=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
===================================
[|: HEAVENLY SWORD 3 GLYPH GUIDE :|]
============= by Hanji ============
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

.[Table of Contents].
 - Foreword
 - Basics
 - Guide
 - Afterword

.[Foreword].
This guide is for the aforementioned Heavenly Sword, for PlayStation 3. It is
not a walkthrough of the game and I am assuming everyone who reads it is
familiar with how the game and the levels are described work. Instead, the
purpose of this guide is to help you achieve all 129 out of 129 glyphs on
Hell mode. It is not that this guide will not work with Normal mode (in fact,
it should be even easier), but it should be noted that I tested each of these
techniques while playing Hell mode. In light of the fact that you should know
how to play the game to read this guide, there are a few terms below I will
be using which you should certainly recognize.

Health/Glyph Jar/Pot: This would be the red (or gold, occasionally) glowing
pots found in every level. They usually raise your glyph points and are thus
mentioned quite often.

Combo: Any of the listed, named techniques within the stances where you press
certain buttons in a certain order for Nariko to do a certain attack.

Guard-Break: Any combo which will end in an guarding opponent recoiling back
for a moment, giving you a chance to hit them.

Aftertouch: The aspect of the game when you hold the fire/throw button and go
into a near-first-person control of said projectile to aim it more accurately
at an opponent. For the record, I play the game with Six-Axis aftertouch.

Glyph/Combo/Style Points: The number next to the Glyph Bar which raises when
you hit someone, a glyph pot, or do a button sequence correctly, and falls
when you get hit, idle for too long, or miss a shot. This can also mean the
raw accumulation of your glyph bar. Either way, it should make sense in
context.

Button Sequence: The interactive cut scenes wherein you are prompted to press
a button, or move in a certain direction via directional buttons or analog
stick. The sequences are not always written in this guide, although their
locations are mentioned.

.[Basics].
Very few of the levels in Heavenly Sword have a flat way to get all three
glyphs, most of them do require a certain level of skill when playing, and as
you will be able to tell from the short instructions on some missions, that’s
all it comes down to. However, there are general tips for both Kai and
Nariko.

Nariko: Counter, and try not to get hit. It’s best to counter incoming
attacks, but rolling away is also effective. Remember that rolling away might
cause your style points to fall (if you don’t hit soon enough), getting hit
definitely will. Also, don’t use Superstyles, you can generally get more
points fighting an enemy than eradicating him. The same goes for stabbing
enemies on the ground or throwing things at them, in most cases. Also,
whenever there is an archer, you can automatically get 3 glyphs by constantly
deflecting their attack. Furthermore, countering Ninjas is an excellent
source of points.

Kai: Don’t Miss. Don’t get Hit. Any mission is child’s play provided you hit
every time. However, since that probably won’t happen, try to make good use
of the jars in the mission by striking them when your style points are high.
Try to utilize explosive barrels as well.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
=================
- [:. GUIDE .:] -
=================
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

-----------
[Chapter I]
-----------

Mission 1: The Art of Battle
Counter as much as possible and try not to get hit, don't be shy about
rolling away to stop your attack and keep your combo; you only need to hit an
opponent once every few seconds to keep it from dropping, and the enemies
can't guard. It will probably work just to go ballistic, as I've never not
gotten three glyphs on this level, but if you're having trouble try being a
bit more patient.

Mission 2: Night Attack
Don't miss. It takes a while of inaction for your style points to drop, but
not getting a hit drops them immediately. Thus, be patient and wait for a
good shot, then use aftertouch to nail them perfectly. As well, there are two
jars, one under a roof in front, and one in a tree house to the far left. I
suggest hitting the first few enemies in the center, then the three archers
from the left, before hitting one of the jars. Provided you didn't miss in
between, this should raise you to two glyphs already, from there just try not
to miss, and use the second jar before/after if you do to get a boost. If you
don't have three by the time you control Nariko, counter and hit consistently
without killing to get as high a number as possible to hit the final jar
with, and then hit people into the air and stab them on the ground. Provided
you had at least 2.5 glyphs at the start, it should be enough.

Mission 3: Dawn Siege
Take out two catapults and take one down to the last target. Then, start
shooting soldiers for some extra glyph points, and at about 10 seconds (you
might want to leave more if you're inaccurate), shoot for the last catapult.
You'll then have another amount of time to kill 700 soldiers. As they
approach try to hit the red barrels, which will explode killing everything
around them. Once the close in just take potshots at the most dense area you
can see.

Mission 4: The Escape
Don't get hit, counter, and make use of the jars and combos at opportune
times. It's mainly just standard playing for this one.

Mission 5: Forest Ambush
See Mission 4

Mission 6: The Heavenly Sword
See Mission 4/5, but rolling/countering works well along with consistent
combos against the unarmored guards, and simply guard-break those who block
and follow up with Square, Triangle, Triangle, Triangle; which has you hit
them then spin through the air, getting good points and making you rather
difficult to hit. Also of note is the two jars and that you can run back to
the gate you entered from and fight them Thermopylae style; which I haven't
tried, but might keep you from getting overly surrounded.

-----------
[Chapter II]
-----------

Mission 1: Fearless
When running on the ropes, make sure to press Square at the end for some
starting glyph points, then try to take advantage of this with a swift Speed
or Heavy combo. Aside from that, just follow standard playing until they are
dead. 

Mission 2: No Turning Back
After you finish the enemies and cut the rope, be sure to mash X for some
more extra glyph points, after that, follow the aforementioned procedure, and
take note that there is a glyph pot in the area. There are a lot of enemies
in this level to take advantage of, so it shouldn't be too difficult.

Mission 3: Fire Fight
Deflect the arrows with range-stance attacks until you have three glyphs.

Mission 4: Beware the Fox
Counter, keep your combo up, ect. Flying Fox himself won't die unless you
press O and do the button sequence, so you can theoretically fight him for as
long as you want, making it impossible to not get three glyphs if you play
well enough and can persevere. Note the pots around the area in case you need
some health or combo points

Mission 5: Prison Approach
It should work to just run up the path and start swinging with Power Stance
combos; if that doesn't work, however, just play it normally and note the pot
off to the side before you run up the path.

Mission 6: The Prison
Use block breakers, then a combo on each enemy (I suggest Speed: Square,
Triangle, Triangle, Triangle), and try to avoid getting hit along the way via
rolls or counters, there are two pots as well.

Mission 7: The Main Gate
Try to get as high a combo with the rocket launcher as possible. That should
make it easy enough to just fight up the last bit of glyph points you need.

Mission 8: Bait and Trap
As most of the enemies can't block, steadily raise your combo with short
chains and counter/block/roll until you think you're in the clear, then hit
an enemy with a full combo (again, I suggest Speed: Square, Triangle,
Triangle, Triangle). Considering the number of enemies, it shouldn't be
difficult to get three glyphs even if you make a few mistakes.

Mission 9: Whiptail
Use L1 + Triangle to deflect her thin water blasts, and L1 + Square to
deflect her wide waves, you can do this until you have three glyphs, and you
won't win until you press O and do the button sequence (twice, in fact), so
you have infinite chances to do this, provided you don't die. Additionally,
to make both the glyphs and fight go faster, I suggest using aerial combos on
Whiptail after her barrage of waves.

Mission 10: Shen's Escape
Like with Night Escape, try not to miss any targets. It should be noted
however that it is much easier this time around as if you give the guards a
little distance you will have a huge stretch to aim at them from. Not only
that, but there are four pots in this level, to either boost your combo or
give you a substantial amount of glyph points after you've risen your combo
yourself. One is in the front left, there are two on the raised platforms in
the middle (one of which the snipers were on at the start of the level), and
there is one at the very end to the left.

Mission 11: Eye of the Storm
See Mission 9 - Whiptail. Deflect the waves until you have 3 glyphs.

-------------
[Chapter III]
-------------

Mission 1: Kai's Mission
Don't Miss or Get Hit. Take advantage of the two combo jars.

Mission 2: Playtime
After the guards run out, run backwards as deep into the "maze" as possible,
then let them reach you, and jump over the boxes to run all the way into the
gate where they came from. This will force them to file into it in a straight
line, allowing you to get a high combo. Not much is required in this mission,
so as long as you get one glyph per wave (there are three waves) you're fine.

Mission 3: Shooting Fish
Don't Miss. It's all about accuracy here.

Mission 4: Duck and Cover
Again, don't miss. You have a lot of distance to aim here, though, so it
might be more pertinent not to get hit. Also note the pots and explosive
barrels which can be detonated with a flame arrow. This can knock out two
enemies for good points.

Mission 5: Twing Twang
First, shoot and arrow through fire and hit the fire barrel in the left tower
with guys standing in the windows, this will kill them and break two pots
giving you a huge boost. From there, provided you hit at least somewhat
consistently, getting three glyphs simply by picking each enemy off should
not be a difficult feat. They're all over, however, so be sure to hide when
you see everyone turn yellow, as the time it takes enemies to shoot is not
enough for you to lose your combo, but getting hit, like missing, will drop
it instantly.

Mission 6: Brother Against Brother
Counter, and when a button comes up (Circle or Square) press it to paralyze
instead of kill them. Do this on each person and it will complete the level
(and they didn't have to die, good for you) although you should get three
glyphs pretty early on, especially if you get a "chain" of counters.

Mission 7: Fireworks
There are a lot of ways to get glyph points in this level. If you’re
confident in your accuracy, feel free to try and headshot each guard (as they
are the kind which can only be killed by a headshot). Otherwise, lead them to
the barrels and blow them up, then take advantage of the glyph pot in the
area with the microphone, and the one accessible after blowing up the
fireworks (it's inside the shed).

Mission 8: A New Threat
Do not counter. This could instantly kill the beast and only give you one
glyph. Instead, roll around and just attack it with combos, it's resilient so
you should be able to get three glyphs before killing it. At 2.5 glyphs, you
can just counter it if you like, as that will raise you to three.

Mission 9: Riding High
Don't Miss. Try not to get hit. Ect. Note the pot where you start, the one at
the end, and the one on the bridge where enemies appear. Additionally, the
pot from Fireworks becomes temporarily accessible after the first wave of
enemies run out from behind you. It is very difficult to hit, however, as it
is just out of level range, causing your arrow to swerve just before hitting
it. It is still possible, however, although I suggest not risking the combo
you might have built up from the starting enemies.

Mission 10: Roach's Pets
Counter, and maybe throw in a combo on one of the countered enemies if you
get a chance. Don't be shy about rolling away from the very powerful attacks.

Mission 11: Rolling Thunder
When Roach starts "charging" his somersault, run next to one of the pillars
along the edge of the room. He will hit it taking damage and giving you combo
points. Get him to hit each one, which will, along with the first two button
sequences (at the end of his first two health bars) give you a little more
than two glyphs. After that, simply do the final button sequences correctly,
and that will boost it to three. Easy, provided you can live to actually
defeat Roach, which shouldn't be difficult, considering you can roll away
from most of his attacks and three pots are gradually dropped for you.

------------
[Chapter IV]
------------

Mission 1: Cat and Mouse
Counter the "ninjas", it tends to give you a lot of glyph points. If that
isn't enough, just fight it out with the rest of them.

Mission 2: On Silent Wings
See "Cat and Mouse"

Mission 3: Hunting Party
Counter and Guard Break / Combo the "Elite" Soldiers, then Counter and throw
things at the Big Head-Shot Guys, then Counter and Guard-Break the rest of
the "Elite" Soldiers. There are also three pots and two Orangumen you can
free and fight.

Mission 4: Beasts of the Land
Counter, and don't get hit. On Hell mode these guys can take you out in
seconds. After countering, attempt a large combo (Such as Square, Triangle,
Triangle, Square, Triangle), but roll away if you see an attack. Finally, try
not to kill them by stabbing on the ground until you have three glyphs. Same
goes for using the rocket launcher. Although, after you get three glyphs,
feel free to use a Superstyle or grab the launcher and blow them all away in
one shot.

Mission 5: The Wrong Place
Archers. That means an automatic free three glyphs. Deflect with Range Stance
then attack head on. If you have trouble with the puzzle try throwing one of
the bodies into it instead of hats from the poorly placed canister on the
side.

Mission 6: Temple Wilds
Do the button sequence correctly then counter/fight/ect. Should be a very
easy three glyphs.

Mission 7: To Kill a Fox
If hitting him with combos isn't enough (which it should be, considering you
fight him and all the copies), make sure to deflect his projectiles (press
triangle when they hit you with R1 pressed if it’s a big orange one and
nothing if it's a simple blue one) into either him or the pots on the outer
sides for points (although you might want to save them until later in the
fight for health.)

-----------
[Chapter V]
-----------

Mission 1: Bohan's Army
Take most of the catapults down so you can win in a hurry if need be, then
just fire until you have three glyphs, preferably aiming for the flaming
barrels, which will annihilate anything near them.

Mission 2: Death From Above
Counter the ninjas. Use the pots if need be. Make sure Shen doesn't die
(which only happens if you're far away, which shouldn't be the case).

Mission 3: War Machine
Use the rocket launcher to hit as dense groups of people you can, but invest
a bullet to keeping even a single person from reaching you before you run out
of ammunition, as it will disrupt you obliteration and possibly kill your
combo. After that, simply kill for the rest of your points (I suggest Range
Stance, but keep note of your health; Superstyles are also good). The
Catapult button sequences can also be a good source of points, so take the
first one out early, but don't risk the last one unless you’re a modicum from
the third glyph (it'd be a shame to have to do it all over, after all).

Mission 4: Full Circle
Counter and try to hit the one's that can't block while evading everyone
else. Try to work your way forward while doing this, and make sure to
immediately run for the gate after getting three glyphs, as the venture will
probably take most of your time. This relies somewhat on enemy AI (unless you
can circumvent/force respectively good or bad actions through skill), so it
might require a few retries.

------------
[Chapter VI]
------------

Mission 1: The Goddess
Hit everyone around you with a range stance blow, roll forward (or towards
the most dense enemy amount), and repeat.

Mission 2: The Raven King
Counter his projectile blasts (Block then press triangle, hold R1 if he's
shooting an orange one), and use a Range Stance attack on the enemies running
around if you have a spare moment. The battle doesn't end until O and a
button sequence, so it shouldn't be difficult.

Mission 3: Heaven and Hell
No enemies to pick off, but he shoots the projectiles much more often now
(albeit in the air, and with arbitrary speed), just counter until you have
three glyphs, and prolong the battle you need to, which you probably won't.

Mission 4: Redemption
See "The Raven King" and "Heaven and Hell" as this is basically a combination
of both missions. As if it wasn't easy enough with constant projectiles and
enemies all over, he now shoots raven flurries which can be dispersed for
significant glyph points and occasionally falls static for a short sequence
wherein you hurl him into an edifice for massive damage. I don't see how this
level can be completed without getting three glyphs, so have fun.

.[Afterword].
That’s that. Hope you find this guide useful. If you find any flaw in my
directions (and I mean, it does not work, not you had trouble with it), do
tell me and I’ll be sure to edit. That said, if you believe you have superior
methods for obtaining Three Glyphs in any of the levels, feel free to contact
you and I will add your method with credit given. If you need further help
after reading the guide, contact me and I’ll see what I can do. Thank you.

Related posts:

1. Heavenly Sword (PS3)