Hagakure: Samurai Gunn Edition

Techniques of the gunn-weilding samurai

The way of sword

Mega jump

Hold up while jumping and slash skyward immediately. You will soar into the air. This may be done straight toward heaven, or diagonally.

Double jump

Jump, then slash before the peak of your jump. Change direction and glide a bit higher.

Air slash

Jump straight and slash. You will glide forward a bit.

Air slash cancel

Jump straight and slash, then immediately face the other direction. You will not glide forward.

Dash jump

Tap forward, slash, and jump at the same time. Do not hold forward. You will jump forward rapidly in a low arc.

Shot jump

You may jump a little higher by firing your shot towards the earth.

Stance change

Slash and hold for a few seconds. You will sheath your sword in a quick and lethal motion. Your sword movement will now be mirrored until switching back. Though some may prefer a mirrored stance, in most ways this does not affect one's swordsmanship.

The distinction is subtle, yet it exists. In reverse stance with a skyward or side slash, you may kill an adversary who is standing exactly up and to the side of you which you are facing. In this way, only by reverse stance may you use a skyward slash to kill an adversary who is waiting in an alcove (way of the turtle).

Rising slash

Slash towards the sky while jumping up. This is worth mentioning because when an enemy is falling slowly or quickly, a surprising amount of distance can be covered before they are aware. If you slash skyward while standing on the ground, you will jump slightly in the air.

Dive

You may dive rapidly by slashing down during a descent.

Sword clash

Clash swords with your adversary. Whoever swung second will soar backwards quickly, opposite the direction of their slash.

Clash your adversaries into traps.

Clash your adversaries into your ally's sword or shot.

Clash your ally's sword to travel quickly. Do not kill them, however.

You needn't be in killing range to clash. Only in range of another slash.

Slash movement in general

Besides the techniques described above, in general your slash will contribute to, modify, or cancel your direction of movement. This is with the exception of sheathing your sword.

The mark of shadow

If one should slay four adversaries without being slain themselves, they shall receive the mark of shadow. Beware such an adversary.

The way of deception

Concealment

Hold down for a few seconds and you will crouch, then lie down. The view will ignore you while hiding. You may surprise enemies this way. Hide behind corpses, inside spikes, inside grass, or water. In the heat of battle, your adversary may forget where you were hiding. Surprise and kill them. In water, you may only hold your breath for so long.

Spikes

You may walk through spikes or jump out of them. However, never land on them. You will die.

The way of land

Know your environment.

Gap walk

You may run over gaps that are one space wide.

Forest realm

Slash at the earth and watch as it begins to crack. It will break away to create a spike trap.

You may slash through bamboo to kill your enemy on the other side.

Mountain realm

Hit ice formations to make them fall. They will kill anyone they crush. Once fallen, they act as a shield until heavily cracked. Know when they are about to break and deliver a fatal blow to your adversary on the other side.

Cemetery realm

Touch clouds from below. You will hang effortlessly. Jump or down a few seconds to drop.

Touch clouds from the side. You will grasp them as long as you press towards them.

Fortress realm

You or your adversary may be crushed behind blocks. You may also be sheared in half if pinned between passing blocks while in the air.

It is said that you may change the direction of some platforms with a shot, or slow them with your slash.

Water

Water will slow you and your adversary. Avoid it or lure your adversary into it.

Water will cause shots to misfire, emitting blue sparks instead.

If you submerge (hide) yourself in water too long, you will of course drown. This is ill-advised.

The path of circles

You may move from the end of an area and appear on the other side. You may use this to suddenly appear behind, above, or below your adversary. Beware stray shots.

The way of tactics

The way of stillness

The realm is full of hazards and adversaries. When unsure, move little to avoid a fatal misstep. Your adversary may kill themselves without your intervention.

The way of motion

There are many ways to move quickly and change direction. Use this to confuse and ensnare your adversary.

Use the path of circles to traverse the edge of an area and appear suddenly behind, above, or below them.

You may walk a bit more slowly by holding diagonally down and in a forward direction.

The way of control

Use shots, slashes, and environments to control your adversary's movement. Trap them in water to slow them. Trap them under icicles and above spikes to threaten them. Trap them behind platforms to crush them.

The way of the king of the mountain

When possible, maintain a high ground advantage. It is easier to fall than to rise, and from a lower place, your adversary will find it difficult to approach. They will be exposed to more hazards.

The way of the turtle

When fighting defensively, you may back into a cave. You will only need to defend from one direction. However, be wary of double slash-shot attacks, as you will not be able to avoid both. Beware of an adversary who is using overhand sword stance, as they may kill you with a vertical slash, or even a horizontal slash from one block below.

The way of gunn

Gunnplay

You may fire up, down, and to the sides. Use this to hit adversaries, or control their movement and meet them with your slash.

Shots will travel for a bit and then disappear.

You have three shots.

Deflection

You may deflect a shot fired by an adversary back at them. You may change its direction depending on which direction you slash.

Team with your allies to create unexpected deflections, or to redirect your allies' shots when you are out.

Redirect your own shots when they take the path of circles around the side of the area.

Deflection is often faster than jumping away from a shot.

Double deflection

When firing at an adversary, be prepared for a reflection by slashing immediately afterward.

Duck

Hold down for a few seconds to lay down. Horizontal shots will pass over you.

Avoid water

Do not enter water with your gunn. Doing so will cause all future shots to misfire.

Markings of the scorekeeper

Sword

Death by slash

Gunn

Death by shot

Shot

Death by deflection

Skull and bones

Death by environment

Sounds of the musicians

The musicians will play excitedly as you or your adversary approaches the goal score.

The way of showdown

If two come within one score of the goal score, a showdown will initiate. Your gunn will not fire. Kill your adversary.

New hazards may await you. You may fall to your death, or deflect arrows at your adversary, or be as invisible as a ghost in a storm.

Challenge combat

You may challenge yourself and your allies by combating soulless shadow adversaries.

The scorekeeper will show you skulls to denote the number of adversaries you must defeat to complete the challenge. Once the skulls are depleted, the challenge will be complete. Each time you complete a challenge in an area, a more difficult challenge for that area will become available.

Credits

Hagakure image was found on the google, by aguelmann
http://aguelmann.deviantart.com/art/Hagakure-52822433

Sword stance was learned about on a discussion post by offal
http://steamcommunity.com/app/239090/discussions/0/630799815280478936/

TheLugalias taught us how to drown ourselves
http://steamcommunity.com/app/239090/discussions/0/630799905089324426/

[Mr_Wilhon]

Its seems like there is a way to do a sort of "harakiri". If you hold down and the slash button at the same time the character will crouch and draw his sword. Wait for a few seconds holding both buttons and the character will kill himself.

[The Master Chief from Halo]

@twolffc WOW, I had no idea. I will check that out!

[yungcursemark]

enemies**

[yungcursemark]

I found a new ability! Not really sure what the purpose is other than looking completely bad ass at the end of of match, but you can actually hold the heads of your enimies!

[wtfpantera]

Also: "Shots will travel for a bit, then disappear" - that's a little vauge, isn't it? In my experience, the shot will travel until it hits something (apart from swords - deflection) or if it "attempts" to wrap around the level for a second time.

[wtfpantera]

Blue sparks after getting your gunn wet? I always though it was just water being flung from the barrel.

[The Mongoose]

There is a new rainbow effect for 9 kills
And Seppuku [hold down and attack]

[miewve]

@Master I actually started taking notes on everything to create a sort of How to Play video. Though I don't know if I have the time, so an in-depth guide might be a better option. Even still, I liked how you wrote this guide with a good voice that mimics the vibe of the game, and I wanted to do something similar, which is why I initially wanted to do a video. Either way, I like your idea.

[Sawtaytoes]

Weird, all I get is menu music.

[The Master Chief from Halo]

@schmete thanks, I tested and changed the wording to "kill anyone they crush" rather than "kill anyone on the way down" to indicate the difference. You seem to have a lot of game knowledge which I imagine many fans would be interested in - have you considered starting an "advanced tactics" guide? This game could have quite an intense community and that type of info will be highly sought after. You could enhance it with gifs or screencap diagrams to illustrate striking distances, jump paths, bullet reflection, team tactics, and more.

@saturn2888 Maybe you're experiencing a game bug or you turned off music in the options? There is ambient music in the opening, but the music becomes more intense as kills increase.