Here are some Dynasty Warriors 8 tips submitted by DrachenBaren.

1. Before you start doing 5th Weapons and whatnot, go into Shosei Mode and unlock Shadow Runner (30 consecutive stages) and build yourself a good Ma Chao spear (I'd recommend Wind/Slay/Warsong/Godspeed and Thunder/Explosion on standard attacks). This combo is great for time sensitive trials and everyone can use it effectively. Use this combo whenever you get stuck on a trial.
2. In Shosei Mode, save the building that you can do Material Exchange for last to upgrade. All it lets you do is that and buy/sell animals. The buyable animals are mediocre.

   The reason is the exchange rate. When it's a baby store, 2 Build Materials = 1 Weapon Material. Use that exchange rate to convert all Weapon Materials to Build Materials. Horde them. Get as many as you can stomach before you max out the building. The exchange rate is 1:1 once it's maxed.

   This will save you a lot of time mindlessly grinding weapon materials for Weapon Tempering.

3. In Shosei Mode, unless you're going for pet unlocks, I strongly recommend doing 1 stage at a time. After every stage, talk to the guy where you can send troops out for material gather. The second to last option also gives you a Panda, which sells for >10,000, which is the max amount you can invest on the excursions.

   You should also talk to your General you stationed by the farm, because there's a chance they'll give you 10 material after every trip out and back. Also, talk to the farm guy. At max level, he will give you 5,000/10,000/15,000 gold every time you return to town.
   

   This means that after every stage, you get more materials, a weapon, and a Panda to sell. By the time you finish up building the town and recruiting all the generals, you'll have a ton of materials and money.

4. The 5th weapons are ok, but don't hold a candle to what you can build. There's no reason to get them outside of just having them.
5. Start farming the 1-3 star gold weapons early. There's 150 of them and they don't drop too too often. Do this on Hard or Chaos on later levels.

You can also play the gambling game at the weapon vendor in Shosei Mode. Just keep refreshing the list until the weapon you're farming shows up on the list, buy it, and hope it's the one you're trying for. Do this until you run out of money. You can soft reset if you don't get it. You can go right back in and do it again. This method is random, but it's a certain way to get the weapon if you stick with it.

6. Make sure you rotate your companion/bodyguard in Shosei mode once you max your bond. This takes a while, so it'd be best to get as much done while you're doing the mode as possible.
7. Spend your money. It caps at 999,999, so there's no reason to not use it.

If you have any of your own Dynasty Warriors tips, hints or tricks, please post them in the comments below. Thanks for your contributions, and for visiting the site.

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