Which Clan Is Historically The Strongest?

[AbledCat]

I know that in Rise of the Samurai, the Minamoto Clan was the historically accurate shogunate, and in Shogun 2 it was the Tokugawa. But in Fall of the Samurai which Imperial Clan was historically the strongest and which pro Shogun Clan was historically the strongest?

[Northern Musa]

Historically, the Choshu and the Satsuma clans led the pro-Imperial forces throughout much of the war. For the pro-Shogunate, they were much are balanced in terms of power, but the Aizu did play several prominent roles in the war.

[AbledCat]

Thanks that really helpful, I actually found that out earlier this moring researching but thanks nevertheless. But from what I managed to understand the Choshu hated the shogunate the most but they didn't have enough funds, so the Satsuma funded them. Also the Satsuma were in more advanced trade with the foreign powers and had access to more modern weapons, so based off that I suppose that the Satsuma were stronger than the Choshu?

[Northern Musa]

Thanks that really helpful, I actually found that out earlier this moring researching but thanks nevertheless. But from what I managed to understand the Choshu hated the shogunate the most but they didn't have enough funds, so the Satsuma funded them. Also the Satsuma were in more advanced trade with the foreign powers and had access to more modern weapons, so based off that I suppose that the Satsuma were stronger than the Choshu?

Yeah. In the beginning phases Choshu were the most politically active ones, even to the point where the shogunate would send two expeditions to crush the dissent. But this actually encouraged the Satsuma and other tozama domains in Kyushu to support the Choshu rebels. as you've mentioned before, the Satsuma and other clans in Kyushu were more developed i trade due to their strategic location. Furthermore, they were united by sharing their hatred towards the shogun. But in the later phases, both would contribute much to the war. Commanders from both clans would later become prominent politicians generals after the war. Commanders like Kuroda Kiyotaka from Satsuma domain and Yamagata Aritomo from Choshu clan all became prime ministers. Even the Double Leaf Society was founded on the 20s to counter Choshu favoritism in the military. So, I would put them as equals.

[AbledCat]

Ok so in terms of strength you would put them as equals, but in the game which one of them getting the Imperial Vanguard would be more realistic?

[Northern Musa]

Ok so in terms of strength you would put them as equals, but in the game which one of them getting the Imperial Vanguard would be more realistic?

Hmmm... If I had to ever pick one I would pick Satsuma. Both the Satsuma and the Choshu clans were similar in strength, both Satsuma would play a more crucial role on forming the Empire of Japan. The Satsuma were the ones that drew British support towards the Imperial cause, and they already had a foreign vassal in the Ryukyu Islands. All these elements would put Japan alongside other western powers as equals in the coming years.

[AbledCat]

Thanks for sharing your opinion. The reason I put this discussion up was because I was going to start new rise of the samurai, shogun 2 and fall of the samurai campaigns. I already figured out that in rise of the samurai I would do the Kamakura Minamoto and in Shogun 2 I would do the Tokugawa, so all I needed to know after that was who to do in Fall of the samurai.

Btw in those three campaigns who would you play as personally?

[Northern Musa]

My pleasure; I really do enjoy sharing opinion on these matters.

Anyway as for your question, that would be a tough choice for me. I listed Satsuma as the prime Imperial domain, but their faction could be less interesting in my opinion. They only have one unique unit, which is the Black Bear Infantry. Choshu has two, one of them being White Bear Infantry and the cool-looking Kiheitai. Aizu has even more, having the famous Four Constellation units (White Tigers, Black Tortoises, Azure Dragons, and Vermillion Birds), but at the expense of not having Levy, Line, and Sharpshooter Infantries. Every single faction can produce its own fun, especially with their clan bonuses. With the Aizu, you could field more traditional armies due to their discount and experience units for their "Traditionalist" trait. The Satsuma has bonus on administration costs and foreign veterans with a great starting position of two provinces, allowing smoother governance of your empire. As for Choshu, they have ishin-shishi bonus and modern military bonus in addition to increased charge bonus, pushing for a more aggressive approach.

From my experience, I think Imperial factions are easier since the infighting among Shogunate clans could get really crazy. If you go for Satsuma, you'll find yourself in a more relaxed position since Kyushu has relatively a lot pro-emperor clans and it is located in a safe geographic location. Choshu in my experience could get a little tense due to their proximity towards the seat of the Shogunate, but that could produce an entertaining experience on its own. But if you want give Aizu a try, you would find yourself trying to utilize more traditional methods to counter modern armies, which is also fun. So I would lay my choice on your play style.

[moshedz]

Then's there's also all the rebelling that happened not mentioned in game []

[Frunk]

Thread moved from Total War: Shogun 2 General Discussion.