Could use some strategy help

[acgabs]

Hellowsies!

My name is GABS and I suck at Shogun 2.

Somehow I can't get a succesful campaign going (currently playing on Hard/Hard, no problems on the easier levels). Prime example, my current Uesugi attempt. In the beginning mostly everything goes according to plan. I take 3 or 4 provinces, always waiting a bit to make sure the expansion penalties don't stack too much. Then Takeda declares war on me for.. well, no idea why. We were trading and I liked me +30. Which prompts his ally Hojo to attack me as well. Ok, deep breaths, we can do this. Can't ally with the Date because they're allied with the Island-guys north of me, I stole their golden island and now they don't like me. No problems, I can just make the Date like me. Works well enough. Desperately fighting against primarily Takeda (2 glorious battles in which Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin face off, one costly victory for him, one heroic victory for me).

Oh, looks like murderous Hattori are chewing at the Takeda lands. Maybe they'd consider peace in order to... ah, I see. Peace is for wussies, ok then Shingen. Hello Hattoris! You like me? Yes, who's a good Hattori? Cool, +130, wanna ally? Umm.. over your moms dead body? Why.. ok, maybe not. Sigh.

Ohwut. 3 full Hojo stacks just showed up. Umm.. retreat? Takeda are almost dead though, that's coo.... wait. Hattori instantly declare war on me. Oh well.


That's like how it plays out almost every time. No idea whether I'm making any obvious blunders... and I could go into more detail if required. Any ideas? (As for my army, at that point I had 1 almost full stack of Ashigarus and 3 Monks).

[wealthmonger]

Takeda and hattori are aggressive clans so ally with them right away or be prepared for war with them. Echigo borders a number of provinces so war is more likely. Sell them some military access, sometimes that makes them a little less likely to attack you or give them some military access and maybe a hostage to ally. Keep your military strength on par with your neighbors and they'll be less likely to attack.

[SunWulf]

Uesugi games are always fun ;--_-- . What worked for me a while back until I got bored and disgruntled >_< was going after the Mogami first and pacifying that clan your initially at war with. After the Mogami came the Date, which makes me then happy to have a fairly more secure flank, then whether Echigo is lost or not means little to me at the time since it can always be retaken and now I have a blacksmith and a quarry.

Then after Date if all goes well Honma or Hatekayama. I try to take up all the space you would have if it was Shogun Total War, if I remember right Uesugi in that game tended to start with a really good chunk of that north eastern section of Honshu.

Any ally of the Takeda bribe them to break alliances as fast as you notice and cheap (ha usually not cheap...but) as possible. Once You get a good section of land secure flank and some buffer zone allies like keeping the vassal propped up I like to turtle then expand like mad into hopefully Takeda's scattered holdings.