SHADOW of ROME Speed Run FAQ 1. Getting Started. 2. Tricks of the trade and references 3. Faq 4. Contact 1. Getting Started Shadow of Rome can be a difficult game for some people to get through on their first go. Once you have the game down however, it seems that many people get stuck on how to get past either events they don't like or the Octavianus parts swiftly, so as not to deal with them. The purpose of this guide is to provide a swift way to get through Shadow of Rome, especially the Octavianus missions and some of the more difficult Agrippa missions.This guide is meant to mainly cover the Normal mode missions, but will also have sidescripts for higher difficulties, or for when using cheats. I also, however, would like feedback, from you the reader on how to improve this run, and you can use the information in the contact section to do so. If you find a quicker way to do a part, or a way to just plain skip a part that I have included, please contact me. Not only would I like to change the guide, but I plan on doing a speedrun to put onto youtube and any improvement is welcome. 2.Tricks of the Trade and references. Often in this guide you will see me refer to certain moves or actions with certain names. I will try to list them all here. Also, I will list the salvos that we will be using most often to get by or bolt on through. 1) Not a move or technique or anything, but turning on the lock on cursor can help immensely. This lets you know whom you are throwing that rock at or whom you are about to interupt. 2) PASS TURN; I call this little trick a pass turn, and I will be telling you to pass turn left or pass turn on the right often. This is a trick with Octavianus were you can walk right up to one side of a soldier, wait for him to turn, and then walk right on by. very useful in some parts. 3) Double Tap; I will tell you to "Double tap" alot. This is in reference to tapping BOTH x and square to perform the following moves: Gladiator's Booty, stealth choking gaurds, choke chain, Human Javelin, Tee Off, recovering from stun status, including Decius' cheap super move, and so on. 4)SUB, MAIN AND SUPRA, STING COMBO and "square x,x,x"; Believe it or not, your best friend in a speed run are these techniques, and they are usually used to quickly dispatch your first opponent or multiple enemies when not much in the "dismember" area is available. These moves are not blocked or countered often and in non Arena areas tend to kill enemies in 2 passes. 5) Stab spam; Spam the stab of a spear or a Gladius. Does not have to be charged. Spamming stab seems to put Barca in an infinite loop of pain, and keeps enemies grounded until they are groggy in statue matches. 6) Stealth throw; In the begining of the game Agrippa learns to kill unaware enemies by throwing stuff. We will use this trick in some places you may not have known you could. 7) Cheap shot; Using a ladder to dismember, confuse, or round enemies. Very easy to do, actually. 8)Rock steal; Using a thrown rock to gaurantee the enemy drops the weapon to steal it. 9)Ladder drop; Pressing circle on a ladder drops you down instantly, saving time, and protecting you in most cases. 10) Load cancel; Canceling the alert phase by running through the door. 11) Snatch and Big Snatch; Doing a rolling thunder to steal weapons. Bar about one time, this will usually only be done to garner salvos. 12) TORNADO MAXIMUS; This will sometimes be used to mow down enemies as they appear out of a hole, or to quickly nail a statue down. 13) Camp; You should know this one. Stay in one place. 14)Salvo reserve; This will be something you do to keep a big weapon, use it until it breaks, then use the "Get Attenion" salvo for the main weapon. THis is also the act of saving the big weapon by leaving it on the ground when no one else can pick it up or you need food only thrown at high excitement. 15)Farm; You should know this one too. But, this is when we are on a timer and have no choice, so we might as well farm salvos to get the armor faster. Why care about the armor? Sometimes it saves time when you don't get knocked off your feet when cutting of a Halberd swinger's arm with a halberd or scimitar. 16) Stuck pig; Instant kills while groggy all apply here, this is just my favorite to use because it's so easy to pull off. Just use the gladius, if you have it to stun them by spamming stab or the 3 hit, then stuck pig them. Best on large opponents because it gaurentees thier death. 17) Totaled; You'll probably do this a grand total of once in a chariot race but it's sometimes quicker and easier than killing them. 18)Take one for the Team, Take some for the team, hostage down; In cluttered areas, this may be invaluable. If it is taking to long, try doing a suplex to get interrupted. 19) Reaper and Unholy Reaper; When fully charged you can cut the arms and heads off of about 3 to 4 guys sometimes. Amazing on clusters. Can't be blocked apparently... 20)Arm Breaker; You know why. Break the arms, can't use them. Same for disarmed. 21) SUPRA DANCE; You will really sometimes need to go backwards then forwards plus x sometimes to pull off a supra. I may not reference it, but always do the supra dance if you have trouble pulling this off. If there is anything else, I'll cover it in the guide... 3. FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ From now on, we skip all cutscenes, and we do not necessarily save or pick "Big Roman Balls" for every event. FIRST BATTLE TUTORIAL. Ok, you should turn the tutroials off and the target reticule on before starting. Ok, start a game and press start to skip the explanation when he pulls the brown screen up. Run up to the man and get ready. Ok, grab the Gladius in front of you or the Mace, but go for the guy with the scimitar and use xx, foward x or stab spam to kill him or salvo and hope for a scimitar of your own. If they all cluster fully charge a supra attack with the scimitar to cut through all of them, and salvo for the maul, and reload (restarting racks time up because it adds it in, you have to reload) if you get the grand halberd instead. You want the maul so that you can finish them all swiftly and easily so that you can use the grand halberd in the next room. Throw a one handed weapon over the wall into the next area so that you can use it later. Grab the Halberd and run at the archer, swaying to avoid the arrows. Cut off his arm with a charged swing (his arrows won't bother you in this animation) and then put the Halberd down for whatever you threw over the wall. Kill him with it or suplex him for instakill if you can and pick up the halberd and go to the gate on the other side of the wall with the parma. Either tornado maximus them to death as they come out or use the regular x charge to dismember them. Salvo for a maul if possible, but if not on the first salvo just toss the weapon into the audience so that you can get a fresh one in the next room. Use the scimitar in the ground and supra attack the center of the group. 2 or 3 should die.Do a regular chop to the rest and use the heads up salvo to rack up some free points for later or to get your Grand halberd. The big guy whom comes out is a joke. Sure, they won't let you break or cut off his arms, but do this and you will kill him fast. Charge x with the halberd while locked on. Do it again. Do it again. If it is a full health Halberd he should die so easily it's laughable. He'd actually live longer if you COULD break his arms or cut them off. If your weapon breaks before he dies just suplex him if he is groggy enough, or use whatever else was thrown in there. Gladius stab spam works wonders. CAMP INTRO TO BARBARIANS There are two options here. 1) Run straight to the General after dropping your Gladius (seriously) or running forward, punching the box on the left with square, grabbing the shield and running to the general. Tell him it's time to move out and you will get ambushed. Either run up tapping x to steal a scimitar (double tap) or use Sub, main and supra to kill a guy or two and either way once you can get the scimitar do a fully charged supra and all should be dead. OCTAVIANUS FIRST PART Run to Pansa and talk. Leave. Tap x. Run straight ahead. How dull. FOREST STEALTH PORTION Okay, target the guy walking and sidestep. When he stops moving throw the gladius into his back for a stealth throw kill then grab the scimitar in the tent. Chop the other guy up and then run up the path and supra through the trees making sure to stealth throw kill the first two guards. When you get to the trees, you can stealth throw kill another gaurd barbarian, but make sure you actually line him up between two trees, or you will mess up. Run up and grab the gladius on the right if you are barehanded and go up the ladder. Run straight into the cave and try to stealth throw kill the guard so that you don't have to kill five of them. If you are trying to do a serious speed run, you should restart even if you haven't saved and botched this part. Run inside after getting the key, a sheild and your gladius. Run forward, right, and knock them down with sub, main and supra to get to the door, but if you move fast enough you don't have to kill anyone. In fact, you don't have to hit anyone else at all till you get to the stone ramp, then you should knock that guy down with sub main and supra, kill the guy on the ramp with it, and enter the next area. Kill that guy with sub main and supra, and use the key to open the cage. Barca will come. Stab him till your gladius breaks. Then Either dodge in and out and use sub main and supra with an axe to kill him or throw axes to hope he drops his weapon for you to use. Also, if you end up behind him when he is stumbling and are low on weapons, hit square and double tap to suplex him. (later on we will suplex Barca to death, it's funny how much it does!) Suplexing may seem slow but on normal, doubling tapping makes it come out so fast it works.) OCTAVIANUS FIRST SNEAKING MISSION Run out the window straight ahead, unless you are going for the chameleon suit (I'll cover cheat run strategies and hard/extreme strategies at the bottom) and run up the stairs and out. Skip the forum, believe it or not and go straight to the gaurd. Tell him that you have important news,and then choose the middle option every time. Nows a good time to save, though I won't probably on my vid. Go inside and walk right past the first gaurd. Start running until you reach the area you are obviously meant to hide behind then walk. When the other gaurd walks out past you fromt the right, go in and follow close to the gaurd on the right side of him from your perspective. When he turns, walk right past him through the door. Grab the pot, knock out the senator, change and use select and wait for the gaurd to turn around. Pass him from the same side as he turns and he should say "Hmm" but if you go around the corner he'll forget you. Once you reach the end of the hiding area BOOK IT FOR THE EXIT. Then run to the gaurd, and go through. Run past the two gaurds. Don't worry, you'll load cancel them. Once inside, grab a pot on the left, go to the right side of the statue, whistle, go around the area walking ( if you do it right he won't see you) and if you do it right you can bonk him as he still walks. Take the key and armor to make life easier.(the guards won't talk to you as often) Go through the door and keep running till you reach the corner with the double doors. Walk around the corner and pass turn the gaurd from the right so that he doesn't speak to you. Run till you hit the corner, then walk. The messege there is unavoidable. When you round the corner, walk for a second, then bolt till you are about 4 Guards away from the gaurd. Walk, grab the rope, then quickly strangle him (double tap). Run around the corner and keep running till you are about to hit the next hallway. The gaurd should be leaning on his sheild and not notice. Strangle him with double tap and run in, then walk up behind the gaurd on the left. Get on the shelf and book it across the action prompts until you reach the door. Don't worry, if you move fast enough they will never react in time. EXECUTION OF VIPSANIA Either drop sword and Gladiator Booty a spear quickly (double tap) or use x,x, forward x to take out the spearman for his spear. Then Human javelin the other gaurd for insta kill. (nice note here for cheat run, can't help it, throw the spear at Decius for one hit kill lol!) Doing alot of damage to Decius ends this quicker, but is also really hard. No advice here accept do your best. PRISON BREAK IN Run straight forward asap, climb the box and drop of the ledge. Go through the door, grab the rope, and run till you hit the door after the "maze". Walk up to the gaurd, choke him out with double tap, then push against his bod until it moves by running and grab the key. No need for an outfit, just exit through the double doors. Go right, climb the stuff, fall off of it, and go through the ivory door on the right. Climb the bookcase at the end, go through the "vent" and go up the stairs. If you want to play a little risky here you can straight up run past the guard, through the last door on the right, then climb the ladder, but I always wait a little bit. This is an excellent time to save. Stand just in front of the rock after grabbing the torch and try to swing so that you hit 2 ropes at once, then move once the archer on the left fires. Repeat for the right. Sometimes they unintentionally help you by hitting the ropes. you can make this happen if you find the sweet spot to hit both ropes at once. Once it crashes run forward and prepare for Agrippa's part. AGRIPPA Run forward and knock down the first guy. Climb down and circle drop to meet the next two. Knock them down and run to the stairs. Wait for Octavianus for a second then go down. Repeat knocking the guys down or groggy until you get to the break room. x,x, forward x the spearman for the key and leave. Don't grab spear. It slows you down. Take the path in reverse and you should soon be in the room were you choked the guard out. Kill the guy that ambushes you, then throw a weapon into the unaware archer for a stealth throw kill. X,x, forward x the spearman and go right then left ASAP and wait for Oct, then go on to end this section. BARBARIAN AMBUSH If you have a gladius or spear ( I know I told you not to grab one, but things happen) this will go faster. If not, try to shoulder ram someone with a scimitar or knife. Suplex or stuck pig the guys as they are beaten up by Claudia and if you can supra with the scimitar for some instant win. I've never had much success stealing the maul though... TRAINING DAY Do exactly as Sextus says or you will start the event over. Break the box on the left and use the supra attack, regular attack and the combo x,x,x,x to make him happy. Make sure to go right and charge x to remove the spearman's arm. Then hit the maul guy with the supra of the halberd, then if he is still alive hit him with square.Then use the maul as best you can to clear the pygmies. Use square for best results. Sub, main and supra the next guy to get him groggy. It takes 2. Then catapult him (double tap). He should die instantly. Try to kill the pygmy with sub main and supra and throw stuff into audience or do sting for large weapon. End it quickly with charged moves from the Magnus. Claudia can be beaten by backing up and going forward as she kicks into a supra stab spam or just block and counter while circling to the right, not locked on till you attack. If you made it, SAVE! SAVE! SAVE! CITY ARENA ROUND 1 Run to sextus and choose to go. Press start to skip map screen. Salvo and hope for a rose or scimitar. If not try to gladiator booty ANYTHING or lead a cluster to a rock. Do any salvo you can think of till you get a regular halberd. Resist your urge to salvo for the big one until you run out of halberds or scimitars to supra or spam x charge with. Then find a cluster to tornado maximus or just plain rage of hercules/zeus and disarm to death. It will probably break before you are done, but there should be an arm to hit someone with, then throw into the audience to get another. Be sure to salvo after large weapons break to cancel the excitement and reset it. From now on save after every match or Octavianus part for a while. CITY ARENA ROUND 2 Choose no weapons and snatch or Gladiator's Booty the sword immediatly (double tap). Then do that combo again for the salvos, throw it at the cage, or suplex him and you should get the magnus. Try to stay close to the pillar so as not to waste the archer arrows she's shooting. Grab the magnus and go up the ladder. charge x and take off her arm. Use the bow if full to kill the other archer. Take your magnus and circle drop off. Cut off the big guys arms with charge x then do the next guy.Kill the little guy first and try to use up the magnus or throw it into the audience, and do NOT KILL the big guy yet. Finish him off with the small weapon in front of the left hole where enemies will come out, or start a tornado there and keep it going. As the next wave comes out, initiate or continue a tornado with the halberd and hopefully most will die. Finish up the rest with charged moves and if you have enough for another halberd or magnus, salvo. CITY ARENA ROUND 3 BEAST HUNT Believe it or not, choose no weapons and salvo at the start. Run forward and grab an arm or head. Then hit a tiger, throw it against the cage, grab a head and salvo. (if you threw the head, then whoops, but it will still work.) You should end up with a maul. Run in circles not locked on and when they miss tap x while locked on a little slow, until it connects, then double tap to tee off (hopefully, seems random) a little of this should take them out. Double tap if they catch you and finish them from side with small weapon if need be. Always from the side as they miss though, not straight on. OCTAVIANUS GIVES A SPEECH Run out the window and got the normal path. Go to the forum and go to the podium and press O to give a speech. Choose Dear ROmans, then ring of truth, then blame senate then storm senate house, then exit. Go to the senate house. Go in the left door immediatley. Run forward until the box and then go in so cicero does not see you. Come out the other end and crouch going forward behind hedges till the cutscene appears. Bolt to the wall next to the door, but if you are too fast you will have to hide from cicero, whom can see you through doors. If this happens, flatten against the wall next to the door and press select and go in when the grey dot dissapears. Run past senators through the door. Go right and through the door on the left. run to the small passage, go through and run forward till cutscene. Run back out and go back the way you came. Hang out on edge of wall and wait for Cicero to dissapear from the map. Pass turn the gaurd from the right and run to door. The alert will go off but will be load canceled. CITY ARENA ROUND 4 Choose Gladius and Choose big guy at start. Fall off the ladder with circle drop and then do a supra attack, then throw weapon into crowd, and then shoulder ram the big guy for weapon until you get maul or enough savlos for halberd. Tornado the statue for a quick break and try to do the same to the second statue, Disarming and No Supermaning people along the way. If the Halberd breaks, keep working on the statue whilst punching people off the ladder to your left until you get another or it breaks, or both. Go down the ladder with circle drop and don't attack the enemies. Put the statue between you and them until you break it together or use charge x as they bash the statue to instakill them. (disabled arms means death in this match due to levers) If you EVER need a big weapon quick or another salvo for some reason in these levels, throw a weapon at your own guy as he holds the lever. you'll get the salvo. CITY ARENA ROUND 5 Choose bow and 8 shooter the woman on top to death. If she doesn't die from that you can try to do Sky is Falling, but it's hard and you may have to reload the save. Do sky is falling on the giant and then salvo for Halberd. Cut off an arm on both gladiators and try to tornado the little guy and use up the halberds and stones for rock it and cut man salvos. Hopefully, you will get another Grand halberd after gate crashing the wall, at which point you should grab it and run forward. As soon as they run out DO NOT LOCK ON and try to intiate tornado maximus. They should walk into their deaths. Most of them anyway. Hope that the spear guy didn't make it and finish them off with whatever salvo you can muster, Gladiators booty and more rock it suggested. The goal is another halberd/ grand halberd or full spear. Go up the ladder and grab the bow. From where you are snipe the woman once, and only once. She should run to you. If you have a spear, human javelin her to death. If you have a halberd, use tornado maximus to keep her still and hope she dies or is groggy as/before it breaks. If you opt to suplex her or charge x her with halberd, make sure you try not to knock her off to where it could take a while to reach her. You should never have to fight the spearman whom always throws the spear, but if you do just human javelin him and he will die in one go. CITY ARENA ROUND 6 BARCA Many ways to go about this. I would almost suggest farming for salvos here since doing them all can net you up to about 68000 on NORMAL for armor. However, the quickest thing you can do is hide behind a pillar for GOAL!! or throw a rock and take his halberd and charge x him. Goal will net you a Magnus while the halberd will make him take damage and break stuff until you get one. Either way, once you have a magnus, spam supra from a range after he misses you. It cleaves the health away nicely and is spammable after the first hit. The mauls regular charge does this as well, just be careful. When his health reaches the point where he has a smidgen of the orange and all of his yellow, get behind him as he misses and double tap suplex him to death. It seems faster to me, but will also net you another magnus if you prefer that method. As soon as he gets up though you can suplex, so why not? It takes about 4 to 5 to kill him, which is alot of damage, trust me! THE TAVERN WITH OCTAVIANUS. Grab the banana and wake the guy (might as well, you have to wait anyway) and go into the back alley on the right. Drop the banana peel in front of the bees about two men away and the guy should slip. Go in. ( I have managed to touch the door without this, but you can't go in...) Once inside, go through the door, and crawl around the right side of the booth. Then go to the left side of the t shaped fixture and wait, then go around the right side as the waitress walks off and hide against the top right of the T shape until the barkeep looks away. Crouch to the right until you get the cutscene. This skips the whole rat/ kitchen thing you normally have to do. NORTHERN ARENA ROUND 1 Choose Mace and Parma and sub main and supra the pigmy. Use the rocks then to break down the blade to build excitement, or pass it up altogether. Either way grab the mace and dagger and try to supra the maul guy until you can stuck pig him. Repeat this but don't salvo for apollo spear yet. Wait until you have opened the cage and killed everyone till you salvo. Talk to the guy despite they nice little trick you can do by leaving him there. We don't want to go back for him. Human javelin everyone and mash the rest with the mace or stuck pig them, (especially the big guy) if you can, then run straight to the exit, ducking the blades if you didn't break one. (don't worry, he'll make it ). Now just wait for him to run through. You win! NORTHERN ARENA ROUND 2 Okay. Start either barehanded or with spear. Go for human javelin or for a snatch/Gladiator's Booty and then try to suplex one or the other into the spike pit for a Magnus. Then run into the room with 2 spike pits and let the door close behind you. Immediatley run right and chop off all the arms you can with charge x on the second swing (so x, charge x), and do the same to the ones from the left. By the time the Magnus breaks you should be able to suplex a few to death in spike pits or each other or use them as human sheilds. Try to gather them in the middle and use x, charge x standing still with mace to knock them into the pits if suplexes are too slow or inconvieniant at the time. Try to collect a morningstar or gladius to get some common salvos to get another Magnus to use in the adjacent room. In the next room, get the guys on the left first with a charge x so as to get the spearman to not have a spear. Then do x, charge x on the giant so you don't have to deal with the morningstar. Carve off what you can until it breaks, then use the spear for Human Javelins and morningstar for Balls of steel kills until they all fall. Roses should help if needed here, as well as at the very start of this match for getting a Magnus quickly. NORTHERN ARENA ROUND 3 Start barehanded and salvo. Run forward and grab the barrel in the middle. There should be a guy with a morningstar to your left. Hit him with the barrel to catch him aflame and steal the morningstar. Use the supra, (do the dance to be sure) to bash heads open, and go after the slower, two handed weapon guys first. Take the big weapons and tear into people until they are all gone, then cash in your salvo after reserving for all that time to get the power maul and finish the rest off. This should end quickly no matter what you do though if you just through barrels and use big weapons. OCTAVIANUS BANDITS AREA Okay, run down the stairs, and round the corner. Go up the stairs on the left, and on the top floor on Octavianus' right should be a banana peel. Grab it and jump out the window. Walk behind the bandit and down the path on the right. Then use select to see when the guard is going to turn and walk away. When he does walk up, drop the peel, and hide in the pot on the right. He should turn, eventually step on it, at which point you should jump out and take his clothes and mask. Walk to the final 2 guards and give them the ... answer, then run! The cutscene will save you. NORTHERN ARENA ROUND 4 This is timed. So start either barehanded or with dagger and try to farm salvos as much as you can to work towards that armor so that we can eat/ get knocked down less often. Lead large enemies through traps and always supra with the scimitar. You can kill alot just by staying near the start after killing the two men hiding in the back. This is a good time to play the game flashily and try to build a big score. Shoot for gold, basically. Might as well. NORTHERN ARENA ROUND 5 AND 6 Choose spear and human javelin the maul guy.Finish the others and try to pick up the maul or the power maul before the cutscene you need to skip. Use the power maul or maul to tear down pillars with normal x button until broken. If you hit a column with Arcanus on top with the power maul x button move she will fall off. When you run out of large weapons, use the catapults on the columns until you can salvo for another. Chase down Arcanus in a back and forth motion and if she runs out of arrows, look for her bow in the middle and try to steal it and mow her down with it. The overhead with the maul or the supra with the maul tear into her. Don't go for the suplex here, it's not worth it. Throw rocks or mauls when she decides to flip around way too much. This will take awhile and is a time eater. You can stun her with one handed weapons for the suplex, but once more it's not worth it. Run to Claudia in the open sand area.a ANTONIUS ESTATE Take the normal path and go to the forum. Question the guy on the left and leave. Go to Antonius' estate from there and run to the apple stand. Grab the apple and target the guard. Get next to the "innocent" guy and throw the apple at the gaurd. Then charge the door. He won't notice you. Run on the left side and go through the door. We are about to skip a sizeable climbing portion. Instead of climbing the wall, run straight in, weave around the blinder and go through the door and tap O and hit the ladder and climb up. Go left, climb, then right, climb and go right and through the door. You made it! This next part is hard. You must pass turn the gaurd from the right or over the top on the side, then run to the next high area, drop off and hit the door in the middle of the hall. YOu should be able to load cancel without dying. Crouch with the maid till she rounds the corner, then run into the back and immediatley change clothes. The other guy should run out. When the alarm dies run to the exit. Walk to the final gaurd whom should let you by, then, in the next area, run to the double doors. CIRCUS MAXIMUS RACE 1 Kill the others as quick as possible. Go for totaled, but try to grab a trident or whip and win by the second lap by genocide. Yes, it is possible to win by the second lap. SHoot for 1 and a half deaths a lap and you should do it. CIRCUS MAXIMUS RACE 2 Same as race one but try to win through Genocide by the 3rd lap. ANTONIUS ESTATE FLOOR 2 Run up, and right, and into the room with the outfit and jugs. Take them, run out and run along the openings against the wall, behind the holes till you reach the end. Walk until you reach the corner then run through the door straight ahead, running right till you get the bandana and then you can run until you get pretty close to the gaurds. Walk through. You may have to reload the next bit ALOT. Basically, you must follow Macaenus like you always have. The only speed running advice I have here is if you have the cutscene points memorized, use them. Run forward to cancel any trouble if you know where to activate cutscenes. CIRCUS MAXIMUS RACE 3 Same as one and two but you probably won't kill them all till the second to last lap or so. FINAL RACE The neat thing about this race is that you can kill the boss by the 3rd or 4th lap sometimes just by doing the following tactics. Stay on the inside track. Try to by in front of him as you turn corners. Press square once or twice until your wheels don't spark so that you don't have to gauge attack distance when using the axe. Just spam attacks, don't gaurd or hesitate. Fender bending him as you are about to reach a slave helps in accuracy of picking things up. Run to sextus after winning. OCTAVIANUS DUCKS Go to the Forum and speak to the same guy from earlier. Pick "tell Pansa" and "ask pupil". Then go to the Senate house. Talk to the guard on the left and choose the Marius option. Go in. Do the hedge part normally (though you can run to the hedge holes to duck in and wait for the alarm to end.) Throw the stone as the last guard turns away as usual. No tricks here, unfortunatley. However, in the "duck room", we are going to run until we are even with the gaurds, though in the center area. THen crawl to the ducks and rustle them all up by walking by. Stay against the northern wall crouched and hit select. When all the gaurds are chasing ducks and facing away, book it for the door and load cancel for the win. DESERT ARENA ROUND 1 Choose the power Gladius and spike shield. In the top right area with the switch is where you need to run to and farm awhile.Just kill anyone over there with sub main and supra or knock them into the pit and stomp the switch. When you get the magnus run to the center with the fire and most will come to you. After chopping them up catch them aflame again as they roll. Since this is a battle royale doing it quickly is kinda random, but if you stay in that area they tend to fight next to or on the fire trap. DESERT ARENA ROUND 2 Start with Power gladius and spike shield. Drop the helmet and pick it back up immediatley for Secutor, then pick up a rock and mind the spearman. Your goal is to hit the spearman and make him drop the spear so you can human javelin him to death as he runs for your dropped weapons. Once done rock stealing from him, and he's crushed, drop the spear and throw all the rocks into tigers. Remember to wait for them to miss an attack before throwing a rock and that if you throw a rock straight on sometimes it will pass through both of their hit boxes for Rock and Roll it. In this battle, you should actually try to get the regular maul and salvo reserve until it's broke for the main weapon thrown here. DESERT ARENA ROUND 3 Start barehanded and salvo immediatley. Throw the rock that is nearby into the others as they climb. THe immediate salvos you get should be enough for the power maul. Try your best to avoid the pigmy. Choose the big guy by the way. Go left and let the pigmy smash the first statue, and right as he does charge x and smash him. Run around the left to the back and climb the ladder and use what's left of the maul on the statue. Break it down for Rock Breaker and salvo for a weapon. Run to the edge and then back. It will take awhile for your partner to catch on and go pull the lever for the last statue, so knock red guys off the ladders until he does. You might even be able to get another maul to use. SENATE OFFICES Okay, we are going to cut out this whole maid costume knocking out bench sneaking stuff right now. What we are going to do is follow the two gaurds slowly into the room, and as they sit down, run through the door, into the room, grab the key and jump out the window. By the time they get up and run, the alert will be over and you will be fine. Now run to the door on the left that requires the key. Here's where things get tricky. You must pass turn the gaurd while on the wall, but if you touch him he kills you. So how do you do it? Wait for him to turn, press triangle on the right bookcase, edge along the wall until he starts to turn. Time it right and he will miss you and walk merrily along. Get off the wall, on the next one, go through and then navigate the action prompts in the next area. When you drop off follow the normal path and you are done. DESERT ARENA ROUND 4 Choose barehanded and farm salvos if you don't have the second armor yet. If you do just choose no weapon anyways. Beat the man to death for Assualt and battery, unless he's under the press or can be pushed there, in which case hit the gong. Use this to get a large weapon and hopefully a salvo reserve. If you hang out near the ladder and the press on the left side you can easily use the ladder to your advantage as they climb up and down, can chop people as they exit the hole, and can use the magnus or maul to launch people into the spike pit. Just watch out for females. Their kick seems to cancel most attacks and waste your strategies. So heard them to the press and squish them if you need a large weapon again. DESERT ARENA ROUND 5 THis is a time eater. Start with a mace and spike sheild and sub main and supra the spear guy to death. Use human Javelin on everything that comes out of the hut that is on the right as you start until they stop coming or the spear breaks, and hope for the grand halberd. Stay on this side and kill the female after killing the large guy with the maul so that you won't be constantly annoyed/on fire. When you run out of big weapons just run in circles hitting the fire traps for easy excitement. Getting a morningstar and camping the huts while swinging helps too here. When you have killed everyone downstairs, climb the ladders then go right back down. Shoulder ram them for their weapons as they climb down or burn them to death. If you still have a big weapon though I suggest cutting down the rock with the maul, but only after making sure to disarm/arm breaker the big guy. DESERT ARENA ROUND 6 BOSS Okay, start with the halberd and put it down immediatley. Dodge the elephant and pick it back up. Tornado it whenever it is still and salvo alot whenever you pull off a salvo (secutor is possible here). Once you get an Appollo spear just supra whichever leg is vulnerable or use it to break one if not already. Once you get another halberd or if you manage to break both anklets on one side of the beast, use tornado maximus to EAT it's health. At any time you can now stop the elephant by throwing a halberd. If you want a large weapon before it dies, kick it and then do the fist of fury salvo before killing it. When Askari gets off the dead beast drop any large weapon and run around the weapon in circles. When he either dizzies himself or misses a stab pick it up and attack, then put it down. This works for the spear well, but with the halberd, you can actually chain attack him to death. If you can get him about the distance away from the walls that the barriers are and hit him, you can bounce him off the wall and land him right in front of you again. With an UNCHARGED x swing hit him as he groggily stands and you can loop him until the weapon breaks. Don't worry about breaking his helmet though. Run to Claudia in Sextus' area. TEMPLE SQAURE This is pathetic really. Run forward. Wait for it to load. Exit. Done. ANTONIUS' HOME Grab an apple, stand next to the guy next to the horse. Throw the apple at the horse in first person. Back up or you will get hit too. Run in. No need for a costume. Run in and run right and hit the first door on the right. Go on the ledge until you get to the end, then grab a pot. Use select to watch the gaurd then knock him out from behind. Quickly drag him behind a box, but still in sight. This often causes the other gaurd to glitch and run indefinitley into a box and ignore you. Run up the stairs and prepare for frustration. Okay, this area is a pain. Grab the rat on the right in the kitchen and line it up with first person. Drop it with right and let it run into the room with the maid. Then grab the honey pot, whistle at the table and hide crouching behind the table on the left. As both gaurds walk out knock one out right before the door way but not in the doorway, and drag him behind the honey. Hopefully, this causes all of them to slip. If not, reload. Once they are all out cold because they can't go around honey to get to you, go to the last area holding a REGULAR POT. You don't want to fall over and over at the last door. Make sure to take an outfit too. Get on the left side of the gaurd, then go right and swing. Though he's turning it should knock him out. Run through. Grab the rat and rope to your right and then wait at the door watching the map for the gaurd to get close. Open the door and strangle him with double tap as he passes. Run and line up the rat and release it. Walk with the rat then run up and choke the gaurd out. Take the key and exit the way you came, then through the double doors. Once there just run forward then left then all the way down and enter the door on the left. Don't worry, the gaurds are slow. Now you will go through a door on the right and be in the tiger area. Go left and walk or sidestep the trophs. Grab the torch and go back to the trophs and destroy them. Run to the first torch and strike it, then the second. From there on walk until you reach the tiger and smack him in the face once or twice. Go in, smash the troph, get the key, swing at the tiger and exit. Lock on and walk backwards to the stairs... it's actually pretty fast compared to normal walking. When you hit the stairs RUN!. You'll make it out and be unscathed. Go to the other door and examine the document. FINAL ARENA SET GREAT ARENA ROUND 1 Run downstairs to the open area and talk to the man with the chariot. For the first round choose the grand mace and parma. Beat the first guy senseless but don't kill him. Run through the spike pit and do the same to the next guy. We don't want them dead so that we can kill the big guy and archer without more guys entering. When you climb the tower, stand behind the flag so the archer knocks it down to make a bridge then stand behind the cage until the archer breaks it down. Salvo for the spear and human javelin the archer. Beat the big guy up and when the spear breaks try to lead him to the open area so as to steal his halberd in your preferred method. Finish him and grab the girl and the key, then get the second girl in the tower. Run down the ramp with both of them and lead them to the start. Once they make it go back and let the guy chasing you open the cage, talk to her and fight the guy to keep him off her. If you knock him down or groggy him, run and take her to safety. The key here was not killing people basically. GREAT ARENA ROUND 2 CHoose the power gladius and meat. Dodge the elephant and find a rock. Try to hit a tiger straight on for both Rock it and Rock and Roll it. Use scimitars on them from the side until you get a magnus and try to finish them off with the two x swings of it. If you have a maul save it. Your goal now is to throw rocks into the elephant, and use the x moves of the maul to down the elephant. Remember to use DOn't kick the elephants and cruelty to elephants to get a big weapon if you need it. If you succeed, you may actually kill the elephant before the next set of tigers comes out. If surrounded by vultures with a mual use x. If with magnus, do the supra. If with scimitar or gladius just do combos. IF with a rock target and throw. Finish the last tigers the same way and remember to sidestep. GREAT ARENA ROUND 3 Choose dagger or sheild for stuck pig or secutor, but also for a wider arc to hit the gong with. run straight under it and then run in a circle, then run back through and without looking hit it. Kill the archers with sub, main and supra and continue to crush or halberd x charge swing the rest. Carry either a power maul or full strength halberd into the next room. Go around the right side of the blades and kill/disarm the female archer, and the male. As the others run into the blades, go back and try to lift them with square on the maul or the halberd x swing into the blades. When all are gone, only bother to breakdown one if you need a maul or halberd. The next room can be a time eater or go by swiftly depending on your luck. The archers need to be disarmed/arm breakered and anyone else should get the same treatment. Try to eliminate/break all big weapons in the arena so you can chase down the archers in the grass. Kill the last guy without letting him hit you or damaging the halberd. Take it with you into the next area. Cut their arms off and switch to the power maul if/when it's thrown in to save it. Kill them all but one and throw the maul into the wall to break it. Grab the halberd and try to tornado the last female so that the next guy is lawnmowered to death as he exits. GREAT ARENA ROUND 4 Choose fire bow and the large warrior. Hit the first red guy with a rock and salvo, then take the bow with you and try to shoot down the statue that is in the wall. If you get a maul, use the x move NOT locked on to actually attack high enough to hit it. As an alternative, try to save your fire bow for the statue in the middle. Stand on the left side when throwing a rock or firing or throwing anything at the center statue so that any interrupters are attacking the lever guy instead of you, basically being your meat sheild. If one guy gets to be too annoying, try to beat him groggy, and after breaking every rock but the last, suplex him into the spikes for a halberd or maul. Run to the last statue and either use a fully charged supra from the maul or tornado maximus to tear it down. If you don't have these luxuries, salvo for a weapon and stand behind it and hope an enemy comes to your "aid" and tears it down with you. Also note that choosing the big guy brings a maul to the first statue because he drops it to pick up the lever. OCTAVIANUS FIGHT Okay, run up the hill and immediatley kick the barrel down and they should get hit, even without aiming. Now run down, get a torch and run back and forth between the two after scoring the first torch hit. As soon as they recover they can be hit again. Just watch out on the third phase. It comes out fast with a hard to dodge throw if you are going for speed. Run to the end then through the double doors to finish this area. GREAT ARENA ROUND 5 SEIGE! Okay, choose barehand and throw a rock into the spearman. Beat anyone senseless but don't kill them with the spear you rock stole and use the catapult to gate crash. Once you do, salvo or perform for a maul and kill the man inside on the right. Run up the ramp and break all the arms you can, but try not to kill anyone. Either use whats left on the power maul on the boss at the top or steal his. Do not suplex him off the top unless he is so near death it's not even a question. Try to fist of fury him but only after his armor is all off. However, if you can manage to repeatidly hit his head with the power maul you had, the maul he had, and the one you may get for breaking his armor/arms, you may be able to smash his head quicker than straight up beating him to death. Anyone whom trys to disturb you should have their arms broken or be beaten groggy, but try not to kill them. GREAT ARENA ROUND 6 The rudis mission is easier than it looks to speed run. Choose the power scimitar and rush the upper left pillar. Kill that female then disarm or arm breaker the guy, and from there on out, hang out and camp behind the lower right pillar, trying to reserve your weapons by cutting off the enemies arms with the halberd/magnus, finishing them with something else since they can't pick up your big weapons, and then using the big weapons again when someone new comes out. If you camp this corner and cut off the heads of any groggy person with a scimitar or cutting people in half with halberd/magnus. The girls will have to be ran down with non charge moves or a throw. The second girl to come out of the hole will have rudis. Grab it and run up. You should have about 3 minutes and 30 seconds left on a good run. DECIUS AND ANTONIUS Choose the scimitar and the spike sheild. Run in a circle and whenever Decius misses a jab or combo use sub, main and supra on him. He will often block, so don't worry if you don't always connect the spin attack. Throw roses and weapons as the scimitar gets weak into the cage for a halberd. Now target Decius and try to corner him in a corner by swinging. He should back up and block. Swing again, uncharged with the halberd and he will do it again. If you corner him he will try to dodge and get hit anyway. Repeat these two stratgies above till the second half, and try to have a halberd at the start of the second half. Do the same thing and take advantage by running near walls or statues when he chases you. If you fall down, wait until he runs forward to get up or quicksand. If he grabs you for the "fury attack", then double tap until you recover and then hit him once to stop it if you have a one handed weapon. When his health is about 3/4ths of his final bar, try to get behind him and suplex him until he has very little health left. Salvo for a fresh halberd (destroy the other one by throwing it if you still have it) and finish him with it so you can start with one on Antonius. On Antonius, try to have him do his "stinger" stab into a corner, circle him, then just swing over and over for some free damage. He may jump off the wall, but most of the time he will just lose about a health bar and a half. Salvo for the Appollo spear and try to break his sword. If there is another spear in the arena throw it against the cage to break it so he won't grab it when he loses the sword. When he loses it stab him once, then continue until the combo is complete. Every time he gets up hit x once, and if it hits keep going with the combo. If it doesn't, wait a second and sidestep with him to the right and hit him again, salvoing for more spears as he falls. If you basically jab, miss, walk, jab again he will never be able to break the chain or get a weapon as long as you have a spear. ENDING GAUNTLET Tear down the door on the right with the sword and then grab a boulder. Rock steal the next guy and then tear down the door that is straight ahead as you exit. Go through and kill the gaurd as best you can and break down the door and grab a helmet if available. Take the meat and the mace or scimitar in the boxes for the next room. Zedo and Gedo are a pain. If you brought a mace, pick the one you want to pick on and throw the mace until he drops the spear. Try to corner and stab the defenseless weirdo as much as possible, using the same method as we used on Antonius. Use the meat if needed and if you brought the scimitar spam the supra for free damage as they block. Also, shoulder ram if they block and you are unarmed and see if you can steal the spear again. If you do just repeat this cycle until both fall. In the next area Claudia will insist on fighting everyone, so humor her and go up the stairs on the left. Grab the bow and use first person to insta kill the unaware gaurds in the distance. It might take 2 shots. Grab the spear again if available and go forward and left, grabbing the mace if you need it. You can try to take the fight to the back so Claudia will go down without killing the guy, but more often than not it won't happen. When you get in the sewer grab the dagger and the sword in the water and try to get one groggy and stuck pig both of them. Break the trees and leave, climb the ladder and treat the next two the same way, and then the next two big guys. It's possible to run past them if you knock them down, but kill them so you can go back, grab the maul in the box and use it on Sextus. Just spam x on Sextus as he attacks. Even if he blocks he will usually take massive damage. If you are weak, let him kill you for the health boost. When
the maul breaks, go for a one handed weapon and do the standard x,x,x combo
when he misses. Only go for the spear if you can time it to hit him with the
supra or if he is at the point of doing the kick combos.

When all that ends, Save save save since we can't rely on arena saves any
more. Go down the stairs and knock the gaurds down with stabs. Break the
boxes and get a dagger. Use the dagger on the wheel to drop the bridge
and run forward, and stab the big guy and then go down the hatch. Basically,
knock down everyone and keep running until you reach the room right before
Antonius. Kill those guys for the spear and the food. Heal up and get the 
spear.

Run in circles and when Antonius misses supra him with the spear. When it 
breaks, stand next to the statue and have him break it for another. Repeat
this until you have to dodge the flames and he turns red. Use regular weapons
then to break the rock with the power maul and spam the x move as he stands 
up to overhead smash him to death/near death. If you ever have a large weapon
as he jumps to do the flames, drop it so that you can run faster. Sub main and
supra after he misses if you have no other large weapons. Speed run done!

I will add the Cheat run sections and Hard and Extreme tips soon!

4 CONTACT
Gojira345@adelphia.net