Sengoku Rance Isoroku Route: Step-by-Step Walkthrough

The Sengoku Rance isoroku route is a Second Game route centered on recruiting Isoroku Yamamoto and completing her storyline before another route begins. Unlike the Official History route, the Isoroku path changes several late-game events, prevents a normal Monster Army victory, and replaces the usual Sill outcome with Isoroku leaving active battle service.

The route is easiest to understand as three phases:

1. Prepare Isoroku before Kouhime goes missing.
2. Enter the route before the Honnoji Temple Incident locks route selection.
3. Push toward Battleship Nagato, complete the Miki sequence, and survive the final Xavier battle.

The route conditions are strict enough that a flexible save file is valuable. Keep at least three Action Fans when arranging the final pre-route sequence, and avoid spending Kouhime-dependent opportunities before route entry.

For a detailed commander and route reference, use the Sengoku Rance Walkthrough on AliceSoft Wiki.

Isoroku joins the Ashikaga Clan after it has been at war with Oda for a turn, although other end-of-turn events can delay her appearance. If war begins through an end-of-turn event instead of a manual declaration, her arrival may occur later. Plan around the event queue instead of assuming she will appear on a fixed turn.

During the first battle in which Rance fights Ashikaga while Isoroku is present, Oda suffers an automatic loss if Sill is available. This is not the capture event. You must later win a battle that annihilates Isoroku’s unit, then view the fleeing and scolding events that remove her Important Character status.

After recruiting Isoroku, complete her H scene before Kouhime disappears. The walkthrough notes that her second purple event requires Kouhime, so delaying this step can permanently remove an important preparation opportunity.

To enter the route, Isoroku must be recruited, her H scene must be complete, and the “Searched for Kou but...” command must be finished. These conditions do not all need to be completed before Kouhime initially goes missing, but waiting carries serious risks. In particular, the second Isoroku event cannot be completed without Kouhime.

Once another route has started, Isoroku’s route is unavailable. The safest approach is to build a save immediately before the final gourd, then confirm every requirement before allowing the route event to trigger.

The route has a high number of start-of-turn events. This affects recruitment attempts for characters such as Souun Houjou, because low-priority joining events can be delayed for many turns. If a commander is waiting to join, temporarily reduce competing event triggers by avoiding unnecessary battles, removing Operation Permits, or pausing aggressive expansion when safe.

After route entry, the Tanegashima Clan may be conquered by Mouri if it is still independent, not vassalized, and not at war with Oda. This can change borders and remove future choices, so decide early whether you need Tanegashima’s commanders or territory.

The Isoroku route shares much of its early map progression with the Official History route, but its Monster Army behavior is different. Xavier still takes over the Shimazu Clan and can take Battleship Nagato from Mouri, while other clan-conquest behavior is more limited than in Official History.

The route cannot be cleared by simply conquering the Monster Army in the usual way. If the Monster Army has three or fewer provinces and Oda conquers one, it can immediately take two random Oda provinces in back-to-back events. It cannot take Shikokalamity, and taking Owari can produce a Game Over if Owari is your last province.

Your practical objective is to reach Battleship Nagato, not to clear every African province. Advancing farther than Nagato usually adds battles without improving the route position. Once Isoroku announces her pregnancy and the required Miki events are active, the final sequence becomes the priority.

Use a balanced roster for this phase:

• Fast ninjas help control commander-battle tempo.
• Onmyoujis and Mikos provide defensive tools and magical damage.
• Ashigarus protect important units and help preserve Rance.
• Tacticians can remove enemy buffs and disrupt difficult Monster Army formations.
• Rance or Fiend Kentarou must remain capable of damaging Xavier during the final battle.

The Isoroku route also introduces Keikoku after several start-of-turn events that grant small amounts of Satisfaction. Later, Keikoku can reduce your Action Fans to one. If you ignore the required Isoroku mind-reading event, Rance may die after the game processes four turns with only one Action Fan. Treat this as a timed route mechanic, not an optional character scene.

The route cannot be completed until Miki is found. In Isoroku’s route, Miki does not disappear until Isoroku has announced her pregnancy. After the disappearance sequence begins, Battleship Nagato must be conquered before the search events can lead to the final confrontation.

When Miki is found, Xavier eventually attacks directly. The finale is a two-part commander battle against Xavier, Apostle Madou, and Toukichirou. The first half is timed. Damage to enemies that survive the first half is not retained in the normal way, while Xavier’s health resets to half for the second phase. Defeated enemies do not return for the continuation.

The safest opening is to identify whether Madou can be defeated during the timed phase. If a full defeat is unlikely, avoid spending every move on partial damage. Keep enough actions and health for the second phase, where Xavier remains the central threat.

Protect Rance carefully if he is your damage source. Defensive Ashigarus, multiple Defense Shikigamis, move control, and healing support are more valuable than a roster built only for burst damage. If Fiend Kentarou is available, he can reduce the risk to Rance, but he still needs enough support to remain active through both phases.