Samurai Warriors Survival Mode Guide

Table of Contents:
1. Introduction and Legal Information
2. What is Survival, And Why Play It?
      a) Abyss
      b) Tower
      c) Tower Missions
3. Survival Mode Rewards
4. What to Do Before You Begin
5. Items
6. Moves
      a) Moves That Stun The Opponent
      b) Moves That Break the Opponent's Guard
      c) Moves That Knock The Opponent Into The Air
      d) Other Moves of Note
      e) VERY BAD Moves To Use
      f) The Musou
7. Playing Intelligently
8. Skills And Elements
      a) Unique Skills
      b) Might Skills
      c) Prowess Skills
      d) Guard Skills
      e) Elements
9. Traps and Enemies
I. Traps
      a) Floor traps
      b) Ceiling Traps
      c) Incendiary Traps
      d) Barriers
II. Enemies to Watch Out For
      a) Strike Ninjas
      b) Fire Ninjas
      c) Wind Ninjas
      d) Sky Ninjas
      e) Musketeers
      f) Archers
10. Boss Strategies
11. Tricks
      a) The Memory Card Trick
      b) Safe Musou Charge (against bosses)
12. Conclusion and Credits

V 1.02 - Updates: Fixed grammatical errors. Added contact info. Added Shouke
to the list of NPCs.

V 1.03 - Updates: Added additional info on Lu Bu from Cody Moross. Added his
Safe Musou Charge Trick. Added Cody Moross to the Credits section.

V 1.031 - Updates: Added correction to Floor Trap 2 from
[email protected]; credited [email protected].

1. Introduction and Legal Information

The following is a brief guide written for the purpose of helping gamers beat
some of the most difficult challenges in Koei's "Samurai Warriors" game. It is
Copyright 2004 Christopher Schifani, and may not be sold, altered, modified,
or redistributed without the written permission of the author. Koei, Omega
Force, Electronic Arts, and all characters mentioned herein are trademarks of
their respective owners. All information in this guide comes from my own
experience playing the game.

At present ONLY the following sites have permission to post this guide:

GameFaqs (http://www.gamefaqs.com)

Kongming's Archive (http: //www.kongming.net)

Neoseeker (http://www.neoseeker.com)

It should be noted that this FAQ is intended as a GUIDE to players. There is
no one right way or one best strategy to win Survival Mode. It takes
patience, perseverance, skill and, occasionally, the will to be cheap. If you
don't like my strategies, well and good; constructive criticism is welcome. If
you only want to brag about how much better you are than I am, or you only
want to disparage my guide, however, don't waste your time, as I won't bother
reading anything you write. Criticisms, questions, and comments should be sent
to: [email protected].

2. What is Survival, And Why Should I Play It?

Survival Mode is a special mode of play in Samurai Warriors. It is accessed by
going to the "Fight" menu on the game's main screen and selecting "Survival."
Rather than pit players against set scenarios and missions as in Story Mode,
Survival forces players to navigate a lengthy series of castle stages, each of
which is guarded by a boss character. To proceed to the next stage, the player
must defeat the current stage boss. Stage bosses and enemy generals drop items
and weapons when defeated, so this is a good, quick (though not necessarily
easy) way to obtain some excellent items and weapons for your character.
Moreover, certain rare items can only be obtained by meeting certain
conditions in Survival Mode, so if you want to get all the items, you will
need to play both versions of Survival Mode at least once.

3. The Two Types of Survival: Abyss and Tower

a) Survival Mode has two different types of play--Abyss, and Tower. Abyss
forces you to navigate through 30 castle levels, taking on and defeating the
boss of each level. You are given an hour to complete the mission, but
receive a bonus of 2 minutes to the timer for every 50 KOs you score, and a
bonus of 30 seconds for every floor you successfully clear. Healing items are
rare; some enemy generals carry them, as do (even less frequently) some
archer and musketeer captains. You also regain a diminishing amount of health
for each 3 stages you complete, at which time you are given the opportunity to
view any items and weapons you have acquired, and save and quit the game if
you wish. If you save, however, the game will write over your saved data as
soon as you restart, so you cannot use the save feature to cheaply win the
mode. There is a way around this, however; see "The Memory Card Trick" below.

b) Tower, unlike Abyss, features an infinite number of floors. Your objective
is to pass as many of them as you can in the time you are given.
You start with 20 minutes, but you can increase this total in two ways. You
receive a bonus of 1 additional minute for each 50 KOs you rack up, and a
larger bonus for completing missions given to you on many floors. Health items
also appear with greater frequency than in Abyss. As in Abyss, you can save
and quit after every 3 floors, at which time you'll also regain a diminishing
amount of health.

c) Tower Missions

For each mission you successfully complete, you'll gain a bonus of 2 to 3
additional minutes. The following is a list of the missions I've encountered:

Challenge The Floor's Boss With Full Health!
Challenge The Floor's Boss When Near Death!
Defeat 100 in 3 Minutes!
Defeat 50 in 3 Minutes!
Defeat 20 in 3 Minutes!
Defeat 10 in 3 Minutes!
Obtain a Treasure in Under 3 Minutes!
Reach the Stairs to the Next Floor in Under 3 Minutes!

3. Survival Mode Rewards

After every 6 floors of Abyss, you will be granted one of the five "books"
that make up Myamoto Musashi's swordsmanship classic, "The Book of Five
Rings." When you equip the Books of Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Air, any
elemental attacks you use will cause instant death to most foes instead of
producing their normal effect. The catch is that your enemies become stronger
the farther you progress, and the boss on the 30th floor is arguably the
hardest in the entire game--Lu Bu. He may have been dead almost 1300 years by
the time this game takes place, but he fights as though he were still in his
prime.

If you reach the 31st floor of Tower, you will be granted the Healing Balm,
which restores your bodyguards to full health one time when their life meters
drop to zero.

4. What To Do Before You Begin

There are essentially two different approaches that you can take to increase
your chances of success in Survival Mode. You can either use a newly-created
or reset character, or you can use a maxed-out character who has a large
number of rare skills at his or her disposal. I've used both of these with a
high degree of success, but I honestly wouldn't recommend trying to find a
middle ground between the two and only level up your character half way.
After all, if your enemies are going to be strong because your base stats are
high, you might as well be as powerful as you can when you fight them.

5. Items

Before attempting Survival Mode, it helps to have some very good items; i.e.,
items with bonuses above 45. Good 4th weapons or 5th weapons are also
recommended. To get some good weapons and items, play Goemon's 5th stage,
beat all the generals except Hideyoshi and seal all the strongholds, then
save. Afterward, run around the stage collecting the 8 items in the stage and
the 5 weapons dropped by enemy generals, then beat Hideyoshi. If you like what
you got, save; if not, soft reset (Start+Select) and collect the items and
weapons again. Having the difficulty on Chaos, having learned the "Discern"
skill, and having a high-level Kappa Amulet will increase your chances of
finding excellent items.

Other excellent stages for finding good items are Nobunaga's upper path 4th,
Mitsuhide's 3rd, Oichi's upper path 5th, and Date Masamune's upper path 5th
stage.

As far as the items you should equip when playing Survival go, I recommend
Himiko's Rune, Cloak of Might, Lantern, and War Rations for both Abyss and
Tower; for Abyss, a good Solar Gem or Vixen Tail is a great help, while Tengu
Sandals are great for Tower.

To obtain the Lantern, play Kunoichi's "Attack on Ueda Castle" stage and reach
the 5th floor with fewer than 20 minutes on the clock. This means that you
must take your time in getting to the 5th floor. (Note also that if you use a
Guidance Doll in this stage and play it on Chaos difficulty, you can get some
excellent weapons for your character.)

To obtain the War Rations, achieve a Jump rating of at least 130 in Create a
General mode, then select Combo Training. Hanzo Hattori will challenge you;
defeat him to obtain the War Rations.

6) Moves

While running like a madman through the floors of Survival mode isn't a bad
idea per se, getting through Abyss or Tower alive will require a bit more
strategy on your part. Aside from the enemies and traps against which you
need to be on your guard (see the "Traps and Enemies" section for more
information about these and how to avoid them), the stage bosses are the foes
who will really test your skills. If you're confident in your fighting skills,
you shouldn't have too much of a problem. If you're not, however, there are a
few moves you can use (and abuse) to your advantage to make the boss fights
much easier. Here is a list of them by type and character:

a) Moves That Stun The Opponent:

Yukimura Sanada: C3 - this move has the added advantage of moving you behind
your opponent, where it is harder for you to be attacked and your stun has
a greater chance of going through unblocked.

Hanzo Hattori: C3 - You can follow this move either with further presses of C
or a combo of your own choosing. The smoke from the move will stun all nearby
enemies.

Oichi: C2

Kenshin Uesugi: None

Mitsuhide Akechi: None

Magoichi Saika: None

Masamune Date: None

Shingen Takeda: None

Keiji Maeda: None

Ranmaru Mori: None

Kunoichi: C3

Okuni: None

Noh: C2

Goemon Ishikawa: C2

Nobunaga Oda: None

Edit Character (Sword): None

Edit Character (Spear): None

Edit Character (Naginata): None


b) Moves That Break The Opponent's Guard

Yukimura Sanada: None

Hanzo Hattori: None

Oichi: None

Kenshin Uesugi: None

Mitsuhide Akechi: None

Magoichi Saika: SSSS(SSSS) - This move can break the opponent's guard, but
most often the opponent won't see it coming and will neglect to block the
musket shot you fire.

Date Masamune: None

Shingen Takeda: None

Keiji Maeda: C3, SSSS(SSSS)

Kunoichi: None

Ranmaru Mori: None

Okuni: None

Noh: C3

Goemon Ishikawa: C3 (when blocked)

Nobunaga Oda: C3

Edit Character (Sword): None

Edit Character (Spear): C3

Edit Character (Naginata): None

c) Moves That Knock The Opponent Into The Air

These moves knock the opponent into the air and allow you to strike him or her
several times before you both return to the ground. They are excellent attacks
to use on opponents who have just gotten up from the ground, so you can easily
abuse them to your advantage.

Yukimura Sanada: C2

Hanzo Hattori: C2

Oichi: None (although her Musou can in some ways fulfill this function)

Kenshin Uesugi: None

Mitsuhide Akechi: None

Magoichi Saika: C2, and after the kick of C3 has connected.

Date Masamune: C2

Shingen Takeda: C2 (this is very hard to aim, however, so I don't recommend it
unless you're very good with Shingen)

Keiji Maeda: C2

Kunoichi: C2

Ranmaru Mori: None

Okuni: C1, C4

Noh: None

Goemon Ishikawa: None

Nobunaga Oda: C2

Edit Character (Sword): C2

Edit Character (Spear): None

Edit Character (Naginata): None

d) Additional Moves of Note:

Hanzo Hattori: Using his SSSS(SSSS) attack allows him to swiftly move through
a crowd of enemies and deal considerable damage to many of them. Use this if
you're in a bind and don't have a full Musou gage. Hanzo's Musou is also the
only one that makes use of elemental properties, so use this to your advantage
when you can.

Oichi: Her C3 won't break guards, but it hits low and often catches enemies
off guard. Use it frequently.

Kunoichi: Her C4 is slightly faster than and just as deadly as Hanzo's attack
mentioned above. Her Musou is also very fast, so take advantage of it to
strike multiple foes all around you.

Okuni: Her C3 won't break guards, but the final kick from it often comes as an
unexpected surprise and can knock unwary opponents off their feet.

Goemon Ishikawa: It is useful to note that his fully-powered C4 (SSST[TTTT])
will cause him to spin for about the time it takes to charge his Musou gage,
especially if you have a Vixen Tail equipped. Use this move when low on health
to abuse his Musou and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Nobunaga Oda: His C3 can not only stun opponents but also carry him out of
harm's way. Use it when low on health if you don't feel you can roll safely,
or if you just want to deal some extra damage.

e) VERY BAD Moves To Use: Any attack that has a charge time of more than about 1
second (e.g., most C1s, Magoichi Saika's C4). All ranged attacks that make use
of the R1 button (arrow or snipe mode); opponents simply roll away from them.
Any series of attacks that might leave you open after you finish can be
dangerous to your health, so be wary. Certain Musou attacks (e.g., Nobunaga
Oda's).

f) The Musou

Musou attacks are such an integral part of good Survival play that they merit
a separate section to deal with them. Musou attacks are essentially free hits
for you if you time them properly (right before the opponent strikes, in most
cases), or a quick way to avoid damage and counterattack when you have been
struck. They render you virtually invincible (only other characters performing
Musous can damage you, and no one can kill you while your Musou is active).
Moreover, they begin and end with a "hard hit" that either stuns the opponent
or knocks him away. In addition, they increase your speed, so you can use a
Musou (just tap the button) to move swiftly through a dangerous area (a room
full of musketeers, for example). Characters with weak Nusous, such as
Nobunaga, can replace them with a series of normal or charge attacks, making
the Musou a viable means of attack for any character. Finally, rolling
constantly out of harm's way when low on health allows the player to abuse
the True Musou attack as often as he or she sees fit. This is especially
helpful in later levels when your character is likely to be low on health on
reaching floor bosses.

7) Playing Intelligently

To succeed at survival is a feat that requires more than good fighting skills.
In addition to using moves of the sort mentioned above, it is also a good idea
to know your stage maps. Although the instruction manual boasts that the floor
of each stage is randomly generated, and it is rare for a floor to have the
same model in consecutive playings, in reality there are only about 10
different floor plans that the game will draw. Using the big map while paused
is a good way to make sure you're headed in the right direction (that's what
the Lantern is for, after all), while using the small map (press L2) while
moving about will help you be more aware of any enemies and generals coming
up.

Watch your health meter, and decide how important it is to you to gain more
health. Most enemy generals will drop health recovery items, but a few will
drops weapons or items instead, and they all might give you a beating that
outweighs the benefits of the health you gain from them. In general, if you
can afford to run from your foe rather than fight, do so. The only exceptions
to this rule are: if you are running low on time (mostly a problem in Tower)
stopping to defeat enemies can help you out; and if you are running low on
health. If your health is low enough that your life bar is red and your
Musou bar charges automatically, it can be useful to roll around until it is
full and then unleash your True Musou upon your foes.

8) Skills and Elements

If you're using a reset character, you can skip this section. If you're using
a maxed-out or high-level character, you may be wondering what skills you
should have and what elements you should use. Here are my own recommendations;
feel free to use whatever works best for you.

a) Unique Skills:

Break - Only Goemon has this skill. If you use his ranged attack on walls on
which a white slip of paper with Goemon's face on it appears, you can enter
hidden rooms. These rooms often contain health items, so use them to your
advantage.

2X Jump: Only Hanzo and Kunoichi have this skill. Use it to leap over traps
and, occasionally, to reach out-of-the-way areas, many of which have health
items.

b) Might Skills:

Reach - Attack range increases

Rage - Musou gage fills up faster

Vigor - Deadlocks become easier to win

Resistance - No staggering after an enemy attack (first hit only)

Guts - No staggering after receiving ranged attacks

Other useful (though not essential) Might skills are:

Frenzy - Attack may double [when getting up from the ground] when near death

Precision - Counter attack power increases

c) Prowess Skills:

Potence - Musou attack power increases

Drive - Charge attack power increases

Parry - Automatic guarding during movement

Other useful (though not essential) Prowess skills:

Mastery - True Musou attack always available

d) Guard Skills:

Resilience - No disorientation after any attack

Block - Guard cannot be broken

Other useful (though non essential) Guard skills:

Fortitude - Defense may double [when getting up from the ground] when Life
Meter is low

Celerity - Speed may increase [when getting up from the ground] when Life
Meter is low

Counter - Counter attack may occur randomly (i.e., without your having to
press guard + charge)

Fitness - Healing items have more effect

e) Elements:

All characters have the potential to use any of the 5 elements in the game. To
use them, the Musou gage MUST be full, and the character's weapon MUST be
imbued with a weapon. In addition, at least one Elemental attack skill MUST
be learned before elements will take effect. The following is a list of the
available elements and their effects, listed in order of usefulness:

Ice - Freezes enemies in a shell of ice. Enemies cannot move and are
vulnerable to all attacks until the ice wears off.

Lightning - Causes bolts of lightning to emanate from the weapon, striking
down nearby enemies.

Fire - Causes enemies struck by the weapon to be engulfed in flames. The
flames die out after a short time.

Vorpal - Causes a blue beam to travel from your weapon to the enemy, causing
instant death to minor foes and considerable damage to bosses. The vorpal
element works with all element-imbued weapons, but only if all 5 "books"
of the "Book of Five Rings" are equipped.

Dark (also called Night): Causes a white pulse to rise from your weapon and go
to you, giving you a small amount of extra health each time you use it
successfully.

As far as Elemental attacks go, pick one or two attacks you use frequently and
learn them. Kesa-Giri is almost always a good choice.

9) Traps and Enemies

The bulk of the damage you take probably won't come from stage bosses or even
enemy generals you encounter, but from traps and certain very powerful
enemies. Here's a list of what they are and how you can recognize and avoid
them. All traps, with the exception of the falling ninja groups, can damage
enemies, so don't hesitate to use this to your advantage. If you still have
trouble with traps, try equipping the Haichman's Bell item, which will show
all traps as blue Xs on the in-game map.

I. Traps

a) Floor traps: There are 6 varieties of these.

1) A trap in which the floor gives way, followed a moment later by a razor
blade that will sweep you and your foes off your feet. Jump to avoid it.

2) A trap in which the floor gives way, followed a few seconds later by a
very damaging gunshot (similar to that fired by Saika Magoichi in his Musou,
but stronger). Jump to avoid it.

[email protected] wrote in the following correction:

"It is not a gunshot but actually two bombs that drop from holes on either
side-wall of the trap. The floor drops and the bombs roll out of the wall,
then they explode."


3) A trap in which the floor gives way, uncovering several rows of spikes
underneath. Jump to avoid it. If you happen to get caught by it, it will not
be able to hurt you thereafter until it opens again.

4) A trap in which the floor is covered with wooden pannels into which grooves
have been set. Blades periodically course up and down the grooves. Run between
the grooves or stay off of the wood to avoid it.

5) A trap in which a dark panel shoots out spikes when a player approaches,
then pulls them back. Jump or roll to avoid it. These occasionally show up in
front of doors or right behind them, and almost always show up in rooms with
lighted windows, so beware.

6) A trap in which a dark panel shoots a volley of spikes into the air when
stepped upon. It only stuns you briefly, and isn't very damaging. Jump or roll
to avoid it.

b) Ceiling traps: There are 3 kinds of these.

1) Several wooden pegs will fall on your head. These are triggered when you
step over what look like wooden shavings on the floor. Roll to avoid them.

2) A giant spiked crusher will come down on top of you. These are triggered
when you step into a large, rectangular black space on the floor. Stay off of
these spaces to avoid the trap.

3) A group of ninjas will jump unannounced from above, knocking you flat.
This is not very damaging, but it is hard to predict. They frequently appear
in small rooms with lots of doors. Rolling preemptively and moving quickly
are the best ways to avoid them.

c) Incendiary traps: There are 2 types of these.

1) Silver dragon heads mounted on the wall in pairs facing each other. They
breathe fire when you approach. Roll just before the fire hits you to avoid
them.

2) Bomb pots that explode when struck by the player. They cause a good deal of
damage to players and enemies alike, but can sometimes leave behind recovery
items after they detonate. Don't strike them or roll away to avoid them.

d) Barriers: There are 4 types of these.

1) A wall of spears rises in front of you. This is triggered by approaching a
series of holes in the floor. Jump over them while they rise or attack them
to destroy them. Both you and your foes can be attacked tthrough the barrier,
but only you can damage it.

2) A barrier that falls from the ceiling. There really isn't a good way of
avoiding these other than quickly destroying them. They tend to accompany
spear walls, so be wary.

3) A wooden cage (snare) rises around you. These are triggered by stepping
inside rectangles whose outlines ONLY are opaque. Avoiding their squares or
destroying them are your best means of escaping these traps.

4) Saw blades that protrude from the walls, these traps usually come in pairs.
Stick to the middle of the room to avoid them.

II. Enemies to Watch Out For (besides the hordes of ordinary, sword-wielding
ninjas)

The deadliest enemies by far are the Ninjas and ranged attackers. Here is a
list of who they are, what they do, and how to avoid them.

a) Strike Ninja--A large character with the build of a sumo wrestler. He has 2
attacks. He charges up his arms briefly, yells something like, "Yek!...Yek!
Yek! Yek!" and proceeds to rush at you, knocking you away and dealing major
damage, especially if you are up against the wall. A strong attack before
the charge or a roll will allow you to avoid this. Strike Ninjas can also
stomp the floor, creating a medium-sized shock wave that knocks down players.

b) Fire Ninjas--Ninjas with backpacks on their backs. They throw bombs that
explode after bouncing for a second or two or colliding with a player. Rolling
or running away are the best ways to avoid the bombs. Fire Ninjas occasionally
hide in the corners of dark, small rooms, not making themselves known until
the player is knocked down by one of their bombs.

c) Wind Ninjas--Ninjas with strong defense and excellent kicking skills. They
charge up briefly before whirling at the player with a series of spin kicks.

d) Sky Ninjas--Small, agile fighters who always crouch on the ground. They are
swift enough to be able to do a jumping charge attack to knock you into the
air and follow it with another before you hit the ground. Somersault to avoid
the second jump attack if the first catches you. They can also charge, then
roll after you before performing a powerful jumping charge. Run or roll to
avoid it.

e) Musketeers--Soldiers armed with muskets, they often appear in groups of 2
or more, and frequently are arrayed right behind doorways or floor traps.
Rolling or getting to close to them can make them stop shooting and run, but
try not to jump if you can help it.  Occasionally one of them will strafe you,
so watch out.

f) Archers--Soldiers armed with bows and quivers, they are like musketeers,
but can fire about twice as fast. Deflect their shots, roll, or get close to
them to avoid them, but try not to jump when near them. They also come in
strafing varieties, so be wary.

10. Bosses - If the traps and minor enemies with swords don't get you, the
bosses probably will. Here is a list of all of the bosses you will encounter,
and what, if anything, you should watch out for when you do. Boss characters
appear randomly, with 2 exceptions. The 29th level of Abyss is always guarded
by Nobunaga Oda, while the 30th level is protected by Lu Bu.

Non-playable characters:

1) Ieyasu Tokugawa - Not terribly hard, he can become aggressive at higher
levels. Though his portly size may lead you to think him slow, his speed
belies his large belly, so beware.

2) Tadekatsu Honda - About as difficult as Ieyasu, but slightly more dangerous
because he wields a spear instead of a sword. Keep on the offensive and don't
let him corner you.

3) Nagamasa Azai - Less agressive than Tadekatsu and Ieyasu, Nagamasa isn't
much of a threat unless you let him come out swinging. Beware the occasional
sneak attack and keep the pressure on him, and he'll go down soon enough.

4) Hideyori Toyotomi - The same can be said for him as for Nagamasa.

5) ? Honjo (I can't remember his praenomen) - About as aggresive as Tadekatsu,
the Honjo general is faster because he wields a sword rather than a spear.
Be on your guard.

6) Kenyo Honganji - He's very similar to the Honjo general.

7) Shouke - Same as above.

8) Yoshimoto Iwagawa - This guy was born to take damage, and it shows. Stay on
the move and strike from behind frequently and he'll go down in no time.

9) Hideyoshi Shibata - By far the most vicious of all the non-playable
generals. He will often counter your attacks and try to hit you with his
Musou. He is very aggressive, so only skillful (or very cheap) play will
suffice to take him down. Take care not to let him heal if he does get a hit
in on you.

Playable Characters:

1) Yukimura Sanada - His spear gives him a good reach, and he fights fairly
aggressively. Stay on the move and strike him from behind. Use counters or
take advantage of missed hits on his part to take him down.

2) Hanzo Hattori - A very fast character, he loves to hit you first thing with
his Musou, knocking you away. He also likes to attack with his SSSS(SSSS)
move. He moves around a lot, but if you keep pace with him and hit him while
he's moving, you should be able to take him out.

3) Oichi - She likes to use her agility and speed to catch you off guard. Be
wary of her dash attack and her Musou. If you can strike her from behind,
you should be able to deal a good deal of damage to her.

4) Kenshin Uesugi - A strong character, Kenshin can wreak havoc on you at high
levels. If far away, be wary of his energy blasts; if close, steer clear of
his normal strikes. He uses ice, so do all you can not to let him hit you.

5) Mitsuhide Akechi - This guy is an absolute monster! Incredibly aggressive,
Mitsuhide will take advantage of any slip-up you make and hit you hard. His
charge attack is hard to interrupt, but if you can hit him hard enough when
he charges it, you may be able to stop it. Be very cautious when fighting him,
and use every trick in your book to win.

6) Saika Magoichi - In general, Saika is very easy. Be wary of the occasional
musket shot and try not to get hit by his C2. Hitting him from the side or
back is the best way to take him out.

7) Masamune Date - Another aggressive character. If far away from him, watch
out for his Dragon Ball attack. He uses long strings of normal and charge
attacks, so counter him or dodge him to put yourself in a position to cut his
ego down to size.

8) Shingen Takeda - A slow, strong character, Shingen can catch you off guard
if you aren't careful. Hit him from behind to sieze victory.

9) Keiji Maeda - Faster than Shingen and slightly stronger, Keiji also has a
longer reach. Though he has several devastating attacks, if you counter and
dodge them and remain aggressive, you should be able to beat him.

10) Kunoichi - Fast and nasty, Kunoichi likes to rush up to you, attack, and
retreat. She often uses jumping charge attacks so beware. Counter her or
strike first to sieze the momentum from her.

11) Ranmaru Mori - Faster than Mitsuhide, he uses similar attacks, although he
isn't quite as aggressive. His sword is longer, and imbued with ice, to boot,
so don't be fooled into thinking he'll be easy. He likes to use his C1, so if
you see him charging up, be sure to guard, then attack him.

12) Okuni - Not terribly strong or aggressive, at higher levels Okuni can
still be a pain in that many of her attacks can knock you away. Just try to
stay close to her and hit her from behind, and you should do fine against her.

13) Noh - Like Kunoichi, Noh likes to rush up to you, attack and then retreat.
She'll often throw bombs at you, so be ready to guard them. Keep an eye on her
movements, as she'll occasionally dart in for a quick strike that will do
quite a number on your health.

14) Goemon Ishikawa - Very strong, Goemon compensates for his large size and
slow speed by having a surprisingly long reach. Avoid his attacks and stay
behind him, or you won't last long.

15) Nobunaga Oda - A very aggressive character, Nobunaga is also extremely
fast. Be aggressive with him, and do all you can to avoid his strikes, and
you should be alright. Don't be afraid to abuse your Musou when you fight him.


Special Characters:

1) Lu Bu - "Lu Bu among men; Red Hare among steeds." The Chinese made this
proverb for a reason, and Lu Bu more than lives up to it. He can kill a
character of any level in about 2 hits, has a VERY long reach with his famous
halberd, and won't let up for anything. There's really no safe way to beat him
without abusing your True Musou, as he's likely to counter any other assault
with a devastating "whirling dervish" counter attack. Keep hitting him with
your True Musou and do all you can to avoid deadlocking with hin, and you just
might stand a chance against Koei's "Mightiest Warrior."

Cody Moross sent in the following additional information regarding Lu Bu:

"He has another attack where he does his taunt from DW4 and it sends you
flying across the room. His weapon is also lightning enchanted."

11. Tricks

a) The Memory Card Trick

This trick can save you a lot of anguish by allowing you to retry Survival
as many times as you like from your last save point, should you lose. You
must have two memory cards to get this to work. Use one of them to save your
data, then swap it out for the other, restart Survival, and resume playing.
If you lose, simply swap out the memory cards again and load the data on
your original card. Switch the cards out again and resume play. You can do
this as often as necessary, but just remember to use one card for saving and
the other for loading, as mixing them up could leave you stranded.

b) Recharge your Musou safely when fighting bosses

Cody Moross sent in the following trick:

"[W]hen fighting a stage boss, if you have a boss in one of the two rooms and
run to the extreme end of the other room, the boss and his two peons will
retreat back to the center of the first room.  This is helpful when fighting
in red health because your Musou will recharge and you're in no danger of
taking damage."


12. Conclusion.

And that's it. Just remember to be patient and stay on your guard, and you
should be able to get fairly far in either Survival Mode.

Thanks to Koei, Electronic Arts, and Omega Force, for making the game.

Thanks to Jeff Veasey of GameFaqs, for hosting this guide.

Thanks to Cody Moross, for the additional information about Lu Bu and the
Safe Musou Charge Trick.

Thanks to [email protected] for the correction to Floor Trap 2.

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