Kenzan! guide: all 10 Ultimate Trial challenges

Kenzan! guide: all 10 Ultimate Trial challenges The Trial group changes the rules almost every stage. One asks you to knock sumo wrestlers off a platform, another wants money, and another only lets you hurt enemies by putting a weapon away and pulling it back out. Read the objective before treating it like a normal fight. These stages unlock in order. Clear Trial 10 to unlock the third Reincarnation challenge. For the True Brawler God Amulet, every Trial needs S, along with the other 23 Ultimate Challenge stages. Trial 1: three ring-outs Knock all three sumo wrestlers off the arena in under seven seconds. Normal damage will not win this. Immediately equip the greatsword with Up on the directional pad and drive forward with its regular combo. You need the sweep to catch the group and push them off together. Don't spend time holding a defensive stance or circling around them. If they split apart or one remains safely on the platform after your opening combo, restart. The time allowance is too small for a careful second fight. The way the group moves at the opening can affect the attempt. Trial 2: reach the Kiyomizu staircase You have no normal equipment for this route. Get to the staircase before the temple stage, using the carpenters' bombs to break the rock barriers. There is another carpenter farther along, so you don't need to carry every bomb from the first supply point. Clear the obstruction that is actually blocking your route, then keep moving. Published timing requirements differ. Aim for a run under 1:30 as a conservative S target rather than assuming any clear earns S. The stage result is the check that matters. Trial 3: Star Actor money The clear requirement is 400 Ryo, but S requires at least 1,000 Ryo in the performance. Those are not the same target. Use strong umbrella finishers, collect the money thrown onto the stage and avoid unnecessary running or rolling. Those evasive animations reduce the payout. Taking damage hurts it too. A Heat Action finish adds money, and ending the timer during a Heat Action gives an additional 100 Ryo. Don't spend the whole performance in long animations, though. You still need to defeat enough enemies and collect their money. Trial 4: rescue the women in burning Tsuruya Save everyone and finish with more than 3:30 remaining. Unlike the ordinary story route, there are women to rescue on the starting floor too. Check the rooms before rushing downstairs. The game prevents you leaving a section while someone there still needs saving. If the exit refuses to let you through, go back through that floor's rooms rather than looking for a different staircase. Avoid optional fights. Deal with enemies where they block the route or stop you reaching a rescue, then move on. Don't carry your memory of the main-story rescue count into this challenge and assume the opening floor is empty. Trial 5: defeat enemies by drawing and putting away the hoe Finish in under 45 seconds. Ordinary attacks are forbidden. The damage must come from Shinnou's Hoe touching enemies during its equip and unequip animation. Get close, use Down on the directional pad to put the weapon away and re-equip it. Positioning matters more than button speed. If the animation passes through empty space, you're accomplishing nothing. Let enemies gather in front of you so one movement hits several. Adjust your position when someone is just outside the arc. Don't accidentally launch a regular attack out of habit. Trial 6: randomly changing weapons Defeat the group while your weapon changes. Aim to finish below 4:50, the stricter published S target. Watch what you are holding and use its appropriate range. A short weapon needs you closer; a larger weapon can catch several enemies. Trying to repeat the same combo regardless of the current weapon makes you miss openings and waste time. Keep the group in front of you where possible. You need to react to the equipment change without also recovering from hits coming from behind. Trial 7: run up the spiral staircase Reach the top in under a minute. Move around the outside early to avoid getting boxed in. At the narrow final stretch, a brief pause to let an obstacle or enemy pass can be faster than repeatedly trying to push through and getting stopped. Don't turn this into a fight. The objective is reaching the top. Trial 8: damage the practice target Deal at least 10,500 damage within the time limit. Use the two-sword style and keep your attacks connected with the dummy. A useful opening approach is to repeat the two-sword light-attack sequence and finisher. Watch the target rather than staring only at the damage total. If later hits are passing beside it, adjust your position slightly before repeating. Maintaining contact through the whole sequence matters more than blindly performing the longest combo. If your finisher is slowing you down or missing, shorten the sequence and compare the damage pace on the next attempt. Trial 9: defeat enemies with the harquebus Finish in under 35 seconds. Shots can pass through enemies, so line them up instead of treating each man as a separate target. Deal with the opening wave quickly from your starting position. As later enemies arrive, move sideways when you need to avoid their attacks and line up another shot. Don't spend so long repositioning for a perfect shot that you stop firing altogether. Trial 10: collect one Ryo from ninjas You begin without equipment. Defeat the ninjas, pick up the dropped money and reach one Ryo, which is 10,000 mon. For S, keep more than five minutes on the clock. Prioritise the white-clad ninjas when they are available. Use the objects you can pick up and throws where the surroundings help. Money on the ground is not collected money, so don't leave it behind while chasing another opponent. If the stage continues after several kills, check for drops you haven't picked up before assuming you need to defeat an entirely new wave. The common mistake A normal clear can look successful while still missing the S requirement. Money stages need the higher total, the rescue stage needs time left, and the practice target needs enough damage. Check the result after each run and only cross off the stage when it actually says S.