============================================ SAMURAI WARRIORS 2 (NA) Character Guide: Keiji Maeda Version 1.00 Created by: Sima Zhongda ============================================ ============ CONTENTS ============ 1. Introduction 2. About Keiji Maeda 3. Unlocking Keiji Maeda 4. Keiji's Tale 4.1 Siege of Odawara Castle 4.2 Rescue of Mitsunari 4.3 Pirate Hunt 4.4 Battle of Hasedo 4.5 Siege of Edo Castle 4.6 Keiji's Dream: Tournament of Champions 5. Weapons 5.1 General List 5.2 Obtaining the Fourth Weapon 6. Moves 6.1 Move List 6.2 Normal Attacks 6.3 Charge Attacks 6.4 Special Moves 6.5 Musou 7. Statistics 8. Thanks and Credits 9. Copyright and Contact Information =================== 1. Introduction =================== Keiji Maeda, the Wild One, the Insurmountable, the one who loves battle more than life itself, has inspired the creation of this guide. He is an extremely powerful warrior whose personality combines a wild, free spirit with a very strong sense of honor and friendship. As usual, the FAQ intends to cover the most relevant aspects of gameplay as Keiji Maeda in Samurai Warriors 2. And since there is no official strategy guide for the American version of the game, the majority of the information provided here derives from my own experience, so bear with me. All other credits are listed in the corresponding section, at the end of the document. Now let us proceed. ======================== 2. About Keiji Maeda ======================== Keiji Maeda was the adopted son of Toshihisa Maeda. When the house of Maeda was passed along to Toshiie Maeda, Keiji took to the road and soon gained honor and fame in various battles. He rode his horse Shofu into battle, brandishing a two-pronged spear. He was barred from Toyotomi’s Kyushu campaign for his wild ways. But Kagekatsu Uesugi’s trusted assistant Kanetsugu Naoe liked him and invited him to provide aide in the attack against the Honma family on the island of Sado. Afterwards, he returned to the capital and devoted himself to art and literature. When Tokugawa challenged Uesugi, he once again fought with Uesugi’s army. During the battle against Mogami, he broke through the enemy base with only eight riders and blew the enemy formation apart. Source: http://www.koei.com/SamuraiWarriors/character_pop03.htm ============================ 3. Unlocking Keiji Maeda ============================ In order to unlock Keiji Maeda, complete Kanetsugu Naoe's Tale (unlocked by completing Yukimura Sanada's Tale). =================== 4. Keiji's Tale =================== This section is dedicated to a detailed explanation of Keiji's Tale, stage by stage. For the sake of making the guide as helpful as possible, I have included a walkthrough for each battle; however, walkthroughs are based solely on my experience and are by no means the only way to get things done. The proposed strategies have been deviced in Hard difficulty setting. 4.1 Siege of Odawara Castle It was a few years following Nobunaga's death at Honnoji that Hideyoshi began to pursue his late master's ambitions as his own. Before long, Hideyoshi forced the surrender of Masamune Date, ruler of Oshu, leaving the Hojo in Odawara as his only adversary. In the year 1590, Hideyoshi gathered his vassals from far and wide and set forth to conquer Odawara in an attempt to unify the land under his rule. Standing among the many warriors in Hideyoshi's western army, the figure of Keiji Maeda could be seen. A giant of a man, Keiji loved battle more than life itself... *** "So this fight is gonna determine who rules the land, huh? This is gonna be sweet!" [Toyotomi Army vs Hojo Army] Time Limit: 60'00"00 Victory Condition: Defeat Ujimasa. Defeat Condition: Hideyoshi is defeated. Walkthrough: The Toyotomi army is attacking Odawara Castle, and Mitsunari Ishida determines that it would be of great help if Hideyoshi and his allies had a castle of their own. Mt. Ishigaki seems like a good construction site, but it is currently occupied by the enemy; seize control of it [Mission] so that Mitsunari may carry out his project. This causes the Hojo officers positioned inside the north garrison to advance towards the allied main camp, but Yukimura Sanada and Sakon Shima are nearby, so let them handle the situation for now. The most immediate concern is that Ujimitsu Hojo and Ujinori Uesugi, who are positioned inside the south garrison, become suspicious as Mt. Ishigaki is taken, and decide to investigate; stop them before they reach Mt. Ishigaki [Mission] and use this chance to close the two enemy entry points to the south as well. Also around this time, Kanbei Kuroda and his group of engineers arrive at the southwest, with the intention of building the castle; however, they are trapped inside a garrison with enemy officer Ujitada Hojo, so hurry to assist them and clear the path to Mt. Ishigaki so that they may begin their task (note that Kanbei will stop and fight whatever enemy units he finds along the way, so the area must be entirely clear for him to advance). Once Kanbei and his engineers are on their way to Mt. Ishigaki, go north and get rid of Ujitaka Hojo and Norisada Ueda before they enter the allied main camp [Mission]. From here, head southeast to eliminate Yasusato Matsuda (he enjoys destroying the siege ramp that Kanbei sends to Odawara upon finishing the construction of the castle), as well as the other enemy officers outside the walls of Odawara Castle. Mitsunari and Kanbei should be done with their work by now, which greatly lowers the Hojo army's morale. Kotaro Fuuma closes the gate of Odawara, but it is possible to enter the castle either via siege ramp if it is there, or through the northeast after defeating the enemy officers that guard the corresponding gate. Whichever the case, setting foot inside the castle causes Norihide Matsuda, who has betrayed the Hojo and joined Hideyoshi's forces, to be discovered; find this treacherous man and rescue him [Mission]; he is inside a room to the south, within the castle walls. After the battlefield has been cleared of enemy officers, the next part begins: enter Odawara Castle itself, in order to search for the enemy commander. It can be accessed through the center of the walled area. The castle is relatively small, but on the first two floors there are doors that must be opened through a mechanism; a ninja explains that the mechanism to open the door on the first floor is on the second floor, and the mechanism to open the door on the second floor is on the first floor. Here is the basic layout of the castle: Floor 1 _ ________ ____| | | | 2F|____ |_| | ____| D_ | | _____| |_ _____| M - Mechanism ___||___ _||_____ D - Door | | |______ | X - To battlefield | | ____ | | 2F - To Floor 2 | | |M |_| | X|________| | | |________| Floor 2 ________ _________ | ______| | _____ | | | 1F | | ___| | | |________| | |M | | _ | | | M - Mechanism | | |_| |_ _| D - Door | | _|D|_ 1F - To Floor 1 |________| _ | | 3F - To Floor 3 3F| | | | | |_| | |_________| Floor 3 (Main Keep) ____________ | | | _ | 2F - To Floor 2 | | | H | H - Ujimasa Hojo 2F|_| |________| The idea is simple: go to Floor 2 and activate the mechanism to open the door on Floor 1, which grants access to the area where the mechanism to open the door on Floor 2 is. Activate said mechanism, return to Floor 2 and continue to Floor 3, where Ujimasa Hojo can be found and defeated... Or so it seemed. Upon his defeat, Kotaro Fuuma appears (in hyper mode) and says that the man inside the castle was not the real Ujimasa Hojo, who, by the way, is now heading for the allied main camp with three of his officers. Defeat Kotaro Fuuma, quickly exit the castle and eliminate what remains of the Hojo clan, and finally Ujimasa. Thus Hideyoshi's last powerful enemy vanishes into oblivion. 4.2 Rescue of Mitsunari The Hojo in Odawara stood little chance against the sheer size of Hideyoshi's forces and were soon defeated. However, following Hideyoshi's death, many of the retainers who had once served the Toyotomi faithfully now pledged their loyalty to the charismatic Ieyasu Tokugawa instead. Ieyasu welcomed these new recruits into his army and set forth to eradicate Mitsunari Ishida, the loyal retainer of the Toyotomi. Always in search of a challenge, Keiji decided to help the weak and isolated forces of Mitsunari... *** "Helping these poor fellas could cost me my life. Ain't I heroic?" [Ishida Army vs Anti-Ishida Army] Time Limit: 60'00"00 Victory Condition: Mitsunari arrives at the Escape Point Defeat Condition: Mitsunari or Kanetsugu is defeated. Walkthrough: The main goal in this stage is to ensure the survival of Mitsunari Ishida and Kanetsugu Naoe. Start by eliminating Yoshiaki Kato and then go towards Kanetsugu. When what seems to be Hanzo Hattori appears in a nearby alley, defeat him, and then aid Kanetsugu, who has been ambushed. Kill the Spy Captain within the area; more Spy Captains soon appear, but instead of defeating each one of them, head for Honnoji and eliminate their leader, Kiyomasa Kato, while breaking through Honnoji [Mission]. At this point, Hanzo Hattori's doubles attempt to take the lives of Kanetsugu and Mitsunari; defeat all of the Hanzo Hattoris [Mission], as well as all other enemy generals at Nijo Castle and its surroundings. Reinforcements of the Anti-Mitsunari Coalition arrive soon after the last enemy officer is defeated, which causes Mitsunari to initiate his retreat. Kanetsugu stays behind to hold off the enemy, but he can take care of himself; focus on defeating the enemy reinforcements [Mission] while escorting Mitsunari to the escape point. Kiyomasa Kato returns with a few other generals as Mitsunari approaches the east side of the map, so defeat them, as well as the real Hanzo, in order to clear the path. The stage ends when Mitsunari reaches the escape point. 4.3 Pirate Hunt Thanks to Keiji's incredible strength and prowess, Mitsunari's forces were able to seize victory from the jaws of defeat. Along the way, Keiji befriended Kanetsugu Naoe, and chose to follow him back to his home to serve under the Uesugi. When the two men arrived, they were greeted with pleas from the people to stave off recent pirate raids that had plagued the region. After the long, uneventful ride from Kyoto, Keiji was more than happy to oblige... *** "Sure, being a pirate has its allure, but killing pirates? That's the life for me!" [Fishermen vs Pirates] Time Limit: 60'00"00 Victory Condition: Defeat the Marauder. Defeat Condition: All peasants are eliminated, or any Main Camp is captured. Walkthrough: This stage is rather simple. The objective is to defend the Peasants and their two main camps (one at the northwest and one at the southeast) from the Raiders. First, proceed due southeast through the pirate ships, beating pirates [Mission] and protecting Peasants [Mission] along the way; also, defend the southeast garrison [Mission]. This is the end of the first wave. Now for the second wave, head northwest, defeating pirates along the way. Defend the northwest garrison [Mission]; then go back to the ships and rescue some Peasants that have been trapped by pirates [Mission]. The third and final wave is concentrated on the south area, and aims for the southeast garrison. Defeat the three Raiders in order to gain access to the Marauder, who must be eliminated in order to win the battle. 4.4 Battle of Hasedo* Faced with Keiji's amazing heroics, the pirates fled and were never heard from again. Kanetsugu was grateful for this favor, and the friendship between him and Keiji grew stronger than ever. As the years passed, Kanetsugu became increasingly angered by Ieyasu's attempts to seize the land. In response, he allied himself with Mitsunari Ishida and attempted to overthrow the despotic Ieyasu. The plan ended in failure, and Ieyasu turned westward and defeated Mitsunari at Sekigahara. Mitsunari's whereabouts after the battle were unknown. Meanwhile, Kanetsugu was being pursued by one of Ieyasu's strongest allies, Masamune Date. Suddenly, Keiji Maeda appeared, intent on rescuing his good friend despite facing certain death... *** "I wonder if we're gonna survive this... Ohh, I love the suspense!" [Uesugi Army vs Date-Mogami] Time Limit: 60'00"00 Victory Condition: The allied officers arrive at the Escape Point. Defeat Condition: Kanetsugu is defeated. Walkthrough: So, uncle Keiji's task is to aid Kanetsugu's escape from the Date-Mogami Army, for which it is necessary to clear a series of five gates. In order to break through the first gate [Mission], defeat Yoshiaki Mogami. This causes enemy reinforcements to appear between the first and second gates; eliminate them and break through the second gate [Mission]. Now head for the area between the second and third gates, defeat the enemies present and wait for Kanetsugu and the others to catch up. As the group approaches the third gate, Masakage Rusu and two other enemy officers appear from the south; this is just the first wave. Stop the enemy at the third gate [Mission] while Kanetsugu moves on forward; this means no enemy officers must be allowed to clear the gate. To waves of the Date Army's rear guard and one of the Mogami Army's reinforcements, Yoshiaki Mogami returns with three other enemy officers, all in hyper mode; they try to chase Kanetsugu more actively than the previous waves, so be on guard and do not let them pass. Once all the enemy reinforcements have been taken care of, rendezvous with Kanetsugu. The only obstacles left are Masamune Date and his two officers, who arrive from the north (Victory Condition has changed). Defeat Masamune in order to complete the stage. * This stage contains Keiji's fourth weapon (for more information, see section 5.2 of this guide). 4.5 Siege of Edo Castle Thanks to Keiji's efforts, Kanetsugu was able to win the battle at Hasedo and escape from the clutches of Masamune Date. Kanetsugu, joined by his friend Yukimura Sanada, decided to attack Ieyasu's son Hidetada at Edo Castle, in an attempt to avenge the deceased Mitsunari. Moved by this show of friendship and loyalty, Keiji decided to join them as they began the march towards Edo. Ieyasu, however, was already aware of the coming assault, and was preparing a massive army of his own in response... *** "This battle's gonna go down in history. Hey, I wonder if I will too?" [Uesugi Coalition vs Tokugawa Army] Time Limit: 60'00"00 Victory Condition: Defeat Hidetada. Defeat Condition: Kagekatsu, Kanetsugu, or Keiji is defeated. Walkthrough: Keiji's first objective in this battle is to take over the main keep of Edo Castle before Ieyasu Tokugawa's main force arrives. Break through the north gate, defeating enemy officers along the way, and head for the main keep. Once inside the castle, go to the second floor and proceed south in order to seize control of the small keep first [Mission]; then return to the main keep, defeat Ina and continue advancing to the third floor, where Hidetada Tokugawa awaits. After Hidetada is slain (Victory Condition has changed), Hanzo Hattori appears at the allied main camp and, together with four other enemy generals, attacks Kagekatsu Uesugi; quickly exit the castle and assist the commander. Soon afterwards, upon Ieyasu's arrival, Kagekatsu accepts Kanetsugu Naoe's suggestion of moving the main camp to Edo Castle, and advances towards the main keep; escort him along the way [Mission]. But Ieyasu is not willing to accept the loss of Edo Castle so easily. In an effort to eliminate Kagekatsu, he sends Masamune Date and Tadakatsu Honda to attack. They appear at the northwest and northeast corner, respectively, but since the Uesugi Army tends to be concentrated on the east side, head for Masamune first and prevent him from entering the main keep [Mission]; also take this chance to eliminate any other enemy officers that advance towards the main keep. Now intercept Tadakatsu and do not allow him to enter the smaller keep [Mission]. The Uesugi Coalition now has the upper hand in this battle, so all that remains is to eliminate any remaining enemy officers and to slay Ieyasu himself. 4.6 Keiji's Dream: Tournament of Champions* One day, Hideyoshi Toyotomi and Ieyasu Tokugawa got into a heated argument over who was the strongest warrior in the land. Ieyasu said it was Tadakatsu Honda, while Hideyoshi swore it was Keiji Maeda. The two decided that the only way to settle the argument was to hold a mock battle between their two armies and place the two men in direct competition. The conditions were set: The Toyotomi would position itself inside the castle, and the Tokugawa army would attack from the outside. Keiji couldn't believe his good fortune. At long last, he was going to have a chance to prove his strength to all the land... *** "The wild man of the west vs the beast of the east!" [Toyotomi Army vs Tokugawa Army] Time Limit: 60'00"00 Victory Condition: Defeat Ieyasu. Defeat Condition: Main Camp is captured. Walkthrough: At last, Keiji's chance to show off his true power... The first objective is to defend the main camp, so start by eliminating the enemy troops within the area. When Hanzo Hattori begins his advance towards the main camp, go southeast to intercept him and do not allow him to enter [Mission]. Soon afterwards, Yukimura Sanada and Kanetsugu Naoe arrive to help their good friend Keiji (Defeat Condition is modified), although, as always, it is more of a mutual help situation. Since Yukimura is closer, rendezvous with him first, defeat Tadamasa Mori and continue west towards the next enemy entry point. Entering this area causes master swordsman Musashi Miyamoto and the deliciously evil Kojiro Sasaki, both in hyper mode, to appear; assist Yukimura's advance [Mission] by defeating them. Now turn back and go towards Kanetsugu. He should be all right, but there are other matters to take care of: move counterclockwise around the map, defeating enemy officers and closing enemy entry points along the way. From the far north (Naomasa Ii's location), go south into the fort, defeat Tadatsugu Sakai and Yasumasa Sakakibara, and exit from the west towards the enemy entry point. This causes Masamune Date and his army to appear in an ambush; defeat them all [Mission]. At the same time, Yoshihiro Shimazu and his army appear close to Yukimura and attack him, so take care of them once the Date Army has been eliminated. The main camp may struggle once or twice, but Kanetsugu can defend it just fine. The only remaining enemies on the map should be those inside Ieyasu's fort and the two that guard its southern gate. Eliminate them all, including Ieyasu, in order to win the right to duel against Tadakatsu Honda. After Ieyasu is defeated, both armies leave the battlefield and Tadakatsu arrives at the southwest garrison; defeat him [Mission] to win the contest. * This is a bonus stage, unlocked by completing Keiji's Tale. ============== 5. Weapons ============== 5.1 General List 1st Weapon - Double Pike Base Attack: 23 2nd Weapon - Snake Tongue Base Attack: 33 3rd Weapon - Ogre Horn Base Attack: 41 4th Weapon - Divine Mandible Base Attack: 50 Element: Lightning Statistics: Life +18 Attack +53 (Three slots) Ride + 19 Musou Charge +49 (Three slots) 5.2 Obtaining the Fourth Weapon Stage: Battle of Hasedo Mode: Story Mode Difficulty Setting: Hard Requirements: Get a KO count of 1000. Note: Must have previously completed Keiji's Tale (Dream is not required), with any difficulty setting. Procedure: 1. Defeat Yoshiaki Mogami and clear the first gate [Mission]. 2. Move forward and defeat the three enemy officers that appear in ambush before the second gate, and as many of their troops as possible. 3. Clear the second gate [Mission], kill the enemy troops located between the second and third gate, and wait until the Date-Mogami army attacks from the south. 4. Fight enemies as they come, and try to keep officers away from the third gate [Mission] (although the weapon can still be obtained even if the mission fails). This is the best opportunity to get KO count to 1000. When KO count reaches 1000, a transport unit appears at one of the entry points to the southwest and starts heading south. 5. Defeat the Supply Captain [Mission] for the weapon. 6. Turn back to join Kanetsugu, rescue him and finish the stage by eliminating Masamune Date. Notes and Recommendations: - It is irrelevant whether the mission to prevent enemy officers from clearing the third gate succeeds or fails, but by all means keep them away from Kanetsugu, since he will be in enough trouble when Masamune arrives. - An allied officer or two may be slain during the process of getting a KO count of 1000, but this, too, is irrelevant. - Kanetsugu will more than likely struggle a few times throughout the battle, but he is strong enough to defend himself for quite a while. - Equip a mount with maximum stats, like Matsukaze, and take advantage of Keiji's ability to call his horse to his side (R1+T) whenever needed. - Equip a third weapon; one with an attack bonus is preferred. - It is a good idea to use the Interim Save funcion throughout the stage. ============ 6. Moves ============ 6.1 Move List This is the diagram of Keiji's moves. Since he will gain new moves as he advances in level, I have included both the initial and the final lists as reference. Type: Charge [The main development is found in the increase of charge attack strength.] Initial Normal Attack: S -> S -> S -> S \ \ \ Charge Attack: T T T T Special 1: R1 + S Grab and throw an enemy. Special 2: R1 + T Call Keiji's horse to his side. Final Normal Attack: S -> S -> S -> S -> S -> S -> S -> S \ \ \ Charge Attack: T T T T | | | | T T T T | | | | T T T T Special 1: R1 + S Grab and throw an enemy. Special 2: R1 + T Call Keiji's horse to his side. 6.2 Normal Attacks Rush S : Swings his spear once as he turns 360 degrees. Jump + S : Jumps and swings his spear once in a downward horizontal arc. SSSSSSSS: Swings his spear three times, holds it horizontally and performs four attacks more while moving forward, alternating hits with each end of the weapon, and finally jumps and hits the ground as he lands, causing an earthquake effect around himself. 6.3 Charge Attacks Jump + T : Jumps, turns 360 in the air, and hits the ground with the edge of his spear as he lands, creating an area effect in front of himself. T(TT): Charges up and swings his weapon forward a single time; if T is pressed a second time, he also performs two 360 degrees swings; if T is pressed three times, he finishes the charge by thrusting forward and upward. This move includes two guard-breaking hits. ST(TT): Swings his spear once, and then swings again, throwing his opponents upwards into the air; if T is pressed twice, he swings a third time, which hits his targets again as they fall to the ground; if T is pressed thrice, he finally stomps on the ground, causing a small area effect that hits enemies around him. SST(TT): Swings his spear twice and hits the opponent in front of him with his left fist; if T is pressed two times, he then performs a 360 degrees slash; if T is pressed three times, he slams the ground with the blunt end of his spear for an earthquake effect that hits a large area around him. SSST(TT): Swings his spear three times, raises his spear above his head and spins 360 degrees twice; if T is pressed two times, he spins his spear three times; and if T is pressed three times, a total of five times. 6.4 Special Moves R1+S : Grabs an opponent, spins 360 degrees and throws them. R1+T : Keiji whistles and his horse comes running to his side. It does not work inside castles, nor in any other areas where horses are not allowed. 6.5 Musou In Samurai Warriors 2, the Musou Gauge is divided in three sections that determine the strength of the Musou attack. Each character begins with a fragment of one section, and will gradually complete all three as he or she gains levels and Musou stat. Like in the first Samurai Warriors, there are two options for the use of Musou attacks: either press and hold O to perform the character's unique Musou, or tap O and use regular attacks while Musou is active. The following are Keiji's unique Musou attacks: Level 1 : Swings his spear diagonally, alternating to each side, in front of himself; finishes with a circular area hit. Keiji can turn but not advance while performing this attack. Indicated by a blue aura. Level 2 : Swings his spear diagonally, alternating to each side, in front of himself; finishes with a circular area hit. Keiji can turn but not advance while performing this attack. It inflicts more damage and lasts longer than level 1. Indicated by a green aura. Level 3 : Swings his spear diagonally, alternating to each side, in front of himself, while explosions occur on the ground all around him; finishes with a circular area hit. Keiji can turn but not advance while performing this attack. It inflicts more damage and lasts longer than level 2. Indicated by a yellow aura. Double Musou : Performed with the aid of a guard or a second player, this Musou attack is enhanced by lightning element and does many more hits than a single Musou. Indicated by red waves of electricity that link both parties in proximity. ================= 7. Statistics ================= =================================================== | Statistic | Base | Maximum | =================================================== | Life | 128 | 317 | | Musou | 82 | 246 | | Attack | 95 | 198 | | Defense | 95 | 198 | | Ride | 95 | 185 | | Speed | 94 | 154 | | Dex | 86 | 146 | | Luck | 93 | 190 | =================================================== ========================= 8. Thanks and Credits ========================= + To KOEI, for creating Samurai Warriors 2. + To EChang, for his Fourth Weapons Guide. + To GameFAQs, for publishing my work. ======================================== 9. Copyright and Contact Information ======================================== Copyright 2006 Sima Zhongda. This document may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. The following websites have been authorized to publish this guide: * GameFAQs (http://www.gamefaqs.com) For questions, corrections, etc., e-mail me at sima_zhongda@hotmail.com. I will give proper credit to the author(s) of any contributions I decide to post as part of this guide.