Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends
Lu Bu Guide
by TwilightPhoenix

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Table of Contents
--------------------------------

1. The Purpose of the Guide
2. Lu Bu's In-game Profile
3. Unlocking
4. What good is he?
5. Moves
6. Weapons
7. My Item Set-up
8. Legend Level
9. Xtreme Mode
10. How to Beat Lu Bu
11. Version History
12. Credits
13. Contact Info
14. Copyright

--------------------------------------------
The Purpose of the Guide
--------------------------------------------

This guide has the same purpose as any other character guide:  to tell
you how good a character is and to make suggestions on his use.  In this
case, we have everyone's favorite monster:  Lu Bu!

SPOILER ALERT!

Some things might spoil the game for you if you have not seen it all. 
You have been warned.

Disclaimer:  I give no opinions on his moves or how to use them.  That
is entirely up to you.  You may prefer to do the same attack over and
over while another guy might like to do a certain series of attacks, 
while a third might just hit random buttons and see what he gets.

Though if you people really want me to, I'll add a section for my style 
of Lu Bu play.


--------------------------------------------
Lu Bu's In-game Profile
--------------------------------------------

This is taken from the Encyclopedia.

The mighty Lu Bu.  He was skilled in the martial arts, especially
archery and horseback riding.  It was often said:  "Among men, Lu Bu...
Among horses, Red Hare..."  Red Hare could gallop 1000 leagues in a
single day and Lu Bu burnished his fabled spear.  Loyal only to himself,
he cut down his own adopted father, Ding Yuan, and joined Dong Zhuo,
only to later betray him as well.


--------------------------------------------
Unlocking
--------------------------------------------

In DW5 regular, you have to beat Musou mode with any three characters.
In Xtreme Legends, he is unlocked right from the start.

--------------------------------------------
What good is he?
--------------------------------------------

Lu Bu is considered by many to be the best character in the game.  He
always seems to be on top of those little annoying tier lists people
make.  Personally, Lu Bu is definitely one of the best characters in the
game, but he is beaten in a few areas by several other characters, so
whether he is the best or not, I haven't decided personally.

In regards to his strengths and weaknesses...

---STRENGTHS---
Excellent Crowd Clearing
Very High Attack Power
Good Defense
Good Life
Good Running Speed
Good Attack Speed
Fire Element on C1 (Charge 1)

---WEAKNESSES---
Slow rate of attack
Bad normal jump attack
Slightly slow charge time

As you can see, he has excellent stats and mows down soldier of soldier
with ease.  The built-in fire element is great for tough opponents,
especially in Xtreme Mode.  His normal jump attack swings low, making it
hard to dismount enemies on horse back and very difficult to knock a
foe of an elephant (you don't always have the chance to use the bow).
Also, while he swings his weapon quickly (attack speed), he has
large pauses between each attack (rate of attack).  In fact, he has one
of the lowest (believe it or not).  Enemies with average, and especially
high attack rates can become a big pain to Lu Bu if he lets them too
far into his attack range.  His slow charge time can sometimes cause
him to get hit in mid-charge, stopping your attack.  The exception is
his C1.

--------------------------------------------
Moves
--------------------------------------------

C = Charge  To figure out how many times you must perform a normal
attack (square) to do the said charge (triangle), subtract 1 from the
'C' number.  EX:  C3 requires pressing square twice first.

S-String -  I'm not going to break down each individual swing, you'll
have them memorized pretty much after you use him a level or two, you'll
be using them so much.  All the attacks have wide swings, great for
crowd clearing.

C1 - His weapon catches fire, adding a fire element.  He performs one
swing, dashes forward with another swing, and then stomps.  The damage
comes mainly from the swings, the stomp just saves him from a possible
counter-attack (usually).  The attack is unblockable.  He hit me with it
when I was blocking not too long ago.

C2 - Basic knock one enemy into the air trick.  Nothing special, nothing
great about it.

C3 - Lu Bu performs several 360 swings over his head (number depends on
the weapon you have, up to 5), followed by another front swing.  He then
stomps his foot, sending a 360 shockwave that damages all enemies around
him, as well as knock them off balance.

C4 - Lu Bu brings his halberd back in preparation for a powerful swing,
and then steps far forward, making a 270 degree swing forward (or almost
that much).  The attack sends enemies flying.

C5 - Lu Bu slams the ground with his halberd, causing an explosion that
sends enemies into the air.  Has better range than most C4s, but not the
best possible.  Useful for hitting a blockaholic officer.

C6 - Lu Bu performs multiple quick swings to the left and right on front
of him (number depends on how many times you hit Triangle, up to 6)
followed by him slamming the ground, causing a small shockwave that
injuries enemies and knocks them around a bit.

Evolution Combo - A few of the S-String swings followed by a C4, except
it won't have your orbs element (if you have one).  You can only perform
this on one of two conditions.  You have a 3rd weapon with a little blue
circle by the name OR you have his 4th weapon.

Jump Attack - Downward swing.  Good to hit enemies below, but bad for
dismounting (especially elephants).

Jump Charge - He shoots down into the ground, causing a small shockwave
around him.  He then follows up with a 270 degree swing to prevent
enemies from getting an easy hit.  Keep in mind he has to charge a 
moment before the final swing, so it could get interrupted.  It also
gives you time to aim it better.  Its a bitter-sweet deal.

Mounted Attack/Charge/Musou - Standard right to left swings.  Yawn.

Musou - Several somewhat 360 swings with him spinning, his weapon at an
angle.  Enemies in front and behind are most likely to be hit.  He ends
with a downward swing that results in a small shockwave in front of him.

True Musou - Same thing, except his shockwave is more centered from him.
He then stomps again, causing a second, larger shockwave.  This attack
also have built-in fire element (just like all True Musous).

--------------------------------------------
Weapons
--------------------------------------------

Weapons are in order if number.  Top one is 1st, next one is 2nd, etc.
Keep in mind that 1st - 3rd you can modify their stats with books.  
Also, keep in mind that light weight is fast and heavy is slow.  Also,
light is like loosing a level 20 Tiger Amulet, while heavy is like
gaining one.

Halberd
Power: 6
Attacks: 4
Weight: Random
Evo: No
Random Stats (3 Max)

Great Halberd
Power: 12
Attacks: 5
Weight: Random
Evo: No
Random Stats (4 Max)

Sky Piercer
Power: 18
Attacks: 6
Weight: Random
Evo: Random
Random Stats (5 Max)

Sky Scorcher
Power: 40
Attacks: 6
Weight: Medium
Evo: Yes
Mounted Lvl 20
Defense Lvl 20
Attack Lvl 20
Musou Lvl 19
Life Lvl 19

Unlocking the 4th Weapon

Normal Way (Requires DW5)

Stage:  Battle of Chang Mountain, Yuan Shao's Forces
Requirement:  Kill 1000 enemies

Strategy:  Kill, kill, kill some more.  Set-up camp by a gate, but not
so close to a captain so he comes after you.  That way, you can kill
enemies as they spawn.  If you are having trouble, make Yuan Shao
suspicious of Lu Bu by ignoring objectives so he won't charge the fort.
Item box will appear in the fort.  Collect and kill Gonsun Zan to win.

Xtreme Way

Stage:  Battle of Yan Province
Requirement:  Defeat all unit leaders excluding Cao Cao within 15 
minutes.

Strategy:  See below for how to play his Legend stage.  The only 
difference is just take long enough for Cao Cao to appear and then 
defeat everyone else.  You are Lu Bu, so it shouldn't be too hard after
all.  The weapon will appear in the middle path.


--------------------------------------------
My Item Set-up
--------------------------------------------

This is what I use.  Feel free to use this, alter it as you choose, or
other items all together.

Harness:  Red Hare (Its quick and Lu Bu is better on foot anyways).
Orb:  Light or Ice, depends on my mood.
Item 1: Tiger Amulet
Item 2: Peacock Urn
Item 3: Tortoise Amulet
Item 4: Herbal Remedy
Item 5: Demon Band

Unlike DW4, having +20 from your weapon, +20 from Tiger Amulet, and 
maxed attack won't set your attack power really low due to a glitch.
Instead, it hits the max (or close to it).  With this set-up, Lu Bu has
a ton of attack powerful.  Peacock Urn and Tortoise Amulet, combined
with his weapon, allow him to take beatings and laugh, even in Chaos
Mode (sometimes).  The Demon Band doubles the length of Musou Range,
making him virtually invincible and a one-hit killer for twice as long.
And with his level 4 weapon, that happens pretty often.  I don't use
the Fire Orb because he has fire built into C1.  He has enough range,
so a Wind Scroll really isn't needed, though it still helps if you
want it.

--------------------------------------------
Legend Level
--------------------------------------------

      Battle of Yan Province
Lu Bu's Forces vs Cao Cao's Forces
    Lu Bu COMMANDER Cao Cao


Conditions

Victory:  Take Pu Yang Castle
Defeat:  Lu Bu is defeated


Unit Info

(Number of * shows starting morale)


Lu Bu's Forces

Lu Bu (sub officers Diao Chan and Wei Xu) *****
Zhang Liao (sub officers Cao Xing and Zang Ba) *****
Gao Shun (sub officers Hou Chen and Song Xian) *****


Cao Cao's Forces

Li Dian (sub officer Yu Jin) *****
Man Chong (sub officer Zhu Ling) *****
Yue Jin *****
Xun Yu ******
Chen Gong
Cao Hong (sub officers Xiahou En and Cao Xiu) <reinforcements)
Cao Cao (sub officers Xu Zhu and Dian Wei) <reinforcements>
Xiahou Dun <reinforcements>
Xiahou Yuan <reinforcements>
Cao Ren <reinforcements>


Overview

Lu Bu has received word that Cao Cao has left Pu Yang Castle 
defenseless.  Lu Bu has decided to take over Pu Yang Castle and make it
his own.

Pu Yang Castle is defended by the powerful Xun Yu.  A tough battle is
anticipated, even without Cao Cao present.  There must be a way...


Strategy

Xun Yu?  Tough?  Difficult battle?  A load of nonsense.  This level is
a pushover, even if it was something like Liu Chan by himself. Though 
the enemy is led by Cao Cao, though he takes a long while to show up, 
leaving it just an army of easy generic officers.

Anyways, Lu Bu starts in the center, Zhang Liao in the west and Gau Shun
in the east.  At the start, go south towards Pu Yang Castle.  There will
be two Attack Bases in your path, but they are no threat.  Zhu Jing will
be in-between the two bases, but he is an easy generic sub-officer who
will die the moment Lu Bu even looks at him.  Once you are past the
second Attack Base, go south and defeat Man Chong to secure the front
gate.  

If they haven't made it (and probably won't have), it will be time to go 
help your allies.  I recommend helping Gao Shun first, since Zhang Liao 
can easily hold his own.  He will probably get held up at the only 
attack base in his way.  Clear it and lead Gao Shun to the east gate and
defeat Yue Jin.  

Now head west to help Zhang Liao reach the castle if he hasn't.  He has
it the hardest:  two Attack Bases, a Gate, and Yu Jin hiding in the
second base.  Yu Jin is just another sub officer, so he won't be a
threat either.  Once you've cleared the bases and killed Yu Jin, go to
the west gate and defeat Li Dian.  

At several points during the level some ambushes from Cao Hong and Cao 
Xiu will appear in the north.  Defeat them if you either feel like it or 
if they somehow become a threat.  I actually ignored them and all they 
did was occupy the Gates in the north and then camped out and cooked 
s'mores by the river.  Though one ambush will destroy the west bridge, 
preventing escape, according to Zhang Liao.  Why he even though of 
needing an escape route escapes me.

Now Cheng Cong should defect and open the gates.  He will join your
side, like it really matters.  All that is left is to charge and defeat
Xun Yu.  He will be in hyper mode, which means he will just take a 
little longer to kill.  Defeat him and the level ends.  This level
probably left Lu Bu saying:  "Can Koei ever provide me with a decent
challenge?"

So, when does Cao Cao appear?  After the time goes below 80 minutes.
Now, this makes the stage a lot more difficult, as he brings Dian Wei
Xu Chu, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, and Cao Ren.  Plus now you have to take
the castle AND defeat Cao Cao.  You should defeat the level before they
show up though unless you join the reinforcements by the river and have
some s'mores.


--------------------------------------------
Xtreme Mode
--------------------------------------------

He starts with 0 gold, but it really doesn't matter.  He still is a
beast and he'll have a lot of money in no time.  His built-in fire in C1
helps tremendously, especially in later stages.  His crowd clearing
abilities are also a big help, keeping enemies off of him and allowing
him to spend less time with each group, letting you kill more enemies in
the long run.  Which, in turn, gives you more money.  I think you can
see where that is going.  His weakness is approaching archers, which are
extremely annoying, especially with the new Ice Arrows.  He doesn't have
any quick, mid-air travel moves like Ma Chao to reach them unscathed.
His best approach is while mounted.  Once you reach them, jump off and
use C1 before they run too far.  In fact, C1 can be used to get close
and will ignore arrow stun, but ice arrows will still freeze you.
Overall, however, Lu Bu works really well in Xtreme Mode.

--------------------------------------------
How to Beat Lu Bu
--------------------------------------------

Pretty much whenever you run into Lu Bu, he enters one of those Super
Hyper Modes where he gets the usual 2x Attack and Defense as well as 
Musou Range near death stuff.  When fighting him, make sure there are no
enemy officers around (and there shouldn't in Free, Musou, and Legend
modes), and no archers (annoying little buggers).  Block often, as Lu Bu
usually has very painful attacks.  If you are a character with a quicker
rate of attack (which is most characters), have a good eye, and have
good reflexes, you can watch to see when he starts swinging and hit him
before he can bring his weapon in a swing.  Fire, Ice, and Light Orbs
are all useful in their own ways.  Fire will damage him slowly, Ice will
freeze him, making him vulnerable, and Light will hurt him when he
blocks, which he does...a lot.  Watch out for his C1, it is unblockable.
Also, he likes to jump.  Sometimes he jumps straight up, sometimes over
you, sometimes backwards.  Sometimes he'll attack in mid-air, sometimes
not.  Its best just to keep blocking and wait.  If you don't see him,
either turn and block or put small bit of distance between you and him.
When he goes Musou Rage, its best to just run.  I know he calls you
a coward and taunts you, so just swallow your pride and wait out his
Musou Rage.  He attacks quickly and has a lot of power.  Or, if you are
bold, you can keep fighting, though he has a tendency not to flinch
when hit.  If you choose to stand and fight his Musou Rage, its a good
idea to use your own, though you might flinch when attacked since he'll
have Attack and Defense 2x as well.  Oh, and if you run, its best to
jump away first before running, since he does have a long range.  Its
harder for him to hit you when you jump since he first swing is 
horizontal.  And if you do get hit, you'll be juggled and take less
damage and can just summersault to safety.

-----------------------------------------
Frequently Asked Questions (or comments)
-----------------------------------------

Q: I think move X is good because Y.
A: I know its not a question, but it does require addressing.  I'm not
giving opinions on how good a move is, I'm just stating what they do.
Everyone's opinions differ, so you decide whether the move is to your
liking or not.  I will give facts on a move, such as if its bad at
killing beans or good at making babies laugh.

Q: What do you mean Lu Bu has a slow attack rate?
A: I explained it earlier, but I'll do it with different words.  Attack
speed and attack rate are two different things.  Attack speed, as to how
I'm using it, is how fast the character swings their weapon.  Attack
rate is how many times can they swing it in X amount of time.  Lu Bu is
one of the few characters with high attack speed but slow attack rate.
It looks like he has a good attack rate, but just compare it to any
sword wielding officer.  They have average attack rate.  You'll notice
they can get more attacks in before Lu Bu can.

Q: Why do you say his charge time is slow?
A: It is.  Save for C1, his charge time is a tad bit slower than most
other characters.  Few charge times in the game are truly noticeable as
slow, such as Ling Tong's C5 and C6.  Its a subtle difference that can
make a big difference though.

Q: Why am I not credited for something added?
A: Either I put it in first or someone gave the suggesting/correction
before you.  


-----------------------------
Version History
-----------------------------

1.0 - Initial Release

1.1 - Legend stages has been updated with the names of the reinforcement
officers and the fact Cao Cao DOES appear.  Also, the correct method for
his fourth weapon has been added.

1.2 - First time I've ever had a back to back updates like this.  
Anyways, fixed typos, added the Other Works by Me section, which is just
a list of other guides I've done, and a FAQ section.  I also added a
Disclaimer as well.

1.3 - It's been ages since I've touched this.  I had thought I did the 1.3
update fixing a bunch of typos people sent in, among other things.  It
looks like I didn't.  Anyways, those are FINALLY corrected.  However, the
main reason for the update is my change of email.  Don't want messages,
should I ever get anymore, going to the wrong account.

-----------------------------
Credits
-----------------------------

the_next_Sun - Just look to see what was included in the 1.1 update.
He also pointed out a few typos in 1.02

Lots of other users who's material was used in the 1.3 update that 
apparently never existed.  So, for those of you who submitted stuff two
ears ago, apologies for it never getting here.


--------------------------------------
Other Works by Me
--------------------------------------

Escape Velocity Nova:  Close Combat Guide -  This is an in-depth guide 
that tells you what ships, weapons, and outfits are good for close 
combat, as well as giving multiple techniques on how to fight at close 
range.

Ares:  Walkthrough -  Contains information on all the races, ships, and
other objects.  It also contains general hints, game basics, single
player walkthrough, and multiplayer hints and level strategies.

Sonic Adventure 2: Battle: Battle Mode Guide -  Contains detailed 
information on every stage, every character, and every game mode as well
as strategies for defeating anyone who plays you by a wide margin.


-----------------------------
Contact Info
-----------------------------

Questions?  Comments?  Did I have incorrect information on something?  
Email me at [email protected].  Make sure to have something
like "Lu Bu Guide" as the subject.  Also, no attachments unless I am 
expecting one from you.  Finally, hate mail will be ignored, deleted, 
and blocked.  And make sure to mention where you saw this guide, especially
if you ARE NOT on GameFAQs (www.gamefaqs.com) or Super Cheats 
(www.supercheats.com)

Also, between the now and the previous version, I've lost ready access to
my PS2.  Due to the fact my brother and I both own the thing, I couldn't
bring it to college with me.  Not to mention the memory card with my save
data has apparently vanished.  What does this mean?  I can't provide as
useful feedback as I could, since I'd have to be going essentially on
pure memory.  Hopefully you won't be having any questions...

------------------
Copyright Info
------------------

This guide is copyrighted and therefore subject to international
copyright laws.  GameFAQs (www.gamefaqs.com) and Super Cheats
(www.supercheats.com)are permitted to have it viewable as they do any other 
guide.  Anyone else is not permitted to distribute it or use it on their
website.  If you wish to use it, contact me and we'll discuss.  Please note
that I will not let you use the current version, since I'll have to update
this little section.  All rights not explicitly permitted in this section
are reserved.