Conqueror’s Blade: Sengoku comes fully loaded with three brand-new Japanese-inspired Seasonal Units, and each has its own unique story.
We spoke with the developers at Booming Tech about the inspiration behind the Orochi Samurai (5-Star Unit).
Q: Do you have any tips for countering this strong Unit?
A: Taking them on directly with shields. Heavy shield infantry Units are capable of easily blocking attacks like those of the Orochi Samurai.
Q: The Orochi Samurai blaze onto the battlefield in threatening blood-red armour; is this inspired by the tosei-gusoku style of armour which appeared during the Sengoku period?
A: Very much so. We also took inspiration from the Sanada family's crest and the armour style of the late Warring States period.
Q: During the real-life Sengoku period, Samurai culture loosened and was no longer just for those of high social status. Are the Orochi Samurai just regular people who made a name for themselves as warriors, too?
A: While mighty warriors indeed, the Orochi Samurai are lauded for their loyalty to the Sanada family. They are commoners in social status, but nobles in terms of conviction and spirit.
Catch up on our Behind The Scenes articles about the Ronin & Onna-musha.
Community Spotlight: JoltSw1tch
Meet your new English Community Manager: JoltSw1tch! He’s ready and raring to support the English Conqueror’s Blade community, and you may have already seen him active in our Discord.
We sat down with JoltSw1tch and quizzed him about all things Conqueror’s Blade, Community Management, and Super Mario.
Welcome to the Conqueror’s Blade team! Were you a fan before you joined?
Thanks for the warm welcome! I have always been a BIG fan of RTS (real-time strategy) games, and I am enjoying the community and gameplay of Conqueror's Blade.
Tell us how you got started in Community Management.
Community Management is a huge part of my life. I've enjoyed the ins and outs of speaking with communities and being the voice for many. I've always been a gamer, and my Community Management in gaming started about six years ago with a gaming podcast, that evolved into an opportunity in esports, and has brought me here today.
What do you hope to bring to the community in Conqueror’s Blade?
I always hope to bring every community a fresh perspective. Watching people try new things and the joy and excitement they feel when they learn something new is a driving force for me. I hope to help experienced players game vicariously through me and help new players to learn as I do. I also hope to engage people who haven't been introduced to or played Conqueror's Blade.
What was the first game you ever played? And what is your current fave?
Oh, this is going to sound so cliche. The first game I ever played was Super Mario. Recently, I've been playing Conqueror's Blade, Hogwarts Legacy, and God of War. Every game has its positives!
Any other fun hobbies?
Outside of work, I spend time with family, walking my dogs, and gaming.
Talk us through your build in Conqueror’s Blade—weapon of choice, favourite Units to bring along, and even your Attire!
Currently, it's whatever I can afford. I started with Longsword & Shield because I have experience in armoured combat and enjoy being on the front lines, so I leaned into it for selecting my first class. I'm a player who enjoys 100 %ing games, so I rolled back to Season I and started playing with those Units. I have the Pike Militia, Ironcap Swordsmen, and Incendiary Archers. I wanted to make sure to cover different levels of range. Attire is literally just the best armour I can find at this time.
If you could enter the world of Conqueror's Blade, what would be the first thing you did?
Practice, practice, practice. There's no eating or sleeping in Conqueror's Blade, so I'd focus on bettering my abilities any way I could.
You can get in touch with JoltSw1tch via Discord, catch him on the Conqueror’s Blade Twitch channel along with the full team, and watch his English (EN) streams on Mondays with KT_Peridot.
New PVP Event: Battle in Banner Conquest
Control the points and achieve victory in the new PVP mode, Banner Conquest, available now via the Battle Interface (‘J’).
The stage is set on the Empyrean Village Map, where teams of six will battle it out for supremacy.
Banner Conquest is divided into three stages. At the start of the match, there are three locked flag points and each stage will randomly open a flag point that can be contested. The first team to win two stages wins!
Rules
Each stage has a time limit, and at the end of the time limit, the team with the highest progress wins the stage
If a progress bar reaches 100% before the time limit, that team wins the stage early
At the end of each stage, the Leadership of both teams will be restored (the winning team will return to 525 Leadership per player; the losing team will return to 600 Leadership per player)
In the case of retreating Units, Leadership will be returned in proportion to the remaining number of troops
Units, Artillery, and Weapons are provided by the mode
Availability
17:00–20:00 & 23:00-02:00 CEST
11:00–14:00 & 17:00-20:00 EDT
Rewards
Playing Banner Conquest will grant you random rewards from the list below:
Fight in old-school style with the following bundles:
Wrath of the Nomads Unit Bundle: Relive the battles of yore with the Namkhan Archers, Selemchid Cavalry, Khorchins, Tseregs, Khevtuul Cavalry, and the Kheshigs (Purchase Limit: 1)
Soldiers of Fortune Unit Bundle*: Fortune smiles upon the soldiers you receive in this bundle. Hit the battlefield with the Condotteri Guard, Fortebraccio Pikemen, and Falconneti Gunners. (Purchase Limit: 1)
*This bundle does not include Pavise Crossbowmen
Oppose your enemies with these timeless Units, available now from the in-game Store!
Server downtime - 21/06/2023
Please be aware that from 08:00 CEST on 21/06 (23:00 PDT on 6/20), the Conqueror’s Blade servers will be inaccessible. The downtime is expected to last for 4.5 hours.
Please refer to the Patch Notes for documented changes. Meanwhile, stay tuned to our Discord channel in case of any immediate server updates.
In-Game Event: Join The CM Hunt from June 21!
A new CM Hunt is about to begin! Look out for Conqueror’s Blade Community Managers hiding on their individual servers, and receive a special reward for seeking them out. Community Managers will use their usual nicknames, so all you have to do is find them.
Times and dates will be posted on Discord in a special channel, and the first three players to catch up with a Community Manager and challenge them to a duel will win!
The CM Hunt will take place twice on each server (EU1/EU2/NA), so you have six opportunities to succeed.
Don’t miss out on this epic game of hide and seek from June 21–30!
Conqueror’s Tales: The Philosopher’s Sword
“If you do not control the enemy, the enemy will control you.”
Miyamoto Musashi (also known simply as Musashi) may be the most well-known Kensei (sword saint) in Japanese history, and his skills with the double-bladed sword were only surpassed by the talents shown in his writings. In particular, his book The Book of Five Rings (五輪書, Go Rin no Sho), guides the reader through Musashi’s philosophic approach to the ‘craft of war’.
He mastered combat and conquered the art of writing, and his quotes are still used in popular culture to this day to denote honour, skill, and dedication. As in real life, within the world of Conqueror’s Blade: Sengoku Musashi would be considered one of the Ronin; a wandering martial arts master.
A Duelling Doyen
Born in 1584 in the Harima Province of Japan, Musashi’s first duel took place at the tender age of thirteen. Musashi writes of this first battle in The Book of Five Rings, describing the duel against a samurai named Arima Kihei, and further musings from author William Scott Wilson in The Lone Samurai shape it as an underdog tale. Wilson writes “Musashi struck Arima between the eyes and then beat him to death. Arima was said to have been arrogant, overly eager to battle, and not a terribly talented swordsman.” This maiden duel set the standard for Musashi’s further battles and cemented his sentiments about control, strategy, and patience.
His title of Kensei is an honorary moniker bestowed upon warriors with legendary swordsmanship skills. Musashi proved the worthiness of this label as throughout his life, he would go on to duel in 61 bouts, remaining undefeated.
‘Ehon Musashi no Abumi’ by Katsushika Hokusai (1836)
The Written Art of War
The Book of Five Rings contains many of Musashi’s iconic quotes regarding war, martial arts, and general life teachings. Strategy in all walks of life was the main focus of the book, and Musashi poses that all art forms need a plan to succeed, just as warriors do in war. Musashi discusses foremen, for example, citing that for them to successfully build a house, they too must employ a strategy for delegating tasks to their workers based on ability and skill. This interesting theory was also literally compared with this quote:
"The carpenter uses a master plan of the building, and the way of strategy is similar in that there is a plan of campaign.”
Within the book, Musashi also writes of Niten Ichi-ryū; "the school of the strategy of two heavens as one", teaching the method of classical Japanese swordsmanship conceived by the man himself. The Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu is the Kenjutsu school where the unique namesake style is taught, focusing on the one-handed use of the sword. Musashi claims that “If you hold a sword with both hands, it is difficult to wield it freely to left and right, so my method is to carry the sword in one hand.” Musashi argues that “when you become used to wielding the long sword, you will gain the power of the Way and wield the sword well."
The Book of Five Rings includes numerous quotes regarding Musashi’s philosophy towards life, war, and personal development, which you may want to keep in mind throughout your adventures in Conqueror’s Blade: Sengoku:
“You can only fight the way you practice.”
“Today is victory over yourself of yesterday; tomorrow is your victory over lesser men.”
“In battle, if you make your opponent flinch, you have already won.”
“The only reason a warrior is alive is to fight, and the only reason a warrior fights is to win.”
Server downtime - 15/06/2023
Please be aware that from 08:00 CEST on 15/06 (23:00 PDT on 6/14), the Conqueror’s Blade servers will be inaccessible. The downtime is expected to last for 4 hours.
Please refer to the Patch Notes for documented changes. Meanwhile, stay tuned to our Discord channel in case of any immediate server updates.
Behind The Scenes: Onna-musha (4-Star Unit)
Conqueror’s Blade: Sengoku features three new Japanese-inspired Seasonal Units, each with its own special talents, traits, and traditions.
We sat down with the developers at Booming Tech to discuss the inspiration, tactical usage, and more behind the Onna-musha (4-Star Unit).
Q: As only the third female Unit to be added to Conqueror’s Blade, the Onna-musha are very powerful. Why did you choose this Season to add another female Unit?
A: We believe whether male or female, we each possess great power. That's why we truly respect every female warrior throughout history. We'll continue to make more of these when we find enough inspiration and historical background to do so.
Q: The Onna-musha deal the greatest damage to melee units, but which Unit type are they susceptible to?
A: They take heavy damage from Ranged attacks and fare poorly against the crowd-control effects of heavier weaponry, including Cavalry charges.
Q: During the Sengoku period, there are several accounts of women fighting actively on the battlefield. What are your recommendations for players to keep the Onna-musha an indispensable part of their Warband?
A: The Onna-musha draw their blades with zeal but are easily taken down if they act alone. Your best bet is to pair them up with other defence-oriented Units. A good option would be to use the Onna-musha, a defence-oriented Unit, and then add some Ranged and Cavalry in the mix too.
Q: Do you have any top tips for how to use the Onna-musha effectively?
A: It's important to use Onslaught at the most opportune moment. While remaining close enough to the enemy to attack, you must also be far enough away that shielded Units can't block the attack. Quickly closing the distance with Charge to catch them unawares can be a good tactic.
Stay tuned for an upcoming Behind The Scenes article about the Orochi Samurai, and catch up on our look at the Ronin.
Behind The Scenes: Ronin (3-Star Unit)
Conqueror’s Blade: Sengoku features three new Seasonal Units to add to your ranks. Inspired by the legendary warriors of Japan, each brings unique attributes to the battlefield.
We spoke to the developers at Booming Tech about all things Sengoku Units, from their historical inspiration to their tactical viability. Today, we’ll start with the Ronin (3-Star Unit)!
Q: The Ronin is inspired by the legendary masterless martial arts masters of old; what is it about the history of these wanderers that made you consider them fit to become a Unit in Conqueror’s Blade?
A: Firstly, the Ronin are a staple in various works, and they did exist in real history too. Secondly, their unwavering will resonates with people all over the globe.
Q: Their role on the battlefield is to charge into the enemy’s formation and deal damage by using Iaido; how do you expect them to stack up against other Units of their type?
A: Their advantage is that they'll be able to launch one powerful Iaido Strike after another under ideal conditions. They gain greater fervour but are few in numbers, meaning they'll have to pick their battles wisely.
Q: Historically, becoming a ronin was undesirable, and meant you were dishonourable. Do you think the Orochi Samurai in Conqueror’s Blade would look down on the Ronin?
A: The Orochi Samurai are, without a doubt, the more elite unit of the two. Class hierarchy was strict in feudal Japan, besides, the Ronin were born of defeat.
Q: The Ronin in Conqueror’s Blade use two swords, a reflection of their real-life inspiration. However, some Ronin used a bō (staff). Why the decision to stick with the swords?
A: The staff is the tool of a wanderer, while the blade inherits its master's truth.
Q: Which specific units are the Ronin strong and weak against?
A: The Ronin excel at dealing with Units that do not use a shield, and fare poorly against shielded Units.
Stay tuned for upcoming Behind The Scenes looks at the Onna-musha and Orochi Samurai!
