Quote Originally Posted by blazer-glory
Whats the best Clan to start with? The Uesugi and the Hojo look like they could be good for first timers. (??)
Those are strong clans, so they are not bad choices. I tend to stay away from them because their provinces are so rich. I have the suspicion that the early game with them will be decisive, because whoever controls the East has a really strong economic base for conquest and I prefer a longer campaign. However, I also suspect the early game is a little tough for them - the East seems to be fiercely contested (Shinano, in particular, is a magnet for invaders).

As I said previously, personally, I'd recommend Shimazu. It is relatively quiet where they are and so you can have a fairly relaxed, simple beginning. The problem for them is the late game when they meet the Hojo horde or whoever won the snakepit fight for the East.

There's a nice recent thread in the Shogun forum here on favorite factions, so you will pick up a lot of perspectives reading that.