Contents

Helpful Tips for New Players

How to Mastery a bomb pack on Samurai / Assassin:

  • Choose Bomb Pack you want to Mastery.
  • Ensure it has Perk: Samurai Unlock (Forbidden Medicine) or Assassin Unlock (Forbidden Medicine or Epic Bomb Pack).
  • Equip on Sam/Sin.
  • Go to Ronin, find same bomb pack, and select ‘start mastery’.
  • Gear is now able to be mastery’d but still usable on Samurai or Assassin.

How do I get a Gear/Honor (ie Legendary Gear, Farm honor)?

  • Team of 4: Farm the Tale of Iyo Chapter 1 or Chapter 3 (Raid difficulty)
  • Solo/One Friend: Severed Hearts Story (Gold difficulty)
  • Cursed gear = drops in Gold, Platinum or Nightmare
  • Legendary gear = Trials (require 120 Ki), Platinum/Nightmare Survival (Guaranteed drop for completion)

How do I obtain xxx gear (Spirit Kunai, etc)?

  • Raid Chapter 1 (10 items @ 25min) or Chapter 3 (5 items @ 5-7min)
  • Challenge Modes = 1 guaranteed Legendary drop (Weekly)

How do I get 120 Gear?

  • Start w/ 110 gear (obtained via Challenge mode drops or reroll 105)
  • Start Mastery process (complete 5 challenges)
  • Consume 1 Purified gear currency to add 2nd Perk (requires 1 Cursed Gear)

When is the Weekly Reset?

  • Japan: 12am Sat
  • UK: 4pm Fri
  • EST: 11am Fri
  • PST: 8am Fri

Survival Tips

What is Survival?

Survival game mode consists of 6 maps found across the realm of Tsushima. The goal of this mode is simple; survive as long as possible until the mongol & oni enemies cease.

There are a few elements consistent across every map:

  • 3 Zones that you must Defends
  • 15 Waves of enemies that will have 3 spawns of varying enemy count across the map
  • Set spawn locations where enemies will appear as a group (of varying size & enemy composition)
  • A Wave “0”, which is the start of the game (29 enemies spread across 3 zones as groups of 10, 10, & 9)
  • 5 objectives to complete during the Wave cycle (2nd, 4th, 7th, 10th, 13th) with 3 minutes to complete each objective
  • 5 boss waves occurring in intervals of 3 (3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th waves) that include special ‘modifiers’ (ie Burning Blades = all enemy attacks will light you on fire)

    • What is the general strategy of Survival?

    The general strategy & goal requires that you defend all 3 zones (prevent them from being captured) while killing all incoming enemies.

    Each wave will consist of 3 spawns that are randomized across pre-determined spots on the map. It is more efficient to kill enemies in a group than spread out, so killing them at the spawn location is typically the best strategy (otherwise waiting for them at the Zone).

    How do I know the Spawn & Zone locations?

    Each map has set Spawns that are each tied to a zone. If you check out the [Survival Maps LINK], you can view a picture of each map, its zones, and the zones’ respective spawns.

    The only game mode that will have ‘set’ spawns (that is, they are not randomized), is Nightmare Survival. At reset, the waves for Nightmare Survival will randomize, but will be set for the week (7 days) in order for players to compete for a spot on the Leaderboard.

    Spawn location list

  • Camp Outpost Mine
  • Camp Camp Mine (Headshots)
  • Camp Outpost Camp
  • Camp Camp Mine (Inside Defense Area)
  • Camp Mine Mine
  • Camp Camp Mine
  • Outpost Mine Camp (GW kills)
  • Mine Outpost Outpost
  • Camp Mine Outpost
  • Camp Mine Outpost (Fire Damage)
  • Mine Outpost Camp
  • Camp Camp Mine
  • Camp Outpost Camp (Outside Defense Area)
  • Camp Outpost Mine
  • Mine Camp Outpost

    • First Time Player’s Strategy Guide

    There are 5 categories to cover that, if practiced, will improve the odds of a successful Survival completion. These categories are: Zones, Spawns, Holding, Resources, & Prioritization. Learning these methods and then building on your own skills will help you prepare for more difficult challenges.

  • Defense Zone

    • Standing on the Defense Zone that is flashing is the optimal strategy for new players. Yes over time you want to venture off and learn how to fight among the hwachva. No you do not want to do this your first time, learn the game mode first.

  • Spawn Orders

    • If you see other players running to spawns, be prepared to do cleanup on point. If you see a 2nd/3rd point starts flashing, it is usually a good idea to head there IF someone is also at the 1st point OR if it is turning red and the current point is yellow (flashing vs enemy on it). Mic usage can help coordinate who goes where but not necessary.

  • Solo Zone Holding

    • As you play, it is a good idea to stay at the edges of the circle, not stand in the center. The aggro of enemies will be easier to manage AND you can run around the outer edge to easily dodge enemies while holding the point (until help arrives or you kill enough enemies to make it manageable). Focus on weak enemies first, then stronger enemies (fewer enemies = easier to manage aggro). This is also where your Smoke Bomb comes into play. You can pop it as you need it to give you a brief break and get a couple critical attacks or headshots in.

  • Resources

    • As you play, try to keep track of where Ghost Shrines, Explosive Barrels, Healing Drums are located. Being able to use a Barrel to harm a few enemies (And gain some resolve) can be very handy in a pinch. Hitting a Healing Drum is important when you are at low HP, dont be a player who refuses to heal. You’ll likely get ‘downed’ and detriment your team more. If you need a small amount of healing OR need to restock ammunition = ~6 Shrines per map, use them as you need, good idea to refill prior to boss waves (Wave 2/5/8/11/14), ideally Wave 0->3 dont use any, Wave 4->9 only use 1-2, 10->15 use up the rest

  • Prioritization

    • Self > Teammates > Zones > Enemies – Prioritize how you choose what to do based on this order. First take care of yourself (healing, map positioning), then help your team (if they are downed pick them up; you have 45 seconds to reach them), next be sure to check points (none red, if yellow and no one there, go there), finally kill enemies (this can actually be delayed over the others because you have a few seconds before enemies spawn -> reach defense zone; you also have 32s before a Defense Zone is taken once enemies reach it).

    Frequently Asked Questions About Survival

    Why do players seem to drop from a survival match?

    Players ‘dropping’ has been an issue since the release of Legends. There are many reasons people drop (ranging from an in-real-life issue to going ‘down’ in-game and being frustrated over something).

    How do I fill a slot if someone drops mid-game?

    Luckily there are TWO solutions to fill a slot if someone drops mid-game. You can either matchmake mid-game OR invite someone who is on your Friends list and plays them game (online/on ghost). To navigate there, hit Options -> R1 to Social, then either select a Friend to send an invite OR choose the ‘matchmake to fill empty slots’

    How do I farm a particular gear?

    As of today, there is no clear way to farm for a particular gear outside of those that are class-specific (Class Charms, Bomb Pack, Longbow, Blowgun). To farm those = play as the class they are tied to.

    Gear rarity can be farmed to an extent. Check out the Drop Rates section for more details on the drop rates in-game by Game Mode.

    Hidden Heart Explained

    What is Hellmode?

    Survival game mode (Platinum difficulty) with custom modifiers. Perfect completion will earn you a new sword skin (the Hidden Heart)

    How to Access?

    Play Now -> Survival -> Choose a Map -> Scroll down to ‘Platinum’ -> select ’Custom Mode. Matchmaking disabled’ (you may also choose Fill Party – Perfect Completion to randomly Matchmake)

    How do Modifiers work?

    Afteryou start a game, in-map you will see 7 totems (like in Rivals) to purchase Modifiers. You may choose to purchase 1-7. Perfect completion requires all 7. All maps have Fire Spirits, Eyes of Iyo, Disciples of Iyo, Aggressive Foes, Shared Wounds, & Empowered Foes. Tool Shortage OR Incapacitated will be the final modifier (split by map).

    Where to start?

    Practice Wave 0 solo with all modifiers active. Highly recommended you can easily complete Nightmare Survival with 0 downs & 5/5 Objectives as well

    Easiest map?

    Blood in the Snow would be the easiest map for your first completion.

    How to get Sword Skin?

    You must be in Custom Plat, activate all 7 modifiers, complete 5/5 Objectives, not lose any zones, have 0 downs across all players, and complete the map.

    Terms

    Rank:

    • Rank is irrelevant, it only affects the techniques you unlock until Rank 18, then it is purely for bragging rights of how many hours you’ve played

    Ki:

    Ki is your ‘leveledness’ when it comes to damage done/received. You want your Ki level as high as possible all the time (so that it says Appropriately Leveled or Overleveled when you enter a game mode).

    • Raid: Being max Ki Level (120) not as necessary, you can get by with less because combat is not the core component
    • Nightmare Survival/Story: 120 Ki is almost necessary. Each Ki you are below 120 = you do less dmg to enemies and take more dmg from enemies (not a big difference between 119 vs 120, but as you get further from 120, it is more noticeable). Anything below ### Ki = a Purple Oni Brute’s teleporting spin-slam will one-shot you.

    Stance:

    • The best stance will be the one you like most and understand best mechanically. Water will be recommended until you have time to test them all out.
    • Perfect Parrying is much more valuable than using the appropriate stance to counter enemies
    • Stone & Moon would be the best end-game stance for DPS
    • Water is the easiest to use stance & generally accepted as the most versatile for dealing with various enemy types
    • Wind is nice at first to counter spearmen/oni lords & kick for resolve, but lacks DPS etc Water is generally accepted as the most versatile

    Game Specific Acronyms:

    • BP: Black Powder Bombs
    • DR: Damange Reduction
    • EB: Explosive Blade
    • FM: Forbidden Medicine
    • GW: Ghost Weapon
    • GWD: Ghost Weapon Damage
    • HS: Heavenly Strike
    • IRG: Injured Resolve Gain
    • LC/BOLC: Liquid Courage
    • MMC: Moon Master Cancel
    • NMS: Nightmare Survival
    • PD: Perfect Dodge
    • PP: Perfect Parry
    • POL: Purple Oni Lord
    • RF: Raging Flame
    • SAD: Stealth Attack Damage
    • SK: Spirit Kunai
    • SP: Spirit Pull
    • SS: Stone Striker
    • SSB: Skipping Stone Bow
    • WOTF: Way Of The Flame

    General Acronyms:

    • ABCD: Ability Cooldown
    • CD: Cooldown
    • CDK: Cooldown on Kill
    • DOT: Damage Over Time
    • DPS: Damage Per Second

    Short Forms:

    • Sam: Samurai
    • Sin: Assassin

    Class-Specific Gear:

    Bomb Pack

    • Ronin-only Loot (must be playing Ronin to have it drop)
    • Bomb Pack has an ‘Assassin Unlock’ Perk so Assassin may use it
    • Not Usable by Samurai or Hunter

    Forbidden Medicine

    • Ronin-only Loot (must be playing Ronin to have it drop)
    • Forbidden Medicine has ‘Samurai Unlock’ & ‘Assassin Unlock’ Perk so those classes may use it
    • Not Usable by Hunter

    Skipping Stone Bow & All Longbows

    • Hunter-only Loot (must be playing Hunter to have it drop)
    • Has a ‘Versatile’ Perk so that ALL classes may use it

    Heaven’s Sting & All Blowguns

    • Assassin-only Loot (must be playing Assassin to have it drop)
    • Has a ‘Ronin Unlock’ Perk so that Ronin may use it
    • Not Usable by Samurai or Hunter

    Nightmare Rotation

    Week #1

    • Story: Severed Hearts (Shared Wounds)
    • Survival: The Shores of Vengeance (Tool Shortage/Eyes of Iyo)
    • Rivals: In the Realm of the Dead
    • Trials: Chapter 1 – The Village

    Week #2

    • Story: The Tale of Uchitsune (Toxic Clouds)
    • Survival: Blood in the Snow (Immunity/Hwacha)
    • Rivals: In the Realm of the Dead
    • Trials: Chapter 2 — The Blood Ritual

    Week #3

    • Story: Caravan of Thieves (Burning Blades)
    • Survival: The Defense of Aoi Village (Slowed Revives/Disciples of Death)
    • Rivals: In the Realm of the Dead
    • Trials: Chapter 1 – Overlook

    Week #4

    • Story: Tides of Battle (Dull Katanas)
    • Survival: The Shadows of War (Reduced Healing/Eyes of Iyo)
    • Rivals: Siege in Heaven
    • Trials: Chapter 2 – Fortress Gates

    Week #5

    • Story: The Veil Between Realms (Deadly Melee)
    • Survival: Twilight and Ashes (Incapacitated/Disciples of Death)
    • Rivals: Trials of the Kami
    • Trials: Chapter 3 – The Final Battle

    Week #6

    • Story: The Crow Demons of Otsuna (Empowered Foes)
    • Survival: Blood and Steel (Tool Shortage/Eyes of Iyo)
    • Rivals: The Arena of Shadows (Reduced Healing)
    • Trials: Chapter 2 – Obelisk

    Week #7

    • Story: The Stranded Dead (Reduced Healing)
    • Survival: The Shadows of War (Reduced Healing/Fire Spirits)
    • Rivals: In the Realm of the Dead (Incapacitated)
    • Trials: Chapter 2 – The Fortress

    Week #8

    • Story: The Curse of the Onibaba (Wildfire)
    • Survival: The Shores of Vengeance (Empowered Foes/Disciples of Death)
    • Rivals: Siege in Heaven (Tool Shortage)
    • Trials: Chapter 1 – Kami Ridge

    Week #9

    • Story: Severed Hearts (Toxic Clouds)
    • Survival: The Defence of Aoi Village (Slowed Revives/Eyes of Iyo)
    • Rivals: Trials of the Kami (Incapacitated)
    • Trials: Chapter 1 – The Village

    Week #10

    • Story: The Tale of Uchitsune (Dull Katanas)
    • Survival: Blood in the Snow (Incapacitated/Fire Spirits)
    • Rivals: The Arena of Shadows (Tool Shortage)
    • Trials: Chapter 2 – Obelisk

    Week #11

    • Story: Caravan of Thieves (Wildfire)
    • Survival: Twilight and Ashes (Empowered Foes/Eyes of Iyo)
    • Rivals: In the Realm of the Dead (Reduced Healing)
    • Trials: Chapter 3 – The Final Battle

    Week #12

    • Story: Tides of Battle (Burning Blades)
    • Survival: Blood and Steel (Incapacitated/Disciples of Death)
    • Rivals: Siege in Heaven (Incapacitated)
    • Trials: Chapter 1 – Overlook

    Week #13

    • Story: The Veil Between Realms (Empowered Foes)
    • Survival: The Defense of Aoi Village (Reduced Healing/Fire Spirits)
    • Rivals: Trials of the Kami
    • Trials: Chapter 2 – The Blood Ritual

    Week #14

    • Story: The Crow Demons of Otsuna (Shared Wounds)
    • Survival: The Shadows of War (Empowered Foes/Eyes of Iyo)
    • Rivals: The Arena of Shadows (Barbed Arrows)
    • Trials: Chapter 2 – The Fortress

    Week #15

    • Story: The Stranded Dead (Toxic Clouds)
    • Survival: Twilight and Ashes (Incapacitated/Fire Spirits)
    • Rivals: In the Realm of the Dead (Deadly Melee)
    • Trials: Chapter 1 – Kami Ridge

    Week #16

    • Story: The Curse of the Onibaba (Reduced Healing)
    • Survival: The Shores of Vengeance (Slowed Revives/Disciples of Death)
    • Rivals: Siege in Heaven (Reduced Healing)
    • Trials: Chapter 2 – Fortress Gates

    More Guides:

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