View Full Version : ODA ~ From Such Humble Beginnings
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.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda1530.jpg
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.
I will be watching your progress with great interest Wishazu. :2thumbsup:
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.
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.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-TakedaEmissary.jpg
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.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-GainAki.jpg
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.
As for now, a decent report. I'm really looking forward to further lecture. :2thumbsup:
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. :oops:
Good luck!
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.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-Omiattacked.jpg
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.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-battle1.jpg
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.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-battle2.jpg
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.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-Imagawadestroyed.jpg
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.
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?
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 :beam:
P.s I`m preparing the next update at the moment.
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!
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-2ndOmi1-1.jpg
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.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-2ndOmi2.jpg
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.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-2ndOmi3.jpg
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...
Now this is getting REALLY exciting. :book: 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. :oops:
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.
:bow:
Wow! Cool campaign. :2thumbsup:
- 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. ~:)
:bow:
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.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-Igabattle.jpg
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.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-Igabattle2.jpg
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.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-legendaryswordsman.jpg
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.
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.
Superb and epic stuff Wishazu.
:bow:
Cheers, mate. This is certainly one of the most tense and exciting campaigns I`ve ever played.
...and it's now running rather well, isn't it? Congratulations to your aquisitions and good luck for the next moves. :2thumbsup:
Very well written, btw.
Thanks Patdj, I`ll be posting the next update this evening.
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.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-ninjaattack2.jpg
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.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-TakedaReappear.jpg
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.
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...
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-ShimazuninjaOwari.jpg
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.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-Akiattackedbyrebels.jpg
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?
It really get's tricky. :dizzy2: 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.
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.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-AttackBingo-1.jpg
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.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-ShimazuNinjaSuccess.jpg
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.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-KatsuieretakesAki.jpg
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.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-Akibattle1.jpg
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.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-Hizenrevolt.jpg
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.
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.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-Betrayed.jpg
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.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-AbandonedNagato.jpg
Spring, 1557 Katsuie and Genshin have joined forces in Aki to prepare for the coming battle.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-Converging.jpg
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.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-Loyalistrebellion.jpg
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
THRILLING! :smash:
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.
THRILLING! :smash:
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?
Gah! My campaign has taken a massive turn for the worse. My invasion of Kyushu backfired, I`ll post the update tomorrow probably.
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! :sweatdrop:
~:cheers:
-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.
:bow:
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).
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.
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.
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.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-Ninjaassassinsuccess2.jpg
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.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-TakedaEliminatedAgain.jpg
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.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-Ninjaassassinsucess3.jpg
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.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-Imagawareappear.jpg
Spring, 1561 There has been an earthquake in Aki, the Tea house was completely destroyed.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-EarthquakeAki.jpg
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.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-BattleofBuzen.jpg
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.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-BattleofBuzen1.jpg
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.
By the blades of Masamune! This really looks tricky! Do you have a clue about the heir situation of Shimazu? Is he in range? Perhaps you could cut the snakes head off with your last forces?
If you are really deep in debt, it wont help to burn some infrastructure, would it? Where is the root of your cost? Do you have big armies dwelling around Owari? Perhaps you could break into war with Uesugi, how went Imagawas rebellion? Is Uesugi weak?
If your have a cash flow problem and are in debt, I see no solution but expansion or cost reduction by dissolving troops, in your situation a bit contraproductive... :help:
The war with Shimazu is costing a lot and not paying off at all. I'd say, move all the troops from Aki to Owari, burn down every building, and start conquering northward. Shimazu will conquer everything to the south of your base eventually, but if you conquer some land of Uesugi/Hojo/Rebels in the north you will have enough cash to counter him. Right now it's hopeless, I think.
This is indeed thrilling, btw. ~:) :bow:
I`ll probably try to hang on to Aki for as long as possible. I`m just a sucker for lost causes and last stands and all that :) Though I`m considering pooling most of my troops around Owari into 1 large army and blitzing Uesugi, i`m gonna try and ally with Imagawa too. I do prefer playing when my backs against the wall, it keeps things interesting.
great read, good advice too :2thumbsup:
Thanks Ares :2thumbsup: I`ll be posting the next update tomorrow.
i play without disbands and without manual pillaging. So if i was in your place i d give up the holdings around Aki while making sure that in the process the bulk of my lower quality forces gets destroyed in order to get out of debt. Then i would take whoever is worth keeping back to Owari and start a new. As long as you hold Owari and Mikawa there is hope, especially if you can get some teppo in your hands.
Nice AAR.
:bow:
!it burnsus!
ODA ~ Desperate Gamble
Summer, 1563 Survivors from Buzen have turned up in Aki. They were able to enlighten me as to exactly what happened during the battle. It appears that as reported, Genshin was attempting to lure away a large formation of enemy infantry so that our own infantry would have a numeric advantage in the centre. He had also placed a small reserve force on the far right flank concealed in a small wood, they were to wait for the Shimazu forces to be fully engaged across the centre before hitting them in the rear. However the enemy general was more cunning than Genshin gave him credit for and had also kept a large force of swordsmen in reserve, concealed by the heavy fog they moved quielty forward and were able to hit our own ambushers in the rear. The impetus of the charge carried to the centre of our lines where they burst through. With no one left to plug the hole and the army cut cleanly in half the outcome was a foregone conclusion. Genshin was able to return to the centre and organise a hasty withdrawal but was caught up in the confusion and killed. The survivors were able to escape to Chikuzen where they linked up with the local garrison. Realising all was lost they moved on Hizen. There they were able to steal enough ships to take them back to Aki. It would appear that all is not lost in the east. Apparently the victorious Shimazu army was severely bloodied and if reports are correct they do not have the manpower to threaten Aki in the near future. We may have lost the battle but perhaps Lord Shimazu has learned that a war with me will be very costly indeed. I have despatched an emmissary to see if Shimazu is willing to discuss a ceasfire. I need time to rebuild and re-arm.
Winter, 1563 My emmissary reports success. Lord Shimazu agrees that further bloodshed is pointless and has agreed to a ceasefire.
Summer, 1564 I have received a message from a samurai in my service in Chikuzen. He has organised a revolt there without my orders and taken the province from Shimazu. It appears the ceasefire will be over and my reputation will now suffer as a result. If by some miracle this man survives his adventure in Chikuzen I will order him to commit seppuku.
Autumn, 1564 Well the forces loyal to me in Chikuzen have been wiped out, as was to be expected. I doubt Lord Shimazu will believe any explanation I could give him for this unfortunate event. Katsuie has been told to prepare defences and wait for the Shimazu assault.
Spring, 1565 Reports from the west indicate that the new Lord Imagawa has been killed in battle and his clan has disintegrated. It would seem his rebellion was never really able to gain a foothold anywhere. I must look elsewhere for allies.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-imagawaeliminatedagain.jpg
Autumn, 1565 As I write this I am trapped under siege in my castle in Mino. My spies had reported no build up of troops along our border so we were unprepared for the attack by the Saito. I took my army into the field but we were outnumbered and my army was swiftly defeated. I can only hope that Nobunaga will get here soon to relieve me as there is very little food.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-Minoattacked.jpg
Winter, 1565 Nobunaga arrived yesterday and drove off the Saito army. I have sent an emmissary to broach the subject of an alliance with Lord Hojo.
Spring, 1566 This last winter has affected me more than any before, I guess I am just getting too old for campaigning now. I am not ready to retire yet as I find this exhilirating despite my advancing years. With the army depleted in Mino I consulted with Nobunaga and we decided to abandon Mino. This was a fortuitous decision as we returned to Owari just in time to see off a large force of Ronin and bandits. I received word this week that Lord Hojo has declined to enter into an alliance with me.
Autumn, 1566 Received a proclamation from the Emperor. He has declared his support for a new Shimazu Shogunate and requires me to submit. I have refused.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-EmperorsupportsShimazu.jpg
With increased bandit activity in the region, the Hojo increasing in strength on my borders and the Shimazu closing in from the east I have decided to risk everything on a desperate gamble. I have abandoned the provinces around Owari and invaded Kyushu via Hizen. Shimazu has left his soft underbelly dangerously exposed and I cannot pass up this chance for glory. I have not abandoned Owari however, a strong garrison will remain, it is afterall my homeland. The Shimazu forces in Hizen fled to their castle before I could destroy them, I have placed it under siege.
Winter, 1566 The siege in Hizen is over. I am going to stay here as another winter`s campaigning may be the end of me.
Spring, 1567 Naito Hidemasa, the commander of the survivors of Genshin`s army has attacked Kyushu from Nagato and taken Buzen without a fight. Loyalists once again revolted in Chikuzen and Nobunaga assisted them in bringing the province back under my control. I have led the rest of the army into Chikugo and taken the province once again without a fight. Lord Shimazu must place great emphasis on his troops abilities to run as it is almost impossible to catch them. Uesugi has accepted my offer of an alliance.
Autumn, 1567 My son, Nobuharu has finally entered service with my army. I hope he will bring honour to our name. Nobunaga and Hidemasa have attacked Bungo and placed the castle under siege.
Winter, 1567 My sons all appear to be growing up fast as Nobukane has entered service with my army in Aki. I hope he will learn well from Katsuie. I could not sit idly by this winter whilst my subordinates are gaining glory in the field. I attacked and took Higo. It will not be long before all of Kyushu is under my control. I only hope I will live long enough to see it.
Spring, 1568 My emmissary in Musashi is dead. This can only be the work of Lord Hojo. He was however too late to disrupt the birth of my alliance with the Uesugi. I have however had cause to celebrate this season. My young wife has given birth to another son, we have named him Hidetsugu. Hideyoshi has now entered service with my army and is currently stationed with the garrison in Aki.
Summer, 1568 Nobunaga informs me that the long siege in Bungo is finally over. I now control the sea lanes to Shikoku.
Autumn, 1568 Hideyoshi has joined Katsuie in Bingo. Nobunaga has attacked and taken Hyuga.
Winter, 1568 I have attacked and taken Satsuma and placed the castle under siege. The main enemy force has fled to Osumi and are contained there. I received a message today from my spies in the west, Lord Hojo has been murdered and his son now rules the clan.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-LordHojomurdered.jpg
Spring, 1569 I attacked and destroyed the last free Shimazu forces in Kyushu. Surrounded in Osumi and with nowhere left to run I finally got the battle I had been waiting for.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-battleofOsumi.jpg
It was a rather short affair but the Shimazu did not go down easily. We had to kill every last one of them.
Autumn, 1569 Naito Hidemasa has ended the siege in Satsuma. I feel it would now be prudent to quit public life and allow Nobunaga to begin taking control. I have begun to feel aches in every joint and constant bouts of sickness. The end is near, I can feel it.
Spring, 1570 All resistance in Kyushu has ended and the entire island is now mine. I will not continue further with this journal but I will ensure that it is passed to my son when I die.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-Iownkyushu.jpg
Overview
Well I`ve abandoned one half of my empire. I was going to abandon Aki but when it came to it, Kyushu was just too tempting to resist. My next move is going to be to move on Shikoku and take that island, then I will probably just try to and do a straight sweep across the map
A tactical masterpiece!
I'm in a trance of deep admiration. :dizzy2:
You pulled it off - it was the right thing to do since Kyushu its a dead end and always as such safe. From now it falls into line after this you ll take the upper hand pretty quickly especially as you make some money.
Nicely done.
!it burnsus!
woo! you work fast, great turn around, though it is a poor area for money generally
Cheers guys. The decision to abandon everything around Owari to invade Hizen came to me in a moment of clarity haha. It took all of about 5 seconds to decide to go through with it.
There is one worrying factor though in this campaign. I have seen a couple of Hojo Geisha`s moving about. They havn`t bothered me yet...
There is one worrying factor though in this campaign. I have seen a couple of Hojo Geisha`s moving about. They havn`t bothered me yet...
They will eventually - also Hojos frontier seems to start the weeping of teh northeast. better reach Kawachi asap and barricade in Kawachi/Harima/Tajima.
As for the area being poor its deceptive - you can make tons of money especially if you accept both the Portuguese and Dutch and queue uo both their trading posts. Kyushu plains are also very lucrative.
Barricade and start building ninja houses with eventually aiming for your own Charlies Angels. Remember to spy on the Geishas to see who they are targeting and if its your daimyo and heirs start port hoping to avoid them. Enemy geishas get only worst in time as they accumulate experience - and you are still far off from reaching the geisha house of Hojo it seems.
!it burnsus!
If the Geishas become a real problem, you may have to isolate the Daimyo in a back water province and demolish the port and ports in several adjoining provinces to stop her getting close, then send your ninjas against her. I remember having to do this once because she was targeting my heirless Daimyo...
ODA ~ Passing the Torch
Autumn, 1570 My father is dead. It now falls to me to guide my clan to it`s destiny, the domination of all Japan. I was unaware of my father`s journal untill it was handed to me by his closest retainer, a man by the name of Li Kurosawa. I am not much of a writer but I will try to keep an accurate record of events to come.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-Succession.jpg
Autumn, 1572 It has been two years since my first entry. Affairs of state have kept me busy and to be honest, nothing of much interest has occured. There has been no further fighting with Lord Shimazu these past two years and we have agreed to a ceasefire.
Autumn, 1574 I am now firmly established in Kyushu and the memory of Shimazu rule here is just that, a memory, a fading memory. The Hojo however continue to grow strong, they have almost completely surrounded Owari but have not yet dared to attack.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-Owarialmostsurrounded.jpg
Winter, 1575 With the preparations in place, I have declared war on the Shimazu and invaded Iyo. The province was taken and the castle there is surrounded and under siege.
Summer, 1576 My emmissary in Bitchu has been killed. Apparently he engaged the services of a local courtesan, It would seem he must have caused some offense. The woman has not been seen since.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-Geishakillsemmissary.jpg
Spring, 1577 I have continued my offensive in Shikoku. Sanuki has fallen to me and the siege in Iyo has ended.
Autumn, 1577 I ordered the death of the Shimazu emmissary, our man was successfull. My enemy, Lord Shimazu also died this month, though the cause would appear to be sickness. His son has taken over. This new lord`s days are numbered.
Winter, 1577 I have pushed on into Awa and swept aside a small force sent to hold us at a major bridge crossing. Awa belongs to me now. General Naotaka has attacked and taken Tosa. My brother, Hideyoshi has opened up a new front with an attack on Bizen. He defeated a small army there and has the local castle under siege. I will crush them soon.
Spring, 1578 The entire island of Shikoku is now under my banner and the Shimazu are completely on the defensive.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-Shikokutaken.jpg
Leaving a small force to maintain the siege in Bizen I ordered Hideyoshi to launch an immediate attack upon Mimisaka. Once again the Shimazu forces retreated behind their castle walls.
Summer, 1578 Disturbing news arrived today. My younger brother, Nobuharu has been murdered. The circumstances appear eerily similar to the death of my emmisary two years ago. I hope these two killings are not related.
Autumn, 1578 The Hojo finally invaded Owari this season. They were defeated in a huge battle, but now I have ordered the abandonment of the province. I do not feel a sentimental towards that place as my father and the troops will be better put to good use in the war with Shimazu. This war continues to go well with the latest Lord Shimazu dying in battle in a misguided attack against my superior forces. His brother now rules the clan.
Spring, 1579 I have attacked and taken Awaji. The Shimazu clan have now been completely evicted from the smaller islands and now reside in an ever shrinking domain around Yamashiro. However there was another disturbing event, my brother Hideyoshi has died in mysterious circumstances. I have heard whispers that the killings were ordered by myself in order to cement my rule of the clan, In many ways I wish it were so but it is not the case. I feel I may be next. I have ordered a purge of my household, I cannot risk Lord Hojo infiltrating an assassin into my court.
Summer, 1579 I have fought a mighty Shimazu army in Kawachi and won.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-BattleOfKawachi.jpg
Once again they attempted to hold me at an important crossing. However, before they enemy were fully deployed I was able to get my Cavalry Archers across the bridge and behind the enemy formations.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-BattleOfKawachi1.jpg
There they were ordered to stay clear of the river and harass the enemy formations whilst my infantry crossed the bridge.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-BattleOfKawachi2.jpg
A small formation of enemy Archers were able to inflict some damage on my units as they moved over the bridge. Once my men were all across the Shimazu forces lost heart and fled the field.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-BattleOfKawachi3.jpg
Overview
This is tricky. The Geisha has killed all my heirs brothers but one and his own sons are still babies. My wars are going fine but I don`t think the Geisha will let me live long enough to win.
This is tricky. The Geisha has killed all my heirs brothers but one and his own sons are still babies. My wars are going fine but I don`t think the Geisha will let me live long enough to win.
That sounds familiar (see my thread). You will need to kill off the Geisha and find where they are being trained and go for broke. Once they target your faction, they often do so until destruction.
Well I`ve actually managed to wipe out all the Geisha with some hardcore Ninja`s. I can now train geisha of my own, however I don`t want to win the campaign like that. I have encountered a problem though. Hojo have attacked me in Kawachi, it`s a massive battle, over 5,000 of them vs over 2,000 of mine. When I try to command the defence I get an error message "Shog_CPP" and the game crashes to desktop. I have tried reloading and going again but I get the same error message. I am willing to try to Auto resolve if I have no other option to keep the campaign running but I would rather not.
Wow, really close then! :dizzy2: I wonder why enemy Geishas never bothered me when campaining...
Hm, this would be quite undesirable. The AI wil probably be unable to fight off 5000 men. I bet you would. This could become a massive drawback then. Are there other posibilites to come out of this? reinstall and save the savegame? Or transfer it to another PC with Shogun, fight it there? Or ingame stuff: counterattacks or anything?
Wow, really close then! :dizzy2: I wonder why enemy Geishas never bothered me when campaining...
It may be that you blitz the map or that you expand quite quickly? If you turtle the campaign, you will see more Geishas and heavily upgraded units.
As to the error, that might be the result of a corrupted save. If you have any agents on missions for that season, try to cancel the missions. Be careful with emissaries, there is a bug whereby if you cancel their missions in certain cases they can CTD the game.
Worst case scenario try abandoning the province, retreating to the castle or autoresolving and see if it still crashes. If it does then it may unrecoverable...
I tend to avoid the quicksave and autosave in STW (and MTW) for this reason. Most of the time they're ok but then they corrupt at the worst possible moment.
:bow:
I recall having such a problem in MTW. I don't remeber right, but I think it was one minor attack causing it and after aborting it, it was ok.
As for the Geishas, I had this rather long battle against Shimazu (see campain report) where, at one point in time, he killed 2/3 of my heirs by ninjas and I turtled my last one in a nonport-province with everything around heavily fortified. I would have expected him to use Geishas then...
ODA ~ Winter, 1579
Autumn, 1579 Ishida Mitsunari has attacked and taken Inaba and has invested the castle there. He has warned me to expect a long siege there. Elsewhere, Nishio Katsutoshi has conquered Harima in my name and I have taken Yamashiro, I am now a guest of the Emperor who has declared his support for me and invited me to become Shogun, I doubt my enemies will stop their resistance.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-EmperorSupportsOda.jpg
However, for the timebeing I am isolated here after a Shimazu attack on Kawachi. I will retake Kawachi next season with assistance from Mitsunari.
Winter, 1579 I launched my attack as soon as I heard news from Mitsunari that he was ready to assist me.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-CounterAttackKawachi.jpg
The battle was won but at heavy casualties. I deployed on my side of the bridge with my lightly armed Ashigaru in the front, they were to be the first across the bridge. My hope was that they would trigger an attack by the shimazu defenders, thus luring them into range of my Archers.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-2ndbattleKawachi1.jpg
This was unsuccessful and after my Ashigaru received heavy casualties for no gain I ordered a mass rush across the bridge. This was touch and go, my men fighting for every yard as they went, my entire personal guard was wiped out. In the end, with my whole army across and on their side of the river the Shimazu decided to quit the field. If only they knew how close they came to killing me and wiping my army out.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-2ndbattleKawachi2.jpg
My garrison in Tosa reported a minor revolt was swiftly put down.
Overview
Just a quick update today. I still have some stuff to post from before the bug occured which I`ll post in the next day or two whilst trying to fix my game. Anyways, everything is going well at the memoent.
zyxophoj
01-21-2009, 19:01
Nicely done. That was... an interestng way to get to Yamashiro. Hitting Shimazu in the back certainly paid off.
I never know whether to go east or west as Oda. Sometimes I end up doing both at once.
Nicely done. That was... an interestng way to get to Yamashiro. Hitting Shimazu in the back certainly paid off.
I never know whether to go east or west as Oda. Sometimes I end up doing both at once.
Cheers mate :2thumbsup: I`m glad you`ve enjoyed reading my report as it`s my first one. Also, I see you are a new member, welcome to the Dojo :bow:
P.S I love your signature.
ODA ~ Then There Were Two
Spring, 1580 I ordered the death of another of Lord Shimazu`s spies in Satsuma. I have heard that the fickle Emperor has now decided to switch his support to the Shimazu clan.
Summer, 1580 The siege in Inaba is now over. I am closing the net around the Shimazu.
Autumn, 1580 Ishida Mitsunari has led his army into battle against Lord Shimazu in Tajima province. The enemy did what they appear to be best at, they ran.
Autumn, 1581 After a long investigation, my spies have uncovered a group of female assassins working for Lord Hojo. It would appear that they were the ones responsible for the prominent deaths in my clan not so long ago. My agents have managed to uncover the locations of these women. Already one of them has fallen to the blade of an assassin in my employ in Harima.
Winter, 1581 The blessed Emperor has now declared his support for the Hojo clan. In a stunning betrayal and series of attackes the Hojo turned on their weakened allies, the Shimazu and all but destroyed them. Their only remaining forces are trapped with their lord under siege in Tamba. I only wish it was me who would be the one to destroy them. I must start preparing for an enevitable offensive by the Hojo. I am simply too powerful for them to ignore, even if they do have the support of the Emperor.
Spring, 1582 My assassins have located another enemy assassin in Harima and killed her, however they know were three of them but cannot find the third. Her trail has gone cold.
Summer, 1582 As expected Lord Hojo has began his offensive into my lands with an attack on Tajima. This was shortlived. As soon as the Hojo commander encountered determined resistance they withdrew to Wakasa.
Winter, 1582 My enemies, the Shimazu are gone. Lord Hojo showed his former ally no mercy. The Shimazu are gone forever. My father once told me of strange foreigners from across the sea coming here to trade, however they wanted my father and our people to convert to their strange religion. I recently entertained another group of foreigners claiming to represent other foreign powers opposed to my fathers "guests".
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-DutchTraders.jpg
These people too wished to trade but were not interested in spreading their faith in my lands. The weapons they offer, guns, are a much improved version than what I have previously seen wielded by the Shimazu in previous battles. I have agreed to their request to trade. These new weapons will be very useful in my war with the Hojo.
Summer, 1584 Hidetsugu has come of age and I have given him command of an elite unit of No-Dachi swordsmen in Satsuma. He will be joining me at the front very shortly. I also received word this month that my allies, the Uesugi have been finally defeated. It is down to just me and Lord Hojo now. I vow that it will be me who will control the destiny of these islands.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-UesugiEliminated.jpg
Overview
You are all now fully up to date with my campaign before the bug hit. I think I have discovered a fix though. Anyways, it`s now just me and the Hojo. My plan is just to draw them into as many large battles as quickly as possible in as short a time as possible. I will, hopefully defeat their armies then sweep through their territory. Once the Hojo lord and heirs are dead I shall be victorious.
Nice, you have a lot of territory now! Is it right that the Hojo control the rest of Japan?
By the way: you have heads in your thone room! Is this special for Oda? Or do you have to do certain things for that?
Purely cosmetic, the Oda throneroom comes complete with those heads.
Hojo has a slight territory advantage and richer lands, but im sure you'll thrash him regardless, if you can destroy is geisha that is, be sure to get your agents at his ports and strike at the weak under belly that lies beneath his strong outer :yes:
Wow. This is a very gripping campaign, Wishazu! I've not read one like this in a very long time. :bow:
I especially like the multiple references to Nobuhide's old bodyguard Li Kurosawa. A very nice touch, that. ~:)
Wow. This is a very gripping campaign, Wishazu! I've not read one like this in a very long time. :bow:
I especially like the multiple references to Nobuhide's old bodyguard Li Kurosawa. A very nice touch, that. ~:)
Cheers mate, I`m glad you have enjoyed reading it. I`m hoping to continue on as soon as possible but I have encountered a bug(posted in apothecary already). When I try to play a specific battle(hojo attacking kawachi) the game crashes and I get an error message "Shog_CPP" the CTD. I have look around and noticed this random unit in my Daimyo`s army(bottom of screeny)
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/Campaignbug.jpg
I have done a quick test and suicided the extra unit but then i get another message saying my daimyo is dead :wall:
Whar else can you do with the unit? Can you command it to go elsewhere, what does the info screen say (in comparison to the original one)? In my opinion this will probably be the root of evil in this case, since the game cannot generate a 121 men daimyo unit?
Thats unlucky with the bug, hope it gets sorted out, great campaign so far.
Cheers Adam, welcome to the Dojo friend :bow:
No worries though guys, I have gotten past the bug and will most likely post the next update tomorrow. I`m just too tired now....... :Zzzz:
ODA ~ 3rd Battle of Kawachi
Autumn, 1584 Reports had been coming in for weeks before the battle, all describing the massive build up of troops in Yamashiro, Yamato and Kii. It was obvious that Lord Hojo was preparing an attack against Kawachi, it is the linchpin of my defence. Any assault upon my territories in Honshu will not succeed without Kawachi first pacified. I deliberately divided my forces along my frontier so as to make Kawachi appear soft. My intent was to make Kawachi the anvil upon which I would smash the Hojo clan. The attack finally came in the last week before Winter, one of Lord Hojo`s underlings commanding over 5000 men, more than double my own force.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-3rdbattleofKawachi.jpg
The weather was surprisingly mild for this time of year. It was about midday by the time my army was fully deployed and the Hojo warriors came into view.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-3rdbattleofKawachi1.jpg
I positioned myself where I believed would be the critical position on the field, directly behind my Naginata holding the bridge crossing. I had with me at the front two units of Samurai Archers ready to rain death on any Hojo trying to cross. Behind these were some Warrior Monks ready to counter-attack if the front line began to waver. The Hojo commander ordered the attack and sent his No-Dachi into the fray.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-3rdbattleofKawachi2.jpg
My Archers took a murderous toll on the No-Dachi but still they kept on coming untill like a wave crashing against a cliff they hit my defensive line. My Naginata, in their heavier armour stood immovable like rocks, fixing the Hojo attackers in place whilst my Archers fired over their heads into the mass of purple armoured bodies. By this time though, the Hojo Archers had formed up on the other side of the river and began to support the attack with fire of their own. I found myself within range but dared not leave this important position, besides almost all the fire was directed at my Naginata. How many of their own troops they shot in the back was hard to tell but it must have been substantial. Eventually however, the pressure at the front began to grow as more and more Hojo warriors poured across the bridge, the enemy commander himself joining the attack to spur them on. My men slowly began to give ground.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-3rdbattleofKawachi3.jpg
As the casualties began to mount in my front line I judged it was time to launch the counter-attack with the Monks, they ran forward and made contact with the Hojo, the impetus of their charge throwing back the enemy advance allowing the Naginata to disengage and reform.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-3rdbattleofKawachi4.jpg
The fanatic Warrior Monks completely threw back the assault and cut down the enemy commander. In their attempts to escape many Hojo warriors were drowned as their comrades knocked them into the river.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-3rdbattleofKawachi5.jpg
Despite the stunning success so far I ordered the Monks to cease their attack, I didn`t want them isolated on the other bank in the event of the enemy rallying. We had slaughtered a big chunk of their army but they were not done yet, that was just the first wave. I ordered the Monks to the rear to rest them before the next attack. There followed a long pause in the fighting, the Hojo reinforcements moving into sight ready for their next push. Almost at the same time, runners from either flank of my army reported sightings of enemy cavalry on both the left and right flanks, they must of found other crossings we were unaware of and been attempting to strike us in the rear. Their timing however was poor, they were unable to support the initial surge across the bridge and now launched into a premature attack against my rear.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-3rdbattleofKawachi6.jpg
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-3rdbattleofKawachi7.jpg
Both of these attacks were swiftly dealt with by Yari Spearmen supported by the Samurai Archers I had held in reserve. A few brave but deluded Hojo warriors attempted to attack the crossing whilst this was going on but were easily blocked off and sent running for their lives, their moment of bravery forgotten.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-3rdbattleofKawachi8.jpg
By now my Archers were all out of ammunition so I gave the order for them to withdraw. There was no sense risking any casualties amongst them when there was little they could add to the battle now, besides I had men in reserve ready to call to the front if they were required.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-3rdbattleofKawachi9.jpg
It was shortly after my Archers had quit the field that a few more small elements of the Hojo army began to appear in our rear, probably the infantry sent with the cavalry that attacked earlier. They probably realised too late that the warriors they were sent to assist were dead and they themselves had no escape. My Monks were now fully rested and I ordered them to deal with these interlopers. The melee was short and brutal.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-3rdbattleofKawachi10.jpg
It was now late in the day and with the light leaving us swiftly the Hojo launched a last desperate foray onto the bridge. My Yari Samurai were able to hold them long enough for the Naginata to regain their former positions defending the crossing.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-3rdbattleofKawachi11.jpg
With the day all but over the Hojo realised the hopelessness of their situation and began too withdraw. My men were too tired to pursue and besides, I liked effective cavalry to conduct an effective mopping up. The day was mine. Me and my retainers counted nearly 2,000 enemy slain at the head viewing and they reported to me the loss of 600 brave samurai. The only major loss to me was Nishio Naotaka, killed during the Hojo raid on my right flank.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-3rdbattleofKawachi12.jpg
Acceptable casualties as far as I`m concerned as I still had more than enough troops to hold two or even three more such attacks. My only hope is that Lord Hojo will come again. If I can destroy his major armies here in Kawachi then Shibata Katsuie will be able to launch an invasion into Hojo occupied lands further north from Tamba province which he was able to take unopposed as the garrison had left to join the attack against me in Kawachi.
Winter, 1584 Construction has began on the foreign trading post in Aki. The guns I will be able to acquire now will probably be too late to have much of an impact on the war but I am curious as to their usefulness. My spies have reported the possible location of the last of the woman assassins working for the Hojo clan. They believe her to have recently been in Awa province, I have dispatched my agents to pick up her trail, find her and kill her.
Summer, 1585 My men sent to kill the Hojo assassin have sent me her head. They tracked her down in Tosa and ambushed her in a small farmhouse, she did not go quietly and fourmy men were slain. I feel I can sleep a little easier at night knowing all those vicious bitches are now dead. I am also reliably informed that my armies now outnumber those of the Hojo. I feel one more decisive battle will settle this war.
Autumn, 1585 The trading post has been completed in Aki and I have placed my first order for Muskets. The traders inform me that the first consignment will arrive by ship in the Spring of next year.
Winter, 1585 Sad news has reached me today, Li Kurosawa, my fathers most trusted retainer and my teacher from childhood has passed away. I must confess to a tremendous sense of loss, the man was as close to me as my father. Kurosawa has been a fixture in my life since I was born and I did not really believe he would ever die despite his extreme age. I will honour him with a shrine in Iga when I control the province again. Afterall he was the greatest warrior I ever knew and Iga was the scene of his greatest glory in the service of our clan.
Katsuie has been forced to give up Tamba after a surprise attack, he has joined Hidetsugu in Tajima and will retake Tamba in the Spring.
Spring, 1586 As planned, Katsuie and Hidetsugu have joined forces and attacked Tamba. Once again the province fell without a sword being drawn. Another massive assault by Lord Hojo himself has taken place upon Kawachi. Strangely, the battle played out almost identically to the previous encounter though I was unable to take Lord Hojo`s head. A small enemy force consisting entirely of light Cavalry Archers was able to get across the border from Tamba into Harima and ambush most of the garrison whilst it was on patrol. I have ordered Hidetsugu to despatch some troops next season to deal with them.
Summer, 1586 Hidetsugu`s troops report success in Harima, Hidetsugu himself has remained in Tamba to cover Katsuie`s supply line Katsuie himself has defeated a Hojo garrison in Wakasa and taken the province. The Hojo appear to be entirely on the backfoot now.
Overview
Well my startegy to sit back and let the Hojo break himself upon me seems to have worked wonderfully. I am now getting a steady stream of cash aswel as reinforcements to the front. My Daimyo will remain in Kawachi whilst Katsuie and Hidetsugu launch attacks into his more lightly defended provinces.
ODA ~ Seii Tai Shogun Summer, 1587
Spring, 1587 A port has been completed in Kawachi. I can now transport reinforcements from Kyushu directly to the frontline here. Katsuie and Hidetsugu have attacked and taken Yamashiro, the Emperor has been liberated from his Hojo jailors and has once again declared his support for me. Lord Hojo launched an abortive attack upon Kawachi.
Summer, 1587 I have achieved the fate laid out for me when my father first placed his feet upon the path to the Shogunate. Hidetsugu was engaged by Lord Hojo who was attempting to retake Yamashiro.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-BattleofYamashiro.jpg
Hidetsugu informed me that the battle was a confused and scrappy affair fought in thick fog. Hidetsugu was outnumbered but used the fog to his advantage by deploying half of his cavalry on the extreme right edge of the battlefield, screened by both the fog and dense woodland. Our troops deployed on the left of the Hojo advance where they could just make out the enemy troops in the myst.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-BattleofYamashiro1.jpg
The hidden element of Yari cavalry began to move forward through the trees so as to be in a position to hit the enemy from the rear. The rest of the Yari cavalry moved into the flat plain ahead of the enemy advance. That was when Hatano Yoshihiro, Hidetsugu`s cavalry Commander spotted his chance for glory. Lord Hojo had joined his scouting party ahead of the main force not realising he was blundering directly into the path of a huge formation of cavalry, Yoshihiro seized his chance and called a charge, all the cavalry with him heading directly for Lord Hojo`s personal banner.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-BattleofYamashiro2.jpg
The enemy scouting party had an elite unit of Yari infantry with them that took a vicious account of Yoshihiro`s men, however Yoshihiro was undaunted and pushed on. He fought his way through Lord Hojo`s personal guard and personally engaged him in combat. Both men were thrown from their horses and engaged each other on foot. Survivors tell me that both men exchanged blows and wounded one another but that Yoshihiro swiftly killed Lord Hojo with a thrust through the throat.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-BattleofYamashiro3.jpg
The fight here however was turning badly against Yoshihiro`s men who decided to withdraw leaving their commander behind. I do not blame them for leaving, Lord Hojo was dead and there was no reason for them to waste their lives. With their Lord and Master dead all order in the enemy army completely evaporated as they were now hit in the rear by the rest of the cavalry and my Muskets on their exposed flank opened up. The battle now became a series of mopping up exercises with isolated groups of enemy warriors being surrounded and destroyed.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-BattleofYamashiro4.jpg
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-BattleofYamashiro5.jpg
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-BattleofYamashiro6.jpg
A few Hojo Samurai managed to escape but it will make no difference. Lord Hojo is dead, he has no surviving heirs and all effective opposition to me has ceased. How fitting that the final battle for control of the islands was fought in the proximity of the Emperors Palace. I have accepted the Emperors invitation to become Shogun, I am now the dominant force in Japan and all the minor clans have been forced to subjugate themselves to me. The journey is over.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/hogkrazy/ODA%20From%20Such%20Humble%20Beginnings/Oda-TotalVictory-1.jpg
Victory Achieved
Well guys here it is, the end result. It looked like I was going to have a premature end early on but somehow managed to scrape through, probably more due to luck than strategic skill I think lol. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed playing it. Thankyou to Caravel and Patdj for their advice, it was very helpful, cheers guys ~:grouphug:
Well done, you deserve a medal for finishing that one.
:bow:
ReluctantSamurai
01-24-2009, 01:52
This is tricky. The Geisha has killed all my heirs brothers but one and his own sons are still babies. My wars are going fine but I don`t think the Geisha will let me live long enough to win.
Gentlemen....I'm not going to try to tell you how to play the game, but I know one thing......I would simply hate to have invested hours in a campaign, fought epic multi-stack battles, managed my empire through all the lean poor harvest years, only to have the game ended in such a cheesy manner.
I've seen folks give up playing because they couldn't get past the uber-powered geisha. I'd hate to see that happen here for want of a simple editing solution that, if you so desired, will effectively eliminate the geisha as a factor, and let the Shogunate be decided on the battlefield as it should.
Just my 2cents:beam:
Yes, I'm aware of how to edit the building choices to elminate the Geisha house, but some of us prefer to just play the game and live with the consequences. I personally no longer play STW simply to win, as I've been playing too long. If one were only playing to win, then a campaign involving a lot of blitzing, assassination, Monks and auto resolved battles would do the job. So once the Geisha show up I'm usually ready to give up anyway. Thanks for the advice but I'm not overly worried about always winning a 100% victory every time. For me, the campaign I just played was all about the taking part, though I cannot of course speak for Wishazu. Once I'd got to the stage where the Geishas were wreaking havoc it had begun to get rather predictable anyway.
:bow:
ReluctantSamurai
01-24-2009, 02:20
I know the sentiment as I do the same thing when playing RTW.....I don't necessarily play to win, but to have fun playing the campaign. When it stops being fun, I end it.
The one caveat with allowing geisha for 'games sake' is playing campaigns that start at the 1580 date. You will see geisha very early on, and from more than one faction. A campaign can end before it really ever starts, and that would be a shame because several of STW's most challenging campaigns (IMHO) start in 1580........
Hi Reluctant Samurai, thanks for your comments. Can I just ask if you have read the whole report? It`s just that your first post gives the impression that this is not the case. I was able to deal with the Geisha with a few Ninja. I do agree that losing to Geisha is cheesey and would annoy me if I had invested much time and effort in a game. However I also share Caravel`s sentiments about taking part. Besides if everyone who attempted to write a campaign story or report was always victorious it would not be very interesting to the rest of us. As you can see if you have read my whole report, the campaign wasn`t ruined as I went on to win. :2thumbsup:
zyxophoj
01-24-2009, 10:31
[
Victory Achieved
Nice. Thanks for posting this campaign, especially those last two battles.
Congratulations mate!
Definitely the most thrilling campain report I've read so far, despite the rather early end. But this way way, we will get the next masterpice some weeks sooner. :D
ReluctantSamurai
01-24-2009, 19:05
Can I just ask if you have read the whole report?
Actually, I did. Good writing, and fun to read.
My apologies for not being more clear. The lost campaign was your Mori one.
Besides if everyone who attempted to write a campaign story or report was always victorious it would not be very interesting to the rest of us.
Aye, true enough. But there are many ways to go wrong on the battlefield and lord knows I've had my butt handed to me more than once even sans the geisha:no:
As you can see if you have read my whole report, the campaign wasn`t ruined as I went on to win.
And my apologies for the second time....I did read every post. I just forgot to mention I was referring to your Mori campaign...................
I do agree that losing to Geisha is cheesey and would annoy me if I had invested much time and effort in a game.
My point, which I won't rehash. I only brought up the topic because there were questions raised about the possibility of removing them from the game, and I wasn't necessarily directing my comments towards you. Everyone has their own personal style, and I meant no disrespect because you choose to play with geisha in the game. For those who are following your campaigns that might not be aware of how removing geisha is done, was really where my comments were directed.:dizzy2:
No need to apologise Reluctant Samurai. I`m glad you enjoyed the campaign as it was my first report. You are mistaken about one thing though, the Mori campaign you have been referring to was not mine but Caravel`s. :)
Thanks Patdj and Zyxophoj for your comments. I`m currently trying to decide what campaign to do next and whether to record it in the same style. I may actually start a new one tonight as winning this Oda one has definitely given me the itch to play more.
ReluctantSamurai
01-24-2009, 20:16
You are mistaken about one thing though, the Mori campaign you have been referring to was not mine but Caravel`s.
Blind in one eye, and can't see out the other:laugh4:
Perhaps someone needs to do a Uesugi/1530 campaign, I haven't seen one of those in quite a while.
:bow:
Well I`ve just started a new Oda campaign on the same settings as my reported campaign, I just fancied playing Oda without having to take loads of notes and screenies etc. Afterwards I plan on doing an Uesugi playthrough/report.
amazing, if the HoF was still open i would have nominated this :yes:
I would like to do one but
1: I'm not that good at shogun
2: I don't know how to take screenshots
3: I'm not sure which factions have already been done lots and which ones which may bore people
:balloon2:
amazing, if the HoF was still open i would have nominated this :yes:
Cheers mate. :beam:
I would like to do one but
1: I'm not that good at shogun
I`m sure that won`t be a problem. It would be interesting to see how you might adapt to difficult situations, and like I`ve said before, you don`t need to win the game for the campaign to be interesting.
2: I don't know how to take screenshots
When you want to take a screenshot press the "Print Screen" button on your keyboard, then pause the game. Press "Alt+Tab" to take you to desktop and open up "Paint". When in paint press "Ctrl+V", your screenshot will appear in Paint. Save the screenshot to desktop. After that you need to upload your screenshot to a site like Photobucket or Imageshack. From their you can put the screenies into your posts here. I hope that helps.
3: I'm not sure which factions have already been done lots and which ones which may bore people
:balloon2:
I think the only boring faction to play as, and this is only for experienced players mind, is Shimazu. They have it fairly easy at the start and if you don`t have any problems their whole campaign is just a straight sweep across the map. It would probably be cool/interesting to see a new player using Shimazu.
When you want to take a screenshot press the "Print Screen" button on your keyboard, then pause the game. Press "Alt+Tab" to take you to desktop and open up "Paint". When in paint press "Ctrl+V", your screenshot will appear in Paint. Save the screenshot to desktop. After that you need to upload your screenshot to a site like Photobucket or Imageshack. From their you can put the screenies into your posts here. I hope that helps.
Only one thing to add: if you want to take screens more often, then use the JPEG format when you save them by Paint. This saves disk space and speeds up up- and downloading. Just in case you did not know that already. :)
Apart from that: I am a rather poor STW player. Campain reports are a perfect opportunity to get advise from experienced players and learn from mistakes. Give it a try. :)
Regarding screenshots: Hit F2 when you need to take one and it will save the file as a .TGA in the Shogun - Total War\TGAs\ directory. You can then open these up using the gimp or whatever paint program you use and save them as .jpgs. This is considerably easier than using print screen and alt tabbing.
-Edit: You can also use Irfanview which is free and can convert pretty much anything to anything else.
:bow:
ah ha! I knew there was a quicker way. Thanks for that Caravel.
Wow gerat battele in Kawachi, good end to the campaign, shame Hojo got killed when he did, good luck in the next one.
Concerning screenshots, there are also programs that directly give you JPEGs into the desired folder on a custm hotkey. They are usually also able to record short to medium movies. I used to have gamecam, but not installed atm.
Didn't know about the F2 possibility, saves some time, thanks!
Can't you use the TGA format for displaying it as well?
Sorry for thread abuse. :(
Thanks Wishazu and caravel, i do have irfanview, i will test it and if the method for taking screen shots works, i may start a Hojo campaign at 1530, which should be more than challenging enough for me. :balloon2:
@Patdj
Your no un-experienced player, you had some amazing battles on the hojo-half a campaign you did.
In short: Thanks a lot Wishazu. Amazing campaign & story. :bow:
(btw; I wasn't expecting the victory proclamation yet. I guess the northern regions are generally a lot bigger so even if you were only half way topografically, you had reached the 40-region point already. )
Btw, Caravel, I wrote on a Uesugi 1530 campaign a while back iirc. It's somewhere in Sword Dojo.
Cheers Drisos :beam:
The campaign was over a little quicker than usual as I only play to "Eliminate All Other Clans" as it saves the tedium of mopping up masses of rebebls at the end.
Regarding screenshots: Hit F2 when you need to take one and it will save the file as a .TGA in the Shogun - Total War\TGAs\ directory. You can then open these up using the gimp or whatever paint program you use and save them as .jpgs. This is considerably easier than using print screen and alt tabbing.
-Edit: You can also use Irfanview which is free and can convert pretty much anything to anything else.
:bow:
Are you sure it`s F2 mate? I have just started my Uesugi campaign and tried hitting F2 for screenies but when I check the TGA`s folder it`s empty...
Are you sure it`s F2 mate? I have just started my Uesugi campaign and tried hitting F2 for screenies but when I check the TGA`s folder it`s empty...
F2 worked for me, though i found that some of my battle pictures weren't in the TGA's, make sure you press F2 firmly, and a few times to hopefully ensure it saves in the TGA's, unless your computer is programed differently, would the shogun controls not tell you which button it is for you?
Sasaki Kojiro
01-26-2009, 22:55
Well...try the other f#'s and check in options where you can assign keys.
*slaps forehead* - *HARD!* I`m such a n00b lol. I`ll give it a try.
STW AARs are always the best, thanks for another epic tale.
Thankyou Xehh II, I`m glad you enjoyed reading my report.
vBulletin® v3.7.1, Copyright ©2000-2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.