Tokugawa 1580 Campaign

**Togakure** · 04-04-2005, 23:55

Haha! Thanks m8 ... and yes you are right, I saved the game at the point in the story where I stopped because I got tired, but I did play a few more turns and Katsuyori of course did try to shag me. I won the battles but he hurt me bad, and was hurt bad in return. At the point where I stopped, Hojo capitalized on our mutual weakness and attacked Shinano in force. Given my limited ability to train troops quickly, I will be hard-pressed to resecure my borders. Lots of troops in Shinano means both Mikawa and Totomi must be heavily garrisoned, and I can't yet afford a lot of troops. Use of shinobi and unexpected attacks with my ninja special forces, usually via the sea, will be crucial in keeping enemies off my back in the meantime. This is one of the most difficult campaigns for me, so it's very possible that I could lose. That's why I like it--so much depends on what the others do, and if they team up against me, well, chances are good that history will be rewritten.

I'll continue the story here and there when I have time; it just takes a while to do a turn and then write about it with enough detail to give a decent picture of what's going on. Things might go down differently when I replay it, we'll see. The AI doesn't always do the same thing when you reload a saved game. When I have a nice battle I'll take screenies from the replay and post them, which should help readers visualize it better. It seems many enjoy the tactical aspects of a battle more than the big strategic picture.

Thanks for letting me know that you enjoyed reading it. It's silly, but fun. A couple people have PM'd me saying they were enjoying it, and if even one is entertained, then it's worth the time invested. It's good practice too, keeping the pen sharp. Well, fingers in this case--fortunately I can type pretty fast.

**Togakure** · 04-05-2005, 08:35

Winter, 1581. Despite being outnumbered 2-1 by both the occupying Oda and rebel forces invading from Yamashiro, Asano and his ninja managed to take Omi. Focusing on the Oda, Asasno led his men east to high ground on the Oda flank, distancing himself from the rebels in the west. Again, seeing that their opponents were ninja, the Oda commander thought better of engaging and fled the field. The rebels followed suit. Asano seems a master of herding the enemy like sheep, and winning without fighting. I like this man. He is returning to Owari, his search and destroy mission against the Oda complete for now. He has been promoted to Third Rank.

Lord Nobunaga fled the rebel uprising in Ise, only to be greeted by another in Iga. The region is in turmoil. With any luck, the rebels will trap him in Iga-Ueno castle and I will be rid of a dangerous enemy daimyo. Now that our own lands are sufficiently policed, I have ordered the shinobi being produced in Mikawa to flow into the area surrounding Yamashiro, to further destabilize the area and keep us informed of both Oda and rebel activities.

Lord Takeda remains steadfast in Shinano, and his troops in Suruga are idle. We are unable to perceive any activity beyond to the East, except in Musashi where a moderate but growing Hojo force is garrisoned. My emissary moves from Musashi to Shimosa in search of Lord Hojo. I believe the lord of the Kwanto is personally overseeing the defense of the agriculturally- and iron-rich province of Hitachi against possible invasion by the Uesugi.

Our Ninja Dojo in Mikawa has been completed. I have authorized the building of a Tranquil Garden there, which will complete the basic infrastructure for strategic agents in that province. The citadel in Totomi progresses on schedule, as does the port in Owari.

Owari's Famous Spear Dojo has been training Yari Samurai. The Owari swordsmiths are outstanding, and the yari blades are of the best quality. Their morale, boosted by the Golden Palace there, is excellent. Their discipline is also superior, a benefit of training long hours in the Drill Dojo. I have ordered the newly trained Yari Samurai to travel here to Totomi via Mikawa. As they arrive I will send my current Yari Samurai to Owari. I must have the very best troops at my disposal here in Totomi, as the threat of attack is greatest here, and carries the direst consequences should we be defeated. Totomi has produced additional Yari Cavalry, two of which I have sent to Honda in Owari. Given that his unit is Yari Cavalry, they will serve to replenish him if he loses men in battle. I will also maintain 120 Yari cavalry here, as Totomi is flat and the Takeda army sports the finest cavalry in Japan. Eventually I will have to produce more cavalry for my army, but we can't afford it just yet. All in good time.

What to do next? I have ordered my emissary in the west to Bizen, from where he will travel by boat to Satsuma. I have heard that the Shimazu have developed quite a number of assets there, and when they attack Hizen, it will be good to be in a position to retaliate by sacking their capital province. As it is deep in Shimazu territory it's not likely to be heavily garrisoned, which would make it an ideal target for Asano and his raiders. Not only would such an attack provide a nice bounty of koku, it would deprive the Shimazu of their best troop producing facilities and impede his expansion eastward.

My third emissary moves from Yamashiro, where the Oda are besieged by the rebels, to Kawachi and Osaka castle, also reported to be in the hands of Ikko Ikki. I have reports that a Legendary Archery Dojo and Buddhist Temple Complex are there, in addition to a Legendary Swordsmith that rivals ours here in Owari. Though it would likely drain our treasury, bribing the rebels in Kawachi might prove worthwhile as it is an agriculturally rich river province that impedes travel to Kyoto from the west. Once a port is built, the troops we could produce there would be extremely useful here in the east. Even if we are forced to turn our attention away from central Japan to deal with Takeda, Hojo or Uesugi, a strong garrison in Kawachi would impede Mori and Shimazu expansion into central Japan.

I will finish this excellent pot of cha, and then perform a surprise review of my troops. But they will not be surprised. They are of Clan Tokugawa, the finest samurai in Japan.

**Togakure** · 04-05-2005, 09:36

Spring 1582. Asano-san has arrived safely in Owari and proceeds to Mikawa. Though his men are few in number, they are ninja, and perhaps the fear they inspire will discourage the large Takeda force in Shinano from a surprise attack against our most lightly garrisoned province. As there is a port there, Asano and his men can quickly embark on a raid if circumstances require it.

My emissary has arrived safely in Satsuma, and none too soon. A high-ranking Shimazu commander has been sighted in Chikugo, and this bodes ill for defenseless Hizen. Though I had hoped the Shimazu would focus on the island of Shikoku and delay their invasion of Hizen, it appears that they may not. This is unfortunate for us, as Hizen, even reduced to basic farmlands, is generating a large portion of our income. Koku will be a big problem again shortly, but we have managed under such conditions before.

The shuffling of superior Yari Samurai trained in Owari to Totomi via Mikawa continues. The completion of the port in Owari will significantly simplify the transfer process. With three Yari Cavaly units in Owari and two under my command here in Totomi, I have ordered their production suspended. At 500 koku per unit, the expense is considerable, and our income is still marginal. Mikawa continues to produce shinobi which are immediately assigned to areas in central Japan surrounding Yamashiro. In the event that we do bribe the Ikko Ikki in Kawachi, spies will be needed to manage province loyalty until a substantial garrison can be trained.

My emissary in the east travels from Shimosa to Hitachi. He has sent reports of mighty Hojo castles and advanced troop training facilities. Given this and the richness of the Kwanto, they represent a formidable threat, though not yet fully realized. I must be careful if Katsuyori breaks the alliance, or I move to cripple the Takeda if they are careless. If we are significantly weakened in the process, Lord Hojo is sure to take advantage of it and we may be hard-pressed to survive. I must play the great lords against each other, and bide my time for precisely the right moment. I must wait for the bird to sing.

Hideyoshi took a small force north from Mino into Echizen and has not yet returned. I suspect that the clever Oda commander has succeeded in his bid to bring Echizen under Oda control. A fairly large force still remains in Mino, but their commander is relatively untried. Oda strategy has been sorely lacking. They have neglected their heartlands, which now roil in chaos. They leave their flank wide open to Takeda attack from Shinano, and Oda Nobunaga has been trapped in Iga-Ueno castle by a small force of rebels. There are no reinforcements in the vicinity, so I suspect that the Oda Daimyo's days are numbered.

We will continue to produce Yari Samurai and shinobi, but I have ordered all other expenditures to be tightly controlled. I hope to have enough koku next season to bribe the rebels in Kawachi. The addition of this province with its citadel and advanced training facilities will alleviate the effects of losing Hizen. Hopefully enough shinobi will be in a position to move into Kawachi when the bribe is offered. It will take more than a year to complete a port there, assuming we even have enough koku after bribing them to begin building one immediately. Whatever the case, times will be tight financially.

The Takeda still stand like a mountain of smelly, annoying unchi in Shinano and Suruga ... .

**Togakure** · 04-05-2005, 10:30

Summer 1582. As the Spring came to a close, my advisors informed me that, were we to liquidate certain non-essential assets, we could afford to bribe the rebels in Kawachi without waiting until next harvest. By reducing our Border Forts in Owari to Border Watchtowers, downgrading our Famous Spear Dojo in Totomi (where we will never train Yari Samurai, given the far superior dojo, palace, and drill dojo in Owari), and liquidating the Battlefield Ninja Dojo in Totomi, we would have enough to offer a sufficient bribe, build a unit of archers there to increase the garrison, and produce spies until the next harvest. Asano-san, the commander of our Battlefield Ninja, understands the need, and I have assured him that I am commited to building another dojo in Mikawa, which is developing into our primary strategic intelligence center.

Though investing in Kawachi will put us in a dire financial position in the short run, I think it will be worthwhile in the long run. If worse comes to worst, I can send Asano to raid Satsuma. War with the Shimazu is imminent--they have been massing troops along Hizen's borders. My primary concern is that an attack on the Shimazu will give both Lord Uesugi and Lord Hojo the opportunity to cancel their alliance with us, as they are allied with the Shimazu as well. However, there is no guarantee that they will honor their alliance with us when Shimazu attacks Hizen either, so again, I think it is a risk worth taking. Just before the turn of this season I ordered my emissary in Kawachi to offer the bribe. Yosh ... it was accepted!

Now the problem is holding the province. Loyalty is low, even though I have lowered taxes significantly. Two shinobi will arrive in the province next season, which will help to calm the populace there, and two more are on their way. Unfortunately, we can only afford to train a single Samurai Archer unit until the next harvest. With the existing garrison of 120 monks and 180 archers, that will increase the garrison to a total of 360 men. Though they have been trained at the finest of dojos and a Drill Dojo, and sport weapons crafted by a master swordsmith, they don't have an experienced commander and are surrounded by rebel provinces. I anticipate an immediate attack by the rebels next season. Beginnings are always such a dangerous time.

A unit of Oda loyalists has retaken Omi. Oda Nobunaga has fallen to the rebels in Iga, and his successor, Oda Nobuharu, is now Daimyo of the Oda clan. At Rank Three, Nobuharu is a shadow of his former lord in command capability, but he still has the skills of loyal Hideyoshi to leverage. Hideyoshi has returned to Mino. Nobuharu is in Omi. A very large force of rebels occupies Wakasa and a smaller force under a Rank Two commander now occupies Yamashiro, so I don't expect any dramatic moves from the Oda any time soon. The seemingly motionless Takeda on the other hand ... .

Before my emissary could obtain audience with Lord Hojo, the Kwanto lord's emissary arrived here, offering an alliance. I have accepted. My emissary will return from Hitachi via the port in Echigo, assessing Uesugi's troops and provinces on the way.

Though our treasury is practically empty, I am going to refrain from ordering Asano to Satsuma this season. He is poised to strike however, and if the Shimazu attack Hizen, retaliation will be immediate--despite any political consequences.

Tomorrow I will make a pilgrimmage to the shrine of Fudo Myoo. Perhaps he will honor us and imbue our new samurai with his righteous fury in the defense of Kawachi. I have a feeling they will need it.

**Togakure** · 04-05-2005, 12:15

Autumn 1582. The rebels surrounding Kawachi did not attack. With two shinobi now operating in the province and 360 troops, I am able to raise taxes to maximum without risking rebellion. Hopefully our harvest this season will be fruitful enough to immediately begin building a port there.

The gods have brooked no delay in testing the new Oda lord--our watchtowers in Owari have reported that the Ikko Ikki have rebeled in Omi, with about 300 men. Given that they greatly outnumber Nobuharu-sama, my guess is he will withdraw to Mino. To make matters worse for the Oda lord, a small Takeda force led by Katsuyori was seen leaving Shinano for Hida, and they have not returned. Surely news of the Takeda Daimyo's defeat or death would have raced across the land like an autumn fire, so I believe he has declared war on the Oda and successfully taken Hida. We must not relax our vigilance however, as the great majority of Takeda troops are still in Shinano and Suruga.

With our treasury at an all-time low, the riches of Satsuma tempt me. The koku would be very handy in rapidly fortifying newly acquired Kawachi, isolated and surrounded by faithless enemies. Asano-san is ready and waiting. The Shimazu continue to build up troop numbers on Hizen's borders, but have not yet attacked. If we attack Satsuma now, I believe we will lose the alliance tribute from the Hojo and Uesugi clans which is due this season. Hence, we will wait and see what transpires. Satsuma isn't going anywhere, and may even become more vauable as the Shimazu continue to develop there. With only one Yari Samurai unit, the garrison wouldn't stand a chance against Asano and his ninja.

No troops will be produced this season; we don't have enough koku in the treasury. But we do have enough to continue shinobi training--barely enough. Hopefully this year's yield will be good. Estimates suggest we will only harvest approximately 1500 koku worth of rice however--hardly a fortune.

The citadel in Totomi has been completed. While I am anxious to begin building our Geisha House, it will have to take a backseat to fortifying Kawachi and building a port there.

A strange European ship was sighted off the coast of Musashi in Lord Hojo's domain. It was not Portuguese. I am very curious as to the nature of the vessel, and I can't shake this strange, forboding feeling. It persists, even when I am normally most centered, performing katas with my sword. Of what are the gods warning me, I wonder ... ?

With luck and the god's favor, Kawachi will remain unassailed and the harvest will yield enough koku to assure it's security. We have done what we can, so now I am free to invest some time in self-improvement. It has been awhile since I've pondered the sutras.

**Togakure** · 04-05-2005, 15:15

Winter, 1582. Kawachi has remained unmolested. Lord Mori's troops have taken Harima. I neglected to mention in this journal last season that Lord Mori had sent an emissary requesting an alliance, to which I agreed. I suppose I should be glad to have an ally in a neighboring province, given that all other neighboring provinces are in the hands of rebels. But I do not trust Terumoto-san. I believe he will use the alliance to grab as much land in the area as he can and make a bid for Yamashiro and the Emperor's favor. I would in his position--his lands are poor and he must expand if he is to survive and thrive. Fortunately he does not currently have the manpower, and will not for at least a little while. I will continue to produce shinobi, and once I have central Japan covered, I will send them into his newly conquered lands to sow discord and dissent. Hopefully rebellions will keep him busy until I can raise enough koku to muster a large army to counter his bid for Kyoto. But my primary concerns at this time are not in the west.

The Takeda have indeed taken Hida. Echizen has been reclaimed from the Oda by rebels, and, as I predicted, Lord Oda withdrew from the Ikki Ikko rebellion in Omi. He and all that are left of the Oda clan are in Mino. Fortunately, a significant percentage of their forces are ashigaru. They do not have the strength to win back Owari with Honda and his army there. They do pose a threat to lightly garrisoned Mikawa, however. I have ordered 120 men--60 archers and 60 yari samurai--from Owari to Mikawa to strengthen its garrison. Asano is still in Mikawa with his ninja, and the standard garrison of 120 archers and 120 Yari Samurai.

Given the state of Oda affairs I believe they might launch a rash and deperate attack on Mikawa, as they have no troop producing capability at this point, and not even enough koku to pay their existing army. I hope they will not attack my home province; I currently have no means of replacing any of Asano's ninja that fall in battle, and I need them for strategic attacks on lightly defended enemy strongholds behind enemy lines. Better that the Oda try and retake Owari, as I am confident of Honda's command abilities, and his army is larger and better trained. My slight weakening of Owari to strengthen Mikawa is in effect, bait.

Katsuyori has returned to Shinano, but his army there is noticeably smaller. Obviously he has a garrison in Hida. I think we can breath a little easier for a season or two as the Takeda stabilize Hida. But we will not relax our defensive posture.

Our harvest was average and yielded about 2000 koku. I have ordered a port to be built in Kawachi, beginning immediately, and authorized the training of two Samurai Archer units. I've also authorized the training of additional Yari Samurai in Owari. Now that the port there is complete, it will be much easier to transfer troops betwen Owari, Mikawa, and Totomi. Shinobi training continues. I have decided to postpone building the Geisha House until next year at least. As much as I would like to press our lead in strategic intelligence, we cannot afford to neglect Kawachi's defense or allow the Takeda to outpace us in manpower.

My most skilled emissary has returned to Totomi via the port in Echigo. He reports that the Uesugi capital is highly developed and would make a lucrative raid target if war were to ever break out with Kagekatsu-san. He added that Mutsu was newly conquered, lightly garrisoned, and open to attack by Lord Hojo's forces. This concerns me. If Lord Hojo were to take Mutsu and Dewa, he would significantly increase his already formidable income. It would just be a matter of time before he could outpace everyone in both quality and quantity of troops. We must not allow this to happen.

My other emissaries are in Satsuma and Kawachi. I have ordered them to remain where they are and observe the surrounding territories until next season.

The Shimazu are ever-so-slowly increasing garrisons in both Chikugo and Chikuzen. Frankly I am surprised they did not attack Hizen last season, to reap the benefits of the harvest. Whatever the reason for their delay, I am grateful. We need the koku. I suspect however, that before the next harvest arrives, Hizen will fall to a Shimazu invasion. Lord Hojo and/or Lord Uesugi will use the opportunity to break their alliance with us when we retaliate and burn Satsuma to the ground. When this happens, Asano-san and his shadow warriors will be very busy for a time, as I will target the major Uesugi and Hojo ports after Satsuma, to remind them that it is Ieyasu who commands the Tokugawa, and he is not one with whom to toy.