Started my first campaign as the Uesugi on Normal and it's given me enough of a challenge that I can't complain. Fought the first battle against the Rebels and sustained way more losses than I had anticipated. Ashigaru just whittle away under concentrated Arrow fire. After that I began a slow build up. With the provinces so large I needed enough troops to stay with my Damyo and also muster a second expansion force. You start with your southern neighbours as vassals and I got friendly with all my other neighbours as well except for the Benji to the East whom you start at war with. My Damyos brother took an invasion force to the Benji homeland.
One turn away from their castle another clan comes in and destroys the Benji. Guess that's why they offered me a peace treaty and some money earlier. Next turn the Benji reappear and take their castle, but now their army is really large and they try to oust me from their province. I retreat back into my lands and the next turn Rebels take over the Benji province and they loose their army as it was in my territory. I have no problem to take my second province from the Rebels. I take my eyes on the peninsula just to the north of the Benji province and to the small island off the mainland, that has the gold mine on it. But my preparations for war are interrupted.
The Hojo have been busy in the South and now have 6 provinces, they're allied with the Takeda who own 4 provinces and the Date have crushed my buffer clans to the north and are now up to 4 provinces as well. Since the Takeda and Hojo attack my vassal, and my allies of Ashina I find myself at war with both of them. Luckily my allies take the worst of the beating and Takeda neglects to guard Hida province properly. I rush in from the north and take out his under defended castle. I then advance towards North Shinano, where it's touch and go for a while. His garrison is too large so I retreat back to Hida, where the Takeda follow and try to storm the castle. I beat them off soundly, but still have to defeat their remnants in a field battle next turn. After that the road to the North Shinano stronghold is open, but it is still heavily guarded. The fighting is fierce and I loose my Uesugi Warrior Monks, but I'm up to 4 provinces as well.
I have focused on the Chi path to get to the Warrior Monks, but I neglected to build a Naginata Dojo or Foot Archery Range in my capital so I can't recruit any Warrior Monks yet. Down the Bushido path it is then. Of course the Date have now also declared war on me. So I'm facing off against three major clans and my one ally (not the vassal) has been beaten and reappeared several times. Now the Hojo are at my doorstep and the Takeda are ready for a counteroffensive. Also the Ikko-Ikko muster their forces near my Benjo province, which is sorely undefended and I want to take that gold island asap, but it is heavily garrisoned.
I'll see what the future brings, but it looks to get interesting!
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