Iga Ninjutsu is Good (Hattori: Legendary, Domination, V5445)

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Chisato: "How are Urakami's iron shipment? The armoury in Satzuma is almost ready for it!"
Goemon: "Unfortunately, a war just broke out between Mori and Urakami, and Urakami's port is under blockade by Mori's fleet. There is no iron shipment yet..."
Chisato: :on_bash:

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Chisato: "Now we are direct neighbor with Takaoka. What is the HQ doing about it?"
Goemon: "I heard that Takaoka is so eager to trade with Hattori that they are willing to sell their pants for it."
Chisato: "Really? But didn't they just dropped our trade?"
Goemon: "Takaoka severed the trade link due to their shameful display of dishonor in declaring war on Hatano. I guess if we promise not to mock Takaoka :on_panda: every time we see them, they will be willing to trade with us again."
Chisato: "But I heard that these clans will get paranoid and drop trades sponaneously anyway..."
Goemon: "Maybe we should make a fat gift to them first to improve the relationship. Since Takaoka is willing to sell their pants to trade, our gift will come right back to us anyway."
Chisato: "Nice!"

Note: From time to time, we see an AI clan so eager to trade with us that it is willing to give up all its cash for it. On Legendary level this could mean a lot of cash. In the above case, Takaoka is willing to pay 10970 koku to trade! After a gift of 6633 koku to raise relationship by 100, that money flows directly back to us (10970 + 6633 = 17603).

The "so willing to trade that I will sell my pants" case seems to only happen when the human player controls the western trade nodes. Do we need more imbalance between the east and west?

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Sandayu: "Shimazu has been replaced by rebels! Good job distracting Shimazu's army, Chisato."
Chisato: "Actually they were doing strange things with combing armies... I didn't do much." :on_sweat:
Sandayu: "Attack Osumi, now~"
Yari Samurai Captain: "Please let me lead the attack! I will prove my worth!"
Sandayu: "We already promoted Sawada from this Yari Samurai. Do you know him?"
Captain: "Yeah, I was his second-in-command!"
Sandayu: "You fought really hard in the Battle of Kumamoto, facing attacks of Sagara ashigaru from three sides. I have trust in you. Go!"

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Captain: Done!"
Sandayu: "Good. What is your name?"
Captain: "My name is Minamoto Takatomo."
Sandayu: "Wow, a direct Minamoto (源) decedent?"
Takatomo: "Actually my father is Miyagi's Miyamoto, but he made a typo on my birth certificate, so it now becomes Minamoto."
Sandayu: :on_exhausted:

Note: Actually it is me who made a mistake in the Kanji above.

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Goemon (reading Pocket Times): "Chisato, are we boarding the ship yet? We really have to hurry. Chosokabe is going to destroy Miyoshi this season." :on_yell:
Chisato: "What's going to happen after Chosokabe takes control of the whole Shigoku region?"
Goemon: "They will actively expand... and there is a good chance they will come after us. We better make the landing before they declare war, or the powerful Chosokabe navy might intercept our shipping chain."
Chisato: "Let me report this to Master Momochi..."

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Sandayu: "Yeah I know we should hurry up, Chisato. But this time it will take us almost a year even if we depart this afternoon. We may as well spend one more season to heal up and use the chain transport next season."
Chisato: "How come? Last time we arrived in northern Kyushu almost overnight..."
Sandayu: ":on_sweat: It is complicated. Our monk just arrived in Iyo~ and it will take another two seasons for the stupid rebels to walk from the forest to the castle."
Chisato: "OK~"

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Sandayu: "But since you have nothing to do, why don't you hop on a ship and go to Shigoku first? I can always use more intel when I get there."
Chisato: "Sure! When does the shp depart from the Osumi port?"
Sandayu: "Actually it will be faster if you walk to Bungo and use the port there once it becomes ours..."
Chisato: :on_exhausted:

*** (somewhere in Hyuga) ***

Chisato: "I probably will never return to Kyushu again...:on_bye: Hopefully General Sawada will make a successful conquest."
Goemon (reading Pocket Times): "Yep no problem. Yukimune is providing great distractions for the Ouchi army. Our monk has just handed Bungo into Buddhist rebels."

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Goemon: "It loos like Sawada ordered an Ashigaru captain to lead the attack!"
Chisato: "So there is going to be another general in Hattori clan?"

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Goemon: "Yes, his name is Fujiwara Norioki. Now we have 4 generals to fill the roles of 4 comissioners!"
Chisato: "Let's head to the port and go to Shigoku! A new conquest begins!" :on_hero:

End of Chapter 7

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Chapter 8 Dark and Darker

(On the ship to Iyo, a grey pigeon flies over the Bow Kobaya and landed on Goemon's shoulder. A paper strip is rolled around the pigeon's leg.)

Goemon: "The Urakami clan has pushed Mori out of the Chugoku region! And strangely Mori's army jumped over Ouchi and took their Buzen..."
Chisato: "Wow. Did the pigeon flies all over from Iga? Some kind of Pocket Times delivery service?"
Goemon: "Nope, I heard that before we departed. this pigeon comes from my Nanban girl friend in Bungo. She says I miss you."
Chisato: :on_waterfall:
Goemon: "Sea sickness? Hm... suddenly Urakami becomes a power to be worried about. And they are allied with Takaoka and Bessho. I wonder where Urakami will turn their attention to?"

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Goemon: "Here we are, Shigoku! Let's cause some damage! :on_glaugh:"
Chisato: "Master Momochi told us to keep an eye out for Chosokabe army... how about the rebel army?"
Goemon: "Rebel army is our blessing. Go take the Iyo castle! We will protect you in the dark. :on_aww:"

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Goemon: "Hm... there is report that a Hatakeyama army is sailing north along the shore of Kyushu."
Chisato: "Hatakeyama...? Didn't we beat them up and force a peace treaty?"
Goemon: "The peace treaty has expired. So Hatakeyama technically could declare war on us without public scrutiny. But will they be brave enough to challenge the mighty Hattori?" :on_picknose:

Note: In the end Hatakeyama's army did not attack Hattori. It sailed east after passing the Kyushu-Honshu strait, probably landed in Noto. From experience, Hatakeyama is not an aggressive clan at all (unlike Imagawa's infamous sea invasion). So there was not much alarm raised in the first place.

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Goemon: "Chisato, it seems that we are not along on Shigoku island!"
Chisato: "Somebody is watching us in the dark?" :on_bibber:
Goemon: "At least not in my knowledge... I mean Hattori has landed another pair of ninja-monk on the east shore of Shigoku!"
Chisato: "Go, Team B!" :on_aww:

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Chisato: "Master, here you are! The rebels in Iyo has taken the castle!"
Sandayu: "Good, any sightings of Chosokabe army?"
Chisato: "Not so far. Maybe they are not coming?"
Sandayu: "Oh they will come and we need to prepare. Start the castle assault!" :on_furious:

Chisato: "Master, there is a report of a tiny Chosokabe army escorting a Metsuke southeast of Iyo!"
Sandayu: "Huh? Metsuke? That could be trouble. Go get him!"
Chisato: "Yes!"


Lantern of Shogun flickers candle light;
Avatar of shadow drifts out of sight.
Guard falls by a swift stab, dragged into the quietness of night.

Three men discuss the strategy of fight;
A fourth lowered from tree's height.
Throat slit by a swift swipe, leaving panic to spread behind.


(The assassination of Chosokabe's Metsuke is recorded and will be included in a later video.)

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Chisato: "Master, the Chosokabe Metsuke has been dealt with."
Sandayu: "I heard that he survived..."
Chisato: ":on_sweat: I overheard that he has a family to feed, so I did not use my full force..."
Sandayu: "Hm... You know he will recover and threaten us again, right?"
Chisato: "Yeah... but he has to do his job. Just like we do our jobs. There is honor in all our doings, even though we have to fight to the death..."
Sandayu: ":on_tears: It looks like you are mature enough for this certificate... You are now a level 5 Ninja!"
Chisato: ":on_aww: What's my benefit of being a level 5 ninja?"
Sandayu: "You receive 15% discount from all Iga Ninjutsu's associated stores!"
Chisato: "Huh? We run stores?"
Sandayu: "Let's just say there are stores who are extra friendly to us. It is secret."
Chisato: "Secret... then how do I know which stores give the discount?"
Sandayu: "It is easy. You know we have Pocket Times in circulation right? For all our friendly stores, you can see a pile of free Pocket Times left by their doors. Go to the owner and speak Iga Ninjutsu is Good."
Chisato: "I thought it is secret... :on_sweat: having a pile of newspaper is pretty obvious..."
Sandayu: "If you are not into Ninjutsu, you wouldn't know Pocket Times is actually a propaganda newspaper... :on_sing:"

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Goemon: "Wow, level 5 ninja, congratulations! :on_please:"
Chisato: "I wonder how the other ninja in the clan is doing. Are they following my footsteps, or am I trailing way behind?"
Goemon: "Er... you know, you have been on the road quite much, and they get a head start from Iga's ninja school..."
Chisato: :on_tantrum:
Goemoon: "By the way, team B has reported a large Chosokabe army north of Awa. Since the rebels will take Sanuki only after Chosokabe acts this season, it is likely that Chosokabe's army is coming after Iyo."
Chisato: :on_lightning: "I must report this to Master Momochi!"

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Chisato: "What's new in Kyushu?"
Goemon (reading Pocket Times): "It is quite complicated. First, Ouchi's full stack army was trapped in Bungo by our ninja, while Mori's army took Ouchi's Buzen. So by the time Hattori took Bungo from the rebels, Ouchi's army retreated all the way back to their home Nagato."
Chisato: "Oh... so general Sawada will have to deal with Mori in Buzen."
Goemon: "Not really, Mori's army left Buzen for Honshu quickly. They seem to be on their way to fight Ouchi in Nagato."
Chisato: "Why don't they take Nagato on their way to Buzen?"
Goemon: ":on_sweat: These clans always behave irrationally. But there is one common feature - they always leave their back completely undefended." :on_lol:
Chisato: "Does that mean our monks are active in Buzen?"
Goemon: "That's only part of the story. This is also Mori's last province..."
Chisato: "Infinite military access?" :on_sing:

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Chisato: "Master, there is a report that Chosokabe is marching a powerful army to Iyo!"
Sandayu: "Ha, so they finally came. I heard that questionable integrity runs in the Chosokabe family. Hm... I wonder whether we can still profit from them... if they will declare war on us anyway?"
Chisato: "Infinite military access? :on_sing:"

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Chisato: "Master, Chosokabe declared war just as expected!" :on_sing:
Sandayu: "The first army of Hattori - it is time to show what you are made of!" :on_furious:"

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(In the meantime...)

Ashikaga Shogun: "Welcome to the annual daimyo tea ceremony in Kyoto. Let us calm our mind to receive the tea. Please do not fight over your land disputes. How about we chat about each clan's artistic advances?"

Daimyo A: "We plan to develop advanced naval arts so we can discover heaven in the west!"
Daimyo B: "That's silly! We plan to get the best horse riders in Japan!"
Daimyo C: "Cavalry is useless! We want to be the most cultured clan!"
Hattori Yasunaga: "We will keep growing our crops for a while so we can feed ourselves, and our market will grow."
All other Daimyos: "Buhaha... :on_panda: It is silly to worry about sustainability!"
Yasunaga: "... I will never come to this silly meeting again...:on_bash:"

Note: The AIs are terrible market managers. Possibly due to the Legendary Difficulty, the AIs can sustain higher tax rate without getting a revolt. Their markets shrink very quickly as a result. AI also enjoys discounts on various things such as unit maintainance. A regular Yari Ashigaru costs 62 koku per turn for a Legendary AI, but 122 koku for Hattori. :on_scare:

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Chisato: "Goemon, Chosokabe has Metsuke. How about us?"
Goemon: "Sure? We have five of them. They are responsible for overseeing some of our most profitable towns. Together they contribute more than our most profitable foreign trade route. But of course we have other very profitable foreign trade routes. :on_thumbup:"
Chisato: "Hm... that's it?"
Goemon: "They can also catch other clan's agent. But that function can be fulfilled by ninjas and monks. Another unique role for Metsuke is to bribe armies and settlements. For example, as general Sawada is heading to Buzen, he discovers a huge rebel army stationed in there..."
Chisato: "But he also has a small army."
Goemon: "Yeah there is no way he can defeat that army with what he has. So this is what we do. First, we send in a ninja to remove the rebel general. A headless army is much easier and cheaper to bribe. Then, we call up a Metsuke from the nearby Tsukushi castle to bribe away half of the garrison."
Chisato: "Sounds very easy. How much are they asking for?
Goemon: "7150 koku."
Chisato: ":on_angry2: That's enough to buy one full stack..."
Goemon: "But you need time to get that full stack ready, plus you do not weaken the army by the same number of soldiers."
Chisato: "You have a point. But I doubt the HQ will approve such a large operating budget..."
Goemon: "Didn't Chosokabe and Mori just pay for it?"
Chisato: :on_sing:

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Chisato: "What happened to the bribed army?"
Goemon: "The bribed units were expelled from the castle. Luckily they did not wander far away."
Chisato: "So did general Sawada proceeds with the assault?"
Goemon: "Yes, those bribed armies can still join the battle as reinforcement."

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Chisato: "How did the battle go?"
Goemon: "There was no details given on Pocket Times... probably a very easy battle?" (auto-resolved)
Chisato: "Hattori suddenly has a second army... looking forward to its new conquests! :on_aww:"

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Chiato: "Master, the Chisokabe army is getting dangerously close! What's your order?"
Sandayu: "A true warrior looks for a chance to charge into a grand battle, but we are true samurais - with looks and brains. :on_charm: How much force does Chosokabe have in total?"
Chisato: "Other than this full stack, there is a rapidly growing half-stack in Tosa."
Sandayu: "So there are two armies. One ninja is enough to keep one army busy... hm... Tosa is Chosokabe's home. Lots of advanced dojo, right?"
Chisato: "And a Fortress."
Sandayu: "How long does it take to get to Tosa from Iyo?"
Chisato: "It will be hard for infantry to get there in one season. They will end up just short of the castle. But cavalry can reach it in the same season, so laying siege is still possible with the infantry as reinforcements."
Sandayu: "What type of fortress is Tosa's fortress?"
Chisato: "It is a dumbbell-shaped fortress."
Sandayu: "Oh? I heard the designer of that fortress has fled Japan to Northern Korea to avoid death penalty by Seppuku. Is the design really that bad?"
Chisato: "I heard it is a paradise for attackers, Master."
Sandayu: "Really? :on_sing: So... we can either attack Chosokabe's main samurai force with our crap ashigaru head on, possibly leave a undesired landmark on the ground, and take no province thie season, OR we can sneak upon Chosokabe's headquarters while its main army is trapped on the field..."
Chisato: "Master, please let me do it!"
Sandayu: "Now!" :on_furious:

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Chisato: "Goemon, we have a huge mission - sabotage Chosokabe's huge army! Any suggestions? :on_sweat:"
Goemon: "Hm... how about spreading rumors?"
Chisato: "Like...'
Goemon: "Like the Hattori army is about to attack Tosa?"
Chisato: "That's not a rumor... :on_exhausted:"
Goemon: "Exactly. That's why it will work. What would Chosokabe's army do if it learned that Tosa will be attacked?"
Chisato: "Hm... rushing back to rescue?"
Goemon: "Yes. So if you command the Hattori army and knows that Chosokabe's army will rush to Tosa, what would you do?"
Chisato: "I would set up an ambush." :on_stareyed:
Goemon: "Good. So if Chosokabe learned about signs of the ambush? Like increased cooking smoke over forests?"
Chisato: "They would not rush to Tosa... but wouldn't it continue to march toward Iyo?"
Goemon: "Now what if the cooking smoke arises from the intersection to Tosa and Iyo?" :on_panda:
Chisato: "Then Chosokabe will wait for the ambush army to come out!"
Goemon: "Yes!"
Chisato: "All we need to do is to pay people to spread the rumors and organize a large camping trip inside the forest!"
Goemon: "Yeah!" :on_lol:

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Sandayu: "Good job, Chisato. Let's march silently at night! Our black banner may not be as dark as Chosokabe's black banner, but we are the true terror in the dark! To Tosa!" :on_furious:
Hattori soldiers: "To Tosa!"

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Chisato: "Master, that man is Chosokabe's taisho!"
Sandayu: "Hm... he has got some guts huh? Riding right in front of our bow ashigaru. Fire!" :on_furious:

(Note: Taisho, literally "big general". Old fossils who played STW1 must know that "Taisho = commander", as in "The enemy taishou is running away from battle! But his dishonor, and our swords, will chase him to his grave!" and "We have taken the head of the enemy taisho!")

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Sandayu: "Ha, that coward taisho! Come back any time!... Shoot the Bow Samurai on the wall!"
Chisato: "Is there a reason that the Chosokabe archers defend the only back, but not the side... where we are?"
Sandayu: :on_sweat:

Note: Picking a good deployment spot can lock the defending ranged units into spots that can be easily killed from the side. Once a defending ranged unit is defending a wall, it will not leave until all our deployed units move away from that direction. In this case, the army is deployed on top of the map (back of the castle). So the defenders are glued to the wall facing the top of the map, making them very easy prey for our ranged units which marched to the side. This is a huge flaw of the Fortress-level dumb-bell castle.

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Hattori Bow Ashigaru: "Argh~" :on_dead:
Chisato: "Master, the fleeing Chosokabe Bow Samurai unit has regained their confidence and is shooting at us!"
Sandayu: "Finish them!" :on_furious:

Note: In multi-layered castles (fortress and above), only the top layer provides infinite morale. Therefore, when a defending unit is reduced to single-digit on a lower level, it will rout and attempt to run back to the upper level. As soon as they reach the upper level, their morale will be restored.

However, since the unit's order was to defend the lower level, the unit again attempts to defend the wall but often starts routing on their way there. The result is a infinite loop of a tiny unit running back and forth. From time to time they will start shooting at us (the attackers) if they happen to have some morale left while our units is within range. This is also a good opportunity for us to finish them off.

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Chisato: "Master, the enemy has retreated to the upper level! But we can't really see where they are..."
Sandayu: "Have faith! Shoot them all!"
Hattori Bow Ashigaru: :on_pigdance: "Iga Ninjutsu is Good! Iga Ninjutsu is Good!"
Chisato: "The enemies are defeated by Iga Ninjutsu's guided arrows~ :on_gwow:"