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How to reach the Imagawa Tomeji fight
Claws of Awaji is a separate expansion and requires the base game. Ubisoft says you must complete the main story arcs for both Naoe and Yasuke, as well as Out of the Shadows, which follows their personal quests and Junjiro’s. To begin the journey to Awaji, find Hanzo’s contact at the Hideout in Settsu. See Ubisoft’s Road to Awaji guide and its Claws of Awaji expansion FAQ for access details.
VULKK’s walkthrough places Tomeji in A Garrison to Dismantle, after The Regalia and the exposition in A Sour Defeat. He is one of the three taisho you pursue in the expansion. According to the walkthrough, ten captains accompany him, and the optional quest Dismantling One by One lets you draw those captains out individually so Tomeji is left alone. The encounter is still possible with captains present, but the group adds substantial pressure. These encounter details and strategies come from Siow’s VULKK walkthrough.
Choose whether to clear the captains first
| Approach | What changes | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Complete Dismantling One by One | The captains are removed individually before Tomeji, leaving him alone for the boss encounter. | Players who want to reduce incoming threats and focus on reading Tomeji’s attacks. |
| Fight with captains present | You face Tomeji alongside the remaining group; ranged teppo attacks make it harder to manage the fight. | Players who want the group encounter and can handle several enemies while conserving healing. |
The walkthrough does not give controlled completion-time, difficulty, or success-rate comparisons between these options. Its practical advice is to remove captains for a more manageable boss fight, or, if you keep them, prioritize the teppo users. It identifies Ikoma Matagoro and his heavy teppo as a particularly urgent threat.
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- Explore the captivating open world of feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and war-ravaged landscapes. Adventure through unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments.
- Become Naoe, a shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai, as you experience their riveting stories and master their complementary playstyles.
- Make information your weapon as you explore the world, and build your own network of spies to be your eyes and ears across locations to hunt down your next target. Along the way, recruit new allies with unique abilities to help accomplish your missions.
- Create a fully customizable hideout for your growing shinobi league as you train your crew, craft new gear, interact with key characters, and choose your base’s layout, decorations, and accessories.
Prepare before speaking to Konatsu
VULKK recommends refilling supplies nearby before you speak to Konatsu. The walkthrough reports that the encounter limits Naoe to three rations and Yasuke to five, even if you upgraded the normal ration cap. Those are the guide’s reported encounter rules; it does not establish whether a later patch changed them.
Read Tomeji’s attack cues
- Parry only when the attack allows it. The walkthrough says many of Tomeji’s attacks are unstoppable, so a parry is not a universal answer. Dodge or reposition when an attack cannot be parried.
- Back away from the red area attack. When Tomeji swings red without a parry sparkle, the guide describes it as a long-range area attack. Dodge backward to get clear, especially when your health is low.
- Keep healing for Tomeji. If you chose to fight the captains first, avoid spending rations unnecessarily during that stage.
Pick a combat approach: Yasuke or Naoe
Yasuke: build around parries
VULKK recommends using Yasuke for a parry-centered approach. Against captains, parry attacks that permit it, but make the teppo users a priority and do not spend all your rations before Tomeji. The walkthrough’s suggested setup centers on a bleed-capable long katana and parry-related healing engravings. Treat this as one guide author’s build recommendation, not a required loadout or an independently tested best build.
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Naoe: build adrenaline and spend it on abilities
For Naoe, the walkthrough suggests generating adrenaline with the kusarigama and using the tanto abilities Shadow Piercer and Hidden Hand against priority enemies. Repeat that cautious ability-focused approach against Tomeji, while dodging attacks that cannot be parried. As with the Yasuke setup, this is a suggested approach rather than a requirement.
The walkthrough says the encounter can be completed as either character. Your choice changes the suggested combat loop, while clearing or keeping the captains determines how many enemies you must manage.
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- Only at Amazon Limited Edition Content includes the base game and Sekiryu Character Pack
- Explore the captivating open world of feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and war-ravaged landscapes. Adventure through unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments.
- Become Naoe, a shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai, as you experience their riveting stories and master their complementary playstyles.
- Make information your weapon as you explore the world, and build your own network of spies to be your eyes and ears across locations to hunt down your next target. Along the way, recruit new allies with unique abilities to help accomplish your missions.
- Create a fully customizable hideout for your growing shinobi league as you train your crew, craft new gear, interact with key characters, and choose your base’s layout, decorations, and accessories.
Rewards for defeating Imagawa Tomeji
Siow’s September 19, 2025 walkthrough lists the following rewards for defeating Tomeji:
- Three Mastery Points
- 5,000 XP
- The Boneshaker Kanabo, with the Knockdown on Combo Ender engraving
The same walkthrough says defeating Tomeji with all captains also grants an additional 20,000 XP, 21 Mastery Points, and the Epic gear those captains normally drop. These are guide-reported values and may be version-sensitive.
Expansion access and the Bo reward
Ubisoft describes Claws of Awaji as an Awaji Island expansion that requires the base game. The Ubisoft Store listing identifies it as digital content, gives September 16, 2025 as its release date, and describes it as containing “10h+ of new content.” The listing includes PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox, and Switch 2. Platform availability and editions can change, so check the live listing for current details.
Ubisoft distinguishes the free Bo introduction quest, available to all game owners, from legendary Bo staves and other expansion gear. The Bo is an in-game reward, not a physical item required to defeat Tomeji; the walkthrough identifies no external item needed for the encounter. See Ubisoft’s guide to the road to Awaji for the official distinction.
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