Wow! They really did make it harder.

**NapoleanShogunCaesar** · 05-04-2014, 03:59

Been away for a while. Thanks for the replies.

The campaign rocks. I stopped when I hit 14 provinces (and saved) to prepare for realm divide. I was at peace and trading with all clans, making about 10,000+/- koku each turn and building up on every aspect of empire. I got bored after a few turns of preparation for RD and decided to take a few more provinces. At 17, I hit RD. Having maintained an economy that covered my costs without trading with other clans, I was still making 1500 to 2000, with two good stacks on my front line of two provinces, one in reserve fully formed with a boat, another good stack worth scattered around, and 6 Nambian Trade Ships for strong naval dominance. So far, I have heavily damaged my closer enemies, grown my income to 3,000 and continued my military build up, very slowly, though.

I also found the Black Ship, and have it in a position that I can attack it with four of mine. The computer shows me with an advantage, but I had to sleep before I finished the battle. It's a formidable opponent.

I have had to move my reserve stack to the front, delaying my plans to attack the Chocosobe. I have a small goon squad on their island consisting of one missionary and one ninja. They have only had one move when they destroyed two mitsuki sent to arrest them. They will stay there to weaken that island forever, their military back up will have to be built before they get back up, though. Once I can send an army down there, the plan is to create as many vassals as possible (I think four) keeping a small presence on the island to keep them in line. That will give me the trade partners to be rich enough to advance on Kyoto.

I'm never going to have much of a family in this game, but unless the family goes extinct, winning the war is challenging but achievable. This is the first TW game I have played where the game was a challenge once I secured this many provinces.

**Gregoshi** · 05-04-2014, 04:03

Great! Thanks for the update. "goon squad" - love it!

**NapoleanShogunCaesar** · 05-08-2014, 17:27

Yes, I've been using agents in groups that I refer to as goon squads since the original Shogun. In this one, the missionary is so powerful that I have sent two of them forward individually, though. My ninja is dead on the Chocosobe's island, so that missionary is on his own too now.

**NapoleanShogunCaesar** · 05-12-2014, 19:35

Well, Realm divide is not such a big deal for Otomo once you have enough Nambian Trade Ships on the water (6 for me). They would have landed a lot of troops behind my front line if I hadn't had naval supremacy in my home waters. They did stop my forward progress with massive attacks on my defenses and tax my goon squads with their uncoordinated agent attacks, but I have increased in might and should be able to mount an attack after I repel the next big attack coming my way, but once again I have had to divert my attacking army to the front to keep from being overrun. I am building and upgrading more churches to weaken my opponents as the missionaries are by far the most effective agents.

More later.

**NapoleanShogunCaesar** · 05-14-2014, 17:51

The horde still have not made it to my defenses. This is the biggest so far with Takeda, Oda,and Iku Iki forces, the majority of which are Takeda. The Oda sent a huge force earlier, but judging from the attempted sea attacks, each force will be smaller than the first sent from each clan. Therefore, I probably have one more huge one to deal with from Hojo after this, then I should be able to advance easily enough, as well as send a new army to the Chocosobe's island. The Chocosobe killed my last agent on their island, but not before they lost three of their five provinces and regaining one. I have a very high level missionary headed there by next turn to keep them in check.