Overview
A Tale of Tsushima in Toyotama, yuna tale 4 of 4 — part of Yuna and Taka, and what the war costs the people it was never fought for.
Message in Blood belongs to Yuna’s questline: Yuna and Taka, and what the war costs the people it was never fought for. It is yuna tale 4 of 4, set in Toyotama.
The ally questlines are the game’s best writing and they run in order, so this tale assumes the ones before it. Yuna’s arc rewards being followed as a sequence rather than picked at.
In the game’s own framing: The Black Wolf cost Yuna something. She has gone back to the inn, and Jin joins her there to decide what happens next.
This is tale 4 of 4 in Yuna’s arc. The ally questlines run in order and assume the ones before them, so they reward being followed as a sequence rather than picked at.
What to bring
The stances are a counter-table, not a preference: each one is the answer to a specific enemy, and this tale fields the ones below.
- RequiredComplete "The Black Wolf"This tale does not appear until then.
- RecommendedWater StanceWater is the only efficient answer to a raised shield.
Objectives
- Meet Yuna at Ichi’s Inn
- Mount your horse
- Wait for Yuna
- Travel to Altan’s camp
- Kill the Mongols
- Speak with Yuna
- Duel Altan
- Kill his guards
- Speak with Ichi
Full walkthroughSpoilers
- 01Meet Yuna at Ichi’s Inn
She is upstairs.
- 02Mount your horse
Out the window, through the gate. Whistle the horse rather than walking back to it, and remember a charge is itself an opening move against a loose group.
- 03Wait for Yuna
A few seconds while she gets ready.
- 04Travel to Altan’s camp
Northeast about seven hundred metres, which triggers a cinematic.
- 05Kill the Mongols
Basic blue-armoured troops; stealth or not, as you prefer.
- 06Speak with Yuna
At the camp entrance.
- 07Duel Altan
He carries a shield, so Water Stance. Dance of Wrath shortens it considerably. Shield-bearers need Water Stance, and specifically its heavy attacks — light attacks chip uselessly at a raised shield. Duels disable your tools, so this is stances, parries and dodges only. Let them commit first and take the recovery window rather than opening yourself.
TipWater is the only efficient answer to a raised shield.
- 08Kill his guards
Three bodyguards remain.
- 09Speak with Ichi
On the road, to finish the Yuna arc.
Enemies in this tale, and how to fight them
Strengths
- Shield-bearers — Water Stance, and specifically its heavy attacks — that is what breaks a raised shield. Trying to chip through the front of a shield with light attacks wastes the fight. Stagger them first so the guard comes up and breaks, then go through the opening quickly before it closes.
- Dogs — They close instantly and interrupt whatever you were doing, so they are worth killing on sight rather than managing. A single light attack usually does it. Where the tale gives you distance, the bow is cleaner — a dog that reaches you at the wrong moment costs more than its health suggests.
Rewards
- Minor Legend IncreaseA smaller step toward the next Legend rank — the size a side tale, a liberated settlement or a cleared encounter gives.
- Minor Ranged CharmA silver charm. Minor charms are weaker than major ones and go in the minor slots — you start with two major slots and unlock up to four minor ones by honouring Inari Shrines, for six equipped at once.
- +2 SilkUpgrade material. Silk, linen and leather are what armourers and swordsmiths charge to improve your gear.
Yuna’s tales
Characters in this tale
Sources
- Ghost of Tsushima Walkthrough — PowerPyx
- Ghost of Tsushima Walkthrough — All Tales — PowerPyx