Getting those top-tier weapons can be tricky (and sometimes a bit frustrating), but there's actually a solid method to it. First thing to know is that you'll need a level 9 weapon - this is crucial because the game builds progression through weapon mastery. You'll want to switch to hard difficulty too, since that's when these special requirements actually trigger.

Most characters can unlock their ultimate weapons in free mode, which is nice because you can practice the stages first, but here's something interesting - some fighters like zhuge liang need their specific musou mode unlocked first. This makes sense when you think about it, since their weapon requirements often tie into their personal story arcs.

Let me share some proven examples that'll help you understand the pattern. Take cao cao in the battle of tianshui - you'll need to bait pang tong's unit into revealing their ambush, then take down zhuge liang (timing is everything here). For zhang fei at changban, you're juggling multiple objectives - knockout xiahou dun quick, keep zhao yun breathing, and make sure liu bei crosses that bridge safely. Xiahou yuan's got an interesting setup at mt. Dingjun, where you need to prevent chen shi from rejoining the enemy and then deal with huang zhong.

Something that might help - bringing a second player along can make these challenges much more manageable, since only one of you needs to actually complete the requirements (perfect for those tricky time-sensitive objectives). Just remember, some special events won't trigger in free mode, so check your character's specific requirements carefully before diving in.