Mouri Motonari: Chikai no Sanshi (毛利元就 誓いの三矢, literally Mōri Motonari: Oath of the Three Arrows) is the third entry of Eiji Fukuzawa's Eiketsuden series, a series of simulation games that portrays the titular historical figures in a heroic image. At the time of the game's release, a similarly themed Taiga drama was being broadcast. It is the only title in the series to not have multiple endings.
The title follows the lives of Motonari Mōri and his grandson, with characters aging through time. Players can witness their growth into adulthood, with Motonari dying before ending up with Terumoto, who leads the clan. Character designs by Hitoshi Natsume.
Gameplay[]
For an overall evaluation of the general gameplay, please view the Eiketsuden series article. The following lists the unique traits found within this entry.
Exploring[]
The game allows players to control the main hero by hovering and left-clicking on areas of interest, and can interact with fellow vassals or people within their territory. They can also visit buildings, check their inventory, and visit temples. Each city has a castle with three rooms reserved for the Mōri clan. Advanced cities have training grounds for leveling up the ally army, with mandatory fees and a limit of ten turns per match. Players can order their unit to attack normally or use their special attack, and can choose to challenge stronger opponents. Enemy units are randomized based on the ally unit's class, and for two chapters, elongated training sessions are the only method of recruiting two members for the ally army.
Sparring sessions in the game have four rules: a level limit for strongest characters, the option to throw in the title if on the verge of defeat, stalemates when character exceeds time limit, and losing a match punishing one of the participant's stats by one point. Crafting studios are found in select cities, where players can create hardy equipment and healing items using old equipment, raw items, and scrolls. Items with available ingredients require no gold, but missing components may require additional funding. Players can explore the city, change their army's equipment, and select items for battle. If lost, they can use the action menu to proceed.
Battle[]
Every character fits one of the following unit types. Each unit type has its own properties, abilities and promotion benefits unique to their class. Units can be promoted when they max out their starting job class and use the appropriate promote item in battle. Promotion items can either be bought/found in the castle cities, earned through completing side quests or received by visiting villages during battle.
Unit Type | Promotion | Description |
---|---|---|
Lord | Warlord | Reserved for main protagonists. Almighty warrior class with instant kill abilities. Good move rate, attack and defense but always restricted to short range swords. Minimal healing capabilities. |
Advisor | Strategist | Intelligent units. Relies on using tactics such as fire attacks and ambushes. Low physical traits but reliable support. Strategists become primary army healers as they can call reinforcements for all units on the field, regardless of their location. |
Cavalryman | Lancer General | Highly mobile spear units. Can attack from a maximum of three squares. High defense and attack stats with skills focused on attacking. Horrible move rate on uneven terrain. |
Spearman | Lancer | Foot soldiers with balanced stats. Same stats as cavalry units but with a lower move rate. Most of these units learn morale and/or defense boosting skills. Can seal horses' movement if in range. |
Mounted Archer | Archer Rider | Horse units with focus on ranged attacks. Range is a maximum of three squares away from the unit, depending on their equipped weapon. Skills are often double-hitting offensive skills. Cannot attack units adjacent to it. Same move flaw as cavalry units. |
Archer | Expert Archer | Same properties as mounted archers except with lower move rate. Archers tend to learn advanced status ailment abilities. |
Mounted Infantry | Sniper Rider | Secondary ranged attackers who can fire multiple shots. Rifles can hit ally units if they are in their path. Units cannot fire during rainfall –unless the unit uses their special ability to negate this flaw– and cannot attack units adjacent to them. |
Rifleman | Sniper | Same attributes as mounted infantry with lower move rate. Rifleman tend to have more techniques for denting a unit's defenses. |
Cannoneer | Bombardier | Cannons are ranged attackers with the greatest distance, capable of firing at multiple targets simultaneously, with lower accuracy but devastating normal attacks if connected. |
Swordsman | Sword Master | Strongest offensive sword handler outside of daimyou. Tends to deal critical hits with their skills but have weak defenses to compensate. Weak against ranged attackers. |
Pirate | Pirate Captain | Strongest fighters for navy battles. Can cross water the fastest of any unit and the most capable boat handlers. Many of their skills are dedicated to battles at sea. Average fighters on land. |
Bandit | Vigilante | Best mountain fighters and most durable land units. Excel with trekking across various terrain except oceans. Can steal gold from foes. Low move rate and terrible defenses against tactics. |
Monk | Abbot | Average spear fighters with low attack power, equipped with status ailments spells and bolstering techniques, are powerful healers capable of cleansing most negative ailments. |
Genin | Jonin | Ninja. Land fighters with the most move rate next to mounted units. Agile and heavy hitters. Short or ranged fighters regardless of equipped weapon. Very frail endurance as compensation. |
Kunoichi | Kunoichi Veteran | Same general attributes as ninja. Can charm enemies to attack their own comrades. Slightly faster than their male counterpart. |
Cart Driver | Wagoon Driver | Cannot fight. Moving access to army inventory for units on the field. High defense against any attack. Can learn defense boosting skills to protect themselves. |
Musician | n/a | Frail units who cannot fight. They can play a song to a resting unit to give them a second turn. High dodge rate. Can use stat boosting techniques. |
Players can use most job classes by proceeding through the main story. Cart driver and musician units can only be gained by successfully completing the side objectives for their recruitment.
Characters[]
Main army[]
- Motonari Mōri
- Hiroyoshi Shiji
- Hirotoshi Fukuhara
- Michiyoshi Kuchiba
- Naritada Kodama
- Yoshitake Iida
- Motosuke Kunishi
- Masakiyo Seiki
- Kagetsuna Andō
- Narikata Kodama
- Sadatoshi Fukuhara
- Motoharu Kikkawa
- Takamoto Mōri
- Munekatsu Nomi
- Takakage Kobayakawa
- Hirotada Shiji
- Terumoto Mōri
- Mototake Kunishi
- Motoyoshi Kodama
- Michifusa Kurushima
- Hotaru
- Ekei Ankokuji
- Hiroie Kikkawa
Additional allies[]
- Takashige Amano
- Motozumi Katsura
- Heizō
- Tatsuyoshi Saitō
- Nobunao Kumagai
- Takaie Shishido
- Mitsukage Kagawa
- Ran
- Ryūzō Kunitomi
- Yoshimitsu Murakami
- Takasuke Miyoshi
- Motosuke Nojiri
- Hirohide Asomema
- Hirosuke Hiraga
- Takamichi Yamanouchi
- Kyōshirō
- Naoyuki Koi
- Yaichi Wada
- Sai'ie
- Michiyasu Kurushima
- Fusayasu Sugimori
- Shigesuke Shigi
- Masayori Yoshimi
- Chōsuke
- Kenichirō Masaki
- Fujikane Masuda
- Tanekio Mizawa
- Hisasuke Mitoya
- Harutsuna Yuhara
- Yuugen Tsuchiya
- Tanezane Akizuki
- Yoshinari Ichidō
- Takeyoshi Murakami
Mōri clan[]
- Hiromoto Mōri
- Sugi no Kata
- Okimoto Mōri
- Fuji no Kata
- Kōmatsumaru Mōri
- Okata (Myōhime)
- Kikuhime
- Mototsuna Aio
- Aio no Kata
- Hiromitsu Katsura
- Hirohide Saka
- Suguru Watanabe
- Muneharu Shimizu
- Takamoto's wife
- Kayō Watanabe
Kikkawa clan[]
- Kunitsune Kikkawa
- Tsuneyo Kikkawa
- Mototsuna Kikkawa
- Okitsune Kikkawa
- Nobutada Oda
- Motoharu's wife
Kobayakawa clan[]
- Masahira Kobayakawa
- Takakage's wife
Forces in Aki Province[]
- Motonao Kumagai
- Motoyoshi Shishido
- Okisada Amano
- Motoshige Takeda
- Mitsukazu Takeda
- Nobushige Takeda
Ouchi army[]
- Yoshioki Ōuchi
- Yoshitaka Ōuchi
- Shigenori Sugi
- Naonobu Kurata
- Fusanobu Kurata
- Okifusa Sui
- Okimori Naitō
- Fusahide Era
- Harukata Sue
- Takakane Hironaka
- Taketō Sagara
- Masaoki Sugihara
- Takatoyo Reizei
- Katatane Shirai
- Takayasu Hiraga
- Fusakiyo Miura
- Nagafusa Sue
- Takayo Naitō
- Fusanaga Miyagawa
- Takayasu Sugi
Amago army[]
- Tsunehisa Amago
- Hisayuki Amago
- Kunihisa Amago
- Haruhisa Amago
- Masahisa Amago
- Yoshihisa Amago
- Hidetsuna Kamei
- Hisakiyo Akana
- Yukikiyo Ushio
- Tanekiyo Misawa
- Hisasuke Mitoya
- Mitsuyuki Yamanaka
- Tachihara Hisatsuna
- Takakane Fusaya
- Takatsura Eda
- Shinemitsu Honjo
- Masayasu Matsuda
- Shikanosuke Yamanaka
- Hisanobu Uyama
- Iorinosuke Akiage
- Sanaesuke Ueda
- Hyōgosuke Yokomichi
Other Western forces[]
- Sōrin Ōtomo
- Yoshinaga Ōuchi
- Yoshimune Ōtomo
- Akihaya Uzuki
- Chikanori Shiga
- Dōsetsu Tachibana
- Chikakata Tawara
- Chikahiro Tawara
- Akitada Yoshihiro
- Toyotsuna Ushinomiya
- Michinao Kōno
- Kinhiro Saionji
- Akitane Takahashi
- Naoie Ukita
Oda army[]
- Nobunaga Oda
- Nobukatsu Oda
- Nobutaka Oda
- Katsuie Shibata
- Kazumasu Takigawa
- Narimasa Sassa
- Nobumori Sakuma
- Toshiie Maeda
- Nagahide Niwa
- Yoshitaka Kuki
- Motochika Mimura
- Hideyoshi Hashiba
- Hidenaga Hashiba
- Koroku Hachisuka
- Kiyomasa Katō
- Masanori Fukushima
- Kanbei Kuroda
- Mitsunari Ishida
- Mitsuhide Akechi
- Hidemitsu Akechi
- Toshimitsu Saitō
Tokugawa clan[]
- Ieyasu Tokugawa
- Tadakatsu Honda
- Naomasa Ii
- Yasumasa Sakakibara
- Tadatsugu Sakai
- Kazumasa Ishikawa
- Hanzō Hattori
Others[]
- Yoshimoto Imagawa
- Yoshiaki Ashikaga
- Kennyo Honganji
- Kyonyo Honganji
- Fujitaka Hosokawa
- Junkei Tsuitsui
- Shino
Allusions[]
- Many of these game's sound effects for towns and scenery would later be reused in Oda Nobunaga Den and Sengoku Musou 4.