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*                                         *
* SAMURAI WARRIORS 2 - Shingen Takeda FAQ *
*         Created by Mythril Wyrm         *
*              Version 1.01               *
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Table of Contents

I. Update History
II. Legal Notice/Disclaimer
III. About Shingen Takeda
IV. Unlocking Shingen
V. Using Shingen
     A. Vital statistics
          1. Initial
          2. Maximum
          3. Titles
     B. Moveset
          1. Regular attacks
          2. Charge attacks
          3. Mounted attacks
          4. Special attacks
          5. Musou attacks
     C. Maximizing Shingen's effectiveness
     D. Shingen's Story Mode
          1. Battle of Kawanakajima
          2. Pirate Hunt
          3. Battle of Mikatagahara
          4. Battle of Nagashino
          5. Showdown at Sekigahara
          6. Shingen's Dream: Conquest for Kyushu
VI. Shingen's Weapons
     A. War Fan
     B. Takeda Fan
     C. Pressed Element
     D. Heaven's Sign
          1. Obtaining the Heaven's Sign
          2. Is it worth using?
VII. Questions & Answers
VIII. Special Thanks
IX. Contacting Me

To skip to a specific section, press Ctrl + F, type in a section name, and
press Enter.
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I. Update History
v1.00 - Completed almost all sections. Will add missing information after
working with Shingen more extensively.
v1.01 - Filled in missing descriptions of Shingen's musou attacks and made
minor changes to a few sections.
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II. Legal Notice/Disclaimer
This FAQ is copyright 2006 by Devin McCain. At this time, only the following
websites have permission to host this FAQ:

GameFAQs (http://www.gamefaqs.com)
IGN (http://www.ign.com)
Neoseeker (http://www.neoseeker.com)
Super Cheats (http://www.supercheats.com)

Please notify me as soon as possible if you find it posted anywhere else. If
you want to post this FAQ on your own website, you must obtain my permission in
writing and agree to leave the FAQ completely unchanged. If you post it without
my permission or change it and try to pass it off as your own, there will be
unpleasant consequences when I find out. Feel free to print a copy of this FAQ
for personal use, but do not publish it or attempt to turn profit on it. I'm
sharing it free of charge, so please respect that.

All other copyrights and trademarks mentioned in this FAQ are the property of
their respective owners. I do not claim to own any of them.

This FAQ may contain spoilers. Continue reading at your own risk.

I take no responsibility for any embarrassment, injuries, or deaths that result
from the use of this FAQ or any of the information contained herein. If you're
that stupid, it's your own damn fault.

Got that? Good. Now, let's move on to the fun stuff...
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III. About Shingen Takeda
The following information about Shingen Takeda is taken from the Sengoku-Jidai
Database:

"Shingen Takeda had a profound effect on the Sengoku-Jidai period of Japan. He
influenced many lords with his law system, tax system and administration
system. He was probably not as cruel as other warlords but he was aggresive
toward military enemies. His war banner contained the famous phrase Fu-Rin-Ka-
Zan, taken from Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War.' This phrase translates to Swift as
the wind, Silent as a forest, Fierce as fire and Immovable as a mountain.

The phrase demonstrates both Shingen's policies and warfare strategy. Shingen
was indeed fierce as fire and was one of the most aggressive warlords of the
time period. He moved swiftly as the wind and even after a defeat he would
quickly avenge his loss and make a counter-attack. However Shingen's intentions
weren't always clear. He would move cautiously and could suddenly attack
enemies, thus he was silent as a forest. Despite all of this Shingen was indeed
immovable as the mountain. In battle he moved cautiously and made sure he was
well defended. Once he had gained a firm hold on territories in Shinano and
Kai, Shingen made sure he did not rush into battle and Shingen carefully
checked his borders. Even after a defeat he would still hold his ground and
thus during his reign the Takeda was well defended.

Shingen Takeda is known as 'The Tiger of Kai' and was a major warlord during
the Sengoku-Jidai period. He was the son of Nobutora Takeda. At some point in
his life Shingen rebelled against his father and took control of the Takeda.
Yoshimoto Imagawa helped this rebellion and the Imagawa, Hojo and Takeda would
be a sort of allied union. (Mostly thanks to Yoshimoto Imagawa who was a master
diplomat of his time)

Shingen's first act was to gain a hold of the area around him. His goal was to
conquer Shinano province. He fought with many warlords and expanded his
conquest. However the warlord was defeated at Uehara by Yoshioki Murakami who
won by utilizing guns which would play a prominent role in Sengoku-Jidai
warfare. Shingen managed to avenge this loss and the Murakami clan eventually
was defeated as well. Yoshioki Murakami fled and became a vassal of the Uesugi
later. By this time the Takeda had unified Shinano and had gained a fairly vast
domain of Shinano and Kai. Unlike many other clans of the time, the Takeda were
lucky enough to have a large number of horses in their provinces which allowed
them to make use of cavalry. (Many clans could barely get enough horses for
their officers let alone have cavalry units) The Takeda was emerging as a
threat to other clans.

After he had gained Shinano, Shingen faced his greatest rival and archnemesis,
namely, Kenshin Uesugi. The two would battle it out in the great battles of
Kawanakajima. Even when faced with his greatest enemy, Kenshin Uesugi, Shingen
would not completly make a bold move against the enemy. Instead he moved
carefully and did not make one full attack, he made sure that he was well
defended while slowly taking forts.These battles snowballed back and forth
between the two clans. No side gained complete victory until Shingen Takeda
died. In these battles Shingen would come up with the genius strategy to dam
the Fuji river which was a genius ploy on his part. In these battles also comes
the famous tale of Kenshin Uesugi's forces clearing a path through Takeda
troops and Kenshin fighting with Shingen. The tale has Kenshin Uesugi attacking
Shingen with his sword while Shingen defends with his iron war fan or 'Tessen.'

After Yoshimoto Imagawa (a close ally of the Takeda) was defeated, Shingen made
a clever move against the weak Imagawa. He fought against Yoshimoto's heir and
expanded his domain. After this he made a move against the Tokugawa clan which
had also taken advantage of the situation of the weakened Imagawa. This
culminated in his famous victory at Mikatagahara where he defeated the
Tokugawa. This would be Shingen Takeda's last major victory. He died soon after
this battle and his son Katsuyori took over. Soon after Shingen died, his rival
Kenshin weeped the death of a great nemesis. The Takeda was not defeated
however. Shingen's son Katsuyori took over and would bring the clan to ruin by
trying (unsuccessfully) to fulfill the ambition of his father by further
pressing onto Tokugawa lands. At Nagashino, Katsuyori Takeda would be defeated
by an allied contingent of Nobunaga Oda and Ieyasu Tokugawa marking the almost
total annhilation of the Takeda."
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IV. Unlocking Shingen
To unlock Shingen Takeda, you must complete the following steps:

-Clear Story Mode with Yukimura Sanada to unlock Kanetsugu Naoe.
-Clear Story Mode with Kanetsugu Naoe to unlock Kenshin Uesugi.
-Clear Story Mode with Kenshin Uesugi.
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V. Using Shingen
A. Vital statistics
1. Initial
Life 128
Musou 80
Attack 93
Defense 95
Ride 83
Speed 88
Dexterity 82
Luck 87

Skills: Sensei 1, Cutthroat 1, Fitness 1

2. Maximum
Life 317
Musou 240
Attack 195
Defense 198
Ride 167
Speed 148
Dexterity 142
Luck 181

Self Skill: Resist - Resist becoming stunned when musou gauge is full.

3. Titles
Lv. 1-10: Strategist
Lv. 11-20: Scholar of War
Lv. 21-30: Tiger of Kai
Lv. 31-40: Elder Tiger
Lv. 41-49: Master of War
Lv. 50: Omnipotent

B. Moveset
1. Regular attacks
These are the attacks that are available to Shingen Takeda once his full combo
has been unlocked. Some attacks will vary if his full combo has not yet been
unlocked.

S           - A right-to-left strike.
SS          - A left-to-right upward strike.
SSS         - A right-to-left strike.
SSSS        - An elbow bash.
+SS         - A right-to-left strike followed by a spinning strike. Available
              at Level 4.
+SSSS       - A right-to-left strike followed by an elbow bash, a right-to-left
              strike, and a spinning strike. Available at Level 16.
X + S       - A left-to-right strike.
Dash attack - Shingen charges forward with his arms spread, stunning all
              enemies in his path.

2. Charge attacks
T     - Shingen stomps the ground, producing a gust of wind that launches the
        enemy into the air. Breaks the enemy's guard.
TT    - Shingen stomps the ground, producing a larger gust of wind that
        launches enemies in a larger area into the air. Takes a little longer
        to execute than T. Available at Level 10.
ST    - Shingen swings his gunbai upward, launching the enemy into the air
        amidst a flurry of leaves.
STT   - Shingen does a series of kicks, the last of which knocks the enemy
        away. Available at Level 10.
SST   - Shingen swings his gunbai downward, producing a stream of fire that
        stuns any enemies it strikes.
SSTT  - Shingen dashes around and does a series of goring headbutts, launching
        any enemies he strikes into the air. Available at Level 13.
SSST  - Shingen waves his gunbai and stomps the ground, producing a shockwave
        that knocks away all surrounding enemies.
SSSTT - Shingen waves his gunbai and stomps the ground, producing a larger
        shockwave that knocks away enemies in a larger area. Takes a little
        longer to execute than SSST. Available at Level 13.
X + T - Shingen stomps the ground, knocking down all surrounding enemies.

3. Mounted attacks
SSSS(SSSS) - A series of three strikes with Shingen's gunbai followed by five
             rapid strikes.
ST         - A right-to-left upward strike. Launches the enemy into the air.
SST        - A left-to-right strike. Stuns the enemy.
SSST       - A right-to-left strike. Knocks the enemy away.

4. Special attacks
R1 + S   - Shingen grabs one enemy, swings him around, and throws him for major
           damage. Unblockable.
R1 + SS  - Shingen grabs one enemy, swings him around, and throws him for major
           damage. Unblockable. Does more damage and sends the enemy flying
           farther than R1 + S. Available at Level 7.
R1 + SSS - Shingen grabs one enemy, swings him around, and throws him for major
           damage. Unblockable. Does more damage and sends the enemy flying
           farther than R1 + SS. Available at Level 19.
R1 + T   - Shingen gives himself double attack, double defense, or maximum
           speed for 10 seconds. Has the best chance of giving maximum speed.
R1 + TT  - Shingen gives himself double attack, double defense, or maximum
           speed for 10 seconds. Has the best chance of giving double defense.
           Available at Level 7.
R1 + TTT - Shingen gives himself double attack, double defense, or maximum
           speed for 10 seconds. Has the best chance of giving double attack.
           Available at Level 19.

5. Musou attacks
Lv. 1 musou  - Shingen slowly walks forward and does a series of alternating
               right-to-left downward and left-to-right strikes with his
               gunbai, finishing up with a shockwave that knocks away all sur-
               rounding enemies.
Lv. 2 musou  - Same as Lv. 1 musou, but more damaging and with a larger final
               shockwave.
Lv. 3 musou  - Shingen slowly walks forward and does a series of alternating
               right-to-left downward and left-to-right strikes with his
               gunbai as red energy blasts rain down around him.
True musou   - Same as regular musou, but adds a fire element and an elbow
               bash, a right-to-left strike, and a spinning strike before the
               final shockwave.
Double musou - Same as regular musou, but adds a lightning element and an elbow
               bash, a right-to-left strike, and a spinning strike before the
               final shockwave.

C. Maximizing Shingen's effectiveness
As his massive built suggests, speed is not one of Shingen Takeda's strong
suits. He's a painfully slow runner, which can put you at a disadvantage during
missions that call for speed. In addition, he has poor reach, his mounted at-
tacks are virtually worthless, none of his moves other than his throw can hit
enemies from a distance, and most of his charge attacks are easy to interrupt
due to their long execution time.

In order to use Shingen effectively, you must take advantage of his awesome
dueling ability. He's much better at fighting individual enemies than he is at
clearing crowds, and his moveset reflects this. Several of his combos are
geared towards separating a single enemy from a group, so try to isolate strong
enemies and focus on them one at a time. When you first start using Shingen,
use SST, SSSS, and R1 + S to defeat generals quickly and SSST to disperse
crowds. If you get completely surrounded, roll out of the crowd so that you can
get off SSST with less fear of interruption. Shingen's higher-level combos make
him an even better duelist; use STT to take down generals and SSTT to break up
crowds. Don't bother with SSSTT unless you're facing a small or medium-sized
group of enemies or you're mighty enough to shrug off enemy attacks. Use your
SSSSSSSS combo when all else fails; the spin attack at the end can buy you a
second or two to either pull back or refocus your attack.

Finally, there a few things to keep in mind about Shingen's throw. Shingen
doesn't have any effective staple moves, but the throw comes close. In addition
to being unblockable and dealing massive amounts of damage, it does some damage
to any enemies struck by the spinning (or flying) body and works well for sepa-
rating enemies from their cohorts. Best of all, you're invincible from the time
you grab the enemy until you release him! The only drawbacks to the move are
its execution time and the careful aim required to hit with it. For best re-
sults, use it after stunning your target with SST and doubling your attack
power with R1 + TTT.

D. Shingen's Story Mode
1. Battle of Kawanakajima
"The dragon and the tiger clash. Which side will destiny favor?"

Victory Conditions: Defeat Kenshin.
Defeat Conditions: Shingen is defeated, or Main Camp is captured.

You know what they say about first impressions, so be sure to make a good one
on your nemesis. Start by heading northeast and defeating Shigenaga Honjo and
Tomonobu Saito to clean up the center, then approach the main camp via the east
path. Katsunaga Irobe, Sadamitsu Usami, and Masayori Takanashi will retaliate
by ambushing your main camp; rush back there and beat them down. Next, head
south for Kagetsuna Naoe and Sadanaga Sanbonji, and continue southeast to mop
up Yoshikiyo Murakami and Takahiro Kitajo. Once the south is secure, head
northwest to reach Kaizu Castle and repel Kanetsugu Naoe's assault, then head
for the west garrison and defeat Kageie Kakizaki to capture it. Kenshin Uesugi
will relocate to the center of the battlefield, and Yataro Onikojima and
Kagemochi Amakasu will appear in Zenkouji and charge towards you. Head south to
meet them and beat them into submission. With all of the other enemy generals
defeated, make a beeline for Kenshin Uesugi and send him to join his allies.

2. Pirate Hunt
"Those pirates sure caught me by surprise! I guess I'll have to return the
favor."

Victory Conditions: Defeat the Marauder.
Defeat Conditions: All peasants are eliminated, or any Main Camp is lost.

The pirates must pay for ruining your sabbatical...and for endangering the in-
nocent peasants, of course. Punish them by going straight for the southernmost
ship and cutting down the Raider there, then heading north and stopping the two
Raiders from getting too close to the main camp. Continue north and west and
save the peasants from two more Raiders, then make your way west to do battle
with the last two. Reinforcements and several new ships will appear while
you're fighting them; as soon as you're done dispatching them, head south and
take down the first Raider you see to lower the plank. Cut your way through the
Raider to your west, head north, and save your main camp from the three Raiders
who are attacking it. Make your way back to the southeast and take care of the
two Raiders who are menacing the peasants. The Marauder will come out of hiding
now, and neither he nor the two Raiders he brings along with him will pose a
significant threat to you. Teach them a lesson they won't soon forget.

3. Battle of Mikatagahara
"I advance in the name of peace, fight in the name of honor."

Victory Conditions: Defeat Ieyasu.
Defeat Conditions: Shingen is defeated, or Ieyasu reaches the Escape Point.

Ieyasu Tokugawa must not be allowed to escape! Thwart his efforts by bolting
west as soon as the battle begins and stopping the three Oda generals from
escaping. Ietada Matsudaira and Tadatsugu Sakai will follow you; beat them down
and head south through the garrison to catch Ieyasu, who turns out to be a
double. Another will appear by the eastern garrison; follow the path to reach
him, cutting down Hanzo Hattori and avoiding Tadakatsu Honda as you progress.
This Ieyasu, too, is a double (triple?), and another Ieyasu will appear in the
west when he expires. Hurry back to the west, stopping only to take out
Moritsuna Watanabe and Yasumasa Sakakibara as they attack the garrisons, then
veer south and eliminate Tadayo Okubo and another of Ieyasu's doubles (his
quadruple?) in the valley. Three more Ieyasus will appear by the garrisons;
blaze a trail to the east through Nagatada Ogasawara and Morotada Torii, then
loop around to the north and start hunting down the Ieyasu doubles (quintuple
and sextuple?) as you work your way from east to west. One of them is the real
Ieyasu Tokugawa; defeat him to seize victory.

4. Battle of Nagashino
"For the sake of this land, I cannot die yet!"

Victory Conditions: Defeat Nobunaga.
Defeat Conditions: Shingen or Katsuyori is defeated.

You must prove to Nobunaga that your cavalry are a match for his musketeers. Do
so by heading south and taking down Kagetado Matsudaira, then clearing Nobumasa
Okudaira and Koretada Matsudaira out of Nagashino Castle to capture it. Next,
head south and flush Nagachika Kanamori and Tadatsugu Sakai out of the Tobigasu
garrison to claim it as your own. Mitsuhide Akechi will charge in from the west
and try to recapture the garrison; give him a well-deserved beating for his in-
solence. At this point, Hideyoshi Hashiba and Tadakatsu Honda will move to at-
tack your main camp, and Sakon Shima and Yukimura Sanada will move in to inter-
cept them. Cut your way west and north through Tadakatsu Honda to reach the
main camp. If you can't stand up to Tadakatsu alone, let Yukimura soften him up
first. Tadasuke Okubo and Hideyoshi Hashiba in the north will be much easier
targets. Once Tadakatsu and Hideyoshi have been dealt with, a rainstorm will
move in and disable the Oda's musketeers. Take advantage of the ensuing chaos
by heading east, defeating Nobumori Sakuma, and doubling back for No and
Katsuie to thwart their attack on your main camp. Continue west for Toshiie
Maeda, Kazumasu Takigawa, and Nobutada Oda before heading south and slaying
Ieyasu Tokugawa. This will open the gates to the Oda main camp; rush in and
dispatch Ranmaru Mori, then end the menace of Nobunaga Oda once and for all.

5. Showdown at Sekigahara
"Welcome, dear nemesis! Let our battles come to an end here!"

Victory Conditions: Defeat Kenshin.
Defeat Conditions: Shingen or Katsuyori is defeated.

It's time for the final battle with your nemesis! Kenshin doesn't hold back
during this battle, and you should do the same. Cripple his forces by heading
east as soon as the battle begins and defeating Kagetsugu Amakasu, Shigenaga
Honjo, and Yataro Onikojima to secure the center. Cut down Nagazane Irobe when
he approaches you and head northeast for Chikanori Suibara. Make your way south
after felling him and take out Kagekatsu Uesugi and Tomonobu Saito, then con-
tinue south for and beat down Kanetsugu Naoe, Takahiro Kitajo, and Naganori
Kawada before they get too close to the main camp. The Oda remnants will show
up at this point; charge northeast and bloody their nose by taking down Toshiie
Maeda. Follow the northernmost path to the west and cut your way through
Kazumasu Takigawa to reach Nagamasa Azai, whose speed and reach combine with
his enhanced stats to make him a worthy adversary. After defeating him, cleave
your way south through the enemy ranks to reach Mitsuhide Akechi and Nagahide
Niwa. Beat them senseless and chase down Katsuie Shibata and Naomasa Ii, who
should be closing in on Katsuyori. Hanzo Hattori will also appear to threaten
your son; charge into the main camp and send him scurrying back to the shadows.
With Katsuyori safe, head north and eliminate Tadasuke Okubo and Yasumasa
Sakakibara, then make a quick jaunt to the west and exterminate Tadayo Okubo
and Tadatsugu Sakai to crush the Uesugi offensive. You now have a clear shot at
the northeast corner; go for it, but be ready to fight Kagetsuna Naoe and
Tadakatsu Honda in order to gain entrance to Kenshin's camp. If you want a lit-
tle extra experience before the you finish the fight, beat Kagemochi Amakasu
and Nagahide Yasuda into submission before engaging Kenshin; if not, rush forth
to meet your nemesis and show him how sharp an old tiger's fangs can be.

Once Kenshin falls, the battle is yours. Enjoy the ending!

6. Shingen's Dream: Conquest for Kyushu
"Kenshin was an excellent enemy. He should make an even better friend."

This battle becomes available after clearing the first five battles of
Shingen's Story Mode.

Victory Conditions: Defeat Yoshihiro and Yoshihisa.
Defeat Conditions: Any allied officer is defeated.

Even with the aid of your old nemesis, this battle can be fiendishly difficult
if you don't take proper care of your allies and capture the enemy strongholds
at every opportunity. Minimize your frustration by charging into Tsuruga Castle
and beating Hideyoshi Hashiba, Hidemasa Hori, and Koroku Hachisuka into paste
as soon as the battle begins. While you're fighting them, Nene and Toshiie
Maeda will appear to your north and start attacking Yukimura Sanada, so you
should rush to his side and save him as soon as you're done clearing the castle
of enemies. Once he's safe, make your way south through the castle and head
east for Narimassa Sassa. He'll block the trail with a landslide and call in
Kazumasu Takigawa and Nagahide Niwa for backup, but you should have little
trouble defeating the three of them all the same. Next, you'll need to head
west and save Kanetsugu Naoe, who'll be under heavy attack. Defeat Toyohisa
Shimazu, Nagamasa Kuroda, and Kanbei Kuroda to save him, then make a beeline
for the Shimazu main camp in the northwest corner. The gates will close when
you enter, and Yoshihiro will reveal that he and his brother are doubles as the
real Yoshihiro and Yoshihisa Shimazu appear in Tsuruga Castle. Slay both the
fake Shimazus along with Nobutada Oda and No, who will charge in from the south
to join the fight, to make Yoshihiro call in Mitsuhide Akechi and Ranmaru Mori
as reinforcements. Bolt east and cut down Ranmaru before turning south and
helping out the defenders of the Uesugi main camp, which will be under attack
by Toshihisa and Tadatsune Shimazu. After dealing with them, make a mad dash
for your main camp and stop Iehisa and Tadanaga Shimazu from capturing it.
Kenshin should now be doing battle with the real Shimazus and Mitsuhide; if at
all possible, lure Mitsuhide away from Kenshin and the Shimazu brothers so that
you can dispatch him without interference. Don't ignore him, or Kenshin will
suffer for it.

With all of your allies safe from harm, you'll be free to focus on Yoshihiro
and Yoshihisa Shimazu. I recommend taking down Yoshihisa first; he's not as
strong as Yoshihiro, but he's faster and his attacks can still cause quite a
bit of damage if he gets in some lucky shots while you're fighting his brother.
Yoshihiro is another story; his combos can flatten you in seconds, and his de-
fense is so high that he'll shrug off most of your blows unless your attack is
maxed out. Make liberal use of your SST combo and both of your special attacks,
and don't be afraid to hide behind your allies if they haven't taken too much
of a beating. If Yoshihiro clobbers you to the brink of death, roll around and
try to get him to chase you while you wait for your musou gauge to charge. As
soon as he starts swinging at you, let him have it.

Once the last of the Shimazu Devils falls, victory is yours. Congratulations on
mastering Shingen Takeda's Story Mode!
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VI. Shingen's Weapons
A. War Fan
Base attack 21
Element, bonuses, and number of open slots will vary.

B. Takeda Fan
Base attack 31
Element, bonuses, and number of open slots will vary.

C. Pressed Element
Base attack 39
Element, bonuses, and number of open slots will vary.

D. Heaven's Sign
Base attack 48
Element: Wind
Bonuses: Life +18, Attack +20, Defense +51, Ride +20, Speed +19, Range +19

1. Obtaining the Heaven's Sign
Where to Get It: Battle of Nagashino
How to Get It: Capture Nagashino Castle and the Tobigasu garrison, and defeat
Hideyoshi Hashiba and Tadakatsu Honda before they enter your main camp.
Where It Is: In the hands of a supply team. It appears by the central southern
stronghold and heads east.
How I Did It: From the start, I went south and defeated Kagetada Matsudaira,
then cleared out the officers in Nagashino Castle and continued south to cap-
ture the Tobigasu garrison. I beat down Mitsuhide as he charged me, then headed
west and north for Tadakatsu Honda and struck him down. I continued north for
Tadasuke Okubo and Hideyoshi Hashiba; the rain began to fall and the supply
team appeared once I beat Hideyoshi into submission. I bolted south to inter-
cept them and secured my weapon, then headed north to beat back Katsuie Shibata
and No, who were attacking my main camp. I headed west and defeated Nobutada
Oda, Toshiie Maeda, and Kazumasu Takigawa, then beat down Ieyasu Tokugawa and
charged into the Oda main camp and beat both Ranmaru and the Demon King to a
pulp. With a Lv. 16 Shingen Takeda and Matsukaze, I was able to secure the
weapon and complete the battle in a little over 15 minutes.

Honestly, this weapon isn't very hard to get. I obtained it with a recently
reset Shingen while replaying his Story Mode, and it wasn't as difficult as I'd
expected. Defeating Tadakatsu Honda is the hardest part of obtaining it, and
you should have little trouble doing so if you have a decent 3rd weapon. If you
just can't stand up to him, replay some of the other battles until you're at a
high enough level to take him down. As long as you're strong enough to beat
him, you'll easily be able to get the weapon by following the battle plan
above.

Remember that the Heaven's Sign, like most 4th weapons, can only be obtained in
Story Mode on Hard or Chaos difficulty.

2. Is it worth using?
Only if you don't have anything better. The best thing about this weapon is the
sizable defense bonus, which turns Shingen into even more of a tank. While the
attack bonus is kind of nice, the rest of the bonuses aren't high enough to be
of any great use. Removing the life bonus and adding another bonus to speed or
range would have made this weapon far better. The wind element isn't all that
helpful, either. If you have a 3rd weapon with an ice, lightning, or demon
element and some more useful bonuses than Shingen's 4th, use that one instead.
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VII. Questions & Answers
Q: Why a Shingen Takeda FAQ?
A: It hadn't been done yet, and I really like him as a character.

Q: You got all the characters' names backwards! You're an ignorant dolt who
knows nothing of Japanese!
A: Blame KOEI for that one. I know that they anglicized the names, but I also
know that most of the people who read this FAQ are going to be more used to
seeing the anglicized names than the original Japanese. Therefore, I decided to
use the anglicized names to keep the confusion to a minimum.

Q: I fulfilled the requirements to obtain Shingen's 4th weapon, but I didn't
get it! What gives?
A: Make sure that you've already cleared Shingen's Story Mode, that you're
playing his Story Mode on Hard or Chaos difficulty, and that you personally
defeat Tadakatsu Honda and Hideyoshi Hashiba.

Q: Shingen Takeda's a goofy old man.
A: That's not a question, even if it is partially true. If you're commenting on
his dialogue, I suspect that he was given so many comical lines because of his
reputation for being intelligent and witty.

Q: Shingen wields a war fan, not a gunbai! What are you, blind and stupid?
A: Actually, Mitsunari's weapon is a war fan. Shingen's weapon is indeed a
gunbai, and they still see use in Japan today.

Q: How do you know that?
A: The Internet is full of useful information if you know the right places to
look.

Q: Your FAQ sucks! I've crapped out better FAQs than this!
A: As soon as you find a way to upload excrement, you should post your wondrous
creation for all to see.

Q: I posted my FAQ, and everyone I know thinks it's better than yours! Your FAQ
really DOES suck!
A: Congratulations! I am in awe of your superior FAQ-writing skills! Now go
away.

Q: This is the best FAQ I've ever read! You're a genius and a god among men,
and I want to know more about you so that I can immortalize you!
A: Yeah, I get that a lot. My contact info's listed below.

Q: <insert some question that has nothing to do with the FAQ here>
A: See the second sentence of my previous answer.
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VIII. Special Thanks
I would like to thank...

...KOEI and Omega Force, for creating the Samurai Warriors series.
...the Sengoku-Jidai Database (http://sengokudatabase.tripod.com/id1.html), for
providing a concise but informative bio of Shingen Takeda.
...Edward Chang, for his helpful and well-written Samurai Warriors 2 FAQs.
...CJayC of GameFAQs, for posting this FAQ.
...Leo Chan of Neoseeker, for posting this FAQ.
...Dennis of Super Cheats, for posting this FAQ.
...the folks at IGN, for posting this FAQ.
...you, for reading this FAQ.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IX. Contacting Me
If you want to get in touch with me, send an e-mail to [email protected].
Be sure to put the word "FAQ" in the subject line of your e-mail, or I'm likely
to mistake it for spam and delete it. I check my e-mail every day, so you
should receive a reply quickly in most cases. I accept praise, corrections, and
constructive criticism, and will give you credit for any information you share
with me that I decide to add to the FAQ. Rude, crass, or incomprehensible
e-mails will be ignored or shamelessly ridiculed as my mood dictates, so keep
your e-mails clear and polite if you want me to respond in kind.

I also use AIM occasionally. If you want my Screen Name, ask for it via e-mail.

Happy gaming!