UESUGI - Way of the Sword and Bow

[Wishazu]

UESUGI ~ Autumn 1572 - Autumn 1576

Autumn, 1572 Kenshin has ended the siege in Sagami and destroyed the last of the rebels holed up there. I have taken Shinano with no resistance.

Winter, 1572 Shingen has abandoned his provinces around Aki. Without his armies fighting the Shimazu I`m not sure what further use my allegiance to the Takeda will be. I will watch them for now and see how they continue to fare against the Imagawa.

Summer, 1573 News arrived today from my spies in Kai, Shingen has made a secret peace agreement with Ieyasu, the Imagawa Daimyo. I am resolved now to an attack upon Kai for which I will be ready in the coming autumn.

Autumn, 1573 Kai is now mine and Shingen did not even lift a finger to defend it, he fled to Suruga. I have dispatched an emmissary to Wakasa to request an alliance with the Oda clan, currently they are allied to the Shimazu but that is likely to change very soon with Shimazu on the warpath.

Spring, 1574 I have just received a message from my man in Wakasa, he has succeeded in negotiating the alliance with Hideyoshi but also informs me that it will probably be worth nothing as the Oda just lost their largest army in battle to the Shimazu this past winter. I only hope that me new ally can keep the Shimazu occupied long enough for me to wipe out the Takeda.

Winter, 1575 Kagekatsu led his army into Izu to oust the Takeda but met no rsistance. I don`t blame the enemy for retreating, Izu is worthless and I would hate to die to defend it. Kenshin was also in action this winter, he attacked Shingen in Suruga but the resulting battle could only be decided as inconclusive. The Takeda had chosen an excellent defensive position and Kenshin was reluctant to engage in a costly head on attack. As it happens, my nephew was able to inflict much damage to the Takeda before a blizzard forced him to withdraw back to Kai. His supply lines were not secure and we can easily take Suruga next year.

Spring, 1576 Well the alliance with the Oda clan has been short lived. I received word today that Hideyoshi was defeated and with nowhere to run committed Seppuku rather than be captured. The Shimazu now control most of Japan and my patrols in Shinano have seen samurai flying the banner of Shimazu Yoshimoto just inside the border of Mino. It is only a matter of time now.

Summer, 1576 A vast Shimazu army is now camped within the borders of Mino, my agents estimate 4,000 infantry and about 1,000 cavalry. This force greatly outnumbers the force I have in Shinano, the obvious location for the first Shimazu move against me. There was, however, a ray of hope in the news I received with my spie`s report. It seems that Lord Shimazu`s only heir was killed in the final battle with the Oda clan. If I can only tempt him personally into battle then I can make good on my claim to the title of Shogun. Kenshin and Kagekatsu attacked Suruga and this time destroyed the entire enemy army. Shingen himself died during the fighting, ambushed by a unit of Warrior monks, when he tried to escape he was caught by our cavalry and killed. The Takeda are no more.



Kagekatsu has joined me in Shinano and left Kenshin in Suruga to protect our flank against any move Ieyasu may attempt from Totomi. I have dispatched my emmissary to Totomi to see if Ieyasu is willing to make peace, I cannot spare any forces to finish him and he is also at war with Lord Shimazu.

Autumn, 1576 Well as expected Lord Shimazu attacked Shinano with all the forces he could muster but did not make an appearance himself.



We managed to achieve a victory but at massive cost, losing more than half of our army and Kagekatsu whilst inflicting relatively few casualties in comparison upon the enemy. I cannot furnish you with the exact details as during the early stages of the battle when it looked as though we may lose, my bodyguard dragged me from the field. All senior commanders were killed so there is no conclusive picture of events after my departure. What I do know is that the battle quickly degenerated into scattered skirmishes between small pockets of opposing forces. In this regard my men had the advantage and new the terrain better. Unable to pin my troops down and with their Taisho killed the Shimazu warriors withdrew, I suspect they will be back in force very soon. Ieyasu has responded to my request for a ceasfire, the head of my former emmissary carrying the reply.



Overview
Ok, yes, my Daimyo ran away Shinano was just one of those battles where everything seems to go spectacularly wrong. Though on a massive hill my archers singularly failed to do much harm, my infantry were unable to hold at the top of the hill after the Shimazu infantry exhausted themselves with the climb. The same enemy infantry just would not rout, not even after being ambushed in the rear by warrior monks and to top it all off my 3 brand new units of CA refused to skirmish they just stood by and watched the enemy Nagi cav walk up and kill them. I lost 2,000 men for about 1,000 kills, only achieving victory by having my reinforcement archers hold out in the scattered pockets of woodland untill the timer ran out. I am now frantically training replacements but if I lose another battle in Shinano then I think the game will be up. Sorry once again for lack of screenshots of the battle, I was too busy with the micro management.