Rise Of The Ronin: How To Beat Shinsaku Takasugi (Boss Fight)

The Shinsaku Takasugi boss fight in Rise of the Ronin is tough, but players who use the right combat style and learn his attack patterns will prevail. Shinsaku Takasugi is the final boss of the "Chinatown Kiheitai" mission, which was given to players after saving Fumi Sugi from bandits in Chinatown during the "Those Who Know Shoin" main mission. As you follow the quest marker, you will eventually find Shinsaku and have to fight him.

Your relationship with Shinsaku in Rise of the Ronin starts a bit friendlier than his status as a boss fight might suggest. Whether you are pro or anti-Shogunate, Shinsaku is available as an ally that you can recruit. Eventually, you'll have to face him in combat. If you add him to your roster as an ally, pay attention to how he fights so that you will be prepared when the time comes to face him.

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How To Prepare For the Shinsaku Takasugi Boss Fight in Rise of the Ronin

After arriving at the end of the "Chinatown Kiheitai" mission, players will fight Takasugi and his minions. The fight will trigger once you approach him, so take this time to ensure that your equipment and allies are fully prepared to take him on.

Pick a combat style in Rise of the Ronin for your weapon that will be effective against Takasugi by looking at the indicators on the side of his health bar. The red arrows indicate combat styles he is resistant to, so avoid those before you leap into the fight.

Another thing you can do to prepare is to make sure you have unlocked all capable allies that can deal with the minions that will show up later in the fight. This will ensure you can focus on Takasugi and his attacks rather than worrying about avoiding random shots from his helpers.

Pick allies that can hold their own in a fight, like Ryoma Sakamoto or Sana Chiba. Sakamoto is good for consistent DPS, while Chiba's dexterity-boosting ability will mean your firearms will do more damage.

Strategy For Defeating Shinsaku Takasugi

Best Tips & Tricks

You would be familiar with his fighting style if you brought Takasugi from earlier missions in Rise of the Ronin. He attacks with a devastating combination of scatter bombs and huge swings with his Katana, so you're in danger no matter what range you choose to engage in. He does have one glaring weakness: because his Katana swings are so large, they're also slow. Use the gaps between attacks to Counterspark and increase his panic meter.

Once you've got Takasugi panicked, take advantage of this state to land as many critical hits as possible. This burst should do a good amount of his damage, and then you can retreat to stay alive and do it again. However, you can't take too much downtime here, or Takasugi will begin to heal, undoing all your hard work. Once you've gotten him burst down, he will call backup, and this is where having allies with you will be essential.

Your allies can keep Takasugi's minions busy, but you will still need to watch out for the bombs they throw, as seen above. Between Takasugi and his minions' bombs, as well as Takasugi's bullets, staying mobile will be integral to avoiding as much damage as possible while still keeping up the offense.

Make sure to time your dodges to his attacks, and remember that Takasugi often shoots more than once, so chain dodge when he pulls out his gun. If you still need help with this fight, check out GamePressure's YouTube video above that shows this boss's attack patterns.

Regardless of your path, you will face your early-game ally, Shinsaku Takasugi, in combat as part of a main story mission. As long as you're prepared with the right allies and keep your wits about you, you'll have no problem taking the boss of Chinatown's Kiheitai down for good in an intense fight. Rise of the Ronin's dedication to historical immersion and epic boss fights combine to make this encounter with Takasugi one to remember.

Source: Gamepressure/YouTube