From single thunderclap to silent victory: matchlock fundamentals, fast‑reload tech, and stealth openings that win fights before they start.
Guns finally arrive in Ghost of Yōtei—but they don’t turn the game into a shooter. Sucker Punch added firearms that feel lethal and period‑authentic while keeping blades at the center of the fantasy. You’re meant to use the Tanegashima sparingly and decisively: a one‑shot problem solver that opens a fight on your terms or deletes a priority target mid‑chaos.
Below is a complete, practical guide to unlocking the Tanegashima, understanding how it works, shaving seconds off its reload with animation cancels, and using it to start (and end) fights without breaking stealth.
How to Get the Tanegashima (Step‑by‑Step)
The Tanegashima is part of the main revenge arc tied to the Saitō Brothers. If you focus the critical path, you’ll earn it naturally; if you’ve been wandering, here’s the shortest route:
- Start “The Saitō Brothers” questline. This unlocks the sequence that ultimately awards the rifle.
- Complete “The Storm Breaks.” Finishing this mission grants the Tanegashima matchlock—a rifle described in‑game as an armor‑piercing, high‑damage weapon with a long reload.
- Optional: round out your firearms toolkit. Later, the Sensei quest “Guns and Consequences” in Oshima Coast introduces Matchlock Murata and leads to the Tanzutsu pistol; Murata also becomes your firearms specialist for upgrades and ammo work.
Quick refresher: Yōtei is its own story set centuries after Tsushima, with Atsu cutting her way through Ezo. The sequel folds guns into a wider arsenal—spears, odachi, kusarigama, bows—but blades still carry most fights.
Tanegashima Basics: What It Does (and Doesn’t)
Role: A matchlock rifle that pierces any defense and deals huge burst damage, balanced by scarce ammo and a lengthy reload. Think “delete a captain” more than “mow the camp.”
Handling & timing. Early footage and release builds show a brief time‑slow during ADS/reload to help you steady the shot—use it when lining up distant heads or moving targets. Don’t rely on it to save bad positioning.
Upgrades & upkeep.
- Where: Firearms are tuned at Matchlock Murata’s bench; blades and most melee upgrades stay at your father’s forge.
- What it costs: Expect Gun Parts plus metals for higher tiers (you’ll also see Rare Metals on final upgrades). Exact costs vary by tier and patch, but late tiers explicitly list Gun Parts; some guides summarize the weapon tree broadly as two mid tiers and a final high‑investment tier.
- Armor synergy: Ginji’s Guard Armor is tailor‑made for gun play—raises Tanegashima reload speed, helps deflect bullets while blocking, and reduces projectile damage at higher levels. If you plan to integrate the rifle, this set makes the biggest quality‑of‑life difference.
Balance note: the day‑one patch (v1.006) includes tuning on late‑game weapons and charms. If numbers feel slightly different than an early video, it’s likely because of that patch.
The Reload: Anatomy and Windows
The matchlock reload is deliberately slow and multi‑stage—prime, load, ram, ready—so learning its rhythm matters. Even with armor perks, it’s a window of vulnerability. Here’s how to make that window smaller, safer, or both.
“Legal” Efficiency Boosts (Always Safe)
- Pre‑load before contact. Enter infiltrations with a freshly loaded rifle so your first shot is free. (Simple, but it’s the biggest real‑world time save.)
- Use the time‑slow when necessary. If you must reload under pressure, ADS to engage the reload time‑slow and backpedal to cover. It won’t make the reload short, but it stretches enemy timing and can prevent a panic roll that fully aborts your reload.
- Wear Ginji’s Guard when you intend to shoot. The reload‑speed bump plus projectile mitigation helps you finish the sequence without eating an arrow or shot.
Reload Animation Cancels (Advanced Tech)
Players have been experimenting with cancels since Tsushima—dash cancels, bow reload cancels, and other timing tricks—and much of that “tech mentality” carries into Yōtei. The community’s early testing suggests a few reliable micro‑cancels that trim end‑lag without breaking the reload. If a future patch tightens these, they’re still great habits for minimizing downtime.
Important safety rule: If a cancel interrupts before the powder/shot is fully seated, you’ll return to a partial reload or a dry gun. Always confirm a loaded state by a distinct ready motion and the lack of a “reloading” tooltip before holstering.
1) ADS‑Late Cancel (End‑lag cut)
When: As the ramrod finishes and Atsu begins to shoulder the rifle.
How: Tap L2 to ADS the moment the ramrod hand leaves the barrel. If timed right, you skip the settle animation and go straight into aim with a loaded gun.
Why it works: Similar end‑lag trims existed on bow reloads in Tsushima: Legends, and the same input logic applies here.
2) Weapon‑Wheel Drop Cancel (Holster cut)
When: After the gun is fully loaded and the barrel lifts off your support hand.
How: Hold R2 to flick the weapon wheel for a blink and release back to the rifle. This “wheel dip” often skips the shoulder‑down tuck that plays after a reload, letting you aim or swap instantly.
Risk: Do not open the wheel early—you’ll cancel the reload itself.
3) Short‑Roll Buffer (Space creation)
When: Mid‑reload and you’re about to be hit.
How: Roll once the powder is seated (mid‑sequence), then immediately ADS. You’ll keep the reload progress, buy space, and finish with minimal extra time.
Why: In Tsushima you could buffer certain actions during reloads without fully aborting them; the feel is similar here, but practice in a safe area first.
4) Quickfire Cover (Tool‑into‑aim)
When: At the instant reload completes.
How: Tap Smoke Bomb (or Metsubushi) and go straight to ADS. The smoke masks line of sight while you take the shot; it’s effectively a “cancel into safety” rather than a pure frame cut, but the tempo advantage is real.
Community note: Dedicated Yōtei reload‑cancel tutorials are still trickling out, but the interest level is high and the old Tsushima cancel principles map 1:1 in most cases. Expect optimizations to be popular in speedruns and high‑lethal play.
Stealth Openers with a Loud Gun (Yes, Really)
You no longer have Tsushima’s Focused Hearing wall‑hack, so planning matters. Yōtei pushes you to read sightlines, use perks like Killer’s Instinct (a red pulse on “watched” targets), and create your own moment for a shot. A clean opener with the Tanegashima is about deconflicting line of sight and controlling the half‑second after the bang.
Core Principles
- Pick a target no one can see fall. If Killer’s Instinct pulses red on them, wait for patrols to break or manufacture a blind (see below).
- Shoot from cover, finish in smoke. A smoke toss right after the trigger suppresses the “where did it come from?” scan and sets up follow‑ups or an exit.
- Treat it like a tool, not a style. Devs are explicit: blades remain primary. Use the rifle to delete a heavy, a horn‑blower, or a patrol lead, then switch back to steel.
Three Reliable Stealth Openers
- “Blind the Watchers, Break the Anchor”
- Toss Metsubushi at the two guards who have line of sight on your intended victim.
- ADS + fire the Tanegashima at the armored anchor (captain/leader).
- Smoke immediately, slide to a new angle, and chain assassinate in the confusion.
Why it works: Killers’ Instinct warns you who’s “watched,” Metsubushi removes that LoS for a heartbeat, letting a loud rifle shot function like a silent opener.
- “High Perch, Hard Delete”
- From a rooftop or cliff, watch patrol cycles until the mark is isolated.
- Use the reload time‑slow to steady the shot if needed.
- ADS‑Late Cancel into aim as the reload finishes, fire, then move.
The elevation and end‑lag skip give you the half‑second you need to vanish after the crack.
- “False Start” (Smoke‑First)
- Pop Smoke to break sightlines before the shot.
- Step to the edge of the cloud, fire, then retreat through the smoke to reposition or drop for a double assassination.
This reverses the usual order and is especially good at camp edges where patrols overlap.
Loadouts That Make the Rifle Shine
- Ginji’s Guard Armor + Tanegashima + Smoke + Metsubushi
The no‑drama “marksman” kit: faster reloads, safer reload windows, and two tools that manufacture clean sightlines. Swap to katana/dual blades the instant you shoot. - Any core armor + Bow backup
If your opener window closes, the Yumi/Hankyū give you quieter follow‑ups. Remember: guns aren’t the plan; they’re the checkmate. - Charm choices
Yōtei groups charms by role (offense/defense/utility/stealth). A “stealth‑leaning” set pairs naturally with rifle openers: anything that reduces detection or improves chain assassinations helps you disappear after a loud kill. Slot as you collect; charms expand as you explore.
Practice Drills (10 Minutes to Confidence)
- Timing Lab: Outside combat, reload and practice the ADS‑Late Cancel—look for the moment the ramrod hand leaves the barrel, then L2. The goal is aim‑up with zero extra settle. (If the reticle never appears, you canceled too early.)
- Wheel Dip: Reload, then do a micro R2 wheel open/close. Confirm you can instantly ADS or swap after the reload without the shoulder‑down animation.
- Smoke Discipline: In a bandit camp with a single archer, run the Smoke‑First pattern: cloud → shot → vanish.
- Killer’s Instinct reps: Mark a “watched” guard (red aura), move until the aura fades, then take the shot. You’re training the cadence of safe kills.
Common Mistakes (and Fixes)
- Treating the rifle like a bow. It’s not—ammo is limited, reloads are long, and it’s loud. Use it to solve a fight, not to play it.
- Reloading in the open. Unless you’re wearing Ginji’s Guard or have smoke in hand, reposition first.
- Canceling too early. If you ADS/wheel/roll before the charge is seated, you’ll end up dry. Practice the visual tells.
- Forgetting post‑patch balance. If timings feel different, check you’re on v1.006 or later; the day‑one patch touched late‑game weapons and charms.
Final Thoughts
The Tanegashima is Yōtei’s most polarizing tool: brutally strong, deliberately slow. Mastery is the art of turning that single thunderclap into momentum—trim the end‑lag, manufacture clean sightlines, and switch back to blades before the enemy processes what happened. Use it like an artisan’s chisel, not a hammer, and it will make Atsu’s path of vengeance cleaner, faster, and safer.
