Nobunaga Oda is the very first character you’ll get in Samurai Warriors 5. He’s incredibly powerful in battle, but his single blade and focus on getting stuck into battle make him very different from the slew of characters you’ll unlock throughout the rest of the game. This article covers a few combat tips to help you make the most of him on the battlefield.

Don’t be afraid to get stuck in

Nobunaga Oda is bold by nature, so it only makes sense to take that aspect of him into battle. Don’t hold back and tackle groups of enemies one by one—instead, charge in which hyper attacks and take as many of them out as you can. Seeing hundreds of enemies flying all over the place is commonplace for Nobunaga, and it helps charge his Musouo bar much faster. If you hold back, you’ll get lower combo numbers and find that you constantly lack Musou energy.

Combine light and heavy attacks against strong foes

Some enemies in Samurai Warriors 5 can defend against Nobunaga Oda’s attacks. This will cause him to rebound, leaving him open to an incoming attack. Don’t try to bash your way through these enemies, especially if they’re bosses. Instead, try to combine light and heavy attacks to cause some new and interesting combos. These will break any enemy’s defense and leave them open for more attacks.

A horse is faster than a man

Some characters are incredibly fast on foot and can go between objectives on the map fast enough that you don’t sacrifice too much of an ally’s health. Unfortunately, Nobunaga Oda is not one of those characters. He’s incredibly slow on foot, so you need to call your horse if you want to get to the other side of the battlefield before an ally is killed. The only reason you should travel on foot is if you’re trying to take out groups of enemies and build up your Musou bars as you travel.

Use your Musou Attack on every boss

While Nobunaga Oda can be powerful enough to destroy any boss or named enemy without a Musou Attack, it’s much easier to smash these enemies with it. Save your Musou Attack until you see a named enemy in the distance. Then, even if they’re not a boss, use the Musou Attack against them because killing them will net you more rewards. Nobunaga Oda’s sword skills will take a while to whittle away the stronger bosses, and some may have a nasty habit of blocking most of them. No one can defend against a Musou Attack, though.

Defend yourself

As we’ve alluded to above, Nobunaga Oda isn’t the most nimble of characters in this game. As a result, he’s much more of a fighter who will stand their ground against a barrage of incoming hits instead of someone who will artfully dodge out of the way. You need to make sure he defends himself, though. So if you see an enemy, such as a boss or special group of soldiers, coming towards you with an attack, have Nobunaga Oda defend himself. This will block the incoming attacks and ensure that you don’t take more hits than is necessary.

Make the most of your Ultimate Skills

Since Nobunaga Oda is your first character, it’s likely that you won’t have assigned many offensive Ultimate Skills to him. While you can chop and change these to try out different combinations, it doesn’t necessarily matter what skills you assign as long as you use them. It’s far too easy to leave Ultimate Skills alone and simply power through combat. However, these skills make combat easier, regardless of whether they’re a small attack, a stat buff, or a boost to Musou energy. Every time an Ultimate Skill is charged, you should be using it to ensure that you’re pushing this character to the edge of his abilities and beyond.