ONIMUSHA: WARLORDS ISSEN FAQ.
By: Goldsickle

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PROLOGUE: BEFORE WE BEGIN,
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This guide may not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal,
private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed
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copyright.



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00. INTRODUCTION
----------------

Hello, I've been contributing to FAQs before, but this is the first time I'm
posting one of my own. The purpose of this FAQ is to cover one of the
overlooked features of the Onimusha series; the Issen. This is the famous
'one-hit kill', 'timed attack', 'counterattack', etc. move which beginners
might've done by accident and wanted to know more about succesfully
performing it more frequently. There're even some players who think
that Issen occurs 'atrandom' and it's success is not in your hands.
This guide will help you get familiar with the technique, learn it's
tricks, glitches and eventually master it.

NOTE: Before I begin, let me explain that I might never cover the extra
enemies that appeared in "Genma Onimusha", the X-Box port-over of
"Onimusha: Warlords" for PS2.



-------------------
01. ALL ABOUT ISSEN
-------------------

Q1: "What is Issen?"

A: Issen is the counterattack move that kills most enemies in one strike.


Q2: "How does it happen?"

A: It happens when the enemy attacks you or is in a position that's
vulnerable to Issen. When pressed at the right time, your player
character will dodge the enemies' attacks like it was nothing and
strikes the enemy with his equipped weapon, killing it instantly.


Q3: "Why should I Issen?"

A: Not only does it kill enemies faster (if not instantly), enemies
killed by Issen will release more souls than usual (two to three
times more). Furthermore, there's almost always Yellow Souls
released from enemies killed from Issen, as if rewarding you from
the hits you might take from trying to Issen the enemy. If you
could master Issen without getting damaged too much, your health
will always be full from the large amounts of Yellow Souls obtained.


Q4: "What is Hajiki Kaeshi and Hajiki Issen?"

A: Hajiki Kaeshi is where you parry an enemy's attack by pressing
the block button (L1) the same time the enemy is about to hit you.
You will know that the parrying worked when you see a yellow/white
flash and your player character staggering forward. During this,
you can press the Square button to instantly perform the Hajiki
Issen, a variation of Issen that pretty much kills most enemies.
Note that Hajiki Issen is also unofficially known as 'Block Issen'
in some FAQs and forums.


Q5: "Are there any diferrence between Issen & H.Issen (besides the
parrying)?"

A: What makes H.Issen diferrent is that you'll get hit less by going into
guard mode in case your H.Kaeshi fails. I can't fully confirm it, but in
Onimusha 2, it seems that Yellow Souls comes out less often when you
perform Hajiki Issen. Also in Onimusha 2, there're some Issen attack
animations which you can only excecute using Hajiki Issen.


Q6: "What is a Chain Issen?"

A: Chain Issens are manual combination Issens where you can immediately
Issen enemy after enemy from your initial Issen attack.
'Chain Issen' is an unofficial name that's used to describe this attack
in various FAQs and Forums.


Q7: "How do you perform Chain Issen?"

A: After excecuting Issen on an enemy, press Square again at the end
of the attack animation. When succesful, you'll follow-up another
Issen to the nearest enemy, with a random attack animation. You need
to time each strikes for the Issen to continue. It's gets harder due
to the randomized attack patterns and varying timing of each animation.
There're others who have said that to continue the follow-up, you need
to press the same time the screen flashes.


Q8: "Issen can kill all enemies in one blow?"

A: At least in this Onimusha game. In the sequels, there're stronger
enemies that will take more than one Issens to kill. In "Onimusha:
Warlords", I only confirmed one boss that you can Issen.


---------------
02. ISSEN MYTHS
---------------

M1: "If you want your Issen to succeed, you must lock-on with the
R1 Button."

A: It's not true. You can pretty much stand there with your sword
down in front of an entire horde and press the Square button when
an enemy within range strikes. One thing I noticed about the first
Onimusha is that whenever you lock on to an enemy, for some reason
you can't Issen other enemies that're not locked-on. This is
diferrent in the second game where you can Issen anyone around you,
wether you're locking on or not. Lock on isn't needed all the time,
but it still makes Issen easier and it's the only way you can
perform combos.


M2: "You must face the enemy for the Issen to work."

A: Not 100% true. Most of the time, you can Issen any enemy around you
that's within range and if you got the timing right. There's only one attack
in the game where you actually have to face the enemy to Issen (the Bazuu's
Roll Attack).


M3: "There's a timed Issen and a strafing Issen."

A: There isn't much diferrence. Issen is all about pressing the Square
button when the enemy is in a middle of an animation frame that triggers
Issen. You can pretty much stand your ground and keep your thumb on the
Square button if your timing is fluent. I can now Issen all the enemies
in the first game without any unneccesary strafing.
But even though strafing aside and sitting still when the enemy attacks
are hardly any different when it comes to Issen, it DOES help reduce
damage in case your timing fails.

After being able to discard these myths, you'll find your character standing
stick-still in the middle of a room full of demons. You will have your thumb
only on the Square button and each enemy will die everytime you press it,
without having your character turning around or locking-on to them.



------------------
03. ISSEN GLITCHES
------------------

G1: "Missing the enemy."
E: It's possible to miss the enemy sometimes. It usually happens when
you're too close oryou're in a small area surrounded by walls and
obstructions. This can also happen if your character strikes high
when the enemy's crouching low, or hitting low when the enemy's flying
high, etc.


G2: "Enemies die by just touching my weapon."

E: There're some weapons with a few glitches that actually benefits
you. Due to the way they're shaped or the way your character handles
it during Issen, you might kill more enemies than you'd expect.
It will be explained with each weapons.



---------------------------
04. ENEMY ATTACK ATTRIBUTES
---------------------------

-Before listing down the enemies and their attacks, I'll list down
attack attributes and symbols for easy referance.

(H)- You can perform Hajiki Kaeshi & Hajiki Issen for this attack.
(!)- This attack cannot be blocked.
(?)- Unconfirmed wether you can Issen this move.



----------------------------
05. ABOUT ONIMUSHA: WARLORDS
----------------------------

- You control 2 playable characters, Samanosuke & Kaede.

- The bosses in this game cannot be Issened, except for the 2nd Marcellus.

- Kaede has a unique Issen move that's performed diferrently and such
technique has not been seen used by other characters in later games.
She will have her own section.



-----------------------------------------
05.1 TYPES OF ISSEN IN ONIMUSHA: WARLORDS
-----------------------------------------

Type 1: STRAFING STRIKE:

-Don't be confused. The strafing happens automatically. Samanosuke will
use this to counter most of the enemies' attacks, especially overhead
strikes. After quickly positioning himself besides/behind the enemy,
he will do an overhead slash with all the weapons, except for the
Shippu, where he swipes it horizontally from left to right.


Type 2: RISING SLASH:

-Samanosuke slashes upwards. He'll use this to counter ariel strikes.
He also uses this to counter horizontal attacks by crouching low,
followed by the rising strike.


Type 3: DASH SLASH:

-Samanosuke dashes forwards and slashes horizontally from right to
left. He uses this to counter some of the enemies' attacks, but he
will automatically excecute this if you did a Hajiki Issen. This is
the most favoured move to kill multiple enemies due to the way it's
excecuted.



----------------------------------
05.2 WEAPONS IN ONIMUSHA: WARLORDS
----------------------------------

- Unlike all the other Onimusha games, your Oni-weapons and it's
magical attacks are upgraded seperately.
- Upgrading the Oni-weapons not only increases it's attack power,
but increases it's size, which raises the chances of hitting
multiple enemies.

1. NORMAL SWORD
---------------
<Description> -The sword Samanosuke starts with, which is basically
a regular Japanese sword. It's fast, but very weak. You might stop
using it as soon as you aqquired your first Oni-weapon, but I
sometimes reequip this for fun, since you can still Issen with it.

<Glitches> -Nothing much, but despite it's size, it's still possible
to kill 4 demons in one Dash Slash.

<Misc.> -Try going through all levels of the Dark Realm with this
sword. Despite how it sounds, it's actually very easy once you've
mastered Issen.


2. RAIZAN & SHIDEN
------------------
<Description> -Your first Oni-weapon. It's a blue curved sword
with the power of lightning. Handling it is similiar to the Normal
Sword, only it's slightly slower.

<Glithces> -It's JUST like the Normal Sword, except that it has
magic power and it can grow bigger.

<Misc> -N/A


3. KOEN & ENRYUU
----------------
<Description> -The second Oni-weapon you obtain after the first
boss. It resembles a Western broadsword with the power of fire.
It's more powerful, but it swings much slower than the Raizan.

<Glitches> -If there's an enemy right behind Samanosuke when
he's performing the type 1 Issen, they'll get hit by the Koen
when Samanosuke is raising it over the back his head, ready to
slash.

<Misc> -It's wide and broad blade (especially at Max. level)
allows more enemies to be killed in one swipe.


4. SHIPPU & ARASHI
------------------
<Description> -The final Oni-weapon obtained after fighting the
1st Marcellus. It's a swallow with the power of wind. It can
perform multiple slashes and is faster than the Raizan.

<Glitches> -The glitchiest weapon. Using this, Samanosuke can
kill enemies in front and behind him with the Rising Slash attack
due to how he swings it upwards in a circular pattern. Due to
it's dual blades, the Shippu can kill a lot with it's type 1 Issen
(strafing followed by a horizontal slash). I've killed as many
as 5 Bazuus at a time, once.

<Misc> -N/A


5. LONG-RANGED WEAPONS (BOW & MATCHLOCK)
----------------------------------------
<Description> -A long bow and a 16th century firearm called a
Matchlock. Both require ammunition to use (Arrows and Bullets,
respectively). You can't use these to Issen any of the enemies
except for Gyarans (which can be Issened by any type of attack).
These weapons makes Issening them easier since they can be aimed
upwards.

<Glitches> -N/A

<Misc> -You can't block when you have these weapons equipped.
Strangely, you can't kick, either.


6. BISHAMON SWORD
-----------------
<Description> -The ultimate weapon in the game. It resembles a
Western double-edged sword with flames eminating from the blade.
It's so powerful that it can kill most of the enemies in the game
in one slash, desintegrating them when destroyed. Despite it
looking more like the Koen, it's handling is like the Raizan/Normal
Sword.

<Glitches> -N/A

<Misc> -This sword can also be used for Issen despite it being
extremely powerful. The con is that if you mess up the Issen timing,
you might accidently kill the enemy instantly, losing the opportunity
to gain extra Red souls and Yellow souls.



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05.3 ONIMUSHA: WARLORDS ENEMIES AND HOW TO ISSEN THEM
-----------------------------------------------------

- I will list them down in order of appearance (not counting the
invincible Three-Eyes at the beginning).
- The enemies will be called by their official names (if available).
I'm trying to avoid the use of random names like "Zombie Soldier",
"Spiked Rollers", "Minatour", etc. that were made up in several
FAQs/Forums.
- Each of the enemy's attacks will be listed followed by Attack
Attribute symbols (See 04) followed by how to Issen them.


1. SOLDIER DEMONS (aka: "Zombies", "Skeletons", "Soldiers",)
------------------------------------------------------------
<Description> -The first enemy that you encounter (that can be killed)
in the game. They look like fleshy skeletons dressed in green uniforms
complete with a sword in their right hand.

<Attack Patterns>

#1: OVERHEAD SLASH (H)
T: You will see them raising their swords above their heads before
slashing vertically downwards. There's no trick for this, you just
press Square the same time he slashes downwards. When succesful,
Samanosuke will counter with the type 1 Issen.

#2: HORIZONTAL SLASHES (H)
T: There's one where swings from left to right, and one where swings
the opposite direction which is quicker. Press the Square button just
before the sword hits you and you'll counter with Issen type 1.

#3: ROTATING SLASH (H)
T: The soldier turns his body clock-wise and slashes with his sword.
Since he rarely does this, I didn't really pay attention to the timing
required to Issen this move. Just remember to press the button a little
bit late. Samanosuke will counter with the strafing Issen.

#4: SCREAMING CHARGE (H)
T: Whenever you absorb souls in front of them (wether there're souls
to absorb or not), you'll see them scream and run towards you, holding
their sword above their heads. Once within range, they'll do the
Overhead Slash attack above. This is the most predictable move in the
game and If you're new to Issen, I highly recommend getting the feeling
by learning to counter this move.

<Misc> -The Demon Soldier has a final attack move where if you depleted
their life by slashing a lot, they might make one final attempt to
slash you before dying by falling forward with their sword extended.
You can't Issen this since they're already dead.

<Note> -I can't confirm wether you can Issen the archer versions of
the Demon Soldiers.



2. THREE-EYES (aka: "Ninja", "Blue Ninja",)
-------------------------------------------
<Description> -The first enemy you meet. They look like ninjas with
something that resembles night vision goggles from "Splinter Cell"
covering their eyes. They're armed with a foldable blade that's strapped
to their right arm. Their outfit are blue-coloured.

<Attack Patterns>

#1: CLOSE-RANGE SLASH (H)
T: The Three-Eyes moves two steps forwards followed by a slash with
their blades. Press the Square button the same time the blade is about
to touch you and when you can hear the slashing sound. Samanosuke will
counter with Issen Type 1.

#2: PARABOLIC JUMP (H)
T: After taking a few steps backwards, the Three-Eyes have this tendency
to do this jumping attack without warning. It jumps up with it's blade
raised, and slashes while falling down at the same time. You're to press
the Square Button when it's about to descend from it's jump, so that
Samanosuke will knock it away with a Rising Slash. If you have the Koen
equipped, Samanosuke will do a Strafing Strike instead.

#3: DASH SLASH (H)
T: While taking a few steps or flips back, he could either do the
Parabolic Jump or this attack. The tell-tale sign that he'll do this
is when you see him suddenly sitting still for a second. He'll then
dash forward, swiping his blade horizontally, from left to right. In
order to Issen this properly, I recommend standing from a distance
(but not too far away) and wait for him to attack. When he's dashing
towards you, press Square when he's right in front of you, the same
time he's swinging his blade. Your timing might fail if you're too
near and standing too far will put you out of Issen range. The hint
is to be standing at the right place when he swings his blade. When
succesful, you'll counter this attack with your own Dash Slash.

<Misc> -When fighting more than one Three-Eyes, I recommend using
Hajiki Issen until there's one left. When fighting 3 at a time
(for example), keep your eyes peeled on who will attack first,
rather than targeting one and waiting for that one to attack. Hajiki
Issen is quite useful since you can do it on anyone around you
regardless wether you're locking on or not.



3. BAZUU (aka: "Spiked Rollers", "Hogs", "Rolling Dinos",)
----------------------------------------------------------
<Description> -From a distance, they looked like anthromorphic wild
boars wearing armour with a few spikes growing along their spine and
are armed with a rusty/bloody cleaver on their right hand. Their
narrow mouth are restrained by a muzzle which comes off (disappear
actually,) when they roar.

<Attack Patterns>

#1: TRIPLE SLASH (H)
T: The Bazuu slashes three times in a row. The slashes are not rapid,
but slightly delayed, allowing you to Issen from any of the 3 attacks.
When it raises it's blade, you're supposed to press Square the same
time it slashes you but remember not to press too early. Use the
slashing sounds as a hint. Succesfully timing the Issen will reward
you with Samanosuke evading the slash and killing the Bazuu in one
strike. If it approaches you with this attack from afar, time the
slashes so you can Issen the 2nd or 3rd slash. If your Issen fails
and you get slashed from the first strike, don't panic and block
immediately. Instead, press block the same time the next slash is
about to hit you and do a Hajiki Issen.
Note that the Bazuu might occasionally stop this attack halfway.

#2: VERTICLE CUT (H)
T: Easily confused with the Triple Slash above. This is a single
slash attack where he slashes vertically downwards. The timing is
slightly later than a swing from the Triple Slash attack, so if you
get confused, you might press too early and get chopped. Remember
that the Triple Slash begins with a slightly diagonal strike while
the Verticle Cut goes straight down. Defining these two attacks
properly will make countering them with Type 1 Issen easier.

#3: QUICK SWING (H)
T: Without warning, the Bazuu might do a quick horizontal swing from
right to left. The timing to press the Square button is a split-second
earlier than the Triple Slash. Counters with a Strafing Strike.

#4: DELAYED SWING (H)
T: This is where a Bazuu will crouch low, slowly moving it's blade
to the left and slashing horizontally to the right quickly. They
don't use this often but when they do, learn to not press Square
too early, only press it the same time they swing to counter with a
Strafing Strike. If you're not too fluent with countering slow,
delayed attacks like these, I'd recommend doing a Hajiki Issen instead.

#5: LUNGE BITE
T: Another rarely excecuted move where the Bazuu jumps forwards and
bites you. Since it hardly attacks using this, I didn't really pay
much attention regarding how to Issen it (since there're several
other attacks that you can Issen them with which are more frequent).
I think you press Square the same time they're jumping at you. Use
the crouching before jumping animation as hint. When pressed correctly,
Samanosuke will strafe behind the jumping Bazzu and slash them.
Sometimes, when this attack hits you, the Bazuu might tighten it's
grip on your hand with it's mouth. Mash the buttons to kick it away.

#6: SUMMERSAULT JUMP (?)
T: Sometimes, the Bazuu will suddenly do a jumping summersault and
lands on you with it's feet. This is the only attack from the Bazuus
that I can't confirm if you can Issen. But one thing you should know
is that the Bazuu will ALWAYS follow-up with a Triple Slash after doing
this move. Make use of this predictable pattern.

#7 ROLL ATTACK
T: Usually from afar a Bazuu might roar, signalling that he'll be
excecuting the Roll Attack. Like the attack's name, it tucks it's body
into a ball and rolls towards you, slashing you with the spikes on it's
back. Issening this attack is a little bit manual compared with all the
other Issens. You will have to stand in front of the rolling Bazuu and
press Square when it's nearing you. How early/late you press depends on
the weapons you equipped. The Normal Sword, Raizan and Bishamon Sword's
handling is almost the same, so you have to time it late since the
strikes are fast and hitting too early will cause you to miss and get
spiked.
As for the Koen, imagine Samanosuke laying the sword on the ground with
the blade pointing towards the Bazuu. That's how far between you and the
rolling Bazuu should be before you press Square. In other words, the
timing for Koen is a little earlier than the previous swords.
The timing for the Shippu is the earliest because the Rising Strike
animation for it makes Samanosuke move forward a little before actually
slashing. Time it too late and Samanosuke will get spiked before he could
slash.Using the lock-on (R1) makes this Issen easier. However, I only
recommend actually trying to Issen this attack when you're fighting one
Bazuu. Sometimes, a Bazuu might teleport into the field doing a Roll
Attack. If you're near it during it's entrance, you can immediately
press Square to Issen it.
This is probably the only move in the game where you actually have to
face the enemy to make it work.

<Misc> -Bazuus are easily provoked into attacking you when you try to
absorb souls. If you're within close or medium range, they'll react with
any of the slash attacks above (usually the Triple Slash). At long range,
they will do the Roll Attack without the initial roaring.

<Note> -One thing that makes Issening Bazuus fun is that they have a
special 'Issen Death' animation when they're killed with Issen. They
roll away from the force of the slash and their bodies twitch a little
before they crumble to dust.



3. BARABAZUU (aka: "Minatour", "Ogre", "Axe Monster", "Horned Demon")
---------------------------------------------------------------------
<Description> For SOME reason, they reminded me of Ogre from Tekken 3 at
first glance (which is probably why those who didn't know it's real name
called them 'Ogre'). Barabazuus are large humanoid creatures with bull-like
horns and wears a metal helmet that covers almost it's whole head, leaving
only the lower jaw exposed. 4 spikes can be seen protruding from the
helmet, where the eyes should be. They're cladded in armour that resembles
the ones worn by Bazuus. Barabazuus are equipped with a battle axe and are
carrying a spare cleaver (similar to the Bazuu's, only bigger) sheathed
behind their backs.

<Attack Patterns>

#1: SPLIT & THRUST
T: Holding the axe with two hands the Barabazuu vertically slams it to
the ground followed by a thrust attack. The first strike is usually to
make you stagger backwards (if you blocked it) while the thrusting is
a follow-up to hit you while you're guard's open. Sometimes the thrust
is not excecuted especially if the initial attack hits you. You can
Issen the initial attack by pressing Square when the axe is at 45°.
Samanosuke will dodge it and do a Strafing Issen.

#2: SINGLE-HAND SLAM
T: It turns it's body counter clock-wise and does an overhead strike with
the axe, using it's right hand. Like the Split & Thrust's initial attack,
you press Square when the axe is at 45° to counter with the Strafing
Strike.

#3: ENCIRCLING AXE
T: The Barabazuu holds the axe parallel to the ground, bends it's upper
body to the right and swings the axe horizontally to the left with his
left hand while roaring. It then passes the axe to his right hand from
behind it's back to regain it's stance. To Issen this attack, stand right
in front of it and press the Square button when he's roaring and
Samanosuke will duck the swinging axe and counter with a Rising Slash.

#4: TURN-AROUND AXE
T: It's very similiar to the Encircling Axe, except that the Barabazuu
uses the momentum of the attack to turn around 180° when you're behind
it. The timing for it is very similiar, only slightly faster. Samanosuke
will also do a Rising Slash for this attack.

#5: AXE THROW (?)
T: When you're at a distance, the Barabazuu will throw it's initial
weapon towards you, sending it spinning through the air. It will then
switch to it's spare cleaver, completing it's cosplay as a Bazuu.
I have never Issened this attack.

#6: CLEAVER SWINGS (When cleaver is equipped)
T: With it's secondary weapon equipped, the Barabazuu will swing the
cleaver downwards and sometimes follow-up with a rising slash. For
100% of the time, I always Issen a Barabazuu while they're still
equipped with the axe, so just to complete the list, I had one throw
the axe just so I can write about Issening his cleaver strikes for
those who're curious. Since he hardly does the second slash, it's
best to Issen the first one by pressing Square when he's roaring
during the attack to counter it with a Rising Slash.

<Misc> -If you're unlucky enough to be fighting with more than one
Barabazuu, I recommend not locking on since you won't be able to
Issen the one who's attacking you when you're locked on to another.
If you must lock on to a Barabazuu to Issen them, I suggest moving
around until you are able to situate yourself near one while being
out of the other's attack range. Lock on to the nearby Barabazuu and
focus on Issening it's attacks.


4. REYNALDO (aka "Didn't get a name change because Guildenstern said
it out loud")
--------------------------------------------------------------------
<Description> -Slimy, purple-coloured humanoid creature with
regeneratable tentacles for arms and sickle-like protrusions from
their backs, like wings. Knowing more about the difference between
the attacks done by it's left and right tentacle makes predicting their
attacks easier. Oh yeah, did I mention that everybody knows what they're
called because Guildenstern said it out loud?

<Attack Patterns>

#1: SAND WORM (?)
T: This is almost like it's initial attack. At random, it plunges
either it's right or left tentacle into the floor, where it will
elongate and move underground towards you and either shoots out at
you or grab your leg, holding you still while other Reynaldos
attack you. You can severe the tentacle by either locking on to the
tentacle and slash it, or you can attack the Reynaldo with as much
as a kick to have the tentacle come off.
After losing one limb, they're only limited to attacks that the
other tentacle does. Consider yourself lucky if you're able to
severe the left tentacle, because that's the one it used for three
out of four attacks.

#2: WHIPLASH (Right tentacle)
T: The Reynaldo pulls it's tentacle back and whips it at you. Counter
it with a Dash Slash by pressing Square when it swings it's tentacle
towards you, before it fully extends. You can use the whip sound as a
clue for a more accurate timing.

#3: FAKE SWING (Left tentacle)
T: It does a feign swing with it's right tentacle and horizontally
lashes you with it's left. Press Square when it's about to lash you
and emitting that slobbery noise at the same time and you'll kill
it with a Dash Slash.

#4: TENTACLE LICK (Left tentacle),(!)
T: Making that slobbery noise again, it slowly reaches out with it's
tentacle to 'lick' you. The timing is slightly delayed. Press Square
when tentacle is nearing you. Use that same slobbery noise as a hint
for the timing. Samanosuke will answer this hentai-inspired attack
with a Dash Slash.

#5: SNATCHER (Left tentacle),(!),(?)
T: The start-up is almost like the Tentacle Lick, except it's a little
bit more delayed and it looks like it's reaching out for you than licking
you. When you're hit, it automatically grabs your hand and pulls you
closer towards it. Mash the buttons to break free or it will double-stab
you with the sickle-like protrusions behind it's back.

<Misc> -Reynaldos are a huge pain. Not only you can't Issen those who
you're not locked-on to, but you can't perform Hajiki Issen on any of
their attacks. I recommend not locking-on at all if you're fighting more
than one.



5. GYARAN (aka: "Floating Skulls", "Blue Floating Skull Things")
----------------------------------------------------------------
<Description> -Gyarans are floating balls made of blue human skulls all
stuck together, with a rectum-like opening that's supposed to be their
mouth. They appear to display their ability of sucking away valuable
souls with the absorbing power that outdoes the Gauntlet. Once they suck
enough, they'll spin very fast while making a lot of noise and disappear
with all your hard-earned souls. In "Onimusha: Warlords", Gyarans can be
Issened with just about anything, including your long-ranged weapons and
magic.

<Attack Patterns>

#1: DIVING RAM (?)
T: It dives down to ram you. I don't think you can Issen this.

#2: VAMPIRIC RAM (!),(?)
T: I can't tell the difference between this and the previous attack. They
both look the same, but the Vampiric Ram cannot be blocked and once hit,
it'll grab hold of you and suck souls from you.

#3: ESCAPE
T: After sucking enough souls, it will spin and spin until it vanishes.
During this time, you can use ANYTHING to Issen it, provided that you
can hit it. The souls the Gyarans are currently carrying will be
multiplied after they're Issened.

<Misc> -It's risky, but you can make use of the Gyarans to multiply
your souls. You can try this if you have the Bow, Matchlock or some
Arashi magic to blow. Issen nearby enemies (usually Bazuus), and just
let them suck all the souls. After Issening one Gyaran, you can suck
the souls right now or let another one suck it, and you Issen that
one when it tries to escape; further multiplying your souls!

<Note> -Gyarans enter the field with zero souls. But if you're
able to kill it with Issen by Issening another enemy and somehow
hitting the Gyaran in the process, they'll leave behind a small
Yellow Soul.



6. LONG-ARMED DEMONS (aka: "Samurai Zombie", "Armoured Zombie")
---------------------------------------------------------------
<Description> -Tall, skinny humanoid creatures with long arms,
cladded in red samurai armour. They're armed with a long, Japanese
sword in their right hand. They move about and attack slowly but
once within range, they'll display their namesake by grabbing you
by the throat and crushing
your larynx.

<Attack Patterns>

#1: LONG DIVIDER
T: Think about the Overhead Slash made by the Demon Soldiers, only
slower. Waiting for him to actually attack you might make you lose
your patience and press Square too early. Wait for the sword to be
around at a 45° angle before pressing the button. Samanosuke will
rush forwards with a Dash Slash, as if telling the Demon that it's
too slow.

#2: BACKHAND UPPER (H)
T: When you're too close, it will attempt to create some distance by
using this light attack where he strikes upwards. There isn't much
trick to Issen this attack, just try to press Square the same time
he swings. If you side-stepped or somehow evaded the Long Divider,
stick around and it might follow-up with this attack, creating a
more predictable pattern. Samanosuke uses the Dash Slash to answer
to this. This the only attack from the Long-Armed Demons that you
can do Hajiki Issen.

#3: WILD SWINGS
T: From afar, it might approach you with a barrage of horizontal swings,
left and right. He'll keep on doing this 6-8 times and will always stop
if it hits you or if you blocked it. It might do this attack at close
range, so you should Issen on the first swing. Since it's swinging
horizontally, let me explain the Issen method this way: press Square
when it's sword is facing around 2 to 3 'o' clock for a Dash Slash.

#4: THROAT GRAB (!),(?)
T: Some times, it'll do the Backhand Upper when you're too close.
But most of the time, it does this.... The Demon will grab you by the
throat and keeps strangling you until your life runs out. You need to
mash the buttons before that happens. I have never Issened this attack.

<Misc> -I recommend always trying to Issen from the Long Divider and
the Wild Swings, because it'll always do the Throat Grab when you're
too close. Sometimes, when you expect it to do the Backhand Upper after
the Long Divider, it might do the Throat Grab instead. It's not that
predictable, it seems.



7. OOWASSHA (aka: "Bull", "Yellow Bull", "Ogre", "Minatour")
------------------------------------------------------------
<Description> -They're basically JUST like the Barabazuu, except that
they're shirtless and are equipped with an axe that looks more like
it's meant to chop trees. They have chains around their torso and have
rings pireced into their arms. Maybe they just ran out of armours and
spare cleavers for these guys.

<Attack Patterns>

#1: SPLIT & THRUST
T: See Barabazuu.

#2: SINGLE-HAND SLAM
T: Also another copy of the Barabzuu's attacks.

#3: ENCIRCLING AXE
T: Just like the Barabazuus.

#4: TURN-AROUND AXE
T: See Barabazuu *sigh*.

#5: SPIN & SLAM
T: Finally, a different kind of attack. They spin around 360°, and
use the spinning momentum to slam down their axe at you vertically.
The swinging of the axe is faster than all it's other overhead attacks,
so I suggest using the roaring sound as a clue if you want to try a
Starfing Strike Issen. They'll also use this attack to turn around
and attack you if you're behind it.

#6: GUARD-BREAKER SPIN
T: Roaring, the Oowassha will lift it's axe over it's right shoulder,
with it's right hand and move towards you in, poised to strike. Once
within range, it will do a single hand overhead strike to nullify your
guard (if you blocked it), followed by a 360° spin with the axe. Even if
you dodged the first attack, the 360° spin can also nullify your guard,
giving it's comrades a free opening. The 360° attack won't happen
sometimes, if the first attack already hits you. You can try countering
the first attack by pressing Square when the axe is about 45°, the same
time it's roaring.

<Misc> -You can't do Hajiki Issen on any of their attacks, so as usual,
avoid locking on when you're fighting more than one.

<Note> -Why does everyone call Barabazuus and Oowasshas 'Ogres'? I
thought Ogres are the clan that gave Samanosuke his Gauntlet?



8. SHARK (aka: "Mantis")
------------------------
<Decription> -Giant insects with large pincers protruding from their heads.

<Attack Patterns>

#1: SCISSORS ATTACK (H)
T: It'll pull it's head back and spring forwards while scissoring their
pincers together. You need to press Square when it's springing forwards,
around the same time you hear the lunging sound. Samanosuke will duck
and do a Rising Slash.

#2: SINGLE PINCER (H)
T: They'll slash you with their right pincer. The timing is almost the
same as the Scissors Attack. You'll also counter this with a Rising Slash.

#3: PINCER RAM (H)
T: This attack is quite long-ranged, so you might get surprised when it
suddenly covers a lot of ground and cutting you with it's pincers. The
timing is also slightly the same with the last two attacks (including
the Issen attack you counter with).

<Misc> -Once you've Issened one attack from Sharks, you've Issened them all.



9. BLACK SPIDER (aka: "Black Ninjas")
--------------------------------------
<Description> -They're merely a 'greater' version of the Three-Eyes,
decked in black, equipped with katars (the weapons Voldo used in Soul
Edge/Calibur) and they can throw shurikens. They can also do a 'shadow
split' technique to confuse players by splitting into 2 after getting hit.

<Attack Patterns>

#1: CLOSE RANGE SLASH (H)
T: The same as Three-Eyes.

#2: PARABOLIC JUMP (H)
T: Not much diferrent than the Three-Eyes.

#3: DASH SLASH (H)
T: The exact same move as the Three-Eyes.

#4: DELAYED SWIPE (H)
T: The Black Spider will advance slowly and swing their right arm
diagonally. You just have to wait and press the Square button the same
time it slashes with the swishing sound. Try not to press too early and
you'll do a Strafing Strike.

#5: RAPID STABS (H)
T: Fast, spontaneous and without warning, they'll suddenly stab at you
rapidly, three times. If you're not familiar with this attack, I suggest
trying to Issen it with Hajiki Issen first. When you see it pulling it's
right arm back, press block the same time it extends forwards. This move
is so quick that the biggest cause of failure is realizing it and pressing
Square too late. If you got the hang of the timing, do a regular Issen for
a Strafing Strike.

#6: KUNAI THROW (?)
T: The second they start scraping their katars together and creating
sparks, this is a warning that they'll be doing their Kunai Throw attack.
They'll flip backwards while throwing 3 kunais towards you. You can just
lock on to the one throwing and side-step left or right to dodge them
completely. You can block the kunais, but you can't block them if they're
thrown towards your flank or rear. I don't think you can Issen this attack,
but something I did makes me wonder. When they throw their kunais, you can
bounce them back at the Black Spiders with your sword. If they're hit by
those kunais, it usually kills the Black Spiders instantly, releasing the
same amount of souls that they leave behind when you Issened them (+130,
instead of +30 when you kill them normally).
Note that they almost always follow up with a Parabolic Jump after the
Kunai Throw.

<Misc> -If you're used to staying in the middle of the room, waiting to
Hajiki Issen the Three-Eyes, I recommend having your back againts the wall
for the Black Spiders to avoid a rear attack with the Kunai Throw.



10. DARK ARMOUR DEMONS (aka: "Black Samurai")
--------------------------------------------
<Description> -A knock-off of the Long-Armed Demons, except their armours
are black and they have a shield strapped on their left hand.

<Attack Patterns> -All their attacks are the same as Long-Armed Demons.

<Misc> -The only big difference between the Dark Armours and the Long-Armed
are the shields the former has. Unlike the Long-Armed, you can stay close
at all times in front of the Dark Armour because they won't grab you unless
you remove their shields. And you don't need to remove their shields if
you want to Issen them, so...



11. VOLCHIMAN (aka: "Stealth Demons", "Invisible Stalker")
----------------------------------------------------------
<Description> -A humanoid demon that either looks like a bio-weapon from
some sci-fi flick or a villain from some sentai-themed show. They carry
a whip sword (similiar to the one used by Ivy in Soul Calibur) that can
straighten, curve and elongate at will. They can also turn invisible a la
"Predator", which can nullify your lock-on feature. While invisible, they
either approach you slowly to attack you, submerge themselves underground
to move closer while undetected or move away to create some distance.

<Attack Patterns>

#1: TORSO CUTTER (H)
T: A variety of light horizontal swings, left and right. There aren't
any tricks here, you just press Square the same time it swings at you
and don't press too early. You'll counter with a Strafing Strike.

#2: TORSO SPLITTER
T: Not to be confused with the Torso Cutter. It does this much faster,
and you can't Hajiki Issen it. Be prepared to press Square early for a
Strafing Strike.

#3: HIGH IMPALER (?)
T: A quick attack where it raises it's sword and thrusts downwards. I
have never Issened this attack.

#4: BOOMERANG CHAKRA (?)
T: From afar, it'll curve it's sword into a ring and send it flying towards
you before it returns to it's hand. The spinning sword travels in a
clock-wise pattern.

#5: FLYING UPPER (?)
T: This is one of the attacks it will use when it has submerged itself
underground. It'll suddenly fly out of the ground, while striking upwards
at the same time. The thing is, this move is short-ranged and yet most of
the time, it does this far, far away.

#6: SNAKE BLADE
T: Another thing they might do while submerged. Usually after moving to your
rear while underground, they'll suddenly jump up high and come down at you
while slashing with their fully-elongated blade. Press Square the same time
they're just about to land for a Strafing Strike.

#7: NEAR DEATH SUBMERGE
T: This method is quite tedious, but for those not good at Issening them
face-to-face can try this. For some unknown reason, you can only excecute
this Issen when you have the Oni-Weapons equipped. They won't do the Near
Death Submerge if you're equipped with anything else. To get them to do the
NDS, you need to damage them a lot without killing them. Take the
opportunity to attack the Volchiman when it's doing the Boomerang Chakra
since it's unguarded without their weapon in their hand. After damaging
them enough, you'll notice a change; they will do their submerge as usual,
but they will stay in one place for while, making some heavy breathing
noises. When this happens, Samanosuke can actually lock on to them. Hurry
towards their current location before they resurface. Once on top of them,
press Square and Samanosuke will plunge his equipped weapon right into the
Volchiman's head, killing them instantly, complete with the Issen flash
and sound effect. To make it easier, I recommend locking on to pin-point
the submerged Volchiman's location but lock-off when you're approaching it.




------------------
05.4 KAEDE'S ISSEN
------------------

-Unlike all the playable characters in the Onimusha series, Kaede is the
odd-one-out, due to her unique way of Issen. She cannot excecute the
standard method of pressing Square the same time an enemy strikes. Instead,
while locking on, move in close to an enemy and press front+Square for
Kaede to flip over the enemy, landing behind them and press Square again
for Kaede to automatically grab the enemy from behind and slit their
throat, killing them instantly.

-If her unusual Issen method doesn't make her odd, Kaede also can't do
Hajiki Kaeshi (much less, Hajiki Issen) and she can't absorb souls, so
it's best to avoid enemies completely or you'll be wasting Herbs and
Medicines (since you can't absorb Yellow Souls) if you're careless.
But you can still mess around with her for fun and/or to rack up your
kill stats.

-I will list down the enemies that Kaede meets and some tips on Issening
them.


1. DEMON SOLDIERS
-----------------
<Method> -You don't need to do much, just lock-on to one, flip over and
slit their throats. They're quite slow to react to Kaede's flipping. Just
remember that the Issen will fail if there is someone between you and the
locked-on enemy.

2. DEMON SOLDIER ARCHERS
------------------------
<Method> -You can do the same to these guys, but it doesn't always work.
To make it easier, I recommend slashing or kicking them once to stun them
before flipping over.

3. THREE-EYES & BLACK SPIDERS
-----------------------------
<Method> -It hardly works on these guys. Not impossible, but hard. You
can keep them still by slashing them once to stun them (kicking will
knock them to the ground) before flipping behind them. You can also flip
over the same time they do their Close-Range Slash or if their backs are
againts a wall.

4. LONG-ARMED & DARK ARMOUR DEMONS
----------------------------------
<Method> -The 'slash/kick before flipping over' method doesn't work well
here due to their quick recovery and their tendency of locking on to you
quickly even after you've flipped behind them. You must flip over them
while they're doing the Backhand Upper or the Long Divider. You should
avoid flipping over when they're doing the Wild Swings because they're
constantly locked-on to you while they're doing it.

<Misc> -Kaede can't Issen the Volchiman and the Sharks that she encounters
in her scenario.



---------------------------------
05.5 BOSSES IN ONIMUSHA: WARLORDS
---------------------------------

-As mentioned a few times before, I can only confirm one boss you can Issen.


1. MARCELLUS 2 (aka: "Another demon named after a character from 'Hamlet'.")
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
<Description> -A tall, humanoid demon, fully decked in armour, equipped with
it's own Gauntlet, a huge sword and a metal shield. The shield can be
destroyed after hitting it several times, and it'll change to a pair of dual
blades after you damaged Marcellus enough.

<Attack Patterns> -I only know one attack that you can Issen during it's
second form, so I'll only cover it's second form's moves.

#1: HI-SPEED DUAL SLASH (H)
T: After teleporting away, Marcellus will zoom towards you and slash at you
with it's two blades. I don't know if you can do a regular Issen, but I can
confirm that you can Hajiki Issen this attack. Think about the Three-Eyes'
Dash Slash, only faster.

#2: PUMMEL & SPIN (?)
T: Marcellus will jump up and come down with both it's blades slashing
downwards, followed by a 360° spin with both blades. The initial attack is
meant to break your guard while the 2nd one is to get a free hit while
you're staggering. It might seem like it's doing the Hi-Speed Dual Slash
but might cancel into a Pummel & Spin to catch you off-guard. You should
strafe the first attack and block the second.
Marcellus will also do the Pummel attack when you're lying on the ground.

#3: SLASH & STAB (?)
T: Marcellus releases a barrage of horizontal slashes followed by a thrust.

<Misc> -Slash at him so that it'll evade and create some distance between
you and it. That will prompt Marcellus to do the Hi-Speed Dual Slash more
often.

<Note> -I don't really feel like watching through the cutscenes all over
again to test more on Marcellus. It's unfortunate that you can't skip
cutscenes in "Onimusha: Warlords".



--------------
06. DISCLAIMER
--------------

All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by
their respective trademark and copyright holders.



-----------
07. CONTACT
-----------

You can contact me at [email protected]

--------
EPILOGUE
--------

That about covers the enemies and Issening methods of "Onimsha: Warlords".
Please give me feedbacks about the FAQ, especially about how the format
works for you and if the informations are accurate. Also please inform me
of what I may miss or any mistakes I made.

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