“My army resumes its (hopefully) inexorable march”
Learning strategy with Total War : Sho gun II
I’m a strategy dunce. You wouldn’t think it to look at my Steam library, but it’s a ruse—the digital equivalent of the copy of Infinite Jest on my shelf that I’ve definitely read. The majority of strategy games I own have gone untouched. Clearly this is an untenable situation, if only because it’s a waste of money, (and thus inherently unstrategic).
I decide to commit to learning Total War:ShogunII. I played and completed the original Shogun around 15 years ago. While the sequel is vastly more complex, it still offers a smaller, seemingly more manageable campaign map than either RomeII or Warhammer.
I start a campaign with the Shimazu clan. My starting position on the south-west coast feels advantageous: I can only be attacked from one direction, and I’ve a clear path to Kyoto and the Shogunate. I’m bordering two clans, Sagara and Ito. The Sagara are in a trade deal with my clan, and seem like a natural ally. I request an alliance and they agree. Nice. The Ito aren’t so friendly—in fact, we’re currently in a war. They’re weak, though, and I quickly move my armies through their territory, taking it for myself. Next up: the Otomo clan. I am unstoppable.
A turn later, I am stopped. I send my army to deal with the bulk of the Otomo’s force, but am driven back by my appalling army composition. The Otomo’s trained Samurai easily destroy my Yari Ashigaru—these lightly armored spearmen are no match for trained melee warriors. Progress stalls while I build the right buildings and train the right troops. Bigger and more fearsome than ever, my army resumes its (hopefully) inexorable march.
A turn later, my army halts again. This time Christianity is to blame. The defeated Otomo were a predominantly Christian clan, and their former towns and castles are unhappy being ruled by Buddhist invaders. Unsure of how to deal with their insurrections, I raze every Christian building in the hope that will calm everyone down. Somehow, it works. It takes a few years, but the Buddhist population starts to rise and rebel armies stop spawning. I’d call it a miracle, but that might be in poor taste.
I come, Higo
I’m back on the warpath, but running out of time. I’m playing a short campaign, and I now have less than ten years to reach Kyoto. Worse, looking at the objectives tab, I realize I’m missing a key province essential for victory: Higo, owned by the Sagara—my allies. Without thinking, I break the alliance, planning to double back and wipe them out later. This one click is my downfall. Surrounded by my territory, with nowhere to expand, the Sagara have spent their time training massive armies. The moment I break the alliance, they declare war. With my armies all positioned on my forward borders, the Sagara have free access to my rear provinces.
I abandon the campaign as a lost cause. I’m not sure if I’ve learned how to play Total War: Shogun II, but I do have an anecdote. In strategy games, sometimes that’s good enough.
I raze every Christian building in the hope that will somehow calm everyone down