How is your first campaign going?

[Monk]

My second stab at a Shimazu campaign is going well.

I have just taken complete control of Kyushu, it was made easy by the sargara actually going to war with another clan nearby! I now have 3 of the main trade routes with a healthy stack of trade ships on each so money is flowing in. The trouble is diplomacy is awkward for me with so many clans being indifferent and also refusing to accept trade agreements. Still have more to learn but I seem to be in a strong position to expand.

So now I am pondering my next step.

An invasion of Shikoku!

It'll be a hard fought campaign but if you can manage to secure the island, it's very easy to defend. Provided you have a strong navy of course.

My Mori campaign slowly grinds on. I picked the short campaign and have 10 years, 10 provinces and Kyoto to go. Tonight I managed to get realm divide and I really sweated it out because of my Ouchi allies. They have been my ally from the beginning but have gone Christian and our relationship went from "very friendly" to "friendly" to "indifferent". Plus we share a rather awkwardly divided Kyushu - with me having the "awkward" part. Miraculously, they stayed with me along with my Chokosabe in-laws, so it is western Japan vs eastern Japan. In my first battle at the top of the Shogunate's "Most Wanted" list, I managed to snatch defeat fromt the jaws of victory defending in a bridge/ford battle. I mauled not only the whole army but my only heir of age.

Don't for a second think your allies won't betray you if you're not wholly ontop of it! Eventually, as you win greater victories against the Shogunate, they will come to fear your power and will strike!

Keep them happy with gifts, 500-700 koku per turn usually is enough to keep them from switching sides. If not then a half stack sitting on the boarder for insurance will go a long way, if they strike, you may as well be prepared.