NINJA GAIDEN Σ

Clearing the trial just means obtaining a bronze coin, so beat the trial on Normal. However, the strategies listed are good enough for Master Ninja, without requiring any complicated skills or a lot of practice on each stage (Desperation 5 excluded, the only way to beat that is practice), so the platinum coins should be relatively easy to obtain. The guide is broken down by trial, so just use a find if you need a specific one.

Desperation 1:
Enemies: Brown Ninja, Samurai Mages, Black Spider Ninja, Ogres
Strategy: For ninja, anything works really, just remember on higher difficulties they will use shuriken that need to be blocked, lest you die. For mages, close in as fast as possible, jump over them to stun them and then hit them with an attack. If they teleport in close, block until their last hit, then just tap X. Black Spider Ninja are similar. Stay blocking until they get in close, then whenever they finish a combo, just tap X. Ogres are so slow that just close in and tap X should work, but be prepared to dodge if necessary.

Desperation 2:
Enemies: Soldiers, Improved Soldiers
Strategy: Run at the soldier immediately. Jump over their head to stun them, then while in the air, push LS towards them and hit Y. It’s not a 100% strategy, as sometimes bad spawns or unlucky AI will manage to shoot you, but it does work more often than not.

Desperation 3:
Enemies: Ryu Clone (Vigoorian Flail)
Strategy: Block like your life depends on it (it does), use the Grip of Murder and White Tiger Helm to maximize defence and just keep blocking and rolling. Don’t try and hurt the clone, as you will not kill it in the 2 minutes you need live. Sometimes he will use Guillotine Throw, which you cannot block, so just be aware and ready to try again.

Desperation 4:
Enemies: Hydracubus, Bast Fiends
Strategy: Kill the Bast Fiends as fast as possible, use Fire Wheels if you need to. Then against the Hyrdacubus, either wait for the tentacle to be stuck in the ground, jump and attack, or use ETs and UTs to cut them off. Once it is vulnerable, UT it and it should go down in 2 vulnerability phases (with Grip of Murder + Azure Dragon Helm).

Desperation 5:
Enemies: Ishtaros
Strategy: If you feel confident in your ability to survive, Grip of Murder + White Tiger Helm and just block and dodge the 2 minutes away. When she goes swinging, either charge a UT or time a wall attack to have i-frames to avoid the damage. If you want a slightly easier time, Grip of Murder + Azure Dragon Helm. Fight her like you always would, attacking her with either X, Y, Y, Y or X, X, X, Y as you feel appropriate. The first does more damage but is much riskier. The second will take more hits but is safer. Opportunities for damage are after a failed leg grab (her leg is high in the air, and you dodged it), a slash and roundhouse kick (block the slash, dodge the kick) and after a swing attack (either the UT connects, or a combo can be used before she resumes normal behaviour). All other attacks should be blocked and dodged through, being careful to evade after a block as she breaks your guard. One of the toughest missions to beat on Master Ninja, so just keep at it and don’t get overly aggressive.

Fateful Confrontation 1:
Enemies: Ryu Clone (Dragon Sword)
Strategy: Play very defensive when facing the clone, as it is fond of the Incendiary Shuriken and powerful stun locking combos. If you can, keep it rolling, then try an X, Y string. If the Y connects and launches the clone, Izuna Drop it. Fiend Sealer doesn’t work on the clones, so try and time it getting up after an Izuna Drop with the animation for the Y press, as this will allow for back-to-back Izuna Drops. If the clone uses Ninpo, time your evade just before the Ninpo fires, so you have I-Frames and don’t take damage, because his Inferno hurts.

Fateful Confrontation 2:
Enemies: Ryu Clone (Dabilahro)
Strategy: Same as the first clone, but if you let a single combo land from this clone, it will take approximately 80% of your health. Don’t get hit.

Fateful Confrontation 3:
Enemies: Ryu Clone (Vigoorian Flail)
Strategy: Nothing new, same as other clones. Wait for a roll animation end or recovery from attack, then try an Izuna Drop.

Fateful Confrontation 4:
Enemies: Ryu Clone (True Dragon Sword)
Strategy: Same as other clones, wait for a roll animation end or recovery from attack, then try an Izuna Drop.

Fateful Confrontation 5:
Enemies: Ryu Clone (True Dragon Sword)
Strategy: As Rachel, trying to fight a clone on fair terms would be a poor choice. So instead, head for a corner and spam wall attacks against him, as it makes this so, so much easier.

Battlefields of the Abyss 1:
Enemies: Alma, Nicchae
Strategy: This is where it starts getting dumb. Equip the Dark Dragon Blade, spam wall attacks against Nicchae until she dies. The fight Alma just like you would normally with the True Dragon Sword. Ninpo can help to knock them down, but more often than not, they’re going to just dodge it and make it a waste.

Battlefields of the Abyss 2:
Enemies: Ghost Fish, Ghost Doku
Strategy: Change to the Fire Wheels Ninpo and equip the Dabilahro. Pop a Fire Wheels, kill the ghost fish and use their essence on UTs against Ghost Doku. You should damage him enough with 1 or 2 to spawn the next wave of fish. If you run out of Ninpo, use the Nunchaku or Flails to kill the fish instead.

Battlefields of the Abyss 3:
Enemies: Lesser Shadow Demons, Flare Shadow Demons, Crab Fiends, Bast Fiends, Berserkers, Marbus
Strategy: Equip Inazuma and kill the first wave of minions immediately. If you get any Red Essence, grab it. Fight Marbus like you would normally using the True Dragon Sword to slash at him when he lands, or with Air Destruction Slash. When the next wave of minions spawn, kill them with another Ninpo/the sword then go back to focus on Marbus. When a berserker spawns, switch to the Lunar and spam counter attacks until it dies, then go back to Marbus again.

Battlefields of the Abyss 4:
Enemies: Alternator, Dynamo
Strategy: Focus on Alternator first. Equip Inferno Ninpo and use it if he makes a ground pound shield. Otherwise, running slashes with the Dragon Sword, then dodge his melee in retaliation. Once Alternator is dead, fight Dynamo in the exact same fashion.

Battlefields of the Abyss 5:
Enemies: Lesser Shadow Demons, Flare Shadow Demons, Bast Fiends, Crab Fiends, Fiend MSATs
Strategy: Standard Rachel strategy, kill easy enemies then use the essence to chain ETs and UTs. Wall attack spam if you need to.


Giants of the Underworld 1:
Enemies: Ryu Clone (Lunar)
Strategy: Just like any other clone. Keep trying to Izuna Drop him, when he’s ending a dodge roll or a long recovery animation.

Giants of the Underworld 2:
Enemies: Ryu Clone (UF), Purple Ninja
Strategy: Kill ninja as soon as they spawn each time. Try and launch the clone using X, Y, then if the Y connects, X, X, X, X. This combo is incredibly powerful, just watch out for the attacks of the clone, as they hurt a lot. His UF also gets a damage bonus from his low health, so be mindful of this.

Giants of the Underworld 3:
Enemies: Ryu Clone (Lunar), Ryu Clone (Vigoorian Flail)
Strategy: Two clones at once is not at all fair. Head for the end of the room with the flail clone and the switch, equip the Dark Dragon Blade and spam the hell out of the wall attacks.

Giants of the Underworld 4:
Enemies: Lesser Shadow Demon, Flare Shadow Demon, Crab Fiends, Auriochs, Fiend Murai
Strategy: Kill the minions fast as possible whenever they spawn, saving your Inferno for one of the Auriochs. When facing Fiend Murai alone, try and stun him with a Flying Swallow, or time your attacks for the end of his combos, then get in a quick combo of your own. You can also use ETs and UTs to hurt him when he does his lunge attacks.

Giants of the Underworld 5:
Enemies: Doku, Marbus, Alma
Strategy: Dark Dragon Blade wall spam against Doku and Marbus. If Alma is left alone, switch to fighting her with the True Dragon Sword like a normal Alma battle. This is semi down to luck but try this enough times and make good use of your health potions to succeed.