Mongol leaders are highly trained Mongol soldiers who were entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing Mongol territories, serving as warlords and generals for Khotun Khan and hunting the Ghost. Due to the wide variety of weapons they wielded and their martial prowess, by observing their combat style and defeating them in combat Jin Sakai was able to develop different combat stances, which allowed him to exploit the specific weaknesses each individual faction of the Mongol guards.
Location[]
At least one Mongol leader will be present in each Mongol territory and some territories such as Azamo Bay will contain multiple leaders whom Jin is required to execute. When there is only one leader in a Mongol territory, they may be seen practicing with their weapon of choice. It should be noted that Jin is able to gain 2 bars of stance progression from just one Mongol leader if he is observed and promptly killed. The most formidable Mongol leaders serve as warlords and generals to Khotun Khan and can only be engaged in duels; among these include:
- Warlord Altan (Can be fought in the 4th Yuna Tale: Message in Blood)
- General Bartu (Jin is required to defeat him in order to liberate General Bartu's camp in Kin prefecture and gain one of the 4 pieces required to craft the Mongol Commander's Armor)
- General Bataar (Can be fought Act I: Hammer and Forge)
- Warlord Dogar (Jin is required to defeat him in order to liberate Ogawa Dojo)
- General Dogshin (Jin is required to defeat him in order to liberate General Dogshin's camp in Jogaku prefecture and gain one of the 4 pieces required to craft the Mongol Commander's Armor)
- Warlord Harunori (Can be fought at the end of the Tale: Unfinished Business)
- General Nugai (Jin can eliminate him in Tsutsu prefecture)
- General Temuge (Can be fought Act II: The Ghost of Yarikawa)
Mongol leaders can be encountered wearing either black or golden armor. Mongol leaders are quite uncommon in the Izuhara and Toyotama regions, later increasing in number during and after Act 2 of the main story. Once Jin has reached the Kamiagata region, patrols will often include multiple Mongol leaders who don black armor.
Combat[]
Leaders are some of the most formidable enemies in the game, capable of wielding two-handed swords, dual swords, shields and polearms. Leaders possess many of the best qualities of the other Mongol soldiers, as they can perform unblockable attacks, initiate the Way of the Flame and perform a sweeping attack right after a thrust with the halberd. Leaders also possess far more durability compared to their other allies, being able to take far more damage from Jin and they remain the only enemies in the game besides Ronin who are able to defend themselves against Jin's heavy attacks, by either dodging them or parrying them. Furthermore, Mongol leaders will always wear heavily armored helmets which render them impervious from headshots from the half bow, although fully charged body shots will still do some damage. Mongol leaders will also survive a regular assassination attempt from Jin, as Jin will perform a "critical strike" instead. It will take two critical strikes to kill a Mongol leader, which means they cannot be included in an assassination chain.
Weaknesses[]
Once Jin unlocks the Ghost Stance after completing the mission "The Ghost of Yarikawa", he will be able to perform a "slaughter" kill against Mongol leaders instead of a critical strike; however, unlike regular assassination attempts these kills are made in high-profile and will have a chance to terrify nearby enemies. Furthermore, after performing a slaughter kill, Jin's Ghost Stance Meter will fill up completely and he will be able to enter the Ghost Stance immediately; despite their durability, Mongol leaders will be instantly killed if Jin engages them whilst in Ghost Stance. Furthermore, Mongol leaders will act similarly to other soldiers in a standoff and can be dispatched of just as easily and they will also be vulnerable in standoff streaks.
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