Hojo ~ Verge of Disaster

**Thermal** · 01-31-2009, 22:59

I know getting musashi is vital, but i hate bridge battles, it decimates any tactics and even with more men i usually fail, uesugi has masses of archers and YS, now ive got monks there is some hope though.

**patdj** · 02-01-2009, 00:27

What works good for me is to let a disposable infantry unit pull the enemy onto the bridge (usually happens on 3/4 of the way. You might take many archer fire, but if you draw back carefully their infantry (usually a lot more than yours) gets engaged and takes heavy losses of your AND friendly fire, too. Just reinforce them if they strugle or give too much ground.

Another tactic is what Wishazu frequently does: charging with your Daimyo over the bridge (they will not get you) and pull half of his army towards their flank. Then you have a temporary majority and can charge into the back of the defenders. Watch out for time management.

I usually like bridge battle as defender as well as attacker. You can ften trick the AI which is not in position do to some annoying manouevres messing up your whole plan.

**Thermal** · 02-01-2009, 03:16

Originally Posted by patdj

What works good for me is to let a disposable infantry unit pull the enemy onto the bridge (usually happens on 3/4 of the way. You might take many archer fire, but if you draw back carefully their infantry (usually a lot more than yours) gets engaged and takes heavy losses of your AND friendly fire, too. Just reinforce them if they strugle or give too much ground.

I already tried this on previous campaigns, sending YA in loose formation forward, but to get in range of his inf before mine die or rout i have to get close (else his inf will return to there defensive positions) that means while my archers fire at his inf, his missile troops will desecrate mine.

**Adam99** · 02-01-2009, 17:44

Grab Musashi! The tactics suggested by the others work really well.

**Thermal** · 02-07-2009, 19:08

Next season after the recruitment of yet more monks and spearmen, the invasion on Musashi began, it had been prosponed for far too long as it was through my cowardice, and now I felt well enough to capture this crucial place, with Uesugi's reclaim of Kozuke, Musashi would put him back into a disadvantage even more as Musashi wields vast income aswell as recruitment stations. My shinobi incited yet more rebellion on the day of battle, for them to retreat yet again, however though fighting on a fearsomely defendable province we did have a large numerical advantage. I and my son realized that Kai and Sagami would need almost no garrision with Musashi securly ours and so we were ready to fight with reckless abandon.

Upon arrival In Musashi the enemy were already in position to fight, they knew of our attack. There was a varying degree of rain, which may serve useful against Uesugi's wall of Archers....

And upon seeing this horde of Marksmen I was truely worried, any attempt at crossing the bridge would be fatal, while victory seemed likely either way I didn't want one with large casualities, and so noble and brave soldiers they were, some spearmen volunteered to move forward, in the knowledge they would get a heroes funeral. These men inticed Uesugi's sparsely populated Infantry forward in range of my bowmen, and with no Infantry Uesugi would be vunerable to cavarly attack. Unfortunately my attempt to distract there infantry was only mildly successful.

Soon a stalemate began, with this tactic being used continuously until Uesugi reacted to my provoking no longer, and brute force was the only way forward, my Yari cavarly stormed into enemy archers but I underestimated the force of infantry still left in Uesugi's ranks, and so my cavarly lost several of there unit in the process. Had my noble monks not been on the field this battle would have been very close, however there superiority in hand to hand combat soon freed us into easy picking against archers. I saw all on the front line as my heavy cavarly skewered some of the Archery on there silver glazed swords, now anything but silver but more a bloody burgundy, resistance was high however as I felt many a minor blow deflect against my breastplate, the Uesugi Shogun was fighting a battle he knew he wouldn't win yet his motivation won my respect in boundless proportions.

But ironically eventually the Shogun himself turned to cowardice and ran off of the field, and so a victory was achieved without casualities being ridiculously high, though I cannot help but feel responsible for poorly using my Yari Cavarly on the field of battle when cavarly stables are so rare in my homelands.

With this newfound victory my financial advisors informed me of high increases in income and Kai and Sagami were securely content even without garrison, knowing the borders of Totomi, Shinano and Musashi were guarded fiercely. I felt at some point I was ignoring other clans successes to, ignorance is bliss they say as Oda unsuspectingly moved an experienced commander into Mikawa along with troops in Mino, furthermore Imagawa moved many troops into Echigo, I realized an attack from either clan could be imminent, even though Oda not so long ago claimed they were friends to our peoples. With this in mind peace with the Uesugi had been decided by myself personally as a priority, but my embassy was killed, and so it seemed that realtions were not going to improve, and that my embassy's truely were tactless. After careful deliberation my final target was Shimosa, it didn't border or offend Uesugi any further also having a small garrison and a reasonable income from farming and so a battle commenced.

I sent my captain to the battle and this is his report on the days events. 'Shimosa was so calm and tranquil at the time we invaded, but soon darkened. The rebellion we faced consisted of poor and experienced spearmen alike with some archers, a fear when fighting on bridges. Immediately I found my cavarly archers to be frustratingly rebellious, newly trained, but the horses were wild and there owners were still getting to grips with there thirsty animals, a frontal assualt with my monks began as my archery had let me down and this seemed to scare my Rebel foe into retreating...

Which shocked us all the more when they stopped and charged into my monks, when they were all in a rather unorganized formation and vunerable to attack, after a disappointing loss of my monks the Yari spearmen engaged and the rebels retreated again, all so clever for such an inexperienced general. A chase began yet this was his failure as my spearmen caught the running rebels and killed the whole back row of these scumbags, the turning point in the battle had just been performed.

Shimosa was took with minimal casualities, though unfortunately most belonged to the monks I had foolishly thrown into battle first and so I expected loyalty to be the next war in this province....'

Expansion was pleasing as year by year, region by region I was becoming the strongest nation, however distant spies told me there was another distant clan even stronger, the Shimazu, these people were unheard of to me yet already they seemed to be future enemies with there escalated power, from this report we can only hope the Takeda-Imagawa lands are enough to bar the expansion of this clan for a while at least.

With finances booming and military strong, expansion into Oda's lands will border the Shimazu off before they can get over half of japan and the advantage that would come with it, western expansion seems to be more logical than eastern if I am to threaten my only real threat.

**Wishazu** · 02-10-2009, 00:40

Excellent progress mate. You have a nice, rich set of provinces to build up. I would focus on building 1 or 2 powerful armies then focus your attention one at a time on your neighbours.