| Map | Enemy |
|---|---|
|
Tokugawa Army |
| Unlock with | |
| Takeda Army | |
| # of Tamatebako | |
| 12 |
Mikatagahara Assault (三方ヶ原強襲戦) is the name given to the battle that takes place in the territory of Ieyasu Tokugawa and his army. While Ieyasu is still a young general, not intimidating compared to the armies surrounding him such as the Takeda and the Oda (though he matures and becomes playable in the series' third installment), he has an incredible weapon in the form of Tadakatsu Honda.
Tadakatsu is the most difficult element of this map, perhaps even making it the most dangerous map in the game. While the defeat of Tadakatsu is an optional objective, his speed and reach makes escaping him difficult, requiring you to constantly be on the move. Depending on the difficulty, only a few hits of his spear could lead to your defeat.
Strategy[edit]
Build up your Basara at the first gate and pick up the tamatebako dropped by the leader protecting the gate. Behind the gate is Tadakatsu Honda, who you can choose to engage or flee from (the latter is recommended, though defeating him is entirely possible). To have a fair chance at defeating Tadakatsu, make sure your character is decently leveled, even on Normal difficulty (his health and strength is deliberately far out of the league of other bosses in the game). Your strategy in defeating him should depend on the character. With Nouhime, you should be able to keep him away from you and do continuous damage if you corner him into the wall by the first gate (behind the open door). You can accomplish this with her Passing of the Dragonfly skill, which is more effective at keeping him away, or her normal attack, which is quicker. You can also achieve the 999 combo trophy easily this way, as long as you have the patience to keep it going and there are no archers nearby to interrupt.
While Nouhime is arguably the easiest character to use in defeating Tadakatsu, it is possible with others:
- As Ranmaru Mori, keep using Heavy Thunder close to a wall to trap Tadakatsu and continuously stun him.
- As Xavi, his Flame and Punishment skills are effective tools in keeping Tadakatsu at a distance.
- As Shingen Takeda, corner him as mentioned in the Nouhime strategy, and attack until your Basara is built up. Shingen's Basara is unique in that he can keep attacking while in use, creating an offense that deals double the damage.
- As Kenshin Uesugi or Matsu, attack quickly and equip a weapon with the ice attribute to freeze Tadakatsu. Their skill in which they trust their sword continuously keeps Tadakatsu stunned, and their charging iai slash is useful in attacking from a distance and initiating combos.
- Use the same strategy with Yukimura Sanada, as he is quick enough to interrupt Tadakatsu's attacks and a weapon with the fire attribute should deal additional damage.
- As Mitsuhide Akechi, his quick and far-reaching first skill should allow you to initiate combos against Tadakatsu.
- As Nobunaga Oda, shoot Tadakatsu with the shotgun using Nobunaga's first skill.
- As Masamune Date, use War Dance to attack more quickly and stun Tadakatsu more easily.
These are just a few strategies to use in tackling the seemingly unstoppable robot. Ignore them when playing this stage at a low level/high difficulty, as the game suggests, though defeating him gives you a special reward. If your character is at a high enough level, you can also roam around the map defeating weaker soldiers to build up your Basara, and use it whenever it becomes available. This should do considerable damage even without the use of an elaborate strategy.
The squad leader in the center of the path past the gate drops a tamatebako, as does the one to the left. Defeating them allows you to build up your Basara, which you can use to attack a pursuing Tadakatsu whenever he gets close. Make sure to watch out for the pole-swingers as well, and interrupt them using ranged attacks if possible. Of the two squad leaders standing together in the center of the map, only one drops a tamatebako. After this point, the path splits in two; follow the right path to defeat a squad leader that drops a tamatebako, and continue to the gate (though you may want to double back to the other gate after unlocking it, as both defending squad leaders drop tamatebako).
After opening the gate, Tadakatsu will retreat to protect the final gate. The path in the center connecting the left and right paths allows you to cross over and defeat the squad leaders awaiting your arrival on both paths, though neither drop tamatebako. The two paths converge at the final gate, where a squad leader that drops a tamatebako can be found, as well as Tadakatsu and numerous bomb soldiers. You can use your Basara here to avoid taking too much damage rather than saving it for the boss, as Ieyasu doesn't pose much of a threat on his own and Tadakatsu will usually stand off to the side rather than assisting his boss. Defeat him to clear the stage.