============================================ DYNASTY WARRIORS 4: XTREME LEGENDS (US) Character Guide: Sima Yi Version 1.0 Created by: Sima Zhongda ============================================ ============ CONTENTS ============ 1. Introduction 2. Biography 3. Attacks 3.1 Charges 3.2 Musou 3.3 Mounted Attacks 3.4 Other Attacks 4. Recommended Items 5. Weapons 5.1 General Table 5.2 Level 10 5.3 Level 11 6. Legend of Sima Yi 6.1 Story 6.2 Zhuge Liang's Ploy 6.3 The Enemy Generals 6.4 Additional Facts and Figures 7. Legend of Sima Yi: Expert Difficulty Strategy 7.1 Recommended Items 7.2 Zhuge Liang's Ploy Thwarted 7.3 In-Combat Recommendations 8. Thanks 9. Copyright and Contact Information =================== 1. Introduction =================== This guide presents information regarding some of the most important aspects of playing Wei strategist Sima Yi in the US version of Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends. Since I intended to make it useful for players who seek a strategy, as well as for those who would rather develop their own, I dedicated two chapters to the Legend of Sima Yi: the first is a description with specific facts and figures; the second deals with a strategy to clear the stage in Expert difficulty, meeting the requirements to unlock Sima Yi's level 11 weapon. As for his level 10 weapon, I included the unlocking procedure for DW4:XL but not the original DW4, because this allowed me to focus on XL for a more thorough and accurate guide. Though I am open to the possibility of including the DW4 procedure at a later time, I cannot promise anything; besides, Muni Shinobu has already written a very effective guide to unlock level 10 weapons in the original DW4. This being said, let us proceed. ================ 2. Biography ================ From DW4:XL Encyclopedia: Sima Yi (179 - 251) A Wei vassal. He was promoted after Cao Cao recognized his talent and ability. In the battle with Shu, he refused to be lured out by Zhuge Liang, putting his heart and soul into a strong defensive effort, which resulted in victory. After serving four generations of the Cao family, he won a battle with Cao Shuang to seize control of the Wei Empire, laying the foundation for what would eventually become the Jin Dynasty. From Kongming's Archives (http://www.kongming.net): Sima Yi (Zhongda) Comprehensive Officer Biography* Translated & Authored by Jonathan Wu Place of Birth: Wen County, Henei Prefecture (Presently Wen County in Henan Province) Lifespan: AD 179 - 251 (73 Years) Titles: Great Commander-in-Chief Who Pacifies the West, Grand Preceptor, Prime Minister, King Wen Family: Sima Fang (father), Sima Juan (grandfather), Sima Fu, Sima Lang (brothers), Sima Shi, Sima Zhao (sons), Sima Yan, Sima You (grandsons), Sima Wang (nephew) Sima Yi began his career as Secretary of Literature under Lord Cao after the pacification of the north. Zhongda’s first military assigned was against Zhang Lu in Hanzhong. Sima Yi’s strategies were a success and Lord Cao was greatly impressed. Sima Yi advised Lord Cao to press the attack further into Yi Zhou before giving time to Liu Bei establish himself, however Lord Cao wanted to rest the troops and did not advance. Cao Pi had a great trust in Sima Yi, appointed him Chief of the Secretariat and titled him Lord of Hejin Precinct. Later in his career, Zhongda was appointed as Senior Assistant to the Prime Minister. In the last year or Rebuilt Tranquility (AD 220), after the death of Lord Cao, his son Cao Pi took his place and wanted to force Emperor Xian to abdicate the throne. When the letter of Emperor Xian regarding the abdication came, Zhongda advised Cao Pi to reject the first offer to silence the murmurings of the people. Cao Pi took this advice and rejected the seal of rule three times before becoming the Wei Emperor. When Cao Pi’s son Cao Rui succeeded the throne, Sima Yi was appointed as Great General of the Flying Cavalry, and was in charge of defending Xiliang district. By a plot of Zhuge Liang, Sima Yi was later dismissed from his office. Without Sima Yi however, Cao Rui and Cao Zhen suffered many losses against Zhuge Liang and his officers. Thus Cao Rui appointed Sima Yi as Great Commander-in-Chief Who Pacifies the West. Zhongda’s talents as military strategist and his able leadership prevented Zhuge Liang from gaining the upper hand in the battles between Wei and Shu. In the second year of Beginning Prospects (AD 238), Zhongda put down the rebellion of Gongsun Yuan and was promoted to Grand Commandant. When Cao Fang succeeded the throne, Sima Yi was appointed as Grand Preceptor; however he lost the control of the military to the regent of the Emperor, Cao Shuang, the son of Cao Zhen. In the first year of Joyous Stability (AD 249), Sima Yi decided that the reign of the weak Wei Emperors needed to stop and pulled off a Coup d’etat. In the process, Cao Shuang and his sympathizers were put to death. Henceforth, Sima Yi was appointed as Prime Minister and received the Nine Dignities from Cao Fang. Sima Yi placed his sons Zhao and Shi in high positions and took away power or killed anyone who still supported the Cao Family. In the third year of Joyous Stability (AD 251), Zhongda eradicated Wang Ling who usurped against his authority. In the same year, Sima Yi died of natural causes at the age of seventy-two. When his grandson Sima Yan united the land and established the Jin Dynasty, Sima Yi was posthumously titled King Wen. * Copyright 2002 - 2003 Jonathan Wu A Kong Ming's Archives Exclusive Production Major Sources: Beifangshi - Han/Ming Professor E.Lin (1982 Beijing) ============== 3. Attacks ============== 3.1 Charges T - A typical light arrow. ST - Target is tossed into the air by Sima Yi's fan. SST - The enemy is hit once by a single laser beam. Stunning move. SSST - Sima Yi laughs evilly and slides backward on one foot, while his fan goes forward and moves from side to side in a horizontal line. Press T a second time and he will slide forward, his fan spinning around him. Note that in the SSSTT move the equipped orb can take effect twice. It is possible to change direction while performing this charge. SSSST - The enemy is tossed into the air by Sima Yi's fan, just like in his SST. Press T a second time and Sima Yi will jump after his foe and hit them once (equipped orb can take effect again) before returning to the ground. SSSSST - Sima Yi shoots four homing laser beams (forward, right, left, forward). 3.2 Musou Normal - Sima Yi laughs evilly and shoots series of three purple homing laser beams that go forward into his target, stunning or knocking them down; ending move shoots five lasers. It is very lethal against crowds or single enemies. True Musou - Sima Yi yells, "Fools!", and performs a musou with added fire elemental. Fire is replaced by equipped orb's elemental if he has his level 10 or 11 weapon (in DW4:XL only); in such case, having a vorpal orb equipped makes this attack more devastating than ever. Note: Although the musou attack is Sima Yi's greatest strength, it must be pointed out that it is highly ineffective against targets located on an elevation different from his, even at very short range. In other words, the homing lasers cannot hit far above or below a horizontal line. 3.3 Mounted Attacks Normal - Sima Yi swings his fan in an arc from one side to the other; this means that enemy units in front of him also take damage. He is no Ma Chao but this is still a nice move when a Wind Scroll is equipped. Charge - Same as his normal attack but more damage is inflicted. Musou - Same form as his normal attack, with faster, more damaging swings. 3.4 Other attacks Rush - Sima Yi laughs evilly while sliding forward on one foot; his fan moves from side to side, horizontally, in front of him. Stunning move. Jumping S - Sima Yi's fan moves downward, diagonally. The enemy is knocked back by the hit. Jumping T - Sima Yi shoots a laser beam downward, diagonally. An explosion occurs when it hits the ground, yet this is a very low damage attack. Taunt (R3) - Sima Yi says, "Imbeciles!"; purple Chinese characters circle around him and enemy units nearby are knocked back. ======================== 4. Recommended Items ======================== Harness: Red Hare or Shadow Orb: Vorpal Item 1: Tiger Amulet Item 2: Tortoise Amulet (Replace for another item if he has his level 11 weapon, since it comes with a built-in level 18 Tortoise Amulet). Item 3: Wind Scroll Item 4: Elixir Item 5: Secret of Orbs Item 6: Speed Scroll or Way of Musou (The latter if his weapon is level 10+). ============== 5. Weapons ============== 5.1 General Table /---------------------------------------------------------------\ | Level | Name | Power | Attacks | Exp. | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | 1 | Strategist's Fan | +11 | 4 | 0 | | 2 | Strategist's Fan | +14 | 4 | 1000 | | 3 | Strategist's Fan | +17 | 4 | 3000 | | 4 | Command Fan | +21 | 5 | 6000 | | 5 | Command Fan | +24 | 5 | 10000 | | 6 | Command Fan | +27 | 5 | 15000 | | 7 | Black Feather | +35 | 6 | 21000 | | 8 | Black Feather | +38 | 6 | 28000 | | 9 | Black Feather | +41 | 6 | 36000 | | 10* | Dark Feather | +50 | 6 | 36000 | | 11** | Abyssal Feather | +60 | 6 | 36000 | \---------------------------------------------------------------/ * Must be unlocked, DW4 or DW4:XL. Level 9 weapon is required. ** Must be unlocked, DW4:XL only. Level 10 weapon is required. 5.2 Level 10 Weapon Weapon's Name: Dark Feather Power: +50 Built-in Bonuses: None Mode: Legend Stage: Battle of Mt. Qi (Legend of Sima Yi) Difficulty level: HARD Requirement: Get 26 KO count* to trigger the rain; defeat Wei Yan within 2'30" after it starts raining. Must already have his level 9 weapon. Easier said than done. The major problem here is to manage to defeat Wei Yan within 2'30" after the rain starts. As I will explain in later chapters, Wei Yan is an extremely tough enemy who will not waste any opportunity to hit Sima Yi. How to ensure success? First of all, save as soon as the rain is triggered, as this initial part is the most annoying and time consuming. Second, try to stay away from Wei Yan as much as possible and deal with his troops before focusing on him. It is also a good idea to use Sima Yi's musou as soon as it becomes available, and to keep the horse (Shadow recommended) handy; the latter can be useful to protect Sima Yi from damage when running to a recovery item, since doing so on foot with low health often results in death (Wei Yan is a fast runner). If the mentioned requirements are met, the message: "Sima Yi has earned the ultimate weapon Dark Feather" will appear after the notice of Wei Yan's death. Run to the escape point if you wish to end the stage; it is not necessary to kill anyone else. Please note that it is necessary to trigger the rain; when testing the requirements to unlock this weapon I waited until it automatically began to rain (approximately 5 minutes into the stage), defeated Wei Yan within the next 2'30" and did not obtain the weapon. I also tried triggering the rain but killing Wei Yan after the 2'30" had passed and did not obtain the weapon. I did obtain it when both of the required conditions were met. * Although it is common knowledge that the rain is triggered by a KO count of 26, this number is not always necessary. There are 26 units (25 archers and 1 bombardier) in the area between Sima Yi's start point and the gate located to the west. While it is expected for the elimination of these units to get Sima Yi's KO counter to 26, this is not always the case; the reason is that, if his musou is used, some of the units can be thrown into others, killing them and not counting them as Sima Yi's kills. However, if Sima Yi's KO counter is below 26 but the mentioned area has been cleared of enemies, killing the bombardier that stands by the eastern hill will trigger the rain, regardless of KO count (I obtained such results with as few as 19 KO's). I succeeded to obtain the weapon under these circumstances. 5.3 Level 11 Weapon Weapon's Name: Abyssal Feather Power: +60 Built-in Bonuses: Tortoise Amulet - Level 18 Nanman Armor - Level 15 Cavalry Armor - Level 16 Seven Star Sash - Level 11 Mode: Legend Stage: Battle of Mt. Qi (Legend of Sima Yi) Difficulty Level: EXPERT Requirement: Defeat at least nine out of the ten generals in the stage, to obtain grade S. Must already have the Dark Feather (level 10 weapon). See chapter 6 for information regarding the stage, and chapter 7 for a strategy to clear it with the required grade S. The message "Sima Yi has gained the final weapon Abyssal Feather" should appear after the ninth officer is defeated. ======================== 6. Legend of Sima Yi ======================== Stage: Battle of Mt. Qi Restrictions: No bodyguards Time Limit: 20 minutes Condition for Victory: Sima Yi reaches the escape point. Condition for Defeat: Sima Yi is slain. 6.1 Story After the establishment of the Three Kingdoms, Zhuge Liang of Shu led countless campaigns north against the Wei forces. The struggling Wei Kingdom would eventually call upon their own military genius, Sima Yi, to lead its forces. Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi were evenly matched as strategists, thus the fighting entered into a long stalemate. But one day, Sima Yi received a report that the Shu forces were suffering from food shortages, and he decided to take action. The opportunity to outshine Zhuge Liang had finally come. Sima Yi struck out and immediately routed the forces of Shu general Wei Yan, and pursued the fleeing enemy troops into a valley. But this had been Zhuge Liang's plan all along, and Sima Yi was suddenly faced with the greatest predicament of his life... 6.2 Zhuge Liang's Ploy The stage begins with an event in which Sima Yi is lured by Wei Yan into Zhuge Liang's ambush. There are many archer units and bombardiers in the area, land mines have been set, and the only way out (a gate located ahead and to the left from the starting point) is closed. How much damage Sima Yi will take from this ambush is highly dependant on difficulty level; if his health bar goes down to yellow he curses Zhuge Liang. However, 5'00" into the stage or (normally) right after Sima Yi's KO count reaches 26 things change: it begins to rain, which defuses the mines. Upon realizing that the rain has ruined his plan, Zhuge Liang opens the gate and sends Wei Yan to attack. 6.3 The Enemy Generals + Wei Yan. He charges into Sima Yi at Zhuge Liang's command. He is enraged (just like Lu Bu in DW4 Hu Lao Gate) and very possibly the toughest general in the stage, as in the high difficulty levels he can easily kill Sima Yi with just a few hits. + Gao Xiang. He appears with many troops when Sima Yi walks into the area between the encounter with Wei Yan and Zhuge Liang's location. There is nothing special about this fight. + Zhuge Liang. Located near the eastern enemy gate, he will not attack until Sima Yi encounters him. Like Wei Yan, he is enraged and can cause major damage, but is somewhat easier to fight. + Yue Ying. As soon as Zhuge Liang's health goes under 50% she will appear from the eastern gate and move towards Sima Yi. She is not any tougher than usual; watch out for her freezing charges. + Liao Hua. He arrives from the southern gate, usually between 5 and 9 minutes into the stage. + Zhang Yi. Arrives from the eastern gate, 90 seconds after Liao Hua. + Ma Dai. Arrives from the southern gate, 90 seconds after Zhang Yi. + Jian Yong. Arrives from the eastern gate, 90 seconds after Ma Dai. + Jiang Wei. Arrives from the southern gate, 90 seconds after Jian Yong. Though not enraged, he can inflict major damage. + Wang Ping. Shu's last attempt to stop Sima Yi, he appears in the area near the escape point, along with some soldiers and archers. Be careful if you intend to kill him, since Sima Yi might end up being pushed into the escape point, automatically finishing the stage. 6.4 Additional Facts and Figures + Mines and bombs cannot kill Sima Yi; the worst they can do is empty his health bar. + The location of the mines in the first part of the stage never changes. + Once activated, mines do not regenerate. + The rain can be triggered with a KO count below 26, if the area between Sima Yi's start point and the western gate has been cleared of enemies and the bombardier standing by the hill on the east is killed. + There is a Meat (+200 life recovery) inside a jar by the exit from the ambush place. + The enemy entry points (gates) are restored 20 to 30 seconds after being sealed. + Once encountered, most generals and their units follow Sima Yi; even gate captains leave their posts to pursue him. + There can be a maximum of 3 enemy generals (not counting Zhuge Liang) on the map at the same time. If this is the case at the time Zhang Yi, Ma Dai, Jian Yong or Jiang Wei are due to appear, they do not show up until at least one of the generals on the map dies. + Some of the generals that arrive throughout the stage stay behind their gate for a while. They advance if Sima Yi gets close enough. + The stage ends as soon as Sima Yi goes fairly near the escape point. It does not matter how many enemy generals are alive. + Triggering the rain and defeating the 10 enemy generals results in the maximum possible grade, depending on difficulty level played (B for Beginner, A for Easy - Hard, S for Expert). ==================================================== 7. Legend of Sima Yi: Expert Difficulty Strategy ==================================================== The Battle of Mt. Qi is not a particularly difficult stage. What Sima Yi must do in order to achieve the maximum (S) grade is relatively simple: defeat at least 9 out of the 10 enemy generals in the stage. Although Sima Yi is all alone in a stage in which many hundreds of enemy soldiers are entirely dedicated to attack him, the major difficulty resides in the fact that he must first manage to survive Zhuge Liang's infamous ploy. It is highly recommended for Sima Yi to have maximum stats before attempting to play his Legend in Expert mode. Level 10 weapon is required in order to unlock level 11. 7.1 Recommended Items Harness: Shadow Orb: Vorpal Item 1: Tiger Amulet Item 2: Tortoise Amulet Item 3: Wind Scroll Item 4: Elixir Item 5: Secret of Orbs Item 6: Way of Musou 7.2 Zhuge Liang's Ploy Thwarted This is the most difficult part of the stage. It took many attempts for me to develop a solid strategy to escape alive and, finally, this is the one I found to be most effective and less time consuming (if done right, it should take around 3 minutes or less to trigger the rain). Success, however, might still take more than one attempt, especially when the stage is played for the first time in Expert difficulty. As soon as you gain control of Sima Yi, assume guarding position (L1) and move left and all the way back towards the gate. Do not turn Sima Yi's back to the archers. Do not move to the extreme left of the gate; there is a mine there. The line in which the gate stops Sima Yi from moving further back is a safe place; fully charge his musou bar. Following the right side of the area, ride down the hill to one of the nearest groups of archers and start the musou (keep in mind the limitations of Sima Yi's musou when it comes to uneven terrain). Get back on the horse immediately, ride back to the gate the exact same way you got down and repeat the procedure until the lower 26 units are dead. If they are dead and Sima Yi's KO count is still under 26, ride all the way to the wall opposite to the starting point, with a full musou bar, and kill the bombardier by the hill. The importance of doing the musou from that specific point resides in the fact that it is out of range for the archer units located on the hill. The rain is triggered immediately after Sima Yi's KO count reaches 26 or the bombardier is killed. Get back on the horse and save your game. As it starts to rain the mines are defused and Zhuge Liang realizes that his ploy has failed, so he opens the gate and sends Wei Yan after Sima Yi. It takes Wei Yan a few seconds to get there, but many common soldiers charge ahead of him. This is why Sima Yi must exit through the gate as soon as it is opened, and break the jars located to the right; a +200 life recovery is inside one of them. Note: It is very possible for Sima Yi to find himself with a completely empty health bar due to the large amount of damage the land mines cause. While the land mines themselves cannot kill him, they do leave him at risk of dying from an arrow shot. For this reason, you must not have Sima Yi stand still in this area, unless positioning for a musou attack or in a safe place. 7.3 In-Combat Recommendations + When fighting Wei Yan, attempt to eliminate his soldiers first, since they contribute to put Sima Yi in a more vulnerable position for Wei Yan to attack. Do not advance further on the map until he has been defeated. It is a good idea to save the game after defeating Wei Yan. + Use Sima Yi's musou as much as possible, but carefully. Always keep in mind that the units thrown back by it can collide with others and kill them; such kills DO NOT count as Sima Yi's. Hence, when fighting generals, wait until they get close to Sima Yi before starting the musou and stay alert for the "Enemy officer defeated" message as a confirmation of the kill. + War God's Axe (30 seconds x2 attack), War God's Armor (30 seconds x2 defense) and Wine (full recovery of musou gauge) are plentiful in this stage. Use them. + After defeating Yue Ying, advance to the area between the two enemy entry points (gates) and fight there until Jiang Wei is defeated. Not only does this let Sima Yi encounter the arriving officers faster, but also provides a steady source of Meat Buns (+50 life recovery): the gate captains. ============= 8. Thanks ============= + To KOEI, for creating the Dynasty Warriors series. + To Kongming's Archives (http://www.kongming.net), for providing such useful information regarding the people of the Three Kingdoms. + To Muni Shinobu, for his excellent DW4:XL Walkthrough and FAQs. + To The Left Wings, for his also excellent "Level 11 Weapons Guide". + To my best friend, whose aid, support and constructive criticism helped me write and improve this guide. + To the real Sima Yi, who inspired the creation of my very favorite Dynasty Warrior. + To GameFAQs, for publishing my work. ======================================== 9. Copyright and Contact Information ======================================== Copyright 2003-2004 Sima Zhongda. This document may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. For questions, contributions, etc., e-mail me at sima_zhongda@hotmail.com. I will give proper credit to the author(s) of any contributions I decide to post as part of this guide.