I tried a few medieval games, but it keeps crashing to desktop randomly, so back to shogun it is.

I decided to modify unit stats for what I hope will be a more interesting game.

Yari ashigaru are modified to have the stats of yari samurai (same speed and still "peasants" though).
Yari samurai have 4 attack, 4 defense, and 4 morale added.

Since the AI normally builds tons of these, boosting them should make it more challenging

Added 4 morale to archers since the AI builds a lot of those and they often rout easy.
Increased the charge of cavalry units to compensate somewhat, and because I like a strong charge for cav units

Added 3 defense to heavy cav to help the AI daimyo's survive.

Added 3 attack and 3 defense to monk units to make them super scary They are almost like a 60 man ninja unit now.

Obviously, I won't train any ashis, yaris, monks, and heavy cav. The idea is to compensate for the AI's inability to tech up. This way I will have to tech up just to keep on their level.

Also added javelins to naginata infantry just for fun.

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Normally I disband all "non allowed" units at the start of these campaigns, but that would leave me with just 2 archers

I leave my spears as garrison, build 2 more archers and invade Higo, they retreat once the battle starts.

Very short on money...



For the next 5 years or so I build ports and get alliances. Get a horse dojo and train a couple cavalry archers. The rebels retreat from bungo and I seige the castle to the ground.

Alliances are providing a lot of income, but hojo and uesugi go to war. I back hojo, who dies next turn



Taking a shot at chikugo. They have 2 archers, 1 ya, and 1 ys. Here you see my cavalry taking frickin forever to cross the bridge. I rashly decide to charge them into a unit of archers (testing out the new charge value) but they only kill 20 before they get caught from behind and rout.



I whittle away at the defenders, sending a unit of archers out an then stopping it on the bridge as the infantry attacks. When I'm out of arrows I withdraw.



Not quite as planned, but I got the dangerous yari sam unit down to 10 men and the ashi unit down to 15.



Invading again, this time with my heir. CA gets over the bridge nicely this time and draws the archers away. Most of my archers get slaughtered by the remaining infantry and an archer unit that charges in while my cavalry is routing the other archer unit.



Close one

I get the legendary swordsman event, a VERY welcome sight.



I take chikuzen and have my first few units of no dachi. I send most of my men into buzen and the imagawa take the opportunity to invade chikugo with 240 archers to my 83.



Nice to be on the defending side of this bridge for once.



The enemy clumps its soldiers together, blocking their view and making them easy targets. I target the taisho unit and have my 20 man archer unit charge and retreat repeatedly so that the the enemy units keep skirmishing away and don't settle down to shoot. Things aren't looking so good though, I'm considering whether to withdraw again before I lose my archer unit.



Miraculous! I shoot down the enemy general and the whole army flees. I give chase, praying they don't rally.

Killed 104, lost 20. Gained a new 2 star taisho as well.



All of my allies cancel, putting a crimp on my income, but I have 5 ports and a couple richer provinces now.


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So far, excellent

Usually I am much farther after 10 years, but not having cheap spear units and having to respect how dangerous the yari sam are really slows you down.