The Uesugi Campaign Guide

[Belisarius]

Post yours here.

[Lugotorix]

To the Moderators, wanted to get as much exposure to the AAR while remaining within the rules, please merge any un-necessary re-posts.

1. Uzen is a must by late game: Holy Sites, possibly existing monk infrastructure

2. Miyagi is a must by late game; Huge iron payload for elite troops and construction of very expensive elite chain buildings

3. When you're stretched too thin on the western shore, take gambles; if you have a good ally, expansion into the central north will pay off in the long run.

4. Northern Shinano has existing sword dojos, and it's on the doorstep to Kai, the gateway to the east, this will pressure the Takeda into an alliance if they're not already.

5. Send in Ashigaru first, (this applies to walls also, UNLESS there are towers, in which case the ashigaru will rout) then Warrior monks in large battles, preserves unit numbers enough for morale bonuses to stay into effect, even if later flanked. Warrior monks are not shock infantry.

6. Go for Naginata dojos first. This will give you Samurai troops to stave off the more advanced factions until you have monasteries where needed. Heavy spear armies will give you an advantage against the Takeda and horse based armies late game, and they're required for Warrior monks.

7. Average income of the north-west supports one Naginata Samurai and one Uesugi Warrior Monk mid-game. Send them on secure roads to deployment zones.

8. Invest everything possible into army movement points and replenishment for elite units

9. It's not worth losing Warrior Monks climbing walls and taking archer fire, which they're susceptible to, sabotage the enemy gates instead.

10. One ninja has allot of movement points, two will suffice for even 1/3 of Honshu.

11. UPGRADE YOUR ROADS AND PORTS WHEN THE LADY ASKS. Only when you absolutely need troops, ignore her, it will pay off with the trade bonuses.

12. Make as many trade agreements as humanly possible. The Uesugi have great elite armies, but only trade and mines can support those armies up to 2-3 stacks
.
13. Take Sado before the mission expires. The gold mines double your profits of your entire empire alone if upgraded. Late-game is fine, but get it done, and blockade them very early in the least case, so your navy has free-reign over the north-west. Take the Hokkaido port while it's hot, because someone else will take it.





First, thanks to Gamestop, Sega, Japan, and CA for this absolute diamond of a game. There are so many facets I could cover initially, but I'll start with the AI, before I get into game-play and the AAR. It was the late 50's in southern Japan. It was a very cool time to be alive and in this place. Two armies take the battlefield, one cavalry heavy, one elite spear and peasant heavy.



Do you, the enemy, A: Charge into the waiting columns(more on that later) of Uesugi Warrior Monks and Naginata armed Samurai B. Try to find a weak spot in the formation, where you can pierce with your Katana cavalry at the general or perhaps the archers...C. Taunt and goad the enemy into attacking your cavalry, thus pulling them into your equally sized force.



If you're the AI for CA's game, the answer is C. and then B. I was surprised myself, but there I was, watching cavalry enemy play russian roulette, in a scene reminiscent of The Deer Hunter escape. I've got the replay to prove it also. The AI is in fact so keen, that they didn't get tangled in my spear walls, and eventually forced not one, but two false charges. Yes, they went for my general in a thin opening that appeared when I finally charged the infantry with mine.



I'll give you some background. The Uesugi have a deceptively bad starting position. Half of everything in the game is movement points for northern factions, Date, and Uesugi respectively, and you have to initially overextend yourself to take on the Jinbo, your first real enemies once you've dealt with the civil war. The formulation of the alternate feudal Japan in which the Uesugi have just sacked Sado and invoked the Shogun's Ire, is entirely dependent on an alliance with the Takeda that's persisted since the opening turns to freaking 1562. The Nanban are out in full force, even gave me a matchlock when they set up shop.



The trouble for the Shogun all started with two events, one the Anekagoji wars, and two, the Hojo's brilliant decision to annex Kozuke, the province of my vassal the Yamanagouchi Uesugi (sp?)
Following the massive Imagawa, Takeda, Hojo, Uesugi, Date triumvirate alliance, which lasted years upon years, and formed at the beginning of the game, I was forced to abandon my vassal, for fears of alienating the Takeda, which I shared a precarious border with. It asked me to join the war on my vassal's side, and I declined, in favor of remaining within the alliance. While I sat back and took it, the other member's of the alliance became more and more powerful, while I forced on enjoying the game and the arts trees. Then, an emerging faction in North Shinano, the Anekagoji, gave me a precursor to invade what was formerly two Takeda fiefs, Higa, and North Shinano. It was this war that made me.


Firstly, it gave me the funds to build a war machine and finance the Naginata/Monk/Peasants/Archers in Echigo, roughly in that order. Second, the Takeda would routinely move full stacks through my territory, building trust. I know it's hard to believe that in a game, but consider this; Out of that original super-alliance that existed, only the Takeda and I remain (The Hojo keep re-emerging in Satomi lands). Everyone else was wiped out when the alliance broke into two camps. Our empire spans from Ugo in the far north of Japan, to the island between Sekkoku and Honshu. Over forty provinces united.


Where were the Takeda going? Echizen, where the Ikko-Ishi (who I imagine are a monastic uprising, although they had no monks) emerged. Once again, Takeda actions gave me a pretense to further expand. There's a almost a Takeda corridor up there, and Echizen is still separated from the roads of the rest of the Uesugi. I even got to fight an allied battle with Shingen himself (not Kenshin though, his adopted son Tomougi or his brother )


Side-note; The retainer's in this game are truly amazing; They include but are not limited to; Fugi Chef, Armored War Dog (they're back ), and Katsuhiro, a tastefully done Seven Samurai reference. While I was building Kenshin into the five star he is now (he once fought against and killed Date Harumune, outnumbered, peasants against Samurai, and overqualified by two stars) I kept hearing Katsuhiro saying "You sir, are REALLY GREAT." in my head.


After I had carved a vast swath across western Japan that left me feeling exposed (and I was, the Takeda could have broken the alliance and wiped me out, just like they had later betrayed and destroyed the Imagawa, just after a peace treaty was finally made between the Imagawa and I) The Satomi and Satake emerged, and I felt I had my justification to reclaim Kozuke from the Hojo, who were finally under the pressure they had put me under. Speaking of vassals, they are devoted to you to the last, and from my experience with the Satake, they recover into battle-ready full stacks very quickly late game.


First, I politely canceled the alliance. No answer, they're still friendly, then worried. By this point, the Satomi were having a fair go at the Hojo, so I wasn't worried about resistance, just retaliation by the very powerful Date and Takeda, who were allied with the Hojo. So I invade, and the Takeda join me, and the Date join the Hojo. Suddenly it's civil war across half of Japan, and I'm a minor player.


Gameplay is superb, the Date invaded at one point, were a few miles into Echigo; actually had to reload the peasant's vs. samurai battle (twice) on Normal. Strategic decision on the battlefield make a huge difference in game, as does foolishly throwing away Kenshin or your Daimyo; looking at you Thoro
Even if you have elite troops, they Will rout if you lose your primary general, even Uesugi Warrior monks.


Unit composition is well balanced and builds itself if you don't demolish buildings. For example, the first Samurai I received were Katana samurai. I had planned on never producing a single Katana samurai unit (ahistorical) but the opportunity presented itself too often, both in the southwest of Japan, and North Shinano, where I now have Katana cavalry. I've only looted one province so far, and that's because it was the iron reserves in Fukushima (very rich and valuable province); netted almost 8000 (that's enough to bribe a samurai full stack of Hojo rebels at 57% accuracy with a two star Metsuke). Basically when I invaded the four Date provinces, it was armies of 90% ashigaru against 100% Date Samurai. One has to really make use of their general's abilities in such situations. The Date never built No Dachi, despite having the capability to, and the Hojo never build siege, despite having the capability to.


Instead I used the koku to build a fortress in Echigo, and built the capital to the point where it can produce naginata, warrior monks, and warrior archers. Miyagi also has the ability to produce warrior monks. Other fortresses you acquire naturally, and along with buildings, are very balanced per region. In the end, the Date, and their last two remaining provinces self destructed under the pressure of rebels. When I finally busted into the Fortress in Ugo, after a long siege by Kenshin and a new general, held by rebels, I saw that they had looted the place completely.
I cannot stress this enough. If you want a short game, go for south eastern factions. Fighting's just as hard but it's faster paced. It take's allot of patience to maintain supply lines across large provinces, regions.


Conquering the north of Honshu, four provinces, at a strong grueling pace, sieges, the lot, took me seven years or so. I figure taking the Satomi's five provinces in the former Hojo area will take me one and a half at most. The Hokkaido trade post is owned by the Takeda, still haven't got one, although I have plenty of trade ships and a sizable armada. Just siezed the gold mines on Sado island and made the Satake my vassal. Vassalage is great fun. Great fun. My economy has reached the point where I feel confident to take on the Takeda if at some point they betray me, everything in the game works out that way, but I plan on going the naval route and invading Kyushu, who have hated both the Takeda-Uesugi alliance for years anyways. Everyone on Honshu is either my vassal, allied, or friendly, including the Amaki, who have recently been losing some ground, the entire Mori intentions, to the Hatano a huge bulwark faction splitting the islands in two, who have joined the Takeda as allies.


There are six major players left on the map. The two super-powers, about equal in size are the Takeda and I, the the Hatano and Amaki (consolidating the Yamana), the Hatano and Amaki are about equal in size, and then Sekkoku (The Chosokabe will be the only one's left after Takeda finishes the Miyoshi) Then Kyushu, which is in a violent civil war, but unified in one thing, the Takeda and Uesugi have got to go. The Oda, Kiso, Imagawa, Tokugawa, Hattori, they're all long gone, most of them destroyed by the Takeda, and will never re-emerge. This is the way realm divide was intended to work. Two superpowers, and their vassals, allies.


I enjoyed the polish and single culture more than any other Total War game; I've been playing since Shogun 1 and that's including Rome mods, which is a huge statement. I'm very impressed by the CAI, especially the Takeda funneling supplies through North Shinano for their northern war. Just felt realistic, just as the way generals are used now, how vulnerable they are, stand your ground, inspire, etc. seems more realistic. Major improvements in game-play realism.


Just for it's epic nature, and the way the BAI and CAI carry it off, as well as missions and the arts, appointing heirs, politics, intrigue elements of the game (Right around the time I slew Harumune, I also assassinated his son and heir) I give this game a 10/10. Any questions are welcome, as I said, I've invoked the Shogun's Ire, so a realm divide is coming soon, probably with the Satomi provinces under my boot.


Unfortunately, due to mistaking f12 for scrn, I'm missing alot of my early screenshots but I'll begin compiling those from the Hojo invasion onwards in this thread.
This game comes highly recommended, best, and most dynamic and epic total war game yet.

[Raimeken]

I want to ask, how do you get to North Shinano before Takeda, by the time you're done taking care of the rebellion, Takeda is already in the province

[Lugotorix]

In my case, the Anekagoji emerged against the Takeda and took over Higa and North Shinano. The Takeda are coded to take over the Murakami in North Shinano, just like you're 'coded' to take the rebels, if I'm correct, so there's very little, if no, chance of getting there first, so pray for some kind of uprising, or Takeda failure to take the region. Decided to not only help my ally, but expand as well. This gave me a pretense to take both provinces.

[The Sweeper]

Nice review man. Uesugi will be the second campaign I play. It's cool how you're map turned out, I hope the long term alliances and vassalships I've made so far in my game will turn out in a similar scenario when realm divide kicks in.

[Lugotorix]

Nice review man. Uesugi will be the second campaign I play. It's cool how you're map turned out, I hope the long term alliances and vassalships I've made so far in my game will turn out in a similar scenario when realm divide kicks in.

Thanks man. I'm posting a teaser of the screen AAR tonight, with the 1554 Battle of Echigo Fields between Date Harumune and Uesugi Kenshin. The screens, although I turned off bloom and SSAO, are epic.

[Lugotorix]

HERE ARE THE SCREENS IN ROUGHLY SEQUENTIAL ORDER LEADING UP TO AND THE SUMMATION OF THE BATTLE OF ECHIGO FIELDS, 1554, BETWEEN UESUGI KENSHIN AND HARUMUNE DATE; EPIC BATTLE WORTH VIEWING, ALTHOUGH JUST A TEASER TO THE CAMPAIGN AAR ONCE I GET SCREENS MANAGEABLE FOR VIEWING IN THREADS

LINK
http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/7...113?tab=public

[valky]

After trying several factions, I find Uesugi the most interesting; currently playing Uesugi + Hojo on hard

But compared to other faction's start-up Uesugi's is like russian roulette. Whatever the cost may be, having the western province is rather important. You'll end up in a war against Takeda.
So Etchu will be your stepping stone against takeda to the west, while my second army helped (!) my vassal who was already at war against Takeda & Hojo. Just had one army placed besides the castle helped to obliterate 2 full stacked armies of Takeda + Hojo.
That further leaves both of them completely vulnerable, so my Etchu army started to take every province from Takeda, while your other might want to go on Hojo. (and pray that your allied factions don't start another war against you)

At this point things are going well, that's the best outcome to start to take over japan in my opinion.
I had to reload at one point cause my calculation went wrong and Takeda sent an army at my starting town instead...

The downside is that you don't have the very important research booster early on, and might consider later on to start a rebellion or sometimes he moves his army out of town, use a ninja to block the army and the monk. But in the beginning having the ~30% doesn't really matter, it doesn't even shorten the 2 or 3 turn researches.
Monks and Ninjas are badass special character, you can even 'safely' get your hands on allied countries without risking to break the treaty.

@Lugotorix

3. When you're stretched too thin on the western shore, take gambles; if you have a good ally, expansion into the central north will pay off in the long run.

True Uesugi is all about gambling...and there is not really a perfect strategy at all. Important are the first 3-4 years and what you further plan to do.
In my game helping the vassal really made things easier, but I guess its everybody's personal preference.

[Benzo]

I captures Fukishima. Then i got sandwiched between the Takeda and Date. Eventually i couldn't move with out assulting one which would of triggered the other. So i think you should build on the coast and then push in.

[valky]

That's exactly why I went back to an earlier save and helped Yamanouchi instead. This completely changed nearly everything. The 'whole' invasion force from Takeda which was completely annihilated while trying to capture the city made some other things ridiculous easy. (you don't even have to do anything while they are being crushed by their force - just do the battle manually!)

My 2nd army just marched afterwards from Hida to Kai, besides being 'stopped' by smaller armies.

(to be honest, I played up to 1559, being completely outnumbered and overwhelmed by every single faction around me; I more or less went back to 1547 and helped that stupid guy of me *g* that changed the whole history and was the breaking point to start going offensive. I couldn't even get a grasp to replenish my armies in my other savegames)

Takeda has to be dealt with early on, they are such a bother - I really don't know how the heck he can maintain such armies otherwise.

[Puzzlemaker]

Man it's hard to get a good start for the Uesugi, and it's so easy to spread yourself thin. I made the mistake of spreading out westwards along the coast, which ended up netting me several enemies.

Arg.

[DeMolay]

I captures Fukishima. Then i got sandwiched between the Takeda and Date. Eventually i couldn't move with out assulting one which would of triggered the other. So i think you should build on the coast and then push in.

I agree , IMHO capturing on the coast westwards , capturing Sado (quite difficult but very worth it ) as the first moves , then building trade the best you can whilst keeping sizeable garrison in Echigo and Etchu to guard from the south against Takeda or rebels .

Then phase 2 would be to develop trade as much as possible , as it is vital to Uesugi's ability to finance a southern invasion of Takeda , but especially to equipp its army with some warrior monks units and optionnally , some good cavalry to protect them from ennemy archers if you can afford . It is very important also because later on you'll need incense to upgrade your key buildings

Tech wise , i think getting equal fields (in order to build farms and thus have a castle in Echigo , a strong base where you can build many units per season ) is important , then get the Buddhist buildings ASAP for the monks

The hardest thing later on , is to contain the Takeda , so if you can ally with Date before the Takeda does it , then things will be much easier . The initial challenge with Uesugi is quite hard , the hardest part is to conqueer Sado whislt protecting your lands on the main island from the opportunistic AI , but once you get Sado and your trade going on , you can consider having succesfully passed the 1st test and can basically expand in any direction

[Thefallenhun]

I found a great strategy in using monks to create rebel prvoinces to the west till I took the east, the AI is bad about taking them back.

[griminald]

I agree , IMHO capturing on the coast westwards , capturing Sado (quite difficult but very worth it ) as the first moves , then building trade the best you can whilst keeping sizeable garrison in Echigo and Etchu to guard from the south against Takeda or rebels .

Capturing Sado first is something I wish I would've done in my campaign.

Instead I rushed west to finish off Jinbo, allied with Takeda, then jumped Anegakoji when they left Hida undefended to take North Shinano. I took both cities and had 4 to build upon.

When I turned to Sado, not realizing just how much wealth they could amass, their army was so large that I couldn't divert troops to the island without leaving myself wide open to anyone who'd invade. And there were plenty.

I was allied with Takeda and Date, but so was Hojo, which built its power and wound up sandwiched between all 3 of us. My west border was a stalemate, as I couldn't take the Ikko Ikki city of Kaga without the Hatakeyama attacking me from Noto -- taking the Date in as allies since they still held their eastern province.

It was only luck that got me out of that mess: The Hojo decided to hit the Date/Hatakeyama instead of me, Imagawa/Tokugawa attacked Takeda, and neither ally asked for my help. Took me till Winter 1555 to finally take Sado while everyone was distracted killing each other.

This may have been for the better, for all I know -- I was afraid of Takeda holding both North Shinano and Hida while I was trying to amass enough troops to take the island.

[DeMolay]

Yea , Sado has to be taken immediately , otherwise they start building one unit every turn , and after some time , they end up with a huge army to protect their gold mines and usually ally with Hatakeyama clan of the Noto region .

The reason is that Sado is very rich , i think it is the second richest region in the game after Izu . So basically , the Honma clan of Sado has an income of at least 2000 koku , sometimes up to 3000 if they built the goldmine complex , and that means they can afford to have an army worth 2000 koku sometimes , that's a huge army . To defeat such a force , you need a major invasion indeed .

But if you attack Sado in the first 5-8 turns , it is possible to defeat them with much less troubles than if you wait for 20 turns , when a huge army will be waiting for you .

Playing Uesugi , when i had Sado+Echigo (i ignored Jinbo clan and their Etchu region at the beggining because it is difficult to defend ) as first 2 provinces , the income allowed me to start building trading ports quickly , then spamming trade ships (30 of them , 10 in each trade node ) to 3 different trade nodes (cotton , war horse , iron ) , while having a good garrison in Echigo . After some time (when at least 15 ships reached the trade nodes and i got trade agreements with coastal clans) , i became quite rich , and invaded the region of Noto .

With Echigo+Sado+Noto(with trade port) , you become quite powerful afterwards thanks to the trade money , that's when i finally turned my attention to Jinbo .

The key stuff for me was to make sure Etchu+Noto+Sado give you +3 food , so you can build a castle at Echigo and be able produce 4 units per season and have a very strong base to launch invasion to the south later on against the Takeda . Once you have Echigo+Noto+Sado+Etchu+30 ships trading , it becomes very difficult to stop the Uesugi financial and military might , Noto and Sado are quite safe from invasion , and there are two very important regions not far : Echizen (superior archers) and Kaga (armourer )

[TotalWarker]

I took the advice above and took Sado first last night. First time I sent a ship up with half a stack and they had more trrops than me. Spammed a few more myself and landed on their shores. Luck had it that they rode out and attacked me in the field the next turn, allowing me to use defensive and amushing tactics to mash them up, sweeping up the territory next turn with a much stronger force. Without a doubt this is the best way to go as previously I had tried to sweep West towards my enemy and ended up overstretched and at war with many people. Now I have gold behind me

[Lugotorix]

Edited the campaign guide with proper resources to province. Surprised no-one's noticed this glaring error.



Here's an idea of what your Realm Divide should look like
http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/7...3/screenshots/

[Dodge]

I ally with Takeda in the first couple of turns, vassalise Jinbo, abandon both vassals if they're invaded, take the northern trade node, conquer the adjacent yellow faction/province, and the green one, then mogami, then date, invade and conquer sado.

Then you have 2 border provinces and quite a bit of power to charge south.

[Ecka65]

I've played through several clans on Hard and two on VH. But I can't - FOR THE LIFE OF ME - get a Uesigi campaign to anything near stability on Hard. Normal difficulty = no problem. We won and I thought it was actually pretty easy. But on hard - sheeshh!

[Ecka65]

OK, now I'm not sure if I'm on the right track, have got extraordinarily lucky, or can be bothered continuing despite the good start....

After the above post I started again - Uesugi on Hard. Combined some excellent advice on this thread and took Sado - then Noto - then Etchu. Had trade ships up north on the iron, in Korea on the cotton, and in China on the silk. Brilliant! But why is it so quiet? Why am I not getting bashed? Why isn't half of central and most of northern Japan at war with me like every other attempt? Because Takeda was gone. Hojo was gone. Date was clinging to his starting province by the skin of his teeth. The dominant powers I hear you ask? Anegakoji and Satomi............... And when I got to the China silk node I discovered the Shoni had not only taken all of Kyushu, but had alreadt taken three provinces on Honshu and had destroyed the Mori!!!

So I'm left with this nagging doubt. I want to finally crack the Uesugi on hard having lost too many times - usually at the hands of Takeda and Hojo with a late cameo performance from Date. This is by far my best start. BUT it just doesn't "feel" right when my nemesis Takeda and those Hojo buggers aren't in it, and Date look like they're having a game like my first attempt!