Dynasty Warriors: Origins - Complete Guide To Podao

Greatswords get a bad rap for being slow and unwieldy in most games, but the podao in Dynasty Warriors: Origins has some surprising speed to go with its exceptional power. While its charged Heavy Attacks do take several seconds to build up, the podao's Normal Attack combos are more than sufficient to get the job done and are just as efficient as a one-handed blade.

The podao's unique blend of power and speed make it a fantastic choice for your main weapon, especially once its impressive Battle Arts are thrown into the mix. Here's how to come out swinging with the two-handed terror.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins Podao Moveset

All podao Heavy Attacks, except for its Aerial Slam, can be charged by holding the button on the last input of the combo. Your character's aura will change color up to two times while charging; each represents an upgrade to the attack's power. Releasing the button will perform the attack, but getting hit while charging cancels the move.

You can move while charging; use this advantage to get into striking position and keep away from officers who could interrupt you.

Combo	Attack
1x Heavy Attack	Horizontal slash followed by a small ground slam. Charged: Enemies hit are sent flying away from you.
2x Heavy Attack	Three slashes interspersed with kicks. Charged: Increased damage. (Available at Proficiency 5)
3x Heavy Attack	Ground slam AoE. Charged: Enemies hit are sent flying away from you. (Available at Proficiency 5)
Heavy Attack while Blocking	Short-range hilt bash, staggers enemies hit. Charged: Diagonal slash, fires an energy wave.
Left Stick Heavy Attack while Dodging	Low slash in the direction of the left stick. Charged: Rush in the direction of the left stick and slash upward. Both variants unlocked at Proficiency 2.
Heavy Attack during a Normal Attack	Interrupts the combo to rush slightly forward and slash upward. Charged: Remain stationary, wide arcing slash.
Normal Attack in midair.	Horizontal slash.
Heavy Attack in midair or from horseback.	Ground slam; dismounts if done from horseback.

Combo

Attack

1x Heavy Attack

Horizontal slash followed by a small ground slam. Charged: Enemies hit are sent flying away from you.

2x Heavy Attack

Three slashes interspersed with kicks. Charged: Increased damage. (Available at Proficiency 5)

3x Heavy Attack

Ground slam AoE. Charged: Enemies hit are sent flying away from you. (Available at Proficiency 5)

Heavy Attack while Blocking

Short-range hilt bash, staggers enemies hit. Charged: Diagonal slash, fires an energy wave.

Left Stick Heavy Attack while Dodging

Low slash in the direction of the left stick. Charged: Rush in the direction of the left stick and slash upward. Both variants unlocked at Proficiency 2.

Heavy Attack during a Normal Attack

Interrupts the combo to rush slightly forward and slash upward. Charged: Remain stationary, wide arcing slash.

Normal Attack in midair.

Horizontal slash.

Heavy Attack in midair or from horseback.

Ground slam; dismounts if done from horseback.

Podao Combat Tips

Thanks to its combination of sweeps, upward slashes, and area attacks, the podao has excellent coverage that can hit any enemy as long as you use the right inputs. The biggest challenge is finding time to charge up when you need to do so.

In general, stick to Normal Attack Combos and non-charged Heavy Attacks when fighting officers. You don't need charges to get upward slashes against jumping foes, and your Battle Arts can make up for the lower damage output. Better still, the podao's Normal Attacks have fairly quick animations, meaning you can easily interrupt for a parry if an attack is coming your way.

If you're just fighting a leaderless group of normal enemies, charge up and let the podao do what it does best. Getting a full charge as you approach can sometimes wipe out even a large squad in a single swing - or at the very least take out enough that your own soldiers can clean up the rest.

By the same token, an energy wave from a charged Blocking Heavy Attack is a great way to greet an approaching enemy officer.

Remember, charged attacks don't cost any Bravery or Musou, so if you have time to get to even the first level of buildup, there's no reason not to do so.

Best Podao Build

The podao is a straightforward weapon, and its best loadout builds on its strengths even further.

Recommended Gem

The podao is one of the easier weapons to parry with, so the Scorch Gem is an excellent choice. If parrying isn't a part of your strategy, or your Scorch Gem isn't a high enough level to be useful, the Oblivion Gem helps extend the podao's good-but-not-great reach and catch more enemies in your wide, sweeping slashes.

Recommended Battle Arts

The podao is one of the few weapons that starts with a Special Art, and it's a very good one. Sea Of Flames is a horizontal slash that not only interrupts orange attacks, but leaves an area of burning damage in its wake that can even wear down officers' Fortitude. That makes it an excellent Art to keep equipped and master as soon as possible.

Since Sea Of Flames costs three Bravery, it's always worth having Palm Strike for a one-cost Special Art. You never know when you'll need to stop an attack in a pinch.

Upon reaching Proficiency 4 with podao, Bounding Earth Strike makes a useful AoE that doesn't need to charge. It fills a similar role to the triple-Heavy Attack combo, but is much easier to execute. If you're confident in your inputs and would rather put your Bravery towards something else, Lingering Tempest Slash gives you an air shield that's unlike anything else in the game.

While reaching maximum Proficiency with podao and unlocking Ardent Aura Slash certainly gives you a fun, hard-hitting art to try, Sharp Fang Flurry is available two ranks earlier and is just about as effective for less. Ardent Aura Slash is usually overkill, so why not save the Bravery and get a move similar to the spear's combo thrust all in the same package?

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