Mongol Soldiers

Mongol Soldiers are the primary cohort of enemies in Ghost of Tsushima. They are the military body of the Mongol Empire, led by Khotun Khan. They are first seen in the game during the initial invasion of the island, and are commanded to take over the island so that the Mongols can change the island into a base of operations for conquering Mainland Japan.

As the main enemy force, the Mongol Soldiers show a variety of enemy types, from the staple swordsmen, to shieldmen, to spearmen, to brutes.

Presence[]

The Mongol Soldiers are the dominant force seen throughout Tsushima island. As such, they appear throughout the entire game, from the very beginning of the Prologue all the way into the post-game. They are used both for random event spawns and designated enemies during most Tales.

Random Spawn[]

Throughout the game, Jin Sakai will encounter groups of Mongol soldiers that partake in certain activities. Troop size ranges from as few as a pair to as large as 8 soldiers, with varying compositions. The activities they partake in is listed below, together with the troop size that they will be found in and the rewards offered by taking them down:

Patrols: A group of Mongol soldiers can be found either patrolling along a road or out in an open field. Patrols along the road can be as small as a pair, up to eight soldiers, with at least a third of them riding horses. Patrols in the field will be fewer in numbers, ranging from two to five enemies, and much more spread out than road patrols but most of them are on horseback. Jin receives minor Legend gain from killing a group.
Cargo Cart: At certain points of the road, most particularly at forks in the road, a group of Mongols will be protecting a cargo cart. Three to six Mongol soldiers will protect the cart, and once defeated will grant a minor Legend gain. The cart can be looted, as there is a chest at the rear end of it that offers decent loot.
Hostage: Jin can come across a group of Mongol soldiers that has captured a villager, with two soldiers attempting to intimidate the villager. This Hostage situation can be found almost anywhere, be it on the road, in a grass field or in the forest, and will consist of four to six soldiers. Once all the soldiers are defeated, the villager can be freed. On top of rewarding minor Legend gain, the villager will either offer information of nearby occupied settlements or Mongol encampment, or if all Mongol controlled locations are known, they will give some loot.
Chase: Occasionally, Jin will come across a pair of Mongol soldiers chasing down villagers. Killing the soldiers before or after they slay the villagers awards minor Legend gain.
In Camps: Sometimes, Mongol soldiers will station in abandoned camps or even graveyards across the island. These function similarly to the Cargo Cart where you have four to six Mongol soldiers to defeat, receiving minor Legend gain when completed. However, while there is a chance for a lootable Crate to spawn, it is not guaranteed (more-so for the graveyards).
Skirmish: Small skirmishes between Mongol soldiers and Bandits can be found, usually initiated by a group of Bandits happening upon some Mongol soldiers. Minor Legend gains will be rewarded after all members of both factions are slain.
Hunting: Sometimes, there will be Mongol warriors who are attempting to hunt a bear. No more than two soldiers will be fighting off the bear, and will consist of swordsmen, shieldmen, spearmen or archers. While killing these soldiers won't reward any Legend gain, Jin can take advantage of the situation to attain loot off of them.

Occupied Sites[]

Mongol soldiers in the game have taken control of settlements throughout Tsushima and even established industrial sites for their war campaign. These sites are marked as Mongol Territory. Liberating these sites grants Legend progress and all of them are ripe with loot and collectibles, together with offering a bonus challenge that will grant additional Legend gain. The occupied sites can roughly be classified as one of the following:

Minor Territories: Can be liberated simply by defeating the resident Mongols
Major Territories: Can be in the form of makeshift dock, a fort or even a large encampment. These sites must be liberated by defeating every resident Mongol and completing additional objectives that can range between collecting sashimono banners, freeing falcons and blowing up black powder barrel stacks. Some of these areas have duels against Mongol Leaders awaiting in the end of the liberation progress.
Farmsteads/Villages: These sites have a unique hostage situation challenge in which there are surviving villagers that the Mongols would try to kill as soon as they become aware of Jin.
Tale-bound sites: Several sites are meant to be liberated in tandem with the completion of a Tale. The game will artificially prevent liberating said sites by either making them empty or simply inaccessible. Some major locations such as Castle Kaneda will even be protected by "Overwhelming Enemy Forces" which will feature a hail of arrows, endless spawning enemy soldiers, or even Hwacha volleys which will instantly kill Jin.

Tiers[]

Unlike other enemy factions, Mongols soldiers "evolve" throughout the game, denoted by their uniform's style and color palate. While the general health pool of the enemies do not change based on tier, they do change how the soldier fights, how much damage they deal, how resistant they are to being Staggered, how hard it is to react to them during a Standoff and what tools they have to fight with.

Grey: The color given the soldiers dressed only in rags, these soldiers are of the lowest tier, employing basic combat moves of each class and nothing more. They appear as early as the Prologue and prowl mostly in the Izuhara region, they become almost non-existent in the Toyotama and Kamiagata regions. At this level, all enemies deal relatively low damage and are very easy to Stagger.
Red: The color given to the lightly armored soldiers, these soldiers appearing midway into Act 1, being the higher level enemy of Izuhara and a staple in Toyotama. These soldiers come with more advanced moves that Jin will have to adapt to. At this level, all enemies deal mediocre damage and are still easy to Stagger, although rash attacks will not work.
Blue: The color given to the moderately armored soldiers, these soldiers can spawn as early as the end of Act 1 in the Izuhara region, becoming much more of a staple force midway through Act 2 in the Toyotama region. On top of featuring even more new moves to face, these soldiers are the first to employ head protection that prevents easy kills with the Half Bow, although a shot to the head with a full drawn Long Bow will still penetrate. At this level, all enemies will deal medium-high damage and Staggering them requires some thought. They employ complicated and more dangerous techniques, such as shooting arrows consecutively and swinging, alongside stabbing, with their polearm.
Yellow: The color given to the heavily armored soldiers, these soldiers appear late into Act 2 and is the bulk of the Mongol's force in Kamiagata. Already tougher than their blue uniform counterpart, the yellow-cloths of most classes employ dangerous new tricks in their arsenal that will force Jin to adapt again late in the game, such as the use of Fire-based weaponry. At this level, all enemies deal high damage and become somewhat hard to Stagger. Enemies at this level will also throw a Kunai if Jin attempts to keep distance, such as by submerging in water.
Green: The color given to the most decorated of soldiers, these soldiers appear mostly in Kamiagata during Act 3, posing as the other half of the enemy force in the area. While they possess similarities to soldiers coded with yellow, soldiers marked in green statistically deal the most damage and are the most resistant to Stagger. Just like the yellow-tiered soldiers, green-tiered solders will throw a Kunai if distance is artificial kept but they still have sight of Jin, such as by submerging in water.
Purple: These soldiers only appear in the Iki Island DLC as members of the Eagle Tribe. Soldiers in purple deal massive damage, are highly resistant to Stagger, and have unique abilities not found among the other tiered Mongol enemies.

Mongol Leaders: Take note that Mongol leaders can come in one of two colors: black or gold. While there is no difference between the two, leaders found among common spawns and minor territories will wear black, while leaders featured in Tales or major territories will wear gold. The black variants will use a Kunai if Jin is located in a location that is visible but not possible to reach, such as underwater.

Class[]

Class determines the overall fighting style of a Mongol soldier and which Stance best used against them.

When two or more Mongol soldiers detects Jin, and one of the soldiers is a safe distance away from Jin, the safe one will sound a horn to alert nearby unaware Mongol soldiers. The player should keep close to all engaged enemies to prevent this from happening.

Swordsmen[]

Mongol Swordsmen are relatively the least tricky of the group but all of them attack in combos that can cut a huge chunk of health bar if not dealt with properly. They stagger quickly against the heavy attack of the Stone Stance.

Basic Swordsmen: Fight with a series of swings with a short blade; otherwise very featureless in terms of combat. They are encountered as grey-tiered soldiers (blue-tiered at Komoda Beach).
Dual-wielders: A more vicious combatant that can both deliver a faster-paced combo and execute an unblockable attack. They are encountered as red and yellow-tiered soldiers (blue-tiered at Komoda Beach).
Heavies: Fights with a broad blade that they rest on their shoulder in default. Though slower than dual-wielders and have no unblockable attacks, they are good at minimizing the telegraph of their attacks and deals a lot of damage on successful hits. They are encountered as blue and green-tiered soldiers.

Shieldmen[]

With a shield in their off-hand, Mongol Shieldman are a defensive group of warriors, able to break Jin's offense if he isn't using the Water stance. Their shields also effectively dispel arrows; this means when those shields are rested on their backs, they're also immune from body shots from behind. Shield bearers guard easily breaks against the heavy attacks of the Water Stance.

Basic shield bearers: Less aggressive than a basic swordsmen, but has a shield. Otherwise very featureless. They are encountered as grey-tiered soldiers (blue-tiered at Komoda Beach).
Barbed shield bearers: These shield bearers can use their off hand protection offensively with a bash that can neither be blocked or parried. They also participate more actively in combat. They are encountered as red and green-tiered soldiers.
Flame-wielder: Fights like a barbed shieldman, but can initiate the Way of the Flame, igniting their swords and making their swings unsafe for either block or parry and able to inflict burn. They are encountered as yellow-tiered soldiers.

Spearmen[]

These soldiers have greater reach than their sword-wielding brethren and are very aggressive, using their range to their advantage. All of their attacks cannot be blocked, but once the Wind Stance is unlocked, dealing with them becomes easier, as it deals more damage to polearm users and has properties such as the Unyielding Spear parry that allows Jin to counter them.

Basic spearmen: They fight with basic thrusting attack that can easily be dodged. Very featureless otherwise. They are encountered as grey-tiered soldiers.
Halberd: These soldiers enlist a moveset full of horizontal swings swings and even a full spinning maneuver in combat. Their low sweeps must be countered with a jump or by dodging away far enough; getting hit would send Jin flying. They are encountered as red and yellow-tiered soldiers.
Elite Spearmen: They mostly use really swift thrusting attacks that they can follow up with other attacks upon contact. They also have a small shield in their off hand which they can use to protect their heads from headshot should they notice Jin in the distance with bow drawn. They are encountered as blue and green-tiered soldiers.

Brutes[]

The Mongol Brutes is the only class defined by their physique rather than the weapon they use; they are very large, towering over other Mongols and Jin. They are also proportionately just as powerful and will be unstoppable as their attacks cannot be blocked or parried, nor will they flinch if hit by Jin's attack. Only by unlocking the Moon Stance will Jin have the stance necessary to disrupt the Brutes.

All Brutes feature high amounts of health, and their combat style differs based on the weapon they use.

Hammer Brute: Brutes that uses a giant bludgeoning hammer. If any of their attacks land, Jin will be sent flying. They will perform two consecutive attacks in a row before stopping. These are the only Brutes who will never be seen with a helmet. They are encountered as grey-tiered soldiers.
Tower Shield Brute: The only variant of the Brute that has a blockable attack which are their sword swings; conversely, these brutes are harder to flank than normal shieldmen. Tower shield Brutes will often charge towards Jin and perform an unblockable shield bash, which upon contact will send their enemies flying. Aside from Moon Stance, it is also possible to use Water Stance to counter the shield. They are encountered as red and green-tiered soldiers.
Halberd Brute: Brutes that will wield Double-Bladed Axes. They have alarming reach, they make fighting up close difficult with their spins. Only well-timed dodge rolls will prevent Jin from being hit by their attacks; however, even a well-timed dodge roll will not save Jin if he rolls in the wrong direction. Aside from Moon Stance, it is also possible to use Wind Stance to counter the polearm. They are encountered as blue-tiered soldiers.
Fire Lance Brute: These brutes use a gunpower pyrotechnic weapon called a fire lance that can be used both as a battering stick and as a short-range explosive cannon which deals high damage and burns anyone that survives the blast. They are encountered as yellow-tiered soldiers.
Double-bladed Brute: These Brutes are only encountered in the Iki Island DLC. They wield large double-bladed spears that are mostly unblockable, are very fast when attacking, and are resistant to Jin's Moon Stance therefore causing them to have no real weakness. They are encountered as purple-tiered soldiers.

Archers[]

Archers are self-explanatory. They're usually the most fragile of their brethren, but are dangerous when players are cornered as they can easily pluck Jin's last bit of health from beyond camera view. Archers always verbally telegraph their shots to signal their comrades to duck and avoid their arrows; Archers do not engage in melee fight, but strangely will have a sword with them when challenged into a Standoff. Archers will signal to their allies when they are about to shoot with a shout, however this also lets Jin know when to dodge their arrows. Enemies who do not crouch in time can sometimes be shot by their own archers; however, it should be noted that archers trained by Tomoe will not signal when they shoot.

Basic archer: The most rudimentary Mongol ranged unit, they shoot one arrow at a time. They are encountered as grey and red-tiered soldiers.
Elite archer: Can shoot two to three quick consecutive shots with each firing. They are dangerous in groups as Jin can suffer a flurry of arrows. They are encountered as blue-tiered soldiers.
Fire archer: Equipped with flaming arrows that are shot one at a time; the projectile deals more damage as it inflicts a burn status on whoever they hit. They are encountered as yellow-tiered soldiers.
Poison archer: Equipped with arrows coated in poison that are shot one at a time; the poison can eat away Jin's health and disorient him. They are encountered as green-tiered soldiers. They are only seen during and after Act 3, once the Mongols learn how to create Jin's poison.

Sappers[]

Otherwise known as bombers, sappers use thrown explosives and only appear after Red tiered enemies are introduced. Compared to the other types of soldiers, Sappers are the least common to appear, although more can be found in latter regions such as Kamiagata. They are very fragile, but unlike their Archer brethren, the Sapper will wield a sickle-like dagger if approached if Jin gets too close; however, they cannot block attacks. If a Sapper is attacked or killed while they have an ignited explosive in hand, they will drop it at their feet, which can either prove to be useful or detrimental depending on the situation.

Flash sapper: They throw a disorienting bomb that whitens the screen. Jin can still move as usual, but he will be unable to see or hear what is happening around him. They can help stagger enemies or allies should they be within the blast radius. They are encountered as blue-tiered soldiers.
Black Powder sapper: They throw powerful black powder bombs that can set Jin and others aflame. They are encountered as yellow-tiered soldiers.

Eagle Bearers[]

Mongol Eagle Bearers come in the form of being modified Archer or Swordsmen who have a companion Eagle that assists them and their allies in spotting Jin if he is attempting to sneak onto the group. Otherwise, the Eagle Bearer does not feature any specialty otherwise and can be dealt with normally.

Other[]

These Mongol soldiers only appear in the Iki Island DLC and do not belong to any other enemy class because of their unique abilities. They are all purple-tiered soldiers and members of the Eagle Tribe.

Switcher: These soldiers carry multiple weapons on them (Sword and shield, dual-wielding sabers, halberd), which they often switch between in combat. They behave like the class of whatever weapon they are wielding at the time, which forces Jin to switch Stances to defeat them at close-range.
Shaman: These soldiers are unique because they stay back a relatively safe distance to enhance the abilities and bloodlust of their allies with shamanic chants/songs. All Mongol soldiers affected by shamans become highly aggressive in combat, have their health doubled, and are more difficult to parry. The shamans are fragile and can only defend themselves with their shaman staffs. Shamans strangely do not participate in facing Jin during Standoffs or standoff streaks, likely because of their uniqueness as an enemy.

Mongol Leaders[]

Mongol leaders will be seen wearing heavy black or gold armor (black being lower-ranked commanders, gold being generals and warlords), and act as the most skilled users of Mongol weaponry on the island. Black-armored leaders can be identified as swordsmen, shieldmen, and spearmen; however there are no Mongol brutes who are leaders. Golden-armored leaders are only identified as shieldmen. Leaders have no special abilities which separate them from yellow or green soldiers; however they are considerably harder to stagger, have more armor, do more damage, and can dodge attacks. They are usually seen leading a patrol or overseeing Mongol territories, becoming more common during and after Act 2 of the main story. Most leaders can be engaged in stealth mode. However leaders clad in gold armor can only be encountered in duels.

In the actual invasion of Tsushima, soldiers actually consisted of Chinese, Koreans, Persians and other nations of the Mongol Empire, with a majority of them being from Great Chinese Khanate. The actual Mongol individuals mostly served as officers.