Chapter 10 The Hordes
As half of Japan adapted the flag of Oda, we can now concentrate all of our 4500 troops on the east. We waited two more seasons to re-organize the units as well as pushing the total army to 5000. In the meantime, we took the defenseless ronin Echizen province with heir Oda Nobuhiro. We then learned that the ronins have gathered more than 1000 men in Kaga, the majority of them monks.
The harvest of 1945 was normal, but only gave us 4000 koku as we were forced to maintain the tax at minimum still. After the starting of legendary armoury in Mino and famous swordsmith in Yamashiro, we had to abandon all other troop production but to concentrate on Mino's Yari Samurai and Naginata. The Jesuit priests were already doing their best, so we could just hope that in the coming year, we can raise the tax rate at least back to low.
Obviously our next target would be either Hida (Uesugi), Shinano or Totomi (Takeda). Hida is closet to us and contains an isolated hordes. As a result, Oda Nobuhide led 858 elite troops, marching into this mountain province guarded by 2099 Uesugi soldiers in the winter of 1545. It is amazing that the AI uesugi manged this number in this far-away territory.
Winter 1545
Hill Grab
It was a light snowy day. Lord Oda broght a balanced army with 5 H4+ archers, 4 H4 monks, 4 H4 silver-shielded Yari Samurai, and 2 H5 Yari Ashigarus. We soon found that the enemy rest on the opposite side of the plateau on the right. If we could take the hill beside the not-so-high cliff before they do, then we will have a good chance to win.
Some of our archers have arrived, yet the Uesugi army were also climbing the hill - they were earlier than us by 2 seconds! They charged towards us!
However, soon these Uesugi archers failed to move any forward -- as soon as they saw hundreds of our H4 yari samurais and monks rushing towards them. We got the hill! And now it comes to our turn to charge down.
We suffered a heavy loss from Uesugi soldiers' arrows. Yet we keep pushing them back, especially the monks who are flanking from the right, where the enemy collapsed in no time.
The enemy Taisho was soon killed, but we did not give up pursuing the enemy.
The victory was ours as we took the hill. More than 1500 Uesugi soldiers, scared and hopeless, only 1/4 were willing to defend the fortress of Hida. The castle fell next Autumn.
Hida is ours. The next target should then be Shinano.
The watch tower of Hide was not destroyed, and we obtained valuable information that both Lord Takeda Nobutora and his heir Takeda Shingen was not in Shinano - they were in Etchu. Without missing this good chance, Lord Oda Nobuhide immediately left the Hida province, with his 10 bodyguards only, joining the long-prepared fresh army from Mino for the sudden assault of Shinano -- what kind of army?
Spring 1546
Monks Rush +
That's an army of 7 H4 monks, 4 H4 YS, and 4 H5 archers. The hilly terrain was not suitable for slow moving YS, and the watch tower also told us that the Shinano army are a mix of samurai archers and cavalry. If we don't want to be shot dead before our spears even touching the horses, the fastest, most effective unit available is undoubtedly monk. A battle of 903 (Oda) vs. 1604 (Takeda). Lord Takeda was too confident to leave this key province to an inexperienced general.
The enemy held neither the highest peaks on the two sides, probably due to its large army body. They sat on the plateau at the center. As a result, we had the choice to attack from either right or left. Going left, we need to climb up a very steep slope right before engaging the enemy, which was very risky (as the enemy got more mobility). Therefore, we chose to go the other way around - not so many climbings to do.
Takeda's archers started to rain arrows at us before we even reach the higher ground. While there was no point to slowly climb up and receive the arrows all the way through, Lord Oda ordered a full attack of all units. The monks coming from three directions, the YS directly into enemy cavalry. We suffered great losses in the rains of arrow. However, none of our soldiers wavered - lets teach them the infamous monk rush.
The monk reush prevailed! The enemy were pushed back by the Budda's compassion. Most of them didn't made home, because we were exactly their way. Many of the enemy units got completely elimiated.
But is this a good thing?
The reinforcements! Forgeting this crucial factor, our archers on the hill was immediately exposed to waves of reinforcement of Calvary! Lord Oda ordered groups of monks to run back to save the archers, and all archers to protect the hill at all cost - Oh no! our archers were not standing on the peak...
Worry not, here comes the monks! The enemy calvary immediately ran away! The tired H5 archer held the downhill charge of fresh Yari Calvary!
Wishing to end this battle as soon as possible to prevent further enemy reinforcement, lord Oda didn't wait for the monks following behind. He charged into the enemy Taisho's archers with only 3 of his surviving bodyguards, the elites of elites. Shocked by the bravery of the legendary lord Oda, the enemy Taisho wavered and fled.
This is not the end of the bravery of Nobuhide. Lord Oda soon charged with his 3 bodyguards again, into the last standing enemy unit of calvary archers (also shown in the snapshot), numbered 60. It would take forever to let our monks chase them, so our only hope is Lord Oda's 4 horses in our entire army.
4 vs. 60, the enemy still lost badly and fled like hell - we died none!
The battle of Shinano has been the bloodiest so far in Oda's war history, with a total death of 1100. We killed almost half of their total defending army, and lost more than 40 percent of our elite troops, 180 monks returned to see Budda as well. Yet it was worthwhile. We won't give Shinano back to Takeda or the cheap Hojo this easy.
Shinano is ours, and we are sure that the next season the strongest, military-power-unmatched clan of Hojo will march their horde here. We soon supplied fresh bloods into Shinano.
As Takeda cut in half, the southern province of Totomi and Suruga is left pretty much defenseless. We confidently marched general Kanamori Nagachika's 900 men onto the well-tech-uped provinced of Totomi, the defending army retreated into the castle.
Summer 1546
Takeda Shingen
The angry Takeda clan soon revenged using a great power of 2492 men in the next season, charging into Shinano guarded by Oda Nobuhide's 808 braves. The army was not led by their daimyo, but his famous warlord son.
"Fuu (swfit as wind) Rin (slow as forest) Ka (furious as fire), Zen (steady as mountain)" Takeda Shingen.
The intial Takeda army was not large in number, probably due to the loss they suffered in the northern ronin province. Did they dare attacked Kaga? Counting the flags and checking the battle logs later, we realized that Takeda Shingen has lost his first fight already - making him a rank 5 now. Probably becasue he appeared as an Ashigaru leader!!... oh my...
As rehearsed numerous times in the past, the mountain on the left gives us the most height advantage, and we also have the chance to intercept the routed enemy. After our archers released most the arrow stocks, our furious fighters charged down. Two monk units on the far left were in their position intercepting the routing enemy!
To our disappointment, the ashigaru leader Takeda Shingen turned around long before our monks got even close!
Defintely Shingen was not as brave as some of his calvary archers that remained cool. However, they got wrapped by our YS, WM, and downhill charging SA. None of them made to the map exit.
The total defeat cost Takeda another 655 men. All of our fighters performed well against the 0-win-2-loss rank 5 enemy general!
Autumn 1546
The Hojo Horde Sighted
Takeda is not the only one who drools on the land of Shinano. The long-waiting Hojo clan also mobilized their hordes during the last season, but they retreated after knowing Takeda was also here.
Now they are back again with 1627 men (Oda 798), led by an inexperienced general.
Exactly repeating the above process, the horde was defeated very easily. Lets hope that their daimyo or heir will ome the next time.
Autumn 1546
More lands
As Totomi castle is well undersiege, the last season we dispatched 300 damaged Shinano units to Totomai, while Kanamori Nagachika, now a rank-4 general, marches his 862 men to the defenseless Surgura province of Takeda. Takeda mobilized all available troops in Kai at the moment, matching us with 672.
The enemy camped against the slope against the mountain. This way their calvary will have no obstacle to stop them charging down. Of course, we won't be stupid enough to face them directly on the center. The hill on the left was a better starting point. As we started the archery duel, the enemy cavalry wouldn't wait forever - and the valley in between will turn into a slaughter house.
Here the Takeda cavalry comes! Mobilizing all of our 6 YS and 2 NA, we confidently marched them into the valley to confront the enemy. Soon our taisho, the monk general Kanamori Nagachika joined the battle.
Althought gaining some height advantage, the mounted enemy routed in a short time as they had no chance to stand against our spears and arrows from above. Our army had no speed to catch up, which was a great pity. Fortunately the Hida province we grabbed last winter left a free horse dojo with a swordsmith upgrade, so the next time we could kill at least 100 more of them.
The enemy lost half of their men, while our deaths was mainly archers. The province of Surgura is now ours, and so do all lands of former Imagawa.
Another spotlight in Autumn was the major attack that Takeda delivered to Kaga. After the victory in Suruga, we couldn't wait checking the generals in Etchu - Takeda Shingen was not there. He might have been moved to Noto, or he might have lost -- his last battle, against the furious monks of Kaga. We will find this out soon.
So now we hold the front line of Hida, Shinano, and Etchu. Hida is handled by our heir rank 3 Oda Nobuhiro, Suruga with rank 4 Kanamori Nagachika, and Shinano by daimyo Oda Nobuhide himself (43 win 0 loss). The first year aginst the hordes were a total victory, killed 2600, yet we lost almost 800.
The harvest of 1546 was good under the normal tax rate. This brought us a good 11,000 koku in the pocket! Now we can replace the lost soldiers!
