SD: Sengoku Ace - 1-ALL Flight Manual

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ACSeraph
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SD: Sengoku Ace - 1-ALL Flight Manual

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Sengoku Ace - 1-ALL Flight Manual



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I recently decided to go for my first Psikyo clear with Sengoku Ace and learned a lot from the process. This game seems like a great introduction to the Psikyo style, so I'm going to compile my notes on how to easily clear the first loop of the game. It isn't free and will require some practice, but if you follow my guide you shouldn't have too much trouble. By the time you clear it you should have a much better idea of what is required to take out a Psikyo game.



Setup

I played on the PS2 collection that includes Sengoku Blade. All settings were default except controls, which in my case were X = Autofire, Square = Shot, and R1 = Bomb. Also I set it so that stage order was not random so my stage order was as follows:

Stage 1 - The River
Stage 2 - The Waterfall
Stage 3 - The Port
Stage 4 - Skystage
Stage 5 - Ninja Fortress
Stage 6 - Inside the Fortress
Stage 7 - The Ultimate Weapon

Once you hit second loop the stages are random no matter what, but they won't be covered in this guide anyhow.



Character Selection



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We will be using Aine for this guide. The reason I chose him was because his normal shot has extremely high damage output, his missiles allow him to kill bosses in seconds by point blanking, and his bomb is invincible and does insanely high damage. Basically I tried everyone and he seemed like the easiest, so that's who we are going with.

*Additional character information and strategies may be added in future updates.



General Strategy

Your ability to survive in this game is based on a few different factors we will discuss now. In general the name of the game is aggression. You want to kill the most dangerous things on screen as quickly as you possibly can. Usually the bigger it is the faster you need to kill it and if you don't you will get overwhelmed very quickly. I will discuss specific points to watch out for later in the guide.

Game pickups come down to powerups, bombs, and gold with your rank being determined almost entirely by your powerup level. Max bomb stock is 6, and max power up level is 3. For every power up level you get the bullet speed (rank) increases and at 3 it's so fast its difficult to reactively dodge things. You can't just try to keep your shot at level 0 and coast through the game though because the level 0 and 1 shots don't do enough damage to kill any of the larger enemies so you will get overwhelmed and die regardless of how slow the bullets are. At level 2 you get missiles and your shot damage is increased dramatically. Bullets are definitely fast but they are manageable compared to level 3 so for survival purposes you should grab two powerups and then avoid picking up any more aside from a couple very specific points which will be detailed later. If you pick up a third one by accident though it's OK, just keep cool and after a short while your shot will revert back to level 2 and the rank will revert back with it. Level 3 shot is only a temporary boost as long as you don't keep collecting powerups.

Once you get to level 2 and have missiles you can point blank for all the damage which mostly negates the need for additional powerups. Specifically when I refer to point blanking in this guide I mean a riding point blank. Only popcorn kills you on collision in this game so for everything else you can position yourself right on top of it to maximize point blank damage. Particularly against bosses if you sit back and passively dodge you won't survive long so get in there and KILL :twisted: !



Bomb Allocation

Since the goal here is a quick easy 1-ALL I'm pretty liberal with bombs. However, I never panic bomb and you shouldn't either. Always plan them out and learn to play the rest of the stage without them. Your plan should never ever be "try as hard as I can and bomb if I get overwhelmed". It simply isn't good enough for this game. You should have a few left over to work with even after going by this list so plan the rest for spots you find particularly tough.

Stage 1: 0 bombs

Stage 2: 0 bombs

Stage 3: 1 Bomb
After blowing off the boss' wing on the right, get in close and bomb for the kill.

Stage 4: 1-3 Bombs
There's a part late in the stage where two large rectangular ships swoop in and then move to the top of the screen. When they are close together at the top bomb to kill them both and avoid getting overwhelmed with bullets. The boss in this stage is random. The yellow lightning boss is predictable enough that you can try to avoid using bombs and bomb on reaction if you get into a bad situation. It's worth it to at least attempt to fight it to conserve the bombs. If you get the purple boss on the right I suggest bomb spamming him to death. Basically point blank when he first appears until the wooden platform on the left disappears, then back off and bomb. This will send him to his second phase. Bomb again and if he doesn't die ride the rest out with your shot (you should be alright).

Stage 5: 1 Bomb
Near the end of the stage you have to fight all four ninjas one after the other. The third one is the red kunoichi who is very difficult to kill before the fourth one appears. Dealing with both together is extremely dangerous but luckily as the fourth ninja appears the two are lined up. Bomb to kill them both at the same time.

Stage 6: 2-3 Bombs
Three white columns will spin around harmlessly before converging in the center of the screen. Bomb when they converge to kill all three at once. When the Buddha statue boss appears immediately point blank him and he will break off into his second phase. When he does this bomb immediately to protect yourself, then if you are in a bad situation after the first bomb go ahead and just bomb again to kill him.

Stage 7: 1-2 Bombs
This stage is pretty reasonable to finish with only one bomb, but if you have extra ones go ahead and bomb the tengu sub-boss that appears after destroying the first giant samurai head. He will drop a bomb anyhow so even if you only have one just go ahead and go for it. Right after that set yourself to point blank the next giant samurai head thing and right when it begins shooting bomb for the kill. After that the final boss is cake.



Stage Breakdown


Stage 1: The River

As stage 1 the river doesn't really pose any threat. Just cruise through it and go ahead and collect all the powerups since the stage is easily cleared even at max rank. When you fight the ninja, after his first attack where he throws shurikens at you you can riding point blank him as he flies around the screen for a quick kill.

As for the boss, try to maximize your score by destroying each part before destroying the main body. Particularly destroy the left and right sides as early as possible since they can pose a threat if left alone.


Stage 2: The Waterfall

This stage is packed with tanks that aggressively snipe at you. It's better to avoid taking a third powerup throughout the stage to control bullet speed. Primarily focus on quickly taking out the tanks as you dodge. When the ninja midboss appears you can immediately point blank him to kill him before he can fire a single shot. The second point to watch out for is near the end. There are a lot of tanks and a very large tank will rush down the screen and exit on the left side while firing. Dodge its shots and ignore it. Another large tank will appear on the upper right that you need to take out, but be patient and focus on taking out all the small tanks first to avoid taking a stray snipe bullet. After killing the large tank grab the power up to go to shot level 3. The rank won't matter for the boss.

The turtle boss in this stage is one of the easiest in the game. Just shoot off its arms and then the moment you blow off the second arm fly up and point blank the boss. It will turn upside down. When it does this back off down the screen. Dodge as needed and the boss will die within seconds (if it managed to survive the point blank in the first place).


Stage 3: The Port

This stage is similar to stage 2 with its small sniping tanks. Focus on them throughout the stage. You can destroy the houses for powerups, and if you destroy the house on the left side early in the stage the red kunoichi will attack you. She moves around the screen a lot but you don't need to chase her, just dodge and kill off the popcorn. After the attack where she flies left and right shooting red orbs, just fly up and point blank her for the kill.

If you were riding her you should end up picking up the power up she drops, if not fly up and grab it. The next part happens very quickly but you need do it properly to avoid getting into a very dangerous situation so listen up. After killing the kunoichi and getting the power up a a boat will appear on the left spamming a mostly harmless pattern. Kill it quickly and it will drop a bomb. Grab the bomb while moving to the right right side of the screen and kill the popcorn that appears. Some popcorn will appear on the left too but you don't have time to deal with it. Right in front of you a whole bunch of little turrets will pop out and begin firing. Get off as many shots as you can before getting out of the way, then swing back in to finish off the survivors. During this process watch out for any shots fired from the popcorn on the left. Immediately move to the left to deal with the big tank that appears. Kill it quickly while dodging its shots and then move quickly to the right to take out the 3 slightly bigger turrets that appear on the roof of the building. This whole left-right-left-right process only lasts about ten seconds, so make sure you are ready for it and concentrate. After this the tension drops off and you get a few simple waves of popcorn before the boss appears. Your shot level should have dropped back to 2 by now, but don't pick up any further powerups.

This airship is where the bosses start playing a little rough. For the first phase stay directly under the boss and move with it as you dodge. When this is destroyed it will deploy its wings. Move to the left and as close to the wing as you are comfortable being and dodge until the wing is destroyed. Carefully move back under the main body of boss while staying kind of close to it and bomb. It might not die, but it shouldn't take more than “just a couple more shots!”


Stage 4: Skystage

From this point on the stage order is predetermined if you happened to be playing with random stages. Skystage isn't that hard if you play it safe. Just avoid taking power ups to keep the rank down and coast through. Near the end of the stage two large rectangular ships will swoop down from above and then back to the top of the screen. When they move up fly up through the simple bullet pattern and bomb to kill them both and avoid a dangerous situation. Collect the bomb and go ahead and collect the powerups too while being careful of the popcorn. If it seems risky to grab the bomb or powerups just wait because the popcorn wave will end before the items disappear.

The boss in this stage is random. You will get either a purple boss on the right or a yellow boss on the left and they are dealt with in different ways. If you get the purple boss point blank him immediately until he moves towards the middle of the screen and then back off. Bomb and he will break into his second form. Wait a second for things to get hectic and bomb again to bring him near death. Then just dodge and finish him off.

The yellow bosses patterns are easier to deal with without using bombs, but it things get hairy just go ahead and use them. The main thing to watch out for it when he raises his arms and starts charging electricity. When he does this fly up the the top of the screen and he will swoop down with a beam attack. Fly down as he is beaming and ride on top of his head to do mass damage. He does this attack in both of his phases.


Stage 5: The Ninja Fortress

The main key to safely navigating this stage is mostly staying in the middle and avoiding moving around more than necessary. Don't worry about actually killing the ninja that spawn, just worry about avoiding their shurikens. For the first pattern that includes a red ninja, the red one will be dead center so you will end up killing it. To avoid the pattern thrown from the green ninjas, quickly move and little right, and then back left to the center. You should be able to see the opening. After this you will have to deal with a large tank in the middle of the screen. It will drop a bomb, but don't take any unnecessary risks to grab it. It will stay on screen long enough that you can grab it when there are no enemies. After the tanks a group of red ninjas will spawn and throw a very fast pattern of shurikens with fairly wide openings. To avoid it move a little bit to the right, and then adjust with very small movements if needed.

The second phase of this stage is a boss gauntlet where you fight all the ninja masters again. It's really easy if you are aggressive though. Feel free to grab powerups to max out your shot. When the first ninja appears point blank to kill him before he can attack. Do the same to the second ninja. Do not point blank the red kunoichi or she will kill you. Don't even worry about shooting her. Sit directly under her when the fight begins and her shurikens will miss, then dodge until another ninja master appears. The two will be lined up in the middle of the screen. Let off a bomb to kill both at the same time. All four ninjas will then converge together and turn into a giant ninja boss.

This boss' patterns look very intimidating but are easy to dodge, so resist the urge to bomb him. Initially shoot off his shoulder armor to go to phase two. For the rest of the fight stay exactly lined up with the center of the boss and don't move unless he does or you will die. If you stay still centered under him everything he fires will miss, even though it looks really close. He has two attacks, a long barrage of bullets where he comes in close and fires right in your face, and a quick attack where he shoots and throws some shurikens. He does them one after the other. After he finishes the second long barrage fly up and point blank him for the kill. Do not have Aine point blank after the first barrage or you will get hit by his quick attack before you kill him.


Stage 6: Inside the Fortress

This is without a doubt the hardest stage in the first loop. This is the mostly likely place you will see your first death if you make a small mistake, but don't worry if that happens because the final stage is manageable even with low resources.

When the stage begins you will have to fight 3 large tanks. You have two choices. If you have lots of bombs fly to the right and bomb so that the right tank and the incoming center tank will be destroyed. Dealing with the remaining tank is easy. If you are low on resources start on the left side and fire as long as you can before the bullets from the tank on the right force you to move. Move all the way to the right side of the screen. Hopefully you will at least decap the tank on the left. If you don't go ahead and bomb. If you didn't bomb start moving slowly back towards the left while dodging, then swing up and around to avoid bullets as the remaining tanks exit the screen.

During the next part you will see three white columns. They will spin around harmlessly and then converge in the middle. If you have a bomb, bomb them when they converge to kill them all at once. If you don't then during their initial spin try to point blank each of them at an even rate. When they converge there will be two in the front and one in the back. They will follow you and fire but it's easy to dodge. The most important part here is that you weaken both of the front columns before killing one. Try to get one to flash red at low health then kill the other. The moment you kill one the remaining two will split off and move around randomly firing a fast confusing pattern. Kill the weak one as fast as you possibly can, and if you survive the remaining one is easy to deal with. This is an extremely bad place to die and get powered down, it could literally ruin your entire run so I highly recommend bombing them over fighting them. If for some reason you enter the stage with zero bombs its better to purposely die at the tanks to get your bombs back and re-power up from the powerups that the tanks drop. Then use one of the bombs you get to deal with the columns.

Next position yourself at the bottom of the middle of the right side of the screen (1/4th of the way from the right edge). That giant ninja boss will show back up and fire two sprays at you, but your positioning will put you right where the openings are. Fly up and point blank him to kill him before he can attack again. He will drop you a bomb.

Finally you will see a giant Buddha statue with a smaller Buddha on his left and right. Ride right on top of the big statue to break him into his second phase before the shooting starts then bomb the moment he breaks into his second phase. He probably won't die, and you will probably be in a bad situation so go ahead and bomb a second time for the kill. This is another point where its really disadvantageous for you to die, so if you have the bombs go ahead and use them.

In the very possible event you only have one bomb when you reach him (the one you got from the super ninja) go ahead and follow the same strategy. However after the first bombs move back and do your best to bomb and dodge his patterns. There's a pretty high chance you'll die in this case, which makes the final stage harder, but it shouldn't ruin your entire run so don't sweat it and press on because you're almost there.


Final Stage: The Ultimate Weapon

Compared to stage 6 this stage isn't that bad, but you can still end of dead very quickly if you aren't careful. Like stage 5 for the first half you need to stay in the center as much as possible. The little red ships fire static patterns that are easily avoided. In the center turrets will come out of the floor and you need to kill them. They fire two patterns. One requires you to stay still directly under them, the other requires you to dodge left or right. Watch for them and react accordingly.

The turrets drop powerups, I believe there are three turrets total. If you died on the stage 6 boss you need to take risks to get yourself powered back up or you won't be able to beat the next section. If you didn't die and are already at power level 2, take another power up to get to level 3 if you have the opportunity. Don't take big risks for them. After the turrets you will face a giant samurai robot thing. He has two turrets, one on the left and one on the right. Focus on destroying one of the turrets, then move to take out the other, then take out his head. His patterns aren't that hard so avoid bombing unless you just have a ton of them and don't want to save them for the second loop.

When he died a tengu will come out of the head. His patterns are manageable but if you have even one bomb go ahead and bomb him for the kill. If you don't just dodge as best you can and eventually if you fail to kill him he will fly off the screen. Try your best to kill him though since he drops a bomb.

Position yourself at the top of the screen. A second way more imposing looking robo-samurai will appear. Point blank while riding his head until he begins to fire and immediately bomb. Keep firing and he should die before your invincibility runs out. Next you fight a purple pot. It moves around the screen annoyingly spamming relatively simplistic patters. There's no need to rush killing him, so just focus on the patterns until he dies.

This is it... The pot shatters, and Lucifer himself emerges. You fought hard to get here so now it's time to give it everything you have to kill the Devil himself. Or you could just ride on top of him as he spawns to kill him before he can ever fire a single shot. Whatever works for you.

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*Special thanks to Hagane for giving me advice as I pursued this 1cc. Make sure to check out his awesome Sengoku Blade ST!
Last edited by ACSeraph on Wed Jan 13, 2016 4:45 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Hagane
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Re: SD: Sengoku Ace - 1-ALL Flight Manual (Work in Progress)

Post by Hagane »

Cool stuff! If I get around to 1CCing it I could give some info on Jane if you want.
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ACSeraph
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Re: SD: Sengoku Ace - 1-ALL Flight Manual (Work in Progress)

Post by ACSeraph »

Hagane wrote:Cool stuff! If I get around to 1CCing it I could give some info on Jane if you want.
Definitely any info is appreciated and you have way more experience with Psikyo stuff than me so I'm sure you have plenty of awesome tips to offer.

I actually have been trying to learn to 1cc with Jane but I personally find her harder to play than Aine. Like you said last week her point blanking is much more powerful than his, but her bomb seems terrible and combined with Aine's pretty decent point blanking ability I think he has an advantage. How do you get the most out of her bomb?
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Re: SD: Sengoku Ace - 1-ALL Flight Manual (Work in Progress)

Post by Hagane »

I use it mostly to aid point blanking, if there's a boss I can't speedkill before it shoots (and I haven't bothered to learn its patterns haha). I "ride" the boss for as long as I can, bomb when it's about to shoot, then keep riding. There's a fair amount of time where you are still invincible and are able to shoot, usually more than enough to bring down anything if you have softened it a bit before and you are at max power level.
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davyK
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Re: SD: Sengoku Ace - 1-ALL Flight Manual

Post by davyK »

Really good info here - not taking that 3rd power up is key to this - for me anyhow.

Haven't got a 1-ALL yet but it feels doable. I have the PS2 port and it has a good practice mode - even lets you practice the 2-X levels but a 1-ALL will be good enough for me.
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ACSeraph
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Re: SD: Sengoku Ace - 1-ALL Flight Manual

Post by ACSeraph »

Wow, never expected to see this one resurrected. This was the first guide I ever wrote. Glad someone is getting use out of it. I loved this game, but I haven't played in ages. I definitely remember not taking full powerups being a key point though. Also Aine. Seriously he is a god in this game.
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