The Land of Dragons
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After meeting Ping and Mushu, you can open the three treasure chests and Save in the Bamboo Grove. Ping has two Potions and an Ether pre-equipped when he joins the party; you can unequip these in the menu and move them into your stock if you wish. When you're ready to proceed, travel along the path past Kupo's Moogle Shop to reach the Encampment; approach the line of soldiers on the opposite side of the area.

The Party Command has been added. This command allows a quick exchange of Party Members. Use this command to switch Party Members during battles where menus can't be opened.

Fighting with the Morale Gauge

After lining up with the troops, Heartless appear in the Encampment. The upper left Gauge represents the Party’s morale. It is game over when the Gauge is empty. The Gauge can be restored by the Orbs dropped by the enemy. Orbs influence the survival of the party, so make sure to gather as many Orbs as possible, especially the rare (large) ones.

NEW HEARTLESS: Nightwalker, Assault Rider

You can use your newly-acquired Fire magic to deal damage to Shadows while they're grouped together. Nightwalkers can be struck with complete air combos, but be mindful of when they use their spinning counterattack; this can heavily lower the morale gauge and launch you into the air if it makes contact. Use the Guard ability to parry incoming attacks from Nightwalkers.

After all of the enemies are defeated, Captain Li Shang will give Sora the Encampment Area Map. Approach the captain and Ask About Missions. As the advance party, Sora and Ping must clear three separate missions in order to proceed.

The Surprise Attack

INFORMATION:   Defeat the Heartless at the Checkpoint!

Sora & co. must defeat 15 Heartless in the Checkpoint area (five Nightwalkers and ten shadows). If the MORALE gauge reaches zero, it's game over. Here are a few tips for clearing the enemies in your way:

  • Nightwalkers can be struck with complete air combos, but be mindful of when they use their spinning counterattack; this can heavily lower the morale gauge and launch you into the air if it makes contact.
  • If you're flung into the air by a Nightwalker's counterattack, use Aerial Recovery to quickly regain your footing and continue dealing air combos.
  • Use the Guard ability to parry incoming attacks from Nightwalkers.
  • Use your newly-acquired Fire magic to deal damage to Shadows while they're grouped together.
  • You can strike the rockets on the ground to ignite them - they will explode and deal damage to Heartless within range.
  • Keep an eye on the MORALE gauge - pick up orbs (especially the large ones) in order to keep the gauge high while you attack enemies.
  • With Goofy in your party, you can activate Valor Form in order to deal quick and devastating damage to enemies. However, be mindful that you cannot use the Guard ability while Valor Form is active.

REWARD:  None

The Ambush

INFORMATION:   Defeat the Heartless at the Checkpoint!

Sora & co. must defeat 12 Heartless in the Checkpoint area (five Shadows, five Nightwalkers, and two Assault Riders). If the MORALE gauge reaches zero, it's game over. Here are a few tips for clearing the enemies in your way:

  • Use your newly-acquired Fire magic to deal damage to Shadows while they're grouped together near the start of the fight.
  • Nightwalkers can be struck with complete air combos, but be mindful of when they use their spinning counterattack; use the Guard ability to parry incoming attacks from them.
  • If you're flung into the air by a Nightwalker's counterattack, use Aerial Recovery to quickly regain your footing and continue dealing air combos.
  • Assault Rider attacks can deal MASSIVE damage and cause Sora to drop a lot of Orbs. If these attacks are getting the best of you, try keeping your distance and casting Blizzard magic to deal damage.
  • Most Assault Rider attacks can be deflected with the Guard ability; the best attacks to deflect are its single horizontal spear swing and forward spear thrust - Assault Riders will stagger if either of these attacks are blocked successfully.
  • Assault Riders will also stagger if you strike them after they jump (while they are mid-air) and after their charge attack.
  • Keep an eye on the MORALE gauge - pick up orbs (especially the large ones) in order to keep the gauge high while you attack enemies.
  • With Goofy in your party, you can activate Valor Form in order to deal quick and devastating damage to enemies. However, be mindful that you cannot use the Guard ability while Valor Form is active.

REWARD:  None

Mission through the Mountain Trail

After clearing all three missions, Save your progress in the Bamboo Grove (through the west passageway) and return to the Encampment; proceed to the Checkpoint (the north passageway) and travel forward through the passageway on the north side of the area to reach the Mountain Trail.

The Mountain Trail

INFORMATION:   Hurry to the Mountain Summit!

Sora & co. must reach the opposite side of the mountain pass before the MORALE gauge reaches zero. Here are some tips for making your way through the pass:

  • You'll encounter large rock walls at the beginning and end of the mountain pass. In order to continue, you must use the Rockshatter reaction command combo to destroy the rock walls. You will need to press the reaction command button a second time when the word COMBO! appears near your command menu.
  • The MORALE gauge drops a little bit every second; defeat enemies quickly and pick up their Orbs to slow the gauge (the larger Orbs fill the gauge much more).
  • Use the enemy map below to reference where enemies appear. You are not required to defeat all Heartless in the area; you only need to reach the other side before the gauge reaches zero.
  • Nightwalkers can be struck with complete air combos, but be mindful of when they use their spinning counterattack; use the Guard ability to parry incoming attacks from them.
  • If you're flung into the air by a Nightwalker's counterattack, use Aerial Recovery to quickly regain your footing and continue dealing air combos.
  • Assault Rider attacks can deal MASSIVE damage and cause Sora to drop a lot of Orbs. If these attacks are getting the best of you, try keeping your distance and casting Blizzard magic to deal damage.
  • There are two Assault Riders near the end of the Mountain Pass; the second one will spawn after the first is defeated.
  • Most Assault Rider attacks can be deflected with the Guard ability; the best attacks to deflect are its single horizontal spear swing and forward spear thrust - Assault Riders will stagger if either of these attacks are blocked successfully.
  • Assault Riders will also stagger if you strike them after they jump (while they are mid-air) and after their charge attack.
  • With Goofy in your party, you can activate Valor Form to increase your running speed and deal quick damage to enemies. However, be mindful that you cannot use the Guard ability while Valor Form is active.
  • If you manage to push forward along the east perimeter without defeating every Heartless, you may be able to clear the final rock wall without Assault Riders spawning (see map).

REWARD:  None

Ambush in the Cave

After clearing the path to the other side of the Mountain Trail, the troops will arrive in the Village, and Sora receives the Village Area Map. Save your progress at the save station north of the village, then enter the Village Cave due east from the save station. Travel along the path until you reach the back of the cave.

Village Cave Ambush

INFORMATION:   Defeat all of the Heartless!

Sora & Ping must defeat a large group of Shadows and several Assault Riders. Here are some tips for clearing the ambush:

  • The MORALE gauge is not active during this fight, so you have as much time as you need to strategize and defeat enemies.
  • With Donald and Goofy out of the party, your only option to heal is for Sora or Ping to use items. Valor Form is also unavailable.
  • Attacking the Shadows with the Assault Rider nearby can be challenging, but the Shadows have faster movement. If you run away from the Assault Rider to the opposite wall, you can group the Shadows together and use Fire magic to damage them. When the Assault Rider gets close enough to attack, you can run to the opposite wall and repeat the process.
  • Assault Rider attacks can deal MASSIVE damage. If these attacks are getting the best of you, try keeping your distance and casting Blizzard magic to deal damage; you can sometimes aim your casts to hit more than one Assault Rider if one is behind the other.
  • If you run out of MP and enter MP Charge mode, run around the perimeter of the cave to avoid enemies; you can jump to avoid the Assault Rider's forward spear thrust.
  • Most Assault Rider attacks can be deflected with the Guard ability; the best attacks to deflect are its single horizontal spear swing and forward spear thrust - Assault Riders will stagger if either of these attacks are blocked successfully.
  • Assault Riders will also stagger if you strike them after they jump (while they are mid-air) and after their charge attack.

REWARD:  Sora learns Sliding Dash | Ping learns Hyper Healing & Max HP +15

Donald and Goofy rejoin your party after clearing the ambush. Travel back through the narrow passage and exit the cave. Save your game at the nearby save station and travel north of the village to the Ridge. Continue up the ridge and enter the area in the northwest to reach the Summit.

NEW HEARTLESS: Rapid Thruster, Bolt Tower

Swarm at the Summit

INFORMATION:   Defeat all of the Heartless!

Sora must survive for 60 seconds against a large group of Rapid Thrusters and several Bolt Towers. Here are some tips for survival:

  • This fight will end automatically after 60 seconds, so long as Sora is not KO'ed. It's not required for Sora to defeat any enemies during this fight, but you may choose to do so in order to earn EXP.
  • With Donald, Goofy, and Ping out of the party, your only option to heal is for Sora to use items. Valor Form is also unavailable.
  • Rapid Thrusters (the smaller yellow airborne Heartless) like to strike in uncoordinated groups. If one approaches you with its propellers in front, use Guard to stop it in its tracks.
  • When you see one or more Rapid Thrusters approach at low altitude spinning like a corkscrew, you can use the Speed Trap Reaction Command to pull in all nearby enemies, then use Aero Blade to damage them. You can also use Guard to deflect this attack and stagger them for a short time.
  • Bolt Towers have two main attacks. When it sends its circular head out forward, you can Guard against the attack to stagger it briefly. When it raises its lower half into the air, prepare to jump over the incoming shockwave.
  • There's a chance that a Bolt Tower may strike Sora with a lightning bolt - if struck, use the Bolt Reversal Reaction Command repeatedly to send the charge back at the Bolt Tower and damage nearby enemies.
  • Additional Bolt Towers will spawn after about 30 seconds have elapsed. Jumping every 1-2 seconds will reduce the amount of damage you take from Bolt Tower attacks. Try to move away from Bolt Towers and use the Speed Trap and Aero Blade Reaction Commands to deal damage and push enemies away.

REWARD:  Ping returns to being Mulan | Mulan learns Mushu Fire, Flametongue, Dragonblaze, Fire Boost, Auto Limit, Hyper Healing

The Limit Command has been added. Limits are Abilities that consume Sora's MP and are executed with Party Members.

After the cutscene, open the menu and review Mulan's new abilities (it's preferred to unequip Auto Limit, Item Boost, and Draw in order to equip Fire Boost and Hyper Healing). Return to the Ridge to initiate the next cutscene, then continue down to the Village. Save your progress in the Village and travel through the Mountain Trail to reach the Checkpoint.

Pass through the newly accessible gateway in the east that leads to the Imperial City. After a short cutscene, defeat the Nightwalkers and Bolt Towers using the strategies listed in the Ambush and Swarm at Summit skirmishes. When the courtyard is cleared out, enter the passageway up ahead to reach the Palace Gate. Make preparations in the menu and ascend the palace steps.

Shan-Yu

HP: 442      DIFFICULTY:

When the fight begins, Shan-Yu will summon a group of Nightwalkers that make their way toward the gates to attack them. The morale gauge will decrease each time an enemy strikes the palace gates, and it’s game over if the gauge reaches zero. The Nightwalkers tend to bunch up near these gates, and you can use Fire magic to stagger them if you place Sora in the center of them. You can also set Mulan’s battle style to Target Attack so that when you target the Nightwalkers, Mulan can use her fire attacks to defeat them. Defeating all twelve Nightwalkers first will drastically lower the risk of losing morale orbs from the palace gates.

Shan-Yu has three main attacks in phase one: a single downward sword strike, and a short series of fast slashes, and a counterattack with a tremor and upward spiral. His single sword strike can be avoided by jumping away or moving to the side; I find it more reliable to move to his left if you choose to evade this way. Shan-Yu will stagger if you strike him immediately after his sword swing. You can also Guard against this attack, and doing so will activate a reaction command. Continually use the Press command until it turns into Takedown; use this command to knock Shan-Yu backward, then follow up with ground combos. The distance between Sora and Shan-Yu after the reaction command can sometimes be crossed quickly using the Slide Dash ability, so be sure to equip it beforehand.

Shan-Yu’s flurry of fast sword swings is more difficult to avoid, but you can sometimes outrun it with the right amount of distance between you and the attack. Striking just after he finishes his last swing will stagger him, but you’ll need to be quick to strike just as he starts to leap backwards. If you’re hit with this attack, his final swing will knock you into the air; use the Aerial Recovery ability to quickly regain control. Using Guard against this attack will also trigger the Press and Takedown reaction commands. Be aware that this attack can cause massive damage to the morale gauge, so keep Shan-Yu away from the gates whenever you can by luring him away or pushing him using the reaction command combo.

Shan-Yu can usually take damage from three consecutive ground combos before he reacts. If he’s hit too many times, he’ll retaliate by causing a small tremor and spinning into the air with his sword. The tremor can be avoided by jumping away or using Guard at the right moment. If you’re struck by the tremor, his aerial sword strike will pull you into the air, dealing heavy damage and knocking you away. You can use Aerial Recovery to quickly regain your footing and avoid further damage. Shan-Yu is vulnerable to stagger as he drops down from this attack, so if you Guard against his tremor or use Aerial Recovery you can catch him on the way down and deal an air combo.

As you strike Shan-Yu, his falcon will periodically close in to attack Sora in three different ways. After using the Takedown reaction command or staggering Shan-Yu with magic, the falcon will fly behind him and approach Sora flying low to the ground wrapped in a purple aura. If it makes contact, it will pull you up into the air for a short time. Rapidly press the attack button to shorten the amount of time you’re held. If you see the falcon closing in ahead of time, you can Guard as it makes contact to parry the attack and leave it open to damage. You can keep the falcon staggered by continuing to attack with air combos if you can stay close and attack quickly.

Defeating the falcon with a combo finisher will cause it to release a lot of morale orbs, but Shan-Yu will quickly summon it back into the fight, so I find that it’s usually not worth the trouble of taking it out. Just be aware of its position as you attack Shan-Yu, and be ready to Guard as it approaches to strike.

When about five percent of the second health bar remains, the fight will move into phase two. Shan-Yu’s attack pattern will change and he’ll periodically envelop himself with a dark aura. Whenever he has this aura, he will not stagger from physical attacks, so keep that in mind when you close in to deal damage.

If you remain near Shan-Yu without attacking for too long, he’ll often use his tremor and airborne spiral attack, so be ready to Guard or use Aerial Recovery to avoid further damage. If you keep your distance from him while his aura is active, he’ll usually strike with up to three forward charges. You’ll know when this charge attack is incoming when you see him wind up, holding his sword high behind him and sending out a small white fissure. Jumping as he charges will keep you safe from damage, or you can Guard against the incoming charge to initiate the Press reaction command. Using Takedown during this phase will remove Shan-Yu’s aura, allowing you to stagger him in between his attacks until he regenerates it.

REWARD:  Sora learns Aerial Sweep & MAX HP +5 | Donald MAX HP +3 | Goofy learns Goofy Turbo | Mulan MAX HP +20

After defeating Shan-Yu, Sora will open a new pathway with the Keyblade and receive the Hidden Dragon keychain. After the cutscene, you'll be taken to the world map. Before landing in a world, take note of its BATTLE LV in the top-right corner of the world menu. It's recommended to visit worlds in ascending order of battle level. Clearing the Stardust Sweep gummi route will allow you to Land in Beast's Castle.

While your Munny is limited at this point in the journey, you can return to Hollow Bastion and visit Wedge's Armor Shop and Donald's nephews' Accessory Shop, Weapon Shop, or Item Shop to stock up on any desired items. You can also acquire any remaining Puzzle Pieces within reach.