Gauntlet Mode terminology and mechanics.
 

Introduction

I found the terminology and explanations for Gauntlet mode a bit confusing. After playing a lot and reading a lot, I decided to write my own guide to explain the things that I didn't get.
 
 
 

Unlocking Gauntlet Mode Characters

Gauntlet mode will allow you to select 5 officers from the current unlocked story officers list. This will be your team until your sworn allies are gained. The speed at which they unlock them is semi-random so choose your A-Team wisely (. Personally, I roll with Lu Bu and Zhou Tai, Zhong Ui, Wei Yan, Nobunaga Oda,).
 
 
You will need to encounter more characters in Gauntlet mode. They can drop their "Sworn Ally", which is an item that allows you to unlock additional characters. This item allows you talk to the gauntlet camp mystic and use the sworn allies item to recruit them.
 
 
Even after you have acquired the sworn ally items, they will continue to drop. These extra items can be used on your bonds screen to increase your bond to that officer.
 
 
Each battlefield can have up to 8 "native", famous officers per stage. These officers will continue to spawn on the battlefield. If you want to farm a sworn allie or x-weapon for a particular character, it is best to target a stage with them listed in a battlefield. My experience is that the officers are only revealed if you beat them on that battlefield and not from them spawning on it. However, I could be wrong.
 
 
 

Level vs Stage vs Battlefield

LEVELS
 
A Level is a collection or stages connected by pathways.
 
 
To unlock the next level, you must complete an Octagon Stage. You don't need to complete every Stage to move onto the next Level.
 
 
STAGES
 
The icons that appear on a level are called Stages. They include the Octagons or Squares that you see when you unlock a level. The maximum Miasma level that you can reach is 100.
 
 
Stages cost a coloured crystalline (Keystone to unlock (Yellow, Cyan and Purple).
 
Completing a Red Cyrstal Stage earns you a Red Crystal, while completing a Yellow Crystal Stage gets you a Yellow crystal, etc.
 
 
Replaying a stage will earn you excess crystals, these can then be spent to alter the stages (dont know how this affects the stage as I havent done it, I assume it changes battlefields/officers on it/difficulty)
 
 
You will start with one red crystal, which you use to unlock your first stage. You can play new game+ on gauntlet after you have completed 4 levels. This will give you a yellow crystal. Then, you can repeat the 4 levels to get a cyan crystal.
 
 
To complete a Stage, you must complete every Battlefield within it
 
 
RED STAGES
 
This guide defines red stages as when the text is in red and not the crystal's colour. These modifications will be made to Red Stages:
 
 

• Sometimes, the chests they contain may turn red. These chests will always contain a "vast amount" of materials and will spawn an "Otherworld invaders group".
• Officers can spawn in one of many variants
• Maximum Miasma level 120
• This can lead to the "Miasma suddenly thickened" event. This will temporarily increase the miasma levels by 20 levels. You can tell when it is in effect by the reddish-colored miasma.
• Dragon Portals gain extra effects

 
 
BATTLEFIELDS
 
Battlefields can be found within Stages. This information is listed in the Stage info box as 'Links.
 
 
You must find the Dragon Portal exit to complete a Battlefield. If you have more than one battlefield, you will automatically move on to the next one. You will be at max health and musou.
 
 
 

Chests

CHESTS:
 
When normal yellow chests are opened, they can contain the following:
 
 

• A crafting item
• Gems
• "A vast quantity of materials" (multiple crafting tools/gems)
• You are teleported to a random location on the map
• Powerful invaders can be savaged (5 generic Officers)
• Miasma is absorbed in the area
• Miasma is released into the area

 
 
SILVER CHESTS:
 
Silver chests have a beam light around them, and you can't open them until a certain level. The miasma required for each level varies, and I have yet see any rhyme or reason. Silver chests will always turn into green chests
 
 
GREEN CHESTS:
 
Green chests always contain "A vast quantity of materials"
 
 
RED CHESTS:
 
Red chests are only available on RED STAGES. Normal chests will turn a red color when a certain level of miasma is reached, similar to silver chests turning green. The red chest contains "A vast quantity of materials" and spawns an entire group of Otherworld invaders when it is opened.
 
 
 

Dragon Portals

All portals can only be used once.
 
 
One of the following effects will occur when you first use it.
 
 
It will give you Formation Gauge the second time you use it. The portal will then tell you that it is depleted (, which is usually 3 miasma levels.
 
 
You can end the battle in Victory by using the exit portal again.
 
 
BLUE PORTALS
 
Blue dragon portals can produce the following effects:
 
 

• It reveals that it is the exit (. Only one per battlefield,)
• Boost your stats temporarily
• Your team can be healed for random amounts starting at +50 buns all the way to full recovery
• Additional chests are available
• Give you unlimited Formation Gauge

 
They can also be found on RED STAGES
 
 

• All enemies in the area should be frozen
• Eliminate miasma

 
 
PURPLE PORTALS
 
Purple portals will always contain "A scroll or Enlightenment" (The Scroll of Enlightenment can be obtained from an EXP. Fever)
 
 
 

Miasma

• The duration you spend on the battlefield, the more miasma you get.
• The level of miasma varies from one area to the next.
• Miasma makes enemies stronger, has more health, more stats and more erratic AI.
• Higher Miasma levels are generally rewarded with better items.
• The maximum Miasma level can be 100. It is 120 on RED STAGES because of the "suddenly thickened".
• Killing enemies increases the miasma for that area.

 
 
 

Otherworld Invaders

Every 5 minutes, otherworld invaders spawn. It is a group consisting of 5 officers. It is only marked on the map as (by one officer. Zhou Tai unit), but there are actually five of them.
 
 
My experience is that if you kill the leader, and then leave, they run away or despawn. This is usually not a good sign, since you want to kill them all to get the X weapons materials or sworn ally pieces.
 
 
 

Formations

• You can deploy with three different formations. The formation menu in the game allows you to see the effects and capabilities of each formation.
• The maximum level of formation is 10.
• Formations can be unlocked by recruiting specific sworn friends and when you have reached a certain number.
• Formations can be described as having 3 aspects: Ability Boosts (or Special Effects), Officer Abilities (or Officer Abilities).
• Ability Boosts or Special Effects are only active while the current selected formation is on the battlefield.
• Officer Abilities and positions within the formation can't be changed. They are baked into their character. The Formation Gauge can be used to determine officer abilities.
• The Formation Gauge is located in the bottom left corner, below your 5 officers.
• To activate the formation gauge (, press R3.
• The line at the top of the bar indicates how much of the bar has been used up to activate the formation capabilities.
• The formation gauge will activate the ability associated with each officer in your team when you use it.

 
 
 

Tips and Advice

CHARACTERS
 
My personal Gauntlet mode starting team was:
 
 

• Lu Bu– Wide weapon clearance with a decent ground attack spamable attack with a Charge 2 attack for targeting officers
• Zhou Tai– He is my Bae since Dynasty Warriors 4, and I would die to be with him. He is a great mosou, and he can charge 2/EX.
• Zhong Hui: Just spam his R1 and you'll win the whole game. Big damage and large area effect
• Wei Yan is a great spamable aerial attack
• Nobunaga Oda – a decent spamable aerial R1 attack.

 
Characters that can spam one attack with large damage and/or an area are great for clearing and farming. There are other options.
 
 

• Cai Wenji – Aerial R1 spam
• Ma Dai – Aerial spam R1
• Xu Shu – Ground R1 spam
• Zhang Jiao – Mousou
• Motochika Chosokabe- Aerial R1 Spam
• Achilles – Aerial R1 spam

 
 
Please leave me other explanations for good character and moveset in the comments.
 
 
FORMATIONS
 
Solstice formation – Will teleport to the exit portal. This is great for clearing levels quickly without actually playing them, or for exiting once you have collected the last chest. It can be unlocked at 95 sworn allies unlocks.
 
 
I am currently levelling formations so I stick with one formation and will never change it. It is best to start with a scouting team, find the map and locations of what you want, and then switch between attack/defence teams depending on the situation. I believe that going for mad high attacks and destroying everything in one go is the best strategy.
 
 
CLEARING BATTLEFIELDS & LEVELING UP
 
I always have a level 100 character to fall back on as my safety escape agent. The other four team members I promote and level-up while in gauntlet mode and using the purple portals or mystic bells items.
 
 
Once I spawn, I immediately use a scouting group and use the formation gauge. This usually reveals chests or portals or increases my line of sight on my minimap. I then run to the nearest chests/portals, activating them without killing anyone.
 
 
I generally avoid killing people until I find the purple portal. I activate the purple portals only when I am close enough to level up fast. I usually use level 1 characters to get them to level 30+ from the first purple portal. All the exp will also be growth points for my officers.
 
 
Once I have completed the portals/chests, I tend to concentrate on the officers. The top of the army will always show the most famous officers first, before generics. I therefore tend to go in the order of names I recognize to get the sworn allies and X-weapons items. I fight to the level of Miasma I'm comfortable with. If I get one shot, I leave the stage.
 
 
One I have all chests/portals/officers I care about, I dont generally hang around waiting for green or red chests to unlock, I just get out of there

 
 

 
 
I hope you enjoy the Guide we share about WARRIORS OROCHI 3 Ultimate Definitive Edition – Unlocking Gauntlet Mode Characters; if you think we forget to add or we should add more information, please let us know via commenting below! See you soon!