Tokugawa 1580 Campaign

[Togakure]

It is summer in the year 1580, and I, Tokugawa Ieyasu, am faced with hard decisions regarding the preservation and growth of my noble clan. My holdings consist of a mere three provinces: Totomi and Mikawa on the mainland of Honshu, and Hizen on Kyushu.

SITREP (Situation Report):

I am challenged by a split empire: Hizen, my most productive province, is isolated and supply lines are reliant on transport by sea. Though I have ports in all of my provinces, this is precarious. The Shimazu under Yoshihisa have been quiet, but it is only a matter of time before they move against Hizen, as they have ever believed the island of Kyushu to be theirs by right. Hizen represents a significant investment: in addition to the port, we have built a Spear Dojo, Famous Sword Dojo, and Battlefield Ninja Dojo, and improved the farmland 100%. But a wise ruler does not become attached to such things ... .

In central Japan, Mikawa and Totomi are surrounded by whimsical, untrustworthy rivals. The wily Oda Nobunaga and his forces border our western and northwestern fronts in Owari and Mino. Takeda Shingen's ambitious and impetuous heir, Katsuyori, commands formidable forces northeast and east of us, in Shinano and Suruga. Both clans have adopted Christianity and are poised for expansion. Fortunately for us, Lord Oda has Ikko-Ikki rebels with which to contend, and Lord Takeda has both the Uesugi and Hojo clans seeking to expand into his territories. And they both remember that I am Tokugawa Ieyasu.

STRATEGY:

I do not think it is wise to continue with my forces and holdings split. I also believe that maintaining my unpredictable reputation is key to survival in these delicate times. The income Hizen provides is substantial, however. There is a way to consolidate our empire in central Japan and maintain--even improve--our income and production capabilities. The key is Owari. The Oda capital is Japan's richest province, and also has superior training facilities. It is a river province and easily defended. Taking Owari would reduce the Oda threat significantly, depriving them of their richest province and best troop production facilities while adding them to our own, and secure our western borders with a river province and citadel. I anticipate that the Oda will expand immediately, leaving Owari vulnerable to attack, and I have at my disposal the best warriors, man-for-man, in Japan--my Battlefield Ninja.

I will send an emissary to Katsuyori and propose an alliance. I will raze Hizen and order Honda's entire garrison to Mikawa. The koku yielded from liquidating Hizen (2931 koku) should keep us afloat until Owari comes under our control, and make Hizen less tempting to the Shimazu. They will not likely attack immediately anyway, as the withdrawal of our troops will surely baffle them, at least for a while. I will redistribute my forces so that all of my Battlefield Ninja are in Mikawa, poised to attack Owari at the first sign of Oda negligence. As their numbers will be small when they do attack, hopefully the Oda will not take them seriously and will counter with a similar number of men. Once Owari is taken, Tadakatsu-san can then move in with his army, lay siege, and repulse any Oda counterattack. I will immediately dispatch an emissary to Owari, seemingly to begin alliance negotiations. My shinobi and strategic ninja will police Mikawa and Totomi, ready to move into Owari to quell any potential uprisings after our takeover there.

I will begin producing Yari Samurai in Totomi to better balance my archer-heavy armies, and begin building a Tea House in Mikawa where I can produce shinobi without interefering with the flow of troop training. In Totomi I will first build border forts so I can more effectively monitor Shinano and Suruga. Then I will build a citadel. Once Owari has been secured I will use its facilities as my primary troop production center, which will allow me to shift Totomi's focus from military production to my "secret weapon" as soon as the citadel is complete--a Geisha House. Ah, my beautiful and loyal lady Toda, such a precious inspiration you have indirectly given me.

STATISTICS - CAMPAIGN BEGIN:

ECONOMY:

Treasury: 2000 koku (+2931 from the liquidation of Hizen assets)

PROVINCE: INCOME: EXPENSES: NET:

Hizen 1016 396 620
Mikawa 720 336 384
Totomi 355 576 -221

TOTAL: 2091 1308 783

Farming Income: 1491
Trade Income: 600
Mine Income: 0
Alliance Income: 0

Our harvest this year was average.

MILITARY AND STRATEGIC AGENTS:

Note: The honor values shown take into account the commander's prestige bonus.

Hizen:
- 60 Yari Cavalry, Honor 2, Honda Tadakatsu, Rank 4, commanding
- 240 Samurai Archers, H3
- 60 Yari Samrai, H3
- 36 Battlefield Ninja, H2
- 1 Emissary (H0), 1 Ninja (H0), 1 Shinobi (H0)

Mikawa:
- 240 Samurai Archers, H1, Mizuno Nobutomo, Rank 2, commanding
- 60 Yari Samurai, H1 (my son and sole heir, Tokugawa Nobuyasu, Rank 2, commanding this unit)
- 36 Battlefield Ninja, H1
- 1 Ninja (H0), 1 Shinobi (H0)

Totomi:
- 11 Heavy Cavalry, H7, Tokugawa Ieyasu, Rank 6, commanding
- 240 Samurai Archers, H4
- 180 Yari Samurai, H4
- 120 Yari Cavalry, H4
- 36 Battlefield NInja, H3
- 1 Emissary (H0), 1 Ninja (H1), 1 Shinobi (H2)

***

To be continued ...

[Togakure]

Autumn, 1580. As I anticipated, the Oda have shifted the majority of their troops out of Owari to Mino, and from Mino to Hida, leaving only a small garrison of troops in Owari: 60 Samurai Archers, 60 Yari Samurai, and 60 Teppo Ashigaru under an insignificant commander. My emissary spy reports that these troops sport the best weapons (W3 upgrades), but they will be no match for my Battlefield Ninja. I have placed Asano Tadatoshi, Rank 1, in command and ordered him to attack Owari with our entire compliment of Battlefield Ninja (108 shadow warriors). Honda Tadakatsu waits in Mikawa, and will take command of Owari once it has been secured by Asano's ninja. My sources report that a 5-star Oda general is in Mino, but I do not yet know if it is Nobunaga or his most able lieutenant, Hideyoshi, who commands there.

Katsuyori is in Shinano now, and his combined armies in Shinano and Suruga pose a very serious threat to me here in Totomi. My emissary is in Shinano so, Buddha-willing, he will succeed in his mission to persuade Katsuyori to ally with us. Meanwhile I am braced to defend Totomi against a potential Takeda attack, with 300 Yari Samurai, 300 Samurai Archers, 120 Yari cavalry, and my hatamoto contingent. Considering the quality of the Takeda troops, we will be hard-pressed if they attack. We cannot afford to lose Totomi ... .

Construction of Border Forts in Totomi and the Tea House in Mikawa are underway and due to complete next season. Each province is strictly policed by both ninja and shinobi. We hope for a fruitful harvest. Our treasury has decreased from 4931 to 4281, and profit estimates for next season are a pitiful 115 koku. Much rests on the successful capture of Owari ... .

The Shimazu lost no time in redeploying troops away from Hizen's borders as soon as Honda and his troops were withdrawn. I doubt they will attack until next year at the earliest. The continuing income will be very helpful.

My third emissary is currently travelling from Bizen to Harima in search of Lord Mori. An alliance with Lord Mori will help to put political pressure on Shimazu in the long run, as Mori-sama represents the only organized opposition to Shimazu west of Oda lands.

I think I will go hawking and free my mind of these concerns for a short while.

[Togakure]

Winter, 1580. Yosh! I had gambled on the Oda to be careless, but am pleased to learn that they were instead, foolhardy. Asano and his ninja arrived in Owari to find that the Yari Samurai and Teppo Ashigaru reported to be garrisoned there had been ordered elsewhere, leaving Owari protected by a single unit of Samurai Archers. Upon discovering that their opponents were ninja, they fled the field without a fight and retreated to Inuyama castle. Asano Tadatoshi-san has been promoted to Second Rank, and the honor of his ninja forces has increased. As planned, Honda Tadakatsu's army now occupies Owari in addition to Asano and his men, and the castle is under siege. Mikawa is now defended by only a small garrison (60 archers and 60 Yari Samurai), but I am comfortable with this. Katsuyori has agreed to the alliance. While I trust him about as far as I could throw him fully armored, I am confident that he will not attack for at least a few seasons. If my guess is right, he will capitalize on Oda confusion and attack Mino. This will serve us well ... in the short run, at least.

Our troops immediately occupied the Border Forts in Owari, allowing us to observe the Oda troops in Ise, Omi, and Mino. It was Hideyoshi who had been in Mino, but he has since moved to Hida. Oda Nobukane, Rank 2, currently commands 360 Yari Ashigaru and 120 Teppo Ashigaru in Mino. Though they are mere ashigaru, I will not underestimate them as they have excellent weapons (W3) and are honorable (H4 and H2, respectively)--but they are still ashigaru. The commander likely to lead the Oda counterattack is in Ise: Ishida Mitsunari, Rank 4. I find myself wishing I was in Owari instead of Honda, as it would give me great pleasure to capture that sushihead, and bury him up to his neck in spoiled natto, so that passersby could saw at his nape little by little until he was dead. His cries would be more pleasant to my ears than the best shakuhachis in Kyoto. His forces are small: 120 Yari Cavalry, 60 teppo, and 60 archers. 60 Yari Samurai and 60 teppo garrison Omi under a Rank 1 general of little consequence. All-in-all, I think Honda's 60 Yari Cavalry, 420 archers, and 60 Yari samurai, along with Asano's 108 ninja, should have no problems repulsing a counterattack, even if all of these troops were to storm the province.

The harvest was poor. Though I am tempted to raise taxes to punitive levels as a consequence of such blatant peasant laziness, I will refrain, as the loyalty level in Owari is low (60%), and an uprising, while not likely to cost us the province, could cost valuable samurai lives putting it down. Our treasury currently stands at 4050, but with the capture of Owari our projected profits for this season are 1077 koku. Cash flow looks to improve immensely.

The Tea House in Mikawa has been completed, as have the Border Watch Towers in Totomi. I have ordered the construction of our citadel in Totomi to begin. In Mikawa, I will build the necessary prerequisites for an eventual Battlefield Ninja Dojo to replace the one we sacrificed in Hizen. This will avoid having to interupt the training of regular troops in order to produce more ninja, which take so much longer to train. Also, in the interim, it will allow us to train No Dachi samurai when the required Sword Dojo has been completed, and strategic ninja when the required Ninja and Infamous Ninja Dojos are complete.

Totomi continues to train Yari Samurai, as Honda's army is still precariously archer-heavy. The port in Owari was destroyed in our attack, but we can shift Yari samurai and archers from Mikawa into Owari, and from Totomi to Mikawa, as more complete their training. When Owari falls we will be able to produce even better troops there.

The emissary in Harima has sent a message by pigeon, that only a small force of rebels could be found there. I suspect Lord Mori moves against Tajima, so I have ordered the emissary to proceed there. The honorable emissary who convinced Katsuyori to ally with us now moves to ally with Lord Uesugi and Lord Hojo as well. Koku will ever be a concern until we are able to expand, and the alliances will bring income. It will also create political consequences for any lord that breaks the alliance.

Now Honda and Asano must bring Owari under our full control. After a hot bath and some rice, tea and pickles, I will retire to my private quarters to ponder strategic options, to follow the assimilation of Japan's finest province. And then, some celebratory pillowing! Yosh!!

"Chacha-chan! Hayaku desho!!"

[Togakure]

Spring, 1581. I am beginning to believe that Oda command has completely lost their maruborus. Mistunari did indeed lead a counterattack, comprised of all Oda forces from Mino, Omi, and Ise. Apparently however, the might of the Tokugawa caused them to soil their fundoshis, for as soon as they arrived, they turned tail and ran to Inuyama, where they now sit, cowering. I've heard that Honda should take more frequent baths, but I never realized he smelled that bad ... . Given the results, I think I will order him to continue his infrequent cleansing, though I think his wife will not thank me for it. Ishida Mitsunari is dead. My only regret is that I could not listen to him singing duets with a saw.

Hideyoshi has returned to Mino, but with only his 60 Yari Samurai and 60 teppo. Omi stands ungarrisoned, and Ise is occupied by a single, green archer unit. The Oda's Christian cathedral stands in Ise, and razing it and the archer dojo there will add needed koku to our coffers. As there is now no significant threat to our besieging army in Owari, I have ordered Asano and his ninja to raid Ise. We will not ocupy it just yet--full control of Owari is imperative. But we can deprive the Oda of their ability to produce troublesome priests, and give our ninjas valuable experience.

Oddly, Takeda has not moved from Shinano. This causes me mild concern, as he could be contemplating an attack on Mikawa, which is still very lightly garrisoned. I cannot afford to risk Totomi by diverting troops to Mikawa, and Honda needs his troops in Owari to maintain order there. Though I could order Asano and his ninja to Mikawa, I will instead gamble that Katsuyori will honor our alliance, considering he also has the Uesugi and Hojo to worry about. When Inuyama falls we can begin training troops there and increase the garrison in Mikawa. Furthermore, Mino would be a more lucrative and strategically valuable province to take, and Hideyoshi's paltry forces could not stand up to even half of what Katsuyori has stationed in Shinano.

My emissary in the east has sent word that Uesugi troops occupy Kozuke, but Kagekatsu-sama is not there. He is proceeding on to Shimotsuke, where the Uesugi daimyo was last reported to be. It has been rather quiet in the east, and in this time of Sengoku Jidai, peace is a disturbing thing ... .

Lord Mori was not in Tajima, which was occupied by a group of about 300 rebel samurai. I have ordered my emissary there to patrol Tajima, Harima, and Bizen until he finds Mori-sama, as i am fairly certain he will move against the rebels in those regions.

Apparently my orders to begin building the Ninja Dojo in Mikawa were not heeded. The steward reportedly was drunk and forgot. I have ordered his ability to urinate impeded, and that he be fed sake until he expires. Drunkenness is no excuse for shirking one's duties. The new steward has begun the dojo with unprecendented gusto. The building of our citadel here in Totomi has begun, costing us a whopping 1500 koku. Our treasury now stands at 2175 koku, with an expected profit of 1431 next season. Another reason why raiding and razing Ise seems a sound decision ... .

I have sent my third emissary to Omi, destination Yamashiro, then Iga. I need to know what Nobunaga is up to. That he would allow Owari to fall so easily seems odd, though he has ever been a wanton and unpredictable fellow.

I have considered our extended strategy and, all things remaining relatively as they are regarding the Takeda and the east, we will secure Owari and then focus on Ise. Ise's farmlands are rich, and the province serves as a gateway into the heart of Oda lands on the way to Kyoto. Securing Ise will allow us to assess the situation in Kii, Yamato, and Iga. I am looking forward to a preliminary report from Asano-san. All are reasonably profitable provinces, and two have extra benefits: Kii can train superior buddhist monks, and Iga is famed for its ninja. Our strategy must remain flexible however; the Takeda pose the biggest threat to any clan on the mainland, and an opportunity to cripple them must not be overlooked. I will watch them very closely. If they make a mistake ... .

I've ordered continuous production of shinobi in Mikawa. They will be very useful in stabilizing newly-conquered provinces and destabilizing the now poorly defended Oda territories.

Shitzu ... unless I hurry, I will be late for the Noh play being held in my honor at the golden pavilion. Chacha never ceases to remind me how it is important to balance work with play, and she is very wise.

[Togakure]

Summer, 1581. The transition from spring to summer has been relatively uneventful. Asano's ninja took Ise without contest, and razed the Archery Dojo and Cathedral for 700 koku. The lone archer unit retreated to the small castle in Nagashima. Asano reports that insurrection is guaranteed unless they leave the province.

Nobunaga is in Iga with less than 100 men, but we are unable to determine the specific nature of his troops. They have built a large castle there, so it seems they intend to use the province as a production area. Kii is under the control of a small group of rebels, type undetermined, and Yamato is devoid of military troops. Hideyoshi and his 120 men have moved to Omi, with a small contigent of Oda troops shifting from Hida to garrison Mino. I received report that the Oda were attacking Echizen, but specifics were not available.

Asano-san has requested permission to raid Iga with his ninja, to destroy any troop-producing dojos there and to try and corner Nobunaga. I have agreed, but reminded him that no retreat would be possible and he would have to win in Iga, or commit seppuku along with his entire squad of elites. As I expected he would, he replied even more enthusiastically that he and his men would greatly appreciate the honor. He understands bushido well.

Katsuyori still stands like a mountain in Shinano. Perhaps he has learned the lessons taught by his father better than I expected. Whatever the case, he is beginning to annoy me. I have ordered the garrison in Mikawa to be increased with the new troops being produced in Totomi, but it is still very small. Inuyama castle in Owari is about to fall, so we should be able to begin producing troops there next season. Katsuyori has not allied with any other clan however, so this bodes well for us. While his army is arguably the mightiest in Japan at the moment, he isn't in a position to take on all of the clans.

My emissary has located Uesugi Kagekatsu in Shimotsuke and will soon be granted an audience. He reports that the Uesugi have allied with the Hojo, which should unnerve Katsuyori-sama. They have both also allied with Lord Shimazu. Uesugi troops were reported to have been attacking the northeastern province of Dewa, but no information on whether they were successful in taking that province was yet available. Still no sign of Lord Mori in the west.

By next season, assuming he survives his attack on Iga, Asano-san should be able to give a general report on the status of Yamashiro province, and Kyoto. Though we would have heard if Nobunaga had taken the capitol, it is my hope that he has at least weakened it. It was last reported that large numbers of Ikko Ikki monks occupied both Yamashiro and Osaka Castle in Kawachi.

Hizen still remains under our control, despite the lack of a garrison. The Shimazu have begun producing troops in Chikugo however, so I believe it will not be long now before Hizen is invaded. But this was a sacrifice I decided to make last year, and I will not regret the decision. Owari is practically ours, and the exchange is more than fair.

I will now go to the temple to offer prayers for Asano-san's success.

[Togakure]

Autumn, 1581. Buddha-be-praised, Asano Tadatoshi and his ninja live, and Iga Province is under their temporary control. In his confrontation with Nobunaga, he was surprised to find that 47 rebel Samurai Archers and 60 Yari Cavalry invaded Iga simultaneously from Yamashiro, which he later learned had been captured by Oda troops but then retaken by the rebels, with the Oda troops besieged. Nobunaga, impetuous as ever, looked as if he was going to stand and fight our ninja with only his 10 hatamoto. But, after a brief standoff, he thought better of it and retreated to Ise. The rebels also retreated, leaving Asano in control.

The Oda had been busy in Iga, building a Spear Dojo, Horse Dojo, Famous Tea House, and Ninja Dojo in addition to the large castle. Asano and his men razed them all, recovering anything valuable in the process. To avoid triggering a revolt, he and his men have moved into Omi province, where Hideyoshi and his 120 men are still garrisoned. They should not prove to be a problem. Taking Omi will allow him to return safely to Owari, though the province will not yield anything of value as the Oda have not developed there.

Nobunaga has been greeted with a peasant revolt in Ise, and has only his hatamoto and the single unit of archers to deal with it. He is an able warrior and formidable tactician however, so my guess is he will put down the rebellion. If he does not, and Asano takes Omi, he will be cut off from Oda-controlled lands unless Iga revolts in his favor. This would be a very fortunate result, ridding us of a dangerous and very unpredictable Daimyo. But there will still be the clever and resourceful Hideyoshi, who will surely assume Oda leadership, should Nobunaga fall.

Uesugi Kagekatsu has agreed to an alliance. His army is reported to be at about half its normal strength, which suggests he has recently been in battle with rebels, most likely in Mutsu. The twice honorable emissary who has engineered the alliances with both the Takeda and Uesugi now heads for Sagami via Musashi, to court the Lord of the Hojo.

Katsuyori STILL stands unmoving in Shinano. We have managed to double our garrison in Mikawa, from 60 archers and 60 Yari Samurai to 120 of each. But they would not be able to counter a full attack from Shinano. I must also consider the possibility of Katsuyori attacking me here in Totomi--the province is highly developed and a citadel is in progress--a rich enough prize to tempt the Takeda lord despite our alliance and Totomi's pitiful agricultural yield. The good news is, Inuyama Castle in Owari has fallen, and we now control some very nice troop training facilities there: a Famous Archery Dojo, Famous Spear Dojo, Portuguese Trading Post, Golden Palace, and best of all--a Legendary Swordsmith. Owari's farmlands have also been improved 60%, and the province is surrounded by a network of Border Forts. Unfortunately, the citadel has been downgraded to Fortress status as a result of the siege, but it still serves our cause well. We can now produce excellent archers in Totomi while simultaneously producing very good Yari Samurai and Ashigaru in Owari. Soon we will have enough troops to expand into new territory and hold them instead of raiding and pillaging.

The Ninja Dojo in Mikawa is due to complete next season. To avoid having to possibly interrupt military troop training in Totomi in the event that I need to train more emissaries, I have ordered that a Tranquil Garden be built in Mikawa. After the Tranquil Garden is completed, I will have them upgrade the castle and then build a Sword Dojo; following the completion of the Sword Dojo, another upgrade to the castle, and then an Infamous Ninja Dojo and Battlefield Ninja Dojo.

Still no sign of Lord Mori in the Harima and Tajima regions. I must now consider the possibility that he has focused his attention on the westernmost provinces of Honshu, or perhaps moved to take Shikoku via Sanuki. I have sent orders to my emissary in the region to expand his search pattern. The Shimazu are still quiet around Hizen. Reports suggest Lord Shimazu is in Osumi province, far to the south on Kyushu.

As with Lord Mori, I have no intelligence on Lord Hojo at this time. My most able emissary is on his way now to rectify this shortcoming.

Unless the Takeda do something surprising, the next season will be spent producing troops in Owari and Totomi, spies in Mikawa, and hoping that Asano is successful in his move north into Omi and eventually, home to Owari. Only Hideyoshi and a small force in Omi stand between him and a safe return. I wish him good fortune, but I don't think he will need it. He has proven to be a fine commander.

Ah! Chacha is calling and I can smell her fine shioyaki. All this thinking has made me quite hungry.