| Map | Enemy |
|---|---|
|
Itsuki's Peasant Rebels |
| Unlock with | |
| Date Army | |
| # of Tamatebako | |
| 12 |
Northern Suppression or Crackdown (最北端一揆鎮圧戦) is the name given to the battle that takes place on the northernmost piece of land, a relatively small territory run by peasants that have rebelled against samurai. Their leader is Itsuki, a young girl who claims to have received her giant hammer from a goddess.
Strategy[edit]
Defeat the initial squad leader and his soldiers to build up your Basara. Proceed to the intersection, where five squad leaders ambush you using the blizzard as cover. All of the soldiers here are weak, so they shouldn't pose any problem; defeat the squad leaders and move on down either path to the gate. Feel free to open both gates for the extra experience and rewards before proceeding to the bridge. One squad leader awaits your arrival in front; walking down the bridge reveals two more squad leaders behind you and two in front. The two behind you (as well as the two in front) only drop health and Basara, so only return to defeat them if you are in need of experience. Otherwise, you can proceed to defeat all squad leaders in your way, though beware the archers that surround the bottom of the bridge; you can jump to avoid the arrows as they're released, giving you a window to approach and defeat them.
In the space to the left of the squad leader standing guard before Itsuki is a crate containing a hidden tamatebako. What follows is only the first fight with Itsuki; she can be a tricky target, and her skills can do serious damage. When she throws her hammer, she'll be much quicker, but in turn easier to attack. Take advantage of this and her lack of speed in executing her skills to defeat her. If in need of Basara, the squad leader and many soldiers surrounding Itsuki should help you build it up for an attack.
Defeating Itsuki will open up the gate to the next area of the map, where you will once again be ambushed by five squad leaders. Defeat them and move down the narrow path to be greeted by shielded soldiers and archers; you can use your Basara attack here to mow them down, then use the remaining squad leader and his foot soldiers to build your Basara back up before the final boss.
Boss: Itsuki[edit]
Having fought her once before, you should know what to expect from Itsuki by now. If an attack of yours leaves her airborne, she will either jump out of it with a hammer attack or stomp down on you with a giant snowman (with the rare exception of her actually getting knocked down). If you keep your distance, she will occasionally throw her hammer, which only mildly stuns you; the follow-up is her deadly barehanded combo. Try to attack her from the side, behind, or between attacks when she does this, as while this is a great opportunity to combo her, getting caught in her combo is practically a death sentence.
Another skill which Itsuki uses quite often is extending the size of her hammer, jumping up and slamming it on the ground, catching ally and enemy alike. Fortunately, this move's slow start, like her normal combo, gives you an advantage over her, especially when using a faster character. Either interrupt her before she can finish it or dodge and catch her in her recovery window afterward.
If in need of Basara or health, the many squad leaders surrounding Itsuki should do the trick (only one of these actually drops a tamatebako, so if you aren't in need of health/Basara/experience, feel free to ignore the others). Defeating her clears the stage.