As someone who has played Ghost of Tsushima since its PS4 launch, I still find Hammer and Forge to be one of the most tense missions in Act 1. In 2026, I fired up the Director's Cut on PS5 to revisit it. The mission sits right after The Broken Blacksmith and before the final push against Castle Kaneda. Without a working forge, Jin has no way to craft the climbing tool he needs. That setup made me feel the pressure immediately.
First contact at Komatsu Forge
I started by heading to the mission marker at Komatsu Forge, just east of Fort Ohira. The town looked small but every corner seemed to hide trouble. As soon as I arrived, I saw Mongols terrorizing the few remaining townspeople. Yuna fired arrows from a window to support me, which made the opening fight feel cinematic rather than overwhelming. After clearing the Mongols, I spoke with Yuna. She and Jin agreed it was time to stop running and hold the town.
Before moving on, I looted the area. Several Mongol bodies had arrows and the nearby buildings held useful supplies. It was not required, but I did it anyway. The enemies were no longer a threat, so looting felt safe.
Rescuing Yukio
After the conversation with Yuna and Taka, Jin headed out to find Yukio. The quest marker sat about eighty meters from the forge. I followed the wind and heard shouting from the direction of the objective. Using Focused Hearing with the touchpad revealed two enemies on the lower floor of a building. One Mongol walked outside and around a corner. I waited and assassinated him quietly. Then I slipped through a small side entrance, killed the second Mongol, and found Yukio upstairs.
Yukio asked me to help rescue his wife. I followed him out and immediately ran into a lone Mongol patrol. The enemy stood still for a few seconds, but I knew he could move suddenly if I was not quick. A careful assassination worked.
Saving the civilians and regrouping
As the group moved on, we spotted Mongols chasing two civilians. I climbed onto a roof to the left of the trail to reach high ground. From there, I dropped down for at least one stealth kill. Depending on how I had spent technique points, I could have taken out more. After clearing that group, I spoke with the peasants and led them back to the forge.
When I returned, I learned that Yuna had gone out on her own rescue mission. I immediately set out to help her. The town now had far more Mongols than before. I could bypass many of them with patience and stealth, or I could fight through the main courtyard. I stayed to the right of the entrance to avoid a long fight.
I found Yuna near a bridge, scouting a compound across the river. Together we moved in. Mongols patrolled around the outside of the house. I quietly removed them one by one, though I could have fought them all with Yuna's help. Once the area was clear, we took the hostages back to the forge. Small pockets of enemies remained on the path, so I listened for voices and kept moving carefully.
Defending the forge
Back at the forge, the group prepared for a last stand. Taka lit the forge to draw the Mongols in. That triggered a survival sequence with multiple waves. I focused on archers first because they could shred my health quickly, especially on higher difficulties. The fight ended with a Mongol warlord. The key for me was not getting overwhelmed. I kept circling, used Ghost weapons when enemies clustered, and never let an archer stay unchecked.
After the final enemy fell, I watched the short cutscene between Khotun Khan and Lord Shimura at Castle Kaneda. That moment still hits hard. Hammer and Forge is not the flashiest mission in Ghost of Tsushima, but it sets up the entire final act of Act 1. It blends rescue, stealth, and defensive combat without ever feeling like filler.
Tips for 2026 replays
| Objective | My approach |
|---|---|
| Start at Komatsu Forge | Follow the mission marker east of Fort Ohira |
| Rescue Yukio | Use Focused Hearing and the side door for silent kills |
| Save civilians | Take the roof on the left for easy stealth kills |
| Help Yuna | Cross the bridge and clear patrols one by one |
| Defend the forge | Kill archers first, then crowd control the warlord fight |
✅ Loot early after the first fight.
✅ Use Focused Hearing constantly.
✅ Do not rush the hostage rescues.
✅ Keep archers from free firing during the final wave.
If you are returning in 2026, the Director's Cut still feels fantastic on PS5. The mission design in Hammer and Forge remains a great example of how Ghost of Tsushima mixes open-world freedom with focused storytelling.
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