Sengoku Basara/Divisive Battle of Anegawa

Divisive Battle of Anegawa (姉川分断戦) is the name given to the battle that takes place in the territory of ../Toshiie Maeda/ and his army. While Toshiie himself isn't a very difficult opponent, his wife, ../Matsu/, fights alongside him. Depending on how close the couple are to each other, a battle that should be like any other can become dangerously difficult. Fortunately, if you find yourself struggling, there is a method to prevent Toshiie and Matsu from meeting up and assisting each other, as the battle begins with the two generals located on opposite sides of the map.

Strategy
Upon approaching either gate, your first objective will be presented to you: stop Toshiie and Matsu from reuniting. Toshiie begins from the top-left corner of the map, and Matsu begins from the top-right. The gate that you unlock and subsequently the path that you take to either general is determined by which you want to pursue. The right path to Matsu is recommended, as while there are many turns and archers on the path, there is only one gate that stands between you and her. Defeating Matsu will also allow you to pick up the tamatebako that she drops, as well as search for more and gain experience via the defeat of squad leaders. However, while in pursuit of Matsu, keep in mind that you must ignore all enemies in the way, as the couple reunites more quickly than most of the more average-speed characters can run.

If you don't mind having Toshiie and Matsu near each other, you can ignore the objective completely and take your time opening all gates, as well as defeating the squad leaders. Both squad leaders guarding the initial gates drop tamatebako, and as there are no squad leaders on the right path, take the left path after opening both gates. On the left path, both the squad leader in the center of the path and the one guarding the second gate drop tamatebako upon defeat. Of the subsequent pair, only one drops a tamatebako, but you may as well build up your Basara by defeating them both.

After making your way to the center clearing that connects the left and right sides of the map, backtrack to the clearing on the right side. There is a massive walking structure here, as well as numerous squad leaders. Feel free to ignore the walking structure and instead focus on the squad leaders, as it only drops some health and Basara. Make sure to defeat the squad leader waiting by the twisting right path to scare off the archers firing behind him (as well as pick up the tamatebako that he drops). On a deck past some archers is a crate holding a hidden tamatebako.

Another hidden tamatebako can be found in a crate in the top-left corner of the map, behind what looks like a small house. You must fight through many archers to get there, but defeating the squad leader nearby causes the archers to stop firing and flee, giving you the opportunity to wipe them out before they can regain their confidence.

Bosses: Toshiie Maeda and Matsu
The most frustrating thing about battling Toshiie and Matsu (together or apart) is their range. Matsu will occasionally use her final skill, calling many birds to swoop in front of her and attack you (though this is easily dodged if you are far enough away from her, and you can use the recovery time of this skill to attack her from the side). Toshiie will sometimes use his fourth skill, Flaming Leap, which is easily the most dangerous in his skill-set; it consists of him doing a somersault in midair while his trident emits fire, forming a great wheel of flame. Unlike Toshiie's other skills, Flaming Leap doesn't have a slow activation time, making it difficult to interrupt. If he ever catches you in it, make sure you have a Basara attack stored up to cancel it. Otherwise, his attacks are easily interrupted as long as you stay close.

When dealing with Matsu, take the opposite approach; depending on the character, her attacks may be much quicker than yours, as her moves are derived from the quickest swordsman's in the game (../Kenshin Uesugi/). Keep your distance after combos to avoid having her break them. This also allows you to more easily avoid her bird attack, which she will use if you aren't close enough for her to attack you with her sword. Get close to her afterward and combo, then dodge away again and repeat. While you can defeat them both for extra rewards, defeat Toshiie to clear the stage.