[Video] How to perfect bosses (Hard difficulty, no: damage, Martial Arts, items) in-depth guides.

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Hopefully everyone is enjoying Rise of the Ronin, as much as I do (GOTY material easily). Decided to cover every boss in the game (and make other guides too - for trophies, items and such), same thing I did with Nioh 2 and Wo Long. Hard to find time nowadays (full-time work), but I want to help my fellow players - maybe it'll help someone.

 

Gotta say, the Dojo missions (Master Rank) are super fun too. So many things to cover, I'm loving it, lol. Combat is top-notch.

 

So yeah, have fun with RotR, it's awesome

 

Edited April 10 by sunashigure1

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Genzui Kusaka

 

"Feudal retainer of the Choshu clan. Educated at Shoka Sonjuku Academy, he is considered to be Shoin Yoshida's foremost pupil. Close with Shinsaku Takasugi since infancy, they are fast friends. He is also proficient in the sword, having mastered the Nito-ryu, or 'Two-sword' style".

 

Another challenging boss we need to handle – decided to cover the main fight (all restrictions) and add the first (Dojo) encounter with him as well (as a bonus; with Martial Arts). Genzui Kusaka is fast, aggressive and likes to overwhlem us with long combos and Martial Arts, with strict timings. His Iai – or rather, Sign of the Cross – is a deadly (and unblockable) move on its own, but it's worth knowing he can add... another one (or any other Martial Art), right after we parry the first Sign of the Cross/Martial Art – in the second phase. Simply put, he can go for any Martial Art and, if we deflect it, follow-up with any Martial Art. Due to that, his speed and different timings, those mix-ups will be troublesome to react to. Challengers can still deflect everything, of course, but there's a safer alternative – dodge his follow-ups instead. Why is this such a good idea? To avoid a guessing game (little time to react). Idea is to dodge the MA follow-up and punish then. It will be much easier to react to his "randomness" and to control the fight, as a result. Second phase is much harder to perfect, but with enough perseverance, totally doable. Just don't underestimae Genzui Kusaka – he's good.

 

 

More tips:

 

-Genzui Kusaka wields the Dual Katana, so it's best to choose the Jin style for this fight (better Ki management),

-deflect the first Martial Art, dodge the second Martial Art and punish then (second phase),

-long regular combos can be his weakness, if you don't fight him solo. When he is busy, switch your character, use the whetstone item to apply burn/poison and attack his back,

-running costs Ki, so don't overdo it,

-Blade Flash (R1; after attacking) to regain more Ki. It's a useful mechanic, to keep your Ki high.

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Blue Demon

 

"Deputy Minister of the shogunate's council and head of its spy ring. Prior to his appointment by Chief Minister Naosuke li, he is said to have led something of a wayward life. Known for executing the mostcut-throat of orders without batting an eyelid or letting his mask slip, he is nicknamed the 'Blue Demon', and is a counterpart to Naosuke Ii's 'Red Demon'". We remember this highly skilled enemy from earlier – it's time to settle the score, finally. Boss is powerful, speedy, aggressive and his clone attack is among the most broken moves in the entire game. He may summon 2 clones, which share his whole moveset, but die in one hit. Given their crazy potential and speed, the best method is to kill them via the Counterspark. Other than that, he deals medium Ki damage, so we can't block his regular moves forever.

 

Our aim is to timely deflect his several Martial Arts (various timings), punish with 3 regular attacks or 1 Martial Art. Be careful of his shuriken, kunai, bullets and grappling hook (he can use it to throw the nearby weapons at us too) – they might catch you off-guard and immediately end your no damage attempt. Blue Demon is tough, but have some problems with maintaining his Ki. Keep medium and long distance to provoke his two specific Martial Arts, which are the easiest to parry. Close distance often means fast Martial Arts, Ki damage and potential problems with camera – best to avoid it.

 

 

 

More tips:

 

-Blue Demon wields the Katana, so it's best to choose the Ten style for this fight (better Ki management),

 

-kill his clones via the Counterspark (most i-frames). You can also try to run away (they will vanish after a while), but may get hit by a projectile/hook when doing so,

 

-the most troublesome Martial Art is at close range, a 2-hit combo. Martial Art is the second hit and it's very fast (deflect immediately after blocking the first hit),

 

-ability to parry and counter fast – don't extend your combos,

 

-running costs Ki, so don't overdo it,

 

-Blade Flash (R1; after attacking) to regain more Ki. It's a useful mechanic, to keep your Ki high.

 

Good luck!

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Naosuke Ii & Akikatsu Manabe duo

 

"Chief minister of the shogunate and clan lord of Hikone. Working with the Western powers, he opens Japan's ports to foreign trade. Known-for mercilessly suppressing his opposition, he is feared as the 'Red Demon', a soubriquet inherited from his ancestor. Among the martial arts, lai is his forte. Considered to be a man of taste, li also possesses a deep knowledge of the finer things, not least tea and poetry".

 

 

One of the hardest encounter to perfect in the entire game. It's very demanding because we have to no damage our enemies in both fights (Naosuke Ii at first and Naosuke Ii & Akikatsu Manabe afterwards). Not only that, Blue Demon can still summon his two clones, which creates a 4 vs 1 scenario. Add Ki Blaze, random projectiles, chaos to that and it's a nightmare. Most dedicated players should grab 1 ally, to draw some attention and carefully (yet quickly) kill the Blue Demon. Best bet is to provoke his Charge Attack Martial Art, keep deflecting it and go for Critical Hits. When he empowers himself with the Ki Blaze, it will put even more pressure on us. We can't block too long, as the Burn status will build-up - deflects are key. When you beat Akikatsu Manabe, take it slow and don't underestimate Naosuke Ii. Red Demon isn't as powerful as Blue Demon, obviously, but has fast counters and tricky moves (e.g. 3 projectiles and Martial Arts with different timings) too. Non-challengers should summon two allies, use a lot of items (to buff and heal) and try to kill both enemies with their strongest Martial Arts. Challengers who managed to perfect those two fights (and with restrictions), I salute you!

 

More tips:

 

-Both bosses (Naosuke Ii & Akikatsu Manabe) wield the Katana, so it's best to choose the Ten style for this fight (better Ki management),

 

-accessories with the Burn Resilience perk to block those Ki Blaze attacks better,

 

-running costs Ki, so don't overdo it,

 

-Blade Flash (R1; after attacking) to regain more Ki. It's very useful.

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Expelled Student (special enemy, hidden boss)

 

Expelled Student is a hidden boss we can find in Shibo (northern part of Yokohama). Surprisingly challenging one to perfect, as he excels at every range. He performs mix-ups, fast counters, has fluid movement (while dodging especially), several Martial Arts with different timings, delayed gunshots, combos, bulk (suggested level 20+) and the ability to build up the Burn status easily. One blocked burst (3 bullets) is enough to break our guard, inflict Burn and end our no damage attempt, in fact.

 

 

Thankfully, there are ways to make this encounter more manageable. Most important thing is to remember that dodging decreases the Burn build-up. That's why we want to dodge a lot – at certain moments (e.g. after our punish). We can also take advantage of the surroundings (evade his bullets, relatively safely regain Ki). Block some of his attacks, but don't forget to dodge (to lower the Burn build-up) and deflect his Martial Arts. Counterspark the latter, otherwise he'll continue with an unblockable combo.

 

If we beat a special enemy (like Expelled Student), we will get some items and, much more importantly, "The Seven Military Classics" item – in the treasue chest nearby (it's hidden; blow up the barrels to reach it) – use it to earn one Skill point of each type! Expelled Student is problematic, so it'll take us some time to learn all of his tricks.

 

More tips:

 

-Expelled Student wields the Bayonet, so it's best to choose the Ten style for this fight (better Ki management),

 

-start the fight with a stealth attack (via the Glider), free damage,

 

-3 Martial Arts (one regular horizontal + delayed horizontal MA, fast thrust MA, delayed horizontal MA),

 

-accessories with the Burn Resilience perk to block those bullets better,

 

-running costs Ki, so don't overdo it,

 

-Blade Flash (R1; after attacking) to regain more Ki. It's very useful.

 

Best of luck!

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Shinsaku Takasugi

 

"Feudal retainer of the Choshu clan. Educated at Shoka Sonjuku Academy, he is one of Shoin Yoshida's foremost pupils alongside Genzui Kusaka, a childhood friend with whom he retains a close friendship. Though undoubtedly a man of taste, enjoying poetry, Dodoitsu song, and music, he has a wild side, often indulging in gambling and geisha. Despite the fact he often conducts himself with little regard for others, he has few detractors, all the same".

 

 

Shinsaku Takasugi is an interesting and unique boss, as he uses two weapons (Polearm; medium Ki damage and Katana; low Ki damage) and a lot of misdirection, alongside sub-weapons to keep us guessing his true attacks.

 

Bombs (Earthenware Balls), bullets (Revolver) and teleportation included. The explosive version of the former can be thrown either directly at us or to the ground, in front of the boss. That's why we want to just dodge them instead. Thing is, he is likely to follow-up (after using the bombs) with a Martial Art – Blue Storm (with Polearm), Crouching Dragon (Polearm) or Seprent Skewer (Katana) – best to Counterspark it.

 

He might also go for his Seprent Skewer (Katana), Blue Storm (Polearm) and Crouching Dragon (Polearm) Martial Arts without using explosives, so be watchful. Most of the time, however, he will try to confuse us with bombs. Bamboo Splitter (Katana) and Teleport (Katana) Martial Arts are always done without explosives. Strategy is to keep medium distance, let him whiff or dodge his bombs, provoke his Martial Arts, deflect them (slight delay), punish.

 

More tips:

 

-Shinsaku Takasugi wields two weapons – Polearm (Naginata; Shinto Munen-ryu style) and Katana (Yagyu Shinkage-ryu style) – so it's best to choose the Chi and Ten styles (respectively; better Ki management),

 

-if you bring allies and deal ~35% damage to him, Shinsaku Takasugi may disengage for a moment and play his shamisen (instrument), to summon 2 Kihetai thugs (to aid him in battle),

 

-has 5 Martial Arts. Three of them – Blue Storm (Polearm), Crouching Dragon (Polearm), Serpent Skewer (Katana) – have 2 variants (may or may not throw bombs before going for it),

 

-Blade Flash technique to regain Ki.

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Foreign Swordsman (Jules Brunet)

 

"Officer in the French Army who was sent to Japan as a member of the military advisory group. Though often considered cool of temperament, he is a compassionate man who refuses to forsake those who depend upon him".

 

 

Foreign Swordsman (Jules Brunet) is a unique boss, as he uses two weapons (Saber and Shield) and has his own version of a Counterspark. He relies on deflecting and countering our moves, in fact. That's why we want to play defensively and let him attack us first. We can block his regular moves and combos just fine (low Ki damage) and focus entirely on parrying his unblockable Martial Arts.

 

More active players can, of course, Counterspark his regular moves too (especially the combo enders – e.g. 4-hit "all thrusts" combo and its ender). Boss prefers close range and desperately wants to shorten distance.

 

He's much more dangerous in the second phase, as his new Martial Art (grab) is very fast. Best to just dodge this move (as soon as you see the red aura), as his other, delayed Martial Art (Shield Bash) has the same starting (crouching) animation. If we try to deflect and he goes for the Shield Bash, he will hit us, so there's no need to risk, particularly when there's so little time to react & his Martial Arts lack the range.

 

Be careful of mix-ups in the second phase, as boss tends to "enrich" his combos with Martial Art enders.

 

More tips:

 

-normally, vs Saber users, we would choose the Jin style, but since Foreign Swordsman wields both the Saber and Shield (more weight), it's best to choose the Ten style for this fight (better Ki management),

 

-in both phases (deal more than 50% damage to trigger the second part), his 2 Martial Arts – Shield Bash & Saber Flurry – are always delayed. His third Martial Art (Shield Dive) is very fast, but he does it only in the second phase. Simply put, when boss has more than 50% HP, his every Martial Art will be delayed,

 

-boss is susceptible to poison and paralysis. Use the whetstone and attack him, preferably when he's busy fighting your companion,

 

-running costs Ki, so don't overdo it,

 

-Blade Flash (R1; after attacking) to regain more Ki, it's useful.