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 (Unearthed Challenge 4 excluded, that Mission alone took me 8 hrs playtime), 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.

Unearthed Challenge 1:
Enemies: Marbus, Doku
Strategy: This is the same mission as the Giants of the Underworld 5, with no Alma. The same strategy applies though. Wall spam with the Dark Dragon Blade, until Doku is dead. When facing Marbus alone, use the True Dragon Sword and fight him just like in Story Mode. Wait for a dive bomb, stomp, or use Air Destruction Slash against him.

Unearthed Challenge 2:
Enemies: Soldiers, Improved Soldiers, Tanks
Strategy: Equip Armour of Power, to help with the damage you will take and deal more. Spam APFSDS Cores, using the boxes for cover just like in Story Mode. Kill Soldiers whenever they spawn, so you can concentrate on attacking the Tanks.

Unearthed Challenge 3:
Enemies: Dynamo, MSAT Commandos, Mechanical MSATs
Strategy: Kill the commandos whenever you can, avoiding Dynamo’s shots as best you can. Close in and slash at him, then evade his follow ups and repeat. Save your Ninpo for when his health is lower, as he gets a faster rate of fire and more shots the lower his health gets.

Unearthed Challenge 4:
Enemies: Nicchae, Ishtaros
Strategy: This is hands down the hardest part of this game by approximately 10000000000000000%. On anything below Master Ninja, it is much more manageable. On Master Ninja, they both spawn immediately and the projectile spam and combos and teamwork between the two bosses will kill you, hundreds if not thousands of times. Your best weapon is the wall attack, but sometimes you will come out of your i-frames straight into Ishtaros lasers, or a Nicchae swoop or grab and bye-bye 60-70% of your health. Try and stay close enough to Ishtaros that she doesn’t laser you into atoms over and over again, but not close enough that her whip combos can reach you. If you can kill one boss, you can win. Once they are alone, Nicchae is an average-hard tier boss and Ishtaros easy. They are only so dangerous because they are together, and you are Rachel. The “best” way to go about trying to kill one is hope that Nicchae gets into a loop of swooping attacks or grabs, as these are the best times to damage her. If you want to kill Ishtaros first (I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS, but sometimes it can happen), stay close and hope she gets into a melee attack loop. If she does, spam those wall attacks. If she doesn’t, you’ll most likely die to some BS juggle between her whip and some Nicchae projectiles. If you can kill Nicchae first, you can win with relative ease, provided you know Ishtaros well and when to attack her and when to defend. They will take a lot of practice, frustration, complaining and luck, but it is possible. This one mission took me 8hrs to beat on Master Ninja, and in that time, I had 4 real shots at beating it.

Unearthed Challenge 5:
Enemies: Doku, Samurai, Samurai Mages, Berserkers
Strategy: Kill the minions, use the essence to ET and UT Doku when he is recovering from a ground pound, breath, or dash. By the time the Berserkers spawn, you should be unleashing your last UT, or he should be dead. If you have to kill them, spam counter attacks, then use their guaranteed Blue Essence to UT Doku.

Eternal Legend:
This is a special mission, with Save Points between phases and a shop. There are 5 phases, as follows

Phase 1:
Enemies: White Ninja, Black Spider Ninja, Purple Ninja, Bats, Samurai Mages, Samurai Horsemen, Masakado
Strategy: 1st fight is White Ninja and Black Spider Ninja. I recommend the Dragon Sword and just play carefully, try to conserve health even if it means taking a bit longer. 2nd fight is Purple Ninja. Treat these guys like more dangerous Black Spider Ninja, counter, and attack where possible, but play mostly defensively. 3rd fight is just bats. After the bats, drop down to where Golden Scarab 50 would be in Story Mode for the only available Talisman of Rebirth. 4th fight is Black Spider Ninja, Purple Ninja and Samurai Mages. Flying Swallow the Mages, play defensively and attack where possible against the others. On the roof, grab the Strongbow and Elixir, then head up to the Gates of Hell. Open the chest and kill all the bats (preferably with a UT, Lunar is best) for extra money. Then head into the portal. Masakado will appear with one horseman. Kill the horseman first, using the Strongbow as your main weapon. Then, dismount Masakado and if you can, stick an Incendiary Shuriken in him, then charge a UT. Before he gets up, hit him with it and repeat if necessary. After he dies, pick up the items and phase 1 is complete.

Save. At the shop, buy at minimum, Smoke Bombs. Spend the rest as you wish. Inazuma, Blacksmithing and Spirit of the Devils or Lives of the Thousand Gods are the best options in my opinion.

Phase 2:
Enemies: MSAT Commandos, Soldiers, RPG Soldiers, Mechanical MSATs, Improved Soldiers, Improved RPG Soldiers, Dynamo
Strategy: 1st battle is white and black MSATs. Use Dabilahro UTs and the Strongbow to take them out, making sure to collect the Yellow Essence unless needed for a UT. 2nd battle is a mix of soldiers, same strategy. 3rd is 4 RPG soldiers, who it is safer to just kill with arrows. 4th and 5th battles are just the 2nd and 3rd, but with the upgraded versions of the enemy. Then you must face Dynamo. Equip the Dragon Sword and Smoke Bombs. Drop Smoke Bombs to distract him, hit him with the running X combo or X, Y, Y then dodge his retaliation and repeat. When he gets to low health, if you want extra money, kill his minions, and use the essence to UT him with the Dabilahro. Pick up the two special arrows.

Save. At the shop, buy at minimum, remaining Spirit of the Devils, Inazuma, Armlet of Celerity, Armlet of Fortune. Spend the rest as you wish. Blacksmithing and Lives of the Thousand Gods are the best options in my opinion.

Phase 3:
Enemies: Galla, Lesser Shadow Demons, Monk Fiends, Beetle Fiends, Hydracubus, Ghuls, Ghul Archers, Wasp Fiends, Flare Shadow Demons, Yotenfrau
Strategy: 1st battle is Galla. Use either Inazuma or a heavy weapon or the Dragon Sword to put them down with ease. 2nd battle is Lesser Shadow Demons, Galla and Monk Fiends. Equip Explosive Arrows and the Dabilahro. Spam Explosive Arrows at Monks, use UTs or more explosions on everything else. 3rd battle is Beetle Fiends. Kill one or two with Explosive Arrows, then chain Dabilahro UTs, collecting all but 2 Yellow Essence after each one. 4th battle is Hydracubus with Lesser Shadows. Spam Explosive Arrows at the Lesser Shadow Demons, cut off tentacles with Dragon Sword Flying Swallows, then unleash UTs or arrow spam when vulnerable. Try and kill Hydracubus with a UT for extra money. 5th battle is Ghuls and Ghul Archers. Spam Explosive Arrows at Archers, use UTs or more explosions on everything else. 6th battle is Ghul Archers, Wasp Fiends and Flare Shadow Demons. Spam Explosive Arrows at Archers, use UTs or more explosions on everything else. 7th is Yotenfrau with Flare Shadow Demons. Spam Explosive Arrows (notice a pattern yet?) at the Flare Shadow Demons, then bully Yotenfrau with the Dragon Sword. Try and kill him with a UT if you can.

Save. At the shop, buy minimum Dabilahro Level 3. Spend the rest as you wish. Lives of the Thousand Gods or health/Ninpo items are the best options in my opinion.

Phase 4:
Enemies: Fiend MSATs, Purple Ghul, Crab Fiends, Bast Fiends, Auriochs, Ogres, Beetle Fiends, Purple Ninja, Doku, Marbus
Strategy: 1st battle is Fiend MSATs and a Purple Ghul. Equip Armlet of Fortune and use either Inazuma or Explosive Arrow spam. 2nd battle is Crab Fiends and Bast Fiends. Same again. 3rd is Crab Fiends and Auriochs. Same again. 4th battle is Ogres and Beetle Fiends. Kill Beetles with Explosive Arrows, then use the Essence for True Dragon Sword or Dabilahro UTs on the Ogres. 5th is Doku with Purple Ninja. Inazuma or Explosive Arrow his Ninja, then use their Essence to Dabilahro UT Doku. Repeat. 6th battle is Marbus with Bast Fiends. Inazuma the first 3 Bast Fiends, then use the True Dragon Sword against Marbus. If he summons more Bast Fiends, Explosive Arrows then back to focusing on Marbus.

Save. At the shop, buy minimum any remaining Lives of the Thousand Gods, then get full health, full health items, full Ninpo, full Ninpo items and Lunar Level 3. Spend the rest as you wish.

Phase 5:
Enemies: Vigoorian Berserker, Crab Fiends, Nicchae, Bats, Ishtaros
Strategy: 1st battle is Vigoorian Berserkers. Spam Lunar counter attacks. 2nd battle is Nicchae with Crab Fiends. Inazuma the Crab Fiends whenever they spawn, use Flying Swallow against Nicchae. If she is knocked down, X, Y, X, X, X, X then X, Y. Otherwise just focus on not letting her hit you. 3rd battle is just bats, to replenish some health. 4th and final battle is Ishtaros. Attack her after dodging her leg grab or roundhouse kick with X, Y, Y, block and roll through anything else. If she goes swinging, charge a UT, wait for her to yell then release it, you should connect, or at least avoid damage. If you beat her, you win.