- Sengoku Rance battle permit lets specific vassal commanders launch attacks without spending Rance's action points
- Best users: Mamushi Oil, Yuzuhara Tsuge, and a small set of permit-holding commanders
- Key benefit: Automates one battle per turn, freeing fan actions for events and recovery
- Critical warning: Permit battles ignore your formation choices, so results can vary
- Top strategy: Pair permits with weak borders where any victory still helps your expansion
What the Battle Permit System Is
The battle permit in Sengoku Rance is a special mechanic tied to specific vassal commanders. When a commander holding a permit is stationed in your territory and a valid adjacent enemy province exists, they can initiate an attack each turn without consuming one of your limited fan actions. This effectively gives the Oda army an extra conquest attempt per turn, which is enormously valuable in a game where action economy decides campaign pacing.
Permits distinguish themselves from normal attacks in three ways:
- No fan cost: The attack happens automatically at the start of the turn if conditions are met
- Fixed attacker: Only the permit holder and their assigned units fight; you cannot swap in your main army
- Auto-resolve tendency: Because you do not directly command the battle, unit preparation before the attack matters far more than in-battle decisions
Video Highlights:
- See how permit attacks resolve on the strategic map
- Example of a permit commander flipping a border province
- How permit battles interact with the weekly fan refresh
In a standard campaign you receive very few fan actions per turn. Each permit effectively subsidizes one invasion, letting you spend your real fans on character events, recruitment, and dungeon runs instead.
Commanders Who Can Use Permits
Only a small group of commanders carry the battle permit ability, and most of them are vassals or event recruits rather than core story characters. The table below summarizes the practical value of each permit holder you are likely to encounter.
| Commander | How Obtained | Permit Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mamushi Oil | Ashikaga vassal event | ★★★★★ | The most famous permit user; prioritize obtaining him |
| Yuzuhara Tsuge | Tenkyuu Uesugi event chain | ★★★★ | Strong permit plus decent stats |
| Other vassal commanders | Various faction vassal events | ★★★ | Utility varies; check the ability before investing |
| Standard recruits | Normal recruitment | None | No permit ability regardless of stats |
Do not confuse the battle permit with generic attack actions. Most commanders, including high-tier picks like Uesugi Kenshin, cannot use permits. Building your strategy around a permit holder requires actually recruiting one first.
Step-by-Step: Getting and Using Permits
Vassalize a permit-capable faction
Work toward vassaling factions such as Ashikaga rather than conquering them outright. Vassal paths are how permit commanders like Mamushi Oil enter your roster.
Recruit the permit commander
Complete the required vassal events until the commander joins the Oda army. Verify the permit ability appears in their skill list before moving on.
Reinforce their personal troops
Permit battles are fought by the holder's own unit. Spend gold and affection items on boosting their troop count and stats before relying on them.
Position them on a contested border
Place the permit holder in a territory adjacent to an enemy province you want to pressure. Keep your main army elsewhere.
End the turn and let the permit fire
The attack triggers automatically. Review the result, then spend your saved fan actions on events, healing, or a second invasion.
A reliable rhythm is: permit attack handles one border, your main army handles the hard target, and remaining fans go to character events. This covers expansion, combat, and story progression in the same turn.
Permit Tactics: Strengths and Risks
Permits reward preparation and punish neglect. Because the battle resolves without your input, a weak or depleted permit unit will simply lose, wasting the free attack and possibly losing the commander's territory position.
Best Uses
- Chip damage on weak border provinces
- Distracting a faction while your main army recovers
- Freeing fans for route-critical events
- Pressuring minor factions you do not want to fight personally
Main Risks
- Permit unit too weak to win the auto-battle
- Attack targets a province you did not want to flip yet
- Commander death risk in difficult matchups
- Can interfere with vassal or route event timing
Mitigation
- Max troop size before deploying the holder
- Save before each turn during route-sensitive phases
- Keep the holder on the intended border only
- Monitor enemy garrison strength before ending turns
The comparison below shows how permit attacks stack up against normal fan-cost invasions:
| Aspect | Permit Attack | Normal Invasion |
|---|---|---|
| Fan cost | None | 1 fan |
| Army choice | Fixed to permit holder | Any selected commanders |
| Battle control | Automatic resolution | Full player command |
| Retreat option | Limited | Player-initiated |
| Best target | Weak garrisons | Strongholds and bosses |
On character routes such as Uesugi or Takeda, an uncontrolled permit attack can defeat a faction earlier than intended and lock out events. Save before ending turns when a permit holder sits near a route-relevant faction.
Permit Campaign Checklist
Use this checklist to keep your permit usage efficient across the midgame:
Battle Permit Milestones:
- Vassal a permit-capable faction such as Ashikaga
- Recruit the permit commander and confirm the ability
- Reinforce the holder's troop count above garrison averages
- Station the holder on the intended enemy border
- Save each turn during route-sensitive campaign phases
Once a permit is running every turn, your effective conquest rate rises without extra fan investment. Redirect the surplus toward dungeon exploration and character clears, which compound into a much stronger late game.
FAQ
Q: Does the Sengoku Rance battle permit cost a fan action?
No. The permit attack triggers automatically at the start of the turn and does not consume one of your fan actions, which is exactly what makes the system so valuable for action economy.
Q: Can I choose which province the permit attacks?
Only indirectly. The permit holder attacks an adjacent enemy province from wherever they are stationed, so you control the target by controlling the holder's position on the map.
Q: What happens if the permit holder loses the battle?
The attack simply fails and the free invasion is wasted for that turn. In difficult matchups the commander can also be at risk, so reinforce their troops before relying on the permit against strong garrisons.
Q: Is Mamushi Oil the best permit commander?
He is the most commonly recommended permit user because he is obtained early through the Ashikaga vassal path and can attack every turn once reinforced, making him a cornerstone of efficient midgame expansion.