This is probably the first stage you'll play where scoring Gunjin won't be
really simple. Part of the problem is that while finishing all the missions
isn't terribly hard, there aren't enough enemies to kill that'll put you over
the top for Gunjin easily. Since you can't succeed any Strategems other than
your Setsuna-no-Saku, use it whenever you can.
Start out by heading to the east. A few soldiers will be there, including one
unit that will run from you. Don't worry about chasing it down; it will stop at
the northern-most street, where you can dispatch it at your leisure. After you
see the cutscene (where Kichiji offerst to take Ushiwaka to Oshu, but he's more
interested in fighting the mad monk) head north up the alley. Head to the
north,
picking off enemy units as you go. Try and kill the captains last, so you don't
have any underlings flee.
At the center of the stage, you'll encounter your first thief contingent. Their
backs are all turned to you, making this a great place to use your Setsuna-no-
Saku and score a Surprise Attack. Once the thieves are dead, head north to face
Fujiwara Kunitsuna. He's got quite a good number of soldiers guarding him, but
none are too tough. This will be your first encounter with shield soldiers--
make sure to attack them from behind, as going after them head-on is futile.
Once Kunitsuna is down for the count and you've taken his treasure, run all the
way to the east end of the map and take out the thieves that are hanging out
there. If you're lucky you can score a Surprise Attack here, but it's tougher
than the first thief band. Once the thieves are dead, head to the northern-most
street.
At the northern-most street, there will be several enemy units waiting for you,
but at the same time, two guard units will be fleeing in terror from Benkei.
You get more credit for killing them than letting them escape, so concentrate
on trying to stop them--but don't chase them down if you miss them. Take care
of the remaining soldiers, then head to the bridge.
Here you'll face Benkei one-on-one. Your subordinates, if you brought any, will
stay out of the fight. Benkei is not overwhelmingly difficult, but as the
objective here is to defeat him without a scratch, you should be careful. Stand
right in front of him with your guard up. Wait for him to throw an attack, then
hit him with a combo. If you're playing as Ushiwaka (as will be the case in
story mode) you can whack him with impunity as you'll be fast enough that he
won't be able to interrupt your combos. If you're playing in Free mode as a
slower character (say, Kichiji) then you should be more careful.
Should Benkei hunker down with his naginata behind him, run away; this is a
sign that he's about to throw his Gokuraku-Ojo attack, and even if you block a
Gokuraku-Ojo attack, it'll count as getting hit.
Once Benkei is defeated, the stage is over. If you're playing story mode
Ushiwaka will give him a little lecture on using his powers for good, etc.
===============================================================================
YOSHITSUNE SCENARIO, STAGE 4:
THE KAGAMI INN (鏡の宿)
===============================================================================
Under the arrangements of the Oshu merchant Kichiji, Ushiwaka decides to leave
Kurama. The meeting place is the Kagami Inn. Here Ushiwaka will meet with
Kichiji's caravan. However, the Heike, who feared the descendant of the Genji
uniting with the Fujiwara in Oshu, soon had him trapped. Ushiwaka found himself
surrounded by bandits after the bounty the Taira put on his head.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
This stage is sort of a fusion of a story from the Gikeiki, and a famous Noh
play called "Kumasaka." The play is about Ushiwaka and Kumasaka Chohan, the
leader of a band of bandits. While Ushiwaka and Kichiji were resting at an inn
at Aohaka on the way to Oshu, a band of bandits, led by Kumasaka Chohan,
planned to rob Kichiji. After scouting out the inn they decided the it was
worth robbing too, but when they came en force, Ushiwaka came out of the inn
and killed dozens of bandits, before using magic arts taught to him by Kurama
Tengu to kill Kumasaka Chohan. In the Gikeiki, the inn that gets raided is in
Kagami, and the thieves that attack it are Yuri Taro (the boss of the "Kurama
Tengu" mission in this game) and the Fujisawa Lay Priest. It turns out in a
similar fashion, though in the Gikeiki, Kichiji also participates in fighting
off the bandits, after regaining his courage; he had hid from them to start
with. Note that in both the play and the Gikeiki, he bandits were not hired by
the Taira, nor was Benkei present--that's a new insertion into the game.
MISSIONS:
=========
Defeat Kumasaka Chohan (熊坂長範を倒せ)
---------------------------------------
The main mission of this stage is to defeat Kumasaka Chohan. He is hanging out
at the end of the stage with a bunch of Taira soldiers to back him up.
Allies (仲間)
-------------
To complete this mission, all you have to do is succeed with a Strategem that
one of your allies uses. It has to actually succeed though--i.e. with the
little Strategem window popping up on the left side of the screen.
Evacuate the civilians (民を逃せ)
---------------------------------
The Fujisawa Lay Priest and Okitsu Juro are attacking some townspeople near the
start of the stage. To finish this mission, don't let them kill anyone. This is
a pretty easy mission to do, as the townspeople will flee from the start and
you can reach both Fujisawa and Juro within seconds of starting the stage.
Defeat many thieves (多くの盗賊を倒せ)
--------------------------------------
Kill at least 30 thieves in this stage to complete this mission. You don't have
to kill them all with Yoshitsune directly; your kill count just has to be over
30 at the end of the stage.
Valuable Items (貴重な道具)
---------------------------
There are two Valuable Item located in the stage, and to complete this mission,
you just have to get both. One is being carried by the Fujisawa Lay Priest, and
the other is in a crate at the far end of the "side path" to the southeast that
passes by the restaurant-like building.
ITEMS:
======
Yaribusuma Tome/Attack Certificate: Carried by the Fujisawa Lay
Priest.
Rikuto/Valuable Scroll: In a crate at the end of the side-path
heading to the southeast
Reimyogan: 1) In a box near the Fujisawa Lay Priest (Easy only)
2) In a pot by the restaurant on the southeast side-path
Rank Rewards: Ebisu Scroll/Drum of Fervor/Assault Tome
UNITS:
======
Allied: 2 Civilians
Enemies: 1 Naginata Bandit, 1 Sword Bandit
Enemy Generals: Okitsu Juro, Fujisawa Lay Priest, Kumasaka Chohan
Allied Reinforcements: 1 Civilian
Reinforcements: 2 Sword Bandits, 3 Naginata Bandits
STRATEGY:
=========
This is a pretty easy stage, and you should be able to score Gunjin on it
without too much trouble. There's not a whole lot to explain; it's pretty much
a one-way path to the end. Start by killing Juro's troop, to save the
civilians,
then proceed further. Kichiji and Rin will join you as Generals after a quick
cutscene.
Soon, Fujisawa will come after you with a large contigent of his soldiers, so
take him and his underlings. Be careful, as the naginata soldiers will use
Yaribusuma against you. A lone Civilian will spawn while you're fighting
Fujisawa and run away, but Fujisawa will be too busy with you to bother with
him. The only way he'll die is if he gets caught in the crossfire multiple
times.
At this point, just proceed along the main path, killing thieves as you go.
Make sure to make the side detour to the southeast, to destroy the box holding
the Valuable Item in it.
At the end of the path, you'll have to deal with Kumasaka Chohan and a steady
onslaught of reinforcements. They're substantially tougher than any of the
other thieves you've dealt with so far, but you should be OK, especially with
your Generals to back you up. Just be careful not to get swarmed.
Once Kumasaka Chohan is dead, you have about 2 seconds to fight a team of Taira
reinforcments, before there's a cutscene where Benkei comes in to beat off the
remaining Taira soldiers and pledge allegiance to Ushiwaka. Then the stage
ends.
===============================================================================
YOSHITSUNE SCENARIO, STAGE 5:
HIRAIZUMI, OSHU (奥州平泉)
===============================================================================
The Fujiwaras of Oshu. Long supporters of the Genji, with a huge financial
backing, they assembled a strong contingent of warriors and attained
independence from the Taira. Even after losing during the Heiji Disturbance,
the Genji are a noble house of Imperial lineage. Therefore the Taira cannot
ignore their legitimate descendant, Ushiwaka, going to Oshu. After escaping his
isolated temple, Ushiwaka was soon surrounded by Taira pursuers. But he managed
to break through their net with a great effort. And on the way to Oshu,
Ushiwaka undergoes his rite of passage to adulthood, takes on the name Minamoto
no Kuro Yoshitsune, and receives the protection of Fujiwara Hidehira in Oshu.
Yoshitsune studies the classics and trains in the martial arts under the
protection of Fujiwara Hidehira. However, the warriors of Oshu, having never
seen Yoshitsune fight in the capital, doubt his abilities. At this time,
Yoshitsune hears rumors of a band of highwaymen that are terrorizing the
populace. To prove his skill, Yoshitsune embarks to defeat them...
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
There's not much in the way of historical background to this stage at all. It's
mostly an excuse to introduces the Sato brothers and Ise Yoshimori, though it
does amalgamate various snippets from various stories. For example, it is said
that Yoshimori first became Yoshitsune's retainer during his trip to Hiraizumi
in Oshu, in the Gikeiki. As the story goes, Yoshitsune happened to take refuge
at Yoshimori's house at night. Yoshimori's father had been a vassal of
Yoshitomo, Yoshitsune's father, so he pledged his service to Yoshitsune. Other
stories tell of how Yoshimori's family lost everything when the Minamoto were
defeated by the Taira in the Heiji Rebellion and how he turned to thievery
before meeting Yoshitsune. (hence the "bandit leader" thing in this stage, plus
he is accused of being a former bandit in the Heike Monogatari, though that is
a taunt by an enemy) As for the Sato brothers, according to the Azuma Kagami,
Tsugunobu and Tadanobu were some of Fujiwara Hidehira's retainers, who he sent
as an escort with Yoshitsune when he went to meet with his brother after the
Battle at Fuji River.
MISSIONS:
=========
The Bandit Leader (野盗の首領)
------------------------------
Defeat Ise Yoshimori to complete this mission. This is your main mission, and
once you complete it, the stage is over.
Defeat him by your own hand (自らの手で倒せ)
--------------------------------------------
To complete this mission, you have to deal the final blow to Yoshimori
yourself.
That means your commander must deal the final blow; any of the commander's
direct underlings don't count.
Defeat the Bandits (野盗を倒せ)
-------------------------------
If you kill at least 40 bandits, then you complete this mission. You don't have
to kill them all yourself; just have your kill count over 40 at the end of the
mission.
The Brothers Sato, your guards (護衛の佐藤兄弟)
-----------------------------------------------
As you're supposed to be showing off to the Sato brothers, the goal of this
mission is to kill off all the enemies without their help. If the Sato brothers
or one of their retainers kills even a single enemy, you fail this mission.
The Mountain Shrine Items (山寺の道具)
--------------------------------------
There are two Valuable Items by the Mountain Shrine in this stage. Get both of
them to complete this mission.
ITEMS:
======
Spear Charge Tome/Valuable Scroll: In a crate by the mountain shrine.
Taunt Tome/Valuable Scroll: In a crate on the other side of the
mountain shrine
Reimyogan: 1) In a box near the mountain shrine (Easy/Normal only)
2) In a box near the enemies at the dead-end that the Sato Brothers approach
3) In a crate by the area that Ise Yoshimori fights you
4) In a crate by the area that Ise Yoshimori fights you (Easy/Normal only)
Rank Rewards: Ebisu Scroll/Stone-Throw Tome/Reppa Tome
UNITS:
======
Allied: Sato Tsugunobu, Sato Tadanobu
Enemies: 8 Sword Bandits, 4 Bow Bandits
Enemy Generals: Ise Yoshimori
Reinforcements: 5 Sword Bandits
STRATEGY:
=========
This stage is pretty easy, and not too hard to score Gunjin on either. You do
have to work reasonably quickly though, as you have to kill off large numbers
of bandits before the Sato Brothers get a shot at them. You'll note that in the
center-east area of the stage there is a large congregation of bandits; this is
the eventual destination of the Sato Brothers. Once they get here, they won't
continue any further, so you don't have to worry about them interfering during
the boss fight.
Start the stage by running forward and dealing with the two Bandit units in the
middle of the road. At this point the road will branch to the left and the
right. The left branch goes up the hill to the Mountain Shrine; the right
branch heads to the main force of bandits. If you're worried about time, you
should head down the right branch first and return to the Mountain Shrine
later; however, you should have enough time to clear out the Shrine first
should you so choose.
If you decide to do the Shrine first, hurry and kill the two Bandit units that
hang out there, and quickly break the two crates that hold the Valuable Items.
Once you've retrieved both, double-back the way you came and head northeast to
the main force of bandits.
The bulk of the bandit forces are hanging out in front of a dead-end blockade
in the road; a full 8 units in total. If you've got a weak character, this can
be tough, but otherwise you'll probably be OK. (This may be your first stage
with Yoshitsune, but all of Ushiwaka's stats transfer over to him, so you won't
have to worry about playing a totally fresh character) Kill them all as quickly
as possible. The Sato brothers are reasonably slow, so if you make judicious
use of area-affect attacks and Strategems, you should be able to clear out the
area easily.
Once the main force of bandits is dead, it's time to challenge Ise Yoshimori
himself. He's only got one escort of bow bandits with him, but will summon
large numbers of bandits to protect him when you encounter him. Yoshimori
himself is rather tough, with lots of life and speedy, powerful attacks.
However, he'll still probably be no match for you.
===============================================================================
YOSHITSUNE SCENARIO, STAGE 6:
THE BATTLE AT FUJI RIVER (富士川の合戦)
===============================================================================
The year is 1180. At this time, the tyranny of the Taira know no bounds, and
they have even put the Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa under house arrest. At this
outrage, the second son of Go-Shirakawa, Prince Mochihito, finally acts.
Joining forces with Minamoto Yukiie and other Genji generals, he issues an
edict against the Taira. "To the Genji and other warriors of the country--kill
Taira Kiyomori and his retainers." With this edict, many warriors assembled
under this Genji to take advantage of the opportunity. In Kiso, there was Kiso
no Yoshinaka, the nephew of Yoshitomo. In Kamakura, Yoritomo, the heir to the
Genji line, openly declared rebellion. Yoshitsune also did not let this
opportunity by. With soldiers given to him by Fujiwara Hidehira, he hurries to
his elder brother Yoritomo's side. In response, the Taira assemble a great
force to meet the rebels at the foot of Mount Fuji. The great war that would be
known to future generations as the Genpei war was about to begin.
Travelling day and night from Oshu to reach Yoritomo, Yoshitsune finds himself
at the Fuji River, on the opposite bank from the Kamakura forces, and behind
the Taira forces. Both armies have set up their camps, and there is no time for
Yoshitsune to go around the enemy and join the Kamakura forces before fighting
starts. At this, his first battle, Yoshitsune decides to break through the
Taira forces directly and rendezvous with his brother.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
This "battle," as it were, was the first clash between the Heike and the Genji.
Though, as told in the _Heike Monogatari_ it really wasn't a battle at all. A
Heike punitive force, led by Taira Koremori and Fujiwara Tadakiyo, was sent out
to put down Yoritomo's rebellion, and it was decided that the ritual "exchange
of arrows" that happened before a battle would have at the Fuji River. As the
story goes, the night before the battle was to be scheduled, the Heike heard
rumors of a massive Genji force before the fight so were getting a little ancy,
and when they saw the many cooking fires of the local peasants, thought they
belonged to enemy forces. Then when there was a disturbance that sent a whole
flock of waterfowl flying, they thought they were being raided and all fled--
and when the Genji army really DID attack at the pre-decided time, they found
the battlefield empty. Of course this is more of a literary device--in reality,
it was less of a collosal blunder and more of a tactical withdrawal by the
Taira; they got hit with a surprise Minamoto attack, and believed an additional
enemy force was approaching from the rear so decided to retreat and regroup.
Yoshitsune didn't actually participate in this battle, but he first reunited
with his brother near the area, shortly after this battle took place--according
to the _Azuma Kagami_, a single day after the battle.
MISSIONS:
=========
Meet up with the main army (本陣に合流せよ)
-------------------------------------------
This is the main mission of the stage, and as soon as you complete it, the
mission ends. You just need to reunite with Yoritomo's troop, in the southeast
corner of the stage. For this reason, just completing the stage is very easy,
as you can just run by all the enemies without attacking a single time.
Taira Koremori (平維盛)
-----------------------
The "boss" of this stage as it were is the hapless Taira Koremori, who is
stationed in the large camp at the center-southeast area of the map. Your
retainers will advise against taking him on, but to complete this mission, you
have to defeat him.
Mud, Gates, and the scouting party (泥地・門と斥候隊)
-----------------------------------------------------
Yoritomo's scouting party, led by Takeda Nobuyoshi, is under attack in the
northeast area of the stage. To complete this mission, you have to save him,
and keep him alive until the end of the stage. This is one of the tougher
missions to complete, as Nobuyoshi comes under near-constant attack.
Surprise Attack (奇襲)
----------------------
To complete this mission, you just have to succeed with a single Surprise
Attack. Sounds simple, but it's actually the toughest mission of the stage to
complete. While you start behind the bulk of the enemy forces, they're
remarkably alert and difficult to surprise.
Cut down Enemy flags (軍旗を倒せ)
---------------------------------
There are large numbers of red Taira flags that are posted around the various
enemy encampments in this stage. To pass this mission, you have to cut down at
least 20 of them.
ITEMS:
======
Taunt Tome/Technique Certificate: Carried by Fujiwara Tadakiyo
Spear Charge/Attack Certificate: In a crate near Obaka Gechika's
camp
Guard Tome/Health Certificate: Carried by Taira Koremori.
Reimyogan: 1) In a crate by the exit right near where you start.
2) In a crate in the camp where Takeda Nobuyoshi is
3) In a crate the camp west-southwest of Nobuyoshi's camp
4) In a crate at the end of the north-south mud river at the west end of
the stage
5) Carried by Obaka Gechika
6) In the clearing east of where Obaka Gechika is
6) In a box in Taira Koremori's camp (Easy Only)
Rank Rewards: Assault Tome/Horse-Scare Tome/Sanryaku
UNITS:
======
Allied: 5 Minamoto Units (Type unkown, they don't fight)
Allied Generals: Takeda Nobuyoshi
Enemies: 11 Taira Swordsmen, 2 Taira Archers
Enemy Generals: Obaka Gechika, Taira Koremori
Reinforcements: 9 Taira Swordsmen, 1 Taira Cavalry, 1 Taira Archer,
Infinite 2 swordsman/1 cavalry combo unit from the southernmost gate
STRATEGY:
=========
This battle is substantially longer than anything in this scenario before. The
enemy army is big, and you've got mud in many places that impedes your
progress.
There are a couple of things you want to keep in mind in this scenario. First,
you should cut down enemy flags whenever you see them, as you need at least 20
cut down to reach that Goal. Second, you should be on the lookout for good
opportunities to do Surprise Attacks, as they're also a required goal.
Considering that you're attacking the enemy from the rear, they're surprisingly
alert, so scoring Surprise Attacks is tougher than you might expect. Assault is
probably the best Stratagem to use for surprise attacks overall but if you
don't have it, Spear Charge on Benkei or Rin is a good Strategem to try, albeit
tough to control, so you may want to take the risk of approaching with
Yoshitsune himself and hitting the enemy with a Reppa. If you do this, order
your other troops to stay behind, as they may draw attention to themselves.
The first and most important thing in this battle (if you're going for a good
score) is to save Takeda Nobuyoshi. He starts out in the northeast area of the
field, surrounded by enemies. If you don't make a beeline for him (and ignore
most of the soldiers on the way) he'll be dead by the time you get to him. So
run to him as soon as the stage starts. You'll have to cross a river though,
with some very annoying archers on the other side taking potshots at you as you
slog through the mud. It slows you down a lot, but it's a good idea to guard as
you walk through the mud spots. (Through the river itself, a zig-zag formation
is best.)
Once you get to Nobuyoshi, kill off his attackers, and use him as a "base" to
make multiple forays towards the enemies nearby. To be extra safe, have a
general Guard him. The reason for this is that there are at least three Taira
reinforcements that will spawn practically on top of him; if you wander too
far,
he'll get killed despite your having "saved" him earlier. Some of the
reinforcements are cavalry; after you kill them, steal their horses so you're
never too far from him.
After Nobuyoshi is relatively safe and you've killed off the reinforcements
that may assault him, go and kill Fujiwara Tadakiyo, who is located on the path
pretty much directly behind Taira Koremori. If you play your cards right, this
is a good place to score a Surprise Attack. Once Fujiwara Tadakiyo is taking a
dirt nap, circle all the way back to where you started and take the long muddy
path south, killing the enemies that you missed when trying to save Nobuyoshi.
This will also put you right behind Obaka Gechika, and if you're lucky you can
Surprise Attack him too.
At this point, the only thing left to do is beat Taira Koremori. While your
subordinates will advise you against taking him on (and he IS tough) you should
attack him anyway if you're going for Gunjin. However, don't rush in; let the
individual enemy units come out one at a time; if you run into a pitched
battle,
it's very dangerous; you yourself might not die, there's a very high chance
that one of your generals' men will.
Once you've defeated Koremori, just head to where Yoritomo is waiting and
you'll see a cutscene, (which can be kind of confusing unless you know the
_Heike Monogatari_ backstory) and the stage will end.
===============================================================================
YOSHITSUNE SCENARIO, STAGE 7:
MEETING WITH YORITOMO (頼朝との対面)
===============================================================================
Many warriors were displeased with the tyranny of the Taira, so more soldiers
than expected joined with Yoritomo. Yoshitsune lent his forces to the cause,
and the Taira forces were helpless against the huge Genji army. For the
warriors that joined the Genji, this was a good chance to display their skill
before Yoritomo, their leader. The Fuji River battle became an event for them
to compete with one another at gaining honors in battle.
Yoshitsune broke through the Taira lines, and the Heike army could do nothing
to stop him. For the warriors that joined the Genji, this was a good chance to
display their skill before Yoritomo, their leader. After only briefly greeting
his brother, Yoshitsune joined in the effort to drive back the remaining Taira
forces.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
There is no historical background for this stage, as far as I know. There's
nothing in the _Gikeiki_ about Yoshitsune ever participating in the Fuji River
battle, and since there was nothing about an actual battle in the _Heike
Monogatari_ as the Taira fled the scene beforehand, there's nothing in that
either. (Besides, Yoshitsune doesn't show up in the _Monogatari_ until much
later than this anyway) There may be some Noh or Kabuki play about Yoshitsune
competing with fellow soldiers for battle honors at Fuji River, though I'm not
aware of such. The meeting with Yoritomo, however, is recorded in several
places. The _Azuma Kagami_ tells of Yoshitsune requesting an audience with
Yoritomo the day after the battle of Fuji river and getting one, and it was a
typically tearful reunion. There's a longer and more flowery account in the
_Gikeiki_ of Yoshitsune joining Yoritomo as well. However aside from Yoritomo
saying "I haven't seen you since you were a baby" neither account comes
anywhere near the cutscene in the game.
MISSIONS:
=========
Mop up the Taira Army (平軍を掃討せよ)
--------------------------------------
This is the main mission of the stage. To complete it, you have to eliminate
(or drive off) all the Taira soldiers on the map.
Defeat Saito Sanemori (斉藤実盛を倒せ)
--------------------------------------
The Archer general Saito Sanemori is hanging out in the northmost part of the
Fuji River. You have to defeat him to complete this mission.
Taira Tomonori and Matano Kagehisa (平知度と俣野景久)
-----------------------------------------------------
Taira Tomonori is in the extreme northwest area of the stage, and Matano
Kagehisa, in the southwest. Defeat them both to complete this mission.
Minamoto Generals (源軍大将)
----------------------------
You've got four allied generals fighting with you in this stage: Minamoto
Noriyori, Miura Yoshizumi, Kajiwara Kagetoki, and Mongaku. If any of them die
or flee, you fail this mission.
Compete with your allies for glory (友軍と勲功を争え)
-----------------------------------------------------
To complete this mission, you have to kill a certain amount of kills with
Yoshitsune (or your chosen Commander in Free Mode) and his subordinates.
Generals and their subordinates don't count. I'd estimate the kills required to
be around 50-60. Despite the name of this mission, the number of kills that
your allied armies score is irrelevant. (They tend not to kill very many
anyway)
ITEMS:
======
Fire-Arrow Tome/Attack Certificate: Carried by Matano Kagehisa
Stone-Throw Tome/Health Certificate: Carried by Taira Tomonori
Bishamon Scroll: Located in a box along the mud river between Matano Kagehisa
and Miura Yoshizumi
Reimyogan: 1) Located in a box near Miura Yoshizumi's start position
2) In the Taira camp in the east/northeast side of the stage
3) By the exit behind Taira Tomonori
4) Along the long mud river on the west side of the stage
Rank Rewards: Bishamon Scroll/Cover Tome/Hizamaru
UNITS:
======
Allied: 3 Minamoto Naginata troops
Allied Generals: Minamoto Noriyori, Miura Yoshizumi, Kajiwara Kagetoki, Mongaku
Enemies: 11 Taira Naginata soldiers, 3 Taira Archers, 2 Taira Swordsmen,
2 Taira Shieldsfighters
Enemy Generals: Matano Kagehisa, Saito Sanemori, Taira Tomonori
STRATEGY:
=========
This stage is incredibly difficult, if you're shooting for Gunjin. The primary
problem is that two of the mission goals, "Minamoto Generals" and "Compete with
Allies" are at direct odds with one another. If you protect all of your allied
generals, they will kill large numbers of enemies, which reduces your kill
count so you can't win the "Compete with Allies" mission. If your allied
generals retreat, (which they will do if they get beaten up enough) then you
can "win" the competition more easily, but won't get the reward for saving them
all. Saving all the generals in of itself is pretty darn difficult, even on
Easy level.
So, here are your four generals you have to protect. First, you've got Minamoto
Noriyori. He's facing off with two Taira units right near where you start the
game. After the Taira units are dead, he'll either head north, to engage with
the units there, or south, to engage with Matano Kagehisa. Usually he heads
south. Noriyori is the second-most difficult general to protect, as he has a
tendency to die quickly.
Miura Yoshizumi is fighting in the middle of the map. He has a contingent of
Naginata soldiers fighting alongside him, but they won't last very long. Once
the units he's fighting are down, he usually heads south to deal with Matano
Kagehisa.
Kajiwara Kagetoki hangs out in the south-center of the map. He generally stays
put, but after a certain percentage of the Taira warriors are dead, he'll head
west to engage Matano Kagehisa. Kagetoki is pretty easy to protect since he
doesn't rush headlong into the enemy. In fact, I've never seen him get defeated
in this misson.
Mongaku is at the north end of the map. Sometimes he hangs out at his starting
position fighting low-ranking troops, but more often. he charges Saito
Sanemori's troops. He's got some Genji Naginata troops with him, but they die
quickly. And so does he, for that matter. Mongaku is by far the most difficult
of the four generals to protect; sometimes he's at death's door by the time you
reach him. Once Sanemori's troops are gone, he usually goes after Taira
Tomonori's troops.
From my experience, there's no sure-fire way to protect all four generals; if
they're stupid, they'll get killed quickly. Here's the strategy I normally use,
but it doesn't always work.
First, whatever you do, don't bring any mounted generals like Rin or Sato
Tadanobu into your party. You need to move really quickly in this mission, and
mounted generals have the tendency to steal your horse while you're on foot
fighting enemies. Bring hardy foot soldiers like Benkei into this one, and at
least one general with Guard, as this is critical to keeping your allies alive.
Second, the prime aim of this mission is to keep your allies occupied, but not
outclassed. Rather than killing off the enemies they're facing, you should
consider just hurting them, or just killing their captains. A horse should be
nearby, so get on it, then rush to Yoshizumi and kill the soldiers facing him.
Next, run south to Kagehisa and take him out as quickly as possible. This next
part is a real pain, but you next want to head to Mongaku via the muddy river,
passing by Miura Yoshizumi. Ride your horse right up to the edge of the mud
then jump; this will save you a few seconds of mud-walking. You'll still lose
precious time slogging through the mud, but it's the fastest way to get to him.
When you reach Yoshizumi, don't bother fighting the soldiers facing him;
instead, have one of your generals Guard his troops while you continue north to
help Mongaku.
This is where the stage is really decided. Stick with Mongaku and focus on
fighting whomever he's engaging. If Mongaku has charged Saito Sanemori, there's
not a whole lot you can do, and he'll probably get killed. If, however, he
decides to head east and take out the Taira soldiers hanging out in the alcove
you saved Takeda Nobuyoshi at in the previous stage, you've got a real
advantage.
Once the east soldiers are dead, all your NPC allies will usually head to the
southern-most part of the stage and head for Tomonori via the very long, muddy
river. This is exactly what you want; they're relatively safe there, and it
will take them a long time to reach Tomonori, giving you ample time to kill
Taira soldiers without any "help" that would reduce your kill count. Don't go
with them--head for Tomonori via Saito Sanemori, at the north end of the stage.
This is one of the toughest parts of the stage, as you're at a severe tactical
disadvantage. You're stuck wading through mud while Saito Sanemori shoots
arrows at you. For this reason you should advance while guarding, or if you
have an archer general with you, distract him with his own bow Strategem. Once
you get close to Sanemori, he's a pushover.
Once Sanemori is dead, immediately charge ahead and take out Taira Tomonori.
Tomonori is easy pickings so this shouldn't be hard. Once he's dead, head south
along the long muddy river to kill any straggling Taira soldiers that your NPC
allies haven't killed; the greater your kill count, the better.
This strategy is by no means foolproof, however. It all depends on what the AI
of your allies decide to do. If Mongaku charges Sanemori, or Noriyori takes out
his first opposition quickly and heads north rather than south, you probably
don't have much of a chance of saving them. The trick here is to work as fast
as possible and deal as much damage as you can in a short time. For this
reason,
use Strategems that boost your power like Charge Formation and the like. If you
can get a chain Strategem combo, that's great, but don't waste time trying to
do so until you know all four of your generals are safe.
You may discover, to your dismay, that you complete all the required tasks and
seemly did perfect, but still don't get a Gunjin rating. Don't sweat it; this
is an incredibly difficult stage to score Gunjin on when you first get there.
Because your allied soldiers will be dying left and right, you'll be penalized
heavily score-wise. You might try coming back to this stage later, with a high-
level character, or in Free mode. Actually, the only time I've been able to
score Gunjin in this stage is in Free Mode with Rin as my general; she's almost
tailor-made to lead this stage. Her Force Formation allows her to run through
the mud with little slowdown, and she's fast, which allows her to reach Mongaku
before he gets killed.
Once you complete this mission, there will be a reunion between Yoshitsune and
Yoritomo. Yoshitsune vows to become as good a warrior as his elder brother, and
swears to help end the current regime and restore order to the country.
===============================================================================
YOSHITSUNE SCENARIO, STAGE 8:
RAIN DANCE (雨乞い)
===============================================================================
Yoshinaka finally enters the capital after achieving several victories against
the Taira. However, there is a great famine in Kyoto, and Yoshinaka's
provisions are also low. The rewards bestowed on Yoshinaka's army by Emperor
Go-Shirakawa is not enough to feed them, which causes rising discontent among
them. Eventually discipline among the troops breaks down and they start
pillaging the populace. Before he even had enough time to savor his victory and
entering the capital, Yoshinaka was forced to try and enforce public order. At
that time, Shizuka, the dancer and musician rumored to be the most skilled in
Kyoto, was called to Hojuji, where Goshiraka was staying. The emperor,
concerned with the continuing famine, wanted her to perform a rain dance.
As Shizuka heads to Hojuji, she finds Hojuji being invaded by Kiso soldiers.
Worried about the emperor's safety, she proceeds inside...
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
Whether legend or history, the rain dance ceremony that was held in 1182 by the
Shin'ensen lake is Shizuka's famous "debut" in the history books. That year,
and the two years previous, there was a terrible drought in the area, and as a
result there was very little in the way of crops, which led to a famine, people
were starving, etc...it was not a happy time in Kyoto. So, Emperor Go-Shirakawa
issued an edict to have 100 dancers perform a rain dance at the Shin'ensen
lake.
(The reason the Shin'ensen lake was picked was that it was said to be the place
that Kobo-Daishi, the founder of Shingon Buddhism, summoned Zennyo-Ryuo, who
had power over the rain) In any case, 99 dancers in succession danced by the
lake but nothing happened--Shizuka was the 100th, and halfway through her
dance,
it started raining, and continued to do so for three days. As for the rampaging
Kiso soldiers on this level, that has some basis in history--after liberating
the capital from the Taira, Yoshinaka's huge army moved into the city, but with
the famine, there was not enough to reward or feed them, so many of his
soldiers turned to mugging the populace for food. (It probably goes without
saying that there's no historical record of Shizuka running around beating up
Kiso soldiers in Kyoto--that's an addition to this level)
MISSIONS:
=========
Repel the Kiso Soldiers (木曽兵を退けよ)
----------------------------------------
Drive back all of the Kiso soldiers in the stage to win this mission, either by
killing them or causing them to flee.
Assist Minamoto Yukiie (源行家に加勢せよ)
-----------------------------------------
Minamoto Yukiie is being attacked in Hojuji by a bunch of Kiso soldiers. If his
health gets low enough, he'll flee. If he flees, you fail this mission, so you
have to protect him.
Stop the violence (狼藉を許すな)
--------------------------------
Stop the violence with violence of your own! Kill at least 50 Kiso soldiers to
complete this mission.
Rescue the courtiers (貴族を助けよ)
-----------------------------------
There are two groups of three defenseless courtiers in this stage. If they all
die, you'll fail this mission.
Don't let your retainers die (配下に犠牲を出すな)
-------------------------------------------------
If any of your retainers die, you fail this mission. This isn't too tough, as
the enemies in this stage are geared toward a fresh-out-of-the-box character;
even weak retainers should be able to survive.
ITEMS:
======
Drum of Fervor/Health Certificate: In a crate in the extreme
northwest corner of the stage.
Daikoku Scroll: In a crate in the northwest corner of the southern compound
Reimyogan: 1) In a box right to the west of your starting position, right by
the lake (Normal Only)
2) In the northeast corner of the outer courtyard of Hojuji (Easy/Normal only)
3) In the southwest corner of the inner courtyard of Hojuji (Easy only)
4) Along the north wall on the west side of the southern compound
5) At the blocked-off alley between Hojuji and the northwest compound.
Reimyo-Senzu: 1) In the place of Reimyogan 1 on Easy Difficulty
Rank Rewards: Daikoku Scroll/Rikuto/Yaribusuma Tome
UNITS:
======
Allied: 2 Archer Monks, 1 Naginata Monk, 2 Courtiers
Allied Generals: Minamoto Yukiie
Enemies: 9 Kiso Swordsmen, 10 Kiso Naginata soldiers.
Enemy Generals: Takada Shigeiie, Toki Mitsunaga
STRATEGY:
=========
This stage in of itself is not hard, but it's hard to get Gunjin in Story Mode;
Shizuka is just too slow. You're better off with a faster character like Rin,
or, when you get him, Ise Yoshimori. But the main strategy is no different
regardless of the character you're using.
The toughest thing in this mission is protecting your allies, especially the
defenseless courtiers. As there are six of them, it's not too hard to keep at
least one alive to finish the "Rescue the courtiers" mission, but if any die,
the score penalty will be enough to keep you from Gunjin. Protecting all of
them AND Yukimori is really difficult, even with a fast character. You have to
work very fast at the start of the stage to accomplish it.
When you start the stage, head south, and kill the captain of the first two
Yoshinaka units you come up against; hopefully the underlings will be confused,
or, better yet, flee. If they don't do either, you'll have to stick around and
kill the remaining soldiers, as they'll start killing the courters immediately
behind you. Either way, once you're done at the start, RUN to the southeast
corner of the stage. At the start of the stage, a Yoshinaka team goes there to
maul the three courtiers there; if you don't hurry, at least one will be dead.
Kill the full enemy team--the captain first, and then the underlings, if they
don't run immediately. Then charge back to where you started the stage. The
courtiers you protected at the beginning of the stage may be under attack
again; kill any Yoshinaka men that are harassing them.
Now RUN to the central palace where Yukiie is and defend him. Yukiie is a
pathetic fighter so he won't last long against the opposition, but he'll
survive longer than the courtiers will undefended, which is why you need to
save them first. If Yukiie even starts to run, you've lost that mission--you'll
have to chalk it up to bad luck and hope for Gunjin the next time you play the
stage. If he hasn't run, great; finish off the soldiers attacking him.
If you've gotten this far without Yukiie or any courtiers dying, you can
breathe a sigh of relief; you've got a very good chance of scoring Gunjin, and
the rest of the stage is much easier. Return back to where you started the
stage, and continue through the stage in a counterclockwise fashion, cleaning
up Yoshinaka soldiers as you go. The bottom-left and upper-left compounds hold
some potentially furious battles with large forces led by Takada Shigeie and
Toki Mitsunaga respectively, but they shouldn't be too tough; the enemies in
this stage are geared toward a rank-beginner character, so you should be fine.
(If you're playing this stage in Free mode with an experienced character, you
should slaughter them) Just keep tabs on your subordinates' life levels, and if
they start to turn yellow or orange, pick up one of the many Reimyogans that
you can find on the stage.
Once you've cleaned out all the Yoshitsune soldiers, the stage is done. You'll
see a cutscene where Go-shirakawa asks Shizuka directly to perform a rain
dance,
and she does--and it actually works, to her great surprise.
If you score Gunjin on this stage, you'll unlock Yukiie as a usable commander
and general.
===============================================================================
YOSHITSUNE SCENARIO, STAGE 9:
BATTLE AT UJI RIVER (宇治川の合戦)
===============================================================================
Minamoto Yoritomo won a decisive victory at Fuji River, but the only warriors
he had assembled under his command were only those that didn't like the Taira.
Yoritomo did not waste any time basking in the glory of his victory, but
started to politically solidify his base of support in Kamakura. But the winds
of change were blowing in the meantime, and the leader of the Taira, Kiyomori,
died of illness. His heir, Munemori, did not have nearly the same amount of
ability as his father. The Taira army subsequently suffered a series of defeats
at the hands of the hero of Shinano, Yoshinaka. Taira Tomomori, who was said to
be the world's most brilliant general, came to the Taira's rescue. Tomomori
convinced his brother to abandon the capital, and take up position in the west.
Yoshinaka chased him, but the western provinces were a natural fortress,
surrounded by water. Without a proper navy, Yoshinaka could not even attack
effectively. The battle drew out, and Yoshinaka retreated to the capital to
levy rations from the populace. The "rising sun Shogun," the hero that rescued
Kyoto, started to lose the favor of the people. With the situation as it stood,
Emperor Go-Shirakawa sent out an edict to hunt down and kill Yoshinaka.
Yoritomo, who had been gathering his strength in Kamakura responded, and sent
his brother Yoshitsune out to defeat him. Yoshitsune advances from Kamakura,
and Yoshinaka sets up his forces by the Uji River to intercept him. Whether the
irony of fate or a devious plot of Tomomori, the Genji were about to start
fighting amongst each other...
Kiso's army set up camp by the Uji River. In order to protect the Rising Sun
General, Kiso Yoshinaka, his right-hand men and Tomoe prepared to fight.
Despite its misfortunes, the Kiso army is still world-famous for its prowess.
The head of a single one of their generals would gain anyone great fame.
Several young generals competed amongst themselves to be the first across the
river, and the battle was joined.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
The _Heike Monogatari_ actually says very little about the results of this
particular battle; in fact, it's primarily concerned about the argument between
Kajiwara Kagesue and Sasaki Takatsuna. Both of them wanted one of Yoritomo's
horses, and when Yoritomo gave it to Takatsune (After Kagesue had asked for it
and been declined) Kagesue was ready to kill him over it until Takatsune lied
and told him that in fact he had stolen the horse rather than been given it.
Kagesue let the matter drop, figuring that it wasn't favoritism then.
Afterwards, at the battle itself, Yoshinaka's forces tore down the bridge ove
the Uji river, and Kagesue and Takatsuna fought over who would cross the river
first and lead the attack. (Takatsuna won) The actual battle itself is barely
touched upon, save to say that Yoshitsune's forces won.
MISSIONS:
=========
Defeat Tomoe (巴を倒せ)
-----------------------
The main goal of this stage is to defeat Tomoe, who waits for you at the
northeast end of the map. When you do, this mission is completed and the stage
is finished.
Defeat the father & son generals (父子武将)
-------------------------------------------
Nenoi Yukichika and Tate Chikatada both are stationed on this stage. To
complete this mission, you have to defeat them both.
Save the Minamoto Generals (源軍大将を助けよ)
---------------------------------------------
Meet Kajiwara Kagesue and Sasaki Takatsuna, the world's two stupidest generals.
Your mission is to protect their sorry asses and keep them from getting
themselves killed.
Cut down the enemy's flags (軍旗を倒せ)
---------------------------------------
To complete this mission, you need to cut down at least 20 enemy flags.
Spoils of War (軍装品)
----------------------
In the far southwest corner of the stage, away from the fighting, there is a
crate with a valuable item in it. To complete this mission, you need to get it.
ITEMS:
======
Kyoma Bell/Valuable Scroll: In a crate in the extreme southeast
corner of the stage.
Shogeki Tome/Health Certificate: Carried by Nenoi Yukichika
Shield Charge Tome/Defense Certificate: Carried by Tate Chikatada
Ebisu Scroll: In a crate by Tate Chikatada's starting position
Reimyogan: 1) In the clearing at the south bank of the Uji River
2) In a crate in the central enemy camp (Easy/Normal only)
3) At the dead-end that stops at the north bank of the Uji River (Hard only)
4) In a crate near Tate Chikatada's camp (easy only)
5) On the north road between Chikatada's camp and Tomoe's position
6) In a crate in the clearing guarded by Tezuka Mitsumori
7) In a crate in Tomoe's camp (Easy/Normal only)
Reimyo-Senzu: 1) In the place of Reimyogan 3 on Easy/Normal
Rank Rewards: Assault Tome/Horse-Scare Tome/Sanryaku
UNITS:
======
Allied Generals: Kajiwara Kagesue, Sasaki Takatsuna
Enemies: 1 Kiso Archer/Cavalry combo unit, 2 Kiso Swordsmen, 5 Kiso Archers,
4 Kiso Naginata Troops
Enemy Generals: Nenoi Yukichika, Tate Chikatada, Tezuka Mitsumori, Tomoe Gozen
Reinforcements: 2 Kiso Swordsmen, 2 Kiso Archers, 2 Kiso Naginata Troops,
1 Kiso Shieldsman
STRATEGY:
=========
By far, the toughest mission in this stage is protecting the two idiots Kagesue
and Takatsuna. In the _Heike Monogatari_ these two loons were ready to kill
each other over a horse, and they're not much smarter here. Each has a grand
total of two retainers, and will willingly charge into the toughest battles.
What's worse, even if you save them, often they will move in completely
different directions, making it nearly impossible to protect them both. If one
of them is dumb enough to charge Tomoe, you can pretty much guarantee that
you're not going to score Gunjin, unless they do so after you've completed all
the other missions. If that wasn't bad enough, if a single one of their
retainers gets killed, it's often enough to prevent you from getting Gunjin. To
protect these morons, you'll definitely want a General with the Guard
Strategem; even better, two. You'll also want to bring in Kichiji, or Benkei if
he has Hoten, to kill the archers in the archer towers. (Kagesue and Takatsuna
have no compunction about standing helpless in front of a tower and getting
shot to death)
The first thing you should do when the stage begins is ignore the cavalry,
swordsmen, and archers that charge you at the beginning of the stage; instead,
head straight for Kagesue and Takatsuna. Kagesue is only facing one Naginata
unit, so you can kill that pretty quckly, but Takatsuna really gets into the
fray, fighting the main bulk of the Kiso forces. You should have one of your
Generals Guard Kagesue (in case he runs off to fight something else) and stick
close to Takatsuna, killing anyone that comes close to him.
If you're really lucky, Kagesue and Takatsuna will stay put once you've killed
off their initial opposition. If you're unlucky, they will charge the enemies
at your start position, Yukichika, Chikatada, or even worse, Tomoe. If you're
REALLY unlucky, they'll both charge enemies at opposite ends of the stage, in
which case there's really not much you can do. If they do charge other enemies,
follow them and kill off whoever they're fighting. Don't actively pursue
finishing other missions until you know they're safe. Always keep an eye on
your radar and if you see either general moving, drop everything to go protect
them.
Yukichika and Chikatada are both pretty tough customers, and take a lot of
punishment to take down. If you've got a well-developed Commander they
shouldn't be tough at all though. I generally go for Yukichika first, and then
Chikatada. Before leaving the main camp, however, make sure to get rid of the
two archer towers. If Kagesue and Takatsuna are staying put, you can also run
around the camp cutting down flags and running to the southwest corner of the
stage to get the special item.
There are two gates into Tomoe's camp, both of which must be knocked down. The
west gate is unguarded, and the south gate is guarded by Tezuka Mitsumori.
Mitsumori is not hard at all, so I suggest going through the south gate for the
extra score. Tomoe herself is pretty tough. While no match for a well-developed
character, she can take out your subordinates pretty easily, given the chance,
and make incredibly quick work of Kagesue or Takatsuna. When you defeat her,
the stage ends.
===============================================================================
YOSHITSUNE SCENARIO, STAGE 10:
HUNTING YOSHINAKA (義仲追討)
===============================================================================
Minamoto Yoshitsune defeated the Kiso army. The only one remaining was the
Rising Sun General, Kiso Yoshinaka himself. Even though he was defeated at Uji
river, Yoshinaka's home base at Kiso was still strong. Yoshitsune hurried to
chase Yoshinaka; he could not let him escape to regroup.
Yoshitsune won the battle at the Uji river and advances his forces to chase
Yoshinaka. Yoshitsune has apparently slipped through the ranks of the soldiers
beyond Uji River, and is heading to Kiso. If he escapes, he would be able to
regroup at home. Yoshitsune hurries to chase him.
HISTORICAL BACKROUND:
=====================
MISSIONS:
=========
Chase Kiso Yoshinaka: (木曽義仲を追え)
--------------------------------------
The main mission of this stage is to chase down and kill Yoshinaka. Once you do
this, you complete the stage. Only a few minutes into the stage, he'll try to
escape, and if he does, you'll not only fail this mission but the stage as
well.
You'll get an extra bonus if you can kill him within three minutes of the stage
starting. (Not hard, seeing as he tries to run BEFORE that time)
Defeat Imai Kanehira: (今井兼平を倒せ)
--------------------------------------
Imai Kanehira starts out at the extreme north end of the stage, clearing a path
through your soldiers for Yoshinaka. To complete this mission, you have to kill
him.
Defeat Takanashi Tadanao: (高梨忠直を倒せ)
------------------------------------------
Takanashi Tadanao is in the main clearing of the stage, guarding the eastern
gate blocking your way forward. To complete this misison, defeat him.
Minamoto Generals: (源軍大将)
-----------------------------
Two allied generals accompany you in this stage: Ichijo Tadayori and Ishida
Tamehisa. To complete this mission, you have to keep them both alive throughout
the entire stage.
Valuable Items: (貴重な道具)
----------------------------
There is one Valuable Item in this stage, stored in a crate on the north side
of the western gate at the main "clearing" of the stage. Pick it up to complete
this mission.
ITEMS:
======
Aoe-Tsunetsugu/Health Certificate: Carried by Imai Kanehira
Iron-Plated Greatshield/Valuable Scroll: In the crate right on the north side
of the western gate
Bishamon Scroll: Along the north wall of the main clearing of the stage
Reimyogan: 1) Right on the path into the main clearing (Easy only)
2) In the southwest corner of the main clearing
3) In the northwest corner of the main clearing
4) Right on the north side of the eastern gate
5) In the extreme north clearing where Kanehira starts (Normal, Hard only)
Reimyo-Senzu: 1) In the place of Reimyogan 5 on Easy
Rank Rewards: Bishamon Scroll/Lure-Astray Tome/Sansahoko
UNITS:
======
Allies: Impossible to tell (There are 9 in total, but the ones at the extreme
north end of the stage get killed too quickly for you to see what kinds they
are. Besides, There's too much raw chaos in this stage to sort one unit out
from another anyway)
Allied Generals: Ichijo Tadayori, Ishida Tamehisa
Enemies: 14 starting units. Most of them are Elites, but there are enemies of
all types here.
Enemy Generals: Takanashi Tadanao, Imai Kanehira, Kiso Yoshinaka
Reinforcements: Too chaotic to gauge
STRATEGY:
=========
There are few, if any, stages in the game where you have to work as fast as you
have to do in this one. When the clock hits 2:30, Yoshinaka will run for the
exit, and if he makes it, you lose. It takes him a few seconds to get there,
but the bottom line is that you have under three minutes to complete this
stage.
The real difficulty is that you have a large number of tasks to undertake
before you can do so.
The first thing you should do is ride right up to Ichijo Tadayori and have one
of your generals Guard him. But that's really not enough as he'll still die
very quickly as he's just an archer facing Elite troops; you'll have to clear
out a large number of enemies yourself--but you don't have enough time to kill
them all. Once Tadayori is relatively out of the fray, run right up to
Takanashi Tadanao, who is guarding the east gate, and kill him quickly.
Once Tadanao is dead, run back to the west gate and break it down. Go through,
break open the crate, and get the Valuable Item. Then run up north to protect
Ishida Tamehisa, who will be under attack by Yoshinaka directly. He's actually
tougher than he looks, so he will be able to survive for at least a few
seconds.
By this time, Imai Kanehira will be done killing the three friendly units he
starts out fighting and will run down to Tamehisa's position. All the better
for you; if you had to run to Kanehira's starting position it would make it all
the more difficult for you to complete all the tasks. Finish off Kanehira
quickly, and then turn around and kill Yoshinaka. Hopefully, you'll be able to
do all of this while both Tamehisa and Tadayori are still alive.
Doing all of this will not take very long; probably about two minutes at most.
You may need to practice this stage a couple of times before you can score
Gunjin on it, simply because you're so pressed for time. The main key to
beating this mission is to realize while you've got a very pressing deadline to
chase down and kill Yoshinaka and keep two allied units alive, you actually can
afford to spend a minute or so beating up enemy soldiers to protect Tadayori.
After Yoshinaka dies, there's a cutscene where he thanks Yoshitsune for letting
him die like a warrior. Yoshitsune then is informed that Higuchi Kanemitsu is
planning something...
If they survive, both Ichijo Tadayori and Ishida Tamehisa will join you as
subordinates.
===============================================================================
YOSHITSUNE SCENARIO, STAGE 11:
RETURN TO THE CAPITAL (帰京)
===============================================================================
Yoshitsune managed to defeat Yoshinaka, and soon after receives word that
Yoshinaka's retainer, Higuchi Kanemitsu is planning something. Higuchi
Kanemitsu is one of Yoshinaka's most trusted generals. So long as he remains in
the capital, the cleaning up of the Kiso army is not complete. Yoshitsune
quickly returned to the capital to defeat Kanemitsu.
Yoshitsune's destination is Kyoto. He arrives here after the sun has set.
Higuchi Kanemitsu has already set his forces in motion and is skirmishing with
the guards of the city. Their main force is set up by Go-Shirakawa's mansion in
the northeast. Worried about the safety of the Emperor, Yoshitsune heads to the
mansion, without taking even a moment to rest.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
This level is a large deviation from what happened in the actual Genpei war and
the account in the _Heike Monogatari_. After Yoshinaka and Kanehira were
killed,
Higuchi Kanemitsu was understandably distraught and decided to gather his men
for one last suicide attack on the capital to go out in a blaze of glory.
However, before he actually went through with the attack, he was successfully
persuaded to abandon any ideas of causing trouble and surrendered without
incident. Yoshitsune and his older brother Noriyori actually fought quite hard
to save Kanemitsu and get him clemency, but the nobles in Kyoto would hear
nothing of it, and Kanemitsu was beheaded. So there was no fending off an
attack on Kyoto or Go-shirakawa's mansion by Higuchi partisans since said was
only planned and never executed.
MISSIONS:
=========
Clean up the Kiso Army (木曽軍を掃討せよ)
-----------------------------------------
This is the main mission of the stage; you have to kill all the Kiso soldiers
that are roaming about the stage. Once all the enemies are either dead or have
fled, you finish this mission, and the stage.
Defeat the Kiso Soldiers (木曽兵を倒せ)
---------------------------------------
In order to complete this mission, you have to kill over 100 enemy soldiers
with your own army. Enemies that run away or are killed by friendly forces
don't count.
Surprise Attacks (奇襲)
-----------------------
To complete this mission, you must make at least five successful Surprise
Attacks on the enemy.
Save the Commoners (民を助けよ)
-------------------------------
There are two units of six commoners each in this stage. Eventually the enemy
will find and attack them. You have to save both units. It's OK if a few
commoners die, but if an entire commoner unit (or both) gets wiped out, you
fail this mission.
Chain Stratagems together (連策を使いこなせ)
--------------------------------------------
You need to chain at least seven Stratagems together to complete this mission.
More than that is OK too, of course.
ITEMS:
======
Aohagane-Yototo/Attack Certificate: Carried by Taifubo Kakumei
4 Random Items: In the 4 crates walled in by fences at the very north end
of the stage on the west side. Can only be gotten in Free Mode (see below)
Reimyogan: 1) Near Shida Yoshihiro's starting position
2) In a crate near the east-west bridge over the river
3) Along the east bank of the river, toward the south
4) Right near the southeast Commoner unit
5) Along the extreme east wall of the stage, south of the river (Hard only)
6) Carried by Nenoi Yukitada
7) At the short dead-end off the northernmost road of the stage
Reimyo-Senzu: In the place of Reimyogan 5 on Easy/Normal
Reimyo-Shinsui: Carried by Higuchi Kanemitsu
Rank Rewards: Stone-Throw/Return-Fire Tome/Shura Tome
UNITS:
======
Allies: 2 Commoners, 4 Genji Naginata troops
Enemies: 18 Kiso Elite Footsoldiers
Enemy Generals: Higuchi Kanemitsu, Chino Mitsuhiro, Shida Yoshihiro,
Taiboin Kakumei, Nenoi Yukitada
STRATEGY:
=========
This stage is a real pain in the butt to finish perfectly. The two most
difficult missions to complete are "Save the Commoners" and "Surprise Attacks."
The Commoner unit that needs special attention is the one to the southeast;
soon after the stage starts it will be attacked and wiped out quickly. What's
worse, if you "save" them, they'll run straight into more enemies that will
want to kill them. Plus, to get to them in time, you have to run through enemy
soldiers and alert them to your presence, reducing the chance of getting
Surprise Attacks.
Chaining Stratagems together is actually not that difficult in this stage if
you do it right. The key to this to bring in two Generals that have the Assault
Stratagem. To start with, run to the north until you get to the gate with an
enemy General, Chino Mitsuhiro, behind it. (Don't worry about your allied
forces to the far north scrapping it out with Shida Yoshihiro; you actually
WANT them to get killed, as they'll reduce your kill count if they survive)
Break down the gate and have both your Generals Assault Mitsuhiro and his
troops. Since they're facing the other way, this should be an easy Surprise
Attack. Attack and kill Mitsuhiro's Unit and both your Generals will succeed
their Assault, bringing your chained up to two. Now, face the closed gate in
front of you and have both Generals use Assault again. When the gate gets
broken down, their Assaults will Succeed, bringing your total number of chained
Strategems to 4. You'll now have ~15 seconds with which to score three chained
Strategems. If you've timed it right, a huge force of enemy soldiers led by
Taifubo Kakumei will just be walking away from the gate you've just opened,
giving you your perfect opportunity to get those three last chained Stratagems,
and if you're lucky, a Surprise Attack or two as well.
Once you've scored 7 chained Stratagems in a row, abandon the melee and run
straight to the commoner unit in the southeast corner of the stage and kill off
all the enemies attacking it. Stick to these commoners like glue and kill any
enemy that even looks at them funny. Note that while you're protecting this
commoner unit, the other unit by the riverbed may get attacked; if this happens
make sure to run and protect that unit as well.
Once the two commoner units are safe and have stopped moving, you're pretty
much open to mop up the rest of the Kiso forces at your leisure. This is the
time to spend focusing on getting as many Surprise Attacks as you can. The best
Stratagem to use is Assault, as that has much less of a chance of "missing"
than, say, a skill like Spear Charge. If you feel up to it, you can try
ambushing enemies with your Setsuna-no-Saku, though this is very difficult as
the enemies in this stage are really on their toes.
Note that if you're playing in Story Mode, you may hear Shizuka calling for
help; if you move to the large intersection where the river turns to the east,
there's a cutscene where Yoshitsune "saves" her. She'll stop calling for help
after that.
A couple of places you might try to ambush enemies: 1) Nenoi Yukitada's troop
patrols a road at the northeast end of town, near Higuchi Kanemitsu's troop.
They turn around as soon as they reach the intersection, so sending your troops
after them as soon as they turn their backs is a good idea. 2) There's an enemy
troop that walks along the northernmost road, almost the entire distance of the
stage. Sending your Generals after them as they're walking directly away from
you is effective. 3) The enemy troop at the south end of the stage, directly
south of where Mitsuhiro was, rarely changes direction; they're a good
candidate as well.
Note that if you're having trouble scoring Surprise Attacks, there's actually a
technique you can use that's effective, if cheap. So long as the captain of a
unit is still alive, you can Surprise Attack it as many times as you like. If
you try to Surprise Attack, whether or not you suceed or fail, have your
General cancel their Strategem after they make contact with the enemy and run
for it. Wait for the enemy to return to their patrol and try again--you can
repeat this as many times as you like. Also, (and this may just be my
imagination) it seems that Surprise Attacks tend to succeed more when your
Generals launch their attack on enemies either offscreen or out of view.
Once you've got your Surprise Attack quota filled, you can continue through the
stage and kill off the remaining enemies. Higuchi Kanemitsu is the toughest
enemy waiting for you on this stage, but is nowhere near as tough as Yoshinaka
was in the last one, so you shouldn't have any problem with him.
A final note about this stage--in the "Items" notes above, you can see that
there are four "Random" items at the north end of the stage that you can't get
in Story Mode. To explain a little more clearly; these items are in crates
sandwiched between two tall fences. The only way you can get them is if you
jump over the fence with a high-jumping character like Kurama Tengu. Yoshitsune
himself cannot jump high enough to clear the fence, which is why you can't get
these items in Story Mode. (They're probably not random in Story Mode either,
but since you can't get them, that's academic) In any case, these four items
make this stage one of the best in the game for item-hunting in Free Mode.
Once all the enemies are dead, there's a cutscene where Shizuka offers her
services to Yoshitsune in thanks for his help. Instead of doing a dance for him
like he requests, she joins your party instead. From this point you can use
Shizuka as a General. (or as a Commander in Free Mode) You'll also get a
whopping seven new Subordinates: (this is in addition to the four that come
with Shizuka) Kumano Tanzo, Funadokoro Masatoshi, Minazuru, Minbukyo Raizen,
Wa,
Warabi, and Ano Zenjo.
===============================================================================
YOSHITSUNE SCENARIO, STAGE 12:
TREASURED MEMORIES IN THE MOONLIGHT(月下抱懐)
===============================================================================
And thus, the Kiso army was defeated. After taking care of the leftover Kiso
forces, Yoshitsune not only gained the confidence of Emperor Go-Shirakawa, but
also gained many new retainers and became a famous and influential general.
However, while the Genji were fighting amongst themselves, the Heishi
subjugated the western provinces. Setting up their army of over 10,000 men in
Ichi-no-Tani, they await a chance to take back the capital. Ichi-no-Tani is a
natural fortress, surrounded by the ocean and steep cliffs. Furthermore,
without a proper navy, the Genji were forced to attack it via land. Left to
their own devices, the Heishi would only stand to gain strength. Faced with
such a difficult situation, Yoritomo sends orders from Kamakura to his brothers
Yoshitsune and Noriyori, commanding them to attack Ichi-no-Tani. Yoshitsune
huries to leave the capital and rendezvous with Kajiwara Kagetoki, the closest
vassal of his elder brother and supervisor of the operation.
Yoshitsune leaves the capital and arrives at night at to the base camp behind
the enemy, where he is to rendezvous with Kajiwara Kagetoki. However, Ichi-no-
Tani is a natural fortress surrounded by cliffs and ocean; attacking it without
knowledge of the terrain would be foolish. In order to examine the surrounding
geography more closely, Yoshinaka sets out for a scouting mission in the
moonlight...
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
The fight with Heike soldiers in this mission is not historical or legendary at
all; they're only in there because a stage without an enemy to fight is pretty
pointless. As the story goes in the _Heike Monogatari_, Yoshitsune divided his
force up to attack Ichi-no-Tani, leaving the western approach to Doi Sanehira
while he went mucking around the Hiyodorigoe track in the mountains north of
Ichi-no-Tani, looking for a way down to the enemy. They seemed stuck though as
the path seemed too steep. Benkei, in one of the few times he appears in the
_Heike Monogatari_, brought an old hunter from the area to Yoshitsune, as he
knew the terrain. The hunter insisted that there was no way for someone on foot
to get down the gorge, and it would be outright impossible on horseback.
However, he did say that there was a deer track into the gorge, and Yoshitsune
decided to use that track. The old hunter gave his son--Washio Yoshihisa--to
Yoshitsune's troop as a guide, and that's how they found a way into the rear of
the Ichi-no-Tani camp.
MISSIONS:
=========
Ichi-no-tani (一ノ谷)
---------------------
This is the main mission of the stage, to devise a plan to attack Ichi-no-Tani.
To devise such a plan, you need to kill all the enemy soldiers on the stage.
(Yeah, this isn't exactly logical)
New volunteers (志願兵)
-----------------------
Ise Yoshimoro, Hitachibo Kaison, and Nasu Yoichi all want to join you. To
finish this mission, all you need to do is talk to each of them.
Search carefully (慎重な捜索)
-----------------------------
To complete this mission, you have to keep all of your generals and
subordinates alive. (Not difficult considering the paucity of opposition you
get on this stage) If even one dies, you fail.
Kajiwara's army (梶原軍)
------------------------
If any enemy gets killed by a member of Kajiwara's army (that is to say, any
"green" unit) you fail this mission. You have to kill all the enemies yourself,
or with your generals and subordinates.
Excellent Sword (名刀)
----------------------
There's a famous swordsmith that lives in the area. He's got a nice sword for
the taking (or a Valuable Scroll once you've already gotten it) so grab it to
finish this mission.
ITEMS:
======
Stone-Throw Tome/Technique Certificate: In a crate in Kajiwara's camp.
Miike-Mitsuyo/Valuable Scroll: In a crate by the swordsmith's house.
Reimyogan: 1) By the northwest exit (Easy/Normal Only)
2) In the side-path to the east off the main path to the southwest
3) In the side-path to the west off the main path to the southwest (Easy Only)
Rank Rewards:
Rally Tome/Koryo Ginseng/Konmeisai
UNITS:
======
Allied: 6 Kamakura Naginata Soldiers
Allied Generals: Kajiwara Kagetoki, Ise Yoshimori, Hitachibo-Kaison,
Nasu Yoichi
Enemy Generals (Reinforcements): Taira Sukemori
Reinforcements: 5 Taira Swordsmen, 1 Taira Archer, 1 Taira Naginata troop
STRATEGY:
=========
Few stages in this game are as easy to score Gunjin on than this one. In fact
this is pretty much a freebie. None of the missions are difficult at all; the
only real way you can mess up getting Gunjin is if you forget to do one for
some reason.
To start with, walk around the Genji camp and talk to everyone: Kagetoki,
Yoichi, Kaison, and Yoshimori. Once that's done, head to the building in the
southeast area. There's a crate there--destroy it and take the Miike-Mitsuyo
inside.
Now, head toward the southwest area of the stage. You'll find Washio Yoshihisa
being attacked by Taira soldiers, led by Sukemori. Kill them all, and the stage
ends. They should never get anywhere near one of Kagetoki's soldiers unless
you're really sloppy or are playing this stage on a very high stage difficulty
so you don't have to worry about having your kills stolen.
===============================================================================
YOSHITSUNE SCENARIO, STAGE 13:
THE BATTLE OF ICHI-NO-TANI (一ノ谷の合戦)
===============================================================================
The Taira army camped at Ichi-No-Tani numbers at slightly over 10,000; the
Minamoto army numbers at 70,000. The Heishi had the advantage of terrain; Ichi-
no-Tani is far from Kamakura, and without a navy, the Genji must attack via
land. The general defending Ichi-No-Tani is Taira Tomomori, the supreme
commander of the Taira army. While the Kamakura Genji were wasting time
fighting with Yoshinaka, Tomomori was working hard at strengthening and
building his base. It is the morning of the seventh day of the second month, at
the hour of the Hare. The Genji general Noriyori advances his army from the
east, and the Taira army move toward him in response. Yoshitsune awaited a
chance to attack from the enemy's rear, at Hiyodorigoe. The battle that would
make the name Yoshitsune go down in history, never to be forgotten, was
beginning...
The Taira army fanned out in response to Noriyori's attack. At the base camp,
Taira Tomomori and other great Taira generals await. Only a few dozen cavalry
are with Yoshitsune from his position at Hiyodorigoe. Yoshitsune's reckless
surprise attack, via a charge down a sheer cliff at Hiyodorigoe was about to be
launched...
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
The battle of Ichi-no-Tani is probably the single most important in
Yoshitsune's military career, and certainly is the most famous of his exploits.
Ichi-no-Tani was a very difficult area to attack; while not completely
surrounded, the coastline was narrow enough to prevent any sizable enemy force
from advancing, and the rugged mountains to the north prevented any enemy
incursions from that direction. (Or so the Taira thought!) The main Genji
force,
led by Noriyori, attacked from the east in the early morning, and when the
Heishi engaged them, Yoshitsune, with a handful of men, galloped down the
mountain to the north to the Heishi's rear and set fire to their camp. The
resulting confusion drove the Taira into a major rout, and they fled via sea.
Shigehira was captured as well. As to be expected, of course, the battle itself
was exaggerated in terms of its size in the _Heike Monogatari_; in reality
there were probably fewer than 10,000 soldiers in the battle on both sides
combined, while given the _Monogatari_ numbers there were 70,000 soldiers on
the Minamoto side alone. (Plus, in real life, the Taira probably outnumbered
the Minamoto) Also, the difficulty of the terrain that Yoshitsune attacked from
is exaggerated--it was difficult to be sure, but nowhere near the sheer cliff
that is usually described.
MISSIONS:
=========
Attack Ichi-no-Tani (一ノ谷攻略)
--------------------------------
To successfully attack Ichi-no-Tani, you need to defeat all of the enemy
generals that are guarding it: Taira Tadanori, Taira Shigehira, Taira Tomomori,
Taira Tsunemasa, Gotonai Sadatsune, Taira Noritsune, and Taira Atsumori. Once
all of them are defeated, this mission--and the stage--is complete.
Enact Strategems well (的確な作戦指示)
--------------------------------------
To complete this mission, you have to succeed at least 15 Strategems. (not just
enact, actually get a success message that pops up at the left hand of the
screen) They don't have to be linked together at all, however.
Help the Minamoto generals (源軍大将を助けよ)
---------------------------------------------
Four Minamoto generals--Minamoto Noriyori, Kumagai Naozane, Kamata Morimasa,
and Miura Yoshitsura--are fighting the Taira when you first enter the stage. To
complete this mission, at least one of them has to be alive and active (ie, if
they fled, that doesn't count) when the stage is complete.
Cavalry (騎馬隊)
----------------
To complete this mission, you have to knock enemies off their horses at least
15 times. Considering you have to unseat cavalry in order to kill them, it's
hard not to succeed in this mission, unless you deliberately avoid fighting
cavalry units.
Don't exhaust your strength (兵力の温存)
----------------------------------------
Not exhausting your strength in this stage means not killing all the enemies.
Or more specifically, it means forcing some enemies to retreat. In this case,
20 at least. Enemies must actually escape as well; if they start running and
get killed by an ally, that dosn't count.
ITEMS:
======
(NOTE: This list does not include items that can be picked up on the cliff)
Jumonji/Attack Certificate: Carried by Taira Tsunemasa
Cover Tome/Defense Certificate: In a crate behind Gotonai Sadatsune's position
Tsumuji Tome/Technique Certificate: In a crate in the northeast corner of the
northwest fortress
Ebisu Scroll: In a crate by the northeast exit
Reimyogan: 1) In the southwest corner of the north fortress (Easy/Hard only)
2) In a crate by the northeast exit
3) Near Taira Tsunemasa's position (Easy only)
4) In a crate outside Taira Tadanori's "tent" (Easy/Normal only)
5) In a crate behind the tree near the south-southwest exit (Easy only)
6) In a crate behind a tree near Taira Noritsune's position
7) In the outer courtyard of the western fortress (Easy/Normal only)
7) In a crate inside the courtyard where Atsumori is
Reimyo-Senzu: 1) In place of Reimyogan 1 on Easy
2) In a crate near Taira Noritsune's position (Easy only)
3) In a crate outside the gate of the western fortress
Rank Rewards: Calming Tome/Cavalry Gauntlet/Nanatsusaya-no-Tachi
UNITS:
======
Allied Generals: Minamoto Noriyori, Kumagai Naozane, Kamata Morimasa,
Miura Yoshitsura
Enemies: 5 Taira Naginata troops, 1 Taira Swordsman, 6 Taira Archers,
5 Taira Cavalry
Enemy Generals: Taira Tadanori, Taira Shigehira, Taira Tomomori,
Taira Tsunemasa, Gotonai Sadatsune, Taira Noritsune, Taira Atsumori
Reinforcements: 5 Taira Naginata troops, 1 Taira Swordsman, 1 Taira Archer,
3 Taira Shieldsfighters
STRATEGY:
=========
This stage starts out very strangely. (In fact it's really two stages combined
into one) You can only bring mounted generals into this battle, limiting your
choices to Tadanobu, Yoichi, or Rin. (Yoichi is a good choice here) The first
half of the battle has you descending down the cliff into Ichi-no-Tani on
horseback, followed by your troops. The horses don't stop running (you can only
steer their direction) and you can't get off. Plus, the camera angle is set so
that you can't see very far ahead.
The rules here are simple. First, don't stray off the path; you will get hurt
if you do. Second, there are lots of fallen trees in the path. You can run into
them and destroy them (or destroy them with your weapon) with no problem, but
if any of your generals or subordinates touch a fallen tree, they'll get hurt.
Don't underestimate the effects of the trees; they can really take a chunk of
life out your subordinates, even killing them if their levels are low enough.
You'll note that there are items on the run down; while their positions aren't
random, which ones appear and which ones don't are. None of them are that rare
(Scrolls are the best you can get) and most are Reimyogans, so don't worry too
much about them.
Once you get into the valley and start the battle proper, the first thing you
should do is run straight for your allies who are battling it out with some
Heike cavalry. While you only have to save one to complete the "defense"
mission, three of them will join you as subordinates if they survive, so it's
best to keep them alive. An added bonus to not sticking around is that your
mere presence at the enemy formation will cause a lot of enemies to flee in
panic; if you stayed around your subordinates might kill a few, reducing your
quota for fleeing enemies. Before you get to your allies, there will be a
cutscene where you hear a Taira general playing a flute, but you can just
ignore it as it doesn't actually trigger any sort of event.
Once your general(s) are safe, you're pretty much free to complete this stage
however you please. There are no time limits nor missions that require you to
do anything specific in any one place, so you can finish it at your leisure.
Taira Tadanori will most likely be dead (since he's so close to your allies,
they probably won't be "safe" until you've defeated his troop) so you'll have
six more generals to deal with.
Taira Shigehira you already saw; he's stationed right at the beginning of the
stage. He's one of the tougher generals, but doesn't have much in the way of
backup since most of them fled when they first saw you. There's a healing item
right near him in the southwest corner of his camp, so if your allies are
hurting (and they very well might, after having to deal with the cliff and then
a large brawl) this is a good place to heal them.
Taira Tsunemasa is at the eastern gate to the stage. He by himself isn't too
tough, but the archers he's got protecting him can be a pain. If you brought
Yoichi and he has Return-Fire, this is a good place to use it.
Taira Tomomori is located to the west of where your allies start the stage.
He's probably the single toughest general of the bunch, due to his high power
and great range. A well-developed character helps a lot when facing him.
However, he doesn't come with much in the way of backup; he's got two sword
units guarding them, but they usually get caught in the brawl with your allies,
so they'll often be dead by the time you get to him.
Gotonai Sadatsune is in the little "side path" that goes north of the camp that
Tadanori was. He's an Elite Footsoldier, and his subordinates are fast and hit
hard, but he has little in the way of lasting power so he's not too tough. He
also doesn't have much in the way of backup; one archer and one Shieldsfighter
unit.
Taira Noritsune is guarding the Heike camp to the west. While Tomomori is the
toughest general by himself, Noritsune and his troop are the hardest to defeat,
as they come all on horseback and can be tough to unseat. As your allies will
most likely still be on horseback, this particular battle can get really
chaotic, with large numbers of horses all congregating on one spot. Noritsune
also hits very hard, so if your characters are low on life, it might be a good
idea to seek out a healing item.
Taira Atsumori is the last and weakest general. He's behind the gate in the
western Heike camp, with only a few archers and one Naginata troop to guard
him.
He's the easiest of the Taira generals to kill, as he's an archer; get close
and you can really beat him up badly.
There are a couple of things that you need to keep in mind in general when
cleaning out this stage. First, make good use of Strategems. You have to
succeed at least 15 Strategems--not just use them. So, try to make good use of
Strategems that are easy to succeed--for example, those that only require that
you hit the enemy once rather than defeat an entire unit, or "miscellaneous"
Strategems like Taunt that rarely fail. Second, try not to go nuts and kill
everyone, as you have to have at least 20 enemies flee. For this reason, you
should focus on killing unit captains first. Also, your allies can be
problematic, as they won't always let the enemy escape. If you don't bring any
in at all that wouldn't be a problem, but there are so many enemies in this
stage that doing so might not be such a good idea. Instead, you might try
having your generals Standby while you go after unit captains yourself. While
on Standby, generals will not attack enemies, so that gives fleeing soldiers a
better chance.
Once you finish the stage there will be a cutscene where Yoshitsune laments
having to kill a refined man like Atsumori. Also, if they survive, Kumagai
Naozane, Kamata Morimasa, and Miura Yoshitsura will all join you as
subordinates.
===============================================================================
YOSHITSUNE SCENARIO, STAGE 14:
THE BATTLE OF YASHIMA(屋島の合戦)
===============================================================================
How long has it been since Yoshitsune vowed at Fuji River to try to live up to
his brother as a warrior? With his overwhelming victory at Ichi-no-Tani,
Yoshitsune's fame was only magnified; while there may have been days without
talk of Yoritomo in the capital, never a day passed without talk of Yoshitsune.
Yoshitsune had already become the greatest hero in the country. Emperor Go-
Shirakawa bestowed the title of Junior Lieutenant of the Outer Palace Guards of
the Left on him at this time. Yoshitsune's true master was Yoritomo, but it is
said that he accepted this position without letting him know first. It is not
recorded what Yoritomo thought of this. However, he relieved Yoshitsune of the
duty of defeating the Heishi. Meanwhile, the Taira army had regrouped at
Yashima after their great loss at Ichi-no-Tani. Under the direction of Taira
Tomomori, they built a strong base of operations. Kajiwara Kagetoki attacked
them, but after half a year had not produced any results. With no progress,
Yoritomo used Yoshitsune once again. In contrast to Kagetoki's careful approach
to warfare, Yoshitsune took a more daring route, gathering just a handful of
elite warriors with him and in just four hours, in the pouring rain, traversed
over the ocean to Shikoku. It is the day after the storm, the Nineteenth day of
the Second Month. The Taira army, receiving word that the main Minamoto army
led by Kajiwara Kagetoki's was advancing, rushed forward to defend the coast.
They did not yet realize that their enemy had already taken their rear...
The Taira army was thrown into a great confusion at Yoshitsune's surprise
attack from the rear. However, Yoshitsune's force is very small; should the
Taira recover from the confusion, he doesn't stand a chance. Can Yoshitsune
keep the Taira army disoriented until Kajiwara Kagetoki's force arrives?
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
The account of the battle of Yashima is the longest and most detailed of all
the battles described in the _Monogatari._ Separating from Kajiwara Kagetoki's
force, Yoshitsune forced several boats to take him and his men over to Shikoku
in a storm. From there, he made a surprise attack on Yashima, making his army
look larger than it really was; by burning down all the commoners' houses near
the Taira army, it made it look like a huge enemy army was razing the city, and
the Taira troops were confused, again stuck in a pincer attack like at Ichi-no-
Tani. The Yoichi-shooting-down-the-fan and Tsugunobu-getting-shot-and-killed
cutscenes in this level reflect two of the most famous scenes from this battle.
The Yoichi cutscene is pretty much the same as that described in the
_Monogatari,_ except that Tokitada wasn't the one that issued the challenge,
nor were the Taira particularly angry at Yoichi's success. (In fact they were
pretty amazed and applauded, cheered, and started a congratulatory dance--but
then Yoichi shot down the dancer and things turned a little sour) The Tsugunobu
cutscene is different in that he didn't "take an arrow" for Yoshitsune, the
firer was Noritsune, not Kikuo, and Kikuo was shot down by Tadanobu, not
Yoichi.
There's also a very famous scene not touched on in this level; the argument
between Kagetoki and Yoshitsune. Before heading to Yashima, Kagetoki wanted to
put "reverse oars" on the boats so that if things went bad they could beat a
hasty retreat. Yoshitsune berated Kagetoki for contemplating flight before even
fighting, implying that he was a coward before all his men, who summarily had
to hold their breaths not to laugh. As the story goes, it was this event which
was the source of Kagetoki's hatred of Yoshitsune, and what caused him to
badmouth Yoshitsune to Yoritomo.
MISSIONS:
=========
Attacking Yashima and the arrival of reinforcements (屋島攻略と援軍の到着)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the main mission of the stage, and to complete it, you have to take
over the island of Yashima. There are two ways to do this. First, you can kill
off all the enemy generals in the stage. Second, if you wait a few minutes
after Taira Tokitada arrives, Minamoto reinforcements will come, and the Heike
will abandon the island, regardless of how many Taira generals are still alive.
Taira Noritsune, fierce general of the Heike army (平軍一の猛将・平教経)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Taira Noritsune is guarding the coast of the mainland with a large contingent
of enemy soldiers. To complete this mission, you have to defeat him.
Don't let Sakuraba Yoshito escape (桜庭良遠を逃すな)
----------------------------------------------------
Sakuraba Yoshito is hanging out at the extreme northeast area of the stage,
right where you start. As soon as the stage begins he will flee toward Yashima.
You have to kill him before he arrives at Yashima to complete this mission.
Burn down the enemy ships (敵船を炎上させよ)
--------------------------------------------
To complete this mission, you have to burn down at least three enemy ships.
This doesn't mean killing all the soldiers on the ships; you have to actually
burn them down with a Strategem like Fire Arrow.
Defeat the enemy soldiers (敵兵を倒せ)
--------------------------------------
Kill over 100 enemy soldiers before the stage ends to complete this mission.
ITEMS:
======
Kamakiri/Technique Certificate: Carried by Kikuo-Maru
Rally Tome/Health Certificate: At a dead-end in the center of Yashima
Taunt Tome/Technique Certificate: In a crate at the north shore of Yashima
Daikoku Scroll: In a crate on the beach west of where you start
Reimyogan: 1) In a box on the long eastern "side loop" path (Normal/Hard only)
2) In a crate in the first "tented" area (Easy only)
3) Carried by Taira Kagekiyo
4) In a box on the west coast of Yashima, between Kagekiyo and Tadamitsu
5) On the southwest area of Yashima (Hard only)
Reimyo-Senzu: 1) In place of Reimyogan 1 on Easy
2) In a crate near Noritsune (Hard only)
3) Carried by Fujiwara Tadamitsu
4) In place of Reimyogan 5 on Easy and Normal
Reimyo-Shinsui: In place of Reimyo-Senzu 2 on Hard
Rank Rewards: Assault Tome/Firetrap Tome/Mogura Tome
UNITS:
======
Allied Generals: Kamata Mitsumasa, Kondo Chikaie
Enemies: 2 Taira Archers, 3 Taira Naginata Troops, 2 Taira Shieldsfighters,
2 Taira Cavalry
Enemy Generals: Sakuraba Yoshito, Taira Noritsune, Kikuo-Maru,
Taira Kagekiyo*, Fujiwara Tadamitsu*
Reinforcements: 6 Taira Archers, 9 Taira Naginata troops (2 respawners)
1 Taira Shieldsfighter
STRATEGY:
=========
One thing that should be immediately of note is that you'll need an archer for
this stage. Kichiji is sufficient, but Yoichi is a lot better. (and more
historically appropriate) Make sure they have Fire Arrow, as it's a necessity
to complete the "Burn down the Enemy ships" mission.
The first thing you should concentrate on when starting this stage is defeating
Sakuraba Yoshito. As soon as he sees you, he'll run for the Yashima, and if he
reaches it, you'll fail the "Don't let Sakuraba Yoshito escape" mission. You've
got a horse so it's not terribly hard to catch up with him if he gets away from
you, but the sooner you kill him the better. Your allies in this stage, Kamata
Mitsumasa and Kondo Chikaie may get in the way, however, letting him slip by.
(On the other hand, they may also wall him off, which is a good thing)
Once Yoshito is pushing up daisies, some of the Taira soldiers will retreat the
way you came. Don't let them escape; kill them! You need your kill count as
high as possible for this stage, and every enemy counts. Once that's done with,
turn your attention to the two ships that are off the coast of where you start.
Have your archer burn both of them down with Fire Arrow. Note that because of
the high health of the archers on these ships, it may take more than one use of
Fire Arrow to burn it down. This way, you only have to burn one more ship.
Proceed further south, killing all the soldiers you can as you go, and you'll
find yourself in a very pitched battle with Taira Noritsune and Kikuo-maru.
It's very easy to get swarmed, so try and stay at the outskirts of the battle
and/or use "area affect" attacks to clean up large bands of enemies at once. If
your generals are Tsugunobu and Yoichi, you'll see a special cutscene;
Tsugunobu will get killed by Kikuo, and Yoichi will turn around and kill Kikuo.
You won't have to fight Kikuo-maru, but Tsugunobu will be removed from your
troop. (And you won't be able to use him in any more Story Mode missions, but
even if you don't bring him in, that'll still be the case)
Once Kikuo-maru is dead and Noritsune has run, you may find yourself a little
bit beaten up, so before you proceed to Yashima proper, it might be a good idea
to partake of the healing items scattered about on the coast. When you're
ready,
head to Yashima, and enemy reinforcements arrive.
There will be a long movie at this point illustrating one of the most famous
scenes of the _Heike Monogatari_; Taira Tokitada challenges Yoshitsune's army
to hit a fan mounted on his ship. Yoshitsune orders Yoichi to do it, and while
Yoichi doesn't want to, Yoshitsune insists. After a short prayer to the
Bodhisattva Hachiman, Yoichi looses his arrow and hits the fan.
After the movie, you'll note that Yashima is now teeming with enemies. There
are two generals there, Taira Kagekiyo and Fujiwara Tadamitsu. If you kill them
both, the stage ends. Since one of the goals is to kill over 100 enemy
soldiers,
you don't want to do this, so make sure you leave one alive. Proceed through
the island, killing as many soldiers as possible; new reinforcements will
always spawn. Make sure to burn down at least one Heike ship as well. Kill the
enemy as fast as you can, as you're on a time limit; a few minutes after the
Heike reinforcements arive, Kajiwara Kagetoki's reinforcements will come as
well, and the stage will end. The few minutes you get is usually just barely
enough.
If Kamata Mitsumasa and Kondo Chikaie are alive when the stage ends, they'll
join you as subordinates. However, it's important to note that it's pretty much
impossible to both score Gunjin AND keep them alive. Protecting them is a full-
time job, especially Kondo Chikaie, who dies pretty quickly. Once the enemy
reinforcements arrive, Mitsumasa and Chikaie will charge Kagekiyo and
Tadamitsu.
As you have to leave at least one enemy general alive whil you try and get 100
kills, that means you have to leave your allies to their fate at the hands of
the Kagekiyo and Tadamitsu--and neither of them can survive without your help
until the Minamoto reinforcements arrive. Bottom line--if you want Mitsumasa
and Chikaie, you'll have to play this stage through twice, once with the goal
of getting Gunjin, and once with the goal of keeping them alive.
===============================================================================
YOSHITSUNE SCENARIO, STAGE 15:
THE BATTLE OF DAN-NO-URA (壇ノ浦の合戦)
===============================================================================
This is how Yoshitsune took Yashima. However, the price of victory was high,
and he lost one of his best generals, Sato Tsugunobu. What grief he must have
felt at the loss! Many paintings of the tragic event from various sources
remain, and his sorrow is communicated even to those alive today. Meanwhile,
Yoshitsune's elder brother Noriyori continued to fight back the Taira along the
Chugokudo road to the west, driving them back to their final base at Hikojima.
Taira Tomomori led the forces at Hikojima, and held back Noriyori with his
powerful navy. Here Yoshitsune joined forces with his brother after conquering
Yashima, to defeat the Heishi once and for all.
In response to the Minamoto army's attack, Tomomori launched his fleet and soon
had Yoshitsune's ship surrounded. Perhaps Tomomori's only wish was to defeat
Yoshitsune. However, Tomomori's plan did not work, as Yoshitsune's boat was
just a decoy; he was really aboard another ship. With the flags of the Taira
and Minamoto mixed together on the waves, Yoshitsune advances to Tomomori's
ship. The largest naval battle in Japanese history, the battle of Dan-no-Ura
was beginning...
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
The battle of Dan-no-Ura was the battle that the Taira were finally defeated
in.
Both Noritsune and Tomomori were killed here, and Munemori (the head Taira) and
Tokitada were captured. This should have been a Taira win--the Heishi were much
more experienced sailors and had better boats, but a few things conspired
against them. At the beginning of the battle, the flow of the tide was in the
favor of the Heike, and Tomomori tried to use this to surround the Genji, but
it took longer than expected to do this, and the tide changed, thus putting the
advantage squarely in the hands of the Minamoto. More importantly, however,
this battle was won by the deciding factor of nearly every major samurai battle
in history--a general changing sides mid-battle. (Contrary to popular belief
and mythology, the samurai were NOT honorable; they were about as conniving,
backstabbing, and duplicitous as you could possibly imagine) Awa Shigeyoshi
(whose son had earlier been captured by the Genji) turned on his Taira masters
in the middle of the battle and all of a sudden the Heishi found themselves
fighting enemies on two fronts--again. They couldn't hold them both back and so
lost. Not only were the Taira eliminated, but Emperor Antoku, who was on board
their ships, drowned. Plus, one of the Three Sacred Treasures, the Ama-no-
Murakumo sword, also sank to the bottom of the ocean.
MISSIONS:
=========
Advancing enemy fleet (迫り来る敵船)
------------------------------------
The main mission of this stage is to stop the advancing enemy fleet by killing
their head honcho, Taira Tomomori. Once you do so, the stage ends.
Turncoat (寝返り)
-----------------
It wouldn't be a true samurai battle without someone turning traitor and
switching sides mid-battle; your mission here is to prove your strength to Awa
Shigeyoshi and do just that. To get Shigeyoshi to backstab his boss, kill off
the archer teams on the easternmost ship.
Shield Units (盾隊)
-------------------
Your secondary captain will be facing a large contingent of shieldsfighters
when s/he starts the stage. Kill them all to complete this mission.
Don't give any frivolous orders (無用な指示を出すな)
----------------------------------------------------
"Don't give any frivolous orders" means "Don't enact any Strategems that don't
succeed." To finish this mission, you need your Stratagem success rate at the
end of the stage to be 100%.
Valuable Items, Sacred Treasures (貴重な道具・神器)
---------------------------------------------------
Two of the Three Sacred Treasures, the Mirror (Yata-no-Kagami) and the Jewel,
(Yasakani-no-Magatama) can be found on this stage. (However, you can't get both
in a single playthrough) To complete this mission, you need to find the Sacred
Treasure on the stage. If you've already gotten both the Sacred Treasures in
previous playthroughs, you need to get BOTH of Valuable Scrolls that appear in
their places.
ITEMS:
======
Kobizen-Tomonari/Attack Certificate: Carried by Taira Noritsune
Yasakani-no-Magatama/Valuable Scroll: On the ship to the east of Commander #2
Yata-no-Kagami/Valuable Scroll: On the ship north of Kajiwara Kagetoki
Benzai Scroll: On the ship to the northeast of Commander #1's starting position
Daikoku Scroll: On the ship to the east of Commander #2
Bishamon Scroll: On the ship west of the one with the Hasshikyo.
Fukurokuju Scroll: On the ship west of Taira Tomomori
Reimyogan: 1) On Commander #1's starting ship
2) On the ship to the northeast of Commander #1's starting position
3) On Taira Noritsune's ship
4) On the ship Commander #2 starts on (Hard only)
5) On the ship to the east of Commander #2
6) Carried by Taira Tokitada (Hard only)
7) On Taira Tomomori's ship
Reimyo-Senzu: 1) In place of Reimyogan #4 on Easy and Normal
2) In place of Reimyogan #6 on Easy and Normal
Reimyo-Shinsui: On the ship west of the one with the Hasshikyo.
Rank Rewards: Fukurokuju Scroll/Gekkosai/Shuso Greatbow
UNITS:
======
Allied: 1 Kamakura Archer
Allied Generals: Asari Yoshinari, Kajiwara Kagetoki
Enemies: 1 Taira Naginata Troop, 9 Taira Archers, 2 Taira Swordsmen,
3 Taira Shieldsfighters
Enemy Generals: Taira Noritsune, Awa Shigeyoshi, Taira Tokitada*,
Taira Tomomori*
Reinforcements: 9 Taira Swordsmen, 5 Taira Naginata Troops,
2 Taira Shieldsfighters, 4 Taira Archers
STRATEGY:
=========
This is a very unusual (and fun) stage. The stage is divided into two parts, an
east and a west side, and instead of controlling one commander, you get two.
Yoshitsune will be your first commander, and gets two generals like normal. The
second commander you get to pick yourself, but doesn't get any generals. For
your second general, pick someone you're good with. You can switch commanders
whenever you want; your commander gets a new Strategem assigned to the O
button,
"Switch Generals" that will swap control from one commander to the other. One
thing that should be noted is that the commander you're not controlling will
stay put doing nothing. For this reason, you shouldn't swap commanders in the
middle of a pitched battle or you could be in real trouble.
To start with, use Yoshitsune and kill off all the archers on the boat to the
east. Your allied archers led by Asari Yoshinari will kill off the archers in
small boats if necessary, but it's faster to use your own archers. Of course,
make sure you use Strategems you're guaranteed to succeed if you go this route.
Once you kill all the archers, Awa Shigeyoshi will turn coat, and all the units
he was in charge of will become allied units. At this point, you should proceed
west and kill Taira Noritsune. Noritsune is very tough, so you'll want well-
developed characters to face him.
Once Noritsune is dead, a new boat will arrive and connect with a boat on the
west side of the stage. You should switch characters, who will be able to get
access to this new boat. Odds are they're OK, though they may have taken some
damage from the archers before they switched sides. Proceed forward and attack
the shield team that's in front of you. There are a lot of shieldsmen--3 units
in total--so you've got to be careful not to get swamped, especially since you
have no generals to back you up. However, so long as you don't get killed, you
should be OK; you can double back to the boat you started on and get the
healing item there. (While you're at it, you should go to the boat to the east
and get the Jewel)
After you've dealt with the shieldsmen, head to the north boat, where Taira
Tokitada is waiting for you. Tokitada isn't nearly as tough as Noritsune, but
has a tight guard so can give you trouble if your character isn't well-
developed enough. When Tokitada dies, another boat will arrive and connect with
the boats on the east half of the stage.
Now that the new boat has arrived, you're clear to finish the stage with
Yoshitsune's team. Kajiwara Kagetoki will scold you for being a frontline
soldier when you should be a general, but ignore him and continue. You've got a
fair number of enemies to deal with before you reach Taira Tomomori, but
nothing that's too terribly tough. If this is your second (or later) time
through this stage, don't forget to break open the crate that has the Mirror in
it.
At the northernmost part of the stage is the boat with Taira Tomomori on it.
After a brief cutscene where Tomomori and Yoshitsune challenge each other, the
fight begins. Tomomori is very tough, and has a great range with his naginata,
so should not be underestimated. However, you're pretty much guaranteed of
entering this fight with full life if you take the Reimyo-Shinsui on this stage
first. If you're worried about taking losses, you might want to have one or
both of your generals stay behind (though having more people to distract
Tomomori will help)
Once Tomomori is dead, the stage is over. If he survives, Asari Yoshinari will
join you as a subordinate. Also, if he turned coat, Awa Shigeyoshi will also
join you. Finally, for beating the Heike, you'll get a present of a whole slew
of allied subordinates in addition: Awa, Ogata Koreyoshi, Kakunichi Risshi,
Kawazura Hogen, Tokobo Rennin, Kesa Taro, and Nakai.
===============================================================================
YOSHITSUNE SCENARIO, STAGE 16:
ASSASSINS (刺客)
===============================================================================
After destroying the Heishi at Dan-no-Ura, Yoshitsune and his men returned to
the capital. It was a glorious return for the heroes who had defeated the
Heishi entirely in only one year. The people were beyond excited, and many
started suggesting that Yoshitsune would be the most appropriate to lead the
Genji. Around this time, a letter to Yoritomo was delivered to Kamakura. It was
a battle report from the overseer of the Genji army, Kajiwara Kagetoki. It is
not hard to imagine how Kagetoki must have hated Yoshitsune, and the report was
filled with lies and defamations about him. It said that Yoshitsune took the
major generals of Kamakura lightly, preferring to perform raids with a private
select group of generals, that the people in the capital wanted him to be the
new leader of the Genji, and that he had enough power to be a threat to
Yoritomo. Yoshitsune headed to Kamakura to make a war report himself, after
this letter was delivered. He had brought with him a letter he had written
expressing his concerns over the wishes of some of those in the capital and
that he had no intention of undermining his brother's authority, but he was
denied entry to the city and returned dejected to Kyoto. There are many records
of Yoritomo's jealousy toward his younger brother at this time. However, even
if there had been no jealousy, the result probably would have been the same.
Yoshitsune had become too famous. There could only be one head of the Genji.
Yoshitsune and his men returned to the capital after being denied entry to
Kamakura. And thereafter, assassins were sent from Kamakura after him. After
having his home attacked, Yoshitsune regrouped with his men scattered
throughout Kyoto and fled the city...
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
The account of Tosabo Shoshun going after Yoshitsune figures in both the _Heike
Monogatari_ and the _Gikeiki,_ though much more prominently in the latter.
According to both, Tosabo Shoshun was ostensibly going on a pilgrimage to
Kumano shrine, but Yoshitsune correctly suspected him of being an assassin. (In
the _Gikeiki,_ he gets advance warning of his intentions) To prove that he was
not out to kill Yoshitsune, Tosabo made several oaths on Kumano talismans.
However, Shizuka got word of the large military force that Tosabo had with him
and sent out someone to check it out. (A servant girl in the _Gikeiki_ and two
boys in the _Monogatari_) Her scout(s) got their heads cut off by Tosabo's men.
In the _Monogatari,_ realizing the jig is up, Tosabo high-tailed it to the
Kurama Temple to hide, which as you can imagine was the World's Worst Hiding
Place; being where Yoshitsune grew up, all the monks there promptly captured
him and handed him over. In the _Gikeiki,_ Tosabo actually launches a nighttime
attack on Yoshitsune's Horikawa manor and is beaten back with the help of
Benkei. (There's even a version of this story where Shizuka comes out with a
naginata and starts cutting down the enemy) However, all of this took place
before, not during, Yoshitsune's flight from Kyoto.
MISSIONS:
=========
Protect Shizuka (静を守れ)
--------------------------
This is the main mission of the stage. You have to bring Shizuka safely to the
exit point without being killed; if she dies, you fail the mission and the
stage. You get more credit for bringing her unharmed to the exit than heavily
wounded.
Assassin leader (刺客の長)
--------------------------
Tosabo Shoshun is leading the assassin troop out to get you. Kill him to
complete this mission.
Make use of instant kills (瞬殺を使いこなせ)
--------------------------------------------
To complete this mission, you need to instant-kill at least 5 enemies.
Break through the middle (中央突破)
-----------------------------------
Rather than avoid the enemy assassins, teach them a lesson and take them head-
on, killing them all. To complete this mission, you have to kill at least 100
enemies.
Useful item (役立つ道具)
------------------------
There's a useful item, an Execution Mask, in this stage. Get it (or the
Valuable Scroll that replaces it after the first time) to complete this
mission.
ITEMS:
======
Execution Mask/Valuable Scroll: By the market on the east bank of the river,
on the far east side of the buildings.
Mikazuki-Munechika/Attack Certificate: Behind the fence to the west of Tosabo
(see below)
Nio Tome/Defense Certificate: Carried by Tosabo Shoshun
Daikoku Scroll: In the alleyway to the south and east of your start point
Reimyogan: 1) In the dead-end to the east and south of your start point
2) Along the west bank of the river, near the bridge
3) On the east bank of the river, a little south from Reimyogan #2
4) At the dead-end at the extreme southeast corner of the stage
5) In the market on the east bank of the river (Hard only)
Reimyo-Senzu: In place of Reimyogan #5 on Easy and Normal
Reimyo-Shinsui: Behind the fence to the west of Tosabo (see below)
Rank Rewards: Benzai Scroll/Tengen Gauntlet/Iwatoshi-Semimaru
UNITS:
======
Allied Generals: Shizuka
Enemies: 2 Kamakura Swordsmen, 22 Kamakura Naginata Troops, 3 Kamakura Archers,
1 Kamakura Shieldsfighter
Enemy Generals: Tosabo Shoshun
Reinforcements: 3 Kamakura Naginata Troops, 2 Naginata Archers,
1 Kamakura Shieldsfighter
STRATEGY:
=========
Scoring Gunjin in this stage isn't hard; surviving, on the other hand, is.
You're by yourself in this stage, up against a huge enemy force, many of whom
are closely grouped together. It's very difficult to avoid pitched battles, and
even a well-developed Yoshitsune can get cut to ribbons when surrounded by
enough enemies.
Your main mission in this stage is to escort Shizuka to the exit. You get a new
Strategem mapped to the O button, "Call Shizuka." When you select this
Strategem, Shizuka will be in "Follow" mode and will stick close to you. While
Shizuka is in Follow mode, "Call Shizuka" switches to "Shizuka Standby." When
you use "Shizuka Standby," Shizuka will come close to where you are standing
and switch to "Standby Mode" whereby she will sit and wait until you call her
again. If Shizuka dies, you lose the stage, but this should not happen unless
you do something very stupid. Unless you immediately abandon her at the start
of the stage, no enemy will attack Shizuka at her starting position at all.
Therefore, the flow of this stage is simple: Kill all the enemies, then go to
the exit and call Shizuka.
Of course, killing all the enemies isn't easy. There are a whole lot. By going
through the back streets with Shizuka close on your heels, you can avoid
fighting them, but you'll never score Gunjin, as to make your quota of 100
enemies necessary for the "Break through the middle" mission, you really have
to kill them all. (There are only like 110 enemies on the entire stage) A side
note: don't worry about dodging enemies' blows so that you can make the 5
instant-kill quota in this stage. Just through normal play, you'll probably
make double that quota without even trying to, and even higher if you've got a
high Technique.
So, the simplest strategy on this stage if you find yourself getting killed too
often is to just build Yoshitsune up a little more, give him a better weapon,
etc, before trying. Even a moderately-developed Yoshitsune can still do well
with good tactics; try luring enemies toward you one unit at a time rather than
wading into a mass of enemies at once. Try and use Yoshitsune's Setsuna-no-Saku
to score Surprise Attacks and kill the confused enemies without getting
scratched. If you're careful, you can even surprise the "boss" of the stage,
Tosabo Shoshun. There's a good number of healing items on this stage, so you
can always run and pick them up if you're in trouble.
A final note is that when you're right at the exit, a bunch of enemy units
spawn. Make sure you've killed them all off before you call Shizuka, or you
could be in for a nasty surprise.
One thing to note here are the boxes on the other side of the fence to the
north and west of Tosabo Shoshun are inaccessible in Story Mode as Yoshitsune
lacks the ability to jump over the fence; only Elite soldiers in Free Mode can
clear the fence to get them. However, I've played the stage through several
times in Free Mode (and resetting afterwards) and always came up with a
Mikazuchi-Munechika so that may not be completely random. Also in second-time
through games I've seen Attack Certificates here. Certificates NEVER come up in
Free Mode games normally so I'm guessing that's preset too.
===============================================================================
YOSHITSUNE SCENARIO, STAGE 17:
I LONG FOR HIM (あとぞ恋しき)
===============================================================================
The report on the actions of the assassins sparked rumors of a conflict between
the two brothers. Emperor Go-Shirakawa, angred by Yoritomo's conduct, issued an
edict to Yoshitsune to hunt him down. Yoshitsune's base in Kyoto was also
strong, and many citizens wanted him to kill his older brother as well.
However,
Yoshitsune himself wanted to avoid a conflict and so left the capital. No
coming to blows between the two ever happened, and the age of Yoritomo as
uncontested commander of the Genji had begun. Yoritomo continued to build his
base of operations in the east and build a foundation to expand the powers of
the warrior class. Of course, he did not forget to apply pressure to the
capital as well. Without Yoshitsune in the capital, there was nobody to resist
Yoritomo. Finaly the Emperor cracked under his pressure, retracted his edict to
hunt down Yoritomo, and issued an edict to hunt down Yoshitsune instead. Thus,
the hero Yoshitsune was labeled a rebel and became a wanted man. Yoshitsune and
his men headed toward Hiraizumi, but at no leisure, with pursuers after his
head attacking...
Yoshitsune and his men attempt to cross over the snowy mountain of Yoshino, but
are surrounded by men of the priest from the area after his head, Kakuhan.
Thinking that it would be difficult for her to continue along in continual
fear,
Yoshitsune decides to part with Shizuka. He attempts to break through Kakuhan's
ranks and escort her to a safe place.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
The departure of Shizuka is recorded in the _Azuma Kagami,_ so may have some
actual historicity to it. There, it is said that she was found alone in the
Yoshino mountains; Yoshitsune had left her behind with some guards to send her
back to the capital, but they had robbed her and then left. A more detailed
account is present in the _Gikeiki_ where Yoshitsune gives her a special mirror
and drum specifically, and Shizuka manages to find her way to a shrine where
she sings a song, is promptly recognized, and captured. As for Kakuhan,
Yoshitsune never fought him, though Tadanobu did. This particular story is from
the _Gikeiki._ While Yoshitsune was fleeing the Yoshino mountains, Tadanobu
stayed behind to delay his pursuers. Pretending to be Yoshitsune, Tadanobu
fought back a lot of them until one particularly strong one--Kakuhan--came out
and fought. Tadanobu and Kakuhan fought a long and drawn-out battle,
culminating with Tadanobu jumping off a cliff; Kakuhan jumped off the cliff as
well to go after him, but didn't land so nicely. He got caught on a branch on
the way down and took a spill right down to Tadanobu's feet, whereby Tadanobu
quickly dispatched him. (While he had intended to die fighting, Tadanobu
managed to survive, and made it back to Kyoto in one piece)
(Note: the title of this stage, "Ato Zo Koishiki," is the last line of the poem
that Shizuka says when asked to sing for Yoritomo during her captivity. It's
the same poem she says at the cutscene at the beginning of the game)
MISSIONS:
=========
Guarding Shizuka (静かの護衛)
-----------------------------
This is the main mission of the stage, and is pretty much exactly the same as
the previous stage. Escort Shizuka safely to the exit point without getting her
killed; if she dies, you fail the mission and the stage. Keep her relatively
unhurt for more credit.
Defeat Kakuhan (覚範を倒せ)
---------------------------
The "Boss" of this stage, Kakuhan, waits for you in front of the exit. To
finish this mission, you have to defeat him.
Defeat Myokakubo (妙覚坊を倒せ)
-------------------------------
Kakuhan's subordinate, Myokakubo is hanging out on a side-path of the level,
near a small shrine. Defeat him to complete this mission.
Cavalry (騎馬隊)
----------------
This Cavalry mission is much like other missions of the same sort; you have to
knock 15 riders off their horses. This is a very easy mission to accomplish,
unless you outright ignore all cavalry units.
Valuable Weapon (貴重な武具)
----------------------------
There's a "Valuable Weapon," an Iron-Studded Club, on this stage; get it to
complete this mission. (After you get it the first time, it will be replaced
with a Valuable Scroll, which will also count for completion)
ITEMS:
======
Yarigake Tome/Attack Certificate: By the shrine behind Myokakubo
Iron-Studded Club/Valuable Scroll: Behind the only closed gate on the stage,
on the east side of the stage about halfway through.
High Priest's Staff/Defense Certificate: Carried by Kakuhan
Reimyogan: 1) In the mini-peninsula southwest of the first clearing
2) By the second exit to the northeast (Easy only)
3) At the dead-end that's a side path off the area with the shrine (Hard only)
4) By the southwest exit to the level (Easy only)
5) By where you fight Kakuhan (Easy/Normal only)
Reimyo-Senzu: 1) Behind the small building in the southwest area of the stage
2) In place of Reimyogan 3 on Easy and Normal
Rank Rewards: Fukurokuju Scroll/Defense Gauntlet/Mitama
UNITS:
======
Allied Generals: Shizuka
Enemies: 9 Naginata Monks, 2 Archer Monks
Enemy Generals: Myokakubo, Kakuhan
Reinforcements: 1 Naginata Monk, 6 Cavalry
STRATEGY:
=========
This stage is very much like the previous one, "Assassins," in that you have to
safely guide Shizuka to the end without her getting hurt. However, you have it
slightly easier in this mission, as you're allowed to bring generals into the
battle, and opposition is much lighter. On the other hand, it's slightly harder
in that you can't leave Shizuka at the beginning of the stage, because later
enemy reinforcements will kill her if you do. You have to bring her with you,
and the best way to do this is a bit at a time; advance a bit, kill all the
enemies, call Shizuka to you, have her wait, advance, kill more enemies, call
her again, etc. There's one point in the early on in stage you can leave her
safely. I like to bring Ise Yoshimori into this stage and have him plant
Makibishi or Fire Traps near Shizuka, so if anyone tries to attack her they'll
be in for a nasty surprise.
Enemy opposition at the beginning of the stage is fairly light. After you've
cleared the first clearing with the two naginata monk units call Shizuka and
advance a little bit. Some enemy reinforcements will appear behind you, so
immediately turn around and kill them, as if they get close to Shizuka, they'll
hurt her. Advance into the second clearing in the middle of the stage with the
three naginata monk units, and kill them all. Call Shizuka and have her wait in
this large clearing for a while.
Myokakubo is waiting for you in front of a small shrine on a side path to the
northwest. Advance up this path and kill everyone that's there. Don't let a
single enemy soldier escape, or you'll fail the mission requiring you to kill
off all of Myokakubo's team. Once all the enemies are dead, walk directly into
the courtyard of the shrine and call Shizuka. When she arrives, have her wait
in this courtyard, as close to the shrine as possible. This is where you're
going to have her wait for the duration of the stage. The reason that you need
her close to the shrine is that later in the stage, some reinforcements will
spawn right outside the shrine courtyard, facing away from Shizuka. If they
don't see her, they'll ignore her, so she'll be safe.
Now that Shizuka is in a safe place, you can clean out the stage at your
leisure. Enemy reinforcements will appear behind you several more times during
the stage, but so long as you don't let them gang up on you, you should have no
trouble whatsoever.
At the end of the stage, the monk Kakuhan waits for you with a contingent of
archers and naginata monks. Kakuhan himself is pretty slow, so you shoudln't
have too much problem with him, especially since you can use your allies to
back you up.
Once all the enemies are dead, head to the exit and call Shizuka. When she
arrives, you finish the stage and will see a cutscene where Yoshitsune leaves
her behind for her own safety, giving her a mirror as a gift/memento.
===============================================================================
YOSHITSUNE SCENARIO, STAGE 18:
KOROMOGAWA (衣川)
===============================================================================
Yoshitsune and his men managed to elude their pursuers and finally arrived
safely in Hiraizumi. The hero of Oshu, Fujiwara Hidehira, welcomed them openly,
and they finally were at peace again. However, Hidehira's actions had damaged
his relations with Kamakura beyond repair. Oshu Hiraizumi's military power was
not to be underestimated, and with the addition of Yoshitsune, it would be very
possible for Hidehira to attack Kamakura. In October of 1187, Fujiwara Hidehira
died of illness. With the death of Hidehira, long a supporter of Yoshitsune,
Yoritomo decided to take this opportunity to plan an attack on Hiraizumi. He
demanded that Hidehira's heir, Yasuhira, hand over Yoshitsune; if he did not
comply then Yoritomo would attack Hiraizumi. In order to preserve his clan,
Yasuhira finally caved to the pressure. In April of 1189, the manor in
Koromogawa where Yoshitsune and his men were living was surrounded by Fujiwara
soldiers...
Bending to Yoritomo's pressure, Fujiwara Hidehira's heir Yasuhira, betrays
Yoshitsune. In addition, reinforcements from Kamakura, led by Kajiwara
Kagetoki,
are on their way to Hiraizumi. Despite their string of great victories, when
faced with a such a nonstop onslaught of enemy soldiers, the end of Yoshitsune
and his men was fast approaching...
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
There's nothing in the _Heike Monogatari_ about this, nor the _Azuma Kagami_
(well, at least the translated parts of the Azuma Kagami I have access to; I
can't read the "pidgin Kanbun" it was originally written in) but there's a
great deal of detail about it in the _Gikeiki._ More or less, according to the
_Gikeiki_ the battle at Koromogawa was a massacre, with only 10 soldiers
against 30,000. Ise Yoshimori, Benkei, and the Suzuki brothers (the two
friendly units you get in this stage) all participated, and all of them except
Benkei killed themselves after claiming their share of trophies. Benkei
particularly held the fort for Yoshitsune while he went to go kill himself.
While Yoshitsune was inside the Koromogawa manor disemboweling himself, Benkei
fought back the hordes of Yasuhira's men, scaring the crap out of them, then
standing still and laughing at them. Yasuhira's men were afraid to go near him,
thinking he was ready to lunge at them with some incredible attack, but in
reality Benkei was already dead; he had died standing to scare them off. By the
time that Yasuhira's men made it to the manor, Yoshitsune, his wife, and his
daughter were already dead, and the the house was ablaze. Note that in this
account, neither Yasuhira himself or Kagetoki actually came to the battle. And,
shortly after Yoshitsune's death, Yoritomo had Oshu invaded--Yasuhira's folding
under Yoritomo's pressure was for nothing, and he wasn't even able to preserve
his clan.
MISSIONS:
=========
Hold out and defend the manor (館を守り、戦い抜け)
--------------------------------------------------
This the main mission of the stage. You start out in front of a small manor
where Yoshitsune's family is hiding out. A horde of enemies after your blood
will come at you in waves, and some will attempt to break down the manor's
door.
It's relatively sturdy, but if they manage to break it down, you lose this
mission and the stage. To complete this mission, you must survive the enemy
onslaught without letting the manor get broken into.
Reinforcement: Fujiwara Yasuhira (援軍・藤原泰衡)
-------------------------------------------------
Fujiwara Yasuhira is the guy who sold out Yoshitsune to Yoritomo. He'll appear
near the manor, leading the second wave of enemy reinforcements. Kill him to
complete this mission.
Reinforcement: Kajiwara Kagetoki (援軍・梶原景時)
-------------------------------------------------
Kajiwara Kagetoki oversees the third wave of reinforcements, but doesn't
actively approach the manor. To complete this mission, you have to go out to
where he's waiting and kill him, leaving the manor undefended in the meantime.
Defeat the enemy soldiers (敵兵を倒せ)
--------------------------------------
To complete this mission, you need to kill at least 100 enemy soldiers. Given
the size of the opposition you're facing in this stage, that's not particularly
difficult.
Valuable Book (貴重な書物)
--------------------------
There is a valuable book, a Hi-no-Mai Tome, located in a crate at the point on
the map furthest away from the manor. To complete this mission, you have to go
get it, leaving the manor in the meantime.
ITEMS:
======
Hi-no-Mai Tome/Valuable Scroll: At the extreme northernmost point of the stage,
on the north side of the broken-down bridge
Hakuho Greatbow/Technique Certificate: Near where Kajiwara Kagetoki appears,
somewhat to the northwest
Stone-Throw Tome/Technique Certificate: On the path to the broken-down bridge,
about halfway between the bridge and the stage "hub"
Fukurokuju Scroll: Carried by Fujiwara Yasuhira
Reimyogan: 1) At the west side of the clearing in front of the manor
2) At the east side of the clearing in front of the manor
3) In a box right south of Reimyogan 2 (Hard only)
4) By the northeast exit to the level
5) By the southern rock-pile
6) Right on the bank of the southwestern mud-slog
Reimyo-Senzu: In place of Reimyogan 3 (Easy/Normal only)
Reimyo-Shinsui: At the northeast side of the clearing in front of the manor
Rank Rewards: Daikoku Scroll/Sword Knowlege/Gekirin
UNITS:
======
Allied Generals: Kamei Shigekiyo, Suzuki Shigeie
Enemies: 4 Kamakura Swordsmen, 4 Kamakura Archers, 3 Kamakura Naginata Troops,
1 Kamakura Shieldsfighter
Enemy Generals: Fujiwara Yasuhira*, Kajiwara Kagetoki*
Reinforcements: A ton of them--Impossible to count
STRATEGY:
=========
This is the final stage of the "historical" Yoshitsune scenario, though if you
play this stage well enough, you can unlock the secret Yoshitsune stage.
This stage is just plain evil. In my opinion it's the hardest in the game to
score Gunjin on, even if Yoshitsune and his generals are all at level 100. Even
meeting the conditions to unlock the secret Yoshitsune stage is a real
challenge. The main problem is that you have to be in two places at the same
time. Your first priority in this stage is to protect the Koromogawa manor. If
the enemies break down the door, you lose the stage. For this reason, it's
pretty easy to complete the stage just by sitting in front of the manor and
beating back anyone that gets near, but to complete some of the missions, you
have to leave the vicinity of the manor--quite a distance from it actually,
during which time it will be completely unguarded. You'll want the characters
you bring into this stage to be as powerful as possible, with strong weapons
and high levels.
Another thing that will help in this level are the two rock piles. These rock
piles are held up by rickety old boards, which will collapse with a single
attack, dumping the rocks over the pathways and blocking them. Blocking these
pathways will make enemies have to take a significant detour through shallows,
which slows them considerably. Making use of these rock piles will make your
job much easier. However, there's a downside; the paths that the boulders block
are the fastest route to the Hi-no-Mai tome and Kajiwara Kagetoki respectively.
For this reason, you probably won't want to make use of them until after you've
dealt with each corresponding mission. Whatever you do, don't attack the rocks
from the east side (for the northern rock pile) or the south side. (for the
southern rock pile) Doing so will force YOU to take a long slog through the
shallows to get back to the manor--a death sentence on this stage.
At the start of this stage, stay close to the Koromogawa manor and fend off the
first wave of enemies, until you hear Yoshitsune comment that he shouldn't
leave the grounds. At this point, enemy resistance will die down a little, and
this is your chance to get the Valuable Item. The Valuable item is located by
the northwest exit to the stage, and the only way to get there is to circle all
the way around the east edge of the stage, as the bridge over the river is out.
Have both of your generals Assault two different enemy teams near the central
"hub" that all the paths converge to, and run like mad to the box with the
Valuable Item. If you run into any non-archers on the way, (archers don't try
to bash down the manor doors, or at least do very little damage to them) kill
their captains; if you're lucky they may make a run for it--you don't want to
let them get all the way to the manor. When you get to the crate with the
Valuable Item, break it and take the item, and run like hell back to the manor.
As soon as you get to the west side of the rock-trap, slash it to dump the
boulders over the path; you now no longer need to get to the east side of the
stage, and this will force the enemies to make a long and muddy detour.
A lot of this depends on luck; if you're really really lucky, your generals
will have been able to fend off the enemies and keep them from making it to the
manor. More likely, an enemy unit or two from the first wave of reinforcements
will have made it to the manor and will be hammering away at the door. Kill
them all as fast as possible, and hope the door didn't take too much damage, as
you'll have to make another foray away from it later.
Around this time, the second wave of reinforcements will arrive, led by
Fujiwara Yasuhira. Kill him and all the enemies that he brings with him, and
start moving toward the central "hub." Soon, the third wave of enemy
reinforcements will arrive, led by Kajiwara Kagetoki.
You need to kill Kajiwara Kagetoki to unlock the secret stage, but he won't
move from his starting position at the south end of the stage. You have to make
a direct foray out and kill him. Have your Generals Assault any enemies
approaching from the west or east, while you approach Kagetoki. There will be a
cutscene where Kagetoki taunts Yoshitsune and tells him that Shizuka is being
held prisoner in Kamakura, before attacking. After the cutscene, kill Kagetoki
as fast as humanly possible (a large contingent of bodyguards will
spontaneously spawn as soon as you get near) and run as fast as you can back to
the manor. Slash the second rock-trap when you get past it, to force any more
soldiers coming from the south to take the long way through the mud.
If you make it back to the manor before the enemies manage to break the door
down, you're set. All you have to do now is stick close to the manor and kill
all the remaining enemies that get near. However, this is not an easy thing to
do, as almost always a few enemies make it to the manor during both forays you
make during the stage. If you're unlucky, they'll break down the door while
you're occupied elsewhere and you'll lose the stage; just chalk it up to bad
luck and try again.
After a while, (like after the 4th or 5th wave of reinforcements arrive) the
stage will spontaneously end. What will happen depends on whether or not you
killed Kajiwara Kagetoki. If you didn't, you'll get the "historically accurate"
ending where you see a rather graphic movie of Benkei's death, as he fends off
the enemies while Yoshitsune commits suicide in the manor. If you did kill
Kagetoki, you unlock the secret Yoshitsune stage, and see a movie of
Yoshitsune,
Benkei and Rin breaking through the enemy lines.
If they survived, Suzuki Shigeie and Kamei Shigekiyo will join you as
subordinates.
If no matter how hard you try, you can't score Gunjin on this stage, you can
try to do so in Free Mode, with Rin or Ise Yoshimori as your commander. They
both run very fast, and can use "Force Formation" should you need to go through
the shallows in this stage. Note, however, that if you want to unlock the
secret stage, you have to do it in Story Mode.
===============================================================================
YOSHITSUNE SCENARIO, SECRET STAGE:
ABOVE THE PURPLE CLOUDS (紫雲の上)
===============================================================================
After defeating the Kamakura general Kajiwara Kagetoki, Yoshitsune and his men
managed to escape the trap laid for them. They had lived in peace in Hiraizumi
for a long time, but now left it behind them. As long as Yoritomo still lived,
there would be no place that Yoshitsune could hide. To fulfill his retainers'
wishes, to keep his subordinates alive, and to see Shizuka once more,
Yoshitsune took up his sword once again. The master strategist who had
conquered at Ichi-no-tani, at Yashima, striking cold fear into the hearts of
his enemies, returned at the main base of the Genji!
Worried about Shizuka's safety, Yoshitsune finally arrives at the main base of
the Genji. Kamakura is well-defended and Yoritomo's closest generals never
falter for a moment. Cutting his way through a virtual wall of enemies,
Yoshitsune makes his way to the Tsurugaoka-Hachiman Palace...
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
Seeing as how Yoshitsune never made it out of Koromogawa alive, this mission
decidedly has no historical background to it. Nothing like it ever happened.
About the closest thing you can say is that there is a record in the _Gikeiki_
of Shizuka being held in Kamakura. (That's when she said her seditious poem in
front of Yoritomo)
MISSIONS:
=========
Defeat Minamoto Yoritomo (源頼朝を倒せ)
--------------------------------------
This is the main mission of the stage. Minamoto Yoritomo awaits you in the
middle of the Tsurugaoka-Hachiman palace plaza. To complete this mission, the
stage, and the Yoshitsune scenario, you must defeat him.
Attack the fortresses (砦を攻略せよ)
------------------------------------
There are only two ways to get to the road the Hachiman Palace lies on, and
both are guarded by fortresses with archer platforms. To complete this mission,
you have to kill all the archers at either of these fortresses. (Of course you
can kill all the archers on both, too--that's up to you)
Yoritomo's inner circle of generals (頼朝直属の大将)
----------------------------------------------------
Five generals make up Yoritomo's inner circle: Hatakeyama Shigetada, Wada
Yoshimori, Chiba Tsunetane, Oyama Tomomasa, and Doi Sanehira. Kill them all to
complete this mission.
Hojo Yoshitoki (北条義時)
-------------------------
Hojo Yoshitoki is the last line of defense before you reach Yoritomo himself;
he is stationed in the gardens of the Tsurugaoka-Hachiman palace. To complete
this mission, you must defeat him.
Cavalry (騎馬隊)
----------------
This cavalry mission is no different from all the other "Cavalry" missions in
the game; you must knock a lot of riders off their horses to complete it. 20
riders, to be exact. As with all the other Cavalry missions, this one is so
easy you won't need to think twice about it.
ITEMS:
======
Koryo Ginseng/Health Certificate: In the dead-end about halfway down the east
end of town, right by the wall to the Hachiman palace
Reppa Tome/Attack Certificate: At the south end of the north-south road all
the way on the west side of the stage
Daikoku Scroll: Hidden in the bushes on the west side of the Hachiman Palace
gardens
Fukurokuju Scroll: Carried by Oyama Tomomasa
Benzai Scroll: Carried by Doi Sanehira
Reimyogan: 1) In the middle of the street to the north of Kamakura
2) At the end of the north-south road on east side of the stage (Hard only)
3) In the southwest corner of the Hachiman Palace (Hard only)
4) On the island in the lake in the Hachiman Palace (Hard only)
Reimyo-Senzu: 1) In the northwest corner of Kamakura
2) In place of Reimyogan 2 on Easy and Normal
3) In place of Reimyogan 3 on Easy and Normal
4) In place of Reimyogan 4 on Easy and Normal
5) In the southwest corner of the Hachiman Palace plaza
Reimyo-Shinsui: At the northwest exit to the level
Rank Rewards: Drum of Fervor/Strongly-Fragrant Branch/Higekiri
UNITS:
======
Enemies: 4 Kamakura Archers, 2 Kamakura Naginata Troops, 8 Kamakura Cavalry
Enemy Generals: Hatakeyama Shigetada, Wada Yoshimori, Chiba Tsunetane,
Oyama Tomomasa, Doi Sanehira, Hojo Yoshitoki, Minamoto Yoshitomo
Reinforcements: 2 Kamakura Archers, 13 Kamakura Naginata Troops,
3 Kamakura Cavalry, 1 Kamakura Shieldsfighter
STRATEGY:
=========
The final, secret stage of Yoshitsune's scenario is not nearly as hard as the
final stage of the his historical path. All three forces have a secret stage at
Kamakura, and Yoshitsune's is the easiest. This stage is basically one big,
long battle against scores of enemies, but after 16 previous stages that you
had to play as Yoshitsune, you'll probably be pretty well-developed by now.
Your job here is to enter Kamakura, fight your way to the center of the
Tsurugaoka-Hachiman palace, and face Yoritomo. There are a ton of enemies
waiting for you on the way, many of whom are pretty tough, but you should be
used to the game enough by now that they should be little problem. There are
plenty of healing items too, just in case.
You start on the north side of Kamakura. Hatakeyama Shigetada is near your
start position, waiting for you. There are some cavalry nearby, so be sure to
unseat them so they don't knock you around while you try to finish him off.
Once Shigetada is dead, Wada Yoshimori is next, also by the main entrance to
Kamakura.
When you get inside Kamakura proper, you need to get to the south side of the
stage to get inside the Tsurugaoka-Hachiman palace. You can do this by either
traversing the east or the west side of the city. If you're only going to take
on one side and not kill off everyone in the stage, you should do the east
side; there are more cavalry there to unseat. Also Chiba Tsunetane is there,
and you need to kill him off to complete one of the missions. (He's just got
archers so he's easy to defeat)
At the very south end of the east/west areas of the city, there are two gates,
each guarded by a general--Oyama Tomomasa on the east, and Doi Sanehira on the
west. The east side is guarded by two archer units and two cavalry; on the
west,
the cavalry are replaced by Naginata footsoldiers. Make sure to kill the
archers, as that's a prerequisite for one of the missions.
Once you've gotten your way to the main east-west road on the south side of the
stage, you can go straight into Tsurugaoka-Hachiman Palace and complete the
stage if you want, but if you want to score Gunjin, you should kill the general
guarding the gate you haven't been to yet. If you want to be thorough, you can
also clean up the grunt soldiers on the opposite side of town as well.
Inside the palace proper, Hojo Yoshitoki waits with a considerable force of
archers as backup, but he's a wimp and dies easily. However, the enemies with
him are pretty tough and numerous, and it's worth noting that the four Naginata
reinforcements outside the south gate of the palace will continually respawn if
you walk in the wrong spots of the palace courtyard. Don't waste too much time
taking them on over and over again.
Climb up the stairs and you'll face Minamoto Yoritomo. While Yoshitsune tries
to talk some sense into Yoritomo, his elder brother will have nothing of it and
attacks. In all three scenarioes, Yoritomo is the "hidden last boss" and while
he's very tough, he's easiest in the Yoshitsune scenario simply because the
odds are Yoshitsune will be very well-developed by the time you reach him. He
shouldn't be too much trouble, but if you find yourself having problems with
him, try running back down the steps and luring him out toward you so you can
face him on better terms.
Once you've defeated Yoritomo, he FINALLY realizes that Yoshitsune isn't really
trying to usurp him as the head of the Minamoto. He'll tell Yoshitsune where
he's got Shizuka and say he never wants to see him again. Yoshitsune proceeds
into the palace, where he is reunited with her...and you've finished the "good
ending" of the Yoshitsune scenario!
There's a "secret subordinate" on this stage--Minamoto Yoritomo's wife, Hojo
Masako. If you beat this stage with Shizuka as your commander, you'll unlock
her. She starts at level 40, which is nothing sneeze at.
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
|#############################################################################|
|#############################################################################|
|############### KISO NO YOSHINAKA ###############|
|#############################################################################|
|#############################################################################|
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
===============================================================================
YOSHINAKA SCENARIO, STAGE 1:
THE GENJI FROM KISO 木曽の源氏
===============================================================================
The Taira killed Prince Mochihito, but didn't realize how much opposition there
was to the Heike. Minamoto Yukiie escaped from the Taira and spread Mochihito's
order, even after his death. "To the Genji and other warriors of the country--
kill Taira Kiyomori and his retainers." Kiso Okaja no Yoshinaka was one of
these people who responded this order. A month after Yoritomo responded to
Mochihito's order in Kamakura, Yoshinaka decided to assemble an army in Kiso.
In an effort to suppress Yoshinaka the great Taira hero, Jo Nagamochi, advanced
into north Shinano and set up his army at Yokotawagara. It looked hopless for
Yoshinaka, with 3000 warriors against Nagamochi's 40,000. Nobody could have
imagined that this battle would be the beginning of the end for the Taira.
Jo Nagamochi set up a strong defense at Yokotagawara. Yoshinaka left the
flanking attack Higuchi Kanemitsu and Tate Chikatada while attacking from the
front himself. If the front gate fell, the attack from the side would destroy
the karamete Yoshinaka took Imai Kanehiro and Nenoi Yukichika with him and
advanced toward the Yokotagawa fortress.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
This battle was the first clash between the Heike and Yoshinaka's army. The
year after Kiyomori's death, Jo Nagamochi was appointed governor of Echigo, and
mustered soldiers from the area to march against Yoshinaka, setting up his main
formation in Yokotagawara. Yoshinaka was greatly outnumbered, but used a tricky
ploy and won the day. What he did was divide up his army outfit them with red
flags (Taira colors) and approach Yokotagawara, fooling them into thinking that
they were small bands of local Taira supporters. However, once they got close,
the divided army pooled itself together, discarded the red flags and raising
the white ones (Minamoto colors) they had in hiding, both pulling a surprise
attack on the Taira and making themselves look like much larger a force than
they really were at the same tim. Nagamochi ran, and most of his soldiers were
killed.
MISSIONS:
=========
Defeat Jo Nagamochi(城長茂を倒せ)
----------------------------------
This is the main mission of the stage, and if you complete it, you win. It's
pretty self-explanatory; defeat Jo Nagamochi.
The Gate Guards (門防衛隊)
--------------------------
This one mission is actually broken down into two separate missions in the
final score tally. The first mission is to defeat the gate guards, being
Kasahara Yoshinao and Tobe Ietoshi. The second mission is to defeat Kinebuchi
Shigemitsu, who isn't really a gate guard, but stands between the gate and
Nagamochi.
Allied Forces (別働隊)
----------------------
To complete this mission, you need to keep all allied soldiers alive; if a
single one dies, you fail the mission. This is the toughest of the missions to
successfully pull off, as your allies aren't particularly strong.
The Archers on the Towers (矢倉の弓隊)
--------------------------------------
There are two archer units on the lookout towers at the front gate to the
fortress. To complete this mission, you have climb the towers and to kill them
both.
ITEMS:
======
Ebisu Scroll: In a crate on the west end of the south bank of the river.
Sanryaku/Technique Certificate: In a crate behind the cart to the west of Jo
Nagamochi. To get it, you have to jump up on top of the flat part of the cart
and walk across it first.
Reimyogan: 1) On the far west end of the north bank of the river. (Easy/Normal)
2) On the far west end of the north bank of the river. (Easy/Normal only)
3) Carried by the Naginata Unit Captain right behind the fortress gate
4) Carried by the Archer Captain on the east lookout tower behind the
fortress gate
5) In a box at the far south end of the north/south path to the west of
the main enemy camp. (Normal Only)
Reimyo-Senzu: 1) In the place of Reimyogan 5 on Easy Difficulty
2) Carried by Kinebutchi Shigemitsu
Rank Rewards: Ebisu Scroll/False Alarm Tome/Volley Tome
UNITS:
======
Allied Generals: Sai Hirosuke, Higuchi Kanemitsu, Tate Chikatada,
Inoue Mitsumori
Enemies: 2 Taira Swordsmen, 3 Taira Shieldsmen, 2 Taira Archers
Enemy Generals:
Enemy Reinforcements: 3 Taira Shieldsmen, 1 Taira Sword Cavalry, 1 Taira
Archer, 1 Taira Swordsman
Unlimited Taira swordsmen from behind Nagamochi and from the western pass
STRATEGY:
=========
The only really tough mission in this stage is to keep your allied soldiers
from dying. Yoshinaka's pep talk must have had a real effect on Sai Hirosuke,
as he and his troops will go charging right into the enemy, which is hazardous
to your health. Fortunately your sub-commanders have Strategems that are useful
in keeping him alive. Have Imai Kanehira use Guard constantly so that he'll
stick close to Hirosuke. Nenoi Yukichika can use his Taunt to draw enemy
attention to himself. You should have Yoshinaka charge ahead and take out
tougher enemies ahead, especially the archers.
There are several ways to open the gate to the main base. First, you can break
it down directly, but as a strong gate, this takes forever. (You can use
Yukichika's Ishiyumi to break it down, but this is overkill) Second, if you get
Kasahara Yoshinao to taunt you, then run away back over the river, the gates
will open as Tobe Ietoshi charges out to get you. Lastly, you can wipe out all
the soldiers outside the gate, and then again, Ietoshi will come out to take
care of you himself. The safest way to do this I find is simply to wipe out all
the soldiers. If you try any of the other methods, there's a greater chance
that Hirosuke's troops will take casualties.
Once you're inside the fortress proper, go straight up to the left tower and
take out the archers there. You don't have to worry about the right tower as
much, as once you're inside, the east gate will open and Higuchi Kanemitsu,
Tate Chikatada, and Inoue Mitsumori will charge in; Inoue's troops will make a
beeline for the right tower to take out the archers there.
Once the archers are taken out, it becomes a grand melee inside. You can put
Yoshinaka's SST combo here to good use, as it makes great crowd control. Make
sure that Kanehira is Guarding as it becomes too chaotic to protect allied
soldiers yourself. Have Yukichika Taunt or stay put, as his mammmoth cart
really gets in the way during pitched battles. Take out Tobe Ietoshi and
Kinebuchi Shigemitsu then go straight to Jo Nagamochi and kill him. Once
Nagamochi is dead, you've won the stage.
===============================================================================
YOSHINAKA SCENARIO, STAGE 2:
FALLING INTO KURIKARA 倶利伽羅落し
===============================================================================
After his surprising victory at Yokotagawa, many great warriors came to join
Yoshinaka. This is the time when his uncle Yukiie joined him. However, the
Taira would not let this stand. Bringing a huge army to put down the rebellion,
Yoshinaka's forces were driven slowly back. To turn the tide of the battle,
Yoshinaka plans to try a sneak attack against the Taira. Leaving a separate
force to Yukiie, Yoshinaka retreated while skirmishing with the Taira forces.
Through Kiso's diversion, the Taira forces were drawn to the Kurikara gorge.
Yoshinaka moved at night, to encircle them. The battle that would go down in
history as the famous Kurikara Raid was beginning...
Yoshinaka's goal was to launch a sneak attack against the Taira forces and
drive them into the deep Kurikara gorge. Yoshinaka would use oxen with torches
tied to their horns, and drive them into the enemy camp to cause chaos and
confusion. Yoshinaka carefully approached the enemy forces, as if they learned
of his plan, it would fail...
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
The battle at Kurikara started with the defection of the priest Saimei.
Yoshinaka had set up a base at Hiuchi, and blocked it with a large lake created
by a river dam. Saimei told the Taira that the lake could be forded should the
dam be destroyed, and Yoshinaka's forces were driven backwards. He split his
force up into several different groups, waiting at Tonamiyama, while placing
other soldiers in strategic ambushes. After crossing the Kurikara path through
Tonamiyama, there was a plain nearby that the Taira were planning to use as a
battleground, but Yoshinaka planted a bunch of fake banners on the hills
nearby; making it look like the plain was surrounded and that his army was
bigger than it really was, he managed to keep the Taira holed up in the
mountains for the time being. Skirmishing lightly with the Taira, Yoshinaka's
forces kept them occupied until nighttime, which was part of his plan, as it
both kept them on the mountain and distracted them from the ambush contingents
that were getting into place. Late in the evening, Yoshinaka unleashed his
ambush; suddenly the Taira found Genji soldiers at their rear. In addition, the
Genji forces released a herd of stampeding oxen down the actual Kurikara path.
Confused and trapped between the enemy and rampaging bovines, the Taira fled--
right into the Kurikara gorge, as there was no sunlight to guide them. Saimei
was captured and beheaded.
MISSIONS:
=========
Take out the enemy general (敵大将を狙い打て)
---------------------------------------------
This is the main mission of the game; kill Taira Yukimori, the head of the
Taira troops, and you complete the mission and the stage.
Burning Oxen Plan (火牛の計)
----------------------------
There are two parts to succeeding this mission. First, you can't let a single
enemy flee to the main force, or the plan won't succeed at all. Second, once
you activate the plan by approaching the main enemy camp, you have to let the
rampaging bulls kill a decent number of enemies. If you immediately rush in and
kill Yukimori without letting them do their damage, you may not complete the
mission, even if the oxen get released.
Saimei (斉明)
-------------
To complete this mission, you have to kill the traitor Saimei by your own hand.
If one of your generals, subordinates, or allied soldiers deal the killing
blow,
you fail the mission.
Preparing the Burning Oxen (火牛の準備)
---------------------------------------
This mission is simple to complete; just walk up to where Nenoi Yukichika is
waiting and hear him say "The oxen are ready."
The Kiso Army Generals (木曽軍大将)
-----------------------------------
You have two allied generals with you on this stage; Aoi Gozen and Kuramitsu
Narizumi. If either of them die during the course of this stage, you fail this
mission.
ITEMS:
======
Stone-Throw Tome(1st time)/Technique Certificate: In the crate along the
west-east path that goes by Nenoi Yukichika, a little further east and south
of where he's waiting.
Sansahoko(1st time)/Attack Certificate: Carried by Kawachi Hidekuni
Stone-Throw Tome(1st time)/Technique Certificate: Carried by Sennoo Kaneyasu
Reimyogan: 1) In a crate behind where you start
2) Carried by Saimei (Easy only)
3) In a crate near Saimei
4) In a crate nearby Senoo Kaneyasu
5) In a crate on the west side of the main Taira camp.
Rank Rewards: Bishamon Scroll/Cavalry Gauntlet/Fire-Arrow Tome
UNITS:
======
Allied Generals: Aoi Gozen, Kuramitsu Narizumi, Nenoi Yukichika
Enemies: 7 Taira Swordsmen, 2 Taira Archers, 6 Taira Naginata units,
1 Taira Shieldsfighter
Enemy Generals: Saiemei, Kawachi Hidekuni, Senoo Kaneyasu, Taira Yukimori
STRATEGY:
=========
This isn't that hard a stage, and is actually easier to score Gunjin than on
the first Yoshinaka stage. The only thing you really have to watch out for is
fleeing soldiers. If any enemy soldier ends up running, they'll make a beeline
for the main Taira force. If they reach the Taira force, your surprise attack
is blown; they'll come out to meet you and you won't be able to pull off the
Burning Oxen plan. Since Yoshinaka is not particularly fleet of foot, that
means if an enemy gets any sort of lead, you don't have a chance. Therefore,
you have to be really careful not to kill any unit captains until all of their
underlings have been dispatched first.
The other potential pitfall is to let either Aoi Gozen or Kuramitsu Narizumi
die. Neither of them is particularly frail, but if you leave them by
themselves,
they can get into trouble. This primarily comes into play when you're trying to
complete the "Burning Oxen Preparation" as Nenoi Yukichika is at an area kind
of displaced from the main enemy force.
The best way to tackle this stage is to immediately charge for Nenoi Yukichika
at the beginning and as soon as he tells you "The oxen are ready," immediately
turn around and catch up with Aoi's troops. You'll probably reach them just as
they're engaging the first enemy unit; so long as you're acting as escort, Aoi
should be fine. Note that when you reach Yukichika, there will be a cutscene;
the contents differ depending on who your generals are.
Continue along the path until you get to the crossroads. At this point, you and
Narizumi will most likely be intercepting Saimei's troops right at the same
time. This particular battle can get kind of frenetic, so be careful not to let
any enemy soldiers escape in the chaos. Concentrate on killing all the
underlings first, then go after Saimei himself. If you can, try and get him by
himself to ensure that you deal the killing blow.
After Saimei and his troops are dead, head up north. You'll be faced by two
small contingents led by Kawachi Hidekuni and then Senoo Kaneyasu. Neither of
them are much more difficult than a standard unit captain, so they shouldn't
give you much trouble. (Note that Hidekuni drops some nice goodies when he
dies)
If you've gotten this far without an enemy soldier escaping to the main camp,
the rest is simple. As soon as you reach the enemy camp, just watch as the herd
of oxen tear up the enemy camp, killing soldiers left and right. Once the
action has died down a bit (the oxen can damage you too, and they have to kill
a certain number of soldiers for the plan to count as succeeding) go in and
finish off Taira Yukimori. He should be easy pickings by now.
If they survive, Aoi and Kuramitsu will join you as retainers. Whether you use
them or not is up to you, as all of the Yoshinaka characters start out with
four retainers.
Completing this stage will unlock the Special Stage, "Defend Yokotagawara"
===============================================================================
YOSHINAKA SCENARIO, STAGE 3:
YOSHINAKA ENTERS THE CAPITAL 義仲入京
===============================================================================
And thus, the bulk of the Taira forces vanished into Kurikara Gorge. In
contrast to the force of the Kiso army, the Taira forces were not as strong as
they once were. Shortly after securing the area, Yoshinaka advanced his forces
forward. At this time, relations between Yoshinaka and Yoritomo started to turn
sour. Yoritomo might have thought Yoshinaka's joining forces with his uncle
Yukiie and driving back the Taira army was a threat. There can be only one
supreme commander of the Minomoto forces, and to Yoritomo, he would allow none
other than himself. Regardless, Yoshinaka brought his forces together and
advanced toward Shinohara. His aim was to break the strong defenses at
Shinohara and enter the capital.
To stop Yoshinaka from entering the capital, the Taira army sets up their
formation in Shinohara. They build up several fortresses in Shinohara, and the
Taira generals await Yoshinaka's army there. Attacking the fortresses from the
front is very difficult. Yoshinaka had to figure out a way to go around them
and attack from behind...
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
After defeating the Taira at Kurikara pass, Yoshinaka had them on the run and
thus had an advantage to press toward the capital. The battle at Shinohara was
the Taira's last major attempt to keep him at bay. Needless to say, for the
weakened and demoralized Taira, this was a futile gesture. However, there were
several duels between famous generals in this battle, the most prominent being
that between Tezuka Mitsumori and Saito Sanemori. Sanemori was quite an old man
by this time, and so that the enemy would fight him as an equal, he dyed his
hair and beard black so that he appeared to be younger. He and Mitsumori had a
"horse-wrestling" match; (whereby two horsemen tried to grab the other, wrestle
them off their horse and onto the ground, and cut off their head) while
Sanemori won the first round, killing Mitsumori's retainer, he lost when
fighting Mitsumori himself. When Mitsumori brought Sanemori's head to
Yoshinaka,
Yoshinaka washed it to prove that it was, indeed, Sanemori. As Sanemori was
Yoshinaka's old benefactor, it's said he wept deeply in sorrow to see him
killed.
MISSIONS:
=========
Enemy Generals (敵大将)
-----------------------
This is the main mission you need to complete in order to finish the stage.
There are 5 generals in total on this mission: Ito Sukekiyo, Taira Moritoshi,
Musashi Arikuni, Hatakeyama Shigeyoshi, and Takahashi Nagatsuna. All of them
command troops of archers, and you have to kill all of them.
Saito Sanemori (斉藤実盛)
-------------------------
Saito Sanemori guards the bridge across the river in the middle of the stage,
with a large contingent of bodyguards. To complete this mission, you have to
defeat him yourself; if any of your generals, subordinates, or allied soldiers
deals the killing blow, it doesn't count.
Fortress Walls (砦壁)
---------------------
There are four fortresses in this stage, each manned by an archer team that
fires flaming arrows at you. To complete this mission, you have to disable the
fortresses by killing these archer teams. Note that the archer teams in the
first and last fortress are also enemy generals you need to kill to complete
the main stage.
Keep your losses to a minimum (犠牲を最小限に抑えろ)
----------------------------------------------------
This is a really easy mission to complete unless you're horribly underpowered;
you just have to keep your subordinates alive. If you're going with a full
party (3 generals with 4 subordinates each) you can even let up to 2 of them
die and still complete the mission. If you try to cheat your way around this
mission by bringing no subordinates at all, you'll automatically fail this
mission.
Archers and Archer Towers (矢倉と弓兵)
--------------------------------------
This is the toughest of the missions in this stage to complete. To complete it,
you need to do the following three things: first, you have to disable or burn
down all the enemy archer towers. Second, you have to use a large number of
Strategems using an archer general. Third, you have to kill a huge number of
enemies with bows.
ITEMS:
======
Bishamon Scroll: In a crate at the far end of the path that goes along the
north end of the first fortress.
Shigeto Bow/Technique Certificate: Carried by Saito Sanemori
Sanjo/Attack Certificate: Carried by Hatakeyama Shigeyoshi
Silver-wrought Konaginata/Defense Certificate: Carried by Takahashi Nagatsuna
Reimyogan: 1) In a crate next to the Bishamon Scroll above (Easy/Normal only)
2) In a crate by the first Archer Tower
3) Carried by Taira Moritoshi (Easy/Normal only)
4) In a box behind Taira Moritoshi (Easy only)
5) In a box at the dead-end near Saito Sanemori (Hard only)
Reimyo-Senzu: Location of Reimyogan 5 (Easy/Normal)
6) In a box near Hatakeyama Shigeyoshi
Rank Rewards: Assault Tome/Shield Barrier Tome/Tsumuji Tome
UNITS:
======
Allied Generals: Minamoto Yukiie, Yamabuki Gozen
Enemies: 14 Taira Archers, 4 Taira Swordsmen, 4 Taira Shieldsfighters,
2 Taira Naginata soldiers
Enemy Generals: Ito Sukekiyo, Taira Moritoshi, Saito Sanemori, Musashi Arikuni,
Hatakeyama Shigeyoshi, Takahashi Nagatsuna
Reinforcements: Unlimited Taira Swordsmen
STRATEGY:
=========
This is an extremely tough stage to score Gunjin on, and in fact is one of the
toughest stages in the game. It's one of those evil stages where succeeding all
5 sub-missions is no guarantee of actually scoring Gunjin. Plus, the last
requirement, "Archers and Archer Towers" requires you to kill a ridiculous
number of enemies with bows--like, 50 at least. Bows generally take a long time
to kill enemies, so you'll have to do a lot of standing still and ordering Bow
Strategems over and over to complete this mission. The problem is that you
don't have a lot of time--Yamabuki Gozen will proceed through the stage with or
without you, and without your help, she and her subordinates will get killed.
Protecting Yamabuki isn't a requirement to complete a mission, but the score
hit you take from having her team die will most likely be enough to drop you to
Tosho at least, probably to Chisho even. It may be possible to score Gunjin and
let her die off, but I'm going to assume you're going to try and protect her.
What's worse, you have to kill more enemies yourself than your generals do, so
that means that if you rely too much on arrow strategems from your generals
you'll be guaranteed Chisho, even if you protect everyone.
The first thing you really want for this mission is an EXTREMELY buff Higura
Kanemitsu. You'll want to pump his Attack and Technique as high as possible,
and have all of his subordinates with really high Attack and Technique as well,
as this increases the chance of their instant-killing. He should also be
equipping a top-class bow. (Needless to say, to get to this point, you'll have
to return to the stage later) Having him with Shunsatsu-Jutsu is gravy, as is a
Level-3 Poison Arrow. Basically, have your archers be able to kill enemies as
quickly as possible. I know what you may be thinking--"Hey, why don't I play
this stage in Free mode and use Kanemitsu as my Commander?" Nice idea, but that
by itself it won't work--I've tried it. Even though Kanemitsu is an archer, it
only counts as a bow kill if you actually kill enemies with an arrow--
Kanemitsu's sword doesn't count. With a sufficiently buff Kanemitsu, you can
kill most enemies quickly enough by using nothing but arrows, but you also have
to succeed a fair number of Bow Strategems. The only bow strategem you can use
with Kanemitsu is his Setsuna-no-Saku, and as that takes a full 10 Spirit
Spheres, there aren't enough opportunities to use it sufficiently.
So, bottom line, the best way to score Gunjin on this stage without driving
yourself mad is to use a team of three archers. (Kanemitsu should lead, as he
can fire more arrows in succession than any other general except a maxed-out
Yoichi) This means, however, that you must completely both Yoshinaka's scenario
AND either the Taira or Yoshitsune scenarios before you can try this, as
Kanemitsu is the sole archer among Yoshinaka's generals.
Speaking of archers, there are a ton of them in this stage. In fact, there are
only nine units that AREN'T archers here. That makes the primary challenge of
this stage getting close to the enemy; once you're close, you can tear them to
pieces with little problem. However, the archers here are tough, and deal nasty
damage, as most of them use flaming arrows. And as most are hiding behind the
fortifications, you can't always get to them when they can get at you.
Start by following the path that branches to the north and south. Take the
north fork and you'll be able to get behind the first fortification, where Ito
Sukekiyo's troop is. Take him and his soldiers out, then run back to the fork
in the road and take the south fork to help Yamabuki, who will probably be
getting peppered with arrows at this point. You can ignore the unit at the far
end of the top fork, though there's a box with some goodies in it there.
On the south fork, there will be two Archer Towers. Burn them both down with
flaming arrows (You DID take Kanemitsu with you and taught him Fire Arrow,
right?) and proceed to the south. This part is one of the trickiest parts of
the stage, as you're sandwiched between Taira Moritoshi's archers on the
ground,
an archer team on a raised platform, and another archer team behind a
fortification. I usually take out the archers on the fortification first, then
the platform before taking on Moritoshi.
Once you've broken past Moritoshi, you're up for a short and very chaotic
fight.
Saito Sanemori will challenge you to a duel and a LARGE contingent of archers
and shieldsmen will spawn on the bridge in front of him while he snipes at you
with arrows. Order your sub-commanders to deal with the shieldsfighters while
you have your character jump over the shieldsmen and rush Sanemori himself.
Take him out as quickly as possible, so that none of your underlings take the
kill for themselves.
The next part depends on how you want to play the stage. For the time being,
ignore the units way to the south of Sanemori's position; you can come back to
them later if you want. Your next job is to deal with Musashi Arikuni, who is
surrounded on two sides by protected archers, one behind a fortification and
one on a raised platform. Taking them on head-on deals lots of damage, but
there's another option; if you proceed directly to the north of where Sanemori
was, you'll reach a dead-end. From this dead-end you will have a clear shot at
Arikuni's soldiers, who will be easy pickings for your archers, provided you
don't get too close. The downside is that killing them off takes a while, and
Yamabuki will walk blithely right up to them directly, sticking herself in the
crossfire of the three archer teams.
Next, head south. You'll pass by another fortification to the northwest; rush
behind it and take out the archers that are there. From there head south, where
you'll face two Archer Towers and Hatakeyama Shigeyoshi's underlings. This
place is kind of tough; it's the final destination for Yamabuki, and she and
her troops will sit here for the duration of the stage. This puts her directly
in the line of fire for the two Archer towers, so you have to burn them down
both quickly with Flame Arrows--if you don't take them out, there's nothing you
can do to save Yamabuki. The problem is that even if you commmand your archers
to shoot flaming arrows, they won't target the Archer towers until the ground
soldiers are dead--so you have to kill them off first. If you're trying to make
the bulk of your kills with bows, you may just have to suck it up and kill this
particular team with melee weapons.
Once Shigeyoshi and his team are dead, head north where you'll face Takahashi
Nagatsuna, your final enemy in this stage. Whether you take him head on (from
the east fork) or from the flank (the west fork) doesn't matter, though his
speech differs accordingly. (He's amazed at your tenacity for taking the head-
on approach, and pissed at the rest of the army for letting you by at the
indirect path) Either way, he and his subordinates are easy pickings by this
point.
After you win the battle, there's a cutscene of Yoshinaka mourning over
Sanemori's body, and an arrogant courtier who insists on not giving Yoshinaka
his moment of silence. Yoshinaka is invited to the Imperial court.
===============================================================================
YOSHINAKA SCENARIO, STAGE 4:
THE SETTING SUN OF MIZUSHIMA 水島の落日
===============================================================================
After losing the battle at Shinohara, the Taira no longer had the power to
fight Yoshinaka. The supreme commander of the Taira forces, Tomomori, assembled
what remained of his army and left the capital. Yoshinaka chases after him and
enters the capital. At last, Kyoto is free from the Taira. However, at this
time, Kyoto was experiencing a great famine, and Yoshinaka's rations are low as
well. The rewards bestowed on Yoshinaka's army by Emperor Go-Shirakawa are not
enough to feed them, which causes rising discontent among the men. Eventually
discipline among the troops breaks down and they start pillaging the populace.
Before he even had enough time to savor his victory and entering the capital,
Yoshinaka was forced to try and enforce public order. At that time, Emperor Go-
shirakawa issued an edict to Yoshinaka to seek out and destroy the remainig
Taira. While Yoshinaka was dealing with many problems already, he could not
refuse an order from the Emperor. Yoshinaka gathered his forces out and set out
to Mizushima, where the Taira army had set up.
The island Mizushima, in the Seto Inland Sea, is well-known as a Taira base.
Even though they fled from the capital, the west is strong Heike territory, and
their army is not to be underestimated. Even with little in the way of naval
forces, Yoshinaka obeyed the Emperor's order and attacked this island...
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
Yoshinaka never really had much of a chance in this battle; not only did his
army have no naval experience and few boats, but he also had the element of
surprise against him. The Taira forces had set up a major base at Yashima in
Shikoku. (and would eventually be defeated there in the later, more famous
Battle of Yashima) Yoshinaka arranged his small fleet at Mizushima bay in
Bitchu province, and prepared to cross over to Shikoku there. However, he was
caught by a much larger Taira force on the way there. The battle started with
arrow exchanges, and as Yoshinaka's forces were driven back to the shore, the
Taira came out of their boats and charged ashore on horseback to clean up the
remaining soldiers. Yoshinaka's forces soon fled. The "eclipse" part of this
level (e.g. hick northern soldiers being afraid of the loss of the sun) comes
from the _Genpei Seisuiki_ and as far as I know, there's nothing about it in
any of the historical narratives.
MISSIONS:
=========
Heike Generals (平家大軍)
-------------------------
This is the main mission of the stage, and can be completed in two ways. The
most obvious way it can be finished is by killing the three big Taira generals:
Tomomori, Noritsune, and Shigehira. Or, once the eclipse occurs, you can flee
the stage.
Advance Units (先行部隊)
------------------------
Unno Yukihiro is leading the Advance Units, three units of Elite Footsoldiers.
To complete this mission, you need to keep him alive for the duration of the
stage. (All of his footsoldiers can die, so long as he survives)
Rear Guard (後衛部隊)
---------------------
Yada Yoshikiyo is leading the Rear Guard, a unit of swordsmen and a unit of
Naginata troops. You need to keep Yoshikiyo alive for the whole stage to
complete this mission.
Warships and Archer Towers (軍船と矢倉)
---------------------------------------
There are a lot of enemy warships and archer towers in this stage, filled with
archers that will rain arrows on you continuously. To complete this mission,
you have to destroy at least 7 of them. (Not 7 each, 7 in total) Ships and
towers only count as being destroyed if all the enemies on them die.
Naginata Units (薙刀部隊)
-------------------------
There are three units of Naginata soldiers on the north beach of Mizushima. To
complete this mission, you have to kill them all.
ITEMS:
======
Iron-Plated Greatshield/Defense Certificate: In a crate near the Taira Naginata
troops that you need to kill
Fireball Tome/Health Certificate: In a crate at the northwest most beach of
the island
Reppa Tome/Technique Certificate: Carried by Taira Shigehira
Aohagane-Yototo/Technique Certificate: Carried by Taira Noritsune
Reimyogan: 1) In a crate by the rear-guard units (Easy Only)
2) In a crate in the "dead-end" on the west side of the island (Hard Only)
3) In a crate near Taira Noritsune
4) In a crate close to the northwest beach of the island (Hard only)
Reimyo-Senzu: 1) In a crate near the the Taira Naginata troops you need to kill
2) In place of Reimyogan 2 (Easy/Normal)
3) Carried by Taira Tomomori
4) In a crate on the southwest beach of the island
5) In place of Reimyogan 4 (Easy/Normal)
Rank Rewards: Ebisu Scroll, Yarigake Tome, Nio Statue
UNITS:
======
Allied: 3 Kiso Elite Footsoldiers, 2 Kiso Swordsmen, 1 Kiso Naginata troop
Allied Generals: Yada Yoshikiyo, Unno Yukihiro
Enemies: 1 Taira Swordsman, 1 Taira Shieldsfighter, 9 Taira Naginata troops,
9 Taira Archers, 1 Taira Cavalry
Enemy Generals: Taira Tomomori, Taira Noritsune, Taira Shigehira
Reinforcements: 3 Taira Cavalry, 1 Taira Shieldsfighter, 5 Taira Archers
4 Taira Naginata troops
STRATEGY:
=========
This is a unique stage as there are two ways to finish it. I'm going to give a
strategy assuming you do it the hard way. First, before you even start the
stage, Higuchi Kanemitsu is an absolute must, and he'll need Fire Arrow as one
of his equipped Strategems; you'll need him to burn down ships and archer
towers. You'll also need an ally with the Guard Strategem, unless you're VERY
quick.
To start out the stage, run west and when you reach the Advance units, have
your general Guard them, then run south to protect the Rear Guard units. Once
you've killed all the enemies attacking the Rear Guard units, return to the
Advance units and finish off any enemies attacking them. As they're situated
near the Naginata units, you should kill them off while you're at it.
Now, have Kanemitsu torch the boats off the shore and the nearby Archer towers
before proceeding south. When you get to the pass, there will be an event where
Tomomori informs Yoshinaka that he's essentially trapped, as Goshirakawa has
ordered Yoritomo to kill him. There's an eclipse as well.
At this point you have a choice; you can finish the stage by retreating back to
the start point and returning to your boats. This is the easier (and more
historically accurate) way to finish this stage. Or, you can kill the remaining
Taira generals; Tomomori, Noritsune, and Shigehira. This path is much harder,
as these three generals and their underlings are very powerful characters, but
if you succeed and complete the other missions, it's tough NOT to score Gunjin.
(The first time I tried to fight them, one of my GENERALS got killed and I
still scored Gunjin) If your characters aren't well developed (in the mid-late
20s at least) you're probably better off not facing them, and even when they
are developed they can give you a run for your money.
Assuming you want to take on the Taira generals, I suggest you head south
first,
to where Tomomori and Noritsune are. They're the toughest of the generals
(though Shigehira is no pushover by any means) and you want to face them when
you're as healthy as possible; plus, there are several healing items in that
area. What's more, there are more boats and archer towers at the south end of
the island. While this will make fighting Tomomori and Noritsune more hectic,
once they're dead you can torch them at your leisure. If you faced Shigehira
first, in order to make the quota of burned ships/towers for the respective
mission, you'd have to burn them down while fighting Tomomori and Noritsune,
which would be very dangerous.
If you can, see if you can get Tomomori alone. He often proceeds to the the
north, so you can hit him at the intersection between the south and north sides
of the west end of the island. If you manage this, you won't have to face him
and Noritsune simultaneously. Whatever you do, don't rush in to the fray as the
Taira generals and their underlings will cut you to pieces. Use defensive or
long-distance Strategems like Shield Wall or Fire Arrow.
Once Tomomori and Noritsune are dead, collect the healing items on the south
side of the island, burn down the ships and arrow towers, and head north and
face Shigehira. Shigehira is tough, but at least you can face him alone.
Whatever you do, don't try and burn down the ships and archer tower on the
north side of the island unless Shigehira is sufficiently distracted, because
he'll make mincemeat of Kanemitsu if you do.
Once all three Taira generals are dead, or you flee to the start point, you
finish the stage. If they survived, Yada Yoshikiyo and Unno Yukihiro will join
you as subordinates.
===============================================================================
YOSHINAKA SCENARIO, STAGE 5:
ATTACK ON HOJUJI TEMPLE (法住寺攻め)
===============================================================================
After leaving Mizushima, Yoshinaka rushed back to the capital in fury and
indignation. His purpose was to attack Emperor Go-Shirakawa, who had joined
forces with Minamoto Yoritomo in a plot kill him. In this era, attacking the
Imperial Court directly was unthinkable. But Yoritomo had already launched a
huge army marching to the capital; Yoshinaka had little other choice. This was
the attack on Hojuji, which would be later regarded as historians as an
atrocity.
Yoshinaka was furious with indigantion at Go-Shirakawa, who had plotted
together with Yoritomo to kill him. He went to attack the Emperor's home at
Hojuji temple. However, this attack came to the Emperor as no great surprise.
Hojuji was heavily guarded. Yoshinaka pressed on to the compound, fueled by his
anger...
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
The game deviates significantly from historical record as Yoshinaka attacked
Hojuji before, not after, Go-Shirakawa issued his edict to hunt him down.
According the the _Heike Monogatari_ this event was sparked by the provocation
of one an Imperial Police officer, Tomoyasu; after being ridiculed by
Yoshinaka,
he told the Emperor that the latter was plotting against him, and the Emperor
started to make moves to assemble soldiers and get rid of Yoshinaka. Refusing
to turn his back on an enemy, Emperor or no, Yoshinaka attacked Hojuji.
Historically, this event was the result of escalating tensions between
Yoshinaka and the retired Emperor; Go-Shirakawa kept ordering Yoshinaka to
proceed west and defeat the Taira, but he was reluctant to leave the capital,
should Yoritomo occupy it in his absence. In fact, with the impending threat
from Yoritomo in the east, Yoshinaka asked for an edict to hunt him down, but
was flatly refused several times. In event of an incursion by either the Taira
or Yoritomo forces, Yoshinaka had planned to abandon the capital and take Go-
Shirakawa with him back to Kiso; Yukiie clued in the Emperor on this, and thus
he gathered a large assembly of warriors at Hojuji. Afraid that they would
attack him, Yoshinaka struck first and burned down the manor. This is probably
the event that besmirched Yoshinaka's reputation the most in future
generations.
MISSIONS:
=========
Capture the Emperor (法皇を捕らえよ)
------------------------------------
This is the main mission of this stage. To capture the emperor, you have to
kill Meiun, the abbot guarding him. Once you do, the stage ends.
Head for the main temple (本殿を目指せ)
---------------------------------------
There are two ways to complete this mission. First, you can either enter the
main temple from the front door by knocking it down. Second, you can go through
the back way, via the open gate on the west side.
Don't let Taira Tomoyasu escape (平知康を逃すな)
------------------------------------------------
Taira Tomoyasu is located near the bridge over the lake in the southern
compound. As soon as he sees any opposition, he'll run for an exit. To complete
this mission, you have to kill him before he gets away.
Cavalry Unit Minamoto Nakakane (騎馬隊 源仲兼)
-----------------------------------------------
Minamoto Nakakane is hanging out with his horsemen in the northwest compound.
To complete this mission, kill him.
Keep your allied general alive (友軍大将を生かせ)
-------------------------------------------------
There's only one allied unit in this stage to protect--Shida Yoshihiro. To
complete this mission, you have to keep him alive throughout the whole stage.
ITEMS:
======
Tengen Gauntlet/Defense Certificate: In a crate at the northeast corner
of the outer courtyard of Hojuji Temple
Hiodoshi-Adorned Konaginata/Attack Certificate: Carried by Taira Tomoyasu
Reimyogan: 1) In a box in the extreme northwest corner of the right half
of the southern compound (Easy/Normal only)
2) In a crate on the east bank of the pond in the southern compound
3) In a crate at the dead-end between the northwest compound and Hojuji
4) In a crate in the southwest corner of Hojuji's inner courtyard
Rank Rewards: Bishamon Scroll/False Alarm Tome/Kongoketsu
UNITS:
======
Allied Generals: Shida Yoshihiro
Enemies: 12 Naginata Monks, 5 Archer Monks
Enemy Generals: Taira Tomoyasu, Minamoto Nakakane, Meiun
Reinforcements: 8 Naginata Monks
STRATEGY:
=========
This is not a very hard stage, and is pretty easy to finish perfectly. The one
thing you have to worry about is letting the Emperor escape, but that will only
happen under certain circumstances. Also, stopping Taira Tomoyasu can be tricky
if you're not careful. For maximum kills, bring Higuchi Kanemitsu, as there are
some archer towers that only he can reach.
To start with, run north and protect Shida Yoshihiro, who is under attack by
some Naginata monks. You can Guard him if you want, but it will take very
little time to kill off the enemies facing him. He heads off to the south after
all the enemies are gone, so it's best to keep with him, but sometimes he stays
put.
Once Yoshihiro is safe, you should kill both Taira Tomoyasu and then Minamoto
Nakakane, but it doesn't really matter what order you do it in. It's probably
safer to kill Tomoyasu first, as Yoshihiro may get the idea to attack him.
Neither is particularly hard, but you need to be careful with Tomoyasu, as
he'll bolt for the exit as soon as he sees you. Come at him from the south and
he'll run towards rather than away from you, making him much easier to kill.
The cavalry that Nakakane has can be annoying, but if you use Tate Chikatada
and he has Horse-Scare, you can dismount them easily. Even without it, they're
not too tough.
Once everyone outside of Hojuji itself is taken care of, you've got a choice;
you can either take on Hojuji from the front or the back door. I think you get
more credit at the end of the stage for breaking down the front door and going
in that way, but once you do, the alarm will be sounded, and about three
minutes later, the Emperor will flee and you'll lose the stage. Also while
you're attacking the door, you'll be open to the archer towers (unless you have
Kanemitsu burn them down) Of course, three minutes is plenty of time to kill
all the remaining soldiers. If you go through the back door, you don't have to
break anything down and the Emperor will not flee at all. I've scored Gunjin
going both directions so I know you don't need to pick one way or the other if
you want to get the highest ranking.
You'll have to break down the inner door to the temple, where you'll face
Meiun.
There's a cutscene where Yoshinaka demands to be taken to the Emperor, but
Meiun refuses, so you'll have to kill him. He's not terribly difficult so he
should go down reasonably quickly.
Once Meiun is dead, there's a cutscene where Yoshinaka confronts the Emperor,
angry at being betrayed. Go-Shirakawa demands that he leave the capital, which
only angers Yoshinaka more; he orders Tomoe to imprison the Emperor.
===============================================================================
YOSHINAKA SCENARIO, STAGE 6:
THE UJI ROAD, DUSTED WITH SNOW (雪残る宇治路)
===============================================================================
It has been four years since Prince Mochihito's rebellion. Back then Yoritomo
and Yoshinaka joined together as allies, but things have changed greatly since
then. Yoshinaka started in Kiso and swept the nation to retake Kyoto.
Afterwards, he put Emperor Go-Shirakawa under house arrest and claimed the
title of Barbarian-Subduing General. But after a famine and a string of battles
one after another, Yoshinaka's army is not in peak condition. After defeating
the Heishi at the Fuji River, Yoritomo spent four years strengthening his base
in Kamakura. He hadn't claimed any more territory, but his troops are fresh,
and Yoshinaka's army could no longer compare to his military might. After
receiving an edict from Emperor Go-Shirakawa to kill Yoshinaka, Yoritomo
finally acts. He put his army under the command of his younger brother
Yoshitsune, who advances toward Kyoto. In response, Yoshinaka sets up his base
camp at the Uji river and awaits the Kamakura forces. January 18, 1184. On this
date, a fierce battle pitting Genji against Genji was beginning....
The army from Kamakura attacking the Uji river vastly outnumbers the Kiso
forces, and their morale is also good. But if Yoshinaka loses this battle, he
is finished. Yoshinaka gathers all his forces together to try to claim the head
of the Kamakura General, Yoshitsune...
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
There's not a whole lot of information about the contents of this battle in any
of the Genpei romances, save to say that Yoshinaka's forces got defeated, and
very badly. This is not surprising at all, considering that the historical
records suggest Yoshinaka was outnumbered by about 80 to 1. (Though in all
honesty, it's unlikely that number is very accurate, as troop numbers in old
Japanese military records have a tendency to be grossly inflated to give a
greater sense of grandeur to the battles) Yoshinaka's forces were led by Tate
Chikatada and Nenoi Yukichika. Nenoi Yukichika is recorded as being killed by
an arrow in this battle, as was Tezuka Mitsumori, the man who bested Saito
Sanemori. It's not clear what happened to Tate Chikatada, though it's
frequently assumed that he was killed in action here as well. As to why
Yoshinaka's force was so small, this isn't covered in any of the Genpei
romances (as far as I know) one of the main reasons in actual history is that
this was about the time that Yukiie deserted him. Yoshinaka was understandably
royally pissed off at this, especially since he was in a very precarious
position--the Taira approaching ever closer from the east and Yoritomo's forces
approaching from the west--and sent a portion of his army after Yukiie. Thus
his army, already weakened from its earlier losses against the Taira at
Mizushima and Harima (the latter is not mentioned in the game or the _Heike
Monogatari_) was essentially split into three; one chasing after Yukiie, one
guarding Seta, and one guarding the Uji river.
MISSIONS:
=========
The Minamoto Army (源軍)
------------------------
The main mission of this stage, you have to drive back the Minamoto army. The
only way to drive back the Minamoto army is to kill their commander,
Yoshitsune.
Minamoto Yoshitsune (源義経)
----------------------------
To complete this mission, you have to kill Minamoto Yoshitsune yourself. If one
of your generals or subordinates deal the killing blow, you fail the mission.
Bodyguard Unit (護衛部隊)
-------------------------
Two elite Minamoto army generals, Sato Tadanobu and Musashibo Benkei, act as
Yoshitsune's bodyguards. To complete this mission, you have to kill them both.
Guerilla Units (遊撃隊)
-----------------------
To complete this mission, you have to kill every single enemy general that's
not Yoshitsune or one of his bodguards. That would be Sato Tadanobu, Inage
Shigenari, Itaga Kanenobu, Kajiwara Kagesue, Sasaki Takatsuna.
Allied General (友軍大将)
-------------------------
Nagase Shigetsuna starts at this stage reasonably close to your position. To
complete this mission, you need to keep him alive throughout the whole stage.
ITEMS:
======
Daikoku Scroll: In a box on the south bank of the river beyond the western ford
Sutemi Tome/Health Certificate: Carried by Sato Tadanobu
Habo Goko/Attack Certificate: Carried by Sato Tsugunobu
Onitake/Health Certificate: Carried by Musashibo Benkei
Reimyogan: 1) In a crate in the camp in the northwest clearing
2) In a crate the north-northeast area of the center clearing (Hard only)
3) In a crate at the west edge of the center clearing (Easy/Normal only)
4) In a crate the southeast corner of the center clearing (Easy/Normal only)
5) In a crate at the dead-end that ends at the river (Easy only)
6) In a crate near the crate with the Daikoku scroll
7) Carried by one of the swordsmen guarding Yoshitsune
8) In a crate behind Yoshitsune
Reimyo-Senzu:
1) In Reimyogan #2's position (Easy/Normal only)
Rank Rewards: Ebisu Scroll/Volley Tome/Doji-giri Yasutsuna
UNITS:
======
Allied: 3 Kiso Naginata troops, 4 Kiso Archers
Allied Generals: Nagase Shigetsuna
Enemies: 4 Kamakura Naginata troops, 6 Kamakura Archers,
1 Kamakura Shieldsfighter
Enemy Generals: Sato Tadanobu, Inage Shigenari, Itaga Kanenobu,
Kajiwara Kagesue, Sasaki Takatsuna, Sato Tsugunobu, Musashibo Benkei,
Minamoto Yoshitsune
Reinforcements: 4 Kamakura Swordsmen
STRATEGY:
=========
I've found this stage not nearly as difficult as it first appears to be. Aside
from dealing with irritating subordinates stealing my kill and delivering the
final blow to Yoshitsune, I've had very little trouble with it.
The only thing that you really need for this stage is to have Yoshinaka
reasonably well-developed; there are several powerful generals to fight, and an
undeveloped Yoshinaka could be problematic. But, seeing as you have to fight as
Yoshinaka in all of the previous 5 stages, unless you've never played each more
than once, you should have no problem whatsoever.
To start with, you'll be near Nagase Shigetsuna, the general that needs
protecting. In comparison to allied generals in other stages, Shigetsuna is
much easier to protect, because he doesn't actively seek out enemies, and few
enemies will attack him. However, that doesn't mean you can be complacent;
right at the start, he and the Kiso soldiers around him will get swarmed. The
attack is not terribly difficult to repel, but Sato Tadanobu is leading the
offensive, with Inage Shigenari along for the ride. Despite challenging you
dirctly, Tadanobu will go straight for Shigetsuna's troop, while Shigenari
focuses on trying to kill you; it's easy to get caught up in the melee and lose
track of Tadanobu, so kill him as quickly as possible to keep Shigetsuna alive.
Once Shigetsuna is safe, you're pretty much at your leisure to decide how to
finish the stage. There are Kiso soldiers up in the northwestern corner and by
the center throng of soldiers, but you don't need to worry about protecting
either of them; even if they all die, you should still be able to score Gunjin
pretty easily. The general attacking the northwest corner of the stage is Itaga
Kanenobu, and he doesn't have much in the way of an escort so is pretty easy to
deal with.
The center area of the stage has a ton of enemies and two enemy generals
waiting for you; Kajiwara Kagesue and Sasaki Takatsuna. If you've played the
"Battle at Uji River" scenario already, you're probably itching to get your
revenge on them, (in that stage, you have to protect them, and they're VERY
stupid) so now's your chance; savor it.
Once the enemies in the main battlefield are gone, you've got two more
challenges ahead of you before you can take on Yoshitsune himself; Sato
Tsugunobu and Musashibo Benkei, Yoshitsune's bodyguards. They hang out at the
north bank of and in the middle of the Uji river respectively, both waiting for
you. They're both pretty tough, especially Tsugunobu, who is very good at
interrupting your attacks. A developed Yoshinaka will have little trouble
dealing with either, but your subordinates might get killed if you're not
careful.
On the south side of the Uji River you'll find Yoshitsune, with a large
contingent of swordsmen reinforcements. They all start with their backs turned
toward you, so this is a good chance at a Surprise Attack if you feel like
going for one. Either way, there will be a cutscene where Yoshitsune lectures
Yoshinaka on how he's a bad leader then attacks.
Yoshitsune is one tough customer, and has both excellent offense and defense.
Since he's faster than Yoshinaka, he can interrupt your moves pretty well, too.
The fact he comes in a mob of bodyguards doesn't make things any easier.
However, Yoshinaka's superior range gives him a real edge, so if you're careful
not to get too close, you shouldn't have too much trouble, even if your
character is underdeveloped. However, be careful not to let any of your
subordinates steal your kill; since Yoshinaka has large delays between combos,
this is a very real possibility.
Now, here's the fun part: Once Yoshitsune is defeated, what happens next
depends on how you've played this stage and the one before it. If you did
really well on both, you unlock and proceed to the secret Yoshinaka stage. The
prerequisites for unlocking the secret stage is as follows: first, you have to
have killed all the Taira generals on Yoshinaka stage 4; you cannot have run
away. Second, you have to defeat all the "major" generals on this stage--in
other words, Tadanobu, Tsugunobu, and Benkei. If even one is still alive when
you defeat Yoshitsune, you won't unlock the secret stage.
You can judge whether or not you unlocked the secret stage by the cutscene; if
Yoshitsune actually dies, you've cleared all the requirements and unlocked the
secret stage, "The Rising Sun Ascends to Heaven." If in the cutscene Yoshitsune
surives and Yukichika and Chikatada hold off the enemy while Yoshinaka
retreats,
you've unlocked the "normal" last Yoshinaka stage, "The end of Kiso." Also, if
Nagase Shigetsuna survived this level, he'll join you as a subordinate.
===============================================================================
YOSHINAKA SCENARIO, FINAL STAGE:
THE END OF KISO (木曽最期)
===============================================================================
With the help of Nenoi and Tate, Yoshinaka was able to escape from the Kamakura
army at the Uji river. How must Yoshinaka have felt in this situation, four
years after first raising an army? The army he had lead, once hailed as being
undefeated, was no more. However, when we look at the literature of the time,
the account of those few generals who still stood by him to the end are even
more vivid than that of his initial rise to power. Now, we must touch upon what
Kiso Yoshinaka's last few moments were like.
After his loss at Uji River, the only thing left for Yoshinaka was to flee to
his homeland. There was no end to his pursuers, and hardly any of his allies
remained. Yoshinaka advanced as best as he could to his home at Kiso...
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
After getting thoroughly trounced at Uji and Seta, Yoshinaka tried to flee to
the northwest, but was caught by Yoritomo's soldiers and killed. While no real
historical record on the details of his death exist, (at least as far as I
know) the _Heike Monogatari_ has a fairly detailed account, whereby Yoshinaka
reunites with Kanehira and a contingent of a few hundred soldiers, and fights
down to the last man, whereby he tells Tomoe to flee. Kanehira tries to hold
off the enemy while Yoshinaka goes to kill himself in the woods; he did not
want any of the enemies to get the glory of having been the one to kill him.
Unfortunately this was not to be; Yoshinaka accidentally drove his horse into a
frozen-over rice paddy, and the ice broke, so that horse and rider sunk into
the paddy. While struggling to break free, Yoshinaka was shot in the head and
killed by Ishida Tamehisa. Note that this story has no real historical
background, and is said to have been patterned upon the death of Xiang Yu, from
a Chinese legend.
(Kind of OT for this FAQ, but the cutscenes at the end of this stage are among
my favorite in the game. They mirror almost exactly the death of Yoshinaka in
the _Heike Monogatari_, down to Yoshinaka talking about how his armor is heavy
and Tomoe wishing for a foe that is worthy of her. Though Yoshinaka's line
about "My heart is with you" to Tomoe was not present.)
MISSIONS:
=========
Escape to Kiso (木曽へ落ち延びよ)
---------------------------------
The main mission of this stage is to escape. As soon as you reach the point
marked by a star on your mini-map (the north end of the stage) you complete
this mission and the stage ends.
Defeat Rin (凛を倒せ)
---------------------
The Minamoto general Rin waits for you in the main open area of the stage. Kill
her to complete this mission.
Defeat Kichiji (吉次を倒せ)
---------------------------
Kichiji is stationed shortly beyond the gates blocking your way further north.
To complete this mission, kill him.
Kiso General (木曽軍大将)
-------------------------
Takanashi Tadanao is helping assist your escape. To complete this mission, you
have to keep him from dying.
Heroism (勇名)
--------------
As this is Yoshinaka's "last battle," the object here is to go out fighting;
kill as many enemies as humanly possible. You have to score over 100 kills to
complete this mission.
ITEMS:
======
Ebisu Scroll: Carried by Kichiji
Guard Tome/Defense Certificate: Carried by Rin
Reimyogan: 1) In the southwest corner of the main clearing
2) In a crate near Kichiji
3) Carried by Ichijo Tadayori
Reimyo-Senzu: 1) In a crate behind the eastern gate
Rank Rewards: Daikoku Scroll/O-Naginata Knowledge/Transitory Prayer Beads
UNITS:
======
Allied: Impossible to tell (There's too much chaos, and some get killed before
you can even see them)
Allied Generals: Takanashi Tadanao
Enemies: A truckload of enemies, all swordsmen (Impossible to tell how many,
as there's too much chaos)
Enemy Generals: Rin, Kichiji, Ichijo Tadayori
Reinforcements: Unlimited Swordsmen
STRATEGY:
=========
This is last mission of Yoshinaka's "historical" scenario. The intro to this
stage pulls no punches in letting you know you're not getting out of this one
alive; the best you can do is go out in a blaze of glory. Overall this stage
can be tough to score Gunjin in. The one major obstacle to a perfect score and
thus Gunjin is keeping Takanashi Tadanao alive. There are a LOT of enemy
soldiers in this stage, and they never stop coming; there are unlimited
reinforcements. Ideally, both Tomoe and Kanehira should have Guard; you'll
pretty much need at least one to have it.
The way this stage works is as follows. No enemy reinforcements will come until
A) you break through one of the gates to the north side of the stage or B) you
double-back to the south side of the stage. Once you do either one of these
things, enemy reinforcements will spawn from the south and the east for the
rest of the stage, over and over again. While you can beat them up and keep
Tadanao alive as long as you want, as soon as you leave the area, he'll stay
behind and get swarmed. You may not be able to reach the exit before he dies,
let alone kill Kichiji on the way.
So, the best thing to do is as follows: First, kill off all the enemies in the
south side of the stage, sticking to Tadanao like glue. Rin will be among them,
and so will Ishida Tamehisa. Once everyone in the south area is dead, double
back to the south side of the stage so that the reinforcements start coming.
Keep killing them until you think you've gone over 100 kills. At that point,
you can get ready for your mad dash to the exit.
Basically, what you'll do is rush for the exit quickly and hope you get there
before Tadanao gets killed. To best facilitate this, first weaken (but don't
kill) the most recent reinforcements so that Tadanao is fighting, and break
down the gate. Then set one or both of your Generals to Guard him. They'll
probably kill off the reinforcements fairly quickly because of their lower
health, but that will buy you a few seconds until the next batch of
reinforcements arrive.
Once everything's set up, run to the north. Kichiji will be waiting at the
intersection. Kill him as quickly as you can, and run for the exit. Ichijo
Tadayori will be waiting for you, but you don't have to kill him as doing so
isn't part of one of the missions. If you think you have time though, you can
for the extra points.
Once you reach the exit, the stage is finished, as is the Yoshinaka scenario.
You'll see the "historically accurate" ending, whereby Yoshinaka tells Tomoe to
flee and heads into the fray with Kanehira to face his end. Of course, the
historically accurate resolution was not very favorable to Yoshinaka. (he got
shot with an arrow and had his head cut off) To see an "alternate history"
where Yoshinaka fares better, you'll have to play the secret stage.
If Takanashi Tadanao survives this stage, he'll join you as a retainer.
===============================================================================
YOSHINAKA SCENARIO, SECRET STAGE:
THE RISING SUN ASCENDS TO HEAVEN (旭日昇天)
===============================================================================
And thus, Yoshinaka won the fierce battle at Uji River. Yoshinaka had defeated
the Heike had been defeated at Mizushima, so the only enemy that remained was
Kamakura. Left to his own devices, Yoritomo would surely try again and send
another army after Yoshinaka. With this as his reasoning, Yoshinaka decided to
strike first and set out for Kamakura. His dream was finally within reach...
Even though Yoshinaka managed to win at Uji River, Yoritomo is still thought of
as the head of the Genji by many and thus has plenty of support. There is no
doubting that some of Kanto's most powerful warriors are assembled at the main
base of Kamakura. Yoshinaka's destination is the Tsurugaoka-Hachiman palace
where Yoritomo awaits. Fearlessly, Yoshinaka advances his soldiers deep into
Kamakura...
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
As this is one of the "what-if" levels, there's no historical background here.
Yoshinaka never survived the battle at Uji River to move against Yoritomo. (And
if he did, he probably wouldn't have had nearly the forces necessary to attempt
it.)
MISSIONS:
=========
Minamoto Yoritomo (源頼朝)
--------------------------
The main mission of this stage is to defeat Minamoto Yoritomo, head of the
Minamoto forces. Once you do this, the stage--and the Yoshinaka scenario--ends.
Kajiwara Kagetoki (梶原景時)
----------------------------
Kajiwara Kagetoki is acting as Yoritomo's bodyguard in the main plaza by
Hachiman Temple. Defeat him to complete this misison.
Tsurugaoka-Hachiman Palace Guards (鶴岡八幡宮の防衛部隊)
--------------------------------------------------------
Hojo Yoshitoki is guarding the gates to the Tsurugaoka-Hachiman palace. Defeat
him to complete this mission.
Cavalry (騎馬隊)
----------------
There are several cavalry units on the east side of town, led by Oyama
Tomomasa.
Defeat him, and you complete this mission.
Burst Through (突き進め)
------------------------
You have to score "Shinbo-Renten" to complete this mission. You get the title
of "Shinbo-Renten" if you chain at least 10 Stratagems together.
ITEMS:
======
Bishamon Scroll: Hatakeyama Shigetada
Shogeki Tome/Attack Certificate: In a crate at the dead-end alley behind where
Oyama Tomomasa's starting position is.
Red-Steel-Plated Greatshield/Defense Certificate: In a crate at the dead-end
alley on the west side of town, between a building and the Hachiman palace
Benzai Scroll: Carried by Hojo Yoshitoki.
Ebisu Scroll: Carried by Kajiwara Kagetoki
Reimyogan: 1) In the extreme northwest corner of Kamakura
2) At the end of the north-south road furthest to the east
3) At the end of the north-south road furthest to the west (Easy/Normal only)
4) In the southwest corner of the Hachiman Palace (Easy/Normal only)
5) In a crate right near Yoritomi himself
Remyo-Senzu:
1) In a crate in the road north of the entrance to Kamakura (Easy/Normal only)
2) In a crate at the dead-end alley behind where Oyama Tomomasa starts at
3) At the extreme southwest corner of Kamakura
Reimyo-Shinsui: 1) At the western road north out of Kamakura (Easy/Normal only)
2) At the east end of the island in the Hachiman Palace (Easy/Normal only)
Rank Rewards: Ebisu Scroll/Item Tome/Shishio-Maru
UNITS:
======
Enemies: 2 Kamakura Cavalry, 6 Kamakura Archers, 3 Kamakura Shieldsfighters,
4 Kamakura Naginata troops
Enemy Generals: Hatakeyama Shigetada, Wada Yoshimori, Oyama Tomomasa,
Doi Sanehira, Chiba Tsunetane, Hojo Yoshitoki, Kajiwara Kagetoki,
Minamoto Yoritomo
Reinforcements: 6 Kamakura Swordsmen, 7 Kamakura Cavalry, 2 Kamakura Archers,
4 Kamakura Shieldsfighters, 2 Kamakura Naginata Troops
STRATEGY:
=========
As you'll probably notice, you're up against some pretty serious opposition
here. A whopping eight enemy generals and more soldiers than you can shake a
stick at means there's going to be some heavy fighting before this stage is
done. You'll have things a lot easier if your generals are well-developed; if
they're not, you might want to consider replaying some missions in Free Mode to
beef them up a bit.
The hardest of the missions on this stage is definitely "Burst Through;" you
need to chain 10 Strategems in a row in order to complete it. The best way to
do this is to bring in characters that have fast-acting, easy-to-succeed
Strategems like Reppa or Tsumuji, and equip them with the weakest weapons
possible. If they equip strong weapons, they'll kill your enemies too quickly,
and you'll run out of targets to use your Strategems on. Obviously you're best
off trying this when your generals' Spirit levels are high, and when there are
large numbers of enemies. The Tsurugaoka-Hachiman Palace gate is the best place
to try this. If you want a cheap and easy way to do this, bring in Kanemitsu
with Return Fire, and your other general with Rally. Park yourself in front of
one of the two southern fortresses and all the archers, and have Kanemitsu use
Return Fire. The minute it succeeds, cancel his Stratagem and have him use
Return Fire again. Meanwhile, have your other general using Rally over and over
again to keep Kanemitsu's Spirit levels up.
When you start out, you'll be faced with Hatakeyama Shigetada and his troops.
Kill them and proceed through the north gate to Kamakura. Wada Yoshimori will
be waiting either at or behind the gate. Once you deal with him and his troops,
you've got a choice. To get into the Tsurugaoka-Hachiman Palace, you have to go
by either the east or west sides of the city. If you want to complete all the
missions, this is a no-brainer, as the cavalry you have to kill is on the east
side of the city. However, there's some good stuff as well as good score-
building opportunities on the west side as well, so it doesn't hurt to clear
out both.
The east side of Kamakura is filled with cavalry. It's good to get them out of
the way first before clearing out the west side (if you do that) as you tend to
soak up a lot of damage by horses whacking into you. Oyama Tomomasa is leading
the cavalry troop; you need to kill him to complete the "Cavalry" mission. Doi
Sanehira is also waiting for you at the south side with large numbers of
archers.
The west side of Kamakura has mainly standard ground troops like Swordsmen and
Naginata troops. There aren't any generals here except the archer general at
the south end, Chiba Tsunetane.
The entrance to Hachiman Palace proper is guarded by a huge contingent of
troops, led by Hojo Yoshitoki. With over 35 soldiers waiting for you, this is
the perfect place to try and chain 10 Strategems together. If your Generals'
Spirit levels dip too low, use your Commander's Setsuna-no-Saku to try and buy
some time, as it also counts as a Strategem.
There are a fair number of troops stationed inside the Palace; on the ground
Kajiwara Kagetoki leads a team of 13 bow and naginata soldiers. He's pretty
tough, so keep an eye on your generals' and subordinates' health. Once he and
his troops are dead, run around the stage and collect all the healing items you
can before climbing the stairs.
At the top of the stairs, Yoshinaka will confront Yoritomo. Yoritomo then will
attack himself with a contingent of archers. Being the "last boss" of the game,
Yoritomo is a real juggernaut. He can give even level 40+ characters a run for
their money, to say nothing of weaker subordinates. Make judicious use of
blocking, and try to circle around behind him.
When Yoritomo dies, there's a cutscene where he asks Yoshinaka to build a
country led by warriors, as he would. Yoshinaka asks his retainers for their
continued help, as he wants to undo some of the damage his fighting and rebuild
the country. You've now won the Yoshinaka scenario with the "good" ending.
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
|#############################################################################|
|#############################################################################|
|############### THE TAIRA CLAN ###############|
|#############################################################################|
|#############################################################################|
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
===============================================================================
TAIRA SCENARIO, STAGE 1:
PRINCE MOCHIHITO'S EDICT (以仁王の令旨)
===============================================================================
The year is 1180. At this time, the tyranny of the Taira know no bounds, and
they have even put the Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa under house arrest. In
response to the Taira's despotism, the downtrodden Genji stand up and resist.
Minamoto Yukiie and other generals joined forces with Go-Shirakawa's second
son,
Prince Mochihito, and start a rebellion. Many powerful temples joined in the
rebellion, and anti-Taira sentiment rapidly spread, creating a crisis in the
capital. In response, Taira Kiyomori sends out Taira Tomomori to deal with the
threat. Taira Tomomori moved out a huge army and started to drive the anti-
Taira forces back. Prince Mochihito gathered his remaining forces together and
prepared to make a last stand at Uji Temple.
Tomomori has driven back the anti-Taira forces. However, Uji Temple sports many
famous warrior monks like Gochiin-Tajima and Jomyo-Meishu. In addition, the
Minamoto general Yukiie holds Prince Mochihito's edict and is prepared to
escape with it. Tomomori set out to defeat these generals to protect the Taira
empire...
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
This is really the battle that opened the Genpei war, and the first major
battle described in the _Heike Monogatari._ Prince Mochihito, second son of
Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa, was for some reason passed over for the throne
(His older brother and then younger brother were crowned Emperor) but still
held some clout, and was a favorite among the Genji, who hoped he would take
the throne. As a response to the Taira's unprecedented power grab, Mochihito
issued an edict to the Minamoto warriors to drive the Taira out of the capital.
He aligned with the monks of Miidera and was planning a night raid on Kyoto,
but the monks stayed up arguing about logistics and arrived too late to do any
good. The Taira sent out forces to chase down Prince Mochihito and Minamoto
Yorimasa, who was helping him escape. They clashed with Miidera warrior-monks
at the bridge over the Uji River, and the monks tore up the planks of the
bridge and fought on the remaining framework. (Gochiin-Tajima and Jomyo-Meishu
in particular are mentioned in the _Monogatari_ of achieving especially great
feats) However, the Taira moved south and forded the river, eventually catching
up with Mochihito. He was killed and beheaded, and had his head paraded through
the capital. Needless to say, that the Taira were able to kill a member of the
Imperial family and get away with it is a testament to the breadth of their
political clout in those days.
MISSIONS:
=========
Defeat Prince Mochihito (以仁王を倒せ)
--------------------------------------
This is the main mission of the stage. To complete it, you have to kill Prince
Mochihito. Prince Mochihito is no pushover, especially for starting generals,
so this can be tough.
Gochiin-Tajima and Jomyo-Meishu (五賀院但馬と浄妙明秀)
------------------------------------------------------
Gochiin-Tajima and Jomyo-Meishu guard the bridge over the Uji river and start
the stage scrapping with your allied forces. To complete this mission, you have
to kill them both.
Search for Minamoto Yukiie (源行家の捜索)
-----------------------------------------
Minamoto Yukiie is positioned on the side of the bridge over the Uji river
opposite from when you start. As soon as you cross the bridge, he will run for
the exit and try to escape. To complete this mission, you have to defeat him
before he gets away.
Assist your allied Generals (友軍の大将と協力せよ)
--------------------------------------------------
There are three allied Generals that you have to protect in this mission;
Ashikaga Tadatsuna, Fujiwara Tadakiyo, and Fujiwara Tadamitsu. If any one of
them dies, you fail this mission.
Valuable Weapons (貴重な武具)
-----------------------------
There's a Miike-Mitsuyo in a crate near Mochihito's camp. You have to get it to
complete this mission. (After you get the Miike-Mitsuyo the first time, a
Valuable Scroll will appear in its place; if you play the stage through a
second time, you have to get it to complete this mission)
ITEMS:
======
Miike-Mitsuyo/Valuable Scroll: In the crate to the east of Mochihito's camp
Guard Tome/Health Certificate: Carried by Gochiin-Tajima
Keaki Strongbow/Technique Certificate: Carried by Jomyo-Meishu
Ebisu Scroll: In the crate a little further south of the river ford
Reimyogan: 1) Right north of the Uji Bridge (Easy Only)
2) In a crate between where Yukiie starts and the exit behind him
3) By the northeast corner of Mochihito's camp
4) To the north of Mochihito's camp, by the river outlet
5) By the exit north of Mochihito's camp
6) Carried by Minamoto Nakakie
7) In a crate right by Mochihito himself (Hard only)
Reimyo-Senzu: 1) In a crate by the exit to the northeast of the Uji Bridge
2) In place of Reimyogan 7 on Easy and Normal
Rank Rewards: Bishamon Scroll/Volley Tome/Spear Charge Tome
UNITS:
======
Allied Generals: Ashikaga Tadatsuna, Fujiwara Tadakiyo, Fujiwara Tadamitsu
Enemies: 1 Minamoto Swordsman, 3 Minamoto Archers, 3 Minamoto Naginata troops,
1 Minamoto Shieldsfighter
Enemy Generals: Gochiin-Tajima, Jomyo-Meishu, Minamoto Yukiie,
Minamoto Nakatsuna, Minamoto Yorimasa, Minamoto Nakaie, Prince Mochihito
Reinforcements: 5 Minamoto Swordsmen, 4 Minamoto Naginata troops
STRATEGY:
=========
This is the first stage for the Taira, and it's a real tough one. Not tough to
complete, but tough to complete perfectly and/or get a ranking of Gunjin. In
fact, it's one of those stages you might want to come back later and tackle to
try and get a better score.
There are two missions here that are epecially difficult; the toughest is
"Search for Yukiie." Yukiie is located on the other side of the Uji bridge from
where you start. As soon as you cross the bridge and get close to him, he turns
around immediately and runs for the exit. If he escapes, you fail this mission.
The second most difficult mission is "Cooperate with Allied generals." You've
got three generals to protect; Ashikaga Tadatsuna, Fujiwara Tadakiyo, and
Fujiwara Tadamitsu. The Fujiwaras scrap it out with the monks on the Uji
bridge; Tadatsuna goes through the ford in the river and goes after Minamoto
Nakatsuna. If you leave any of them alone for long enough, they'll get killed.
To start with, clear out the bridge. However, before you reach the bridge, have
one of your generals Guard Tadatsuna, otherwise his unit will be torn to pieces
by the time you can get to him. Once all the enemies in the bridge area are
dead, the Fujiwaras are basically safe, whereas you pretty much have to clear
the stage to keep Tadatsuna safe. When you reach the bridge you'll have to deal
with Gochiin-Tajima and Jomyo-Meishu. Unlike he was in the _Heike Monogatari_,
Jomyo-Meishu isn't that tough to deal with, but Gochiin-Tajima is a juggernaut
and can deal really nasty damage to you, especially when you're a low level.
Take both out as soon as you can. It's a good idea to use Tokitada's Taunt to
lure them toward you, as it's easy to get caught up in a melee on the bridge
and get too close to the other side, prompting Yukiie to beat a hasty retreat.
If, during this battle at any time do you see Yukiie's unit start to move away,
drop everything and go after him, as you only have about 20 seconds to stop him
once he starts running. If you manage to kill all the monks on the bridge
without spooking Yukiie, you're in luck. Move about 3/4 of the way down the
bridge and have Tokitada taunt the soldiers on the other side. If you're lucky,
it will work on Yukiie and he will charge right toward you. Once he's on the
bridge he'll think better of it and try to flee, but will go for the exit on
the other side of the map--straight through your troops. If he does this, it's
MUCH easier to kill him. It's possible to kill him if he runs away from you,
(he's slower on his feet than most other characters) but much harder.
If you've managed to kill Yukiie and the monks, don't stick around. Troops will
endlessly come at you from the northwest exit until you head south. Soften up
the remaining enemies so that the Fujiwaras can deal with them, then rush south
to come to Tadatsuna's aid. If you're lucky, he'll still have a decent chunk of
life left; if you're not lucky he'll be on death's doorstep, and you'll have to
focus all your energies for the duration of the stage into protecting him.
Defeat Minamoto Nakatsuna and any other soldiers hanging around, then head into
Mochihito's compound through the west entrance. (being sure to pick up the
special item in the box near that door)
Once inside the compound, you'll have to face off against Minamoto Yorimasa and
then Minamoto Nakaie before you can take on Prince Mochihito. At this point
reinforcements will start pouring into the compound so things can get pretty
hectic. Keep tabs on Tadatsuna's life, and kill all the soldiers you can before
going after Mochihito himself.
Mochihito himself is slow, but his sword packs a very hefty punch, and will
usually knock you to the ground in a single attack. For characters with low
life, he can be a real challenge, and he's a death sentence to Tadatsuna if he
gets close, so kill him as quickly as possible. Once you do, the stage is over.
This is a very difficult stage to score Gunjin on, and even if you complete all
the missions, as most of the Tadatsuna and Fujiwara troops will probably be
killed, reducing your score. To compensate, kill as many enemies as possible,
and chain as many Strategems as possible. I find that trying to win this stage
in Story Mode is a lot harder than in Free Mode. If you play in Free Mode, I
suggest you make your main character Kikuo-Maru; he's very fast, so can both
easily catch up with Yukiie before he escapes, and also come to the your
allies' defense quickly, as speed is of the essence in this mission.
When you complete this mission, if either of the Fujiwaras or Tadatsuna
survived, they will join you as retainers.
===============================================================================
TAIRA SCENARIO, STAGE 2:
CONSUMING THE MORNING SUN (残月日を食す)
===============================================================================
The Taira killed Prince Mochihito, but didn't realize how much opposition there
was to the Heike. This is because Minamoto Yukiie escaped from the Taira and
spread Mochihito's edict. In response to the edict, many warriors joined
together with the Genji to oppose the Taira. In Kiso, Minamoto Yoshitomo's
nephew, Kiso Yoshinaka, and in Kamakura, the heir to the Minamoto clan,
Minamoto Yoritomo declare war. The misfortune of the Taira didn't stop there.
The powerful and overwhelmingly influential head of the clan, Dajo Daijin Taira
Kiyomori, dies of illness. His heir, Munemori, did not have nearly the same
amount of ability as his father. The Taira army lost again and again to
Yoshinaka's forces. Tomomori persudes Munemori to abandon the difficult-to-
defend Kyoto, and flee to the western provinces. Yoshinaka enters the capital,
but the battle exhaustion his forces suffered started to take their toll.
Without enough food, Yoshinaka's forces start robbing the populace. The "rising
sun Shogun," hero that rescued Kyoto, started to lose the favor of the people.
With things standing like this, Emperor Go-Shirakawa orders Yoshinaka to defeat
the Taira forces. Obeying this order, Yoshinaka heads toward Mizushima, where
Tomomori's army was. As soon as Yoshinaka leaves the capital, Go-Shirakawa
turns around and orders Yoritomo to kill Yoshinaka. It was all part of his plan
to get rid of the Taira, and then the Kiso army, which was becoming too
dificult to handle. Not aware of the Emperor's plan, Yoshinaka heads to
Mizushima. It was the first day of the 10th month of the leap year, in 1183. On
the day of a solar eclipse, Tomomori heads out with a fresh and ready army to
drive back Yoshinaka...
The island Mizushima, in the Seto Inland Sea, is well-known as a Taira base.
Even with little in the way of naval forces, Yoshinaka obeyed the Emperor's
order and attacked this island. Today is the day of a solar eclipse. Tomomori
heads out with a fresh and ready army to drive back Yoshinaka...
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
One thing that's worth noting in this level is that contrary to what the intro
to this level says, Tomomori did NOT in fact persuade Munemori to abandon the
capital. Just the opposite, in fact--Tomomori had all been for putting up a
fierce last stand in Kyoto against the incoming Kiso soldiers. Speaking of the
Kiso soldiers, they never really had a chance in this battle. They had no sort
of navy whatsoever (whereas the Taira were experienced sailors) and their army
was demoralized from the lack of food, due to the famine and drought in Kyoto.
Not to mention the fact that the Taira had a pretty good base of operations in
the west too. Once the Taira caught Yoshinaka's forces by surprise at
Mizushima,
their loss was pretty much a done deal. While not mentioned in the game, after
this battle they also defeated Yoshinaka again in the province of Harima.
MISSIONS:
=========
Kiso Soldiers (木曽兵)
----------------------
This is the main mission of the stage; you have to completely eliminate all the
Kiso forces, either by killing them or making them flee.
Rising Sun Shogun, Kiso Yoshinaka (旭将軍・木曽義仲)
----------------------------------------------------
To complete this mission, you have to defeat Yoshinaka himself. This one is
also required, as I'm pretty sure Yoshinaka himself will not retreat.
Minimize your losses (自軍の犠牲を抑えろ)
-----------------------------------------
This mission is pretty easy; you have to make sure that fewer than 10 of your
subordinates get killed.
Advance Units (先行部隊)
------------------------
Yoshinaka will send three teams of Elite Footsoldiers ahead as Advance Units.
They'll jump over the northern jetty and attack your northwestern forces. Kill
them all to complete this mission.
Leave enemies alive; make them retreat (力を残し撤退させよ)
-----------------------------------------------------------
This is the toughest mission of the stage; you have to make at least 20 enemies
retreat. They have to escape, too, not just run away; if you or an ally kills a
fleeing Kiso soldier, that doesn't count.
ITEMS:
======
Assault Tome/Attack Certificate: Carried by Yada Yoshikiyo
Hoten Tome/Defense Certificate: In a box near Yada Yoshikiyo
Return Fire Tome/Techinque Certificate: On the eastern coast of the island
Reimyogan: 1) On the northwest beach of the island (Easy/Normal only)
2) A the dead-end on the west side of the island (Hard only)
3) On the north shore, behind where Yoshinaka is (Hard only)
4) At the extreme northeast corner of the stage (Easy only)
Reimyo-Senzu: 1) In place of Reimyogan 2 on Easy and Normal
2) In place of Reimyogan 3 on Easy and Normal
Rank Rewards: Ebisu Scroll/False Alarm Tome/Volley Tome
UNITS:
======
Allied: 8 Taira Archers, 8 Taira Naginata troops
Allied Reinforcements: 5 Taira Archers, 1 Taira Naginata Troop
Allied Generals: Taira Michimori
Enemies: 10 Kiso Swordsmen, 3 Kiso Naginata troops, 3 Kiso Elite Footsoldiers
Enemy Generals: Kiso Yoshinaka, Yada Yoshikio, Unno Yukihiro
STRATEGY:
=========
In contrast to the previous Taira stage, this one is easy to score Gunjin on,
providing you do it right. The trick to this stage is not to bring any generals
with you. True, you won't be able to score any chain Stratagems, but to get a
high score in this stage, you have to let at least 20 enemies escape. This is
tough to do when you've got AI soldiers who have a tendency to go in for the
kill. If you want to be REALLY careful, you can not bring any subordinates at
all.
At the beginning of the stage, there's a cutscene where Shigehira and Tomomori
talk about their plan to rout the Yoshinaka forces using the oncoming eclipse.
(Yoshinaka's soldiers are superstitious hicks that don't understand these sorts
of things)
When you start the stage, run to the northwest corner of the map as fast as you
can. Right at the beginning, Yoshinaka's Elites will rush your allies and make
mincemeat of them. If you run to where they're heading to start with, you can
kill them without them taking out a single soldier. These are really the only
soldiers in the stage that pose a significant danger to your own, so by killing
them quick, you complete two missions at once.
After the Elites are dead, go and fight Yoshinaka. There will be a cutscene
where Tomomori respectfully suggests Yoshinaka leave and informs him that Go-
Shirakawa has send a Yoritomo force after him. (Of course Yoshinaka doesn't
believe this) At this point the eclipse kicks in, scaring the Kiso forces.
Yoshinaka is very powerful. If your character isn't sufficiently experienced
(ie you only played the first stage a few times) he can really beat the
stuffing out of you. Make judicious use of blocking and look out for his
subordinates, getting blows in when he's recovering. Once Yoshinaka is out of
energy he'll order his forces to retreat.
At this point, clearing the remainder of the stage is easy. Two enemy generals,
Yada Yoshikiyo, and Unno Yukihiro will stick around to fight you, but they're
not too terribly difficult. Focus entirely on killing unit captains, and if the
enemy retreats, let them escape. Once all the enemies are either dead or have
escaped, you win the stage. Keep your army in continuous Itsukushima Formation
as by draining the enemy's Spirit, you can frequently cause them to run just
by being in their presence.
If he survives (and he should, unless you're doing something wrong he should
never even get close to an enemy) Taira Michimori will join you as a
subordinate after you complete this stage.
===============================================================================
TAIRA SCENARIO, STAGE 3:
SUBJUGATING THE WESTERN PROVINCES (西国の平定)
===============================================================================
The Taira army defeated Yoshinaka at Mizushima, but there was still quite a lot
of anti-Heishi sentiment in the western provinces. At Yoritomo's instigation,
many of the powerful families in the west openly rebelled against the Heishi.
The western countries are originally the main base of the Heishi; they could
not afford to ignore a rebellion in the land that was their lifeline. Tomomori
ordered Taira Noritsune to subjugate them. Taira Noritsune, who had been known
as the most skilled archer in the palace while in Kyoto, organized an army and
set out to quell the revolts in the western provinces.
The numbers of those from powerful families that are rebelling against the
Heishi in the western countries are not small. Ama Tadakage from the provice of
Awaji is one of them. In order to end the revolts, Noritsune heads to Ama
Tadakage's base of operations...
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
This stage is basically a mass lumping-together of several battles chronicled
in Chapter 9, part 6 of the _Heike Monogatari._ Basically, in the western
provinces, which were the traditional Taira base of support, there were a fair
number of officials that started to defect to the Genji. Noritsune launched
attacks on those defectors to bring them "back into the fold," and this chapter
describes six particular revolts that Noritsune put down--In particular, this
stage focuses on the second, fourth, and fifth ones. The main enemy of
Noritsune in this chapter is Kawano Michinobu, from Iyo province in Shikoku,
who figures in revolts #2, 3, and 6. First Michinobu (revolt #2) flees to Aki
province (in western Honshu) to get help from his uncle, Numata Jiro. Numata
Jiro eventually surrendered, but Michinobu escaped. Ama Tadakage (revolt #4)
was from Awaji (that little island between Shikoku and Honshu) and he defected
to the Genji too, but was quickly trounced by Noritsune, and he fled to Izumi
province. Sonobe Tadayasu joined forces with Ama Tadakage there (revolt #5) but
was powerless against Noritsune's overwhelming force. Both men managed to
escape to Kyoto, but they left all their men behind, who got slaughtered by
Noritsune's army.
MISSIONS:
=========
General Ama Tadakage (大将・安摩忠景)
-------------------------------------
This is the main mission of the stage. You have to defeat Ama Tadakage. It's
actually divided into two parts. The first part is to defeat Ama Tadakage. The
second part is to do it quickly--within 10 minutes of the stage starting.
Sonobe Tadayasu (園部忠康)
--------------------------
To finish this mission, you must defeat Sonobe Tadayasu before he flees the
stage. This is easier said than done, as Sonobe will always run rather than
fight.
Numata Jiro (沼田次郎)
----------------------
The enemy general Numata Jiro is hanging out in the southwest part of the
stage.
Kill him to complete this mission.
Logs (丸太)
-----------
There are two large log piles in this stage. If you attack them enough, you
will dump the logs into the pathway, blocking enemies from escaping. However,
this is not a mission that you get any credit for, so you can ignore it. (See
"General Ama Tadakage" above for the fifth mission)
Archer Tower Burning Arrow Units (矢倉の火矢隊)
-----------------------------------------------
There are several Archer Towers in this stage, manned by archers that shoot
flaming arrows. To complete this mission, you have to kill them all.
ITEMS:
======
Bishamon Scroll: In the tiny hut near the west log pile
Shogeki Scroll/Health Certificate: Carried by Sonobe Tadayasu
Drum of Fervor/Health Certificate: Behind the command post on the ship
Reimyogan: 1) Carried by Numata Jiro
2) At the dead-end by the west logpile (Easy/Normal only)
3) In the center enemy camp (Easy/Normal only)
4) Behind the center enemy camp (Easy/Normal only)
5) In the enclosed area by the beach
6) At the east edge of the beach (Easy/Normal only)
Rank Rewards: Ebisu Scroll/Onshin Tome/Shigeto Bow
UNITS:
======
Enemies: 4 Swordsmen, 9 Naginata Troops, 7 Archers, 1 Shieldsman
Enemy Generals: Numata Jiro, Sonobe Tadayasu, Ama Tadakage
Reinforcements: 2 Archers, 2 Naginata Troops, 2 Swordsmen
STRATEGY:
=========
In this stage, Noritsune is your main commander, and you can't bring in
Tomomori. This is another place where you have to act quickly. You have 10
minutes to complete the stage; you won't lose if you go over, but you won't get
a perfect score either. You will also need an archer general to get a perfect
score. The trickiest (and most annoying) part of this stage is dealing with
Sonobe Tadayasu. Tadayasu is an abject coward, who will run at the first sight
of you. After about three minutes, he'll also run for the nearest exit. Your
first priority should be catching Tadayasu and killing him.
Catching Tadayasu is a pain in the butt, but if you're lucky, you can use the
logs in this stage to trap him. The locations with stars on the map are log
piles; attack them until they run out of energy and the logs will roll into the
path and block it. If you block both paths, you can sometimes chase Tadayasu
onto path where you cut down the northeastern log pile, which will now be a
dead-end that leads to the ship.
At the start of the stage, run southwest and kill off Numata Jiro as fast as
you can. Don't bother with his subordinates; instead, run to the western log
pile and release the logs onto the path.
Now, Tadayasu will probably be standing still somewhere either on the far east
side of the stage, or where you first started out the stage. Run at him, and
try and chase him up the path with the northeastern log pile. Because the way
he runs is random, you can't always do this. If you can get him to run up that
road, you're set, but until then, you should get him to run, then try and turn
around, cut him off at the pass, and kill him. If you can get him to run past
the northeastern log pile, release those logs down onto the path near the exit;
Tadayasu is now trapped. Even if you've already managed to kill Tadayasu by the
time you get to the northeast log pile, you should still cut it down. If you
don't, then when you reach Ama Tadakage he'll run instead of making a last
stand on the ship. He won't leave the stage, but it can be a pain in the rear
to try and catch him.
Once Tadayasu is dead, head into the main enemy camp. Have your archers target
the archer towers. Unless you lucked out and got it as a random item, you
probably won't have Fire Arrow yet, which will make this a little more
difficult, but if you DO have Fire Arrow, you're set. Don't worry about killing
off all the enemies in the camp; just clear the archer towers and move on.
Once the archer towers have been cleared, head to the ship. Here you'll have to
fight Ama Tadakage. He's not particularly difficult, but there will probably be
a LOT of soldiers accompanying him, so this can become a pretty pitched and
frenetic battle. That is, if you cut down the log piles--if you didn't, then
Tadakage will make a break for it and you'll have to chase him down. Assuming
that you managed to trap him, keep an eye on your soldiers' health, and if
anyone's seems to dip too low, run off the ship and pick up one of the
Reimyogans that are in the boxes by the bay.
Once Ama Tadakage is dead, you finish the stage. Also, by completing this stage
you unlock the Special Battle "Mopping Up the Minamoto Army."
===============================================================================
TAIRA SCENARIO, STAGE 4:
CHERRY BLOSSOMS SCATTERING IN SUMA (須磨に散る桜)
===============================================================================
Around this time, Kiso Yoshinaka, who had fought the Heishi at Mizushima, was
defeated by the Kamakura army. The one that defeated him was Minamoto
Yoshitsune, who was said to be Yoritomo's younger brother. However, while the
Genji were fighting amongst themselves, the Heishi subjugated the western
provinces. Positioning over 10,000 soldiers at Ichi-no-Tani, they had regained
enough strength to start planning to retake the capital. Ichi-no-Tani is a
natural fortress, surrounded by the ocean and steep cliffs. Furthermore,
without a proper navy, the Genji were forced to attack via land. Yoritomo
ordered the brothers Noriyori and Yoshitsune to attack Ichi-no-Tani. In
comparison to the battle at Mizushima, the Heishi had a strong army, all ready
and primed for battle with a rock-solid foundation, yet Noriyori and Yoshitsune
attacked with only a handful of soldiers. No matter how one looked at the
situation, victory for the Taira seemed assured...
In response to the Minamoto's advance from the east, the Taira army have set up
a solid formation. With such a huge advantage, their allies' morale is also
high. Like catching fish in a net, the Taira army drives the Minamoto into a
corner...
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
This is the battle of Ichi-no-Tani, only from the Taira side. Ichi-no-Tani was
actually a very good choice of bases for the Taira; had it not been for superb
military tactics on the part of the Genji they might have been able to retake
the capital from there. By solidifying their positions in the western provinces
while the Yoritomo and Yoshinaka fought each other, the Heishi had a real
opportunity. Both the Kamakura and Kiso soldiers would be weakened--whoever
won--and with the drought/famine in Kyoto and the Genji soldiers so far from
their home bases in the eastern provinces, they really have a chance. Plus the
Heishi had more soldiers; some accounts talk of how people in Kyoto were
deathly afraid of an imminent Taira attack on the city. However, even without
Yoshitsune's daring ploy, they might not have been able to prevail; there were
few capable warriors amongst the Heike (and their head, Munemori, was a total
incompetent) and they really were more bred to be courtiers than true military
tactitians anyway.
MISSIONS:
=========
Minamoto Yoshitsune Attacks (源義経の来襲)
------------------------------------------
There are two ways to finish this mission. First, you can kill Yoshitsune.
Second, you can escape from him in the northeast corner of the stage. Either
way, once you complete this mission, the stage is over.
Yoshitsune's older brother, Minamoto Noriyori (義経の兄・源範頼)
----------------------------------------------------------------
While he doesn't appear at the beginning of the stage, Minamoto Noriyori will
come as an enemy reinforcement. Defeat him to finish this mission.
Destroy the remaining Minamoto Army (残る源軍を討て)
----------------------------------------------------
To finish this mission, you have to kill 50 Minamoto soldiers. However, you
have to complete this mission BEFORE Yoshitsune launches his surprise attack.
Any enemies killed after the surprise attack don't count toward this mission.
Chain Stratagems together (連策を決めろ)
----------------------------------------
Chain at least three Strategems together in order to finish this mission.
Valuable Items (貴重な道具)
---------------------------
Kamata Morimasa is carrying something valuable. Kill and loot him to finish
this mission.
ITEMS:
======
Guard Tome/Defense Certificate: In the crate right by the northeast exit
Calming Tome/Health Certificate: Carried by Kumagai Naozane
Konmeisai/Valuabe Scroll: Carried by Kamata Morimasa
Daikoku Scroll: In a box in the dead-end behind the central camp.
Reimyogan: 1) In the southwest corner of the northern camp (Easy/Normal only)
2) In a box at the dead-end behind the central tented area (Hard only)
3) In a box in the inner courtyard of the western fortress (Easy/Normal only)
4) Carried by Minamoto Noriyori (Easy/Normal only)
5) Carried by Miura Yoshitsura (Easy/Normal only)
Reimyo-Senzu: In place of Reimyogan 2 on Easy and Normal
Rank Rewards: Daikoku Scroll/Poison Arrow Tome/Kamakiri
UNITS:
======
Allied: 5 Taira Archers, 3 Taira Swordsmen, 7 Taira Naginata Troops,
1 Taira Cavalry
Allied Generals: Taira Shigehira, Gotonai Sadatsune, Taira Tadanori,
Taira Tsunemasa
Enemies: 7 Kamakura Swordsmen, 4 Kamakura Archers, 3 Kamakura Naginata troops,
1 Kamakura Cavalry
Enemy Generals: Kumagai Naozane, Minamoto Noriyori*, Kamata Morimasa*,
Minamoto Yoshitsune*, Miura Yoshitsura*
Reinforcements: Too many (and too chaotic) to effectively gauge
STRATEGY:
=========
This is an unusual stage as it has branching paths; a "historically accurate"
path and a secret, "Taira victorious" path--though actually, the "secret" path
is easier to do, in my opinion. If you do the secret path, you'll unlock the
first secret Taira stage.
To start with, you have an overwhelming advantage over the Minamoto. If you go
immediately to talk with Shigehira, he'll mention as much. However, later in
the stage, Yoshitsune will attack, and all of a sudden you'll be surrounded by
a near-wall of enemies. Yoshitsune will attack when you enter the western Taira
fortress, but until then, you're free to do whatever you want. This is also the
best time to complete the "Destroy the remaining Minamoto Army" and "Chain
Stratagems together" missions. The other three missions you won't be able to do
until Yoshitsune attacks.
Before Yoshitsune attacks, you've only got one general to deal with--Kumagai
Naozane. He's got a better defense than most other units to start with, but
they're mostly just archers, so you shouldn't have that much trouble. All the
other soldiers that you end up fighting are grunts, but you should take care of
them reasonably quickly. Reason being, you don't want any of your allied
generals to die. Protecting them is not a prerequisite for finishing the stage,
and you can probably even score Gunjin without saving them, but if you keep
them alive, they'll join you as subordinates after the stage. Also, you want to
kill ALL the soldiers in the entire stage before going to the western fortress.
You need to kill at least 50 enemies before Yoshitsune attacks--if you don't,
you'll fail the "Destroy the remaining Minamoto Army" mission.
Once you enter the western fortress, things get a little hairy. A soldier will
inform you that Yoshitsune attacked your formation from the rear by coming down
the sheer cliff behind you, shot Atsumori to death, and captured Shigehira.
Ouch, that's two of your playable characters. (As a side note, you'll never be
able to use Atsumori in any later Taira missions in Story Mode after this
point,
because he'll be dead--and the same goes for Shigehira, if you don't rescue him
from Genji prison in the first Secret Stage) Now the stage is suddenly teeming
with enemy soldiers.
As you start to move south to intercept Yoshitsune's men, Minamoto Noriyori
will come charging at you with his cavalry troop, ignoring you to invade the
fortress to the north and kill Taira Tsunemasa. If you can dismount him from
his horse before he gets there, great--otherwise, double-back and kill him
before proceeding onwards.
At the bend in the road, you'll be greeted by Kamata Morimasa, who will happily
try to kill you. You need to kill him, as the item he drops is the "Valuable
Item" you need in your quest. Polish off all the remaining soldiers nearby
before proceeding.
When you get to the central "tented" area, Yoshitsune will come up and smack
talk you, telling you that you're defeated, etc. At this point, Tomomori will
muse about whether or not it's better to try and fight Yoshitsune with what
remains left of his army, or to cut his losses and run--and a new "win
condition" will be added: you can finish the stage by escaping through the
northeast exit.
Whether you run or fight, you'll never get rid of Yoshitsune for the duration
of the stage. He'll stick to you like glue, chasing on your heels wherever you
go. For this reason, you pretty much can't go for a "kill all the enemy
soldiers in the stage" type of win, because it's next to impossible to travel
all over the stage, clearing out that many enemies without hitting Yoshitsune
enough to kill him. (which immediately ends the stage) If you decide to fight
Yoshitsune, you might as well do so as soon as you see him. (Plus, the longer
you drag your feet, the better the chance your allied soldiers will get killed)
If you just like killing generals for the sake of completion, the only new
general that's still alive will be Miura Yoshitsura--you might want to go up to
him and kill him, then Yoshitsune.
Running is actually in many ways the more difficult option, as you've got a
near-wall of enemies blocking your way to the exit point in the northeast
corner. You have to run right past them--if you fight the soldiers that stand
in your way, odds are Yoshitsune won't survive before you can escape. So, if
running is what you want to do, just make a break for it as soon as you see
Yoshitsune.
Once you clear the stage, what happens next depends on how you finished the it.
If you did things the historically accurate way and ran, your next stage will
be "Long Shot" where you have to face off against Yoshitsune again in the
Battle of Yajima. If you went and killed Yoshitsune, you'll unlock the first
"Secret Taira" stage, "Clouded Moon." In addition, if any of them survived the
battle, Gotonai Sadatsune, Taira Tadanori, and Taira Tsunemasa will join you as
subordinates.
===============================================================================
TAIRA SCENARIO, SECRET STAGE 1:
CLOUDED MOON (雲井の月)
===============================================================================
After winning the ferocious battle at Ichi-no-Tani, the Taira army took their
leftover army and headed to Kyoto. The time to retake the capital had finally
come. However, using the capital as a battleground would be the height of
foolishness. Tomomori set up his forces at the Uji river, but the guardian of
Kyoto, Minamoto Yukiie, showed no signs of leaving the capital to meet him.
With no other choice, Tomomori advanced his cavalry to Kyoto under cover of
night.
In response to the Taira force sneaking into the city under cover of darkness,
Yukiie quickly assembles a fighting force. Kyoto is already full of Genji
soldiers. In addition, a separate detachment is heading to free Shigehira, who
was captured at Ichi-no-Tani. Not only must the Taira retake the capital, but
also take care to secure the safety of the separate detachment as well.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
Obviously there's no historical background to this stage, as it's purely a
"what-if" type of scenario. Being defeated at Ichi-no-Tani, the Heike never got
a chance to retake the capital in the first place.
MISSIONS:
=========
Defeat Minamoto Yukiie (源行家を倒せ)
-------------------------------------
This is the main mission of the stage. You have to kill Minamoto Yukiie, and
when you do, you'll finish the stage.
Rescue Taira Shigehira (平重衛を救出せよ)
-----------------------------------------
Taira Shigehira is imprisoned in the southeast area of the stage. When you get
close, he'll make a break for it and try to escape, only to be pursued by a
large force of soldiers. To complete this mission, you have to kill off his
pursuers and keep him from dying.
Kill Minamoto Noriyori (源範頼を討て)
-------------------------------------
Minamoto Noriyori is hanging out at the northwest area of the stage. Kill him
within a minute of the stage starting to complete this mission.
Guard Unit (護衛隊)
-------------------
Miura Yoshizumi leads the guard unit near where Shigehira is imprisoned. Kill
him to complete this mission.
Assist your allies (友軍に加勢せよ)
-----------------------------------
Hattori Ienaga and Taira Morikuni are in this stage as allies. Contrary to what
the intro says, you don't have to keep them alive to complete this mission,
(though it's a good idea) only assist them. Of course, when you reach each,
they'll tell you they don't need help, so to finish this mission, you really
just have to move near both.
ITEMS:
======
Assault Tome/Attack Certificate: Carried by Minamoto Noriyori
Rally Tome/Health Certificate: In a box by where Noriyori is, near the
shrine at the end of the road
Koryo Ginseng/??: In a box between the fences near Yukiie. You can't get this
in Story mode (Tomomori doesn't jump high enough) but the first time in Free
Mode it always seems to be the Ginseng, and not random.
Benzai Scroll: In a box on the west bank of the river
Reimyogan: 1) At the southeast corner of the market (Easy/Normal only)
2) Right by the northern east-west bridge over the river
3) In the area that Shigehira gets attacked (Easy only)
4) At the dead-end off the northernmost street of the stage (Easy/Normal only)
Rank Rewards: Benzai Scroll, Defense Gauntlet, Nukemaru
UNITS:
======
Allied Generals: Hattori Ienaga, Taira Morikuni, Taira Shigehira
Enemies: 5 Kamakura Swordsmen, 3 Kamakura Archers, 10 Kamakura Naginata Troops,
4 Kamakura Shieldsfighters, 1 Kamakura Elite Footsoldier troop
Enemy Generals: Minamoto Noriyori, Miura Yoshizumi, Minamoto Yukiie
Reinforcements: 5-6ish Kamakura Naginata Troops
STRATEGY:
=========
The first thing you should do in this stage is kill Minamoto Noriyori as fast
as you can. If you bother with the soldiers between your starting position and
him, you'll never make it in time; ignore everyone and run straight to him.
Once he's dead, then you can deal with the grunt soldiers around. This would
also be a good time to say hi to Hattori Ienaga and Taira Morikuni and complete
that mission.
Once you've talked to both your soldiers and taken care of Noriyori and any
nearby soldiers, your next goal should be to rescue Shigehira. This is the
trickiest of the missions to complete. When you get close to where Shigehira is
being held, he'll escape on his own and get pursued by a huge force of Minamoto
soldiers. Since he's by himself, he won't last long, so you have to get to him
as soon as possible to help him. The main problem is that the layout of the
stage makes getting to him difficult. There are large numbers of barriers in
just the wrong positions.
The ony way to Shigehira is over the bridge where Miura Yoshizumi is stationed.
If you approach the river further south than this, Shigehira will escape early
and you won't have as much time to reach him. Cross the bridge where Yoshizumi
is, then proceed through the buildings south to where Shigehira is fighting his
pursuers. Kill them all off before he dies, and there will be a cutscene where
he thanks you and re-commits himself to the Taira cause.
At this point, you've done all the time-sensitive missions, and can complete
the stage at your leisure. Minamoto Yukiie is an absolute pushover so you
should have little trouble with him. Once he's dead, you've won the stage, and
will unlock the second Taira Secret Stage, "To the East."
If they survive, Hattori Ienaga and Taira Morikuni will join you as
subordinates.
===============================================================================
TAIRA SCENARIO, STAGE 5:
LONG SHOT (遠矢)
===============================================================================
The Taira army suffered a great defeat at the hands of a totally unexpected
surprise attack, but still holds many bases in the western provinces. Tomomori
assembled his army at Yashima and put the Noto governor Taira no Noritsune in
charge of them. Yoritomo put Kajiwara Kagetoki in charge of his forces to
attack Yashima, but Noritsune defended against them well, and after half a
year,
the Genji forces had gained no ground. The date was the twenty-ninth day of the
second month, the day after a fierce rain. After receiving word of a major
thrust from Kajiwara Kagetoki, the navy advanced to defend the coastline.
However, while the bulk of his allied navy was away from the main base to
intercept Kagetoki, Noritsune was hit with a surprise attack. The enemy general
Minamoto Yoshitsune, who had been responsible for the Taira army's great loss
at Ichi-no-Tani, had snuck onto Shikoku the day before under cover of the rain,
and attacked from the rear.
The Taira Army fell into confusion after being hit with a surprise attack via
land by Yoshitsune and his men. Given enough time, the allied navy will be
returning to help, but so will the enemy reinforcements. Noritsune set out to
defeat Yoshitsune before those enemy reincorcements could arrive...
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
Contrary to the vivid detail and embellishment given in the _Heike Monogatari,_
with regards to this battle, Yashima was really not much of a battle at all.
Yashima by itself was a prime position for Taira troops. The main Taira base
was at Hikojima, at the western end of Honshu, and Yashima, their second major
base, was at Shikoku. For this reason, Noriyori's expeditionary force to the
west couldn't really do anything. The Minamoto had nothing in the way of a navy
so could not attack Yashima effectively. However, should they try to go west
and attack Hikojima, the Taira based at Yashima could cross from Shikoku to
Honshu behind them, trapping Noriyori and cutting off his supply lines.
However,
the Taira were not at all prepared for an attack by land or from the rear. When
Yoshitsune torched all the commoners' houses to give the illusion of a huge
army attacking via land, the Taira simply fled.
MISSIONS:
=========
Defend Yashima (屋島を防衛せよ)
-------------------------------
Technically you can't finish this mission, as even if you do, Noritsune will
abandon Yashima to Yoshitsune's forces. But from a gameplay perspective, to
finish this mission (the main mission of the stage) you have to defeat Minamoto
Yoshitsune
Crack Archer Nasu Yoichi (弓名手・那須与一)
-------------------------------------------
Nasu Yoichi hangs out near Yoshitsune to defend him. To complete this mission,
you have to defeat him.
Kamata Mitsumasa (鎌田光政)
---------------------------
Kamata Mitsumasa is the first of the enemy generals that will attack Yashima.
Defeat him to complete this mission.
Unseat enemy cavalry (騎馬隊を落とせ)
-------------------------------------
This is a pretty simple mission to complete; you just have to knock at least 10
riders off their horses. Just regularly fighting the cavalry you come across
will be sufficient.
Assist your allies (友軍に加勢せよ)
-----------------------------------
Sakuraba Yoshito, Taira Kagekiyo, and Taira Tokitada are all pulling up the
rear in this stage. To complete this mission, you have to keep all of them
alive until the stage ends.
ITEMS:
======
Shuso Greatbow/Technique Certificate: In a box in the southeast
corner of the tented area you fight Yoshitsune and Yoichi in
False-Alarm Tome/Defense Certificate: Midway along the narrow north-south path
on the extreme east side of the level
Fukurokuju Scroll: In a pot by a house in the extreme northeast area of the
level
Reimyogan: 1) In the dead-center of Yashima (Easy/Normal only)
2) On the southwest beach of Yashima
3) On the shore linking Yashima with the mainland (Easy/Normal only)
4) Carried by Kamata Mitsumasa (Easy only)
5) Carried by Kondo Chikaie (Hard only)
6) In a box at the extreme northeast area of the level (Hard only)
Reimyo-Senzu: 1) In place of Reimyogan 5 on Easy and Normal
2) In place of Reimyogan 6 on Normal
Reimyo-Shinsui: In place of Reimyogan 6 and Reimyo-Senzu 2 on Easy
Rank Rewards: Fukurokuju Scroll/Rangeki Tome/Gobo-Honebami
UNITS:
======
Allied: 2 Taira Naginata Troops, 1 Taira Swordsman, 1 Taira Cavalry
Allied Generals: Sakuraba Yoshito, Taira Kagekiyo, Taira Tokitada*
Allied Reinforcements: 8 Taira Archers, 2 Taira Shieldsfighters
Enemies: 5 Kamakura Swordsmen, 6 Kamakura Naginata Troops, 3 Kamakura Archers,
2 Kamakura Shieldsfighters, 3 Kamakura Cavalry
Enemy Generals: Kondo Chikaie, Kamata Mitsumasa*, Nasu Yoichi*,
Minamoto Yoshitsune*
Reinforcements: 3 Kamakura Swordsmen, 2 Kamakura Naginata Troops,
1 Kamakura Archer, 3 Kamakura Cavalry
STRATEGY:
=========
Even though you have to play this stage with only Noritsune and Kikuo (and
Kikuo will get killed mid-stage) it's actually pretty easy to score Gunjin
here.
The toughest part is at the beginning, where you have to protect Sakuraba
Yoshito, Taira Tokitada, and Taira Kagekiyo. Tokitada you don't really have to
help at all as he can take care of himself quite well, and when he arrives, the
area he hangs out will probably already be cleared of enemies. Yoshito and
Kagekiyo, while not as tough as Tokitada, are also both pretty hardy. The one
difficulty is that Yoshito and Kagekiyo will both move in opposite directions
at the start of the stage, making it difficult to protect them both. If Kikuo-
Maru has Guard, that will help, but if Noritsune is developed enough and you
move quickly, you don't really need it; run back and forth supporting both
Yoshito and Kagekiyo alternately until Yashima is clear of enemies.
After a few minutes, Kamata Mitsumasa will appear at the south coast near the
island, and less than a minute afterwards, Minamoto Yoshitsune, Nasu Yoichi,
and Tokitada will arrive. There will be a long movie at this point where you
can see one of the most famous scenes of the _Heike Monogatari_ enacted; Taira
Tokitada challenges Yoshitsune's army to hit a fan mounted on his ship. Yoichi
ends up doing it after being goaded by Yoshitsune; after saying a short prayer
to the Bodhisattva Hachiman, Yoichi shoots his arrow and successfully hits the
fan.
At this point, you can now leave Yashima and chase down Yoshitsune. Yoshitsune
will immediately retreat. Fight your way to him--you'll have to fight and kill
Kondo Chikaie on the way--and when you get close, there will be a cutscene
where a flying Kunai from Kikuo kills Sato Tadanobu. Unfortunately for you,
Yoichi returns the favor, and shoots an arrow, killing Kikuo. You now have to
fight the rest of the stage alone.
First things first; avenge Kikuo-maru and skewer Yoichi on your naginata. Once
Yoichi is taken care of, you can turn your attentions to Yoshitsune. Defeat
Yoshitsune and the Minamoto reinforcements will arrive. Noritsune gives the
order to retreat, and the stage ends.
If they survived, Taira Kagekiyo and Sakuraba Yoshito will join you as
subordinates.
===============================================================================
TAIRA SCENARIO, STAGE 6:
SINKING BENEATH THE SURF (白波に沈む)
===============================================================================
While Yoshitsune was attacking Yashima, another Genji general, Noriyori, was
traveling west along the Chugokuro on Honshu. He attacked the last Taira
outpost at Hikojima. Taira Tomomori was guarding Hikojima, and successfully
held off Noriyori with his navy. After conquering Yashima, Yoshitsune traveled
to rendezvous with Noriyori. They joined together to finally put an end to the
Heishi army. What must have been going through Tomomori's mind after having set
up his forces in Ichi-no-Tani and Yashima yet failing? Resting on his shoulders
was not only the lives of his retainers, but the fate of his whole clan...
In response to the Minamoto army's attack, Tomomori launched his powerful and
skilled navy. The battle was being fought on an even level for a while, but
slowly the tide was turning in the favor of the Genji. Tomomori moved his own
boat closer to that of Yoshitsune, to settle things once and for all with his
arch-enemy that brought the Taira army to its end...
HISTORICAL INFO:
================
Fighting at Dan-no-Ura was a risky move on Tomomori's part to begin with. Dan-
no-Ura lies in the Straits of Shimonoseki, where Kyushu and Honshu are closest
together. Because of the tight location, the tides there are VERY rough making
for treacherous "ground" for fighting. As it so happened, the tide turned
against Tomomori quite literally. While earlier in the day, the Taira were in a
much better position for giving battle, once the directions of the tides
changed, the Minamoto now had the "geographical" advantage, and they were
finished, especially since Awa Shigeyoshi had turned traitor and started
attacking the Taira. Plus, Yoshitsune had specifically ordered his troops to
shoot at the people steering the ships, so many Taira boats soon went veering
out of control without helmsmen. Combined with the strong currents, this caused
most of the Taira ships to be driven against the rocky coast.
MISSIONS:
=========
Advancing enemy fleet (迫り来る敵船)
------------------------------------
This is the main mission of the stage. As you proceed through the stage, new
Minamoto ships carrying new Minamoto generals will arrive. To take care of the
fleet entirely, you must defeat its leader, Minamoto Yoshitsune.
Rendezvous with your generals (分隊長と合流せよ)
------------------------------------------------
At the beginning of this level, your commander is separated from your generals.
To complete this mission you must rendezvous with both of them, and they have
to kill over 20 enemies. (If you come into this level on Free Mode without any
generals, you automatically fail this mission)
Use Strategems (作戦を使え)
---------------------------
To complete this mission, you must use--and succeed--at least 10 Stratagems.
Formations don't count.
Lead your allies well (友軍を統率せよ)
--------------------------------------
If either of your generals gets killed, or your commander's life dips to a very
low level, Awa Shigeyoshi will turn coat and all his soldiers will suddenly
become your enemies. If that happens, you've failed this mission.
Reinforcement Fleet (援軍船)
----------------------------
One of the ships that arrive as a reinforcement is carrying one of the Three
Sacred Treasures, the Ama-no-Murakumo. To complete this mission, you need to
get it. (Or, after you've gotten it the first time, the Valuable Scroll that
takes its place)
ITEMS:
======
Drum of Fervor/Health Certificate: On the port side of the boat Ise Yoshimori
arrives on.
Ama-no-Murakumo(??)/Valuable Scroll: On the boat to the east of the one
that Yoichi rides on
Gekkosai/Defense Certificate: In a box on Yoshitsune's ship
Sanryaku/Technique Certificate: Carried by Nasu Yoichi
Daikoku Scroll: On the boat right behind you when you start the stage
Reimyogan: 1) On the boat west of Yoichi's boat (Normal/Hard only)
2) Carried by the archer captain on the raised platform (Easy/Normal only)
3) On the starboard side of the boat Reimyogan 2 is on (Easy only)
4) Carried by Ise Yoshimori (Normal/Hard only)
5) In a box on the boat that Ise Yoshimori rides (Easy only)
6) On the boat with the Ama-no-Murakumo (Hard only)
7) On the boat right before the one Benkei rides (Normal/Hard only)
8) Carried by Benkei (Normal/Hard only)
9) On the boat Benkei Rides (Easy/Normal only)
10) On the boat beyond the one Yoshitsune rides (Easy only)
Reimyo-Senzu: 1) In place of Reimyogan 1 on Easy
2) In place of Reimyogan 4 on Easy
3) In place of Reimyogan 6 on Easy or Normal
4) In place of Reimyogan 7 on Easy
5) In place of Reimyogan 8 on Easy
Rank Rewards: Daikoku Scroll/Bow Knowledge/Kogarasu-maru
UNITS:
======
Allied: 3 Taira Archers
Allied Generals: Awa Shigeyoshi
Allied Reinforcements: 3 Taira Archers
Enemies: 1 Kamakura Swordsman, 2 Kamakura Naginata Troops, 2 Kamakura Archers
Enemy Generals: Nasu Yoichi, Ise Yoshimori*, Musashibo Benkei*,
Minamoto Yoshitsune*
Reinforcements: 4 Kamakura Swordsmen, 10 Kamakura Naginata troops,
12 Kamakura Archers, 1 Kamakura Shieldsfighter
STRATEGY:
=========
This is the battle of Dan-no-Ura, fought from the Taira side. It's the last
stage in the "historically accurate" story path for the Heike. It's not a
terribly difficult stage; the main challenge is going up against four very buff
Minamoto generals, so well-developed characters will help a lot. Even still,
there are more healing items on this stage than you could possibly ever want,
so even with undeveloped characters, this isn't too much of a challenge.
Unless you're playing in Free Mode, your party makeup is predetermined;
(besides, there are only three Taira generals that are still alive) Tomomori is
your Commander, Tokitada is your first general, and Noritsune is your second
general. However, at the beginning of the stage, you're separated from both of
your generals. So, you start out by yourself. There aren't that many enemies to
start with, but more are coming.
Proceed south, killing enemies as you go, until you get to Nasu Yoichi. Yoichi
is not particularly tough once you get close to him (though his arrows pack a
punch) so he's really just a warm-up for the later enemies you're going to
face.
Once Yoichi is dead, the boat carrying Ise Yoshimori will arrive and connect
with your current boats. Tokitada will also rejoin you at this point. Make good
use of him to kill the 20 enemies with him (and Noritsune) necessary. Since
there are so many archers on this stage that only Tokitada can attack, this
shouldn't be too tough.
Make your way to the southwest boat, where Yoshimori is waiting for you.
Yoshimori is very tough, but his range is nowhere near as good as Tomomori's,
so if you stick and move you should be able to beat him without even getting
touched. Once Yoshimori is dead, the final boats with Musashibo Benkei and
Minamoto Yoshitsune arrive. However, don't head to those boats yet; instead,
head to the boat to the east of the one that Yoichi was on, and get the Ama-no-
Murakumo sword there.
Head to the boat with Benkei on it. Benkei is really strong and does really
nasty damage, but has openings a mile wide when he attacks; use this window to
deal critical hits to him. Once Benkei dies, the final bridge will descend and
Noritsune will join you. Now, head to face Yoshitsune.
Yoshitsune is the strongest of the enemy generals that you face, but if you
polish off his guards first, he shouldn't be tough if you're careful. Once you
defeat him, the stage is over and you've finished the Taira "historically
accurate" path. Yoshitsune dies (well, that's not historically accurate) but
the Taira are still defeated. Noritsune charges the Genji soldiers, and dies in
the melee. Tomomori decides to follow his lead.
===============================================================================
TAIRA SCENARIO, SECRET STAGE 2:
TO THE EAST (東へ)
===============================================================================
And thus, the Heishi retook the capital. Forseeing the rise of the Bushi class,
Tomomori tried to direct the future flow of events and sent an emissary to
Yoritomo, proposing an end to hostilities. However, Yoritomo refused. The
antagonism between the Taira and the Minamoto was too strong for any resolution
to be gained outside of battle. Reluctantly, Tomomori sent his army to
Kamakura.
He then faced Kajiwara Kagetoki at the Fuji River, the site of the Taira's
first great loss in the war.
The Fuji River has nearly as much tactical importance as Kamakura itself. The
Taira army set up their formation here, but the Minamoto, who have the
advantage of the terrain, show no letup in their offense. If the Taira did not
first solidify their position and wait for a good chance to attack, defeat
would be certain...
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
This is another "what if" scenario, so there's nothing in the way of historical
background to this level. If the Taira HAD been able to retake the capital
though, it probably would have been pretty tough for them to push all the way
back here to the Fuji river. They'd have to have spent a lot of time building
up their forces first, I imagine.
MISSIONS:
=========
Kagetoki's camp deep behind enemy lines (奥部に布陣する景時)
------------------------------------------------------------
The main mission of this stage is to defeat Kajiwara Kagetoki. He doesn't
appear on the map to start with, but under the right conditions, will. Once you
defeat him, the stage ends.
Protect your allies (友軍を守れ)
--------------------------------
This is another mission you need to complete in order to finish the level.
Taira Tsunemori and Taira Norimori are here with you as allies, and if either
of them dies, you lose the stage. Kill off all the enemies attacking them to
complete this mission.
Destroy the advancing Genji (迫る源氏を討て)
--------------------------------------------
To complete this mission, you have to kill 80 Genji soldiers before Kajiwara
Kagetoki arrives on the scene.
Minimize your losses (犠牲を抑えよ)
-----------------------------------
Not only do you have to keep Tsunemori and Norimori from dying, you have to
keep them from getting hurt badly, as well. If either one of them has their
Health dip to a critical value, you fail this mission.
Nasu Yoichi (那須与一)
----------------------
Yoichi is hanging out in the northeast area of the stage, ready to avenge his
master Yoshitsune. Kill him to complete this mission.
ITEMS:
======
Bishamon Scroll: In a crate near the center-northwestern tented area
Gekirin/Technique Certificate: In a crate behind where Taira Tsunemori's camp
Onitake/Attack Certificate: In a crate in Kajiwara Kagetoki's main camp
Drum of Fervor/Attack Certificate: Carried by Nasu Yoichi
Reimyogan: 1) In a crate in Taira Norimori's camp (Easy/Normal only)
2) In a crate right by the camp with the Bishamon scroll
3) By the exit to the west of Taira Tsunemori's camp (Normal/Hard only)
4) In the tented area right before Kagetoki's camp (Easy/Normal only)
Reimyo-Senzu: In place of Reimyogan 3 on Easy
Rank Rewards: Ebisu Scroll/Cover Tome/Habo Goko
UNITS:
======
Allied: 3 Taira Swordsmen
Allied Generals: Taira Tsunemori, Taira Norimori
Enemies: 12 Kamakura Swordsmen, 6 Kamakura Naginata troops, 3 Kamakura Archers,
3 Taira Shieldsfighters
Enemy Generals: Nasu Yoichi, Kajiwara Kagetoki*
Reinforcements: 6 Kamakura Swordsmen, 4 Kamakura Naginata troops,
4 Kamakura Archers, 2 Kamakura Cavalry
STRATEGY:
=========
This is one of the tougher Taira missions to score Gunjin on. Like many other
missions, the main focus is on protecting your allies, in this case Taira
Tsunemori and Taira Norimori. However, there's twist--if either of them dies,
you lose the stage. Furthermore, you can't let either general get hurt badly
either--if you hear either of them complain about their wounds, you've failed a
sub-mission. This is coupled by yet another difficulty. There are two ways to
get Kajiwara Kagetoki to appear: by killing off all the enemies that are
attaking Norimori and Tsunemori, or by killing 80 soldiers, whichever comes
first. In order to score Gunjin, you must do the latter. That means you have to
leave at least one allied general at the enemy's mercy while you try to fill
that quota. Needless to say, that's a tough task. You'll want an ally with
Guard for this mission.
Start the stage by going to support Tsunemori, who starts relatively close to
your position. Kill off all the enemies that face him until he says he's OK.
Now, work your way up to the northwest corner of the stage where Norimori is
being attacked. Kill some--but not all--of the enemies facing him, and leave
one of your generals to Guard him.
This is where things get tough; you need to continue around the stage beating
up enemies while making sure that there are some enemies remaining to fight
Norimori. If your Guarding general kills Norimori's attackers too quickly, you
lose. If the attackers deliver severe damage to Norimori, you also lose. You
pretty much have to strike a careful balance to keep Norimori alive, healthy,
and guarded, but not too well guarded. If you see the cutscene where Kajiwara
Kagetoki comes to the battlefield himself before Norimori thanks you, you know
you're safe and have gone over the 80 soldier quota; immediately double-back
and kill off all the enemies that are harassing Norimori. Doing all this is
very tough, and requires well-developed generals AND subordinates, and a little
bit of luck too.
If you manage to pull off the above without any problems, you're pretty much
set--the rest of the stage is not too tough. The first thing you should do is
kill off Yoichi, in the northeast area of the stage. He's not terribly tough if
you can get close, but his arrows can be a pain, so approach him while
guarding.
Once Yoichi is dead, clear out all the remaining enemies from the stage,
collect items, etc. before going to challenge Kagetoki. Kagetoki is heavily
guarded, and is no pushover, so if your party isn't well developed, you might
want to either soften them up from a distance with arrows, or have a general
Taunt the enemy one unit at a time to your position so you can deal with them
individually. If your entire force can gang up on Kagetoki simultaneously, he
shouldn't be all that difficult to defeat.
Once Kajiwara Kagetoki is dead, you finish the stage, and Tomomori announces
that all that is left in the way of the Taira is Yoritomo himself in Kamakura.
Taira Tsunemori and Taira Norimori will also join you as subordinates.
===============================================================================
TAIRA SCENARIO, SECRET STAGE 3:
STEWARTIA FLOWERS (沙羅の花)
===============================================================================
The Taira Army defeated the Genji at the Fuji River and advanced to Kamakura.
Aside from the soldiers remaining in Kamakura itself, the Minamoto have no
military forces at all. The long Genpei war was coming to a close...
Kamakura is Yoritomo's home base, which he painstakingly built up and
strengthened over many years. Even though the Minamoto are in dire straits,
Yoritomo's inner circle of generals still has high morale, and cannot be
underestimated. Tomomori set up his formation and advances toward the
Tsurugaoka-Hachiman palace, where Yoritomo awaits...
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
======================
Again, no historical background for this level as the Taira were all kicking
daisies long before they could get to Kamakura. Though, if they really did
manage to make it all the way to Kamakura, I doubt Yoritomo's generals would
have been in that high spirits. Yoritomo was actually a pretty mediocre
general,
(though a very smooth politician) given his "advice" to Noriyori when he was
stuck trying to attack Yashima, he clearly had little tactical idea of what to
do, and having Kamakura sieged would have been a lot worse than that!
MISSIONS:
=========
Kill Minamoto Yoritomo (源頼朝を討て)
-------------------------------------
This is the main mission of the stage. Minamoto Yoritomo waits for you in the
central plaza of the Tsurugaoka-Hachiman Palace. Defeat him to complete this
mission, stage, and the Taira scenario.
Shizuka (静)
------------
Shizuka guards the entrance to Kamakura, itching to avenge Yoshitsune's death.
Kill her to complete this mission.
Break through the east fortress (東の砦を突破せよ)
--------------------------------------------------
There are two fortresses blocking the road to the Tsurugaoka-Hachiman Palace.
Each is guarded by two generals. Chiba Tsunetane and Wada Yoshimori guard the
eastern gate; kill them both to complete this mission.
Break through the west fortress (西の砦を突破せよ)
--------------------------------------------------
This mission is just like "Break through the east fortress," except you have to
kill Hatakeyama Shigetada and Doi Sanehira.
Test your ability (力を試せ)
----------------------------
To complete this mission, you have to finish the entire stage without using a
single healing item. Pick up so much as a single Reimyogan, and you'll fail
this mission.
ITEMS:
======
Koryo Ginseng/Health Certificate: In the dead-end about halfway down the east
side of town, between a building and the Hachiman Palace
Reppusai/Defense Certificate: In the dead-end on the west side of town,
between a building and the Hachiman Palace, a little north of the fortress.
Otenta-Mitsuyo/Attack Certificate: In the southwest corner of the upper
plaza of the Hachiman palace
Bishamon Scroll: Carried by Shizuka
Fukurokuju Scroll: Carried by Hojo Yoshitoki
Reimyogan: 1) At the western exit of town
2) In the extreme northwest corner of town (Easy/Normal only)
3) At the dead-end at the easternmost north-south road (Normal/Hard only)
4) At the dead-end at the westernmost north-south road (Hard only)
5) At the extreme southwest corner of town (Easy/Normal only)
6) On the east end of the island in the Palace pond (Normal only)
Reimyo-Senzu: 1) In place of Reimyogan 3 on Easy
2) In place of Reimyogan 4 on Easy or Normal
3) In place of Reimyogan 6 on Easy
Rank Rewards: Fukurokuju Scroll/Rikuto/Yorimitsu
UNITS:
======
Enemies: 2 Kamakura Swordsmen, 9 Kamakura Naginata Troops, 3 Kamakura Archers,
6 Kamakura Cavalry, 2 Kamakura Shieldsfighters
Enemy Generals: Shizuka, Chiba Tsunetane, Wada Yoshimori, Hatakeyama Shigetada,
Doi Sanehira, Oyama Tomomasa, Hojo Yoshitoki, Minamoto Yoritomo
Reinforcements: 1 Kamakura Swordsman, 11 Kamakura Naginata troops,
5 Kamakura Archers, 5 Kamakura Cavalry, 2 Kamakura Shieldsfighters
STRATEGY:
=========
This is another one of those evil stages where even if you complete all the
missions successfully, it still isn't enough to put your score over the top to
Gunjin level. So, in order to score Gunjin, you have to do all the missions,
plus finish the stage in a short period of time, and link a whole lot of
Strategems together, etc. etc...Needless to say, it's not an easy stage to get
Gunjin on.
The nastiest mission on this stage by far is the "no healing items" mission.
There are a whole lot of very tough enemies here, and to survive without
healing (which you'll have to do if you want to score Gunjin) you're going to
need very well-developed characters. The same goes for subordinates; you can't
afford to lose a single soldier in this stage. Make good use of Surprise
Attacks whenever you can, to reduce the number of enemies you'll have to fight
straight-up. Stone-Throw and Fireball are also two Strategems that work wonders
here. A little secret, though: the taboo is picking up healing items, not being
healed; if you use a Strategem to heal yourself, that doesn't count. Of course,
the only generals that can use that sort of Strategem are Yoshitsune generals,
so you'll have to unlock this stage to them and play it in Free Mode to take
advantage of this "loophole."
Near the start of the stage, you'll be faced with Shizuka, who is itching to
avenge Yoshitsune. Kill her quickly, and if any of your party has a noticable
chunk of health missing after the fight (say, 10% or more) you're probably not
ready for this stage yet; come back after building your characters up somewhat.
When you enter the city of Kamakura proper, you can either head by the east or
the west. The west side of the city is filled mostly with Naginata troops,
shieldsfighters, and several cavalry units; the west gate is guarded by
Hatakeyama Shigetada and Doi Sanehira. The east side of the city is manned
mostly by Naginata troops, archers, and two cavalry units; the east gate is
guarded by Chiba Tsunetane and Wada Yoshimori. I recommend going by the west
side; while the eastern archers are easier to kill than the western
shieldsfighters, they can hit you from a distance and do nasty damage. Whereas
you might be smart enough to approach them while guarding, your subordinates
aren't. By taking on the west side first, you can hit the eastern archers from
the rear, reducing their ability to shoot you. Regardless of the way you
travel,
advance with cauting, and try to set yourself up so you're linking Strategems
the whole way down.
When you reach the entrance to the Tsurugaoka-Hachiman palace, you'll have to
fight off Oyama Tomomasa and his cavalry troop. He has little in the way of
soldiers with him, so he should be relatively easy to defeat. Once he's down
for the count, go finish off the generals guarding the gate you haven't been
through yet before going into the palace proper. (If you want to be really
thorough, kill all the enemies on the entire side you haven't been at yet,
though I've found that the extra time it takes is not worth it score-wise)
The palace itself is not heavily guarded; Hojo Yoshitoki will probably be
cowering in one corner or the other when you go in. Finish him off before
proceeding up the stairs, to face Minamoto Yoritomo and the substantial escort
he's got. After the cutscene where Tomomori faces Yoritomo, you've got yourself
quite a fight on your hands.
Yoritomo is very powerful and very well guarded, and the fact that your army
will almost undoubtably not be at full health doesn't make things easier. There
are two ways to take on this fight; go for the quick kill, swarming Yoritomo
and trying to kill him as fast as possible, or to make a quick retreat and try
to lure the individual enemy units out one-by-one, so you can fight Yoritomo
with a great numerical advantage. The former is probably the better option for
a very strong party; the latter for a less well-developed one.
If you defeat Yoritomo, you've finished the game and gotten the "secret" Taira
ending. Noritsune tries to finish Yoritomo off, but he has already lost the
war,
so Tomomori spares him and tells him to go wherever he wants. Then Tomomori
looks out over the beautiful scenery of Kamakura and reflects on the transitory
nature of the world before the credits roll.
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
|#############################################################################|
|#############################################################################|
|############### SPECIAL STAGES ###############|
|#############################################################################|
|#############################################################################|
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
===============================================================================
SPECIAL STAGE 1:
MOCK BATTLE (模擬戦)
==============================================================================
UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS:
====================
Complete the stage "The Kagami Inn."
DESCRIPTION:
============
This stage is basically a "practice stage." You're up against Kurama Tengu and
four sword bandit units. Even the weakest of characters can finish this with no
problem; it's mainly here to give you a chance to try out your character's
moves and Strategems. If you play this stage with Minamoto Yoritomo as your
character, Kajiwara Kagetoki will replace Kurama Tengu as your opponent.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
================
1) Defeated the enemy general in 60 seconds
2) Defeated the enemy general in 120 seconds
3) Defeated the enemy general in 240 seconds
4) Defeat the enemy general
ITEMS:
======
Rank Rewards: Bishamon Scroll, Longbow, Toyo-Konaginata
UNITS:
======
Kurama Tengu (or Kajiwara Kagetoki) and 4 Sword Bandits
STRATEGY:
=========
Even for a beginning character, this stage is no sweat at all. However, scoring
Gunjin on this stage is a trick, as even if you finish it in under a minute,
that's still not enough to make your score high enough. To score Gunjin, you
need to kill all the enemies link a bunch of Stratagems together as well--5 at
least. Have both of your generals use Assault or Gyakugeki on each of the Thief
units, and you should be able to score an easy 8 linked Stratagems.
When you complete this stage, you'll unlock Kurama Tengu (or Kajiwara Kagetoki)
as a playable character.
===============================================================================
SPECIAL STAGE 2:
DEFEND YOKOTAGAWARA (横田河原防衛)
===============================================================================
UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS:
====================
Complete the stage "Yoshinaka Enters the Capital."
DESCRIPTION:
============
In this stage, your Commander doesn't actually participate in the battle; he or
she stands on top of the Yokotagawara fortress and gives orders to your two
generals, who do all the fighting. The generals will face a continuous stream
of enemies that will try to break down the Yokotagawara gate. If they manage to
break down the gate, you lose the stage. If you manage to fend off the enemies
for four minutes and keep the gate up, you win. Moving the control stick around
will allow you to select enemy units you want your generals to attack, and
Stratagems work as normal.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
================
1) Defeated at least two generals and 50 enemies
2) Defeated at least one general and 40 enemies
3) Defeated at least 20 enemies
4) Defended the gate
ITEMS:
======
Rank Rewards: Calming Tome, Blessing Tome, Gold-Plated Greatshield
UNITS:
======
Taira Atsumori, Taira Tokitada, unlimited Taira troops of all varieties
STRATEGY:
=========
Obviously, the more well-developed your generals and subordinates, the easier
this stage is. Smart general and Stratagem choice is also important--for
example, archers are not cut out very well for this mission. Melee fighters are
best, and if they have "combo" type Stratagems like Tsumuji, Shura, or Reppa,
that's even better, as those are excellent for clearing out large areas of
troops. Stratagems like Shogeki are also useful, as if you can inflict status
ailments on the enemy, they won't waste time attacking your gate. A good rule
of thumb is to have one of your generals stick near the gate, while having the
other run out and actively fight approaching enemies. When Atsumori and
Tokitada come on the scene, get rid of them quickly, as they're tough and will
pepper you and your forces with arrows.
Scoring Gunjin on this stage is tough, and scoring Tosho is literally
impossible. This is one of those evil stages where completing the missions
isn't enough to score enough points to make Gunjin. The only way to make up for
this deficit is to link Stratagems together--a LOT of Stratagems. As in low-to-
mid 20s at least. I know 18 Stratagems isn't enough to put you over the top,
and 28 linked Stratagems was the number that finally got me Gunjin. (On the
other hand, once I got 32 linked Stratagems on this stage and still didn't get
Gunjin, so I'm not sure what the requirements are) Stratagems like Shogeki,
Gyakugeki, and Assault are good candidates for linking these many together, as
they have long link times, and don't take many Spirit Spheres to use. It may
take some practice before you can succeed--don't give up!
===============================================================================
SPECIAL STAGE 3:
MOPPING UP THE MINAMOTO ARMY (源軍掃討)
===============================================================================
UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS:
====================
Complete the stage "Subjugating the Western Countries."
DESCRIPTION:
============
This stage is sort of like a much larger version of the "Chase down Sonobe
Tadayasu" part of the "Subjugating the Western Countries" missions. You've got
11 Minamoto generals to kill, and all of them flee like cowards the minute they
get wind of you. To score well on this stage, you have to kill them as fast as
possible.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
================
Mopped up the Minamoto Army in less than 10 minutes
Mopped up the Minamoto Army in less than 12 minutes
Mopped up the Minamoto Army in less than 15 minutes
Mopped up the Minamoto Army
ITEMS:
======
Random Item: In the "shack" by the western log pile.
Random Item: Behind the platform on the ship
Reimyogan: 1) In the center camp in the middle of the stage
2) In a box on the southeastern corner of the stage
3) In a crate inside the tented area near the ship
UNITS:
======
Kamei Shigekiyo, Ishida Tamehisa, Ichijo Tadayori, Suzuki Shigeie,
Miura Yoshizumi, Takeda Nobuyoshi, Kamata Morimasa, Kondo Chikaie,
Asari Yoshinari, Sasaki Takatsuna, Minamoto Noriyori
STRATEGY:
=========
Chasing down all the enemies in this stage in under 10 minutes is a royal pain
in the butt, even if you're controlling a fast character. There is, however, a
secret to this stage that makes it very easy--Taunt. Most of the generals in
the stage won't run until you get very close. Get them in range and have one of
your generals Taunt them, and then rather than running away from you, they'll
run towards you until their Berserk status wears off. This is usually more than
enough time to dispatch the general leading them. In addition, you should cut
down both logpiles, as this will trap at least three generals so that they can
only run to a dead-end. One thing that's good about this stage is it can
usually be done with half-baked characters, as very few enemies attack. For
this reason, it can be a good place to build up experience for low-level
characters.
If you play this stage with Yoshitsune as your general, when you win, you'll
unlock Noriyori as a subordinate. He's one of the better subordinates in the
game, so it can really be worth it.
===============================================================================
SPECIAL STAGE 4:
SHEER DROP (逆落とし)
===============================================================================
UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS:
====================
Complete the stage "The Battle of Ichi-no-Tani."
DESCRIPTION:
============
This stage is just a replay of the "charge down the mountain" part of the
Battle of Ichi-no-Tani stage. You control one mounted commander and gallop down
the ridge on horseback. The goal of this stage is to get as many items as
possible.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
================
Got 6 items on the way down the ridge
Got 4 items on the way down the ridge
Got an item on the way down the ridge
Elegantly galloped down the ridge, dodging the fallen trees
Boldy galloped down the ridge, ignoring the fallen trees
ITEMS:
======
Special: What positions items appear here are totally random, and most items
that do appear are either healing items or random. However, there are a few
spots that appear to be constant whenever an item appears there: a Rally
Tome, a little less than halfway down the ridge, a Silver-wrought Konaginata,
about 2/3 of the way down the ridge, a Nanatsusaya-no-Tachi, a little bit
after the Konaginata above, and a Rangeki Tome, at the very end of the ridge.
Rank Rewards: Assault Tome, Cavalry Gauntlet, Ninsatsu Tome
UNITS:
======
None.
STRATEGY:
=========
There's only one way to score Gunjin on this stage; get 6 items. Whether or not
you destroy or dodge the trees seems to have no impact on getting Gunjin
whatsoever. There are at least 20 different places on the ridge that items can
appear, but usually only 7 or 8 spots actually have items each playthrough.
Unfortunately, even memorizing the spots that items can appear in will do you
no good, as you can't actually gallop through them all. For example, the first
two potential spots for items are roughly in the middle of the ridge, and the
third and fourth are toward the right and left edges of the ridge respectively,
but close enough so that it's impossible to traverse through both. Once you
pass those first two item spots, you just have to guess whether or not an item
will appear on the left or on the right, and by the time you know if you're
wrong, it'll be too late to try to get to the opposite side.
So, when you get down to it, a lot of this stage is just left to luck. The best
way to increase your chances is to get a feel for the various places items can
be, so you can anticipate when and where items might appear and move your horse
accordingly. Once you get a feel for this, it's not hard to get 2-4 items per
playthrough, but getting the full 6 necessary is tough as you can miss one or
two items at most, and so much of this stage is left to chance. On the bright
side, a single playthrough only takes about 45 seconds, so if you make a
mistake, you can start over again without having to wait very long.
===============================================================================
SPECIAL STAGE 5:
KILLING A THOUSAND (千人斬り)
===============================================================================
UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS:
====================
Complete the game with all three scenarios
DESCRIPTION:
============
This stage will be unlocked once you complete the game with all three armies.
The goal here is to kill a full 1000 enemy soldiers in as little time as
possible. A kill counter is placed in the middle of the screen, and there are
five maps in total; every 200 enemies you kill, you change maps. The first map
takes place on a Kyoto street, where you fight soldiers led by Yoshitsune's
generals. The second map takes place in the northern Ichi-no-Tani camp, where
you fight soldiers led by Yoshinaka's generals. The third map takes place in
the Hojuji temple, where you fight soldiers led by monk generals. The fourth
map takes place in front of the Koromogawa manor, where you fight soldiers led
by Taira generals. The fifth and final map takes place in the Tsurugaoka-
Hachiman palace, where you fight enemies led by the "lead generals" in the
game.
(e.g. Ushiwaka, Yoshitsune, etc)
ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
================
Killed 1000 in less than 50 minutes
Killed 1000 in less than 60 minutes
Killed 1000 in less than 70 minutes
Killed 1000
ITEMS:
======
Reimyogan: 1) In the southeast corner of Map #2
2) Against the south wall in the center of Map #3
3) In a box under a cherry tree in Map #4 (Easy/Normal only)
4) Next to the hut on the island in the lake in Map #5 (Hard only)
Reimyo-Senzu: In place of Reimyogan 4 on Easy and Normal
Rank Rewards: Concealed Weapon Knowledge/Yumi-Harizuki/Kongo-Karin-no-Sanzen
UNITS:
======
Unlimited numbers of all types of enemy units
STRATEGY:
=========
While you may be wondering how you could even possibly survive fighting 1000
enemies, that's actually not as big a concern in this stage as you might think.
While it's true you'll have a big advantage bringing well-developed characters
into this stage, most of the enemies here are exceptionally weak and will die
quickly and with little resistance. The only real fighters here are the
generals. The big challenge is actually finishing the stage in under 50
minutes.
While in the first map this may seem easy as you cut through swathes of enemies
quickly and effortlessly, it gets much tougher; in the later maps enemies not
only have more life, but they tend to spawn at reasonably distant from one
another, so a lot of time is actually spent running from one enemy unit to the
next. For this reason, fast characters are a real asset here.
In terms of taking damage, unless your characters are really underdeveloped,
that's not a huge issue here. Each general you fight will drop a Reimyogan, so
you have a relatively steady source of healing. If that still isn't enough,
your characters probably aren't ready for this stage yet. Unless, of course,
you're primarily playing this stage for experience and not a high score, in
which case using Shizuka or Kichiji as your commander can help, as they can
heal their allies with their Rest Formation Stratagem. In addition, this is one
of the few places where Nenoi Yukichika can shine, as he can produce healing
items at will with his Item Stratagem. If Shizuka is one of your generals, her
Blessing Stratagem also works pretty well.
When you finish this stage, you'll unlock the special stage "Calling all
Heroes."
===============================================================================
SPECIAL STAGE 6:
DEFEAT (撃破)
===============================================================================
UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS:
====================
Complete the stage "Killing a Thousand"
DESCRIPTION:
============
In this stage you're pitted against five random generals from amongst the
playable characters in the game. Your goal is to kill them all, as fast as
possible. They come with a substantial escort as well, who will get in your
way,
given the chance.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
================
Defeated all the enemy generals in less than 5 minutes
Defeated all the enemy generals in less than 8 minutes
Defeated all the enemy generals in less than 10 minutes
Defeated all the enemy generals
ITEMS:
======
Random Item: Behind the eastern gate north of the main clearing of the stage
Random Item: In the corner of the small clearing at the north end of the stage
Reimyogan: 1) Near the Secret Character General (Easy only)
2) Carried by the Taira General (Easy/Normal only)
3) Carried by the Yoshinaka General (Easy/Normal only)
4) In the southwest corner of the main clearing
5) Near the Yoshitsune General (Normal/Hard only)
Reimyo-Senzu: In place of Reimyogan 5
Rank Rewards: Habo Goko/Kagero/Juzumaru-Tsunetsugu
UNITS:
======
Enemies: 1 Elite Footsoldier, 9 Swordsmen
Generals: 1 random Secret Character General, 1 random Taira General,
1 random Yoshinaka General, 1 random Yoshitsune General, 1 random Army Leader*
Reinforcements: Unlimited swordsmen from the southwest exit
STRATEGY:
=========
With sufficiently skilled characters, killing off all the enemy generals in
less than 5 minutes is not terribly difficult. However, scoring Gunjin is not
so easy, as you need to do more than just defeat the enemy quickly. You'll also
need to kill most of the enemies around you, and link a good number of
Stratagems together as well. Stratagems like Assault, Gyakugeki, and Shogeki
work best here.
To start with, continue up road the you start on, and take the right path when
it forks. There you'll find one of the Secret generals picked randomly, and
you'll have to fight him. Defeat him and the enemy soldiers around him quickly.
Start using your generals' Stratagems now; if you're lucky you can chain them
throughout most of the stage.
Once the Secret general is dead, continue up the path, killing soldiers as you
go, and jump off the cliff. Right near you will be a random Taira general,
attended by two units of swordsmen. Kill them all and proceed to the west side
of the clearing, where there will be a random Yoshinaka general, again with two
swordsmen. Kill all them too. Next, proceed through one of the gates, either
the east or the west (remember, you can get a "free" Stratagem success by using
Stratagems like Assault on gates) and proceed north, where you'll be confronted
by a random Yoshitsune general, yet again, with two swordsmen units as escort.
Once all four of the beginning generals are dead, a fifth, final general--
either Minamoto Yoshitsune, Kiso Yoshinaka, or Taira Tomomori--will spawn in
the north clearing of the stage, attended by three swordsmen units. Proceed up
there and kill them all, and the stage is over.
If your characters are sufficiently strong enough, you should be able to do
this with at least a minute or two to spare. With weaker characters, this will
be a much greater challenge. In order to have a good chance to score Gunjin on
this stage, you should be able to kill each of the enemy generals in 30 seconds
or less. If it's taking longer, you're probably not ready yet. Beef up your
characters a bit, give them powerful weapons, and try again later.
===============================================================================
SPECIAL STAGE 7:
CALLING ALL HEROES (英傑結集)
===============================================================================
UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS:
====================
Complete the stage "Killing a Thousand" with a score of Tosho or Gunjin
DESCRIPTION:
============
This last stage of the Special Stages is like a beefed-up version of the
previous stage, "Defeat." Again, the goal is to defeat all the enemy generals
as quickly as possible. However, in this stage, instead of facing a random
general from each of the "factions" in the game, you face each of the faction
leaders--Minamoto Yoshitsune, Kiso Yoshinaka, Taira Tomomori, and Minamoto
Yoritomo. If and when you manage to defeat all of them, you win the stage.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
================
Defeated all the enemy generals in less than 5 minutes
Defeated all the enemy generals in less than 10 minutes
Defeated all the enemy generals in less than 15 minutes
Defeated all the enemy generals
ITEMS:
======
Random: Carried by Minamoto Yoshitsune
Random: Carried by Kiso Yoshinaka
Random: Carried by Taira Tomomori
Onimaru-Kunitsuna/Valuable Scroll: Carried by Minamoto Yoritomo
Reimyogan: 1) East-Northeast of Minamoto Yoshitsune, on the coast
2) Between Yoshinaka and Yoritomo on the coast (Easy/Normal only)
3) On the southwest quadrant of the island by the grass
4) In the "dead-end" in the center of the island
Rank Rewards: Konaginata Knowledge, Ame-no-Iware-no-Tate, Totsuka-no-Tsurugi
UNITS:
======
Enemies: 8 Swordsmen
Generals: Minamoto Yoshitsune, Kiso Yoshinaka, Taira Tomomori,
Minamoto Yoritomo
Reinforcements: 4 Archers, 4 Naginata Troops
STRATEGY:
=========
This stage really is a lot like the previous Special stage, in that you have to
kill several enemy generals as soon as you can. However, it's not quite as
malicious, in that if you defeat all the generals in less than 5 minutes, it's
a good bet that you'll score Gunjin. On the other hand, the enemies you face in
this stage are substantially tougher than they are in "Defeat."
If your characters are a low level when you start this stage, you need to be
careful not to wade too deep into enemy lines. There are two reasons for this;
one, because if you're surrounded, you're liable to get killed, and two,
because the enemy generals are reasonably close together, so it's not hard to
go a little bit too far and attract a second general's attention. A high-level
character can probably take on powerful generals like Yoshitsune and Yoshinaka
simultaneously (and that may be a good strategy for reducing time spent on the
stage) but it's a death sentence for weaker characters.
Probably the best way to take on this stage is to rotate around the island
counterclockwise. Run north from where you start and you'll face Minamoto
Yoshitsune and his swordsmen bodyguards. (though reinforcements will arrive
very soon) Kill him and his soldiers as quickly as you can, and proceed to the
north, where you'll face Kiso Yoshinaka. Once you kill him and his guards, you
can proceed to the west where you'll fight Minamoto Yoritomo. Yoritomo is the
toughest general here, so if your characters are weak he may give you a run for
your money, but if you manage to defeat him, the one remaining general, Taira
Tomomori, shouldn't be too much trouble. Proceed to the south and kill him, and
you've won.
One thing that's worth mentioning here is that this is an excellent stage for
both item collection and level-building. All the generals here but Yoritomo
drop random items, and they very frequently drop quite high-quality items,
especially on harder difficulty levels. Since you can finish this level pretty
quickly, it's a fast and efficient method of item-gathering. In addition, the
enemies here also give you good experience; however, it's not suited for low-
level characters as they're too tough. (Wait till the 40s or 50s at least)
If you score Gunjin on this level, Minamoto Yoritomo will be unlocked as a
playable character.
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
|#############################################################################|
|#############################################################################|
|############### SINGLE-PLAYER SECRETS ###############|
|#############################################################################|
|#############################################################################|
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
CHANGING COSTUMES:
==================
Finish an army's scenario and get its "Good" (ie, non-historical) ending, and
you'll be able to unlock their "second" costumes. (Mostly just pallete-swaps
though) To change costumes for a character, hit the Select button when
equipping them.
SHARING SUBORDINATES/ITEMS/EQUIPMENT:
=====================================
Normally characters are restricted to their own scenarios in Free Mode. No
Tairas playing Yoshitsune stages, for example, and you can't mix-and-match
characters from different armies either. Furthermore, as you'll notice,
subordinates, weapons, and items are not transferrable between armies. For
example, if your Yoshinaka army finds a Blessing Tome, only Yoshinaka's army
can use it. (Which is kind of a waste since only Shizuka can use that
particular item...)
However, there's a way around this. Once you finish a scenario, that army
starts "sharing" its stages, items and subordinates with other armies that have
finished the game. So, for example, say you finished the game with the Taira
and Yoshinaka armies. The Taira and Yoshinaka inventories and subordinate
rosters would be "pooled" together so that you could mix and match characters,
have Taira characters play Yoshinaka levels and vice versa. However, the Taira
and Yoshinaka armies would not be able to play Yoshitsune levels or use
Yoshitsune items, because Yoshitsune's army hasn't finished the game yet. (And
likewise, Yoshitsune characters wouldn't have access to Taira and Yoshinaka
scenarioes) Once you finish the game with all three armies, the inventories and
Subordinate Rosters become totally open, and any character can play any stage.
Of course, this applies to Free mode and Special Stages only.
Once the armies' resources become open, it allows for a lot of playstyle
options you couldn't do earlier. (unlocking five playable characters and one
subordinate requires it)
RABBITS, RABBITS EVERYWHERE:
============================
You've finished the game, you've scored Gunjin on all the levels, and you think
you've done everything, but there are two pictures in the image gallery that
are still listed as "???" The secret to unlocking these pictures are in the
rabbits.
In the stages "Oshu Hiraizumi" and "I long for him" (both in the Yoshitsune
scenario) you may have noticed some adorable fluffy bunnies hopping about the
stage happily. So what do you have to do? That's right, KILL AND CHOP THEM INTO
LITTLE BUNNY BITS!! There are three rabbits in each of these stages. If you
kill all three of them in a single playthrough, it will unlock one of the two
rabbit-related pictures in the image gallery. Here are the locations of the
rabbits:
OSHU HIRAIZUMI:
Rabbit #1: On the path behind where you start the level
Rabbit #2: At the dead-end blocked by a large pile of boulders
Rabbit #3: In the middle of the southwest-northeast road leading to Yoshimori
I LONG FOR HIM:
Rabbit #1: In the first mini-clearing area at the beginning of the stage
Rabbit #2: Near or on the side path that leads to to Myokakubo's unit
Rabbit #3: In front of the extreme southwest exit of the level.
So kill those rabbits and unlock those pictures!
THE DEATH OF TSUGUNOBU:
=======================
"The Death of Tsugunobu" is probably the most difficult movie to unlock, as the
conditions for doing so are less than obvious. You unlock this movie on the
Yoshitsune stage "The Battle of Yashima" but it will only show if you're
playing in Story Mode and have both Yoichi and Tsugunobu as your generals.
Finish the stage with these generals (the movie will show no matter what) and
it will be unlocked.
o#############################################################################o
# #
# VERSUS MODE #
# #
o#############################################################################o
Versus Mode is separate from the main single-player mode (ie, you can't play
single-player missions with a friend) though you can load your character data
from the single-player game to user your developed generals.
When you first start Versus Mode from the title screen, you'll get two options:
Versus As-Is (そのまま対戦) and Bring (持ち寄り対戦) mode. (Bring, as in, I
bring
my memory card) The former uses a "default" number of stages and general
strength. For the latter, you can load your character and item data from a
memory card.
When loading character data from a memory card, it'll first ask you to select
the data you want player 1's army to use. Then, you pick the data that you want
player 2's army to use. If you don't pick any data here, then both sides will
use player 1's data.
Next, you pick where you're going to fight. Three stages are open to start
with: Field, Highway, and Capital--and you can unlock three others from the
single-player game.
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| VERSUS MODE OPTIONS |
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
VERSUS RULES: (対戦ルール)
==========================
This option is where you set the basic rules for the match. There are four
options in total.
NORMAL (通常):
Your basic one-on-one battle, with 1P and 2P fighting each other.
THREE FORCES (三つ巴):
This is the same as Normal, except that there's a third computer-controlled
force that will fight both 1P and 2P.
COOPERATION (協力):
This is the only VS mode where the two players can't hurt one another. There
are three forces, and 1P and 2P work together to kill the third.
COMPETITION (競争):
Game mechanics-wise, this is exactly the same as Three Forces, except that 1P
and 2P compete to get the most kills. Whichever player kills the Commander of
the computer-controlled army first wins.
TIME LIMIT (制限時間)
=====================
This is where you set the time limit (if any) on the match. Once time runs out,
the Commander with the most Health remaining wins.
HANDICAPS: (1P/2P強化)
======================
Here you can set a handicap on either or both players. The further you set the
handicap bar to the right, the more damage you'll deal to the enemy.
STRATAGEM SPIRIT CONSUMPTION: (作戦消費気勢)
============================================
Turn this off, and you'll be able to use Stratagems for "free." Your Spirit can
still be lowered by enemy Stratagems and the like, but you can use Stratagems
and Formations without losing any Spirit if this setting is off.
WARRIOR ADVANCEMENT: (武将の成長)
=================================
When loading data from a memory card, this will ask whether or not you want to
keep your warriors' levels the same as they are in the single-player game. When
this setting is off, all characters' stats will be set to their default levels.
If you want the match to be even remotely fair, I suggest you turn this setting
off.
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| VERSUS MODE NOTES |
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
One thing to keep in mind when playing in Versus mode is that none of the
changes you make to your characters is permanent. Therefore, you can use items
you'd normally want to save, and not lose them when you go back to playing
single-player.
Another thing to note about Versus mode is that your strategy will be very
different when facing a human opponent. For example, you never have to worry
about status ailments in the single-player mode; in versus mode, getting hit
with status ailments is a real threat. Normally useless skills like False Alarm
or Lure Astray can be instrumental in thinning your opponent's ranks quickly so
you can go in for the kill.
However, Yoshitsune: Eiyuden was not really made with versus mode in mind. It's
entertaining, but really was tacked on as an afterthought I think. The
characters are unbalanced enough that you really should think seriously of
handicapping yourself when going into the game for better variety. If you do
nothing but play as Benkei or Yoritomo, then everyone you play will also have
to play as Benkei or Yoritomo to hope to keep the playing field level. Mix your
party members up to keep things interesting.
o#############################################################################o
# #
# CHARACTERS #
# #
o#############################################################################o
Here's a quick key to the categories listed here:
STATISTICS:
A list of each of the character's statistics. They are given a rating from 1-5
(as listed in the character info for each person in the Gikeiki) and a
numerical value. The numerical value listed is the "natural" maximum for that
stat; in other words, what the stat will be when it reaches level 20, without
the use of any Scrolls to boost it.
SOLDIER TYPE:
This is the character's basic soldier type; Swordsman, Naginata Soldier,
Archer,
Club Soldier, Shieldsfighter, Engineer, or Elite Footsoldier. It also tells you
whether the character is Mounted (ie if s/he can ride a horse) or not. "Female"
and "Monk" after parentheses indicate that character uses female soldiers or
monks as Subordinates. (All Elite Footsoldiers use Elite Footsoldier
Subordinates, so I didn't include any parentheses for those)
WEAPON:
This is the weapon the character equips when you first get him/her.
T/S FORM:
These are the Formations mapped to the T and S buttons for that character when
they are acting as Commander.
SETSUNA:
This is the Stratagem that the character uses as his/her Setsuna-no-Saku.
SLOTS:
The Stratagems and Skills listed here are those that come "pre-equipped" in the
character's 8 Stratagem/Skill slots when you first get him/her. Obviously they
can be changed later (with the exception of Yukichika's Wagon Mastery)
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
A brief (and sometimes not-so-brief) summary of the character's historical
and/or legendary background. Most of this is translations from the in-game
Gikeiki, but I've added additional stuff here and there.
UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS:
What you must do to unlock the character. Note that playing a character and
unlocking them are two different things; you can play Karasu Tengu on "Kurama
Tengu," but won't unlock him for use on any stage until you complete "Mock
Battle."
MOVESET:
A list of the character's moves and the combos needed to perform them. Because
I was lazy I went fast and loose on how to pronounce the names. Figuring out
Kanji pronunciation can be rough, even if you already know the Kun- and On-yomi
already. :)
RATING:
My personal opinions of the character as a Commander and General (from A+ to F)
and an explanation thereof. This is very subjective and your mileage may vary;
while I find him useless, you may find Yukiie to be the ultimate character used
correctly, for example.
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| YOSHITSUNE GENERALS |
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
MINAMOTO NO KURO YOSHITSUNE 源九郎義経
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
|STATISTICS | MOUNTED SWORDSMAN |
|Health: 4 (6340) | Weapon : Whatever Ushiwaka was equipping |
|Attack: 4 (620) | T Form : Command Formation |
|Defense: 4 (620) | S Form : Charge Formation |
|Technique: 4 (610) | Setsuna : Reppu |
|Command: 5 (624) | Slots : Rally, Assault, Horsemanship |
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
The ninth sone of Minamoto Yoshitomo. His mother's name was Tokiwa. He is the
great hero of the Genji who drove the Heike to destruction as a vassal of
Yoritomo. While in Oshu, he heard of his brother's call to arms, and went to
meet him, offering his services as a retainer. His first battle was the Battle
at Uji river, where he defeated Kiso Yoshinaka, who was also a Genji.
Afterwards, at Ichi-no-tani he broke through the Heike's ranks, and at Yashima
and then Dan-no-Ura, destroyed the Heike entirely. Afterwards, Yoshitsune
became a hero, but after receiving the general Kajiwara Kagetoki's report on
his behavior, Yoritomo treated him couldly. The two began to oppose one
another, and the rivalry culminated in retired emperor Go-Shirakawa issuing an
edict to hunt down Yoshitsune, who promptly fled the capital. Yoshitsune took
his loyal retainers with him to Oshu, but his benefactor there, Fujiwara
Hidehira, died soon afterwards, and his heir, Yasuhira, soon folded under
pressure from Kamakura. Surrounded by Yasuhira's soldiers in his Koromogawa
mansion, Yoshitsune committed suicide with his young wife and child. Yoshitsune
is a very idealized character in Japanese history and legend, conforming to the
"tragic hero" standard; rising to greatness but then meeting misfortune and
coming to an early demise. Historically, Yoshitsune was indeed a brilliant
tactician but a lukewarm-at-best politician which is really what led to his
death. The rift between him and Yoritomo, while exploited by Go-Shirakawa, was
primarily created not by Kagetoki's slanders (though that probably had some
part in it) but Yoshitsune's accepting of a court title from the Emperor
without his brother's consent. While Yoshitsune is generally portrayed as a
doggedly loyal and flawless character, I myself have serious doubts that he
wasn't thinking--even just a little bit--about becoming the heir to the Genji.
Everything we know about him was that he was rash, cocky, and impetuous, and
after his repeated victories, I'm sure that went to his head just a little.
If he didn't think at all that he was worthy of taking on the mantle of Genji
leadership, he was a real rarity among warriors.
UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS:
After you complete the Yoshitsune Stage, "The Kagami Inn" Ushiwaka will become
Yoshitsune--all his stats and levels will be transferred to Yoshitsune. (Though
you can still continue to play as Ushiwaka in Free Mode)
MOVESET:
Furi S
Kesa-Giri SS
Nagigiri SSS
Makiuchi SSSS
Senkai-Giri T
Shippu-Zuki ST
Shikkyaku SST
Power Charge SSST
Tsubame-Mai Release T Quickly during Power Charge
1 Kiri-Giri Release T after holding a while during Power Charge
2 Ten-Dachi T After Kiri-Giri
3 Teni T After Ten-Dachi
Furi Jumping S
Kabutowari Jumping T
Shippu T while running
RATING: Commander A, General A+
Yoshitsune is one of the best and most well-rounded characters in the game. He
doesn't have fantastic range in his attacks, but has a good combination of
wide-range and single-opponent attacks. His Nagigiri and Shikkyaku are his best
crowd-control techniques, and Shippu-Zuki is good aainst bosses. His
Shippu/Senkai-Giri is not only a good wide-range attack but is fantastic for
getting out of sticky situations, (as you'll easily attest to when fighting
Yoshitsune) and in fact is better than his own Evasion Attack for breaking free
of crowds. Yoshitsune also has a Power Charge suite of moves--much more
expansive than most characters, too--but it's hard to use, because he can only
use it as the fourth blow in a combo. Usually by the time you're at the fourth
blow in a combo, either all the enemies are dead, or crowded all around you. In
the former case there's no real use for a Power Charge; in the latter case you
don't want to be sitting still gathering your strength as you become a very
easy target. As a General Yoshitsune is superb, and his Stratagems will be a
lot more effective than all of the other Sword characters except Yoritomo. Plus
he can use Lure-Astray, which few other characters are able to use.
USHIWAKA-MARU 牛若丸
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
|STATISTICS | MOUNTED SWORDSMAN |
|Health: 4 (6340) | Weapon : Sanjo |
|Attack: 4 (620) | T Form : Defense Formation |
|Defense: 4 (620) | S Form : Charge Formation |
|Technique: 4 (610) | Setsuna : Reppu |
|Command: 5 (624) | Slots : |
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
Minamaoto Kuro Yoshitsune in his youth. His father was Minamoto Yoshitomo, the
head of the Genji, but while Ushiwaka was still an infant, he died in battle.
Afterwards, his mother, Tokiwa, turned herself in to Taira Kiyomori and begged
for his life to be spared. Kiyomori agreed to her plea, but in return for
sparing him, he was to be cast out of the house of Minamoto, and at age seven,
was sent to Kurama Temple to be raised as a monk. As a monk, Ushiwaka learned
of his lineage. Vowing to restore the Genji and defeat the Heike, he left
Kurama Temple at the age of sixteen. Ushiwaka travelled to Oshu along with the
gold merchant Kichiji, undergoing his coming-of-age ceremony at the Kagami Inn,
and from thenceforth was known as Minamoto Kuro Yoshitsune. Many legends
regarding Yoshitsune during his years as Ushiwaka remain extant, but as many of
them are oral legends and fanciful tales, it is unknown just how much truth
there is to them. In fact, very little of the tales about Ushiwaka are likely
to be true. It is true that he managed to find his way from Kurama to Oshu at
a young age, and then made his way to Yoritomo to join him--no small feat,
given the horrendous state of roads and travel between provinces in Japan in
those days. But the stories of him hitching a ride with Kichiji, defeating
Benkei at the Gojo bridge--and certainly learning the martial arts from the
king of the Tengu--are unlikely to be true.
UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS:
Unlocked automatically as soon as you start the Yoshitsune scenario
MOVESET:
Furi S
Kesa-Giri SS
Nagigiri SSS
Senkai-Giri SSSS
Senkai-Giri T
Upward Slash ST
Tsubame-Mai SST
Tengu Killer SSST
Furi Jumping S
Kabutowari Jumping T
Kake-Tsubame T while Running
RATING: Commander A, General A+
In many ways Ushiwaka-Maru eclipses his older self as a fighter, as he's got a
much better range of crowd-control techniques. Both Tsubame-Mai and Tengu-
killer are great crowd-clearers as they both can knock back groups of enemies.
But Ushiwaka's best technique is by far his Kake-Tsubame, one of (if not the
best) charging attacks in the game. Using it, you can charge straight into a
Unit of enemies and send them all flying like bowling pins. The only thing
keeping Ushiwaka below Yoshitsune in terms of usefulness is his slightly
smaller range, but more importantly, having Defense Formation instead of
Command Formation. As Yoshitsune/Ushiwaka already has one of the best Commands
in the game, using this formation to boost his whole army's stats makes
Yoshitsune slightly better overall--but not much. Bottom line--if you want to
command, go with Yoshitsune; if you want to take out the enemy yourself, go
with Ushiwaka. As a General, Ushiwaka is pretty much the same as Yoshitsune.
MUSASHIBO BENKEI 武蔵坊弁慶
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
|STATISTICS | NAGINATA SOLDIER (MONK) |
|Health: 5 (6880) | Weapon : Onaginata |
|Attack: 5 (711) | T Form : Fierce Formation |
|Defense: 5 (685) | S Form : Zeal Formation |
|Technique: 2 (403) | Setsuna : Shura |
|Command: 2 (450) | Slots : Guard-Breaking |
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
A hero who drifts between historical and legendary status. His origins are not
really known, but he stars in many tales where he plays almost as critical a
role as Yoshitsune himself. Many varied stories regarding his birth exist, and
according to the _Gikeiki_ he was the son of the head of the Kumano Navy,
Tanzo. Due to his odd appearance he was shunned by most and joined the monks at
Mount Hiei but was thrown out for being too violent. Afterwards, he wandered
the countryside and trained for a bit at Shoshazan, but due to his conflicts
with the monks there, did not remain at that temple for long. After leaving
Shoshazan, Benkei was said to have been robbing people for their swords at
night in the capital. But when he had one more sword to steal, he met with
Ushiwaka and was defeated. Afterwards, he worked for Yoshitsune. Benkei stayed
by Yoshitsune's side, even until the latter's death in Oshu, when he was hunted
down by his elder brother. It is said that he died standing in the way of a
hail of arrows to protect Yoshitsune and give him enough time to commit
suicide. How much, if any, truth there is about Benkei is debatable. While
idealized as the "model retainer," being doggedly loyal (albeit uncouth and
rough) almost everything we know about Benkei comes from fanciful tales rather
than historical record. Benkei does make an appearance a few times in the
_Heike Monogatari_ as one of Yoshitsune's men, but outside of introducing
Washio Tamehisa to Yoshitsune, is little more than a footnote in that book.
However, his presence there does lead credence to the idea that he may in fact
be a historical character, seeing as how the _Monogatari_ was written before
most of the fanciful tales regarding Yoshitsune began to appear. The vast
majority of Benkei's exploits can be read in the _Gikeiki_ where he's almost as
big a player as Yoshitsune himself.
UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS:
Complete the Yoshitsune Stage "The Kagami Inn"
MOVESET:
O-Barai S
O-Barai SS
O-Zuki SSS
Senkai-Nagi SSSS
Power Charge Hold down T
Rapid Stab Release T quickly during Power Charge
Gokuraku-Ojo Release T after holding a while during Power Charge
Onagi-Barai ST
Tsurigane-Wari SST
O-Sharin SSST
O-Barai Jumping S
O-Furiotoshi Jumping T
O-Barai T while running
RATING: Commander A+, General B
Only Yoritomo can match up to Benkei in terms of sheer killing power, and even
that's debatable. In short, Benkei goes beyond the range of "ridiculously
powerful" and into the "cheap" zone. First, Benkei does enormous damage with
his Naginata. Second, unlike a lot of Naginata characters, Benkei has very
little in the way of recovery time between his moves. Third, most of his moves
have knockback power and good crowd-control. Fourth, he's got Fierce Formation,
which makes him even more deadly. In terms of what moves to use, Senkai-Nagi
and O-Sharin are his best crowd-clearers. Tsurigane-Wari is good to use against
bosses too. The only real downside to Benkei is that his Technique, and more
importantly, his Command, stink, so when you're playing as him, you won't deal
much in the way of critical hits, nor will your Subordinates be particularly
powerful. Still, Benkei is powerful enough to take up most of the slack
himself.
Benkei is not as effective as a General. While still quite good (especially
when you have him using Shura) he won't be as aggressive as you can be when
you're controlling him directly.
GOLD MERCHANT KICHIJI 金売り吉次
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
|STATISTICS | ARCHER |
|Health: 2 (5490) | Weapon : Shortbow |
|Attack: 2 (540) | T Form : Rest Formation |
|Defense: 2 (490) | S Form : Sniper Formation |
|Technique: 3 (520) | Setsuna : Volley |
|Command: 4 (570) | Slots : Volley |
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
A gold merchant whose caravan traveled between Kyoto and Oshu. He is said to be
the one who brought Yoshitsune to Oshu, but little is truly known about him.
Regarding his origins, there are various accounts, none of which agrees with
the others. He is only referred to as a "Gold Merchant" in the
_Heike Monogatari_ and the _Genpei Seisuiki_ but his name is first mentioned in
the _Heiji Monogatari._ His association with Yoshitsune also varies greatly
between sources, which contradict each other in this case as well. In the
_Gikeiki,_ Kichiji invites Ushiwaka to come with him to Oshu upon learning his
lineage, whereas in the _Azuma Kagami_, Yoshitsune himself requests passage
with Kichiji's caravan. Some people say that "Kichiji is Yoshitsune's retainer,
Horimi Taro," judging from his sudden disappearance from the records after his
arrival at Oshu. My guess, however, is that if Kichiji was an actual person, he
and Yoshitsune probably parted ways at Oshu. However romantic it would be to
have Yoshitsune commanding undying loyalty from everyone who ever met him,
it's highly unlikely a merchant with a profitable gold trade would drop
everything to risk his life in a (at the time, seemingly unwinnable) war.
UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS:
Complete the Yoshitsune Stage "The Kagami Inn"
MOVESET:
Upward Swing S
Stab SS
Uraken SSS
Shika-Otoshi SSSS
Draw Bowstring Hold down T
Tsurube-Uchi Rapidly tap T
Shanichi Release T after holding down awhile
Fire Bow ST
Fire Bow SST
Fire Bow SSST
Furiorishi Jumping S
Fire Bow Jumping T
Fire Bow T while running
RATING: Commander C-, General B
Poor Kichiji, age is catching up with him. He's a little bit senile, getting
Sanemori and Masachika mixed up, and telling his troops to "start defending"
whenever he orders a Sniper Formation. And more importantly, his reflexes are
starting to go. His attacks have openings a mile wide and do very little
damage,
and his Tsurube-Uchi is slow too. His Uraken is so-so for crowd control and
good at hitting enemies sneaking up on him, but his other sword moves are not
useful at all. Plus his range of equippable bows is very limited. However,
Kichiji has two things going for him. First, he can use Rest Formation as a
Commander, which is a great Formation. Second, and more importantly, he has
excellent Command; in fact, better than any other archer except Saito Sanemori.
This lets him really give a hefty boost to his Subordinate's stats, making them
extra effective. However, Kichiji's own lack of strength cuts out a lot of that
advantage. Bottom line is that he's substantially below average as a Commander,
and decent as a General.
RIN 凛
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
|STATISTICS | MOUNTED NAGINATA SOLDIER (FEMALE) |
|Health: 2 (5880) | Weapon : Konaginata |
|Attack: 3 (575) | T Form : Close Formation |
|Defense: 2 (534) | S Form : Force Formation |
|Technique: 4 (558) | Setsuna : Spear Charge |
|Command: 3 (478) | Slots : Assault |
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
None. Rin is, as the game puts it, an "Original Character." In this game she's
a war orphan who was taken in and raised by Kichiji, but is completely a
fabrication of the game designers. Side trivia, but Rin's first appearance was
in another From Software game, Tenchu: Kurenai. There she shared the lead role,
but aside from appearance and voice, was a totally different character than in
the Yoshitsune games. She also appeared in the first Yoshitsune Eiyuden in the
same capacity as this one. (Since Yoshitsune Eiyuden: Shura is really just a
big expansion)
UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS:
Complete the Yoshitsune Stage "The Kagami Inn"
MOVESET:
Nagibarai S
Tenbashi-Zuki SS
Kaiten-Nagi SSS
Renbukyaku SSSS rapidly keep hitting S
O-Nagibarai T
Tenchu ST
Rintenzan SST
Getsurin SSST
Zanku T after/during Renbukyaku
Nagibarai Jumping S
Yasha Koroshi Jumping T
Zanshin T while running
RATING: Commander B+, General C+
Rin is a very unusual character. She's sort of like a combination between a
Naginata soldier and an Elite Footsoldier. Her stats are quite well-balanced;
while not the class of a Yoshitsune or a Tadanobu, she can hold her own quite
well. Her added speed makes her an excellent Commander for stages where you
have to act quickly too. Her Kaiten-nagi and Getsurin are great crowd clearers,
and Rintenzan is good for confusing the enemy. However, Rin's major downside as
a commander is that she's somewhat slow in her attacks, with reasonably wide
openings after most of them. As a general, Rin isn't so great. Her primary
problem is that her Strategems are not very good. As a "tradeoff" for getting
Onshin and Ninsatsu, Rin doesn't get Tsumuji or Yaribusuma, which the other
small-naginata soldiers get. (except Kakuhan, who doesn't get Tsumuji) The
problem is that neither of these Stratagems is anywhere near as useful as the
ones she sacrifices. Still, she does an acceptable job in either role.
SATO SABURO TSUGUNOBU 佐藤三郎継信
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
|STATISTICS | SHIELDSFIGHTER |
|Health: 4 (6450) | Weapon : Wooden Greatshield |
|Attack: 2 (538) | T Form : Anti-Bow Formation |
|Defense: 5 (749) | S Form : Anti-Cavalry Formation |
|Technique: 2 (440) | Setsuna : Shield Charge |
|Command: 3 (500) | Slots : Shield Wall, Anti-Cavalry |
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
A warrior from Mutsu. Tadanobu's older brother. Son of Heiji, of the Sato
family of Mutsu nobles. After Yoshitsune left Oshu, Tsugunobu accompanied him
on Fujiwara Hidehira's orders. As Yoshitsune's retainer, he participated in
many battles. After gaining great military accomplishments, he was nicknamed
one of Yoshitsune's "Four Great Generals." He died at the Battle of Yashima,
blocking Yoshitsune with his body and taking an arrow from Taira Noritsune.
Of course, that's the romanticized version. In the _Heike Monogatari_ he's just
one of many generals that charge the Taira forces at Yashima, and is one of
the unfortunate ones to get shot down. While his exploits tend to be downplayed
(except for his death) in history and legend, Tsugunobu and his brother were
probably more historically important commanders in Yoshitsune's employ than
even Benkei, as they took more of an active command role. The Fujiwara of Oshu
were extremely powerful and the Sato were of no small consequence.
UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS:
Complete the Yoshitsune Stage "Hiraizumi, Oshu."
MOVESET:
Furi S
Small Stab SS
Tsuki SSS
Furiorishi SSSS
Great Stab T
Tate-Nagi ST
Rapid Stab SST
O-Kaiten SSST
Furi Jumping S
Yama-Otoshi Jumping T
Tatetotsu T while Running
RATING: Commander B+, General A-
As one of the only two Shieldsfighters in the game, Tsugunobu's got a bag of
tricks quite different from most of the other generals in the game, both as a
commander and a general. First, when used as a weapon, that shield is very
wide, so it gives him a very broad range to hit the enemy with. While he's not
going to win any marathons, Tsugunobu's attacks are a different story and are
quite quick, with little recovery time. His stats are also substantially higher
than those of Tate Chikatada, the other shieldsman, so he's the most effective
Shieldsfighter in the game in that aspect. His O-Kaiten is also very good for
crowd clearing, as is his Tatetotsu. As a General, Tsugunobu is even better.
While best used in a defensive role, Shieldsfighters get a mix of very useful
Stratagems that he can put to good use, especially against cavalry with Horse
Scare. With his high Health and Defense, Tsugunobu makes a great frontline
defense against the enemy.
SATO SHIRO TADANOBU 佐藤四郎忠信
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
|STATISTICS | MOUNTED SWORDSMAN |
|Health: 4 (6530) | Weapon : Miike |
|Attack: 4 (620) | T Form : Defense Formation |
|Defense: 3 (568) | S Form : Charge Formation |
|Technique: 3 (475) | Setsuna : Reppa |
|Command: 3 (500) | Slots : Assault |
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
A warrior from Mutsu. Tsugunobu's younger brother. Son of Heiji, of the Sato
family of Mutsu nobles. After Yoshitsune left Oshu, Tadanobu accompanied him
on Fujiwara Hidehira's orders along with his elder brother Tsugunobu. And, like
his elder brother, Tadanobu soon became known as one of Yoshitsune's "Four
Great Generals." At Yoshino Mountain, he pretended to be Yoshitsune and stalled
the real Yoshitsune's pursuers so that he could get away. After defeating the
leader of the pursuers, Yokogawa Kakuhan, he managed to break through the
soldiers surrounding him, but was not able to meet up with Yoshitsune again. He
lay low in Kyoto for a while, but when found by Yoritomo's men, he committed
suicide. Historically, Tadanobu was also an important-though-less-focused-on
general like his older brother. The story of the fight with Kakuhan, while very
exciting and entertaining, is probably a complete fabrication. It is true
though that Tadanobu was caught and killed in Kyoto. Whether he really did act
as a decoy on Yoshino, or whether he remained behind as a spy (or both) is not
really known.
UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS:
Complete the Yoshitsune Stage "Hiraizumi, Oshu."
MOVESET:
Ryote-Furi S
Tsuki SS
Kaiten-Barai SSS
Tsumuji-Yaiba SSSS
Kaiten-Giri T
O-Kesa-Giri ST
Tsumuji-Geki SST
Ren-Kaiten SSST
Furi Jumping S
Do-Giri Jumping T
Hayate-Otoshi Running T
RATING: Commander A, General B
As a Commander, Tadanobu is great. He's got some of the best moves a Swordsman
gets, and is even better at taking out the enemy quickly than Yoshitsune in my
opinion. This is primarily because of his fantastic weapon range and wide range
of crowd-clearing moves. While not in the same league as a Naginata soldier,
Tadanobu has a better range in his attacks than just about any other Swordsman.
He's got a great crowd-clearer at the touch of a button, Kaiten-Giri, and Ren-
Kaiten is better than almost any other move in the game in a pitched battle.
The sole strike against Tadanobu is that he's a little on the slow side. He's
got quite a delay between lots of his moves, so this makes him at a
disadvantage against Elite Footsoldiers and other fast enemies. As a General,
he's good, but not spectacular. This is mostly due to his ho-hum Command; he's
got the lowest Command of all the Swordsmen in the game. However, being the
only Mounted Swordsman that's not Yoshitsune/Ushiwaka or a secret character,
that makes up for this deficit somewhat. Overall, Tadanobu is a solid
character.
SHIZUKA GOZEN
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
|STATISTICS | NAGINATA SOLDIER (FEMALE) |
|Health: 2 (5480) | Weapon : Karayo-Konaginata |
|Attack: 2 (528) | T Form : Rest Formation |
|Defense: 2 (530) | S Form : Silent Formation |
|Technique: 4 (568) | Setsuna : Tsumuji |
|Command: 4 (550) | Slots : Calming |
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
The top "Shirabyoshi" dancer of Kyoto, the daughter of Iso no Zenshi. Her
mother was also a famous dancer. Many historical and legendary works record
her tragic love affair with Yoshitsune. And while being most famous for being
Yoshitsune's lover, there are many different accounts of how the two met. Some
say Yoshitsune met her during her rain dance (see the "Rain Dance" stage
history) whereas others have Yoshitsune meeting her while on orders from
Yoritomo to guard the capital. She separated from Yoshitsune at Yoshino
Mountain, after he fled the capital. At that time, she was pregnant with
Yoshitsune's child. She was unable to escape and was eventually captured and
sent to Kamakura. She gave birth to a baby boy there, but he was drowned in
Yuigahama lake on Yoritomo's orders. Afterwards, she left Kamakura with her
mother, but her whereabouts afterwards are unknown, and many differing legends
regarding her eventual demise remain to this day. Most of them involve her
becoming a nun and praying for Yoshitsune's rebirth in the Pure Land.
UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS:
Complete the Yoshitsune Stage "Return to the Capital"
MOVESET:
Ukizakura S
Fuga SS
Yanagi-Zubame SSS
Kusanagi SSSS
Sata T
Cho-no-Mai ST
Kagura SST
Maizakura SSST
Nami-Shibuki Jumping S
Hana-Osae Jumping T
Koten Running T
RATING: Commander C+, General B+
As a Commander, Shizuka is the worst of the three female characters in my
opinion. She does have a few things going for her; first, nearly all of her
attacks have a 360 degree arc, so she's a great crowd clearer in that sense.
Second, she's got Rest Formation, which is great for keeping your army's life
up. Third, she's the only small Naginata user in the game with Tsumuji mapped
to her Setsuna-no-Saku. However, there are a few major strikes against her.
First and foremost, her stats are pitiful. Her Health, Attack, and Defense are
all low, making her very ineffective for aggressive play, particularly on
higher difficulty levels. Her Technique is quite good, but Technique primarily
comes into play when using a fast character, which brings us to detriment #2--
Shizuka is very slow. All of her moves have nasty lag time, during which she's
wide open. Also for a Naginata soldier, her range leaves something to be
desired. All in all, she's passable as a Commander, but not ideal by any
stretch of the imagination. However, as a General, Shizuka's pretty good. She
can still heal you with her Blessing, has great Command, and can use Stratagems
like Yaribusuma and Tsumuji to great effect.
NASU NO YOICHI MUNETAKA 那須与一宗隆
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
|STATISTICS | MOUNTED ARCHER |
|Health: 2 (5820) | Weapon : Shigeto Bow |
|Attack: 3 (564) | T Form : Technique Formation |
|Defense: 3 (556) | S Form : Sniper Formation |
|Technique: 4 (601) | Setsuna : Fire Arrow |
|Command: 3 (480) | Slots : Volley, Fire Arrow, Talent |
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
A crack archer from the province of Shimozuke. The eleventh son of the Nasu
family. He is most famous for his skill with the bow, and was said to be able
to shoot down two out of three birds in flight. His most famous exploit, of
course, is his participation in the battle of Yashima on the Genji side. Under
Yoshitsune's orders, he shot down a small fan on a Heishi boat, causing an
excited uproar from both sides. Based on this feat, Yoichi was said to have
inherited the line of Nasu. Aside from this anecdote, however, there's not a
whole lot known about Yoichi. Said anecdote scored him the position of being
one of the most famous archers in Japanese history, (along with his famous
"Shigeto" bow) but otherwise little else is known of either his origins or
accomplishments after the war.
UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS:
Complete the Yoshitsune Stage "Treasured Memories in the Moonlight"
MOVESET:
Furiage S
Furi SS
Tonbo-Gaeri SSS
Kaiten-Giri SSSS
Draw Bowstring Hold down T
Tsurube-Uchi Rapidly tap T
Zhen Killer Release T after holding down awhile
Fire Bow ST
Fire Bow SST
Fire Bow SSST
Furiorishi Jumping S
Fire Bow Jumping T
Fire Bow T while running
RATING: Commander B, General A+
Yoichi is not the best archer commander in the game (Kanemitsu takes that title
in my opinion) but he comes awfully close. His Tsurube-Uchi is the fastest of
all the archers (and can shoot up to a maximum of 6 arrows at later levels) and
combined with his Setsuna-no-Saku of Fire Arrow, can be used to shoot a
machinegun barrage of Fire Arrows. Plus his sword attacks have little in the
way of recovery time, and Kaiten-Giri is decent crowd control. However, archers
in general are really not meant to be Commanders; their asset is their wide
variety of Stratagems, none of which are usable by a Commander. As a General,
like all Archers, Yoichi is excellent. Like most Archers Yoichi's Command is
nothing to write home about, but his well-rounded other stats make up for that,
especially his Defense, which is better than any other archer. Plus, he's the
only mounted archer in the game. If you're running around on horses, he's the
only archer general that will be able to keep up with you easily.
ISE NO SABURO YOSHIMORI 伊勢三郎義盛
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
|STATISTICS | ELITE FOOTSOLDIER |
|Health: 2 (5980) | Weapon : Kodachi |
|Attack: 3 (565) | T Form : Defense Formation |
|Defense: 2 (525) | S Form : Force Formation |
|Technique: 5 (730) | Setsuna : Hi-no-Mai |
|Command: 2 (360) | Slots : Taunt, Makibishi, Shunsatsu-Jutsu |
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
A warrior with a past shrouded in mystery. It is said that he was initially a
bandit, though the most famous story comes from the _Gikeiki_ where he was a
rough-and-tumble minor lord whose house Yoshitsune stayed in (to the distress
of the servants, who said their master, ie Yoshimori, had a terrible temper)
on the way to Oshu. Once learning of Yoshitsune's identity, however, Yoshimori
immediately offered his services, as his family had strong ties with the
Minamotos, especially Yoshitomo. As one of the major leaders of Yoshitsune's
forces, Yoshimori participated in many famous battles. At the battle of
Shido he strode headlong into the three thousand warriors of Awa Noriyoshi's
army and through fast talking, got Noriyoshi and all of his soldiers to
surrender. Furthermore, at the battle of Dan-no-Ura, he arranged for Awa
Shigeyoshi to defect to the Genji. After Yoshitsune fled the capial,
Yoshimori's boat got caught in a storm and the two were separated. (Though in
the _Gikeiki_ Yoshimori stays on till the end, killing himself at Koromogawa
after taking quite a few enemy heads) Afterwards, he returned to Ise and
attacked the governor there but was soundly defeated. He fled to Suzuka
Mountain, where he is said to have killed himself.
UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS:
Complete the Yoshitsune Stage "Treasured Memories in the Moonlight"
MOVESET:
Zan S
Zan SS
Renshikkyaku SSS
Renshikkyaku SSSS rapidly keep hitting S
Zangeki T
Nikikyaku ST
Tenshuku SST
Tenshokyaku SSST
Naraku-Otoshi Jumping S
Kunai Jumping T
Resshokyaku Running T
RATING: Commander A-, General A
Yoshimori's got a lot going for him. His primary asset is his Technique;
Yoshimori has the highest Technique level of all the characters in the game.
This means he instant-kills better than anyone, which is a real help. He can
also equip all of the Concealed Weapons in the game. As a Commander, he makes
great crowd control, as nearly all of his normal attacks have a 360 degree arc
to them, or close to it. He's fast and has little in the way of openings
between attacks as well. His downside is that he has a bad Defense--not good
for a melee character--and his range is pathetic, even for an Elite
Footsoldier.
As a General Yoshimori fares slightly better. His Command is nothing to write
home about, but his high Technique combined with Stratagems like Fireball and
Hi-no-Mai make him really useful.
HITACHIBO KAISON 常陸坊海尊
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
|STATISTICS | CLUB SOLDIER (MONK) |
|Health: 5 (6900) | Weapon : Donkonbo |
|Attack: 4 (665) | T Form : Spread Formation |
|Defense: 3 (566) | S Form : Zeal Formation |
|Technique: 2 (373) | Setsuna : Mogura |
|Command: 2 (437) | Slots : Guard |
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
A monk whose background and exploits are almost entirely unknown. He is said
to have been a monk at Miidera (the temple that Prince Mochihito colluded with
and got subsequently destroyed by the Taira after the prince's failed revolt)
but whether or not this is true is unknown. Records have Kaison as one of the
few of Yoshitsune's retainers that survived the assault on Koromogawa. He
accompanied Yoshitsune during his flight from the capital, and fought off
pursuers with Benkei at Daimotsu Bay. Afterwards he traveled to Oshu with
Yoshitsune, but had gone to a nearby temple to pray the morning of the day that
Koromogawa was attacked and was never heard from again. Legend has it that
Kaison never died, but lived on as an ancient sage, never dying of old age, so
that he could recount the events that he lived through.
UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS:
Complete the Yoshitsune Stage "Treasured Memories in the Moonlight"
MOVESET:
Uchitsuke S
Uchitsubushi SS
Uchiage SSS
Kyoku SSSS
Power Charge Hold down T
O-Nagibarai Release T quickly during Power Charge
Aibetsunanku Release T after holding a while during Power Charge
O-Nagibarai ST
Gekishin SST
Kaiten-Seppo SSST
Furioroshi Jumping S
Jinari Jumping T
Nagibarai Running T
RATING: Commander B-, General B-
As the only Club Soldier in the game, Kaison is pretty unique. He's VERY hardy,
and sports the highest Health of all the characters in the game. He also packs
quite a wallop with his club, and has very good range with his weapon too. He
has a wide array of crowd clearers, especially Kaiten-Seppo, and his Gekishin
is the only true area-affect attack in the game. Kaison's only problem--and
it's a big one that you'll notice the very first time that you use him--is that
he's so.....very....slooooow. As the slowest character in the game, not only is
Kaison sluggish on his feet, but he's got openings a mile wide between attacks;
there's practically a full second in between most of them. This means that
Kaison is going to take a LOT of hits, no matter how carefully you play him,
and even with his Health level, he won't survive for long in a really furious
pitched battle. His moveset and stats make up for this severe weakness to some
extent, (unlike, say, Yukiie, who's slow and has crappy moves) so he's not
completely unusable, but he can be frustrating to play in certain situations.
This sloth also puts a real dent in his use as a General. Not only his he slow,
but he's not as aggressive as he could be as a General, and it's sad to say, he
really doesn't have much in the way of good Stratagems. Mogura is quite nice
(and speedy, considering the user) and you can use him quite defensively with a
maxed-out Rangeki, but other than that, he really doesn't have much utility as
a General. Your mileage may vary, though.
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| YOSHINAKA GENERALS |
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
KISO NO JIRO YOSHINAKA 木曽次郎義仲
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
|STATISTICS | MOUNTED NAGINATA SOLDIER |
|Health: 4 (6460) | Weapon : Onaginata |
|Attack: 5 (690) | T Form : Command Formation |
|Defense: 3 (564) | S Form : Charge Formation |
|Technique: 3 (534) | Setsuna : Shura |
|Command: 4 (545) | Slots : Guard-Breaking |
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
Known as "Komao-maru" in his youth, Kiso Yoshinaka was Yoritomo and
Yoshitsune's cousin. While actually a Minamoto (and he surely referred to
himself as "Minamoto Yoshinaka") he's normally known as Kiso Yoshinaka because
Kiso is the are he hailed from. Those without surnames usually used the towns
or countries they were from to identify themselves (e.g. Ise Yoshimori comes
from the province of Ise) and as a kind of slander, historians call Yoshinaka
"Kiso Yoshinaka" to sort of rob him of any legitimacy to the Genji line,
putting him on the level of a mere provincial warrior. After Yoshinaka's
father, Minamoto Yoshikata, was killed, Saito Sanemori rescued him, and sent
him to Kaneto in Kiso, where he was raised along with Imai Kanehira and Tomoe,
who were childhood friends. (Kanehira was said to have shared the same wetnurse
with Yoshinaka) In 1180, he received word of Mochihito's edict and raised an
army. Like Yoritomo, Yoshinaka started by building his forces, but was forced
into actual fighting when the Taira actively attacked him, fearing the buildup
of Minamoto forces. Yoshinaka managed to not only beat back the Taira but turn
their attack into an opportunity to move into Kyoto. The Taira fled before he
even got to the city, and he was hailed as the "Rising Sun General" while in
the capital. However, he was in a precarious position. While officially one of
Yoritomo's vassals, Yoritomo did not trust Yoshinaka one bit, and Yoshinaka was
continually afraid of being attacked by his cousin. For this reason, he was
reluctant to leave the capital to defeat the Taira, fearing that Yoritomo would
occupy it in his absence and strip him of power (or kill him) on his return.
This caused him to fall out of favor with Go-Shirakawa, and meanwhile his
troops, starving because of the famine in the area, were looting the populace
to try and survive, and Yoshinaka couldn't control them, so the people started
to hate him as well. Yoshinaka was really stuck between a rock and a hard
place, between the Taira and Yoritomo. After learning that Go-Shirakawa and put
out a price on his head, Yoshinaka attacked Hojuji, the Emperor's mansion. He
imprisoned the Emperor and took the coveted title of "Seii-Taishogun." In
desperation, he tried to join with the Taira to defeat Yoritomo (who he knew
was going to attack) but they refused and he had to face Yoritomo on his own.
With his starved and thinned forces, Yoshinaka had no chance. He put up as
much of a fight as he could at the Uji river, but was defeated and killed.
While history does not smile on Yoshinaka (he's always portrayed as a stupid
hick with no refinement) you can't help but feel a little sorry for him; while
a brilliant general he wasn't much of a politician, and was more a victim of
circumstance than stupidity. Without his effort, Yoritomo would never have
been able to defeat the Taira, but he ended up going down in history as
something of a villain.
UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS:
Unlocked automatically as soon as you start the Yoshinaka scenario
MOVESET:
Left Uchioroshi S
Right Uchiorishi SS
Kaeshiuchi SSS
Senkai SSSS
Nagibarai T
Asahi-Kototsu ST
Sonichi SST
Nichirinzan SSST
Uchioroshi Jumping S
Ryodan Jumping T
Ichiyo Running T
RATING: Commander A+, General A+
In my opinion, Yoshinaka is one of the most fun characters in the game to play
as. While not as carefully balanced as Yoshitsune, nor as deadly an engine of
death as Benkei or Yoritomo, Yoshinaka is one of the most well-rounded
characters in the game. He's got a top-notch Attack, a high Health level, good
Command, and decent Defense and Technique. His attacks have great range, he's
got a wide variety of crowd-clearers, and his Formations are excellent too. The
only downside to Yoshinaka is that there's a little bit of a delay in between
his attacks; but then, that's the case with most Naginata fighters. As a
general, Yoshinaka is also top-notch, and the overall best Naginata general in
the game, in my opinion. He can use all the Naginata Stratagems in the game but
Hoten, (which is of limited use anyway) and is one of the only two characters
that can use the potentially deadly Yarigake. All in all, while Yoshinaka isn't
the best at any one role, he's the best jack-of-all-trades in the game, (well,
outside of Yoritomo, who's an ubercharacter) and that makes him a solid player.
IMAI SHIRO KANEHIRA 今井四郎兼平
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
|STATISTICS | SWORDSMAN |
|Health: 4 (6420) | Weapon : Koaoe |
|Attack: 4 (638) | T Form : Technique Formation |
|Defense: 4 (580) | S Form : Anti-Cavalry Formation |
|Technique: 3 (530) | Setsuna : Reppa |
|Command: 3 (510) | Slots : Assault, Guard |
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
Yoshinaka's closest friend, and one of his "Four Great Generals," Imai Kanehira
was also Higuchi Kanemitsu's younger brother, and Tomoe Gozen's older brother.
It's said that he and Yoshinaka both shared the same wetnurse, and he acted as
his second-in-command, participating in many battles alongside him. Kanehira
and Yoshinaka were separated at the battle of Uji, but were reunited and
attempted to flee together. After realizing escape was hopeless, Kanehira is
said to have fought off Yoshinaka's pursuers single-handedly to buy time for
him to commit suicide. (Much like Benkei is said to have done for Yoshitsune)
However, upon hearing that Yoshinaka was killed, Kanehira stuck his sword in
his mouth, leapt from his horse, running his head through and (obviously)
killing him.
UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS:
Unlocked automatically as soon as you start the Yoshinaka scenario
MOVESET:
Furi S
Furi SS
Tsuki SSS
Kesa-giri SSSS
Yozan T
Matsuba-Otoshi ST
Kuruma-giri SST
Aranami-Haki SSST
Furioroshi Jumping S
Karatake-Wari Jumping T
Taiate Running T
RATING: Commander B, General B
"Generic" is the best word I can think of to apply to Kanehira. He's a decent
character overall, but really nothing special. His stats are actually quite
well-rounded and almost on par with Yoshitsune in terms of Commander stats, but
his moveset is thoroughly average and his Formations aren't anything special,
Kuranami-giri and Aranami-Haki are OK as crowd-clearers, but most of his other
moves are focused on one-on-one fights. He makes an average General too, as his
Command is good, but not spectacular. All in all, he's a thoroughly average
character. Useful, but not overwhelmingly so.
NENOI DAIYATA YUKICHIKA 根井大弥太行親
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
|STATISTICS | ENGINEER |
|Health: 4 (6360) | Weapon : Miike |
|Attack: 3 (558) | T Form : Command Formation |
|Defense: 4 (595) | S Form : Zeal Formation |
|Technique: 2 (380) | Setsuna : Reppa |
|Command: 4 (600) | Slots : Taunt, Ishiyumi, Wagon Mastery |
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
Yukichika was from one of the noble families hailing from Saku in Shinano
province, the same province Kiso is in. Along with his son Tate Chikatada,
he was known as one of Yoshinaka's "Four Great Generals." He was one of the
few Genji-aligned warriors to join forces with Minamoto Yoshitomo during the
Hogen Disturbance. When Yoshinaka raised his flag and assembled an army, he
immediately joined, and served as a supporting general in many battles. He
died at the Uji river, trying to hold back Minamoto Yoritomo and Yoshitsune.
UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS:
Unlocked automatically as soon as you start the Yoshinaka scenario
MOVESET:
Kiribarai S
Kiribarai SS
Kiribarai SSS
Kiribarai SSSS
Uchitsuke T
Sanren-zuki ST
Shippu-zuki SST
Oni-zuki SSST
RATING: Commander F, General B
As a Commander, Yukichika flat out blows chunks. There is no character less-
suited to being a Commander in the game, not even Yukiie. The final and only
massive nail in Yukichika's coffin? That big honking cart he's carrying around.
Yukichika can never get off his horse. Ever. His stats are pretty good, but
controlling him and that freaking cart is so incredibly clunky and difficult
that you'll be hard-pressed to do well in the easiest mission with him as the
commander. As a General, he's only marginally better. Being the only Engineer
in the game, he's got access to a lot of unusual and unique Stratagems, but
only one of them is really useful, and that massive cart gets in your way
constantly while you're trying to kill the enemy. So why do I give him a "B" as
a General? Because that one useful Stratagem he's got--Item--is one of the most
powerful in the game, and only Yukichika can use it. With Item, you can create
healing items at will, and once it's reached level 2 and 3, you can start
creating powerful healing items with high frequency as well. (Ab)used well,
this Stratagem can make you essentially invincible. For this reason, Yukichika
makes the #1 "babysitter" of the game; if you want to build up weak characters
on a hard stage, bring Yukichika in to keep them healthy. While not very useful
in any other capacity (you'll essentially have one commander, one general, and
a walking healing item factory that does little else) that one skill gives
Yukichika some real utility.
TOMOE GOZEN 巴御前
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
|STATISTICS | MOUNTED NAGINATA SOLDIER (FEMALE) |
|Health: 2 (5830) | Weapon : Konaginata |
|Attack: 3 (587) | T Form : Anti-Archer Formation |
|Defense: 2 (533) | S Form : Zeal Formation |
|Technique: 3 (515) | Setsuna : Spear Charge |
|Command: 3 (515) | Slots : Spear Charge |
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
One of the few (really only) famous female warriors in Japanese history, Tomoe
Gozen was a childhood friend and later lover of Yoshinaka, who was supposed to
be both beautiful and deadly. She is also the younger sister of Kanehira and
Kanemitsu. Most of what's known about her comes from the _Heike Monogatari_
where she fought along Yoshinaka at the Uji River. She wanted to die with him,
but he refused and made her escape. What happened afterwards to her is unknown.
Most stories have her becoming a nun and praying for Yoshinaka's rebirth in
the Pure Land but others have her becoming the wife of Wada Yoshimori, one
of Yoritomo's retainers.
UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS:
Complete the Yoshinaka Stage "The Genji from Kiso"
MOVESET:
Right Nagi S
Left Nagi SS
Haraiage SSS
Ryodan SSSS
Kurumagaeshi T
Koma-otoshi ST
Seiko SST
Kazeguruma SSST
Uchioroshi Jumping S
Kiribarai Jumping T
Tsuki Running S
RATING: Commander A, General A-
Tomoe is an excellent character, especially as a Commander, and is far and away
the best female character in the game. Her moveset is top-class and one of the
best in the game; while a little on the slow side, she's got great range and
nearly all her moves are excellent crowd-clearers, plus her Kurumagaeshi is
easy to dish out and has a 360 degree attacking arc. The only thing that keeps
her from getting an A+ as a Commander is the fact that her stats are a little
low (especially her Health), her Formations are nothing special, and she has a
crappy Setsuna-no-Saku. As a General, Tomoe is quite good though her average
Command keeps her from being exceptional. She can't use Yaribusuma which is too
bad, but she can use Hoten (great against cavalry) and is one of the only two
characters in the game that can use Yarigake, the best (IMO) Naginata
Stratagem.
Bottom line is that Tomoe is an excellent, solid character who's not only well-
rounded but a lot of fun to play.
TATE ROKURO CHIKATADA 楯六郎親忠
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
|STATISTICS | SHIELDSFIGHTER |
|Health: 5 (6760) | Weapon : Wooden Greatshield |
|Attack: 2 (525) | T Form : Defense Formation |
|Defense: 5 (715) | S Form : Anti-Archer Formation |
|Technique: 2 (425) | Setsuna : Shield Charge |
|Command: 2 (445) | Slots : Shield Wall, Shield Assault |
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
The son of Nenoi Yukichika, Tate Chikatada also joined Yoshinaka's army. Along
with his father, he was also one of Yoshinaka's "Four Great Generals." He also
participated in many battles for Yoshinaka. He was one of the scouts at the
battle of Yokotagawara, one of Yoshinaka's most surprising victories. It's said
that Chikatada was killed at the Uji river along with his father, but while we
have fairly good proof that Yukichika died there, Chikatada's death is only
mere speculation; we don't know for sure whether or not he survived. Given
that Yoshinaka's army was utterly crushed in that battle, he probably didn't,
but the details are unknown. Side note: The Kanji for Chikatada's name, "Tate,"
means "Shield." Get it? Ha ha.
UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS:
Complete the Yoshinaka Stage "The Genji from Kiso"
MOVESET:
Haraitsuki S
Kirigaeshi SS
Kirigaeshi SSS
Yama-kuzushi SSSS
Yama-kuzushi T
Furimawashi ST
Furimawashi SST
Furimawashi SSST
Furioroshi Jumping S
Furioroshi Jumping T
Yama-Kuzushi Running T
RATING: Commander A-, General A-
At first glance, Chikatada looks vastly inferior to his Shieldsfighter
counterpart in the Yoshitsune army, Sato Tsugunobu. All his stats are lower,
especially Command, and he's much slower; his moves in battle have large delays
between them. However, Chikatada has two things going for him that actually
makes him more a more versatile fighter than Tsugunobu. First is the fact that
he has better Formations. Second, and more importantly, is his Furimawashi
attack. It's by far his best attack; quick, with a very wide range, and
excellent at crowd-clearing. Plus, he doesn't have to wait long into his "fast"
combo to use it; he can dish it out at any time. This makes for a smaller
repertoire of moves, but a more effective one too. As a general, Chikatada is
basically the same as Tsugunobu. He's best used as a defensive or reactive
fighter, making good use of his Shieldsfighter Stratagems. As Shieldsfighter
Stratagems are generally quite useful, this makes him a good addition to any
lineup.
HIGUCHI JIRO KANEMITSU 樋口次郎兼光
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
|STATISTICS | ARCHER |
|Health: 2 (5750) | Weapon : Longbow |
|Attack: 4 (604) | T Form : Technique Formation |
|Defense: 2 (508) | S Form : Silent Formation |
|Technique: 4 (560) | Setsuna : Volley |
|Command: 2 (460) | Slots : Volley, Return-Fire, Cover, Self-Control |
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
Along with his younger brother Kanehira, Higuchi Kanemitsu served under Kiso
Yoshinaka, and fought many battles with him. If Kanehira was said to be the
"Right hand of Yoshinaka," then Kanemitsu was his "left hand" and he also
was one of Yoshinaka's "Four Great Generals." Kanemitsu was often the lead
general of Yoshinaka's backup troop; he was left to guard the capital when
Yoshinaka made his (futile) forays to the west to defeat the Taira, and when
Yoshinaka attacked Hojuji, he led the "other side" of the pincer formation that
Yoshinaka used to attack the temple. When Yukiie betrayed Yoshinaka, Kanemitsu
pursued him to Kawauchi Province. However, while Kanemitsu was off chasing
Yukiie, Yoshitsune's army attacked Yoshinaka. Learning his master was in
danger, Kanemitsu rushed back to Kyoto but didn't make it in time. While the
_Heike Monogatari_ has Kanemitsu initially planning a last suicide assault on
Kyoto, he was talked out of it, and surrendered to Yoshitsune and Noriyori.
The two brothers fought hard to gain Kanemitsu clemency, but the nobles would
hear nothing of it. Kanemitsu was beheaded for his attack on Hojuji.
UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS:
Complete the Yoshinaka Stage "The Genji from Kiso"
MOVESET:
Nukiuchi S
Ashibarai SS
Gyakute-zuki SSS
Nidan-Geri SSSS
Draw Bowstring Hold down T
Tsurube-Uchi Rapidly tap T
Taka-Otoshi Release T after holding down awhile
Fire Bow ST
Fire Bow SST
Fire Bow SSST
Furi Jumping S
Furi Jumping T
Nidan-Geri T while running
RATING: Commander B+, General A-
If you want an Archer as your Commander, Kanemitsu is the best one to choose.
Granted, archers aren't really cut out to be Commanders, but Kanemitsu actually
does quite a good job of it. His moveset is fast and has excellent crowd-
clearing capabilities, plus he's the only archer in the game who's running T is
a melee attack. Not only that, but his Attack is better than some character
specifically geared for melee fighting. Of course, there are still many better
choices for Commanders; like other archers, Kanemitsu's Defense is quite low.
Like other archers, Kanemitsu is better suited as a General. His Command is on
the low end, but his high Attack and Technique makes up for that somewhat.
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| TAIRA GENERALS |
o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
TAIRA NO TOMOMORI 平知盛
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
|STATISTICS | MOUNTED NAGINATA SOLDIER |
|Health: 3 (6050) | Weapon : Onaginata |
|Attack: 4 (611) | T Form : Command Formation |
|Defense: 5 (664) | S Form : Itsukushima Formation |
|Technique: 4 (565) | Setsuna : Shura |
|Command: 5 (610) | Slots : Yaribusuma, Sp.Charge, Clarity, Self-C. |
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
Kiyomori's fourth son. After his father's death, he supported his elder brother
Munemori in leading the Heike army. He's famous for his keen military sense
and mind for strategy. Munemori was somewhat (OK, very) incompetent, so
Tomomori took on the mantle of leading the army proper. When Prince Mochihito
rebelled against the Taira and sent out an edict calling for their destruction,
it was Tomomori that led the army that led the army that defeated his forces
at the Uji river. Furthermore, Tomomori was the commander of the Heike forces
that crushed Yukiie's army at Sunomata, in Mino Province. Afterwards, he fled
the capital when Yoshinaka got close (despite wanting to fight it out Kyoto,
Munemori overruled him) and was a key player in leading the Taira forces that
subjugated the western provinces and put down minor revolts. After successfully
gaining control of the western provinces, Tomomori set up camp at Ichi-no-Tani
and awaited an opportunity to retake the capital--an excellent position to
pick--but was unprepared for Yoshitsune's surprise assault and was forced to
retreat across the ocean to Shikoku. In that battle, he lost his eldest son,
Taira Tomoakira. Tomomori was defeated again at Yashima, and then finally at
Dan-no-Ura, where he threw himself into the waters and drowned. His final words
were a poem: "I have seen all that I should have seen. Now I take my own life."
(meaning "I've done all that I can, now it is time for me to die") Tomomori's
military prowess is probably a little exaggerated--he was a good general to be
sure, but not exceptional. He came up with some good strategies--Ichi-no-Tani
and Yashima were both excellent choices of places to set up camp, as they
both allowed the Taira to exploit their naval advantage to the best. Fighting
in the straits of Shimonoseki at Dan-no-Ura was an incredibly risky move that
backfired on Tomomori, but was fairly sound, as the Minamoto had little in the
way of naval experience wheras the Taira were experienced mariners. If
anything, Tomomori was held back by his inept and ineffectual older brother,
Munemori. With the death of Kiyomori, the Taira were pretty much doomed as they
were bereft of good leadership. Tomomori was decent, but not the equivalent of
his father or late elder brother Shigemori, so the odds were stacked against
him to start with; he never had much of a chance.
UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS:
Unlocked automatically as soon as you start the Taira scenario
MOVESET:
Nagi S
Tsuki SS
Nagibarai SSS
Senkai-Nagi SSSS
Yumei no Tsuki T
Funyoki ST
Kazegiri SST
Kocho SSST
Tsuki Jumping S
Saebana-Nagashi Jumping T
Tsuki Running T
RATING: Commander A+ General A+
Tomomori is, in my opinion, the second-most powerful character in the game
after Yoritomo. He doesn't have the sheer destructive power of Benkei or
Yoshinaka, nor the Command of Yoshitsune and is lacking on the Health side, but
his unbelievable Defense, Command, and moveset more than make up for that
deficiency. Tomomori's greatest strength is his fantastic defense, which
manifests itself in several ways. First and most obvious is his high Defense
rating. Second is his range. Tomomori's attacks hit the widest arc with the
greatest reach of all the characters in the game, plus are often knockbacks.
Used effectively, moves like Senkai-Nagi and Kocho will keep enemies from even
getting near Tomomori. Lastly is his Itsukushima Formation, one of the best
Formations in the game. Give him Taira Secrets (when you find it) and he's
unstoppable. As a General, Tomomori is slightly less effective since you don't
get his Itsukushima Formation, but still top-notch. He's more geared for
defensive area support with Stratagems like Rangeki, and his high Command works
wonders for his Subordinates. He's an excellent character, no matter how you
look at it.
TAIRA NO NORITSUNE 平教経
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
|STATISTICS | MOUNTED NAGINATA SOLDIER |
|Health: 5 (6860) | Weapon : Sasumata |
|Attack: 5 (724) | T Form : Guerilla Formation |
|Defense: 4 (635) | S Form : Charge Formation |
|Technique: 2 (410) | Setsuna : Shura |
|Command: 2 (380) | Slots : Rally, Assault, Shura, Coercion |
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
Taira Noritsune was the son of Taira Norimori, Kiyomori's younger brother, and
was made the governor of Noto Province after Kiyomori's coup in 1179. Called
"the best archer in the palace" (even though he's a Naginata soldier in this
game) during his time in the capital, Noritsune fought several battles in the
Genpei war along with his older brother Michimori, and his the younger brother
Narimori. However both of his brothers were killed at the battle of Ichi-no-
Tani, and according to the _Azuma Kagami,_ so was Noritsune. As the _Azuma
Kagami_ is the most "historical" document of the time this presents a real
puzzle, as there are many legends and stories of Noritsune's exploits after
that time, enough so it's generally accepted that he probably survived until
the battle of Dan-no-Ura. Noritsune's first role in the Genpei war was to
try and hold back Yoshinaka's forces and keep him from reaching Kyoto, but as
we know, this failed. His next major task was to subjugate the western
provinces after the Taira fled Kyoto, as many of them started to rally under
the Genji banner, and in this he was successful. He also successfully repelled
Yoshinaka's attack on Mizushima. At Ichi-no-Tani he managed to escape, (if
you don't take the _Azuma Kagami's_ account of his death there at face value)
but only after both his brothers were killed. He is said to have led the Taira
forces at Yashima, and delivered the killing shot to Sato Tsugunobu himself.
His final battle was said to have been at Dan-no-Ura, where he attempted to
track down and kill Yoshitsune, but failed to find him, as Yoshitsune had
changed ships. Realizing that the Taira were doomed, Noritsune traditionally
fought to the bitter end, taking as many Genji soldiers with him as he could,
eventually leaping into the ocean and drowning himself, with one Minamoto
soldier under each arm.
UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS:
Complete the Taira Stage "Prince Mochihito's Edict"
MOVESET:
Right Uchioroshi S
Left Uchioroshi SS
Nagibarai SSS
Senkai-Nagi SSSS
Power Charge Hold down T
Tsukikuzushi Release T quickly during Power Charge
Rasetsu Release T after holding a while during Power Charge
Oni-Korashime ST
Isso SST
Hazeguruma SSST
Kiribarai Jumping S
Ryodan Jumping T
Nagi Running T
RATING: Commander A, General B
In terms of sheer damage-dealing ability, nobody beats Noritsune; he's got the
highest Attack of all the characters in the game, even higher than Benkei. Plus
he can equip the most damaging weapon in the game, which Benkei can't. Not bad
for starters. However, he's not as deadly as Benkei because of his base
moveset; he's much slower with plenty of openings, and takes much longer to
dish out his best crowd-clearers. He can wipe out the enemy quite well, but
just feels a little more sluggish to control overall, which can make a big
difference, though he still is an excellent choice as a Commander. As a General
Noritsune is merely OK. Because he's something of a juggernaut that alone makes
him useful to bring as a General, and his ability to use Rangeki makes him a
good "area sentry" but his Command is just pitiful. Only one character--
Kakuhan--has a lower Command than Noritsune. This really more than anything is
what keeps him from being a great General. Still, he's a solid character.
TAIRA NO SHIGEHIRA 平重衛
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
|STATISTICS | SWORDSMAN |
|Health: 3 (6140) | Weapon : Kobizen |
|Attack: 4 (600) | T Form : Defense Formation |
|Defense: 4 (600) | S Form : Charge Formation |
|Technique: 3 (535) | Setsuna : Shura |
|Command: 4 (575) | Slots : Calming, Assault |
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
Shigehira was Kiyomori's fifth son, and one of the most beloved of his parents
(except maybe after Shigemori, Kiyomori's eldest) When Prince Mochihito issued
his edict, Shigehira was tasked by his father to punish those monks that
participated in the plot, and he torched the Todaiji and Kofukuji as a result,
gaining him the ire of many a monk. (And this act would come back later to
haunt him) While he fought well against the advancing Genji forces, he went
with the rest of the Taira when they fled the capital. He was captured at the
battle of Ichi-no-Tani though, and then taken back to the capital and then
to Kamakura to meet Yoritomo. While Yoritomo wanted to spare Shigemori--and
was especially moved by his calm acceptance of his fate and acknowledgement
of his misdeeds--he could not, and Shigemori was executed for his burning of
the temples after Mochihito's revolt. Shigehira is really the "definitive
Taira," a statesman-warrior that just oozes "bunbu ryodo" (mastery of both
culture and war) and is portrayed as one of the most sympathetic characters in
the _Heike Monogatari._ There he is described as cultured, refined, devout,
and intelligent, and while the Minamoto are really the "heroes" of that book,
Shigehira's fate in particular is one of the elements that make the reader feel
sorry for the Taira and their downfall.
UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS:
Unlocked automatically as soon as you start the Taira scenario
MOVESET:
Harai S
Tsuki SS
Kaeshiuchi SSS
Jumonji SSSS
Shishi-Ranjin T
Dairin-Botan ST
Myofuken SST
Myofuken SSST
Kiriotoshi Jumping S
Ryodan Jumping T
Dairin-Botan Running T
RATING: Commander B, General B+
I like Shighira a lot, but that's mostly because I found him a sympathetic
character in _Tale of the Heike_ and like the way the game potrays him as well.
I can't really say he's that great of a character though, because he really
isn't. He's not terrible though, and is kind of like the Taira version of
Kanehira; useful, but average. His stats are all quite solid and he's very
well-rounded, but his moveset is nothing to write home about. Only his Jumonji
and Dairin-Botan could even be thought of as being useful in a crowd, and even
they're not that good; mostly he's geared toward one-on-one fights, but he's
awfully slow between attacks so he doesn't excel there. Shigehira does have a
tendency to use "feint" type attacks, so he does score a fair number of instant
kills once you've boosted his Technique levels up. As a General, he's actually
the best swordsman after Yoshitsune/Ushiwaka due to his high Command, but
again,
his mediocre moveset detracts a bit from his utility. Get him Fireball and he
can be quite an asset though.
TAIRA NO ATSUMORI 平敦盛
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
|STATISTICS | ARCHER |
|Health: 2 (5730) | Weapon : Shortbow |
|Attack: 3 (565) | T Form : Technique Formation |
|Defense: 2 (505) | S Form : Charge Formation |
|Technique: 4 (520) | Setsuna : Volley |
|Command: 3 (470) | Slots : |
O--------------------O--------------------------------------------------------O
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
Atsumori was the son of Taira Tsunemori, Kiyomori's younger brother. As he
never gained any rank, he is sometimes known as the "rankless official." He
is most famous for two things--first, his skill with the flute; his flute was
named Koeda, and was a very valuable artifact given to him by his father. The
second and more important thing he is famous for is the way he died. At the
young age of sixteen, he was killed at Ichi-no-Tani by Kumagai Naozane. While
this is probably more story than history, the way it went is that Atsumori
was driving his horse into the sea in a desperate attempt to escape. Seeing
Atsumori and judging from his appearance that he must be a great warrior,
Naozane called him back to fight, and Atsumori d