SP fun strategies!

[Dom]

Well I have been playing full campaigns on Expert (no big feat) SP and I seem to be able to win games quiet easily and there is not much excitement going on the battlefield. I mean you build up numbers, make sure that you got some quality and that's it. A painful reminder of AoE tactics. Besides, with the current system of reinforcements, I find it unsatisfying to fight AI with a full force of 3k men or 8k.

I was wondering what strategies besides build and bust do people use?

My favorite so far is to buld up the tech tree then leave yourself a couple of provinces with ports in them and some geishas to move around the map. I only develop 2 provinces for the production of units.

When you reached the top of the tech tree then you withdraw your troops to a few provinces and build up armies and send them to the remote corners on the map with ports in them. First you attack the province with about 600 against 1200 men, do your best and then defend with the remainder agaist about 4k-6k that get pulled up from the provinces.

This strategy is not to actually win the game but to carry on fighting and fighting and fighting... sort of a warlord heaven.

Besides your troops get upgraded when fighting, so you have some cool toys to play with. As to the money problem - when you invade the province you can raise all the buldings in there for some cash. Be sure not to destroy ports - cuz you will not be able to get back.

Did you know that 12 kennys and 4 ninjas of reasonable honour can hold of 8 k of AI troops?

P.S. I was wondering about this port-hopping thing... why do not enemy damios utilise this ability? Would be rather cool and much more interesting, dont you think? Especially since ports are a major income source.

Regards, Ryurik

[Tac]

Most fun army is one composed of a yari ashigaru general commanding 15 B. Ninja.

For some odd reason the AI always withdraws a few seconds after the battle starts.. and ultimately you end up fighting the AI in the last province left in japan.. but a province with thousands upon thousands of troops in it. With no time limit, this makes for the ninjafest of the year (of course, you build ALL your armies to be B. Ninja hehe)

[pdoan8]

Quote Originally posted by Dom:
... I was wondering about this port-hopping thing... why do not enemy damios utilise this ability? Would be rather cool and much more interesting, dont you think? Especially since ports are a major income source.

Regards, Ryurik[/QUOTE]

It happened only once for me so far. Isn't much fun anyway. AI attacked me with 120 YS. They all got killed by my 2 BNs garrison the province.

Later in the campaign, I always get large defensive/offensive battles. Sometimes, the AI army number up to 3,000 or even more. Sometimes, it's funny to see the AI generals and Daimyos have minus honor and their army route the moment they see my army march at them.

[Papewaio]

I like playing certain styles with different Daimyo's

With Iwagawa I will play use ambushes, I will run around the map and burn the timer out, I will make allies then assassinate. I will use my Daimyo with 9 units of battle ninja and send him out against small provinces.

With Shimazu, I will try and get Toda ASAP (it has a legendary sword dojo in the 1530 campaign).

Takeda (1550 expert) made a all calvary strike force based around Takeda Shingen. One unit of each calvary type and nothing else so it was Hatamoto, Yari, Cal Archer, Nagni, Heavy. Attacked any province of similar size. Eventually added an extra Heavy calvary unit. Always replenished the depleted units. Attacked all the capitals/castles/heirs and Daimyos as quickly as possible and only keeping a core of lands around the Takeda capital and some pretty good static defenders. Totomi is a calvary lords sweet spot to defend and the archers can then defend the mountains and rivers.

[This message has been edited by Papewaio (edited 05-18-2002).]