Creating a kingdom from the ground up is no small feat. Like many survival games, Sengoku Dynasty requires you to put in considerable effort at the beginning, as you learn to locate valuable resources and navigate the environment.
This relaxing simulation diverges from more intense experiences, but being well-prepared and informed is still crucial. If you’re stepping into the Nata Valley for the first time, these tips will help guide your journey.
In games like this, your gear has a way of failing at inconvenient times. Fortunately, Sengoku Dynasty will automatically swap out your broken item with another one from your inventory, provided you have a duplicate on hand.
This makes it wise to carry a spare bow, knife, or yari so that you’re not left vulnerable during a fight. Additionally, it’s essential to keep backups for everyday use. There’s nothing more frustrating than having your axe snap and realizing you lack the necessary stone to craft a new one. A little foresight can prevent this hassle.
Skip Crafting an Adze
The adze is a tool for stripping bark from fallen trees, allowing you to convert logs into planks for future crafting, including paper. However, it’s not actually essential if you efficiently utilize available resources.
You can dismantle the burnt structures in the Sosogi ruins using your axe, giving you enough planks to build a few small homes and, eventually, a Woodcutter’s shop. Once that shop is operational, you can debark logs there without using Stamina or materials to craft an adze.
Assigning a villager to the Woodcutter allows for easy plank production, freeing you up for other tasks.
Complete Chiyone’s Quest First
After building your initial home, Toshichi will introduce you to three locals needing help. While you can choose the order, it’s best to assist Chiyone, the shrine maiden, first.
Chiyone resides east of Sosogi, by the river. Look for cherry blossoms and bamboo; that’s where she’ll be.
Chiyone’s quest is straightforward: find an egg, cook it, and present it to the nearby Shrine of Inari. Once you finish, she’ll reward you with a bag of Gobo Seeds to start your crops. Completing this task early—ideally within the first four days—will allow you to plant them in Spring for better yields.
Chiyone offers various seeds for sale, including Garlic, but you likely won’t have the funds to spend for at least the first half of the year.
Monitor Your Stamina in Combat
Good armor can make a difference in Sengoku Dynasty, but your Stamina is what truly determines the outcome of a battle. If your yellow Stamina bar is depleted, you can only move. This means no dodging, parrying, or attacking.
Always enter a fight with full Stamina, and adopt a defensive strategy to conserve it until you can unleash a series of attacks. If you can break through an opponent’s guard once, you can usually do it again, so it’s smart to keep enough Stamina in reserve for a decisive counterattack.
Dying Is Annoying, Not Catastrophic
While ideally, you should aim to win every fight, sometimes that won’t happen. Fortunately, in Sengoku Dynasty, dying doesn’t have severe penalties. Don’t hesitate to take risks; if you engage in a tough fight and succeed, you might come out with valuable rewards.
If you do fall in battle, you’ll respawn back at your home, but with low Health and Food, plus a 10% loss of your coins. This can sting if you had a large stash, but if you’re at a point where cash is flowing, you should manage to recover quickly.
You can designate any unoccupied bed as your home through the Dynasty Menu.
Complete Kengyo’s Quest for a Free Blueprint
One of the quests offered by Toshichi involves hunting. Instead of purchasing the blueprint for a Hare Box Trap to make it easier, save your money; complete Kengyo’s quest, and he’ll give you the blueprint at no cost.
A quick way to gather meat for Kengyo’s apprentice is by raiding the bandit camp just west of Kengyo’s outpost. The first time you visit, you’ll find a boar in a cage. Use a yari to kill it, then break the cage to butcher the meat with a knife.
Battle Bandits for Easy Cash Early On
With limited access to merchants other than Chiyone at the start and few sellable resources, fighting bandits is the best way to earn money early in the game. Many camps in Sosogi, the Mountain region, and the Rebel region are lightly defended; your Copper Yari and Peasant Clothes from Toshichi will likely suffice.
If you’re feeling bold, consider attacking the Looter Camp northwest of Sosogi (look for a small cluster of roads on the map). If you defeat their Leader, you can secure the region, granting access to Copper tools along with all the camp’s loot.
Adjust Jobs With Each Season
As seasons change, so do the available resources, which means you’ll need to reassign jobs for your villagers. Conducting a full review of assignments each season ensures that skills aren’t wasted and prevents resource overstocking while neglecting other needs.
As your Dynasty expands, you’ll find yourself managing more rather than doing all the work. With proper tools and assignments, your villagers will collectively produce far more than you could on your own.