Review of Otomo Clan
I just completed a H/H campaign with the Otomo (I find that VH/legendary distort the game mechanics too much.) I'm not going to give a step-by-step account, but I do have some insights to share.
Starting Position: Kinda rough, but not terrible. The main threats come from the NW and across the strait to NE. Block the strait with your ship immediately as you really don't want to have a stack sneak across when your armies are elsewhere. Ito is friendly, and an alliance would be a good idea. The clan to the West is initially indifferent, but will eventually turn on you.
Clan Bonuses: The cheap and fast training imported matchlocks are handy and make using matchlocks from turn 1 much more feasible economically. Reduced cost for missionary actions is nice, but will become less relevant latter on. Starting as Christian definitely helps in avoiding that awkward transition that other clans will have to go through. The conversion bonus is nice, but not a huge asset.
Clan Tech Tree Changes: You can train matchlock ashigura after the 2nd gunpowder tech rather than having to grind it out till the 3rd (which you will still want for matchlock samurai and blunderbuss cavalry.) However, you will always need a powder maker to train the ashigura, even after the mastery tech. The missionary bonus for the 1st and 2nd tier religion techs are switched, so you get an improved chance of success and then the cost reduction bonus.
Clan/New Units:
Otomo Matchlock Ashigura: Same as the Oda version, but you can access them earlier. They are excellent for defending settlements, but trickier to use in field battles. They are shoot faster and more accurately than their regular counter parts but are still terrible in melee and vulnerable to archers. Try to be the defender when using them on the field as the screen really help in slowing down melee attackers to allow for a quick retreat once they get too close.
Otomo Matchlock Samurai: Better rof/accuracy than regular version. Compared to ashigura, they are better/faster shots, decent in melee (after a few volleys to slant things in their favor), and more resistant to arrow fire. I've had much more luck using them over ashigura in field battles because they are significantly less fragile. The smaller unit size can also be helpful in maneuvering to fire from the flanks.
Otomo Matchlock Kobaya: More accurate than regular version. Good damage, even versus bigger ships, but firing is sometimes buggy.
Otomo Dunderbluss Cavalry: Quite nasty. Melee stats are of a slightly watered down Katana Cavalry, but they have the boom stick to (over)compensate. In fact, I would recommend ditching Katana Cavalry and using Dunderblusses in their place. Their guns are reasonably accurate and do excellent damage while the reload is slowish but not more so than other matchlock units.
Other cavalry need to be careful as single volley can easily kill half a unit and render the melee a foregone conclusion. Their range may only be 50, but because they are cavalry they can zip in and out as needed. Thus, infantry can be flanked/kited and torn apart with buckshot. Because their melee stats aren't too shabby, you can go ahead and run down missile infantry who might otherwise beat you at range with numbers/rof.
Portuguese Tercios: Basically imported matchlock samurai, and incredibly powerful early in the game when armies are almost all un-upgraded ashigura. They are still potent into the late game, but more limited in that they have to be trained at the Naban Quarter+Hunting Lodge (only +5 accuracy, ick). Matchlock Samurai trained at a craftworks castle will become nearly as good and much more accessible. They also don't have bamboo screens, so be prepared to swing them around the flanks or commit them to melee (which fortunately they aren't bad at.)
Clan/New Buildings:
Leased Land: Adds a one-time sum of 4500 to your treasury, does not add to town wealth, and cannot be destroyed latter on. Also reduces daimyo honor by one. Given that many non-production settlements will have open building slots, leased land is not entirely useless. The honor penalty is really the harshest part.
Jesuit School Chain: Replacement for the normal Christian building chain optimized for quickly converting new territories and bolstering local forces through bonuses to replenishment/siege length. This is at the cost of the massive Chi research, town wealth growth, happiness, and adjacent region conversion bonuses of the normal chain.
Generally speaking this is a downgrade. The Jesuit School chain might be more desirable for a settlement that going be attacked frequently or used as a staging area, but its special bonuses are not that great. The AI usually assaults, so siege length is not really that helpful and the replenishment bonus only goes up to 10% at the highest end of the chain. You will be able to convert single regions pretty quickly, but I usually have my missionaries doing that before I conquer them. Ultimately you will most miss the massive Chi research bonuses as all levels of the Jesuit School chain only give +5%.
There you have it, feel free to add comments.
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(although on a side note, it's Ashigaru and not Ashigura) It's a nice general review otherwise!
Originally Posted by myself
