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Hi guys,
To say the multiplayer elements of Total War: Shogun 2 are extensive is like saying that Neptune’s “quite far away”. We’ve overhauled the experience from top to bottom to hopefully provide hundreds and hundreds of hours of gameplay for keen Total War gamers and newcomers to the series alike. On top of the avatar progression system, match made battles, a new co-operative (as well as head-to-head) campaign mode, the retainers system etc, we’re including a clan competition for the first time. Thousands will compete to elevate themselves to the top-tier gameworld and become masters of Japan.
Without further ado, I’ll hand you over to our multiplayer ninja Will Overgard. If I can stop him from climbing the trees in the cark park for a second, he will talk you through some of this extensive play mode. Enjoy!
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“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” -Sun Tzu
Shogun 2 is rapidly approaching, with only 6 days and a fist-full of hours to go until our latest title in the total war series is on store shelves and with it comes one of our newest innovations, the multiplayer clan competition. I’m here to bring you all you need to know on our clan vs. clan contest and get you fully prepared so come March 15th, you’ll be ready to take your shot at total dominance.
The Clan Competition is a new feature coming to Shogun 2, which will allow mass warfare for groups of 25 clans to compete on their own map of Japan, with each group map representing a small part of the Clan Competition league. The winners are the clans which the own the most regions. Be in the top two at the end of the season and your clan will be promoted, be in the bottom four and demotion awaits you. Also, shame.
”Right, let’s get to war!”
Easy there, young Taisho! While your skills are sharp, planning and coordination are best weapons here (and maybe ninjas). The first thing you’re going to need is a Steam group.
This is the foundation of your clan: your group name and logo will carry over for your clan. Anyone you would like to join your clan will first need to be a member of that Steam group (so get recruiting now on the official forums, lest all the great generals join your foes first). Anyone within your group who you deign strong enough to lead can be promoted to officer from the Steam group administrator page. This will allow them to show your forces where to attack first via the clan conquest marker (but I’ll get to that in a sec).
Now you’ve formed your warband, you’ll need to link your clan within Shogun 2. This you’ll have to wait till release to do, but what you can decide now is your Clan Specialization. This will be a choice made when you first register your clan and, depending on what you choose, it will give your clan mates a specialised Retainer, as well as access to some very powerful Veteran skills. You’ll have to choose between the sword, spear, bow or even cavalry, so make your selection carefully.
”Wait, back up a second there. Specialised veteran skills?”
For winning multiplayer match made battles, while part of a clan, you’ll accrue clan tokens. With these you’ll be able to unlock veteran skills far beyond the standard set, some of which are only open to a Clan with a certain specialization. Take my little Bow Hero veteran. He’s looking pretty fierce on the battlefield, with all his veteran skills and custom coloured armour. If I have opted for the Bow clan specialization, spend 20 clan tokens and a skill point, he can deploy almost anywhere outside on the battlefield (the Kisho Training skill). Now he’s really a force to contend with. In this way, the clan competition will allow you to take your multiplayer army even further.
”How do I capture these regions?”
Now you’ve decided the focus for your group, you’re ready to bring the fight to the other squabbling clans. As I said before, to dominate in the clan competition, you must take regions on your group’s map of Japan. To take a region, simply place your army or navy marker over a region on the Clan Competition Map, then jump into a match made battle or a team battle. Despatch whatever petty opponent that should appear and emerge victorious. After the dust has settles, have another look on the Clan Competition Map on the region where you army marker was. There will now be clan influence points on that region next to the name of your clan. Whoever has the most clan influence points on a region owns it.
Now to the math(s): One victory on in a land or naval region will give you 20 influence points. Play your clan specialisation retainer during that battle and you’ll be awarded 5 more influence points. If it’s a battle won on a region that’s adjacent to one you already control, add 5 more. On top of all of those, for each member of your clan that fights by your side in team battles, you’ll add a further 1 point to garnish.
(20+20+20)+(5+5+5)+(1+1+1)+5=83).
To break it down, for a team battle victory, with two clan mates, each playing the clan retainer and with one region adjacency bonus would work out to 83 clan influence points;
This is a lot to take in, but as one who’ll lead your clan to glory, it may fall to you to plan your clan’s movements, so let’s make sure you have the edge. One tool you will have for this is the clan conquest marker, a golden (look at it shine!) marker that can be put on any region on the map. This is seen by every member of the clan, allowing you to coordinate your forces.
Please bear in mind that battle list battles or classic battles will have no effect on the clan competition at all, only battles fought via the quick matching system will earn you victory points and clan tokens.
In the coming weeks we’ll go into more detail on multiplayer and all the new features you will need to get to grips with, so head over to the official total war forums for further updates on tactics, units and the Clan Competition.
Gather your forces, forge your alliances and plan your stratagem. Be ready to challenge the world.
