How do I kill giant enemy crabs?

Question

I'm playing Genji: Days of the Blade and am enjoying real-time weapon changing and the historical accuracy of these large-scale battles in Japan. The only problem is that early on in the game, this giant crab suddenly bursts out and begins attacking me without warning. As much as I would like to engage in diplomacy with this gargantuan creature, the game offers me no such choice; it seems that I have been forced into a corner, and that the only way to escape is to slay the creature with my trustworthy blade.

However, my attacks straight from the front aren't doing as much damage as I would like them to, and before my mind can comprehend the beast, the one who is slain is not this monster, but myself.

How do I kill the giant enemy crab? Is there a specific weapon that helps me defend myself better? Perhaps a pattern to its movements I had not realized? I have not done much research into the behavioral patterns of giant crabs, so, in spite of how realistically the game portrays them, I am unable to predict the creature's actions.

A picture for reference:

What a brutal time period this must have been...

Answer 1

You must attack its weak point for massive damage!

To expose the weakpoint on the Giant Masho Crab, you first want to destroy its pincers and afterwards his 'skull-face', revealing its Mashogane crystal, for heavy damage. Also, you can use Benkei's fully charged R1+Triangle to knock the crab over on its back and jump on it with Yoshitsune to "attack its weak point for massive damage" with R1+Square

During the battle, you want to avoid getting hit by his pincers or his charge attack, and also avoid the Masho Generals.

Now, for the (small) Masho Crabs, the easiest way to defeat them is to use Shizuka's wide sweeping attacks to get lots of Mashogane pieces, or to use Yoshitsune's Aerial Juggle Trick (Jump, Circle, 'Aerial Combo', repeat).