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The lance is the second-to-last weapon type you’ll unlock in Dynasty Warriors: Origins. At first, it seems similar to a spear, but lances emphasize penetrating enemy lines rather than executing combos. Most Battle Arts with a lance involve a forward thrust, enabling you to inflict heavy damage with a Heavy Attack while engaging multiple foes at once.
However, lances are designed for players who can handle a certain level of damage while using them, so it’s crucial to keep an eye on your health and know when to retreat.
Lance Moveset in Dynasty Warriors: Origins
When you hold down the Heavy Attack button, your character will go into a stance that allows them to “endure” incoming damage. This endurance builds up a red aura; using Heavy Attacks while the aura is active enhances those attacks before the aura disappears.
Bear in mind that enduring damage does not prevent it. Any damage taken while in the enduring stance will regenerate gradually over time, but if you take more damage before it has healed, it is permanently lost.
Combo | Attack |
---|---|
1x Heavy Attack. | Sweep attack. |
3x Heavy Attack | Sweep combo. Available at Proficiency 5. |
Hold Heavy Attack. | Shockwave, followed by a sweep. Endure: Maintain hold until you take enough damage to enhance the aura, enabling you to execute a sweeping combo that sends foes flying. |
Block + Heavy Attack. | Pushed back enemies in front of you. Endure: Hold the button until you’re damaged enough to fill the aura, allowing you to launch enemies and yourself for an aerial combo. Both versions are accessible at Proficiency 2. |
Left Stick + Heavy Attack while Dodging. | Short two-hit combo in the direction of the left stick after dodging. Endure: Hold the button to fire a shockwave in the same direction after filling the aura. Both versions available at Proficiency 3. |
Heavy Attack during a Normal Attack. | Forward slam attack. |
Hold Heavy Attack during a Normal Attack. | Spinning combo. Endure: Hold to improve the range and strength of the combo as you take damage to fill the aura. |
Normal Attack in midair. | Sweeping attack. |
Heavy Attack in midair or on horseback. | Ground slam. Dismounts if initiated from horseback. |
Lance Combat Tips
The extra damage gained from enduring attacks is determined by the amount of damage sustained rather than the number of attacks suffered. Therefore, it’s worthwhile to allow strong hits from officers if you can withstand them—you’ll pay them back soon enough!
Enduring attacks is generally slower than performing a regular combo of Normal Attacks; if you’re short on time, the lance’s extended reach can still facilitate a traditional approach effectively.
The optimal strategy with a lance is to charge into large enemy groups, absorb their hits, then retaliate with your enhanced attacks before backing off to parry and dodge until your endured damage regenerates. Once you narrow down to one-on-one encounters with officers, you can engage them in a more traditional manner.
Best Lance Build
The lance is a unique weapon in Dynasty Warriors: Origins, so take the time to review your loadout when equipping it.
Focus on acquiring lances with traits that enhance your Attack Power while lowering your Defense. This way, you’ll sustain more damage when enduring but can retaliate even more powerfully!
Recommended Gems
The lance is likely the only weapon for which the Scorch Gem isn’t beneficial, as enduring attacks is more common than parrying in this case.
Recommended Battle Arts
Crouching Tiger Strike can be unlocked by boosting the Peace rating in Jing Province to level 2. This Special Art is excellent for heavily damaging individual targets, like officers, and features one of the most entertaining animations in the game.
As always, consider keeping Palm Strike as a secondary Special Art.
Skirmisher Strike is a basic Battle Art for the lance similar to the gauntlets’ Elbow Strike. If you have enough Bravery, you can rapidly wear down enemies with repeated thrusts.
For your final slot, Relentless Charge is a solid option for breaking through enemy lines. Locking onto an officer with R3 allows you to focus the charge on them, dealing damage with each strike and significantly reducing their Fortitude.