By 1338 the Southern Court faction had seen its military leaders, including Nagatoshi NAWA, Chikamitsu YUKI, and Tadaaki CHIGUSA, and in addition Akiie KITABATAKE and Yoshisada NITTA, die in battle one after the other, and were overwhelmingly outmatched militarily by the Northern Court faction.
南朝方は名和長年・結城親光・千種忠顕のほか、北畠顕家・新田義貞らが1338年（延元3年/暦応元年）までに次々と戦死し、軍事的に北朝方が圧倒的に優位に立つ。