I started my first campaign on Normal as the Hojo, and after dispatching the ones I start at war with, I was 'betrayed' by the ones on the left. They took the town to the north of the capital the Hojo start with, and with a two flanked attack I managed to retake it. Right at that moment, I got the campaign bonus for finishing the art of attack and I got the mangonel.

With that, and a steady stream of replacement Ashigurai I totally crushed that foe, while at the same time I was focusing on creating trade agreements. And that seemed to be enough to stop people from going to war with me, allowing me to tech up, and actually afford about 2 stacks consisting of 4 Yari Ashigaru and 4 Bow Ashigaru together with a few scraps of Samurai (and the mangonel).

The Date to the North and the Tokugawa to my West were really growing very fast, and considering I was allies with the Tokugawa, it seemed I was waiting for my own destruction. Then the Tokugawa finally went to war against the Date (it did require some Hojo money to convince the Date an alliance with the Tokugawa wasn't wise).

And I profited most from that war, by utterly destroying the Date (and vassalizing everything to the north and east of my position). Then I rolled back and conquered a few rebel provinces, remnants of the Tokugawa Date war.

At that point I had 4 of those aforementioned armies (although my generals sure were dishonorable, I had to order them to commit seppuku a lot).

So I decided to go with the proverb 'There is no dishonor in victory' and struck against the Tokugawa's allies. And they broke their alliance with me. However, upon destroying that ally (I think it was the Satai with just two provinces), the Shogun decided I was a threat and I got the Country Divided event. Everybody that wasn't an vassal of mine came at me. One of my vassals actually was very successful and rolled up the Tokugawa, while I got some scraps too. And then I decided to try and capture Kyoto, with two full stacks only to be horribly surprised that it was guarded by an army unlike any I had ever seen fielded by the AI.

With two of my four armies destroyed, no fleet to speak off, the my Clan soon fell to the combined might of the other clans. Leaving me with exactly what I started with. I was almost begging for peace, and fortunately for my vassals, I was still fairly well in the income. And it was only a matter of time (3 turns or so) before those vassals realized the mighty Hojo had fallen, and they came at me for revenge.

End game.

And all in all, I have to say, this Total War is perhaps the most enjoyable straight out of the box of them all.