Does anyone still use the kensai?

**BomilkarDate** · 01-10-2002, 21:33

I never use kensais, cause I never had problems fighting this guys. Can they really do any damage? The worst thing that happened to me was when one kensai killed some 15 of my honour 2 MHC. Other times a kensai attacked my Korean skirmishers that had already thrown all their ammo. After killing about 25 I finished him with my other victorious troops. So what the heck is this guy good for??? I prefer buying a HC or whatever. Even 1 high honour arq in a really heavy rainstorm is more lethal than this poor lonesome "warrior".

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Strength and honour

Bomilkar Date

**solypsist** · 01-10-2002, 22:48

actually i sort of like them, for sp only.

**theforce** · 01-10-2002, 22:51

Never use them they cost much koku!

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Don't use only honour, use theforce, too.
http://lod.nipogames.com/default.html

**BSM_Skkzarg** · 01-11-2002, 00:20

As noted - they can be useful in SP. In fact - I like using them in SP, as I will send one each into any YS or YA that exists on the battlefield, and use my cavalry to break the rest of the units. *The AI hardly ever uses Nagi - so this is feasible - stupid AI! LOL (No slam on longjohn2)* Since Yari and Nagi are the only real dangers to NC and HC - use these to break the rest while the Spears are tied up fighting a Kensai. Against yari (sams and ashi) the Kensai can take down the entire unit - but it will tire him out. Once you break the No-Dachi, Warrior monks, Archers and Guns, set a couple of yari cav to chase em off the battlefield, and use your (still healthy) heavy hitters (HC and NC) to hit the spears that remain in the flanks - making them break extremely quick. This will save the lives of many horses and horsemen, and also keep your kensai from becoming exhausted - which is when he dies...

One note - Keep Kensai as far away from enemy cavalry - that is his one major weakness. They slaughter him.

Qapla!

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BSM_Skkzarg
"A mind is a terrible thing to taste."

**Vanya** · 01-11-2002, 00:47

GAH! They take to long to produce!

**LordTed** · 01-11-2002, 01:07

Depends what you use them for...
They waste time basically and occupy units that could be used else where on the battle field.

**MagyarKhans Cham** · 01-11-2002, 01:51

kensais are highly usefull in challenging battles. we use kensais often in the clan campaign.

after the shootout, and u lost all arrows u can use a h0 kensai to hold of advancing archers. kensais eat arrows like wolves eat meat. only if u eat tototo much it will become nasty.

**evilc** · 01-11-2002, 02:43

in sp they are very useful, in mp it depends on your style.

**Gothmog** · 01-11-2002, 04:13

In SP, here are some additional ways to use Kensai:

1)Castle assault: 2-3 Kensai can easily break through any gate. And once the bottle neck is broken, the rest would be a walk in the park.

2)Bridge assault and defense.

3)Group your Kensai with weak attacking units such as YS and Nag. Better killing power.

4)"lock" an advancing hostile unit, so that your shock troops or cavalry can flank.

5)Note that, try to keep your kensai away from cavalry and WM. For one Kensai is no match to 60 of them.

However, if used in the fashion discribed at 4), you can risk charging your Kensai at cavalry. Just don't let him stay there for too long.

[This message has been edited by Gothmog (edited 01-10-2002).]

**Irving** · 01-11-2002, 04:20

meh.. kensai just take too long to produce for SP and in the time you could get one, you could have several hundred men which could be used too greater effect

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Chaos is born from order.
Cowardice is born from bravery.
Weakness is born from strength.
-Sun Tzu

**Zone** · 01-11-2002, 05:31

Love em for SP. I find them most useful for seiges, bridge battles and defending provinces aginst Ashi's etc. I once had 5 Kensi succesfully holding out for about 20 battles against armies of SA and YA and the odd YS, usually about 300 troops or so. In a recent battle one got 159 kills!

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ROFL..Zone does not rest [MIZILUS]

I don't play to win... I play not to lose ;)

P.S. smilies should work in the signature!

**Gothmog** · 01-11-2002, 06:07

Quote Originally posted by Irving:

meh.. kensai just take too long to produce for SP and in the time you could get one, you could have several hundred men which could be used too greater effect
[/QUOTE]

Well, Kensai is indeed not very cost effective. But then again, the most cost effective strategy in single player is to mass produce cheap troops and let them die em masse (no need to feed the corpse).

But what's the fun of it?

Also, the advantage of kensai is that, basically you are squeezing the fighting power of an entire unit into one man, thus giving him unbelievable penetrating power that can break through the most well defended line. (Imagine a real real sharp diamond shard).

**Gaxebo-sama** · 01-11-2002, 10:36

I agreee with you Gothy,

SP, Castle & Bridge, and the most important thing to have a Kensai is the FUN !

**tootee** · 01-11-2002, 12:15

In MP, Kensai is too ex, kps (kill per sec) is low compare to others, is hard to spot when I'm in the deepest shit of battle (i have bad eye sight and don't use ctrl+num), doesn't cover as much front as 60men unit, and get run over by cav easily.

I dont use them.

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tootee the goldfish
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**Rath** · 01-11-2002, 14:19

they are best for bridges or castles...but i dont use them at all on multiplayer.

**theforce** · 01-11-2002, 19:01

A unit of ys will sooner or later bring the kensai down. Also about blocking sides from archers to move in that is nice but he could send some cav to kill him first. Actualy ninjas are better for this job cause the archers will start falling like flies and also if he tries to send cav have some spear based units there. Ninjas are also overpricd in the game and they are more useful in defence rather than attacking.

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Don't use only honour, use theforce, too.
http://lod.nipogames.com/default.html

**Zone** · 01-12-2002, 03:53

I remember when I played a custom map when I first got MI and the AI Taisho was a Kensi. It was the first time i'd seen one and being the Taisho he lasted better than everyone else. I thought he was a ND and I couldn't understand how he was surviving an onslaught of 60 CA, 35 SA and a load of ND (NB I was puzzled why he was bigger than mine

) Of course I found out later but it suddenly occured to me, with full armour and weapons and as Taisho, they must be as near to invincibility as anything

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ROFL..Zone does not rest [MIZILUS]

I don't play to win... I play not to lose ;)

P.S. smilies should work in the signature!

**Irving** · 01-12-2002, 04:24

sure, at first they are 'invincible' but after they kill 20 or 25 guys. they will die fast.

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Chaos is born from order.
Cowardice is born from bravery.
Weakness is born from strength.
-Sun Tzu

**solypsist** · 01-12-2002, 04:53

if you time it right, you can have Ieyesu (sp?) from the Imagawa clan appear as a kensai.

**BSM_Skkzarg** · 01-12-2002, 05:22

Kensai are tough - but fall quite quickly against Nagi Cavalry - and fairly quick against HC and YC. If fighting h2h against infantry - they usually only die after reaching EXHAUSTED or TOTALLY EXHAUSTED fatigue levels. Don't waste armor upgrades on Kensai, but do add weapons as this allows them to kill more before they tire.
Qapla!

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BSM_Skkzarg
"A mind is a terrible thing to taste."

**NARF** · 01-12-2002, 06:04

whats really fun, is making your own game where its either raining or snowing, having an entire arq. army attacking and having 5 kensai and 2 yc and just beating the bejesus outta them, then when they flee, chase em down

**solypsist** · 01-12-2002, 08:55

an automatic win isnt much fun anymore

**Zone** · 01-13-2002, 03:19

Quote Originally posted by BSM_Skkzarg:
Kensai are tough - but fall quite quickly against Nagi Cavalry - and fairly quick against HC and YC. If fighting h2h against infantry - they usually only die after reaching EXHAUSTED or TOTALLY EXHAUSTED fatigue levels. Don't waste armor upgrades on Kensai, but do add weapons as this allows them to kill more before they tire.
Qapla!

[/QUOTE]

I find that if you're breaking a siege when the AI consists mostly of 'little' units (a few SA, YA and YS with possibly a couple of cav. or so) then with full armour etc. even once theyre totally exhausted, as long as you took out the SA first, a couple or so fighting together (flank bonus) you can take out upwards of 200.

------------------
ROFL..Zone does not rest [MIZILUS]

I don't play to win... I play not to lose ;)

P.S. smilies should work in the signature!

Thread: Does anyone still use the kensai?

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