Sengoku Basara/Decisive Battle of Honno-ji

Decisive Battle of Honno-ji (本能寺決戦) is the name given to the battle that takes place in the territory of ../Nobunaga Oda/ and his army. Nobunaga is demonic in appearance, and his status as a powerful general coupled with his villainous tendencies make him a common final boss for other armies, despite the small amount of territory that he begins with. Nobunaga also has two powerful generals at his side: ../Ranmaru Mori/, a young child who happens to be a skilled archer, and ../Nouhime/, his wife and marksman.

Strategy
Defeat the first squad leader to open the gate and receive the first tamatebako. What follows is a maze filled with squad leaders, and a hidden tamatebako that can be found down a path to the left (guarded by some archers). Defeating these squad leaders ultimately isn't necessary, though they are a great help in boosting rewards and experience. Eventually, bomb soldiers and archers attack together, though you'll want to save your Basara for the coming boss battle.

The second gate to be unlocked is guarded by Ranmaru and numerous archers. Average foot soldiers can be found spawning in the back-left corner of the area facing Ranmaru, away from him. The infinitely-spawning soldiers (as long as the squad leader standing on the deck across from them isn't defeated) combined with ../Masamune Date/ and his permanent War Dance accessory makes this a good spot to attempt the 9,999 hits trophy, especially if Ranmaru isn't even approached. However, success isn't guaranteed; for a slower but easier strategy, see ../Mikatagahara Assault/.

Ranmaru is quick and dodges often, sometimes off-screen, giving him the ability to shoot even when unseen, hiding away from the camera. Following him is the most difficult part of this battle, so make sure to manage your camera while fighting with psx: neutral rstick. Additionally, ensure that he never gets too far from you, as it is difficult to make up the distance once he starts shooting. Defeat him to gain entrance into a room where you are greeted by ninja. You can use your Basara here as the ninja can make difficult opponents, especially on higher difficulties, and a red crate can be found at the end of the path. However, beware the many gunmen in your path; jump and zig-zag to the next boss to avoid getting shot.

Nouhime commands the gunmen around her to shoot while she does the same, but as long as you combo her close to the gate and keep your camera away from the gunmen, defeating her without taking damage is entirely possible. Her defense is very weak, which can very possibly make this battle a quick one, but be careful if she does manage to dodge away; like Ranmaru, once Nouhime manages to create a distance between you and her, it is difficult to make that distance up, as she will keep shooting you away. She can also shoot from off-screen, so if your health does get a little low, just continue to corner her and stick the battle out before running to search for some health items, as this would only leave Nouhime at her deadliest. The exception to this is her gatling attack, which is easily side-stepped and leaves her vulnerable for as long as it's active, giving you the opportunity to perform a combo. Defeat her to unlock the final gate guarding Nobunaga Oda.

Boss: Nobunaga Oda
Nobunaga is not only capable of inflicting damage easily through quick combos, but he also has powerful ranged attacks at his disposal (thanks to his charging and shotgun skills). His shotgun in particular is tricky to dodge, as it does much more damage than Nouhime's or Ranmaru's shots but also has enough reach to catch you even if he is off-screen. The safest strategy once he breaks it out is to block until he finishes his combo, then approach him as he's recovering.

Perhaps the trickiest factor of this boss battle is the fact that there is no escape; you are trapped in a relatively small room with a finite number of enemies and only two crates holding recovery items, so save them until you absolutely need them. Defeat Nobunaga for another scene and a victory.