Ikko Ikki campaign

[Basileos Leandros I]

On one hand, it's the best campaign I've ever played.

On another hand, I fight two three battles each turn.

What's up with the Ikko Ikki? The other clans seem to hate them for almost no reason, and the religious penalty difference is only -20 when it comes to diplomatic relations. After 15 turns, half the clans on me declared war and promptly got invaded, especially by clans who were friendly to me (namely the Asai, who are friends with the Ikko Ikki).

Worth noting that the Ikko Ikki troops are actually better than standard samurai armies, but Echizen and Kaga aren't particularly rich.

Anyone else had Ikko Ikki problems? Anyone experienced the same?

[DeliCiousTZM]

[DeMolay]

Ikko Ikki campaign is one of the most disputed campaign , in my opinion not really because clans don't like you , but because you don't have metsukes , which is a serious problem in very hard or legendary campaigns , and actually multiplies the number of battles you have to do each turn because those trade nodes are not a luxury and you must capture and defend them against the AI which results in lots of naval battles

this said , every one of your monk agents is worth an army full stack when you turn him into a revolt inciter , if you have nodes (thus money and a few trade partners or vassals ) , you can seriously weaken your enemy's rear when they attack you byt inciting revolts in their capital when they move their army

My advice would be to build a temple in every region (boost chi , infects others with your dogma , gives you warrior monks for sieges which is very strong ) , and at the beggining of the campaign , to spam loan sword ashigarus (low upkeep ) and get a ronin core (their upkeep cost is the same as ikko ikki bow ashigarus ) and be very aggressive/expansionist (don't use Ikko's bow ashigarus , overpriced upkeep and poor reload rate , use ronins instead )

Asai , Sakai , Oda or Hattori will indeed often attack you at the start , whoever will have Omi and will be as strong as you will probably attack Echizen most of the time in harder diff settings . If you take Wakasa early on , there is a greater chance of being attacked in my experience , you have tobeat the attacking army then counter attack . Omi is quite strategical , if you seize and develop it , you('ll have a very good position .Try to get essence of spirit/chonindo early cause you have fertile soil in kaga/omi/echizena and monasteries are quite precious then go for matchlocks and encampments

[DeliCiousTZM]

Ikko Ikki campaign is one of the most disputed campaign , in my opinion not really because clans don't like you , but because you don't have metsukes , which is a serious problem in very hard or legendary campaigns , and actually multiplies the number of battles you have to do each turn because those trade nodes are not a luxury and you must capture and defend them against the AI which results in lots of naval battles

this said , every one of your monk agents is worth an army full stack when you turn him into a revolt inciter , if you have nodes (thus money and a few trade partners or vassals ) , you can seriously weaken your enemy's rear when they attack you byt inciting revolts in their capital when they move their army

My advice would be to build a temple in every region (boost chi , infects others with your dogma , gives you warrior monks for sieges which is very strong ) , and at the beggining of the campaign , to spam loan sword ashigarus (low upkeep ) and get a ronin core (their upkeep cost is the same as ikko ikki bow ashigarus ) and be very aggressive/expansionist (don't use Ikko's bow ashigarus , overpriced upkeep and poor reload rate , use ronins instead )

Could one more accurate describe Ikko ikki on Legendary? I second all of this, but instead of bow ronin you can get bow warrior monks in 15 turns.

[DeMolay]

Thanks TM

I was watching your video , it's great how you managed to pull it off , i think it's the only legendary playthrough on youtube and is very interesting to watch , i'm not finished but i want to thank you a lot for this videos which are worth more than a thousands words cause we get to see how you react under pressure and reverse a situation and show a succesful approach in legendary . I was quickly demoralized when i tried Ikko's in legendary back then when the dlc came out , only managed to succeed in very hard later on or in legendary multiplayer coop campaigns recently (which is much easier i found once you survive the first 30 turns ) so it's of a great interest to me , +rep

[DeliCiousTZM]

Thanks TM

I was watching your video , it's great how you managed to pull it off , i think it's the only legendary playthrough on youtube and is very interesting to watch , i'm not finished but i want to thank you a lot for this videos which are worth more than a thousands words cause we get to see how you react under pressure and reverse a situation and show a succesful approach in legendary . I was quickly demoralized when i tried Ikko's in legendary back then when the dlc came out , only managed to succeed in very hard later on or in legendary multiplayer coop campaigns recently (which is much easier i found once you survive the first 30 turns ) so it's of a great interest to me , +rep

Thanks means a lot. But yeah Ikko ikki becomes infuriating later on tho as you have to fight off army after army.

[Basileos Leandros I]

I aimed for at least the first tier of Bushido, have the +1 experience for sword recruits and the likes, then developing the economy.

But even so, I still can't explain why everyone keeps declaring war on me. The Loan Sword Ashigaru are remarkably reliable, can hold their own well against Yari Samurai, but battle after battle means that without having those trade nodes your campaign can go down very very fast. Noto and Etchu are vital, those ports are really needed.

[DeliCiousTZM]

I aimed for at least the first tier of Bushido, have the +1 experience for sword recruits and the likes, then developing the economy.

But even so, I still can't explain why everyone keeps declaring war on me. The Loan Sword Ashigaru are remarkably reliable, can hold their own well against Yari Samurai, but battle after battle means that without having those trade nodes your campaign can go down very very fast. Noto and Etchu are vital, those ports are really needed.

Noto and Etchu are poor and opens your Land to Uesugi and or Takeda. You dont wanna take Noto or Etchu. Ikko ikki dont get trade nodes. And trying to get them will most likely result in heavy casualties.

[Basileos Leandros I]

Noto and Etchu are poor and opens your Land to Uesugi and or Takeda. You dont wanna take Noto or Etchu. Ikko ikki dont get trade nodes. And trying to get them will most likely result in heavy casualties.

Uesugi seem relatively tame, Takeda are more concerned with the Oda instead of me. Took them, trained up some Medium Bune, rain fire on those who dare take my nodes.

[DeliCiousTZM]

Uesugi seem relatively tame, Takeda are more concerned with the Oda instead of me. Took them, trained up some Medium Bune, rain fire on those who dare take my nodes.

Your better of expanding into and around the heart land around Kyoto securing the Fertile and Very fertile farmland. Expanding West or east gives you plenty of poor cities that will offer you little value for high risk. And you can forget about developing your infrastructure with nothing but barren and meagre land come realm divide.

Or you can do what i did in the Video and hold your two original provinces. Leave Oda,Hattori and Takeda to duke it out while you secure Sado and then move up north to secure The Date/Mogami land.

But expanding due west or east by land early is a bad decision, i know from experience. Now you can make it work that is true, but it still remain a bad idea.

You could always build up a stack of sword ashigaru and ship them off to Kyushu to make a second foothold there. Same with Sado.

I'm currently playing them on Hard and slowly working my way around the north where the Date are from Sado. Works alright but money is hard to come by, sadly.

Don't forget to fluctuate taxes between very high and normal.

[Altimis]

INCITE FTW

both Otomo and Ikki have madness incite I ever play.. :p I incited half of Japan before others even know what hit them, I even kill off some clan by incite all of their land until all was vanished from the world map.

[Arimahn]

You could always build up a stack of sword ashigaru and ship them off to Kyushu to make a second foothold there. Same with Sado.

I'm currently playing them on Hard and slowly working my way around the north where the Date are from Sado. Works alright but money is hard to come by, sadly.

[6Bagheera9]

I've been playing an Ikko Ikki campaign on hard and generally you want to expand south and west. AI clans have been repeatably trying to get at me through the mountains and along the coast, but I find that setting up a buffer of vassals keeps my core settlements secure. The vassals get run over pretty frequently, but it has little effect on me and I can always swoop in a reestablish them when necessary. I'm finally starting to try to hold parts of the mountains personally as I need a launch pad to beat down the Date.

[Sir Spaghetti]

Sado is the perfect place to invade as it has a gold mine which will seriously help you financially.

[Basileos Leandros I]

Honma, if left unchecked, can really cripple your campaign. I've had them land a full stack on my doorstep. Ashigaru and Bow samurai, but still, took out a good number of my men.