ODA ~ From Such Humble Beginnings

[Wishazu]

ODA ~ From Such Humble Beginnings

"As was my father, I was born with a sword in my hand..."

The year is 1530. The place is Owari province, Japan. Oda Nobuhide is about to embark on a great campaign. A campaign that will bring either death or everlasting glory to the Oda clan.

This is the first time I have ever attempted to write a Shogun Total War campaign report so I hope I don`t make to many mistakes on my way to the Shogunate. As you have already guessed, I will be playing as the Oda clan, another first for me despite having the game since it`s release. This will be played on Expert difficulty with "Eliminate all rival clans" as the victory condition. For those that may be interested I will try to post updates every 10 game years or whenever a significant event occurs. Please feel free to chip in with any advice you might have. I can assure you it will be greatly appreciated.

Occasionally I will refer to regions of japan as in the east or west etc. that will be in relation to the game map not the real world north and south.



OPENING MOVES

As the Oda clan can recruit Ashigaru on the cheap I will be pressing many of my peasants into service over the next few years whilst also upgrading my ability to earn koku in Owari. With no immediate threat from the other major clans I think I can leave Owari lightly defended whilst the bulk of my forces moves westwards with the goal of capturing Iga province. Iga will eventually become my main agent recruiting centre. My emmisary will be moving east to attempt to secure alliances with any who will listen. I think I should easily be able to achieve this by 1540.

[caravel]

I will be watching your progress with great interest Wishazu.

My tips would be:

1) Head eastwards towards the better provinces in order to kickstart your economy. You don't want Imagawa and Takeda on your back, so it's best to deal with them and/or curb their expansion early on.

2) I don't think Iga is a worthwhile goal just yet, IMHO agents don't win the campaign and Shinobi are the most useful (one per province). If you want to go west, Ise has a decent farming income but may be difficult to hold on to.

3) Leaving Owari lightly defended is an open invitation to the Ronin to take advantage - which means losing your best developed province or having half the buildings razed.

4) Use the Ashigaru as cheap garrisons only, the advantage you have is that they'll cost you less to train and support. As warriors they're only good for running away.

[Wishazu]

ODA ~ Spring 1532

"It is largely left to her own natural bodily perfection, and she has no special need to resort to artificial coloring and powdering to look beautiful."

Summer, 1530 I ordered the improvement of all farmland in Owari province. This construction work was completed promptly in time for the spring of 1531.

Summer, 1531 I received a message from my Emissary in Suruga province, he reported that my fellow Lord Imagawa was more than happy to enter into an alliance with our clan and even suggested we send agents to our enemies lands in order to sow dissention amongst their populace. I am reluctant to engage in this kind of shadow warfare for the moment but will not hinder him.

Winter, 1531 Not much to add to my journal these last few months. All was quiet then out of nowhere 3 delegations arrive from the Takeda, Uesugi and Hojo clans. All 3 requested an alliance with me and I have found it prudent to agree to all 3, for now. I have sent a message to Suruga ordering my Emissary to take ship to Kyushu and seek out Lord Shimazu.




Spring, 1532 Excellent News! My ally, Lord Takeda has been killed in a surprise attack by the Hojo, the Takeda were left with no one to take up the reins of command and have been swiftly destroyed. Within a month I received an unexpected message from Hiraga Genshin in Aki. A former vassal of Lord Takeda, Genshin informed me that he wished to enter service with me out of respect for the alliance with his former master. I now control Aki province.



Overview
I dont suppose I could have hoped for a better start to my campaign, one enemy down and a free province. After reading Caravel`s post I have decided to train some more Samurai in Owari and leave them there as permanent garrison, cheers mate. Now that I have Aki aswel, I think I will build up a small garrison so I can send a force to capture Nagato and stop either Shimazu or Imagawa expanding across there.

[patdj]

As for now, a decent report. I'm really looking forward to further lecture.

Really a nice start for now. I basically agree with Caraveloto, though. Ninjas though, can be very usefull, especially when you manage training some really good ones in order to take out the very thin lines of your enemies. Could speed up the whole campain, given your goal setting. Anyway, I saw too many of them dying against a -1 rebel general too put much money into them, so I agree on these terms as well, depending on the situation.

If I'm not mistaken, I do not see any clan forces between your two provinces. I would, if you have enough troops for this encounter move north from Owari to build a defense wall against the East. From there I would move towards the western rebel armies and unite you land (longterm plan). This way you can step by step conquer half of Honshu without encountering ambitious clan armies while defending against them with the Owari - Mino - Echizen line and Nagato. You should have an eye on Shikoku though.
Essentially what I wanted to say: block Shimazu and Imagawa in Nagato and block Uesugi, Hojo and Imagawa in Owari and everything north of it. That's what I would do. But I'm thinking more in terms of conquest and not clan elimination.

Good luck!

[Wishazu]

ODA ~ Summer 1533

"I have never been of use to my master because I am so careless, but I have lived resolved that some day my life should be of use to him. This seems to be that time.

Summer, 1532 I personally led my army into Omi province against the minor clans there, the cowards would not stand and fled into the hills, worthless dogs.

Autumn, 1532 My army was the victim of a surprise counter-attack this autumn. A coalition of 3 small clans led by the Asai launched an all out attack against our position.




The force arrayed against us was vast indead, in the vanguard were three units of Warrior Monks. I decided to deploy my archers on a ridge along the enemy`s route of advance, my hope was to inflict as much damage on the Monks as possible before withdrawing with my forces intact.



In order to ensure the survival of myself and of my army a lone unit of Ashigaru held fast to allow us to quit the field, needless to say the Ashigaru were almost completely destroyed, a few survivors catching up to us four days later.



This defeat has left a bitter taste. Rest assured, the Monks and the Asai will pay. Shortly after returning to my castle in Owari, a carrier pidgeon arrived from Kyushu. It bore a most disturbing message for me, My ally, Lord Imagawa was killed in battle and his remaining forces have joined the Shimazu. Kyushu now lies open to the Shimazu to conquer at their leisure.



Summer, 1533 Nothing to add these past few months untill today. I finally received word from my Emissary in Kyushu, he was able to gain an audience with Lord Shimazu and secure an alliance.

Overview
Well its been quite eventfull so far. The only worrying development is the destruction of the Imagawa, the Shimazu have nobody left to oppose them on Kyushu... As far as everything else is concerned I`m going to continue with my original plan for the time being. Thanks Patdj for your helpfull comments.

[patdj]

Gnaaarrr, my apologies. This really tastes bitter. But you have not lost too much, apart from time, have you? And you know what you're facing. Good luck on the next runs. Seems like rebels are not as easy to defeat as we thought, aye?

[Wishazu]

I`ll admit that they are a lot more organised in defense than I thought. This battle wasn`t a costly defeat though, sure I lost most of 1 unit of Ashigaru but I killed alot of Warrior Monks. Perhaps I`ll keep on attacking just to whittle away the Monks.

I`m glad your taking an interest in my campaign Patdj

P.s I`m preparing the next update at the moment.

[Wishazu]

ODA ~ Summer 1534, The Second Battle of Omi

Summer, 1534 After nearly two years of preparation we were finally ready to invade Omi once again. I did not have to wait long for the enemy to make contact, after just a few days march we came across their army ready for battle on the other side of a flat plain. They seemed content to wait for us to deploy, obviously overconfident from their previous "victory" over me. Once my forces were deployed for battle I ordered a general advance, almost immediately it began to rain, a sign from heaven perhaps that today I would wash away the dishonour of my defeat. The enemy must have sensed my determination, as we closed with them they began to withdraw to higher ground below a small forest. Cowards!



I redeployed along a low spur opposite them, now was the time to attack. My plan was to draw out their elite Warrior Monks and destroy them with mass bowfire. I would follow this up with a full charge into their positions by the trees and kill them where they stood.



It worked perfectly. Most of their Ashigaru fled before we made contact, however, their commander, a famous archer I was later informed remained steadfast and fought to the death. His head now resides with my collection. Omi is mine once again. As great a victory as this was it was not without cost, my son and only heir, Nobuhiro was killed by an arrow through the throat. I am told in the moments before death took him, he pulled out the arrow and fired it back at the enemy, killing his assailant. A man could not ask for a nobler death.



Autumn, 1534 After consolidating my position in Omi, I left a garrison behind and pressed on to Iga province. I took it without a fight, the samurai there not daring to stand against me, still trembling no doubt from the thrashing I gave them this past summer. Nine days after securing Iga a lone horseman rode into my camp, exhausted. He carried a message I could not bring myself to believe. It appears that the Asai and their allies had another army in Wakasa which attacked my garrison in Omi. My garrison quit the province and headed back to Owari to bolster my defences there. The situation is not good, I am now trapped in Iga, surrounded on all sides, there is no escape for me now. This may be my final entry in this journal.

Overview
Ok lol, I`m in a tricky situation. My Daimyo is surrounded in Iga with no hope of reinforcements and I have no heirs...

[patdj]

Now this is getting REALLY exciting. Screen of the campain map? Perhaps you could start roaming around to avoid an attack from multiple sides? I wish you good luck.

Congrats to the earlier victory. Another one of them and you have them by their balls.

[caravel]

Yes, taking Omi might not have been such a good idea. It is too centralised a province for the early stages of a campaign and it vulnerable to being blitzed by the Ronin in the region. Sticking to Ise and then heading for Mikawa and Totomi would have left you in a stronger position.

From Aki again it would have been ideal to take Nagato, Iwami and Suo, strengthen the borders against the Shimazu and then head back east, while developing those aforementioned provinces for Naginta and Heavy Cavalry.

To save the campaign you may have to throw everything you've got at getting the Daimyo out of there, even abandoning Owari if necessary.

[Drisos]

Wow! Cool campaign.

- Perhaps you can move your Daimyo into Ise, and send some reinforcement from Owari the same time?
- Build a mine in Aki(!), if you haven't already.

[Wishazu]

ODA ~ Battle for Iga, Winter 1534

Winter, 1534 It has been two months since I had gotten any word from outside of Iga. For nearly a month I tried to lose my enemies in the mountains but it was no good, they knew the land too well. I tried in vain to find an open pass to Ise but there was none, heavy snow had cut off all avenue of escape. My scouts reported that the enemy army, numbering some 1500 was now blocking the valley entrance behind me, I was out of options. I was convinced I was staring death and defeat in the face, but I was not going to make it easy for them. I ordered my 600 men into the trees in an attempt to surprise my enemy and cause as much damage as possible. The Asai started a slow, methodical search of the valley, we couldnt see them through the fog but we could hear them getting closer. When I could tell that they were almost on top of us I called the charge, there was no plan or stratagem I could think of to help me see this through, I hoped only to die honourably. We erupted from the forest like a typhoon, having no idea they were so close to us, the enemy were not ready for this sudden assault and were taken by surprise. The result was a furious, chaotic melee, my warriors hacked and killed like men possesed. What seemed like only minutes passed before I heard the sounds of men screaming "Retreat! Retreat!". What was this? I had not given the order, this was a fight to the death! I suddenly realised, it was not my army abandoning me, it was the Asai.



We had fought like demons and the Asai could not face us. I could not conceive of it, we had won! It was close thing, most of my bodyguard now lay dead on the field and I had less than 60 men, but we were Gods today. We marched back into the woods, expecting another attack in the night, but it never came.



The next morning the valley was clear, I did not hesitate. We moved out. A few weeks later a scout finally located us. He brought joyous news, with the end of Winter approaching my army in Owari had launched an attack upon Ise in the hope that I might survive and they could clear a path for me to escape home. There was also a message from Hiraga saying that affairs in Aki were excellent except for some minor rioting by unruly peasants which was easily put down. I made a promise to my only surviving bodyguard, a man by the name of Li Kurosawa, who had fought particularly well, to build him a school in which he might pass on his magnificent skill with the Katana.



Spring, 1535 I have left Iga far behind me and have rendevouzed with my army in Ise. I received word today that my wife has given birth to a healthy son, I have named him Nobunaga.

Summer, 1535 Though I am safe now, I decided to abandon Ise, with most of my best warriors killed in Iga last winter I simply do not have the strength to defend both Owari and Ise against a determined aggressor. Once back in Owari I received a coded message from my Emmissary in Kyushu, someone has tried to eliminate him. He does not know who. Perhaps one of my allies does not like me having a man so close to Lord Shimazu...

Overview
Well I`m still alive, for now lol. I think I`m going to give up on my original plan to capture Iga early on. It`s just too costly at this stage of the game. I still want Omi though, it`s not worth much I know but I have fought so hard for it, next time I get it it will stay mine. It is now a matter of Honour! I`m going to take your advice Caravel and start preparing to move to conquer Nagato. That will be a huge priority for me now.

Hi Drisos I`m glad your enjoying my campaign so far. Don`t worry about Aki, I will build a silver mine there asap.

[Wishazu]

ODA ~ Winter 1539

Summer, 1536 After the recent attempt on my diplomats life I decided to increase security in my lands by building border forts in Owari and Aki. I am hoping that whoever ordered the attack on my emmissary`s life will be deterred from any attempts to infiltrate my territory.

Autumn, 1536 I received a message today from my esteemed ally, Lord Shimazu. He informed me of the great success he is having in his mission to bring all of Kyushu under his control, only Chikuzen and Bungo remain outside his influence. He stressed his desire for our alliance to continue and his hope that I would support all his endeavours in the future. I hope I do not become a victim of his success.

Winter, 1536 Good news from Suo, Hiraga Genshin has taken this province for me. I replied, congratulating him on his success and requesting that he now concentrate on increasing our infastructure in Aki so as to be able to support larger efforts to expand in the region. Nagato will be our next target in that regard. I received a letter from my emmissary in Kyushu informing me that Lord Shimazu has lost Buzen to a huge peasant revolt, everything does not appear to be going as smoothly as my ally would have us believe.

Summer, 1537 Preparations for my next assault on Omi have kept me busy the last few months, I am glad to record that Omi fell once again to my forces. I have ordered the construction of a castle to begin at once, I will stamp my authority on this land and will not be removed again! News arrived of a small rebellion that was swiftly put down in Suo.

Spring, 1538 My castle in Omi is now complete. I left a strong garrison to watch over my newest acquisition, we will not be caught off guard again. I moved back home again to Owari to begin preparations for an attack on Mino this coming winter.

Winter, 1538 Mino fell without a fight. I will winter here and stay as long as it takes to ensure the province is completely pacified. Hiraga Genshin has informed me he will be ready to take Nagato in the spring.

Spring, 1539 Nagato has fallen to Hiraga, he has begun work on building a castle there. Hiraga also informed me that we now have the facilities in place in Aki to begin training Shinobi. The men of the shadows can be usefull in sowing discord amongst friends and enemies alike.

Summer, 1539 My army in Omi was attacked last month, nothing serious, a small rabble of Ronin and vagabonds, they were soon put to rout. My agricultural and infastructural programs seem to be paying off, I am reliably informed that I am now the richest Daimyo in all Japan.

Autumn, 1539 Another message from my man in Kyushu, Lord Shimazu has crushed the rebels and subjugated the entire island. Will he be content to simply stay there?

Winter, 1539 Unruly peasants have revolted in Nagato, it seems they had the support of a large number of samurai, whether these were simple Ronin or agents of another faction has yet to be discovered. The entire rebel army was destroyed. Hiraga is proving invaluable to my war effort, I can only thank the Gods for bringing such a talented commander into my service. I ordered a port to be constructed in Owari, fast and easy access to my further flung possessions will soon be a nessecity. My patrols in Mino encountered men flying the Hojo banner on the border with Shinano, their war with the Uesugi appears to be going very well. I will keep one eye firmly fixed on my eastern borders from now on. I do not want that conflict to "spill over" into my own domains.

Overview
It`s been relatively quiet since the battle of Iga. I have to admit my original plan to control Iga by 1540 was unworkable and I have abandoned it completely. My main focus now will be expanding more around Aki. As to the region around Owari, I`m going to follow Patdj`s suggestion and create a defensive line from Owari to Echizen. Hopefully the clans east of there will continue to fight for a while and leave me alone. Sorry about the lack of screenshots in this update, I just didnt think there were any important enough events to warrant any. Maybe the next one will be more colourfull.

[caravel]

Superb and epic stuff Wishazu.

[Wishazu]

Cheers, mate. This is certainly one of the most tense and exciting campaigns I`ve ever played.

[patdj]

...and it's now running rather well, isn't it? Congratulations to your aquisitions and good luck for the next moves.

Very well written, btw.

[Wishazu]

Thanks Patdj, I`ll be posting the next update this evening.

[Wishazu]

ODA ~ Takeda Ride Again Winter 1542

Autumn, 1540 Another coded letter arrived from Kyushu today. It would appear that whoever it was behind the first attempt on my diplomats life was not disuaded by the death of their first assassin. I wonder how many more they will dare send against my emmissary.



The Hojo continue to expand, they have now taken Mikawa. They are beginning to setup a solid frontier on my eastern border. I have put a stop to all contact with the Uesugi, I do not wish to antagonize the Hojo be appearing friendly with their enemies.

Spring, 1541 Genshin has completed construction of his castle in Nagato. I have sent orders to him to continue to strengthen the provinces there. I do not wish to appear weak alongside the Shimazu. The Hojo have problems with riotous locals in Mikawa, hopefully that will keep them occupied whilst my own efforts to expand north toward Echizen continue.

Summer, 1541 It appears that the riots in Mikawa have developed into a fullscale uprising. If the Hojo are evicted, it may leave room for me to move in. My public programs have not escaped the notice of my peers, I received messages this month congratulating me on the level of progress my clan has made. It would seem my lands are the most advanced in the empire.

Autumn, 1541 The Uesugi seem keen to re-establish contact with me, I have turned their Emmissary`s away. The uprising continues in Mikawa, I heard news of a major battle their last week, the Hojo were victorious but were unable to put down the revolt.

Winter, 1541 In a sneak attack, the Hojo ambushed and wiped out the revolutionary leadership in Mikawa, all effective resistance to Hojo power has ended.

Spring, 1542 Circumstances have changed in the east. The revolt in Mikawa must have sapped much of the Strength of the Hojo as their war with the Uesugi has taken a turn for the worse, they have lost Shinano. The Hojo are now entirely on the defensive. In the west, Lord Shimazu has begun an invasion of Shikoku and has gained a foothold in Iyo. I fear that before long I will be surrounded.

Winter, 1542 The Uesugi offensive has been swiftly blunted, a rebel army led by the son of my former ally Lord Takeda has appeared in Shinano. I had believed Takeda`s family murdered. I will watch and see how this plays out. I have recalled my emmissary to Owari. The situation here, in the east is getting complicated, I will need his counsel.



Overview
Shimazu seems to be steamrollering on and things have gotten spicey in the west with the reappearance of the Takeda. I`m going to try to expand north to Echizen then I`m going to take Ise and try to move west.

[Wishazu]

ODA ~ Spring, 1544 - Winter, 1549

Spring, 1544 The day to day affairs of my realm have kept me busy beyond reason the last 18 months, this is the first opportunity I have had for writing. The new Lord Takeda has firmly established himself in his new province of Shinano and has agreed to renew the alliance that existed between myself and his father.

Summer, 1544 I turned away another delegation from the Uesugi today. They are persistent.

Spring, 1545 The new Lord Takeda has begun expanding his realm and has acquired Hida province.

Autumn, 1545 I gave Akechi Mitsuhide, my former Owari garrison commander control of an army with orders to take Echizen. He was successfull. Lord Takeda sent a force to assist but their services were not required. I intend to fortify my frontier here with a hope of curbing the other western powers expansion in this direction.

Spring, 1546 Mitsuhide has just completed a castle in Echizen, my frontier appears to be secure for the time being.

Winter, 1546 A barbarian ship sailed into port the other day. The captain requested an audience with me and I succumbed to my curiosity. He came from a land called Portugal, he smelled awful. He had a ridiculous proposition for me, his "King" would trade me guns in return for me converting to his bizarre religion. I declined. What an odd man.

Summer, 1547 Another delegation from the Uesugi arrived this morning, I granted them an audience. They requested that I break off my alliance with the "weak" Hojo and instead side with them as their victory was a foregone conclusion and that it would be wise for me to side with the victors. I turned them down again. The Shimazu have conquered all of Shikoku, however they have made no aggressive moves toward me.

Winter, 1547 Treachery! My security forces in Owari have caught and killed a ninja. Under torture the man revealed he was working for Lord Shimazu, unfortunately my men were unable to discover what his mission was. Why was he in my lands? I think Shimazu is preparing to move against me...



Spring, 1548 Most excellent news, I have another son, I have named him Nobukane. This is beyond imagining, I believed I was never going to have any more children.

Winter, 1548 Genshin ordered one of his subordinates, Shibata Katsuie to take Iwami. Katsuie was successful.

Spring, 1549 Another son! Nobuharu, how odd that in my advancing years I am suddenly so fruitfull. My line would now appear to be secure.

Summer, 1549 Shibata Katsuie has pressed on into Izumo and has taken control without a fight.

Winter, 1549 I ordered Genshin to despatch his finest agents to Kyushu to cause as much disruption as possible to my "ally" there. His men were able to land undetected in Hizen. However, things have a taken a dire turn, with Genshin in Nagato and Katsuie in Izumo, a small force of Ronin were able to infiltrate and capture the castle in Aki. It appears they came across the border from Bingo. The garrison in Aki has fled to Suo and will counter-attack in the spring.



Overview
Man! I can`t keep my eyes off of the rebels for a second. I let my guard down and instantly they strike. Anyways, Shimazu is getting bigger and bigger. I may have to try and sneak a force into Kyushu if my attempt at starting a rebellion there with my shinobi fails. On the plus side, I finally have some heirs, nobunaga is almost ready to join my army. What do you guys think?

[patdj]

It really get's tricky. The problem, essentially caused by the tactic me favoured as well, you have to defend multiple frontiers (2x East & West). Shimazu is on the best way to cut your way, so you might occasionally break into war with him anyway. If possible I would try to start rebellions in Shikoku. Shimazu loyalty might be a bit more unestablished and it might cut his army from reinforcements and seriously slow down his progress.
When dealt with Aki you should quickly move to Bingo in order to minimize your border provinces. You definetely need massive troops now, so given you have a steady income and already built enough infrastructure I would mass produce troops to turn these rebels down.
It's very honourable of you to stick to the Hojo. Mikawa looks really attractive. Before you run out of money you should still consider switching sides. Till then I would give the expansion towards the West top priority. You have to somehow stop Shimazu entering Honshu and consolidate your lands.

[Wishazu]

ODA ~ Summer 1550

Spring, 1550 It has been a busy spring this year. I sent orders for Katsuie to retake Aki as soon as possible. I ordered him to move through Bingo to cut off any escape rout for the Ronin, he took the province without meeting any resistance. At the same time despatches were sent to Suo ordering my troops there to launch raids back into Aki but to withdraw if they encounter any strong resistance. I need them to keep the Ronin pinned down untill Katsuie can attack with full force.




Lord Takeda sent a request for troops to help put down a rebellion in Hida. Unfortunately I did not have any troops to spare and the Takeda were forced to withdraw. In other bad news, I received a letter from Lord Shimazu explaining how the body of my emmissary was found in the streets of Sanuki, he offered his apologies for such an event occuring within his borders and vowed to find and execute the killer. I strongly suspect he ordered the attack himself.



There are some good tidings to record this season, I have a fourth son, Hideyoshi.

Summer, 1550 Katsuie has retaken Aki after attacking with support from the troops in Suo.



He informed me that the battle was a short but viscious affair. He was able to lure the enemy into a rash charge into his centre and then surrounded and destroyed them. A few enemy dogs fled the field and are holed up in the castle, Katsuie assures me that the castle will be back in our hands in no time at all.



There was some good news from Kyushu this month. The agents that inflitrated Hizen have reported success in insighting rebellion in the province, they believe that most of Kyushu will be in open revolt within a year or two.



Overview
Well I`m gonna have to rebuild in Aki now, that is going to slow me down, especially for recruiting troops in that area. Thanks for the advice again Patdj. I`m going to keep my Shinobi migrating through all Shimazu provinces, hopefully causing rebellions as they go. It won`t be much longer now before he attacks me.

[Wishazu]

ODA ~ A Knife In the Back

Autumn, 1550 As promised, Katsuie has retaken the castle in Aki but reports that the enemy burnt everything to the ground. He has begun rebuilding, but it will take a few years to get Aki back in shape.

Spring, 1551 Nobunaga has reached the age where he can now be of service to me. I have given him command of a small army in Owari with orders to move into Ise in the winter.

Winter, 1551 Nobunaga has taken Ise with no difficulty. I will expect great deeds of him in the future.

Summer, 1552 I have honoured them for years now but my alliance with the Hojo has outlived it`s usefulness. I have sent an emmissary to find Lord Uesugi and see if he is still keen to join forces. I will need strong allies soon to counter Shimazu expansion. Nobunaga reports that he has finished building a castle in Ise and that the province is now firmly under our control.

Autumn, 1552 Again we were caught off guard this season, Katsuie left Aki to attack Bingo but was forced to call it off and move to Iwami. Two days after he left Aki, Samurai in the service of the treacherous Lord Shimazu, disguised as common sailors were able to come ashore undetected. The garrison realised something was wrong but my Ashigaru were no match for Shimazu`s elite No-Dachi swordsmen.



This blatant treachery has resulted in both Hojo and Takeda breaking contact with Shimazu in favour of myself. I suppose I make a usefull buffer between the Shimazu and their lands.

Winter, 1552 In an attempt to throw Shimazu off balance I ordered Hiraga Genshin to invade Kyushu. I doubt Shimazu believed us possible of such an attack and hopefully this will give him pause for thought, we need time to reinforce. Though Hiraga was able to quickly conquer Buzen, I ordered him to remain there, I dare not risk his army being cut off in Kyushu. Katsuie has easily retaken Aki and will hold their for the time being.

Summer, 1553 Lord Shimazu has personally taken Bingo province, he is closing in on Aki.

Autumn, 1553 In an attempt to kill the betrayer, Katsuie launched a surprise attack into Bingo which completely surprised Shimazu, however, Shimazu and his army managed to escape to Bitchu. His time will come. Genshin successfully fought off an attempt to push him out of Buzen, though he reports heavy casualties. I have told him to hold for the time being but to return to Nagato at the first sign of a major attack.

Spring, 1555 It has been almost two years and their has been very little development in the war with the Shimazu, though Genshin was finally forced to yield Buzen and has now returned to Nagato. My spies report that Shimazu is planning a massive assualt across the water into Nagato within a year or two. Genshin will make whatever preperations he can.

Winter, 1556 I have cancelled my alliance with Lord Hojo, though not due to a new alliance with the Uesugi - he refuses to meet my emmissary, but because of a new conflict between themselves and the Takeda. Genshin abandoned Nagato last week. A massive Shimazu army landed on the coast and rather than risk a costly battle Genshin is going to head back to Aki where he and Katsuie can unite and launch a counter-offensive to drive the Shimazu back into the sea. I trust Genshin`s judgement and have absolute faith he will achieve this. In the meantime he has left a network of spies in Nagato to stir up as much trouble as they can for the invaders.



Spring, 1557 Katsuie and Genshin have joined forces in Aki to prepare for the coming battle.



In Nagato, my spies have arranged for a huge revolt, the loyalists are ready to attack the Shimazu forces immediately. I do not hold out much hope for their success but whatever they can achieve by way of damage to enemy forces will greatly help the war effort.



A message arrived from my agents deep behind enemy lines. The entire island of Shikoku is now in open revolt! It would appear that my former ally is now stuck in Honshu, If I could just track him down...

Summer, 1557 Genshin has taken overall command of the situation in Aki and has retaken Suo. Shimazu was unable to stop this as his forces were busy in Nagato with the rebels, sadly all my loyalists there were wiped out. Katsuie remains with a smaller force to defend Aki. Closer to home, the Asakura clan have employment many warrior monks in their bid for power and recognition and have attacked Mitsuhide in Echizen. Mitsuhide was victorious but at great cost. He reports that he will not be able to stop another such attack and may be forced to abandon the province next season.

Autumn, 1557 As predicted the Asakura have once again attacked Echizen and Mitsuhide was forced to beat a hasty retreat to Mino.

Spring, 1558 In an attempt to stre

[patdj]

THRILLING!

Looks like Shimazu was a bit overconfident. Could be your chance to kick him seriously. Still he seems to have massive armies though and the rebels cause a lot of trouble. Do you have enough forces left to stand your ground or even expand? There's a bit of a cash flow problem, isn't it?

Good luck then!

PS: There is a bit missing of Spring 1558.

[Wishazu]

THRILLING!

Looks like Shimazu was a bit overconfident. Could be your chance to kick him seriously. Still he seems to have massive armies though and the rebels cause a lot of trouble. Do you have enough forces left to stand your ground or even expand? There's a bit of a cash flow problem, isn't it?

Good luck then!

PS: There is a bit missing of Spring 1558.

Yeah, since I lost Aki twice everything I built there is ruined so producing troops is going slow. In Owari everything is cool but I cant produce enough troops for my whole empire from there.

What is missing in Spring 1558?

[Wishazu]

Gah! My campaign has taken a massive turn for the worse. My invasion of Kyushu backfired, I`ll post the update tomorrow probably.

[caravel]

Campaigns get interesting when they take a turn for the worse. I hope to see some screenshots and a report of your progress in turning it around. Don't give up!



-Edit: I lost Aki twice in that Takeda campaign as well. In the end I gave up trying to hold on to it and moved into the Shimazu land.

Sometimes losing a province you've invested time and money in can be disheartening. But I find that it's always a lesson and I end up kicking myself for not protecting my important provinces better or for over-stretching too much.

[Magraev]

Very interesting AAR. I wish someone made a mod of Shogun using the M2tw engine. I just find the old shogun too limited to play now (it's on the shelf but off the hd).

[caravel]

There is a very good Shogun mod of MTW and I believe there were/are some Shogun mods being worked on for RTW. I'm not sure what stage they're at however as I haven't heard much about them lately. As for me I prefer STW for the simplicity of the campaign map game and better tactical battles.

[Wishazu]

better tactical battles.

And they have never been bettered in the series.

As to my campaign so far, If I have time this evening I`ll post the report.

[Wishazu]

ODA ~ A Reversal of Fortunes, Winter 1562

Summer, 1558 After driving the Shimazu invaders out of my eastern provinces, Genshin launched an invasion of Kyushu with an attack on Buzen. The Shimazu "warriors" fled without a fight.

Autumn, 1558 With Mikawa now firmly under control I sent an emmissary to see lord Hojo to see if he was willing to discuss a ceasefire. I have no wish to quarrel with him further. Unfortunately my proposal was rejected. Genshin has pressed on into Kyushu and has taken Chikuzen, also without a fight. Those Shimazu dogs certainly know how to run.

Winter, 1558 Quiet this winter. My security forces in Owari have reported the capture and execution of another Shimazu agent. I have ordered Nobunaga to increase his own personal security. We cannot afford to be lax in our own security when Lord Shimazu is willing to stoop to such dispicable levels. Assassins!

Spring, 1559 Katsuie has taken Bingo. He reports all is well as once again the Shimazu fled the field.

Autumn, 1559 I received a letter from Lord Hojo today. My emmissary was murdered in Izu.



He assures me that despite the state of war that currently exists between us he would never dishonour himself by killing a foreign emmissary. This is obviously the work of Shimazu, attempting to stop any possible reconciliation between myself and Lord Hojo.

Spring, 1560 A sad day, the young Lord Takeda, my ally, has been unable to hang on to his newly won domain. He was killed in battle with the Uesugi and his clan has been wiped out. I do not believe that any of his family survived. I am now totally without ally`s.



Hopefully the Uesugi and Hojo will continue to keep each other occupied so I can concentrate on my own war with the Shimazu.

Autumn, 1560 My garrison commander in Aki has been murdered.



I don`t believe this to be a prelude to another attack as currently the Shimazu are too busy attempting to deal with Hiraga Genshin. Genshin himself reports that he has fought off two forces sent by the Shimazu to deal with him. Lately, I have been hearing unconfirmed reports of another major rebellion, again in the west. If I am to believe the rumours then it would appear that one of the former Lord Imagawa`s son`s is alive and attempting to re-establish his clan. It is not clear where exactly this rebellion is taking place so I will send a man to attempt to find and make contact with the new Lord Imagawa.



Spring, 1561 There has been an earthquake in Aki, the Tea house was completely destroyed.



Winter, 1561 Genshin attacked Bungo this season and took it without a fight, however a large force of Shimazu Samurai had crossed the border into Buzen via a secret pass and quickly overwhelmed the garrison there. Chikuzen was also attacked and my army there was defeated, most of my men were able to get to the castle and are now under siege. They have plenty of supplies and should be able to hold out long enough for Genshin to relieve them. We did not believe Shimazu was able to call upon so many troops, Genshin will have to make his way back to Aki as there is now no army between there and the Shimazu. The back door to my empire, as it were is, now wide open. This war is costing much and I am now massively in debt.

Spring, 1562 Shimazu has quit the siege in Chikuzen. This left Genshin free to retake Buzen, the Shimazu forces there were wiped out.

Winter, 1562 Terrible news! Buzen has been attacked by a large force from Bungo.



Genshin has been defeated in a massive battle there. I do not know exactly what occured but I have heard that initially it was going well for Genshin. Apparently he was attempting to lead a large force of Shimazu spearmen away from the bulk of his force in the fog whilst the rest of the army ambushed the remainder of the enemy army.




What I do know for certain is that Genshin himself is dead. I can only hope he died with honour. All would appear to be lost in the east, I do not believe Katsuie will be able to save the situation with the forces he has and I have no reserves to send him. I may be forced to submit to Lord Shimazu. I have managed to conquer Iga this summer but I do not think this will help my financial situation as my debts continue to mount. Things are looking bleak indeed.

Overview
This is bad, actually it`s very bad. My best general and one of my largest armies has been destroyed. I may be about to lose everything around Aki. In fact I can`t see how I can hold onto any of the provinces there. I don`t really know what my next move should be... oh, did I mention I`m massively in debt.