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Ghost Of Tsushima How To Parry - Timings & Tips

Check out this Ghost Of Tsushima guide to learn how to parry & block enemy attacks! Learn about parrying tips, timing, which attacks to dodge, and more!

Table of Contents

What Is Parry?

• Tips To Parrying

Block Enemy Attack The Moment It Strikes

Parrying can be executed when you block the enemy attack the moment it hits you. Parrying enemy attacks can put them off guard, and open them to counter attacks and other follow ups. To parry, press L1 the moment the attack is about to connect then follow up with either □ or △ for a quick counter.

Only Certain Attacks Can Be Parried

Not all enemy attacks can be parried. Powerful strikes, ones with a red cross indicator, cannot be parried or blocked by usual means (requires unlocking technique to parry). Prior to learning those techniques, consider dodging away from its attacks.

Tips To Parrying Successfully

Memorize enemy attack patterns.

The simplest and most effective way to successful parry is learning the enemy movements and attack telegraphs. Most enemies' attack pattern can be dictated, depending on the weapon they use. Carefully observe their patterns to know the timing to prep your blocks.

Beat Heavies Faster By Baiting Them

Heavies take a good amount of damage to Stagger. You can shorten the time to Stagger by waiting and countering their attack using parry. Do note that this may put you at a disadvantage as archers and other enemy units might gang up on you.

Familiarize The Attack Trajectory Per Weapon

Each type of enemy weapon has a common trajectory that you may exploit to evade or parry to open them for counters. For example, maces will often be swung from side to side, giving it a very wide arc but limited range. The spear on the other hand, has a long horizontal reach but limited attack arc to its sides.

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Ghost of tsushima: how to perfect parry (the easy way).

Perfect parrying is an art in Ghost of Tsushima and no enemy will stand in the way after this handy guide in learning the art of the Perfect Parry.

Ghost of Tsushima is all about swordplay , and nowhere is this more appropriate than parrying or mastering the perfect parry. Doing a perfect parry can be the difference between life and death. Jin Sakai might have no HP or resolve, and missing an opportunity to parry could spell the end. Getting a perfect parry has a tremendous amount of benefits, but it's all about timing.

Related:  Ghost of Tsushima Gets Crossover Costumes From God of War, Horizon, And More

When it comes to Ghost of Tsushima , there are multiple enemy types, and each has unique attacks to watch out for that will either raise or lower the chances of getting a perfect parry accomplished. To boost the chances that the parry will succeed will depend on the stance taken against different opponent types. For example, the Stone Stance against sword-type enemies or the Wind Stance against spear-type opponents will give higher chances of successful, perfect parries. The Techniques menu will guide which stance is more effective than another, and changing during combat will be paramount to pulling them off.

How to Do a Perfect Parry in Ghost of Tsushima

In Ghost of Tsushima , there is the regular parry and the perfect parry. Players will know they have done a perfect parry when an enemy attacks, and when the block/parry button (L1) gets pressed, the block will go into slow motion allowing Jin time to attack with huge damage potential. At first, players can try to keep slamming the L1 button repeatedly, but this tends to have a random effect on the parrying. It can sometimes lead to perfect timing for the parrying, but it's unexpected and not the best way to do it. The best and easiest way is to watch the enemies as they all indicate when they will attack .

For example, swordsmen will stop, raise their sword straight up into the air, and then attack. If we continue with this example, the moment they lift the blade is when to look for the parry opportunity. The moment that swing begins, the blow's landing will be quick, and hitting the L1 will give the perfect parry. A good clue is, let's say, the enemy is directly ahead of Jin. When the enemy's hand disappears behind their head on the swing, that is when the L1 button gets pushed. This method works for all enemy types,  even bosses , but differs from one enemy to the other.

If we take spearmen, they will have a similar pause but will pull their thrust back before attacking. The moment their hand pulls back and thrusts ahead when their body hides their arm, hit the L1, and the perfect parry will occur. This tactic works for enemies with shields as well. Doing the perfect parry will require a lot of timing and practice, but thankfully there are many enemies to choose from out there.

More:  Ghost Of Tsushima Wins Player's Voice Award At The Game Awards 2020

Ghost of Tsushima is available on PS4 and PS5

Ghost of Tsushima How to Parry: An Expert Tips Guide

Learn everything you need to know about how to parry in Ghost of Tsushima, including expert tips and strategies for the perfect parry and more.

Learning to how to parry in Ghost of Tsushima is a foundational skill. It can and will save your life early in the game, and understanding its nuances in the late game will make even the toughest fights manageable. Parrying isn’t the easiest technique to learn or master, but once you know the basics, all you have to do is put them into practice.

That’s what this guide is all about: how to parry, how to make parrying easier, and where to practice your parrying skills early so you can spend the rest of the game honing them to a razor’s edge.

The Very Basics: Parry Timing

To parry in Ghost of Tsushima , press “ L1 ” about a quarter- to a half-second before an enemy’s attack lands. Any sooner and you’ll leave yourself open. Later and you’ll have already taken a hit, making the parry attempt worthless.

Parry timing is relatively specific and somewhat depends on your game’s framerate . Usually, I found I needed to add an extra quarter-second before I pressed “L1” to allow for input delay. In practical terms, give yourself a little more than half a second to parry.

The best way to get the timing down is as simple as it will be brutal. Once you’re out of the opening sequences and the open-world map is available to you, go to the nearest encounter area and forget stealth altogether.

Instead, rush in headlong and get a few enemies to attack you. Kill a couple to give yourself some breathing room, then start trying to parry. You will fail a lot, and you will die a lot, especially on Ghost of Tsushima ‘s hard difficulty setting.

Don’t let that slow you down, though. The muscle memory you build early on will pay dividends in the late game, where even the easier bosses hit like trucks but offer plenty of parry bait for you to exploit. A few missteps at the beginning are a small price to pay.

Getting the Timing Down

As for getting the timing down, stick to fighting the enemies in bright yellow shirts . Their weapons don’t deal as much damage as the better-armed Mongols, and their attacks are slow and easy to predict.

Set yourself a consecutive parry goal , say three in a row without taking damage. Once you achieve that, start mixing it up a little bit — parry into counter-attack into more attacks back into a parry.

Take your time and practice for a little while. Alternately, you can bum rush through the map, cutting a bloody swathe through every Mongol outpost, practicing your skills the whole way.

How to Parry a Spear

Spear enemies in Ghost of Tsushima will be the bane of your existence for at least several hours. Their primary attack comes with a red glow , and there is no way early on to parry those. You can only dodge them. Some attacks have a blue light on them, and you’re not parrying those either, at least at the start of the game.

To parry a spear, you need access to the Wind Stance . To earn that, you need to observe and kill around 18 leader enemies scattered across Tsushima. Leaders are clad in full armor and usually carry a shield. Here’s a full run-down on how to observe leaders   and get stance points. 

Once you unlock Wind Stance, you need to spend three Technique Points to gain access to Wind: Spear Defense , which allows you to cancel out a spear thrust with an attack of your own.

The parry timing against a spear is different than against a sword, and the most consistent way I found to do it was to parry with a heavy attack just as the enemy begins to wind up.

Though it occurs much less frequently, the unblockable blue spear attacks do happen, and you gain a counter to those much earlier.

Unyielding Spear Parry will cost you four technique points in the Deflection tree , but because you’ll deal with red spear attacks so much more often, I think your points are better spent elsewhere.

Where to Find the Parry Charm

Charms are powerful equipable items that can drastically change how you play the game, or at the very least, make your life easier. There’s one such charm for parrying as well.

Known as the Charm of Kagu-Tsuchi , the item widens the timing window for parries and dodges. If you mastered the default timing, this charm will almost seem like cheating, as it’s incredibly generous, even on perfect parries .

You’ll find the Charm of Kagu-Tsuchi in the Spring Falls Shrine at the northernmost part of the opening area, here:

Once you reach the top following a brief platforming section, you’ll have easy access to the charm once you pray at the shrine. Give it a spin. I think there are better options that open up more playstyles, but if you want to become a parry god, Kagu-Tsuchi will provide.

Related Content

• How to Get the Longbow
• How to Get the Halfbow
• How to Get the Ghost Armor
• White Dye Merchant Guide

And that’s just about everything you need to know about parrying in Ghost of Tsushima . We’ve got more on the way, so stay tuned. In the meantime, check out our other guides by clicking the links above.

About the author

John Schutt

John Schutt has been playing games for almost 25 years, starting with Super Mario 64 and progressing to every genre under the sun. He spent almost 4 years writing for strategy and satire site TopTierTactics under the moniker Xiant, and somehow managed to find time to get an MFA in Creative Writing in between all the gaming. His specialty is action games, but his first love will always be the RPG. Oh, and his avatar is, was, and will always be a squirrel, a trend he's carried as long as he's had a Steam account, and for some time before that.

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Ghost of Tsushima: How to Parry Attacks

Tsushima is a dangerous place and players need to use every technique at their disposal if want to defeat the Mongols in Sucker Punch's latest hit.

Ghost of Tsushima can be unforgiving even for veteran players. Combat is fast-paced and intense, especially on higher difficulties. The Mongol force will test a player's ability to read and react effectively every time they come face-to-face. Thankfully, Jin Sakai has some samurai tricks up his sleeve that make things easier.

How To Parry

The most crucial combat skill for players to master is the parry. Parrying is simple enough, but being able to do it consistently is often the difference between life and death. To parry, players simply need to hit the block button (L1) the instant before an attack connects. While this may seem a bit dangerous, Ghost of Tsushima provides a lot of incentives to attempt this defensive technique.

RELATED: Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut Iki Island Has Sly Cooper Easter Egg

Benefits of Parrying

Samurai armor is a necessity in Ghost of Tsushima , but it cannot stop everything. Parrying is a warrior's best friend, and it comes with a host of benefits. For starters, it makes enemies easier to defeat. Each enemy has a secondary meter under their health that indicates their posture. If this posture meter is filled, it will shatter and cause the enemy to be staggered. This leaves them wide open for a devasting blow. The best way to fill this meter is to parry the enemy's incoming attacks. On Tsushima, good defense leads to great offense.

RELATED: Ghost of Tsushima: Iki Island Has God of War Easter Egg

Parrying can also provide much needed relief in the midst of combat. Ghost of Tsushima's Mongol hordes can be a challenge to take down, but with the right upgrades, Jin's best defensive maneuver becomes an equalizer. In the "Techniques" upgrade screen, there is an entire upgrade path dedicated to incentiving parries. The "Perfect Parry" upgrade rewards players that parry at the last possible moment with an opportunity for a single deadly counterattack.

Stopping Unblockable Attacks

If players continue to upgrade their parrying skill tree, they will be able to stop some normally unblockable attacks such as spear thrusts and heavy sword swings. This even extends to arrows eventually, though players should still take care to avoid the flaming variant.

Healing and Resolve Gain

Finally, parrying successfully can heal players and give them Resolve. When paired with the proper Ghost of Tsushima charms , players can get a substantial health boost that can be a lifesaver in tough situations. Jin can become insanely strong just by learning to parry, making it a truly invaluable skill.

Parrying is an essential skill that comes with whole host of benefits. If players want to liberate the island of Tshushima from Mongol clutches, they will have to master this technique that is the perfect blend of offense and defense.

Ghost of Tsushima is available now on PS4 and PS5.

NEXT: 13 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do In Ghost of Tsushima

Ghost of Tsushima Combat Basics – The Fundamentals of Attack and Defense

Here’s a little guide on getting used to combat in Ghost of Tsushima. If you need help or want to be prepared before starting the game, look no further for some early advice.

It seemed like we’d be waiting forever for Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima to arrive for the PlayStation 4 , but it’s here, and we’re diving right in. While it’s easy to spot the inspirations in this massive open world, Samurai epic, the combat in this game is a lot to wrap your head around. It feels like a bit of a genre blend, combining the multidirectional flow of a Batman brawler with the mistake-punishing brutality of a Soulslike. And, naturally, it has some of Sucker Punch’s own flavor sprinkled over the familiar trappings. Breaking down the combat is no easy task, and we might split it into different guides as we dig deeper. But for now, let’s talk fundamentals.

Ghost of Tsushima Combat Basics

In Ghost of Tsushima, you take on the role of Jin Sakai, a samurai so ludicrously indestructible Sucker Punch had no choice but to get Kazuya Nakai for his Japanese VO. A huge part of Sakai’s durability is his uncanny ability to heal himself, represented in the Ghost of Tsushima world as “resolve.” And the best way to build up enough resolve to cash in for health is to master the game’s swordplay basics. Before you even get into things like assassination, stances, or skill trees, there is a key set of fundamentals that will make or break your early game survivability.

When it comes to combat, Ghost of Tsushima tries to have its cake and eat a slice or two. That mix we mentioned earlier of Batman and Soulslike becomes immediately apparent the moment you have to fight a group of enemies. The camera loves to snuggle up with Sakai for that classic, AAA video game “cinematic” feel, but if you get rushed by more than one opponent you aren’t going to be locking on to anyone and swapping targets. You’re going to have to manage your spatial awareness, as you’ll simply be tilting the left stick to aim your attacks. But you won’t be able to lean on the UI for knowing when to defend yourself.

Related: How to Craft In Ghost of Tsushima

Position is important, as it’s easy to get bopped from behind. Sakai will sort of snap to the closest enemy, but he can move just quickly enough that you can create space if you need to. Always try to leverage that mobility to make sure you can see everyone you’re fighting. You need that line of sight because that’s really all you can rely on to defend yourself. Parrying an attack is as simple as tapping L1, but you have to react to animations to create openings. You can also hold L1 to block, but you’re just as vulnerable to guard breaks as the bad guys are. And if your opponent has a spear, you aren’t blocking period. In that case, their weapon will produce a red spark, telling you to dodge with Circle before you can counter. Circle is also for dodging projectiles, and for those there’s an extra sound cue to know when to start ducking. Archers will yell out to warn their comrades of friendly fire, so when that happens you know it’s time to watch for arrows.

When it comes to fighting back, you have three primary options. Square is a light attack, Triangle is heavy, and holding Triangle gives you a meatier stab attack. It’s super important to stress here that Ghost of Tsushima isn’t Dark Souls, but it isn’t Dynasty Warriors either. Light attacks are your primary murderin’ tool, and your goal is to make sure your Square button is doing work when you press it. Well-timed dodges and parries are your shortcuts to free strikes, and while you can chain several light strikes together for a small combo, most of the time (on Normal) you’ll only need a couple outside of boss fights. 

Heavy attacks are not great for landing hits. There’s a lot of windup, and whiffing causes big problems for Mr. Sakai. Triangle is your guard-breaking tool. Some enemies will have shields, others will have your number and block your head-on sword swipes. If you catch them trying to turtle you out, you can land a heavy attack to force that opening. When you land a heavy strike, look out for the defensive UI icon, a sort of opaque, white half-circle above your foe’s head. That means you damaged their guard but didn’t crack it, so you’ll need another heavy hit before you can go in for the kill. You’ll know you’re ready when the sparks fly.

As an added bonus, Cross is jump, which normally doesn’t seem that useful. But if you press triangle with the right timing Sakai will do a fancy kick. Landing that will usually stagger enemies, creating an opening in a different way that’s risky, but can help bypass the song and dance of normal dueling. It can also work on bosses at times, which is always clutch.

Of course, you might be well on your way past the Ghost of Tsushima combat fundies, and are on the lookout for more in-depth guides. We have you covered there too, so check out some of our other Ghost of Tsushima guides:

• How to Craft In Ghost of Tsushima
• How to Unlock the Ghost of Tsushima ‘All in the Wrist’ Trophy
• Ghost of Tsushima Legendary Thief Outfit – Cooper Clan Cosplayer Trophy

Have you mastered the Ghost of Tsushima combat basics? Do you have any additional strategies that help you hoard all that precious resolve? Or perhaps you just want to talk about how you feel about the combat in general. Either way, drop your comments over on Twitter and Facebook .

About the Author

Lucas White

Lucas plays a lot of videogames. Sometimes he enjoys one. His favs include Dragon Quest, SaGa and Mystery Dungeon. You can find him on Twitter @HokutoNoLucas. Wanna send an email? Shoot it to [email protected] .

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How To Block, Parry and Dodge in Ghost of Tsushima

Block, Parry and Dodge are defensive moves in Ghost of Tsushima. Learning them will help you to deal with stronger enemies and avoid health loss.

The defense is one of the biggest assets a Samurai can have and while offensive style does look attractive, you will need to know when to hang back and get out of danger. Ghost of Tsushima sends out an entire army of 40,000 Mongol warriors on you and this guide will show you how to block, parry and dodge in the game.

Table of Contents

How To Block Parry and Dodge in Ghost of Tsushima

Given the chance, enemies will overwhelm you during every battle and you cannot simply charge at everyone simultaneously in Ghost of Tsushima. You will need to hone your skills of blocking, dodging, and parrying and enemy attacks in the game.

Keep in mind though, that you cannot block every attack in the game, and you will need to know which ones to stand your ground and block and which ones you should get out of the way of. Each type of defensive action is paired with an assigned button and you will need to hit those at the right time to get control of the fight in Ghost of Tsushima.

How To Block Attacks In Ghost of Tsushima

Blocking attacks will help save you from your enemy’s blows, make sure to first understand what type of attack the enemy is using. There are three basic types of attacks that enemies can hit you with. Some attacks do not have an indication these can be blocked easily.

Other attacks will have a blue or red dot to indicate them. If the indicator shines blue, it means that you can block and or parry these attacks but if the indicator is red it is best to dodge them and get out of the way.

• Red indicator attacks in Ghost of Tsushima cannot be blocked or parried so you are left with only one option to dodge them. These are heavy attacks and if you get hit, they will deal with heavy damage.

To block attacks in Ghost of Tsushima, all you have to do is press the L1 button and Jin will pull up his sword and block any incoming attack.

How To Parry Attacks In Ghost of Tsushima

• Parrying in Ghost of Tsushima is done by pressing the L1 button as well but to parry attacks, you will have to press the L1 button at the very last minute.
• Once you get the visual cue saying that you have successfully parried an attack, you can then follow up with your attacks by pressing Square or Triangle .
• Make sure that you parry attacks that do not have any indicator or those with blue ones to be successful.

How To Dodge Attacks In Ghost of Tsushima

Dodging attacks is important and will quickly get you out of a quick spot. If your enemy is charging at you and is about to deal you with an attack that is marked with a red indicator, dodging them is your only option.

• Press Circle and you will quickly get out of the way from a devastating swing or a bow attack, this will keep you in the fight for much longer.

This is all there is to know about how to block, parry and dodge attacks in Ghost of Tsushima, make sure to check out How To Save The Game In Ghost Of Tsushima .

Prasad is a crazy writer, lazy gamer, usually depends on the time of the day for it to be in that order. Aside from indulging in excessive movie-binge sessions and gaming, he uploads reviews and impressions of the latest in film and gaming. You can Connect me at [email protected]

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Ghost of Tsushima stance guide

How to unlock and upgrade stances for different enemies

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While exploring the quest-filled map in Ghost of Tsushima , you’ll have to cross swords with enemies. The basic mechanics of combat are straightforward, but not every combatant you face is easy to take out with your beginner sword stance.

As you progress through the game, you’ll also face new enemies who bring more than swords to battle. To dispatch of them, you’ll need to learn and implement new sword stances .

In this Ghost of Tsushima guide, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about unlocking new stances and how to gain new abilities for each stance.

How to unlock new stances

Unlocking new stances in Ghost of Tsushima doesn’t require too much effort. In fact, as you explore the island and increase your legend , you’ll naturally gain the ability to learn new stances.

To gain new stances in Ghost of Tsushima you need defeat or observe multiple Mongol leaders . As you defeat them, the game will slow down and show you a running counter of how many more leaders need to be defeated or observed before learning a new style. You’ll know you’re fighting a leader among a group of enemies if they are clad in more ornate armor compared to the group they’re with.

Simply continue to defeat or observe leaders across the island and you’ll unlock new stances. For reference, if you’re looking to unlock a new stance, check out the requirements for each in your stance menu under Techniques then Stances.

Ghost of Tsushima stances

Most of the combat in Ghost of Tsushima is sword-based, and stances help you defeat enemies faster when they’re using certain weapons and armor.

Just about any attack will be able to deal a killing blow, but enemies like Shieldmen can be defeated easily by staggering them with heavy attacks (Triangle button) from the Water Stance, which deals extra stagger damage to that enemy type, making it the most effective way to fight against them.

Here are the four basic stances you can unlock by defeating leaders:

• Stone Stance : effective against Swordsmen
• Water Stance : effective against Shieldmen
• Wind Stance : effective against Spearman
• Moon Stance : effective against Brutes

As you encounter new enemy types, you’ll have to switch your fighting stance mid-combat to accommodate the new foes you encounter. To switch sword stances, hold down R2 and press the corresponding face button assigned to each fighting stance. When dealing with multiple enemy types, you may need to switch stances constantly to break through their defenses with heavy attacks.

How to unlock new stance skills

While each stance offers new abilities from the start, you can further enhance them with new skills or buffs to make the stance stronger.

Each stance starts off with two unique attacks plus four additional techniques or improvements to the style. To unlock new abilities within a stance, go to your Stance menu and spend Technique Points on new talents within each stance. You must unlock new abilities in order, so keep that in mind.

Ghost of Tsushima guides and walkthroughs

• Ghost of Tsushima beginner’s guide and tips
• Stealth build and tips
• How to increase your Legend
• Ghost of Tsushima armor guide
• How to use the Guiding Wind
• Yellow bird guide
• How to liberate the island and unlock all locations
• Map exploration locations and rewards
• Where to find vanity gear and cosmetics
• Where to find flowers
• Finding haiku locations and headbands
• Ghost of Tsushima Trophy guide
• Ghost of Tsushima standoff guide
• The Heavenly Strike walkthrough
• The Curse of Uchitsune walkthrough
• The Legend of Tadayori walkthrough
• The Unbreakable Gosaku walkthrough
• The Spirit of Yarikawa’s Vengeance walkthrough
• The Six Blades of Kojiro walkthrough
• The Undying Flame walkthrough
• Iki Island map and collectible locations
• Izuhara collectibles
• Izuhara liberation locations
• Toyotama liberation locations
• Kamiagata liberation locations
• Bamboo Strike map locations
• Lighthouse locations
• Haiku map locations
• Hot Spring map locations
• Inari Shrine map locations
• Shinto Shrine map locations
• Master Liberator Trophy guide, maps, and locations

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‘Ghost Of Tsushima’ techniques guide: The best abilities and skills to unlock

All you need to know to survive Sucker Punch’s samurai adventure game – minor spoilers ahead

Ghost Of Tsushima is a game that lets the player embody an internal conflict within its protagonist – as Jin Sakai, you have to reject parts of your samurai code and adopt a new, more underhand mode of combat to repel the Mongols invading your home. Along the way, the game lets the player hone Jin’s hybrid style to their liking through techniques, which can be purchased with points earned when the player completes missions and ticks off objectives, growing their legend meter.

• READ MORE: ‘Ghost Of Tsushima’ review: a serene samurai simulator paired with a lacklustre storyline

In this guide, we’re going to run through a few of the game’s finest techniques, and teach you how to unlock and employ them on your own terms so you can truly become the Ghost Of Tsushima . The guide will be split into sections based on the three technique pages available to the player.

1 Samurai Techniques: Deflection, Evasion and Mythic Abilities

This is the first screen you’ll see when you navigate to the techniques tab in Ghost Of Tsushima ’s menu. These abilities are mostly focused on Jin’s abilities in battle, the literal swordplay you’ll get used to as you play through the game.

Unyielding Sword Parry and Unyielding Spear Parry

Effect: Parry an unblockable sword/spear attack from Mongol swords

These two abilities are crucial so you should rush to attain them in the early game. This is due to the fact that they essentially nullify the game’s most dangerous ‘red’ attacks, turning them into blue glinting attacks that you can actually counter.

After a few hours, you’ll acclimate to Ghost Of Tsushima ’s parry system, but you may not be able to adapt to unblockable attacks, which will blindside you and get you killed when you’re overwhelmed by a pack of enemies. With these two skills you can avoid that problem almost entirely, reducing the number of unblockable attacks in combat.

Perfect Dodge

Effect: Dodge at the last possible moment to perform a deadly counterattack

This is another skill that will make combat a breeze should you rush to unlock it in the early game. Pressing ‘Circle to dodge in battle will become second nature to any decent Ghost Of Tsushima player, but with this ability, you can catch enemies out every time you hit the button. This means that you’ll pull off deadly counter attacks often at random once the Perfect Dodge is unlocked just by keeping to healthy combat habits. Even better, time slows if you pull it off!

Heavenly Strike

Effect: A quick unblockable attack that inflicts extra damage against Staggered enemies. Kills may Terrify nearby enemies

Ghost Of Tsushima ’s Mythic quests are some of the best tales in the game, and they’re well worth seeking out in the early game to quickly unlock some of the game’s best abilities. You can get the Heavenly Strike by finding the Shigenori Musician (you should stumble upon them naturally) which will lead you to Shigenori and the Heavenly Strike ability.

The Heavenly Strike ability uses one Resolve node, and it’s surprisingly useful during duels due to its unblockable nature and the fact that it deals more damage to a staggered enemy. It’s high risk, especially if you need Resolve to heal, but if you seek out Bamboo Strikes to build your Resolve meter you’ll be able to pull off consecutive Heavenly Strikes to make short work of enemies.

Dance of Wrath

Effect: Unleash three consecutive unblockable attacks that inflict high damage. Kills may Terrify nearby enemies

You’ll find this next Mythic Tale via a musician near Yarikawa in Toyotama, the second island in Ghost Of Tsushima ’s story. Keep clearing outposts and saving civilians and one of them will eventually mark the musician on your map. The Dance Of Wrath is even more deadly than the Heavenly Strike, and is especially useful in combination with it.

Jin will zip between enemies doling out deadly unblockable attacks. What’s better is that if you land these attacks you’ll usually see a nearby enemy start crawling away from you, terrified. This means you can quickly execute them for a massive Resolve boost to make up for the three Resolve nodes you burn using it. You might not think it, but this is very useful if you’re stuck in a duel.

2 Stance Techniques: Stone, Water, Wind and Moon Stance

The second page of techniques relates to Ghost Of Tsushima ’s sword stances, which can be changed on the fly to help the player deal with different enemy types. You unlock more sword stances by observing or killing Mongol leaders whom you’ll find at the various outposts dotted around the game’s three islands. It’s well worth unlocking all of them as early as possible so you can adapt on the fly.

Stone: Strength of Mountains/Momentum

You’ll want to progress down this tree immediately until you hit the bottom, as it has a number of hidden benefits. Most of the game’s boss battles take the form of duels, and pretty much all of them pit you against another enemy with a sword. This means that the upgrades in this tree are useful in normal combat and duels.

Crucially, Strength Of Mountains lets you deal more stagger damage against enemies with swords, so you can break their posture quicker in a duel, which makes the fight so much easier. Momentum increases the speed with which you can deal Heavy Attacks in Sword Stance (Triangle) which will also give you a massive boost in battle.

Wind: Strengthened Typhoon Kicks and Typhoon Kick Finisher

If you’ve played Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey , you’ll know the inimitable feeling of Spartan Kick-ing an enemy off a cliff to their ultimate doom. You can do the same in Ghost Of Tsushima with this underrated ability that lets you throw enemies into the air during Wind Stance.

Given that the Water and Moon stance upgrades aren’t all that important, spend your spare points here so you can dispatch enemies in a cathartic manner by booting them off a mountain. It’s heaps of fun and deals incredible stagger damage. At the top level your foes will even be knocked down by the kick.

3 Ghost Techniques: Ghost Weapons

The third and final tab of Ghost Of Tsushima ’s techniques relates to Jin’s Ghost Weapons – activated by tapping R1 – and a series of Evolving Tactics that you can develop throughout the game. You unlock a Ghost Weapon every time your legend meter increases. I’d argue that the Kunai and Smoke Bombs are most useful, so focus on those first.

Serrated Blades

Effect: Kunai inflict twice as much damage

This is a simple upgrade but a very deadly one. One of the easiest Ghost Weapons to use in battle, you can chuck multiple Kunai out at high speed with a simple tap. Once you have them fully upgraded you can wipe out an entire group of enemies by hammering R1 – upgrade your carry capacity to do even more potential damage.

Healing Incense

Effect: Smoke Bomb fumes restore some of your health. This is an excellent defensive technique that you can use to escape in battle when things get ropey, but I actually found that it’s really useful on the offensive too. When you use a Smoke Bomb, enemies will be blinded to the point that you can assassinate them, so I would use the Smoke Bomb to initiate a three-enemy Chain Assassination (more on that later) while restoring Jin’s health.

4 Ghost Techniques: Evolving Tactics

Chain Assassination Master

Effect: Assassinate up to three nearby enemies in quick succession

This is an absolute no-brainer, and you should rush to pick it up ASAP. This gives you three free kills at the start of any battle if you can approach it with stealth in mind. Ignore other skills until you grab this one, and they’ll interface better with the rest of your techniques, it’ll make clearing camps a breeze.

Improved Standoff Streak

Effect: After a successful Standoff, two enemies will rush in and open themselves to a killing blow

Sometimes you can’t approach with stealth though, which is where improved Standoff Streak comes in handy. This means that when you initiate a battle without sneaky tactics, you can take out up to three enemies if you pull off the timing mini game to dice through them as they approach. This is another ability you should rush straight away to seriously improve your chances in combat.

• Related Topics
• Ghost Of Tsushima
• Sucker Punch

Ghost of Tsushima Legends Tengu enemy guide

Once you’ve cleared your first few story and survival run in Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, you’ll want to bump the difficulty from bronze to silver, then gold before attempting the weekly Nightmare challenges.

In doing so, you’ll introduce tougher, more varied enemy patterns. These will include a mix of supercharger Oni who can trigger deadly area attacks, heal their allies, and even summon soldiers to their aid. However, the most frustrating Oni by far are the Tengu crow demons.

Not to be confused with the Tengu Demon, a boss character Jin Sakai encounters during the Mythic Tale mission “The Curse of Uchitsune”, these Oni will continue to appear when playing Ghost of Tsushima: Legends.

But what makes them so annoying to fight? Every enemy you encounter in the game and its online multiplayer can be countered in some fashion whether evading, dodging, or parrying. However, the Tengu crow demons have an OP attack that completely bypasses these battle reflexes you’ve spent hours memorising.

Tengu techniques and strategies

The Tengu will frequently level their spear at a target and unleash a barrage of crows. This works like a magic beam or torrent of projectiles, locking onto unfortunate Ghosts and whittling down their health. The damage output is moderate and when combined with getting hit by other attacks (or more Tengu crows!) can lead to a quick death.

There isn’t a quick and easy way of cheesing the Tengu, sadly. Ghost of Tsushima developer, Sucker Punch, may introduce an exploitable weakness in a future balance update for Legends but for now here are some reliable strategies to take them down.

Let’s start with the crow attack. It cannot be blocked, parried, or evaded – the only way to avoid being damaged or killed by the Tengu crows is to disengage. This is particularly devious in survival mode as you’ll be forced to flee capture points, potentially failing the mission. Running away, stunning, or breaking the Tengu’s line of sight is the only way to escape.

In desperate situations just run, or use the Assassin’s invisibility power – standing your ground won’t work even if you’re managing to land hits on the Oni. Even at a distance the crows can still reach you though the further you get away, the easier it is to curve roll away from them.

You’ll still need to kill the Tengu, however. Doing so requires team coordination and/or the spamming of various ghost weapons, abilities, and ultimates. One tried and tested technique is for two players to land consecutive critical strikes from stealth to deal massive damage. Your aim here is to keep the Tengu locked in recovery animations and unable to use his crow attack.

Sticky bombs, smoke bombs, and dirt throws are essential in this respect, following them up with heavy attacks and then finishing with a Samurai, Hunter, or Assassin ultimate. This becomes trickier if there are multiple Tengu but if you are serious about playing Ghost of Tsushima: Legends on gold and Nightmare difficulty tiers then you’ll quickly learn how to overwhelm Tengu, prioritising them before moving onto other enemies.

Ghost of Tsushima: Legends Guides & more from TheSixthAxis

• Ghost of Tsushima: Legends – how to survive Gyozen’s Curse
• Ghost of Tsushima: Legends – Gear & XP farming guide
• Ghost of Tsushima: Legends – all Legendary Items
• Ghost of Tsushima: Legends – find Oni Treasure and Gyozen’s Lost Scrolls
• Ghost of Tsushima: Legends – 7 tips & tricks for beginners
• Ghost of Tsushima: Legends – Ronin class guide
• Ghost of Tsushima: Legends – Assassin class guide
• Ghost of Tsushima: Legends – Samurai class guide
• Ghost of Tsushima: Legends – Hunter class guide
• Ghost of Tsushima: Legends – how to beat the Tengu crow demons

• Ghost of Tsushima review
• The real world history behind Ghost of Tsushima
• Is Ghost of Tsushima historically accurate? We ask a samurai expert
• Where to find the grappling hook in Ghost of Tsushima
• Ghost of Tsushima Samurai techniques upgrade guide
• Ghost of Tsushima Ghost techniques upgrade guide
• Ghost of Tsushima collectibles guide – using the Traveler’s Attire

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Ghost of Tsushima: 100% Walkthrough

Our Ghost of Tsushima: 100% Walkthrough is the best source of information for a comprehensive guide and info on achieving 100% completion of the game . We will provide complete details on all characters, quests, locations, shrines, weapons, armor, techniques, charms, and items that you can collect in the game.

Tsushima, Japan

The game begins by giving the setting, Tsushima, Japan . The year was 1274 when the Mongol empire was actively expanding to the East and Southeast Asia.

And the only thing that stands in the way of the Mongol Empire from reaching the main archipelago of Japan is the small island of Tsushima.

Lord Shimura and Lord Jin

The island is protected by an army of samurai under the leadership of Shimura , lord of the island, and uncle of the main hero, Jin Sakai . Together, they lead the defending army on the night of the Mongol invasion.

Jin begins with a monologue, aware of their impending doom.

Jin : The Mongol Empire is invading our home. They are brutal, relentless, unstoppable. We are eighty samurai... against an army. Fighting to slow the invasion.

Jin: Today, I die for my people.

Finally, he shares his doubts with this uncle.

Jin: There must be thousands of them.

Shimura: We will face death... and defend our home.

What It Means to be a Samurai

Shimura: Tradition... Courage... Honour. They are what make us. We are the warriors of Tsushima!

Shimura: We are samurai!

With the rallying speech of Shimura, we can deduce his strong moral compass and the pride he has for being a samurai and for those who hold such values.

Go Break Their Spirits

After his speech, he sends one of his commanders alone to do single-combat with the Mongol soldiers. This might be a surprise for us, but this is part of the samurai code of honor and culture.

Shimura: Lord Adachi. Go break their spirits.

Shimura told Adachi so casually and so confidently as though he expects him to still return after sending him to what seems to be a suicide mission where there is no chance of going back. This reflects his firm belief in the fighting prowess of his commander.

Without any hesitation and acting like it's business as usual, Adachi rode his horse towards the Mongol camp.

And the first thing he did when he reached the overwhelmingly large army is challenged them to send him their best warrior for a one-on-one fight.

This was the context when Shimura said, " Go break their spirits." It is through a fair and honorable fight between powerful warriors. And by demonstrating your skills in defeating their leader in a fair fight, you can break their spirit.

Adachi: Outsiders. Send your finest warrior to face me.

Lord Adachi Faces the Finest Warrior

And from the midst of Mongol soldiers came out a fine warrior, in fact, their finest warrior. None other than Khotun Khan, the leader of the invading Mongol army.

As customary for samurai, they introduce themselves to the person they will fight with. If you don't believe it, this guy has a message for you. It has something to do with his name.

Continuing, Adachi faced his worthy opponent and introduced himself.

Adachi : I am Harunobu Adachi. Descendant of the legendary Yoshinobu Adachi.

Courage and Honor

The finest warrior just looked at him, and to all the samurai's surprise, he threw a liquid that looked like oil to Adachi.

What happened is truly tragic. Not only did he not introduce himself, but he disrespected Adachi by not fighting him, at least not in a conventional way.

He set ablaze Adachi, and, with one fell swoop, decapitated him.

This didn't bode well for the samurai, who value courage and honor above all else. Not only is this act cowardly, but it is also dishonorable. But it was effective.

Both Shimura and Jin were shocked at what transpired. But what's equally surprising is what Khotun Khan said next.

Khotun Khan : Samurai! Do you surrender?

What could be the intent of Khotun Khan on asking for surrender after doing such action to Adachi? What he did just removed any lingering thoughts for surrender on the samurai, because this time, it is personal. For a while, the samurai can even forget that they are severely outnumbered in an empire-level invasion. All they have in mind is Adachi.

Shimura looked as though he was about to cry, but he rallied his army.

Shimura : Cowards without honor deserve no mercy. No mercy!

Shimura: Open fire! For Tsushima! Charge!

And with that, the battle began.

Participating in the battle as Jin, you will be moving towards the beach to experience your first combat. This sequence is mostly scripted though, but it is good for the world-building and context of the story.

Battle at the Beach

You will get the prompt to attack by pressing the Square button. This is a good time to experience how the combat feels in the game.

Samurai: For Lord Adachi!

Shimura: Forward!

Continue moving forward with your horse, following the rally of Shimura to search for the Mongol leader.

Shimura: Push through! Their leader retreated! Hunt him down!

There will come the point in this scripted event when a massive explosion hits you, and you will be dismounted from your horse.

Everything goes dark as Jin temporarily faints.

The Search for the Mongol Leader

When you wake up, you are struggling to reach for your katana as a Mongol soldier sneaks behind for an easy kill.

Just when he was about to kill you, Shimura shows up and saves you. He will rally the remaining samurai to search and kill the Mongol leader.

Shimura: Jin! I need you with me.

Jin: We've lost so many...

Shimura: We have to keep pushing, Lord Sakai. Even if it costs us our lives.

The next part will be a continuation of the scripted combat. Just keep pressing forward, following the lead of Shimura.

Shimura: Men! We must hunt down the Mongol leader! 

Shimura: Everyone, with me!

Shimura: More Mongol dogs! Cut them down!

There will come a time when all of the other samurai will die, and only the two of you will remain. This is no coincidence, as it is part of the script.

Jin: We're all that's left.

Shimura: There is only one path for us. Find the Mongol leader and end him here.

Jin: I'll fight beside you to the end.

Shimura: I know.

Just when all hope is lost, your target shows up, in what seems to be a trap.

Shimura: There! The Mongol leader.

Jin: I'm ready, Uncle.

Shimura: We end this together.

Of course, it's a trap as the leader has no intent to fight either of you. A large explosion will land nearby, and next will be darkness.

When you wake up, Shimura is already captive, and you don't have your sword. As you stand up and reach for your weapon, an arrow will bring you down. And with that, you faint for the third time.

Khotun Khan

Finally, Khotun Khan shows up and introduces himself. He even bows to Shimura.

Khotun Khan : I am Khotun. Cousin of Kublai. Grandson of Genghis.

He approaches Shimura and starts calling him brother.

Khotun Khan : Brother... you are a warrior. I can see that. You trained your whole life for this. And you have won battles... that lesser men have called unwinnable, yes?

Khotun Khan : But while you were sharpening your sword... do you know how I prepared for today? I learned.

Khotun Khan : I know your language. Your traditions. Your beliefs. Which villages to tame and... which to burn.

Khotun Khan : So I will ask you once again, samurai. Do you surrender?

Jin Survives

Jin wakes up alone in a secluded open area near the village. From a distance, he can hear the cries of people getting killed and can see houses burning.

Jin: How did I get here?

He checks his surroundings and observes that someone has nursed him back to health.

Jin: Someone worked hard to keep me alive.

He also found food but he could not find his armor or his katana.

Jin: No weapons. Just supplies. Need to keep moving...

The Missing Sword

Jin decides to leave the secluded area. And the Squeeze Through mechanic shows up. Like most actions in the game, it is initiated by pressing R2.

Jin: Someone saved me... hid me back here. Maybe they have my sword...

The village is full of Mongols and death is certain. Move forward as stealthily as you can. 

Jin will auto-crouch as you approach the Mongols.

While crouching in the mud, you will notice some footsteps. After pressing R2, your attention will be focused on the house in front. It invites you to enter.

Open the door and enter the house. While exploring, Jin notices that someone has been sharpening a weapon. 

Jin: Someone was sharpening their blade. A warrior.

Walk a few steps and you will find your broken armor.

Jin: My armor...

Jin : Broken...but better than nothing.

Jin finds his armor, but his sword is still missing. The mission hint says Search for your katana and it's not in the house. No choice but to leave the house to continue your search.

While exploring, you will notice a clear opening with no Mongols outside. This is not the exit though and it will not trigger any cutscene.

Go back to the door where you entered earlier. That is the exit.

Jin Meets Yuna

Just when you are about to get out, a woman brings you back inside.

Woman: Back inside, now! 

Woman: How are your wounds? Can you run?

Jin: I... I think so. Where's my sword?

Woman: Not here. 

Before introductions could be made, an intruder comes in, looking for rice. Jin hides, ready to save the woman. He still doesn't have any weapon though.

Woman: I'll take care of this. Please... hide.

Woman: Don't hurt me. Nooo!

Mongol: Chi odoo miniih! Rice!

Woman: I have some rice. Please take it.

To Jin's surprise, the mysterious woman has some serious assassination skills and easily slays the Mongol soldier. 

Jin: Who are you? 

Woman: I'm Yuna.

Yuna: You want your sword? Follow me.

Jin: How long was I out?

Yuna: Long enough for the Mongols to conquer half the island.

The impassable window earlier is now available for crossing. Press X for jumping through openings.

Jin: Yuna...

Yuna: Shh! Not now.

From here onwards, you will play some stealth to follow Yuna in retrieving the katana. The game will teach some basics like the mechanic for crouching. 

If you remember, earlier, Jin auto-crouched. This time, you have to do it yourself.

You will notice that approaching enemies will show a flash of light that indicates awareness. An alert indicator will show up, showing the level of awareness the enemy has of your presence. 

This indicator will either get filled up or disappear, based on your stealth actions.

What happens when an enemy spots you? The alert indicator will get filled up with white color.

This means the enemy has full awareness of you already. Then the indicator will quickly transition into yellow.

Once this yellow bar gets filled up, it will become orange and this time, you have raised the alarm.

And this will lead to a failed quest or mission that relies on stealth. You have been seen.

The game will reset you into the last previous safe position after the failed attempt. No losses except for your time.

Continue performing stealth with Yuna. You will pass by people getting killed by the Mongols.

Yuna: There's nothing we can do for her.

Jin: But I can save the others.

Later on, you will see the mechanic for Crawl Under, which is initiated by pressing R2.

Shimura Lives

After crawling from the opening, Jin will ask Yuna about his uncle.

Jin: Lord Shimura was with me on the battlefield...

Yuna: The jito? Forget him.

Jin: Yuna wait. Lord Shimura is my uncle.

Yuna: You're Jin Sakai? The Jito's nephew?

Jin: I have to know... Did he survive?

Yuna: I think so. The Mongols took him prisoner.

Jin: Where did they take him?

Yuna: East. Along the coast.

Jin: Toward Castle Kaneda...

Jin: They must be holding him inside. Celebrating their victory. I could take them by surprise.

Yuna: You'll be killed.

Jin: Or I'll rescue Lord Shimura. Then help him drive the Mongols into the sea. He can contact the shogun, call for reinforcements.

Yuna: I didn't nurse you back to health to watch you throw your life away.

Jin: Why did you save me?

Yuna: I couldn't leave you to die. I need your help.

Jin: Lord Shimura can help our whole island... And he's the only family I have left.

Mongol: Chimeegui!

Jin: Let's move.

While following Yuna, Jin will witness the Mongol killings of innocent villagers. He could not do anything though as he does not have his katana with him.

Jin: Butchers.

Yuna: Come on. We can't help him now.

He will also observe raiders, Mongol soldiers dedicated to attacking villages.

Jin: Raiders. Armed for battle.

Yuna: They've been riding across the island. Taking slaves, killing the weak.

Continue following Yuna, and later on the mechanic for climbing will show up.

Jin: You climb roofs, scavenge battlefields... You're a thief.

Yuna: When I need something, I take it.

Jin: Like my katana?

Yuna: I traded it for food and medicine.

Jin: You what?

Yuna: Don't worry. We'll find the buyer...get your sword back

On your way to the new owner of the katana, you will pass an abandoned house. The mechanic for collecting materials will show up.

Yuna: We've got a long ride ahead. Take whatever supplies you can carry.

Jin: This is someone's house.

Yuna: And they're not coming back.

The name of the person who bought the katana is Toru. Upon reaching his house, Jin and Yuna find out that he is already dead, killed by the Mongols.

Yuna: Toru? Shit... Bastards found him.

Jin: Stand watch. I'll search the house. They will answer for this.

Yuna: Maybe they hid your katana inside?

Enter Toru's house and you will find the katana near the window.

Memories of Young Jin

Upon holding the katana, Jin will remember the days when he trained with his uncle Shimura.

And this will teleport you to the past, where the combat tutorial will take place.

This scene also contributes to the character-building of both Shimura and Jin, while making the player familiar with the combat mechanics of the game.

Jin: I am Jin Sakai. Nephew to the great Lord Shimura. And I am no coward!

Shimura: Your enemy is no match for you. But, you still lack control.

Jin: I was practicing.

Shimura: With your father's weapon?

In the memory, Jin was shown as agitated caused by a fight that just gave him a permanent scar in his face.

Shimura: The sword of clan Sakai... has saved lives... and ended wars.

Shimura: Who did this to you?

Jin: No one.

Shimura: I will teach you to defend yourself.

Jin: I know how to fight.

Shimura: To master your blade... you must first control your emotions.

Jin: I can do that, Uncle.

Shimura: Show me.

Combat Basics

This tutorial scene will cover only the basics of combat, like stab attack, heavy attack, and light attack, blocking, dodging, and parrying. It will not cover advanced topics related to Stance or Techniques.

There are three basic attack types.

• Quick Attack  - press Square
• Heavy Attack  - press Triangle
• Stab Attack  - hold Triangle

Quick Attack

Quick attacks are executed from the current stance of Jin. There is minimal wind up and they are executed instantaneously. There is no staggering impact on the target though.

Heavy Attack

We can divide the flow of a heavy attack into three stages. First, there is an extra animation where Jin pulls back to give extra force to the attack. While doing this, the enemy can hit you, so time it well.

The moment a heavy attack lands on an enemy, a meter will start gaining a build-up, accumulating based on the attacks you hit him.

You can imagine this as something similar to Sekiro's Posture mechanic as shown below.

With enough number of attacks, the posture will become broken

Similarly, in Ghost, once the meter is filled up, a large impact animation is shown and the meter is broken.

Stab Attack

A stab attack is executed by holding the Triangle. It is not executed instantaneously as the goal of this attack is to charge it and release once the opportunity comes.

Once you have covered the basic attack types, Shimura will commend you.

Shimura: Well done. If you'd fought like that, your attacker would not have bruised you so easily.

Jin: It wasn't a fair fight.

Shimura: Imagine he's returned to finish what he started... and he'll use every dirty trick he knows. How will you defend yourself?

Lure Him In

If you select Lure Him In, you will get a scolding from Shimura.

Jin: I'll kick dirt in his eyes... then break his nose. See how big he feels with a mouthful of blood.

Shimura: A small victory, achieved without honor. When a samurai faces a devious foe...he must rise above them, and never sink to their level. No matter how tempting.

Jin: Yes, Uncle.

Strike First

If you select Lure Him In, he will praise you.

Jin: He's big, but I'm quicker. I'll stay out of his reach. Wait for him to get tired... then drop him with one strike.

Shimura: Good. A samurai must always fight with patience... and discipline. Even when his opponent resorts to trickery.

Jin: I'll remember Uncle.

Basic Defense

Next Shimura will teach you about Defense.

• Blocking - guard yourself against the attack, press L1
• Parrying - counter the attack, press L1 when the attack is about to land
• Dodging - avoid the attack, move when the attack is about to land
• Healing - gain back some of your health, down button of D-pad, healing consumes one resolve

How Easy is Parrying in Ghost of Tsushima?

While in this tutorial, Shimura will give interesting comments depending on your performance on parry.

If you stick to your block and do not parry:

Shimura: I've seen enough of your blocking stance. You can't hide behind your sword forever.

If you block before he attacks:

Shimura: Don't block too early. Disguise your intent. Block as late as you can.

If you fail to parry or block:

Shimura: Good thing these are wooden swords.

Handling Spears

You execute a dodge by pressing Left Analog Stick + Circle

This is very similar to Sekiro's Step Dodge.

They have a similar three-stage execution. First, there is a wind-up from the enemy.

Then you execute the dodge.

And then punish the enemy with a counter-attack.

Here is the exact sequence of the above stages in Ghost of Tsushima.

First, the attack winds up. See the red x-shaped glint. This means it is unblockable.

Then we have the dodge.

And finally, the punishment, in the form of a Quick attack.

Together with healing, you become familiar with the concept of Resolve. It plays a dual role as a resource for healing and executing special attacks. 

Whenever you heal, one of the yellow circular bars gets consumed. Special attacks consume a specific amount of resolve bars.

You gain resolve by killing enemies, parrying attacks, or using other advanced skills.

Note that when you die in the game, your life bar gets reset to full, but your resolve meter stays as it is.

Sparring Match

Now that you have been trained in both the basics of offense and defense, Shimura will challenge you for a sparring match.

The match will end with either of you winning, what matters though is his message after the fight.

Shimura: Before we eat... I have one last question. For generations, our familiar have lived by a code. Tell me the virtues that guide us.

Jin: Loyalty to our lord. Control over our emotions. And...

Shimura: You know this.

Jin: Honor. To fight bravely and uphold the legacy of clan Sakai.

Shimura: Those are your father's words. What does honor mean to you?

Jin: I guess... protecting people. The ones who can't fight for themselves.

Shimura: You have a good heart.

Shimura: But first... we must show everyone that we serve our lord with courage. Integrity. And self-control.

Jin: You say that like it's easy.

Shimura: It's never easy, Jin. I struggle with it every day. But we must set an example for our people. By remaining true to our code.

Shimura: And to ourselves. That is the meaning of honor.

After Jin's reminiscence, a Mongol spear-wielding soldier will appear suddenly and challenge you for one-on-one combat.

This is the best to apply what you just learned practicing in the memory.

Go ahead and slay the Mongol soldier. It's best to use a dodge-and-counter strategy, with two hits the enemy will go down.

Finding the Horses

Yuna will appear once you defeat the soldier.

Yuna: Good. You find your sword.

Jin: Where can I find a horse?

Yuna: The stables aren't far. This way...

Yuna will bring you to the stables, but on the way, you will face a group of Mongol soldiers.

Yuna: We can get close. Slit their throats, and kill them without a sound.

Jin: Without honor. I will not break my code.

And with that, Jin stops hiding and reveals himself.

Jin: Face me, invader!

No Target Lock-On

If you are a fan of the Souls games, you should be familiar that they have a lock-on mechanic since the very first entry, Demon's Souls. They continued this up to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

Lock On is always one of the first mechanics the Souls games teach you, as it is a core foundation of their engaging combat.

Ghost of Tsushima has no Lock-On mechanic. Instead, it uses something similar through the use of an automatic focusing on enemies.

On the way to the stables, you will meet the first group of Mongol soldiers where you can practice the auto-targeting when facing multiple enemies.

It will not be as solid as the Lock-On mechanic of the Souls games, but it's good enough. The tutorial will ask you to attack the pulsing enemy.

Yuna: We can't save everyone.

Jin: I'm done running. And I can finally help.

And with that, the foundation for the combat of Ghost is complete. Before reaching the stables, you will face the second group of Mongol soldiers.

Yuna: More guards.

Jin: Don't let anyone escape.

Kiheiji: Thank you, my lord. They said all the samurai were dead.

Jin: Do you have somewhere to hide?

Kiheiji: I heard Golden Temple might be safe.

Jin: Go. Stay off the roads, and guard your son with your life.

Yuna: You risked your life for them.

Jin: They couldn't defend themselves, and I...can't let more of our people die.

Yuna: They're not the only ones who need you... My brother... The Mongols took him.

Jin: That's why you saved me.

Yuna: Take is my only family.

Jin: And Lord Shimura is mine.

Yuna: Please. I just want my brother back.

Jin: I'll help you find him... after I save my uncle. I promise.

Yuna: I'm coming with you.

Yuna will lead you to the stable nearby, but it will have the final batch of Mongol soldiers.

If at this stage, you still face difficulties in Ghost's combat or you feel that it is somewhat inferior to those of the Souls games, read our Combat Tips. This will help improve your experience and enjoy the game more.

Defeat them and you will get the chance to select your horse. 

If you didn't buy the Digital Deluxe Edition, you will get the three options below.

But if you have the Deluxe edition, you will get a bonus fourth option. It is the right-most horse.

Be careful in the selection, as this will become permanent.

You will get the option as well to name your horse. Only few choices though.

This will become permanent as well.

The Rescue of Lord Shimura

Jin and Yuna will leave Komoda Town and travel to Castle Kaneda to rescue Shimura.

Yuna: They're holding your uncle inside. The walls are too high to climb. We could cause a distraction. Sneak in.

Jin: No. We walk in the front gate. Khotun Khan set fire to our best swordsman. Humiliated my uncle. Butchered the warriors of Tsushima. I'm going to repay his kindness.

Yuna: By repeating the same mistakes that got your friends killed.

Jin: That's what the Mongols will think. But this time, I'll strike first. Wait here until I finish them.

The next area will introduce the concept of Standoff. It is one of the innovative ideas Sucker Punch introduced to relish the experience of watching old samurai movies.

When approaching enemy territory, you can challenge foes to a Standoff. The trigger for the Standoff will appear and you must push the button before the trigger disappears.

Upon pressing the Up button, you will know that you are in a Standoff as the screen will mimic a movie, with border on the top and bottom of the screen.

Once your enemy approaches, hold the Triangle button. 

As soon as they attack, release the button to defeat them in one deadly strike.

Focus when these events happen, as you would rarely succeed if you are distracted. 

If you are successful, the enemy will die in one hit. And then the Standoff will be over and you are back to face the rest of the enemies in normal melee combat.

Combat Tip : After doing a Standoff, learn how to dash right away, as it will enable you to position yourself and target the isolated or weak members of the group, like the archers, which you will meet soon.

You dash by pressing the left analog stick.

Dash is one of the best combat options of Jin, but the game does not really show it to you or give you a tutorial for it. Sometimes, it is the only way to survive when facing multiple enemies with several ranged attackers present.

From here onwards, it will be all about combat. As shared earlier, if you are still struggling at this point of the game, read our Combat Tips. It will not only reduce your deaths, but it will make your gameplay much more enjoyable.

Push through the castle to save your uncle. Defeat them all.

While moving towards the castle, there come a location like the scene above, take note of it. The missiles landing on the ground are not just cosmetic, they are deadly and can kill Jin.

They can also kill the Mongol soldiers. Move forward using the right path, instead of the left path where the missile lands.

Because of the relentless firepower of the Mongols, Yuna will feel disheartened.

Yuna: We can't keep going!

Jin: I have to. Fall back.

Yuna: Alone?

Jin: Keep the path clear. When I find Lord Shimura, we'll need a quick escape.

Yuna: I'll get the horses ready.

Jin: Do it. If I'm not back soon...ride for the forest.

From here onwards, you will be alone fighting your way to the castle.

Dodging Arrows

Keep pressing forward, and you will soon see the tutorial for doing arrows.

Before firing arrows, Mongol archers will call out and signal their allies to duck. In the future, you will also observe Bandits doing this. Take note of the Mongol shout " doshoo " as that is the signal the archer will shoot and it's time to dodge.

Remember to dash to quickly reduce the distance between you and any ranged attacker.

Next will be the fights at the bridge where you will have your final Standoff. Eliminate them all, and you will get the chance to experience the first boss fight.

Jin Faces Khotun Khan

After eliminating the minions in the bridge, you will get the cutscene where Jin calls out for Khotun Khan. And unexpectedly, he indeed shows up.

Jin: Khotun Khan! I am Jin Sakai. Nephew of Lord Shimura. I have come to avenge his honor.

Shimura: Jin!

Khotun Khan : Your uncle has told me much about you, Jin Sakai. I will show him his nephew broken, and humiliated, begging to join the Mongol Empire.

Khotun Khan : This is your time, Lord Sakai.

This is your chance to fight Khotun Khan in a boss fight. Khotun Khan will stop the fight though. 

Khotun Khan : Enough. Surrender. Show your uncle how easily he can bring peace to your home.

Khotun Khan : *whispers* Save yourself.

This whisper infuriates Jin and he slices the face of Khotun Khan.

In turn, the Khan becomes so angry and looks at Jin as though he is not even worth killing with his blade. So, he drops him from the bridge, and Jin falls to the water below.

And as Jin falls into the darkness of the water, a memory comes back to him.

Jin: I failed... again.

The Past of Jin Sakai

Jin: Father...

Father: Jin... Help me!

In the memory, the father of Jin is injured and asking for Jin's help, as an enemy approaches from behind. Jin knows what is at stake, he knows his father will die if he does not help him. 

He also knows that he will die as well,  as he lacks the courage and the strength to defend himself and his father. So he hides and cries as his father gets killed outside, just a few meters from him.

A few days later, the funeral of the father occurs, and Jin is beset with the burden of guilt. He blames himself for his father's death and could not face the people who have come to honor his father's funeral.

Yuriko: Lord Sakai... Young Master. It's time.

Jin: I'm coming, Yuriko...

Yuriko: The whole island has come to mourn your father.

Jin: Can't you send them away?

Yuriko: You must face them, Jin. You are now the master of clan Sakai.

Yuriko: You're not alone, Jin. Your father is the wind at your back. Your mother, the birds in the trees...

Jin: And Uncle?

Yuriko: He will tell you, at your father's pyre.

Jin: Thank you, Yuriko.

Jin: I couldn't save him. I was a coward.

Shimura: Jin. You are samurai.

Jin: He died... because of me.

Shimura: Your father fell in battle saving his only son. His reward is a warrior's death. Now you...will carry on his legacy.

Shimura: Your father's spirit resides within this blade. He is always with you. Tomorrow... you will come to my fortress. As my ward. Today... say goodbye to your father.

The memory disappears and Jin is shown sitting despairingly on the beach. He looks at his katana endearingly.

Jin: Father... How do I save him?

And then a strong gush of wind surrounds him and points him to a direction.

And with the Guiding Wind, the adventure begins.

The Plan to Save Shimura

Continue following the wind until you reach the entrance of a forest. Move forward and you will hear Yuna shouting at her horse.

Jin will share what happened to Yuna.

Yuna: Jin! What happened?

Jin: I found Lord Shimura. I could have saved him...but the Khan was there... I failed my uncle.

Yuna: At least you're in one piece.

Jin: I swore to protect this island with my life. But now the Mongols have stolen our home. Killed our samurai...

Yuna: You forgot what it's like to fight someone stronger than you... To feel weak. Sometimes, when you're staring death in the face...You have to do whatever it takes to survive.

Jin: The Khan expects to fight a war against the samurai. He will anticipate our every move...unless we find new ways to surprise him. That's how we'll save Lord Shimura and retake our home.

Yuna: You'll need some help.

Jin: Riders! That Khan's attack dogs.

Yuna: There's too many of them! Hide! In the grass!

Your planning will be interrupted though as Mongol Raiders appear. The game will teach you how to use the tall grass to hide and do stealth. 

Yuna: They must be searching for you. Bastards scared off the horses.

Jin: They're samurai mounts, trained to return to their masters.

Calling Your Horse

The game will teach you next how to call your horse. You do it by pressing the left D-pad.

Yuna: The Mongols must be hunting you.

Jin: We should split up. I'll draw their attention while you escape.

Yuna: I'm not leaving your side until we've saved my brother.

Jin: First I need to find more allies. Trained warriors...like Sensei Ishikawa...and Lady Masako Adachi. They can help-

Yuna: My brother can help, too. Once we save him, you'll have the island's best blacksmith in your debt. He'll make whatever tool you need to save your uncle.

Jin: Something to scale the castle walls?

Yuna: You dream it...Taka can make it.

Jin: Where are they holding him?

Yuna: He was captured near Kechi.

Jin: Ride there and ask around. I'll join you soon.

Yuna: Taka won't last long in a Mongol cage.

Jin: Yuna... We will save your brother.

Yuna: And your uncle.

With that beautiful exchange of plans, the game will bring you to a cutscene where you will be set free and alone in this world of Tsushima. From this point of onwards, you control where you go, what you do, and how you execute the plan of saving Shimura.

You can just go and ride and explore the world or follow the story, and even then, there are branches of the story that you can follow.

Storytelling Structure of Ghost of Tsushima

Now that the prologue is properly laid out, we can look into the storytelling structure of the game. Ghost consists of three Main Acts, which serve as a grouping of the quests and your gameplay.

Acts of Ghost of Tsushima

The three main acts of the game are as follows:

Act 1: Rescue Lord Shimura

Act 2: retake castle shimura, act 3: kill the khan.

Each of them occurs mostly in a specific region of Tsushima Island.

Act 1: Rescue Lord Shimura occurs in the Izuhara region. This is where your adventure begins.

Act 2: Retake Castle Shimura occurs in the Toyotama region. This is where the middle of your adventure happens.

Act 3: Kill the Khan occurs in the Kamiagata Region. This is the final part of your adventure.

Main Tales, Side Tales, and Mythic Tales

Each Act of Ghost consists of Main Tales, Side Tales, and Mythic Tales. These tales are the quests of the game and offer various kinds of rewards.

• Main Tales (Jin's Journey) - these are the quests that move forward the story and progression of the game. They are sequential, and your game will not progress if you don't complete them.
• Side Tales (Tales of Tsushima)  - these are the optional quests that give more depth to the stories of the Main Tales. However, some of them are stand-alone and are just your typical fetch quests.
• Mythic Tales - these are also optional quests but are more exciting and give better rewards. These are among the best quests in the game.

Act 1 is the story of Jin as he gradually accepts that he must transform to defeat the Mongols while searching allies who can help him in his goal, culminating in the triumphant rescue of his uncle Shimura. We will meet the main characters Sensei Ishikawa, Lady Masako, Ryuzo, and Taka.

It consists of nine Main Tales, three Mythic Tales, and twenty-one Side Tales.

With the samurai gone, Shimura and Jin combine efforts to build up a new army that will help them retake the Castle Shimura. They will get help from the Shogun of mainland Japan and some old friends from the past.  We will meet the new characters Norio, Yuriko, and Lady Sanjo.

It consists of nine Main Tales, three Mythic Tales, and thirty-two Side Tales.

With Jin becoming an outlaw, he must find a way to defeat Khotun Khan before he sails to mainland Japan, carrying with him a large quantity of deadly poison that he plans to use to bring the Shogunate down. 

It consists of six Main Tales, one Mythic Tale, and eight Side Tales.

How to master combat in Ghost of Tsushima

Ghost of tsushima boss guide: how to defeat every boss …, ghost of tsushima mythic tales guide: where to find …, ghost of tsushima: everything you need to know about …, winning standoffs.

Winning standoffs in Ghost of Tsushima will let you quickly drop enemies

© Sony Interactive Entertainment

How to Use Stances

Effectively use Stances to counter enemy attacks and advances

Ghost Stance

Ghost of Tsushima Ghost Stance

Staggers & Attacks

Ghost of Tsushima Staggers Attacks

Ghost of Tsushima Archery

Higher Ground

Ghost of Tsushima Higher Ground

Charms & Techniques

Ghost of Tsushima Charms Techniques

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[Legends] Do different stats stack, such as melee and counter damage?

Ghost of tsushima: legends, playstation 4 playstation 5, ghost of tsushima (playstation 4).

• Just wondering if anyone knows if stats like melee damage and counter damage or ranged damage and headshot damage stack. So for example if you have 10% melee damage and 20% counter damage you'd be doing 30% extra damage on a counter attack. Or if shooting an enemy in the head with 10% ranged damage and 20% headshot damage you'd be doing 30% extra damage with a headshot. toysjoe - 1 year ago - report
• They do generally. But I can't say for sure that ALL stack properly, and if they don't it is most likely a bug. This is why you have things like ranged damage AND headshot damage on a bow for example, exactly because they do stack. No weapon have more than 1 of the same stat, which is why so many weapons have a similar stat, because it does stack by design. That's the whole purpose. And in my experience, most or all stats properly stack. But there have been instances in the past where things didn't properly stack, but those were patched and fixed. zeebra - 1 year ago - report 0   0

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