Where to Find Honda Tadakatsu and How to Win
This guide is a complete, practical, and action-first walkthrough that gets you from shrine to victory without fluff. If you want to find Honda Tadakatsu fast, trigger the Becoming Champion of the East duel, and beat him cleanly on any build, read every paragraph and follow the tactical windows I mark. The duel is short but punishing: Honda Tadakatsu is a spear-wielding general who tests reach, timing, and your ability to manage burst break windows and life corrosion effects. You will encounter him north of Hamamatsu Castle at the Otemon Gate; the encounter is a duel that appears after specific story progress and is designed to be a focused test of skill rather than an open-field gauntlet.
How to reach the duel quickly and reliably
To reach Honda Tadakatsu without wandering, complete the prerequisite main mission that unlocks the Hamamatsu area and then head to the Otemon Gate shrine. The Becoming Champion of the East side quest becomes available after you finish the Abundant Evil questline and return to Hamamatsu; once unlocked, the shrine at Otemon Gate is the interaction point where Tadakatsu will appear and challenge you to a duel. If the quest does not appear, make sure you have completed the required story beats and that you have visited the shrine after the Abundant Evil mission. This duel is intentionally placed at the castle gate to evoke the historical image of a general testing a challenger’s mettle before entering the stronghold.
What to expect the moment the duel starts
When you accept the duel, the arena is small and the fight is concentrated: Tadakatsu uses a spear with long reach, lightning-themed attacks, and a mix of charged lunges and sweeping combos. He telegraphs several signature moves: a slow, powerful charge that ends in a follow-up strike; a spear-stab series that can chain into a spinning burst; and a ranged boulder-throwing attack where he plants the spear and hurls a rock toward your position. He also has a burst attack that surrounds him with a red aura and can be repelled with a perfectly timed burst break, which opens him up for heavy punishment. If you get hit by certain attacks, you risk life corrosion, a dangerous status that reduces your maximum health until cured. Learn to read the windup and keep distance when he charges; the fight rewards patience and precise counters.
Core strategy overview that works for every build
The duel is about three things: distance control, punishing openings, and burst break timing. Keep mid-range to bait his lunges, dodge sideways to avoid the boulder throw, and always be ready to either guard or step in for a quick riposte when he finishes a long animation. When he begins the red-aura spin, that is your cue to prepare a burst break—if you time it perfectly you will stagger him and create a large damage window. If you fail the burst break, back off and heal; Tadakatsu’s follow-ups are swift and can punish greed. Use consumables that boost your guard or reduce stamina drain if you rely on blocking, and bring antidotes or items that remove life corrosion to avoid being crippled mid-fight.
Recommended loadouts and why they work
You can beat Tadakatsu with almost any weapon, but some setups make the duel easier.
Spear and polearm users: If you use a spear, you already match his reach. Use quick poke combos and step-cancel to avoid his counters. Keep a short burst of aggressive pressure after a successful burst break; your long reach lets you punish without overcommitting.
Sword and dual blades: Mobility is your friend. Close the gap with a single dash, land a heavy combo, then back out before he can counter. Use stance switching to vary your damage and avoid predictable patterns.
Axe and heavy weapons: These builds rely on big windows. Wait for the burst break or a long recovery animation, then unload your heaviest attacks. Bring stamina recovery items because heavy weapons burn ki quickly.
Magic and ranged: Keep distance and use stagger or interrupt spells to break his rhythm. Ranged builds must watch for the boulder throw and the charge; use mobility spells to reposition and punish after his recovery.
Across all builds, equip gear that resists lightning or reduces the chance of life corrosion if you have access to such stats. If you can, bring a Guardian Spirit or skill that grants a defensive buff during burst windows. The duel is short, so a single well-timed offensive cooldown can swing the fight.
Detailed phase-by-phase breakdown and exact counters
Tadakatsu’s fight can be read as a sequence of phases that repeat with increasing aggression. Learn these phases and you will stop reacting and start controlling the duel.
Opening and probing: He will test your reactions with light pokes and a slow charge. Do not panic; dodge sideways or step back and punish the recovery. If he plants the spear and throws a boulder, move laterally—this attack is slow and telegraphed.
Mid-combo pressure: He strings pokes into a follow-up that uses the butt of the spear. These combos are dangerous because they mix reach with blunt follow-ups. Block only if your guard is strong; otherwise dodge and counter. If you are hit and afflicted with life corrosion, use a cure item immediately and play defensively until your max HP is restored.
Burst attack window: When he spins and a red aura appears, prepare your burst break. Time it to the moment the aura peaks; a successful burst break staggers him and creates a large opening. If you miss the timing, retreat and heal. After a successful burst break, use your highest-damage combo or a consumable buff and then reset to mid-range.
Enraged repeats: As his health drops, Tadakatsu speeds up and mixes in lightning-based lunges. Keep your spacing and do not chase recklessly. He will punish greed with fast counters. Use the environment to your advantage if the arena has obstacles—line-of-sight can interrupt some of his ranged follow-ups.
Practicing these phases in a calm, methodical way will make the duel feel predictable rather than punishing. The key is to treat each attack as a test: if you pass, you get a reward; if you fail, you learn the timing.
Movement and animation tells to memorize
Tadakatsu telegraphs his most dangerous moves with clear animations. The charge has a long windup where he plants his feet and draws the spear back; the boulder throw is preceded by him stabbing the spear into the ground; the burst spin is announced by a red aura and a brief pause. Memorize these tells and you will stop taking unnecessary hits. When he plants the spear, do not run straight forward—move laterally and be ready to punish the recovery. When he draws back for a charge, either dodge through the attack or step aside and counter immediately. These small habits reduce the number of times you get clipped by follow-ups and keep your healing resources intact.
Consumables, skills, and Guardian Spirit choices
Bring items that remove life corrosion and restore max HP if you get hit by his worst attacks. Stamina recovery items and temporary guard buffs are also valuable. If your build allows, equip a Guardian Spirit that increases your burst break effectiveness or grants a defensive cooldown; these passive advantages can be the difference between a close win and a costly death. Skills that increase ki recovery or reduce stagger are also useful because Tadakatsu’s combos can drain your stamina quickly. Use a single offensive buff right after a burst break to maximize damage during the stagger window.
How to exploit weaknesses and resistances
Tadakatsu’s kit favors reach and lightning, so lightning resistance and items that reduce elemental damage are helpful. He is vulnerable to stagger and burst break counters; if you can reliably land a burst break, you will open him to heavy damage. Some weapons and skills that cause stagger or interrupt will shorten the duel significantly. If you have access to gear that reduces the chance of life corrosion or speeds up its recovery, equip it. The duel rewards a hybrid approach: defensive stats to survive his lightning bursts and offensive tools to capitalize on stagger windows.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Players often make the same errors: chasing after every attack, ignoring the burst break cue, and failing to cure life corrosion quickly. Do not chase Tadakatsu across the arena; he has reach and will punish overcommitment. Do not spam heavy attacks without watching his red-aura spin; missing a burst break can cost you a full heal and momentum. Finally, treat life corrosion as an emergency—if you let it stack, your maximum HP will drop and the fight becomes much harder. The correct mindset is conservative aggression: take openings, then reset to a safe distance.
Speedrun and time-saving tips
If your goal is to find Honda Tadakatsu fast and clear the duel quickly, skip optional exploration and head straight to the Otemon Gate shrine after the Abundant Evil quest. Use a fast mobility build or items that increase movement speed to reach the shrine faster. In the duel, aim for a single clean burst break followed by your highest-damage combo; this is the fastest way to end the fight. If you are confident, use consumables that boost damage for one short window and commit to a burst-break punish to shave seconds off the encounter. For repeated runs, set up a loadout that minimizes downtime between attempts: quick travel to the shrine, a consistent consumable set, and a practiced burst-break timing.
Rewards and why the duel matters
Completing Becoming Champion of the East yields unique rewards such as Samurai’s Locks and the Tombokiri weapon, and it can drop pieces of the Warrior of the East set and the Officer’s Spear. Beyond loot, the duel is a compact test of your mastery over timing, spacing, and burst mechanics—skills that translate to larger boss fights across the game. If you are farming for specific gear, the duel’s short length makes it an efficient target for repeated runs.
Troubleshooting when the quest won’t appear
If the Becoming Champion of the East side quest does not appear at the Otemon Gate shrine, verify that you have completed the Abundant Evil mission and any other story beats required to unlock Hamamatsu’s shrine interactions. Reload the area, rest at a different shrine and return, or progress one more main mission and backtrack; sometimes the game requires a small state change to register the side quest. If you still cannot trigger the duel, check for any in-game flags or NPC interactions you may have missed in the Hamamatsu region.
Practice routine to master the duel in ten attempts
A focused practice routine will make Tadakatsu feel trivial in under ten attempts. First three runs: learn his tells and avoid damage—do not try to kill him, just survive and observe. Next three runs: practice burst break timing and punish windows—use a low-risk offensive approach. Final four runs: optimize your damage rotation after a successful burst break and practice curing life corrosion quickly. By the tenth run you should be consistently winning with minimal consumable use. This methodical approach trains muscle memory and reduces the frustration of repeated deaths.
Final checklist before you accept the duel
Make sure you have: a cure for life corrosion, a burst break-friendly skill or Guardian Spirit, stamina recovery items, and a single offensive consumable for the stagger window. Rest at the nearest shrine, equip your chosen loadout, and approach the Otemon Gate with patience. When Tadakatsu challenges you, accept only when you are ready to focus—this duel rewards concentration more than raw gear.
FAQ
Q: Where exactly is Honda Tadakatsu located for the Becoming Champion of the East quest? A: He appears at the Otemon Gate shrine north of Hamamatsu Castle after you complete the Abundant Evil quest and unlock the Hamamatsu side content. Interact with the shrine to trigger the duel.
Q: What are Honda Tadakatsu’s most dangerous attacks? A: His most dangerous moves are the charged spear lunges with follow-ups, the red-aura burst spin that must be burst broken, and the boulder throw that is telegraphed by planting the spear. Getting hit by certain attacks can inflict life corrosion.
Q: Can I beat him with any build? A: Yes. The duel is skill-based and any build can win. Spear users have reach parity, swords and light weapons rely on mobility, heavy weapons need to capitalize on stagger windows, and ranged builds must manage spacing. Equip lightning resistance and life corrosion cures if possible.
Q: What rewards do I get for winning the duel? A: Rewards include Samurai’s Locks, the Tombokiri weapon, and potential drops from the Warrior of the East set and Officer’s Spear. The duel is also a quick source of experience and practice for burst mechanics.
Q: My burst break keeps failing—what should I do? A: Slow down and watch the red-aura animation. Practice the timing in low-stakes fights or use a controller vibration cue if available. If you still fail, focus on defensive play and punish long recoveries instead of forcing the burst break.
Q: Is the duel optional and repeatable? A: The duel is a side quest and optional, but it can be repeated for farming purposes by reloading the area and re-triggering the shrine interaction once conditions are met. Use it for quick gear runs or practice.
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