Beginner Tips for the Discerning Wanderer in DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS

DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS can be a bit of an odd experience for newcomers to the series: the multitude of weapons may be daunting and it may not always be clear what the best course of action is during a battle. I, for example, struggled with leaving any fight unfinished! Worry not, fellow wanderer, as I have some meagre wisdom to impart. Here are a few beginner tricks I picked up while riding my horse at a wall a few times too many.

1. Switch Up Your Weapons Often

ORIGINS has an impressive armoury of weapons for Wanderer to wield, with each having their own Proficiency levels. Getting comfortable with one weapon type and getting its Proficiency high feels great and can make you a proper threat on the battlefield, but it may also hamper your advancement quite a bit as a whole. You see, each time you become more proficient with a weapon, your overall Rank lv. will also increase, giving you better stats and opening up better perks in general at certain milestones.

As one may guess, focusing all your energy on one weapon will make it stronger, but you will miss out on quite a few Proficiency points given via the other weapon types! You may even find yourself unable to progress at all because your spear is already maxed out. Luckily, you become proficient with newer weapons quickly, so it’s not much of a bother to catch up. Changing your arms also has the added benefit of adding variety to the gameplay. I tended to switch my weapon whenever I gained a new Proficiency level for my current gear.

2. It’s Worth Doing the Side Content

If you are anything like me, you may become frustrated with the continuously spawning sidebattles after a few chapters. They are short, often give you scant rewards, and can be very repetitive if you do every last one you come across… but they do serve a purpose. First off, and building onto the first tip, these small-scale skirmishes are great for practising a new weapon, grinding out some Proficiency, and completing the tasks your allies burden you with.

Secondly, these mini-matches also continuously increase the Peace level of the province you are in. While I agree that the increase per battle is rather small, their relatively short length results in consistent growth! After certain milestones are met, the denizens of the province will even leave you offerings! In my experience, it may not be worth specifically seeking these battles, but I was usually comfortable taking on any I found between my current locale and the next main mission.

3. Listen

Let me paint the scene: you are blazing past an army on the eastern corner of the map, having the best of times. Your commander du jour shouts out something, but you’re way too into the chaotic fun of mass combat to either hear or care; the commander is safe in the castle, after all. Suddenly, your screen starts flashing red, and everyone is screaming about Commander Zero-HP being under attack! You look at the minimap in terror to see that he has charged at the enemy fortress in the west alone and is now hip-deep in trouble. You try your best... but end up losing the battle, not knowing what just happened.

ORIGINS has a bad habit of throwing sudden changes to battles at you without warning. Though you may get some idea of the flow of the battle during the pre-conflict meeting, these plans often break down before the first arrow is shot. As such, it is important to pay attention to the dialogue of the characters, as it may help you avoid disaster.

For example, there is a mission where your lovely commander sets up a few ambush points around the starting location but doesn’t seem to use them during the fight. However, after a certain point is reached, he will audibly say “Okay! Time to lead these guys into the ambush!” and slowly start moving his army around the bend. Now, if you happened to miss this bit of dialogue, you may be confused about why exactly the troops are retreating, as the game doesn’t convey this plan. Trust me, keep an ear out!

4. Leave Battles

This was the hardest lesson for me to learn. In the DYNASTY WARRIORS franchise, one of the big selling points is the massive-scale battles where you can fling enemies every which way like you’re Keanu Reeves in a leather duster, so, naturally, that's kinda what we want to be doing. However, the game does require Wanderer to be somewhat strategic in the many smaller battles in the larger conflict, and you really don’t have to end, or even participate in, every bout.

War is not a flip of the coin for either side. Instead, it fluctuates as armies break through defences, ambushes are sprung, and morale is both lost and gained. More often than not, your allies will find themselves in dire straights, requiring your one-man army to dig them out of the trench they continue to delve into… but what to do when another so-called master general charges into a heavily defended fort and finds themselves surrounded?

The lesson here is that not all combats need to be one, and some can even be skipped entirely. If you’re fighting random soldiers while the main forces clash, leaving them to join in will most likely not lead to a loss. Similarly, if you are aiding another hero unit, you don’t have to see the fight through to the end to ensure victory, as removing generals and thinning the ranks can be enough for Colonel Gets-Shot-Alot to handle the rest. Whenever you feel like there are multiple areas requiring your attention, try to spend the minimum needed time to turn the tide and then move on! You may find yourself slowly gaining ground as enemy leaders are slain, but yours remain.

5. Get on That Horse

This one is short and sweet: use your damn horse! Sure, the loyal beast is a great way to get from one battle to another, but you can also use your mount to break through enemy lines, knock enemy cavalry off their equine thrones, and clear a bit of breathing room for allies. Additionally, using your mount to charge down the enemies will also increase their level, unlocking new benefits.

You should also keep an eye out for other Horses you can obtain during the game, as they each have a Rank that defines their stats and Endurance. Some, like the ever-trusty Walnut, are acquired automatically as the game progresses, but some require completing a certain mission or achieving a high enough Peace level in a region.

6. Shining, Glittering, Gemtastic

The gem system confused me for quite a bit longer than I dare admit… it works like this: as you travel the overworld, you may spot nodes of crystals that you can collect. This Pyroxene can then be used to create gems whenever you are in a camp or inn, which sounds simple enough but can be a bit odd.

You see, each time you refine Pyroxene into a gem, you will randomly craft one of five types. My first thought was that this created an item that I could equip, like the various weapons and such you find during normal gameplay; however, that is not the case! You will ever create one of each of the five gems, with proceeding craftings only upgrading the existing gems to have better benefits, meaning there is little reason to save up your minerals for a rainy day. If you find you like one type much more than the others, however, you can wait for special events, where Wanderer will feel especially keen to craft only a few types.

And there you have it! Six tips for all you eager Wanderers setting off on your own journey through DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS. We hope these help you get to grips with the system and thrive in the battles ahead! Do you have any excellent tips or tricks we missed? Let us know in the comments!