Lu Meng FAQ v1.0
Written by Rydain Darkstar <
[email protected]>
Last Revised November 20, 2008
===============================================================================
Table of Contents
===============================================================================
1) Introduction [INTRO]
2) Unlocking Lu Meng [UNLOCKING]
3) Move Set [MOVESET]
4) Getting Equipped [EQUIP]
5) Battle Advice [HOWTOPLAY]
6) Analysis of Fighting Aptitude [ANALYSIS]
7) Weapons, Abilities, and Tactic [WEAPONS_ETC]
8) Quotes and Dialog [QUOTES]
9) Revision History [REVISIONS]
10) Credits [CREDITS]
11) Legal Junk [LEGAL]
===============================================================================
1) Introduction [INTRO]
===============================================================================
Lu Meng fights with straight up halberd brute force and some strategic setup -
a style well-suited to a historical figure who hit the books to become more
than just a brawler. Whether just unlocked or going against chaos mode with a
tricked-out setup, Meng is fun and effective to play. I wrote this FAQ to
bring some attention to a commonly overlooked character who is well worth your
time if his style appeals to you.
===============================================================================
2) Unlocking Lu Meng [UNLOCKING]
===============================================================================
Complete Samurai Story 5. The end.
===============================================================================
3) Move Set [MOVESET]
===============================================================================
This is Lu Meng's full attack string. Some moves may not be available if he
isn't leveled up enough.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Standard Attacks
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
S Left to right swing.
SS Right to left swing.
SSS Poke with the butt end of the halberd.
SSSS Right to left swing.
SSSSS Left to right swing.
SSSSSS Poke with the butt end of the halberd.
SSSSSSS Right to left swing.
SSSSSSSS Left to right swing.
SSSSSSSSS Right to left swing.
Dash attack Tackle with the halberd held out in front.
Jump attack Right to left vertically oriented swing.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Charge Attacks
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C3, C4, C5, and C6 activate weapon elements.
________________________________________
C1 / T Fire orb that detonates after a few seconds.
C2 / ST Uppercut that knocks enemies into the air. Press and hold T
before the first swing is done. Otherwise, you will start into
a C3.
C3 / SST Repeated back and forth halberd swings. More T presses produce
more swings. The final strike activates weapon elements.
C4 / SSST A wide horizontal swing.
C5 / SSSST Ground pound splash launcher.
C6 / SSSSST Lu Meng jumps and does a 270-degree swing around him.
Jump + T Lu Meng flips forward and does a halberd smash with a smallish
area of effect.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Special Attacks
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
R1 Multiple waves of long-ranged fire bullets that pierce through
enemies and burn anything they touch. Consumes a small amount
of musou.
Dir + R1 Omnidirectional block. If timed correctly, Dir + R1 will guard
attacks from any direction. Lu Meng staggers for a moment
after a successfully guarded attack.
Musou A series of back and forth swings.
True musou As above, plus a cool introductory splash screen and a
shockwave ender.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Horse Attacks
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
S string Up to six slashes alternating from side to side.
T Two slashes, one on each side of the horse.
===============================================================================
4) Getting Equipped [EQUIP]
===============================================================================
Recommended Weapon Elements
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following eight elements should be used.
Bolt Increases damage, stuns enemies, and hurts nearby foes as well.
Flash Breaks enemies' guard.
Slay Has a chance of outright killing peons and always does a nice
chunk of damage against officers. Too useful not to include.
Air Increases damage against airborne targets. When chained
together or used on an enemy flinched by his R1 fire bullets,
Lu Meng's staple charges will juggle enemies. The leadup S
attacks knock flinched foes off their feet.
Brave For more anti-officer oomph.
Multi Creates illusions that do several extra hits. With Bolt, these
illusions noticeably crank up charge attack damage and won't
interfere with Meng's combo chains.
Agility Speeds up charge attack execution. Faster killing is gooood.
Might Increases damage. Simple as that.
________________________________________
I don't recommend Range because Lu Meng doesn't need it for safety thanks to
his naturally long reach. I suggest more attack boosters instead of Absorb
because Meng's musou needs can be easily met elsewhere in his setup. He
infrequently uses small amounts of musou, so the Supremacy upgrade skill or
Refill ability will work well enough to keep him stocked, especially if he
also takes Conserve.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recommended Weapon Upgrade Skills
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following upgrade skills are highly recommended.
Supremacy Slowly replenishes musou. Improves battlefield endurance
during long stints of soloing.
Stability Your charge attacks and R1 specials will not be interrupted by
most enemy attacks. Prevents you from being hit out of your R1
fire bullets and allows you to safely walk into crowds with C3.
Resolve Arrows and bullets won't flinch you.
________________________________________
Just for fun, you may wish to give the following a try.
Almighty When musou is full, all attacks carry elements. Lu Meng does
quite well without this overpowered upgrade skill, but there's
a certain charm to playing him as a button mashing death
blender.
________________________________________
Fire Power does not increase the damage of Lu Meng's R1 flame bullets to any
worthwhile extent.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recommended Abilities
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regardless of setup, these four are essential.
Boost Makes perfect sense for a character reliant on charge attacks.
Impulse More foot speed translates to better offense and defense.
Potence It always hurts to hit extra hard. Har har har.
Speed Increases attack power even further.
________________________________________
Consider any of the following depending on your play style and the rest of Lu
Meng's setup.
Adrenalin If you find yourself losing life when running solo on high
difficulty. Don't forget to break your combos periodically
because Adrenalin only fills once when you hit 10. R1 bullets
are great for triggering a 10+ combo.
Cavalier Horses are no longer obsoleted by high-level Impulse. Impulse
now beefs up the horse, so you can blaze around maps at warp
speed. I usually prefer to steal somebody else's horse, but
it can sometimes be helpful to begin with a fast mount.
Conserve Decreases the cost of musou-consuming attacks. Especially
handy if you plan to self-restore most of your musou with
the Refill ability or the Supremacy upgrade. Small amounts of
musou are more efficiently recovered than larger chunks of a
long bar.
Focus Lengthens the musou bar.
Fortitude Lu Meng's defense stat is unimpressive, especially on high
difficulty. Fortitude gives him more room for error.
Refill For musou self-replenishment without the Supremacy upgrade. Lu
Meng's R1 special is cheap enough that high-level Refill can
improve his battlefield endurance.
Vitality More health comes in handy, especially at low levels and when
dealing with fire and poison.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recommended Setups
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Select your setup depending on how Lu Meng will be played. Since he only has
one maximized weapon configuration, ability selection is the main difference
between solo and team setups.
Attack Power Max -------------------------------------------------------------
Weapon Bolt / Flash / Slay / Air / Brave / Multi / Agility / Might
* Supremacy
* Stability
* Resolve
Abilities Boost / Impulse / Potence / Speed
For solo Conserve / Fortitude / Adrenalin, Refill, or Vitality
===============================================================================
5) Battle Advice [HOWTOPLAY]
===============================================================================
General Fighting Notes
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Take frequent advantage of Lu Meng's R1 fire bullets for speedy crowd clearing
and attack setup. Bust a blazing path through peon hordes and zip in for the
officer kill.
Chained C3's are Meng's quickest means of defeating generals, especially
with a R1 preceding. C4 can also be used in some situations. For sticky
situations and officer pileups, use hit and run tactics. Shoot some fire
bullets, do a few C3's, double jump to safety as needed, and repeat until
everyone's dead.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Move Set Analysis
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Most of Lu Meng's S string has good reach and coverage. Aside from the two
pokes with cruddy reach, his halberd swings are fast and protective.
* indicates Lu Meng's most useful attacks.
C1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Might be fun to use once in a while, but the R1 bullet special is better
for setting people ablaze.
C2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Doesn't activate elements or have any innate properties worth bothering
with. Next!
* C3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lu Meng's staple anti-officer move. An untapped C3 (SST) has two forced
non-elemental strikes, but the full charge attack finishes quickly. With
Bolt, Meng can link C3's together against a target. The wide elemental
strike works well for crowd clearing, too.
By themselves, the C3 strikes aren't fast enough to guarantee safety in
crowds. With the Stability upgrade skill, C3 works well for crowd entry.
* C4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another useful charge against officers and peon crowds. For best results
when Lu Meng has Multi on his weapon, deliberately miss the target with his
third normal attack. Otherwise they will be knocked too high for maximum
damage from C4.
C5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
May be helpful early on when flame juggling is Lu Meng's most efficient
means of dishing out damage. Other than that, meh.
C6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fun for variety, perhaps, but chained early charges will hurt more in a
shorter amount of time.
* R1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
With their speed, long range, and generous flinching time, these flaming
bullets are excellent for setting up approaches through the thickest of
enemy crowds. Be aware of the slight startup lag, which you can be hit
out of. The Stability upgrade takes care of this concern. In the
meantime, just get to a safe spot before letting loose.
Meng's bullets are quite helpful before he has Flash or a weapon tricked
out for big time charge attack damage. Though blockable, the bullets reach
far enough that Meng can zap an officer long before they would begin to
guard his attacks. He can then juggle the burning officer for added pain.
Dir + R1 ------------------------------------------------------------------
May come in handy against firepower before Lu Meng gets the Resolve
upgrade skill. I don't bother much with it.
===============================================================================
6) Analysis of Fighting Aptitude [ANALYSIS]
===============================================================================
Lu Meng is a solid all-around warrior. You name it, he'll get rid of it in a
jiffy.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Strengths
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
With his versatile R1 fire bullets and efficient C3 chains, Lu Meng makes
quick work of generals in any battle situation. When he is maxed, R1 > C3
will sometimes KO weaker 5-star chaos generics by itself. An additional C3 is
enough for everything up to typical playable officers. Orochi X only needs a
couple more C3's.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shortcomings
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lu Meng doesn't soak damage as well as some other characters. This isn't
much of an issue when he's mastered, as he won't be getting hit often enough
to put him in danger.
===============================================================================
7) Weapons, Abilities, and Tactic [WEAPONS_ETC]
===============================================================================
Weapons
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glaive (+9 base attack)
Great Glaive (+19 base attack)
Tiger Hook (+39 base attack)
White Tiger (+79 base attack) - obtained randomly from weapon boxes on 3-star
and above hard battles or any chaos battle.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Abilities
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Boost ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Defeat 3 officers.
Awakening --------------------------------------------------------------------
Keep life at or above 30% and defeat 3 officers.
Acclaim ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Without using musou attacks, defeat 3 officers while keeping life at or
above 50%.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tactic
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shield - Get 100 KO's to increase your commander's defense.
===============================================================================
8) Quotes and Dialog [QUOTES]
===============================================================================
As an Ally
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Character Select: "There is always a way to win!"
Switch: "I'll sort this out!"
Team Assist: "Pay attention!"
Musou: "Come on!"
True Musou: "It comes down to this!"
Officer Defeat: "One more for the glory of Wu!"
1000 KO's: "A well thought-out strategy always yields rewards."
Tactic: "I will risk my life to protect my commander!"
Praise: "Your expertise serves as a model to us all!"
Enemy Officer KO Praise: "You show tremendous potential."
100 KO Praise: "Keep up now!"
1000 KO Praise: "You fight with the mind as well as with the arm, warrior!"
1000 KO Praise 2: "Wu would be honored to have your services."
Endangered: "I am fresh out of ideas..."
Thanks: "That was a narrow escape."
Thanks 2: "Reinforcements, what a relief!"
=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
If approaching an enemy, give them a chance to talk before you squish them.
Samurai 6 --------------------------------------------------------------------
Dong Zhuo: "My prize is on the line. Stand still while I kill you."
Lu Meng: "You never learn, do you?"
Samurai 8 --------------------------------------------------------------------
Orochi X: "Come, mighty warriors. Defeat me once more, if you are able."
Lu Meng: "Are you prepared? These moments will truly be your last."
===============================================================================
9) Revision History [REVISIONS]
===============================================================================
v1.0 11/20/2008 - Initial revision of this FAQ.
===============================================================================
10) Credits [CREDITS]
===============================================================================
calbee219 for maximizing Lu Meng in Warriors Orochi. Much of that setup and
strategy still applies here.
Black Murasame63 for piquing my curiosity about Lu Meng with his character FAQ
for Warriors Orochi.
Humble Novice for battle quotes.
===============================================================================
11) Legal Junk [LEGAL]
===============================================================================
This FAQ is copyright 2008 by Rydain Darkstar <
[email protected]> Feel free to
pass it around, put it on your website, print it out for future reference (or
kindling, toilet paper, or anything that floats your boat), et cetera, blah
blah blah, whatever. Just don't sell it or take credit for any of my work
expressed herein.
