News roundup: Gossip from the Osaka Sengoku Basara 4 preorder event

Today was the fourth consecutive weekly in-store Sengoku Basara 4 preorder event with a new video and talk from series producer KobaP. This time, the event was held in Osaka at the Nipponbashi branch of Joshin Denki's Disc Pier.

I'm afraid it's difficult to look things up properly while away from home but here are the comments I've seen on Twitter so far. Please forgive more typos than usual.

• There were a lot of people at the event this time.
• For the demo sessions, a lot of people were picking Sakon and Katsuie (Note: there are only six characters in this demo build).
• KobaP was asked a lot of things about Katsuie which he was unable to answer at this time. He said there would be scenes from Katsuie's past.
• The video introduces the new enemy warriors (NPCs) this time.
• Yoshiteru seems to be the strongest.
• He loves battle and compliments his opponent during his taunt.
• His strength and fighting style varies depending on the roulette colour of his stage. Red increases the power of his hits, black gives him a homing missile while gold traps the opponent in a force field.
• Someone said his movement was 'Matsunaga-like'.
• Maria's normal attacks resemble Spiderman's moves, according to one fan.
• Maria was shown wrapping Masamune in her cloth and using her kiss attack like in the pictures from her introduction article.
• She apparently uses the kiss attack on whomever she wants. People were joking about which of the game characters Maria would want to kiss.
• All of the game's characters should be announced by the end of the year.
• The total of 32 playable characters was confirmed once again (it was also explicitly stated in the magazine a few days ago).

I hope we will get to see the new video on Monday!

Update 01/12/2013 23:30: Just rounding up a few more rumours from blogs and forums before the video comes out, now that I'm back home...

• Yoshiteru wasn't seen using any weapon styles other than the previously-mentioned katana, spear and bow attacks.
• Someone mentioned that when in 'red mode' from the roulette on his stage, Yoshiteru launched his opponent into the air and shot them repeatedly with the bow.
• (Note: Since we know that Capcom call Yoshiteru's weapon change skill 'Roulette', could it be that when he uses this it spins the colours on his stage at the same time? Could each weapon type be linked to a particular colour and special boss technique?)
• What I described as his taunt above was referenced by someone else, who thought it might actually be his victory pose. Yoshiteru walks forward and claps while saying "Fantastic!".
• It seems that the new video has a shot of Hideyoshi being impaled with a spear.
• Maria can release three or four cloth 'curtains' and hide within them.
• She can use the long range of her cloth to close distance between herself and the enemy by using it to hold onto them and lift them up.

The fans only got to see the video played once at what sounds as though it was a very crowded event, so it's understandable that they weren't able to pick up every detail. I'll probably be posting again in a few hours with the video link when we can see for ourselves (unless Capcom decide to delay it to Thursday again).

News roundup: A few minor headlines, and translation guide updated

There hasn't been much solid news today, so this is a very short post. Gyoubu's profile and voice sample went live on the official Sengoku Basara 4 website this morning, so I added his picture to last week's magazine translation post. And again below, because it's too cute to let disappear onto the second page without any fanfare.

Awww...

The other new information was about the weapon system, confirming a few things which weren't entirely clear in the video or Weekly Famitsu article. I've updated my full summary post and since finding the changes might be a challenge, here's an abbreviated summary.

• Added a table for Inscription combinations now that the news websites have posted extra pictures. Grey-backed Inscriptions can be combined to create the gold-backed ones, and the first two combinations are now known for certain.
• Added some new Inscription effects to the list.
• Added pictures of the enhancement materials and different types of Play Books to make it less confusing.
• Various minor adjustments to make things clearer.

My copy of the magazine will either be delivered tomorrow (when I'm not home) or next week. So Tuesday will be the earliest I can write a review and search for any new details.

Incidentally, I'm away all weekend. I'll try to tweet any juicy rumours I hear about Saturday's new video and presentation in Osaka, but the usual summary in a blog entry will probably have to wait until later on. I don't want my friends to disown me for blogging during an excursion!

In other news...

An amusing snapshot from the Wan-Nyan Sengoku Basara one-shot manga was shared on Twitter. Ieyasu seems to be a dog, which is understandable under the circumstances - but Tadakatsu is a dog house?!

The Sengoku Basara online newsletter Tokusei Kawaraban has posted its fourth play diary from the Sengoku Basara 4 TGS 2013 demo. I didn't spot anything new other than a whole bunch of tigers and evidence of several secret areas in Naotora's Iinoya Castle stage, but those who have made a My Capcom account (instructions here) might want to take a look.

Lastly, these aren't in any way official but they haven't been taken down yet so I may as well link them. T.M.Revolution performed the full version of the Sengoku Basara 4 opening theme song Count ZERO back at Inazuma Rock Fes. 2013 several months ago and someone's uploaded part of the television broadcast to YouTube: Day 1, Day 2. It really whets my appetite for ordering the opening/ending theme CD as soon as the listings go up.

News roundup: Sengoku Basara Magazine vol. 3 rumours, and lots of merchandise

Sengoku Basara Magazine Vol. 3 goes on sale

Although the biggest news is, of course, Mouri Motonari's Sengoku Basara 4 debut, that doesn't mean that the rest of the magazine is lacking in information. I'm trying to dig out a few rumours without completely ruining the magazine for myself, so it's a little tough. My copy won't arrive for a while!

Here's what I've seen people talking about so far. I'll add to this list in the morning when I wake up.

• Amazon removed their picture of the real magazine cover before the magazine was released, trying to preserve the surprise. It was a little too late by that time.
• Shikanosuke will have an Anime Route in Sengoku Creation Mode as well. (Note: It's starting to look as though all of the completely new characters will.)
• Someone noted that Nobunaga is looking for Ranmaru and Nouhime in the game - they're missing. (Note: I guess that means they're officially in the storyline, at least, and hopefully appear in cutscenes this time?)
• He goes to the land of the dead and joins up with the King of Six Demons (Rokuma No Ou).
• This also has links to Oichi's dark hands. Her ability to use them in this game is due to Nobunaga.
• Tsuruhime is tricked again.
• Update: And this time, it's described as an 'amazing' trick. Someone on 2ch wondered whether the voice of 'Himiko' she heard in her story introduction might actually be a ruse by Motonari, while another person suggested it could be the Xavists. (Note: The folks over at Koei Warriors were joking about it being Gyoubu a while ago too.)
• Update: Due to obeying the voice of 'Himiko', Tsuruhime does some things she wouldn't normally have considered.
• Motonari is shown in a cutscene with Sourin.
• The Xavist jokes will be stronger than ever, according to game director Yamamoto.
• It doesn't seem as though Maria is with the Xavists, though.
• Motonari is the same as usual with the rintou ringblade as his weapon and Nakahara Shigeru as his seiyuu. He's the same antisocial, distrustful, self-serving and devious guy we know and love. In Sengoku Basara 4, he's working for Ashikaga Yoshiteru behind the scenes in order to establish Aki as the centre of the land of Hinomoto (i.e. Japan).
• He still has strong ties to Motochika, and he's trying to steal that which is precious to him. (Note: Hahaha, someone on Twitter asked whether this was "his heart?")
• Update: Courtesy of G in the comments section of this blog, the game will include the usual Xavist references - even the legendary 'tactician', Sunday Mouri, can be expected to join in..!?
• Update: Sengoku Basara Magazine Vol. 4 will be dated Winter 2014 and feature Ishida Mitsunari in the main article and on the Mame Sengoku Basara rubber strap. The CD will be a continuation of the Yukimura/Sasuke talk from this issue, as expected. There will also be the first chapter of a new manga side story drawn by Yoshihara Motoki called Sengoku Basara 4: Bontenmaru-hen.
• Update: There's also an ad for a guidebook for the game called Shutsujin No Sho, released on 17th January 2014. It looks like a great buy with game information about all forty characters, gameplay advice, cast/creator interviews, a poster with anime-style artwork of the four leads from Production I.G. and Mame Sengoku Basara badges of Masamune, Sakon, Katsuie and Mitsunari. The same ad mentions that badges of Matabee, Yukimura, Ieyasu and Shikanosuke will be in the March issue of Dengeki Maoh (released 27th January 2014).
• Finally, some pictures. Motonari's profile page, Motonari's face, the actual magazine, close-up of the Ieyasu rubber strap.

Even more updates below, mostly thanks to the Dokuganryuu -Deutsch Melon- blog...

• Ieyasu's departure from the Toyotomi army in Sengoku Basara 4 occurs without him attacking Hideyoshi.
• Maria is only using the name 'Maria' because she feels like it.
• Maria thinks Nagamasa should move from the Oda faction to the Ashikaga faction.
• The Ashikaga faction is very powerful and various commanders have aligned themselves there.
• Nagamasa's relationship with his sister gives insight into why he's always talking about justice.
• Tsuruhime and Shikanosuke will team up to look for Haru-sama (Amago Haruhisa).
• Motochika is tying up loose ends in Hinomoto and preparing himself before setting out on his journey. He will team up with someone too - but who? (Note: I suspect the recent video had a clue about this...)
• Motochika will ride on his Hyakki Fugaku fortress on the march screen.
• Tadakatsu has an event where he crashes mid-battle as a result of trying too hard, for Ieyasu's sake.
• The Maeda couple are the same as ever, and concerned about Katsuie's situation. There's a battle between the Toyotomi and Maeda forces.
• Keiji is someone who sees events through very human eyes. His role in the story is important this time, and this has something to do with it.
• Kanbee adores Matabee. Matabee considers Kanbee an idiot, but respects Hanbee. Hanbee has nothing to do with Kanbee.
• There's a sense that the atmosphere in the Toyotomi army has changed, and Gyoubu thinks that Sakon is rather disconcerting. Gyoubu and Hanbee mutually respect one another.
• Magoichi has a contract with 'a certain army'. After the story begins she makes a contract with someone else, too. She envisions a country led by mercenaries.
• Shingen's decision to leave his army to Yukimura in the storyline has something to do with Yoshiteru. Shingen has some links to another unannounced character (this could be singular or plural).
• Hideaki will get along well with Shikanosuke. His relationships with Motonari and Tenkai are the same as ever. He orders hot pot dishes such as miso nabe and soy nabe during battle.
• Mitsuhide is using the Tenkai persona to hide his identity from the Toyotomi and Ashikaga forces, so he appears in both forms.
• The person who writes the Deutsch Melon blog said that Motonari will be deceiving Tsuruhime.
• It's Magoichi's turn for a typo as her name was spelled incorrectly in the magazine.
• It's confirmed that there will be 32 playable characters. 'Most' of the major characters from Sengoku Basara 3 will have a significant role.
• Although they can't say anything yet, fans shouldn't get too worried about whether the other ninja (plural) will be appearing.
• And a few more images. Preview of the next issue, a look at an ominous scene with Katsuie and Oichi, Shikanosuke in an anime cutscene, Motonari with Sourin and (separately) with Shikanosuke.
• The caption for that ominous Katsuie/Oichi scene states that even though Katsuie dearly loves Oichi, there's a terrible development in the scene that has been shown. It doesn't look as though his feelings will reach her.

I'll post a proper review of the magazine soon. Hopefully next week...

Of course, before then there's going to be another video event this Saturday! Thursday's Weekly Famitsu and Dengeki Playstation magazines reportedly include no new information.

Sengoku Basara 4 soundtrack CD preorder listing spotted

It looks as though the preorder details will be announced in the next few weeks after a listing on Amazon Japan appeared for the new game's soundtrack. According to the listing it will be a two-disc set released on 29th January 2014. The usual theme song single CDs should appear soon as well, so I'll keep checking for more news!

Update: And just a few hours later, this was confirmed by Capcom! The soundtrack will cost ¥3,360.
Update 2: VGM has tracked down some catalogue numbers for a Sengoku Basara 4 EP theme song single too (CD, CD+DVD). Both versions are slated for 12th February 2014.

More previews of the upcoming Sengoku Basara 4 manga serialisation

Manga artist Yoshihara Motoki has become more active on Twitter recently and begun posting rough sketches previewing the artwork which will be used in the official Sengoku Basara 4 manga. Reactions from fans so far seem good, and I personally think that Yoshihara's masculine designs will be a good fit for the series. The manga will begin its run in late December.

You can see Yoshihara's previews so far at these links: Ieyasu, Sasuke/Kanbee, Shikanosuke/Hanbee, Kojuurou/Motochika and Keiji/Yukimura. Preview pictures of Masamune, Katsuie and Sakon were shown before back when the manga was first announced, and this ad (close-up) shows the four leads fully inked.

Vote for Sengoku Basara X in Capcom's special 30th anniversary ranking

From 25th November 2013 until 14th January 2014, Capcom is running a poll to decide which of their arcade games is the most beloved. The lesser-known Sengoku Basara X fighting game is one of the options representing the year 2008.

Unfortunately I don't think that the game stands a chance in this particular poll given some of the illustrious competition. Still, fans of the game can show their support here! Just click the orange text to place your vote. Each person can only vote once per day.

Preorders open for the newest Sengoku Basara stage play DVD

Those who weren't able to attend the recent performances of Butai Sengoku Basara 3 Utage Two: Kyouou Tanjou x Shinen No Utage ('The Birth Of The Dark King x Feast Of The Abyss') will be able to catch up towards the end of March 2014 now that the DVD version has appeared for purchase. As usual, there's a ¥6,500 first press limited edition and a ¥6,000 regular edition as well as a jumbled assortment of leftover merchandise from the show venues. At the moment the listings only exist on the official Dais shop; Yesasia, Ami Ami and other regular import stores should open their preorders soon.

The first press limited editions often tend to sell out extremely quickly and become collectors items, so it's recommended to preorder early. The bonus item this time seems to be a photo booklet.

While I'm on the subject, stage play actor Odai Ryouhei tweeted this incredible picture today. I feel it deserves to be seen.

A mini Sengoku Basara 4 merchandise stall opens for business in Tokyo station

Capcom have announced that Tokyo Station's Character Street will be blessed with a Sengoku Basara 4 presence between 27th November and 11th December 2013 when a street wagon will be set up to sell merchandise relating to the new game. The location of the stall will be in the 'K-Spot' area near the station's Yaesu exit and it will be open daily from 10:00 until 20:30. 200 lucky customers who spend more than ¥2,000 at the stall will be given a special Sengoku Basara 4 postcard.

Update: Here's a snapshot of the wagon from @cr_sho_alp.

More classic Sengoku Basara One Coin Grande trading figures return

As well as the One Coin Grande figure collection Sengoku Basara ~Eiyuu Shuuketsu-hen~ ('~Gathering of Heroes Edition~') next year, Kotobukiya are planning to rerelease two of the older sets in their entirety for the benefit of fans who missed out before. The two they've chosen are the recoloured Sengoku Basara ~'Dyed Costume' Edition~ sets. The first will be released on 30th April 2014 while the second will come out on 30th June 2014. Each collection costs ¥6,300 and features ten mini warriors.

The old sets have been changing hands for ridiculous sums of money in recent months so these rereleases are welcome. Will we get a true fifth collection of figures soon to include the Sengoku Basara 4 cast - as well as the remainder of the missing Sengoku Basara 3 characters?

The rereleased sets can be preordered now from all good figure shops such as Ami Ami (1, 2), CD Japan (1, 2) and Yesasia (1, 2).

Update: Delivery date for the Butai Sengoku Basara Bushou Matsuri 2013 DVD slips

The official shop has announced that preorder customers will receive their copies of the DVD on 10th December 2013, not at the end of November as originally planned. The date for the general release which follows is unchanged.

--

Update 27/11/2013 (07:40): Added a few additional things to the soundtrack and Sengoku Basara Magazine notes.

News roundup: Mouri Motonari will be included in Sengoku Basara 4, and a new video is released

Mouri Motonari is to join the Sengoku Basara 4 roster

Finally! It hasn't even been released yet but the cover artwork for Sengoku Basara Magazine Vol. 3 posted on Amazon Japan received a stealth update today. They changed the line about the number of characters announced since the previous issue's feature:

"Nineteen new commanders have been selected to join the battle!!" was secretly changed to:

"Beginning with Mouri Motonari, nineteen new commanders have been selected to join the battle!!"

We can expect a character profile for Motonari on the 27th November when people receive their copies of the magazine. I don't expect to receive mine until next week so a full translation of any of the new content will have to wait for a while. I'll try to post and tweet any rumours in the meantime.

It seems likely that there will be a formal reveal for Motonari in next week's Weekly Famitsu magazine as well for the benefit of regular gamers who don't collect Sengoku Basara Magazine. If it follows the same pattern as Yukimura's surprise announcement a few months ago, the formal reveal will also include characters with links to Motonari. Is it finally time for the Xavists..?!

(My thanks go to G in the comments section, whose message about this cheered me up when I was stuck at work without proper Internet access this morning!)

A brand new gameplay video introduces Sengoku Creation Mode

The new video which debuted at Fukuoka on Saturday has now been shared on the Capcom Channel. You can watch it on YouTube or below as usual.


Of course, a new video requires some new speculation. Here's what I noticed on my first few viewings.

• Sasuke's joke weapon seems to be a ramen set, while Yukimura's looks like a 'hot-blooded combat pick' shaped like an ear pick (mimikaki). I anticipate a lot of fan art if that's what it really is...
• Meanwhile Naotora's joke weapon looks like an ornate Japanese-style gift (fitting in with her ceremonial/wedding theme) and Magoichi's is a trumpet.
• Motochika's fully realised Hyakki Fugaku fortress is huge.
• Is Kanbee opening up a Sengoku-era subway system?
• Now that there are Kawanakajima and Sekigahara stages named, I'm not sure that the subtitled locations are actually stages rather than mid-stage events. I've removed them from my stage list for now. For reference, their names are Kawanakajima: Hachimanpara, Gotou Matabee: Behind The Scenes, Oda Vanguard Troops: Forced Advance From Owari, Honnouji and Sekigahara: Eastern Army Union of Bonds.

I've added the new stages and Play Books to my ongoing lists (please see below for more details).

Sengoku Basara 4 translated information guide created

Since finding the individual posts will be difficult in future, I've rounded up all of the game information I've been posting so far into a summary for players who are worried about the language barrier if they import the Japanese edition of Sengoku Basara 4. I'll try to keep this summary post up to date each time I spot something new.

You can find the compiled information in the post just before this one, or through the Articles menu at the top of this page.

Of course, if Capcom later announce an English language translation themselves, this will have been a waste of time. Nobody will be happier than I am if that turns out to be the case!

Sengoku Basara 4 Reference Materials (Part 2)

This is the second part of my collection of translated Sengoku Basara 4 reference materials after the first grew too large for a single post. You can see the other part here; it contains menu translations, a stage list and weapon enhancement information.

Sengoku Basara 4 Reference Materials

If I have time, I'll gather my Sengoku Basara 4 information here as a reference guide. News and article translations will remain on my main blog; this summary is just for the main menus and system details for the game itself. More detailed explanations of everything in the list can be found on the main blog.

This is currently a work in progress. Unlike my usual posts this one will be updated periodically. Please note that as this blog entry became too long for Blogger I have moved the later chapters to a second post.

The Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi additions are in a separate guide here.

News roundup: Gossip from the Fukuoka Sengoku Basara 4 in-store preorder event and more translations

Rumours from today's Sengoku Basara 4 in-store preorder event

It's Saturday once again, which means that the third of the five weekly Sengoku Basara 4 preorder events has now taken place in Yodobashi Camera, Hakata. There was a presentation by game producer Kobayashi 'KobaP' Hiroyuki and another video was unveiled.

Here is the usual collection of rumours from Twitter, 2ch and other sources. As Hakata is located less centrally it sounds as though there were fewer fans in attendance than there were last week - or fewer fans who use social media networks. It's really tough to separate the rumours from the facts with so few reliable sources.

• The main thing everyone is talking about is Amago Haruhisa. There are a lot of rumours about him being in the game as an enemy, though nobody seems to know for sure whether he's a full enemy NPC, a cutscene character or some kind of minor boss again.
• The source seems to be that the name 'Amago' appeared in a timeline shown somewhere in the new video, so it could be a mistake and something to do with Shikanosuke's story. One person thought they saw the phrase 'a world of sand'.
• The vagueness of the rumour hasn't stopped everyone from speculating wildly about the old regional warlords again...
• Someone asked whether there would be regional warlords or cutscene-only characters. KobaP couldn't reveal that yet.
• The fan theory that Shikanosuke's deer is actually Amago was rejected at the event.
• There's still no news about Motonari even though people asked.
• KobaP said that Oichi is really cute in Nagamasa's story.
• It seems that Matabee was in the Toyotomi army at first but departed along with Kanbee. He then became thoroughly disgusted with Kanbee and left him, but it's touching when they reunite in the game. KobaP wouldn't say whether Matabee rejoins the Kuroda army.
• There aren't many anime endings at all.
• The new video features Sengoku Creation Mode and the march screen. There was a lot of text again so people can't really describe it.
• There was some discussion about the way characters move on the march screen (Ieyasu riding on Tadakatsu, Mitsunari running and other characters riding horses as we've seen already).
• KobaP said something about Aniki (Motochika) moving in a very 'Aniki-like' way on the march screen. One fan speculated that he might be depicted riding on some kind of vehicle.
• You can apparently rotate the camera to view your character from the front on the march screen.
• The new video supposedly includes footage of Magoichi as a playable character with Tsuruhime as support.
• There's a shot of Katsuie and Sakon standing back to back in the new Echizen: Kitanoshou Castle intrusion stage.
• I've only found a handful of pictures of the event venue so far courtesy of @ito_bsr (2, 3) and @rekkuza96. It was an all-girl crowd when everyone was queueing at the start.

I'll add to the list if I find anything else of interest.

Even though the event information was weak, while I was searching I stumbled upon this new post on the Sony Playstation blog. There's the first in a series of weird videos with KobaP at the bottom.

The Bushou Matsuri 2013 DVD cover art is revealed

The cover artwork for the upcoming Butai Sengoku Basara Bushou Matsuri 2013 event DVD is now available. I still have no idea whether the Dais Shop version is sticking to its 'late November' date now that a general release is on the way. I can't wait to see Ikeda Shuuichi's appearance at last!

With the news out of the way, I'm going to delve back into the most recent gameplay video and translate more of the menu system. You can click on the pictures to see them at full size.

Translations of some more Sengoku Basara 4 content: Character Levelling

We discovered that you could level characters up out of battle a few days ago and the latest video revealed exactly how it works. First, you need to select it from the menu in the Battle Preparation screen. Here's an annotated version.

Next, here's a screenshot of the Character Levelling interface. For an explanation of how the Inrou of Enhancement stores experience, please consult the first of this week's translation posts. I think everything else is self-explanatory.

Translations of some more Sengoku Basara 4 content: Weapon Enhancement

You can access Weapon Enhancement through the Basara-ya Shop using the menu screens I translated in my previous post, or by going to Battle Preparation → Equip Weapon then pressing R1 once to switch screens. You can see which screen you're in by checking the navigation in the top left corner.

This next one looks intimidating but it's just a matter of learning the layout. Square controls the weapon's Rarity level, which affects its maximum stats. Triangle boosts stats by random amounts using your stock of fortune hammers, while the Circle button lets you increase individual stats with your stock of whetstones.

Translations of some more Sengoku Basara 4 content: Play Books

I've mentioned the flat, rectangular items you can receive as rewards or buy from the in-game shop a few times now and they appear to be called Play Books or Game Books. In this case I'm going with the former for my translations since the word 'game' is used a lot elsewhere. I've adjusted the annotations on the march screen in my previous translation post to take this decision into account.

In the bottom left of the main march screen is a section labelled Play Settings which you can access by pressing L1. I believe that this will take you to your Play Books, allowing you to set up to three of them in the slots below. It looks as though they'll work like the accessories did in the previous games.

Here's a list of the books and their effects that I've seen so far. Since the icons all seem to look the same anyway, I'm going to present the translations as a list instead of a picture to make it easier to update over time.

Name	Translation
体力倍増	Double hit points
敵体力倍増	Double enemy hit points
敵兵治癒	Enemy soldier recovery
ばくち打ち	Gamble
捨て身の覚悟	The resolve to risk your life
大将殺し	Slayer of generals
会心乱発	Random criticals
鋼のからだ	Steel body
粋早々	Quick Style
手数重視	Emphasis on hassle

The effect and bonus reward for 'Enemy soldier recovery' is also shown: enemies gradually regain their hit points, and if you win you get a 200% bonus to the money you earned.

Translations of some more Sengoku Basara 4 content: Weapon Fusion

To add Inscriptions to your weapons, you need to use the Weapon Fusion system. It can be found in the same menu as Weapon Enhancement above. First, choose your weapon from the list as usual. The blue label means the weapon is equipped, the yellow label means you're performing the synthesis on that weapon (I'm calling it the 'base weapon'), and the red label is used for the weapon you're using as raw materials for the upgrade. Here's the first Weapon Fusion screen from the video with text annotations in English.

When you've picked the weapon you want to use as your 'raw material', you're taken to the main Weapon Fusion screen. You can move Inscriptions from the 'raw material' weapon to the one you're upgrading.

Selecting a slot which already has an Inscription gives the message 'Discard'. Be careful you don't do this unless you want to reclaim that slot!

Certain types of Inscription can be placed on top of others to boost them. The video shows the 'Extreme' Inscription being added to a basic type, making it stronger.

Once you're done, you can press Triangle to complete the fusion, destroying the 'raw material' weapon in the process. Each upgrade has a cost, and you have to pay the total price when the button is pressed.

Translations of some more Sengoku Basara 4 content: Inscriptions

You can view the table of Inscriptions by pressing R2 when you're in the shop or on the main battle preparation screen, or straight from the Weapon Enhancement menu above.

I've given each individual Inscription a number in this diagram:

News roundup: Some minor news and a few Sengoku Basara 4 screenshot translations

This Saturday, there are going to be a staggering four Sengoku Basara events running in Japan at once. I'm not anticipating any news from the stage play, manga signing or college demonstration, but producer Kobayashi Hiroyuki will be presenting a brand new video again at a branch of Yodobashi Camera in Hakata, Fukuoka and there is bound to be some news to report on after that. Because of this I thought I could hold out until Saturday before writing another news roundup post, however it turns out that I was wrong; there's more to report about than expected!

Basara Magazine Vol. 3 is formally announced for release on 27th November 2013

They really took their time with the official website update to announce the details of this issue. Until this week, all that was there was a simple PDF file and I had to scavenge my information from shop listings.

Anyway, the update means we have the first picture from the new one-shot manga, Wan-Nyan Sengoku Basara, which reimagines the series with the characters as cats and dogs. It sounds interesting.

New manga Sengoku Basara Comic Anthology 'Setouchi Chronicle' now has a firm release date

The magazine's website also confirmed that 21st December 2013 will be the release date for the delayed Sengoku Basara Comic Anthology 'Setouchi Chronicle' manga compilation. The details are as previously reported and while we don't have final cover artwork yet, there's at least a little preview picture to make it feel more as though the book might one day exist.

Perhaps they're planning on unveiling the full details along with Motonari in next week's magazine?

Basara Club prepares for its December launch with a survey

The new Basara Club fan club will be commencing activities at the start of December, and as a warm up they've asked members to start submitting messages and fan art for the first issue of the official newsletter ahead of its January 2014 release date. For those of us with less imagination and talent, there's also a fun survey - hopefully the first of many - which asks fans to vote for their favourite of the following:

• Date Masamune's famous lines.
• Weapons you want to use.
• Costumes you want to wear.
• Names of moves which you can't help shouting out.

It's not multiple choice so there will probably be some really weird suggestions, though they're trying to keep things sensible by asking people to name the character the weapon/costume/move belongs to and justify each answer. I haven't decided how I will vote yet...

Translations of some more Sengoku Basara 4 content: Menus

Since I had some free time (my Crunchyroll subscription temporarily expired this week...please don't tell me what happened in today's Kakumeiki Valvrave!) I decided to quickly prepare some visuals to attempt to demystify some of the new material we saw in the newest trailer and screenshots. I'm not very good at this kind of thing so please forgive the amateurish presentation.

Firstly, Sengoku Creation Mode's main 'march screen', with annotations. You can click the picture to make it larger.

I've noted that there's a sale running in the Basara-ya shop (indicated by the red ticket over its name). If there's a 'special deal' instead of a sale, the shop icon will look like this:

The shop has various sections you can browse, so this is what the next menu apparently looks like.

Finally, the shop itself. I merged two different pictures together to show how the sale items and special deals appear.

Unsure whether these annotations will actually help anyone... but you never know! The weapon inscription screen will have to wait for another day.

Translations of some more Sengoku Basara 4 content: Stages

Next, here's a list of every confirmed stage in Sengoku Basara 4 so far to the best of my knowledge. To qualify for the list, I must have visually confirmed the name in a screenshot or video. Even though it's obvious who the bosses will be on some of the levels where that data is missing, I only want to include information which is 100% confirmed.

Please note that the punctuation is sometimes inconsistent between screenshots in Japanese so I just picked one version. Some of the names sound more like story encounters than battles...

Stage	Japanese Name	Type(s)	Enemy Commander
Abrasion: The Beauty of Insufficiency	研磨　不足の美	Outbreak	-
Azuchi-Shiten Gathering	安土四天結集	Outbreak	-
Battle of Sekigahara: Eastern Sun	関ヶ原の戦い　東陽	Outbreak	Tokugawa Ieyasu
Bizen: Ujou (Okayama Castle)	備前・烏城	Normal	Kobayakawa Hideaki
Echizen: Kitanoshou Castle	越前・北ノ庄城	Normal	Shima Sakon, Shibata Katsuie
Fate: One-Eyed Dragon	宿命　独眼竜	Outbreak	-
Incident at Honnouji	本能寺の変	Normal/Outbreak	Oda Nobunaga, Akechi Mitsuhide
Investigation: Shikanosuke	探索　鹿之介	One-on-one	Yamanaka Shikanosuke
Izumo: Shiraga Castle	出雲・白鹿城	Normal	Yamanaka Shikanosuke
Kaga: Maeda Kabuki-Matsuri	加賀・前田花吹祭	Outbreak	-
Kai: Tsutsujigasaki Yakata	甲斐・躑躅ヶ崎館	Normal	Takeda Shingen
Kawanakajima: Hachimanpara	川中島・八幡原	-	-
Mikawa: Komaki-Nagakute	三河・小牧長久手	Normal	Tokugawa Ieyasu
Oda: Azuchi Castle	織田・安土城	Normal	Oda Nobunaga
Osaka: Toyotomi Hajou	大阪・豊臣覇城	Normal	Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Oushuu: Aoba Castle	奥州・青葉城	Normal	Date Masamune
Pirate Fortress: Hyakki Fugaku	海賊要塞・百鬼富嶽	Normal	Chousokabe Motochika
Remains of Ounin: Souden	応仁の跡　走伝	Outbreak	Ashikaga Yoshiteru
Revenge: The Sword of the God of War	復習　軍神の剣	Outbreak	-
Shizugatake: The Oda Vanguard Advances	賤ヶ岳・織田尖兵進行	Outbreak	-
Takeda Otoko Dojo	武田漢道場	Outbreak	-
Tango: Sengenji	丹後・泉源寺	Normal/Derivation	Kyougoku Maria
Tootoumi: Iinoya Castle	遠江・井伊谷城	Normal/Omen/Derivation	Ii Naotora
Toyotomi Reminiscence Struggle	豊臣回顧闘争	Outbreak	Toyotomi Hideyoshi

If you're wondering about the 'Type' column, stage types are a new mechanic introduced in this title. I'm not sure whether all stages are available in all five variations, so I thought it would be interesting to make a note of this information too.

Normal stages are the same as usual; fulfil the objectives and win the battle. I think most of the battles you'll fight in the first round of Sengoku Creation Mode will be like this. The newest video shows the rewards for a normal battle as the standard mix of weapons, money and enhancement materials.

Outbreaks have red backgrounds behind their names and suddenly appear depending on the actions taken by the armies in the game. They seem to be just like the special stages which traditionally appear mid-game depending on your performance. The rewards shown in the video looked similar to the normal ones only with some nicer enhancements on the weapons.

Omen battles appear on the map just like Outbreaks, except they have an ominous purple background. Going by the newest video, they reward the player with books and experience points.

If you ignore an Omen battle, it might turn into a Derivation. These have a blue background, and a mixture of rewards.

The fifth and final type of encounter is a One-on-one match; a quick boss fight which is touted as being a good source of weapons. The single screenshot of one of these shows that every single reward tier offers weapons, even the lowest rank.

I'm a little confused about the colour scheme for Omen stages and One-on-one fights, because Investigation: Shikanosuke was specifically used as an example of the latter in several articles yet it seems to have a blue label. The picture shows Shikanosuke fooling around instead of a stage background. Is that the main difference between them?

Anyway, that's the end of today's speculation! I may have misunderstood how this 'stage type' system works and the colours might mean something else (if so, let's blame Weekly Famitsu magazine for the original article rather than my incompetence).