Takeda - A Shogun 2 AAR (Completed)

[Berylum]

Hey robinzx it's my birthday today! I finally caught up with the story and its very good indeed
Continue the good story line and twists. Next chapter I will consider it as my birthday present from you

[Robin de Bodemloze]

Hey robinzx it's my birthday today! I finally caught up with the story and its very good indeed
Continue the good story line and twists. Next chapter I will consider it as my birthday present from you

Happy birthday!! Next chapter is almost done

[Robin de Bodemloze]

Chapter L: Making waves

1563 – Spring

Mochizuki Takamasa smiled contently as he rode forth, the spring breeze brushed against his face. The winters were less harsh here compared to the mountainous north, but the renewed warmth was welcome nonetheless. Nobushige-sama had gifted him a new set of armour from the famed blacksmiths of Kanazawa, and wearing it filled him with supreme confidence. It was finished with the finest deep red lacquer, and the lacings were made from the finest calf leather. The gold three-pronged maedate was a tradition of his family, and he wore it with great pride. The Mochizuki had been a humble clan of jizamurai for as many generations as he could remember, but that was the past now. He had risen from the obscurity of the rank and file and now had a fief to call his own. In Hirakata his family now had one of the richest domains in the west, and although in truth he was still lowly ranked among the pantheon of great Takeda generals the thrill of command sent adrenaline coursing through his veins. He rode at the head of sixty men now – sixty of the legendary Akazonae that struck fear into the most hardened of enemy samurai. He would fight hard, he swore to himself, and repay the trust that Nobushige-sama had placed in him. He would do his family proud.

The water between Shikoku and the coast of Settsu province were only a few hours apart even for the slowest of vessels, so it was of some fortune that new had arrived early from spies in Takamatsu telling of the fact the Chosokabe had allied with the Takaoka and agreed to attack the Takeda by sea. A message had arrived by bird early in the morning, and such was the level of preparedness for war these days the entire western army was assembled and mobilised within hours. They would intercept the Chosokabe at the appointed point of landing, and strike before the enemy were ready. The main army headed by Nobushige-sama himself would travel in the open, while the Akazonae – led by old Yukitaka, Masakage and himself – made their way over minor roads in the hills. The enemy would be intercepted as they unloaded their vessels, and crushed on the beaches that lined the coast. Takamasa had been part of many cavalry charges in his relatively short career as one of Nobushige-sama’s bodyguard, but today would be his first at the head of the wedge. It would be both a heavy responsibility and a great honour, but he didn’t attain his current position by hiding from responsibility, Takamasa decided. Looking straight ahead he steeled his nerve and breathed deeply, readying himself as he had done many times prior.

Takamasa scanned the horizon as the cavalry approached its position. Over the wooded hill where he was instructed to lay in ambush he could see the scatter of ships along the coastline. That the enemy had arrived earlier than anticipated and were already well organised was disappointing, but there was little time to worry about that now. They also numbered many – likely more than the Takeda – but Takeda was sure quality would triumph over quantity. Shading his eyes from the sun he could see the main Takeda army approaching as one big mass from the right, the usual red appearing darker than usual under the midday glare. The Chosokabe were renowned throughout Japan for their command of kyujutsu, and outnumbered the Takeda almost two to one at range, so it was no surprise to Takamasa when he saw the Takeda infantry break into a sprint as soon as they were within arrow range. As he watched them advance he willed them to run faster, to close the distance as soon as possible before the inevitable shower of enemy arrows took their toll. Sure enough second later countless molten projectiles filled the sky as both sides let fly. Heavy smoke from the fire arrows obscured his view somewhat as the cascades of fire subsided, but even from the distant hill he could hear the dull metallic thud as the two armies collided.

“You will wait until the two lines have engaged before launching the attack. The Chosokabe will be weary from their journey across the sea and would likely not expect an ambush from you. Ride parallel to Yukitaka-dono and Masakage – and attack the enemy right flank when they are least aware…”

Takamasa looked back at his men, and one by one the men in the front few rows nodded at him with a steely resolve in their eyes. He had picked each of them from the Akazonae stables as Nobushige-sama had asked, and trusted their ability to perform as true Takeda horsemen would. He had made a point of selecting men from the minor clan serving the Takeda – these men did not bear the famous names of the old Kai families, but what they lacked in pedigree they more than made up in hunger and determination. They would be eager to prove themselves and excel, just as he had been as a newcomer to the bodyguard, Takamasa knew. Counting down silently within himself he watched intently as the lines of red and black slowly merged into an amorphous jumble. He scanned the landscape before him and planned his attack, and his eyes brightened when he saw the enemy general loitering behind their right flank. He would make his move where the trees parted enough for the wedge to be formed, and attack from where a slight incline would hide their movements from the cur until the last possible moment. Charging uphill was hardly advisable, he knew, but if he could reach the enemy general the rewards would be immense…

Three…two…one…

Takamasa unsheathed his sword and raised it skyward. Instantly the sound of hooves, the rustle of armour and the cries of men filled the forest canopy as scores of horsemen burst forth between the trees. He had perhaps been a moment too early, he though, but he wanted to be sure he would be at the head of the charge – not to upstage the elder generals but to justify Nobushige-sama’s trust in him. As they broke clear of the forest he scanned his surroundings constantly, trying to triangulate the position of the enemy general over the hill. He had done this many times before riding just off Nobushige-sama’s right hand, but this was his time – his opportunity to shine.

As his horse crested the incline Takamasa found his heart firmly wedged in his throat – he had slight overestimated the length of the hill, and presently could not have been more than twenty metres from the Chosokabe general. Thankfully it was clear that his opposite number was far more surprised than he, and Takamasa levelled his yari as he drew near the enemy ranks. Moments later all around him exploded into a racket of shouting, screaming, cutting, parrying. As his yari sliced through man and horse alike Takamasa searched frantically for the Chosokabe general, but he was nowhere to be found no matter how many of the enemy he had slain. Soon after Masakage’s men joined in the fray, charging into the rear of the ball of horsemen. Even as the resistance from the enemy bodyguard subsided Takamasa still could not spot his intended target. Frustrated, he wiped his brows to rid it of the blood of his victims, and signalled to his men to rally around him. Sighting the nearest crowd of Chosokabe yari Takamasa signalled the attack once more, and charged fearlessly into the rear of the enemy.

Devoid of a leader and pounded repeatedly from the rear by cavalry charges, it took little time for the rest of the Chosokabe army to be broken. Most were slaughtered or were presently running for their lives along the sandy beach. Hurtling after the enemy soldiers Takamasa saw the Chosokabe ships close up for the first time, six or seven of them moored along the coastline and swaying gently side to side in the shallow water. Being from a land locked province he had seen few ships growing up, and even at Osaka the largest ships he saw were ferries that took travellers to Shikoku or Awaji. In comparison these were monstrous things – easily three storeys tall and over a hundred pages long. They would have carried several hundred men easily, Takamasa thought as he plunged the end of his yari into the back of one of the Chosokabe stragglers. The man twisted in agony for a moment as he withdrew his weapon, and expired quickly upon the wet sand. Before long the water’s edge had been tainted a dull red by the man and his compatriots who were in turn slaughtered mercilessly.

* * *

“You have done well, Takamasa.”

Takamasa rode forth beaming with joy, delighted that Nobushige-sama had commended his efforts as the two crossed on the beach. His limbs ached with fatigue and several wounds on his legs were leaking blood, but his master’s words would be an able salve for the time being at least. He would ride back and tell his men, he decided. They had done just as well as he, if not better, and deserved to share the praise. As he turned to return to them he suddenly spotted a mass of dark spots on the horizon, far away from their position. Believing them to be an illusion that resulted from his fatigue Takamasa rubbed his eyes and looked again. To his surprise the dots were still as they were, only somewhat bigger. Shifting his eyes along the water’s edge it took little time for the enormity of the situation to dawn upon him. The battle just past had been an apt success, but the Takeda had taken casualties too, notably from the Chosokabe archers. They would also be without the element of surprise this time, for this time it was their enemies who had surprised them…

“Nobushige-sama! LOOK!!”

[Urblad5]

Fab chapter! I remember playing as the chosokobe when i first played the game! Brings back memories of me attacking from a beachhead and getting pounded!
Was wondering if you could post a picture of your current western army composition?

As always you deliver great story aspects to your updates!

[♔The Black Knight♔]

Another great update! I look foward on how nobushige will handle this situation.

[Heiro de Bodemloze]

"Supreme story-telling" I heard someone say once. Well, this must be the definision of it .


Great stuff!

[Ravenclaw2099]

OH NOES! If only the Takeda had researched the "Summon Gojira" ability!

Dang your cliffhangers lol

[Rex Anglorvm]

Nice way to leave the chapter, an encroaching enemy fleet,

Rep+

[Derbiean]

Enemy fleet...KILL IT! KILL IT WITH FIRE!!

[Shankbot de Bodemloze]

Ahhh.... what is going to happen!?

Oh and fab updated.

The best picture by far was:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Simply amazing.

[LegolasGreenleaf]

After returning to the Study from a long break, it is nice to see a new chapter of your AAR. Very nice, as usual.

[Robin de Bodemloze]

Fab chapter! I remember playing as the chosokobe when i first played the game! Brings back memories of me attacking from a beachhead and getting pounded!
Was wondering if you could post a picture of your current western army composition?

As always you deliver great story aspects to your updates!

Glad you liked the chapter Heh heh, there's more where the boats came from

Western army - thi swas a few turns back from where I am in the game so there's a few more chevrons here or there, but this is basically my default Takeda roster.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Another great update! I look foward on how nobushige will handle this situation.

With the force of a tonne of bricks

"Supreme story-telling" I heard someone say once. Well, this must be the definision of it .

Great stuff!

Well I must set a good example after all..

OH NOES! If only the Takeda had researched the "Summon Gojira" ability!

Dang your cliffhangers lol

I can see it now. Just imagine the on people's faces if I'd 'shopped a godzilla into that last pic

Nice way to leave the chapter, an encroaching enemy fleet,

Rep+

Thank you for the comment sir

Enemy fleet...KILL IT! KILL IT WITH FIRE!!

you're closer to you think than what I have planned

Ahhh.... what is going to happen!?

Oh and fab updated.

The best picture by far was:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Simply amazing.

Ahh yes I liked that one. Glad it worked out well

After returning to the Study from a long break, it is nice to see a new chapter of your AAR. Very nice, as usual.

Welcome back

* * *

I've planned out the rest of the story now. I'm excited. Now I just have to write everything

[Shankbot de Bodemloze]

Well get a move on then...

[Robin de Bodemloze]

Chapter LI: Carrack

1563 – Summer

Shading his eyes from the sun, Takamasa looked in the direction of the approaching fleet. The Chosokabe ships numbered over a dozen, and together they must have carried at least a thousand men, if not more. Putting aside his bewilderment at how deployment of such magnitude had escaped the Takeda’s network of spies, Takamasa’s thoughts raced now, pondering how to face the oncoming threat in battle. They had lost the element of surprise, and would likely be disadvantaged in numbers. The morning’s fighting had been tough despite its relative brevity, and looking around he was scarcely surprised to see how sluggish the men looked as Nobushige-sama’s bodyguard coddled them back into position. Takamasa looked across the ranks as his company of akazonae lined up in formation. Yukitaka was covered in a dark red from head to toe, but the old samurai’s high spirits suggested it was from the blood of his victims rather than his own. His own cavalry had suffered relatively few losses and would be relied upon to deliver victory, Takamasa knew.

He would make sure of it, even if the odds seemed to be against them.

Nobushige-sama had ordered the men to assemble just behind a particularly high dune of sand to the right of the beach. It wasn’t much, but the obstacle at least meant they would be out of sight of the enemy as they beached. The bodyguard were wildly signalling instructions to each company of men in turn, but the akazonae knew their role even if they had not. Once the infantry had engaged the cavalry would circle round to deliver the decisive blow to the enemy’s soft underbelly, Takamasa mused as he grasped his reins and placed them in his lap. It was the Takeda way, and they would prevail over the crass islanders that presently approached these shores. It wasn’t the first time the western army had to overcome a disadvantage in numbers, and it wouldn’t be the last, Takamasa told himself. The fatigue prevalent throughout the men was a worry, but the clan had never truly depended on the infantry while fighting in the open.

Scouts were positioned at the crest of the sand dune, and from the vantage point of his horse Takamasa could barely see the Chosokabe ships as they approached. The beach was long, but most of it was littered with treacherous rocks of varying sizes and only a relatively narrow stretch below the sand dune allowed for a safe approach. It was there therefore that the first three ships made landing while the rest awaited their turn. As the black clad men poured forth from the ships Takamasa felt himself swallowing involuntarily. The wooden ships were even larger than they’d looked at distance, and easily held two hundred men each. He adjusted the straps on his kabuto and patted the dark grey horse that had grown to become his friend and companion. They would need to fight as one if they stood a chance of victory this day. As the Chosokabe approached the base of the dune Takamasa heard the war horns sound, and watched on silently. Despite the morning battle the men charged forth with impressive exuberance, he thought. From the corner of one eye he saw Masakage ordering his troops further to the right flank, and followed suit. Not a single man or horse made a noise as they stole forth.

An almighty clang rang out over the sandy beach as the Takeda infantry ploughed into the enemy. Those in red were fewer in number, but unlike the Chosokabe who were restricted to conflicts within Shikoku the western army had fought enemies of all description across Japan in the last decade, and Takamasa was confident they would hold firm until the cavalry arrived. As he circumvented the right side of the sand dune, a number of Chosokabe yari tried to turn and face the oncoming cavalry, but these were intercepted by the oncoming Takeda advance, and before long the pleasing sight of the enemy rear came into view. Gathering his reins Takamasa kicked back and felt the wind brush against his cheeks-

BOOM!!!

Takamasa felt his ears ring as the thunderous noise subsided around him. His face and limbs were covered in wet sand that had inexplicably spouted up in the air, as was his horse which had done well to stay on its feet despite the scare. Wiping the muck from his eyes he could see a black spherical shape embedded in the ground where he had been moments earlier. It had a metallic sheen to it, and emitted a white smoke that told of its temperature. Bewildered momentarily at what sorcery the shape represented, Takamasa readjusted himself as they approached the mass of black clad men before him. Ordinarily charging into a forest of yari would be suicide for any self-respecting cavalryman, but pinned against the Takeda infantry these men were fully focused on the foe before them. Only a few Chosokabe soldiers turned in time to even realise the approaching threat, and scores were sent flying into others as the cascade of horsemen ripped through their lines.

BOOM!!!

There it was again, thought Takamasa as he manoeuvred his horse between the masses of Chosokabe infantry. This time though he caught the source of the noise – an approximately spherical object sailing through the air and into a crowd of Chosokabe soldiers, tearing off limbs, heads as it went. Turning to face a new opponent he saw an unfamiliar silhouette in the distant waters. It was evidently a ship, but one several times wide and tall as the Chosokabe ones. His curiosity was put to one side though as one enemy soldier he had not seen approached on his blind side, the man’s blade catching him just below the knee. Howling a guttural scream of pain Takamasa swung his yari around towards the offending enemy soldier. The tip of the weapon struck the man’s neck, and with a sickening crunch his head was severed cleanly and sent flying several meters. The body stood still in a moment of futile defiance before collapsing in a heap on the ground.

BOOM!!!

Turning towards the sea to watch for any incoming projectiles, Takamasa saw that the remaining Chosokabe ships had turned away from the beach and began encircling the offending vessel. He had little idea of the giant vessel’s true purpose, but supposed that its aggression against the Chosokabe made it a friend. Pummelled from two sides and devoid of further reinforcements from the boats the Chosokabe infantry on the beach head were fading fast, and Takamasa found progress cutting through the enemy grew gradually easier despite the growing pain in his leg. Finding himself near Nobushige-sama who himself had vaulted into the thick of the action Takamasa couldn’t deny his curiosity any longer.

“Nobushige-sama! What’s that? I’ve never seen anything like it!”

His commander yelled back over the din of the battlefield, and Takamasa was filled with both delight and relief by his response.

“The gods are with us – I believe the vessel is a friend!”

* * *

Before long the Chosokabe soldiers had scattered in all directions along the sea shore, pursued enthusiastically by Takeda soldiers intent on expanding their collection of trophy body parts. Leaving the rest of the army to run down the fleeing enemy Takamasa brought his horse closer to his commander, and turned his attention to his wound for the first time. His leg now screamed in searing pain as the euphoria of victory faded somewhat. He clutched it tightly to lessen the agony, only to right himself as his commander turned to face him.

“You have fought well, Takamasa,” Nobushige-sama began, “a vessel just like that came to our shores some years ago, and I was fortunate enough to meet its captain. A strange man – Rodrigo was his name.”

“Rod…rigo…” Takamasa muttered the strange name repeatedly. It contained tones unfamiliar to his tongue, and he could only look at Nobushige-sama with an akward grin as he realised how inaccurate his pronunciation was.

“Yes. The man was not from our shores, but from a faraway place he called Portugal. The red cross on the ship’s sails is the kamon of their country. Merchants who sail to China tell me this Portugal is a dozen times further from even there. I permitted this Rodrigo to trade along the Tohoku provinces that time – his business must have been profitable. In any case we can only be thankful for his intervention on this day, for we would be in a far worse state had he not.”

Takamasa watched the gargantuan vessel with dumbstruck awe, barely speaking as the battle at sea unfolded before him. The “carrack”, as Nobushige-sama had called it, was outnumbered seven or eight to one, but the spouts of fire – accompanied by the same thunderous boom – came thick and fast. With each volley of fire the Chosokabe ships seemed to crumble somewhat and sit a little lower in the water. Meanwhile the arrows from the Chosokabe archers – famed as they were – barely seemed to make a dent in the carrack’s tall hull. One Chosokabe vessel did try to board using grappling cables, but these too were shrugged off as the carrack turned into the wind, the acceleration from its sails proving too much for the rope which simply snapped in two. Before long several of the Chosokabe vessels had been immobilised, and at least three were taking on water. Takamasa ordered his men to be vigilant of any survivors, but even as he gave the command he felt optimistic there would be none.

Transfixed on the action in the bay, Takamasa was taken by surprise by the sudden commotion that erupted from behind him. Sprays of sand flew from the hooves of the auburn horse which approached. The rider was slumped limply across its back and instead of dismounting simply flopped to the ground as he struggled to bring his mount to a stop. His clothes were torn in places, and blood stained where the broken fabric exposed open wounds. Takamasa didn’t recognise the man’s dirty, battered face, but the saddle of his horse indicated that he was from the Osaka machi. Takamasa joined Nobushige-sama in dismounting and kneeled before the unexpected messenger. He offered the messenger water from a flask, but the man was too weak even to accept the liquid. In between heavy gulps of air the man struggled desperately to spit out his message. The words that left his parched lips betrayed the immense pain his wounds brought him.

“Nobu… Nobushige-sama… Osaka is under… under siege. The Tak…Takaoka are attacking…the machi…des…destroyed…you mu…must help…”

With that the messenger slumped back against the sand, the whites of his eyes visible between slightly parted eyelids. A feeling of nausea cascaded through Takamasa as he turned towards the direction of Osaka, and saw the columns of black smoke that hung above the horizon.

[Shankbot de Bodemloze]

A thriller of an update, and I can't help but wonder if these men are behind the attack at Osaka?

+rep

EDIT: This means you must have got the battle to work then?

[Heiro de Bodemloze]

Wow! This, I think, is the best you have ever done! The pictures and the writing, greatest I have ever seen here at TWC. I love how you combined the storytelling and the two battles, and reaccuring Rodrigo. I knew I always liked him .

[Radzeer]

These last updates were absolutely brilliant! Great narrative and fantastic pictures. I was hoping to see an epic beachhead battle as long as the game has that option. Anyway, you delivered with flying colors!
The only thing I don't like about this "planned out the rest of the story" business that now there is the end in sight!

[♔The Black Knight♔]

Another awesome update indeed! However it looks as if the takeda have fell from one problem to another.

However I have no doubt nobushige can handle this. We also might have a carrack to help out.

[Robin de Bodemloze]

A thriller of an update, and I can't help but wonder if these men are behind the attack at Osaka?

+rep

EDIT: This means you must have got the battle to work then?

Aye, the beach map succumbed to my stubbornness in the end

Much shenanigans await at Osaka

Wow! This, I think, is the best you have ever done! The pictures and the writing, greatest I have ever seen here at TWC. I love how you combined the storytelling and the two battles, and reaccuring Rodrigo. I knew I always liked him .

Rodrigo's a bit of a blast from the past. He's got a nice little role coming up though

These last updates were absolutely brilliant! Great narrative and fantastic pictures. I was hoping to see an epic beachhead battle as long as the game has that option. Anyway, you delivered with flying colors!
The only thing I don't like about this "planned out the rest of the story" business that now there is the end in sight!

Good to see you back The game actually doesn't have a beach battle option - took a bit of trial and error to get the angles right. Glad it worked out in the end

Another awesome update indeed! However it looks as if the takeda have fell from one problem to another.

However I have no doubt nobushige can handle this. We also might have a carrack to help out.

Hehe, about that carrack..

* * *

Been awfully tied up with RL and the AARtistry course. Next chapter will come during the coming week hopefully

[Steward Denethor II]

Unfortunately I cant give you rep on this (I have to "spread it around") But I will give you some when I can...

Been too lazy to comment much before, but still the last update was undoubtedly one of my favorites. Loved to see the Carrack destroy the Chosokabe scumbags (they always love to attack me when I don't expect it, so I hate them forever!) Also its great to see an old character come back in the story.

Hope to see this updated in a couple of days.