Introduction
A wolf, crane and tiger walk into a bar...: Let's Play Total War: Shogun 2 - Rise of the SamuraiWhat is Total War: Shogun 2?
Shogun 2 is the latest game from Creative Assembly in the Total War series. It's a remake/sequel of their very first Total War game, which is a turn based strategical game with real time battles. In the campaign map you create armies, improve provinces, levy taxes and use agents, while in the real time battles you fight the opposing forces on land and sea using a spectacular combat engine. Your goal is to own a certain number of provinces as well as specific ones, the one all clans have in common is to have siezed power in Kyoto, home of the Emperor. The base game occurs within the Sengoku Jidai (The Age of the Country at War) which happened during the 16th century. The player takes control of a clan inside Japan during this period and must use military might and diplomatic cunning to lay claim to enough of Japan that all other clans concede to their leadership.
Rise of the Samurai?
This campaign is the first campaign DLC released for Shogun 2 and takes place in an earlier time, the Genpei War. This war in the 12th century took place at a time when Japan was significantly less developed, with a totally different philosophy towards warfare than the later period of the Sengoku Jidai. It contains all new units, buildings, technologies and agents. As such, even veterans of Shogun 2 will have a lot to see and the game plays out quite differently.
What about this LP?
This LP will be conducted in a hybrid format, with screenshots for the turn based campaign map and videos for the real time battles. I plan to update on a roughly weekly schedule due to the time it takes to prepare an update and each update will be roughly 1 game year in length, although the earlier ones may be longer as there is less to cover and the later ones shorter due to the intense finish that realm divide causes. Trivial battles will be autoresolved in order to keep things interesting.
I'll quite happily explain things as we go along for anyone with questions about the game and anyone interested should check out the Total War Megathread where they can answer more general questions.
Want to play along with the LP?
Shogun 2 is available on Steam here!
Rise of the Samurai DLC is available on Steam here!
Rise of the Samurai Introduction (HD)
Table of Contents
- Introduction - Spring 1175
- Buildings, Units and Arts encountered
- Update 1 (Spring 1175 - Winter 1175) (Added Barter Exchange, Junsatsushi Vindicator and Bushi)
- Update 2 (Spring 1176 - Summer 1176) (Added Bushi Training Grounds, Pastures, Chinese Learning and Bow Attendants)
- Update 3 (Autumn 1176 - Winter 1176) (Added Stronghold, Muster Field, General - Warrior (1+2), General - Leader(1))
- Update 4 (Spring 1177 - Summer 1177) (Added Clan Estate, Rice Loans, Junsatsushi - Magistrate (1+2))
- Update 5 (Autumn 1177 - Winter 1177) (Added Bushi School, School, Poetry and Literature, Attendants Light Ship)
- Update 6 (Spring 1178 - Summer 1178) (Added Foot Samurai, Market, Buddhist Sanctuary)
- Update 7 (Autumn 1178 - Winter 1178) (Added Shinden, Town Watch, Roads, The Old Way, Commissioner for Finance)
- Update 8 (Spring 1179 - Winter 1179) (Added Bow Warrior Monks, Food Stores, Koryu School, Monomi - Criminal Contacts (Rank 1+2))
- Update 9 (Spring 1180) (No new summary items)
- Update 10 (Summer 1180 - Winter 1180) (Added Koryu Dojo, Harbour, Pirate Cove, General - Partisan (Rank 1), General - Strategist (Rank 1))
- Update 11 (Spring 1181 - Summer 1181) (Added Junsatsushi - Bribery (Rank 1+2), General - Diehard Fighter (Rank 1+2), Old Way Mastery, Silk Workshop, Mounted Naginata)
- Update 12 (Autumn 1181 - Winter 1181) (Added Monomi - Assassin (Rank 1+2))
- Update 13 (Winter 1181 - Spring 1182) (No new summary items)
- Update 14 (Summer 1182 - Winter 1182) (Added Tax Quota, Legendary Koryu Dojo, Small Iron Mine, Onna Bushi Heroine)
- Update 15 (Pre-Realm Divide Summary) (Added Naginata Levy Garrison, Bow Levy Garrison)
- Update 16 (Spring 1183) (No new summary items)
- Update 17 (Summer 1183 - Winter 1183) (Added Monomi - Exotic Weapons (Rank 1), Monomi - Noble Bandit (Rank 1), Way of the Bow, Fort)
- Update 18 (Spring 1184 - Summer 1184) (Added Shirabyoshi - Entertainer (Rank 1+2), Commissioner for Supply)
- Update 19 (Autumn 1184 - Winter 1184) (Added Confucianism, General - Master Swordsman (Rank 1+2), Sou - Inspiring (Rank 1), Sou - Pilgrim (Rank 1))
- Update 20 (Spring 1185 - Summer 1185) (Added Sword Attendants, Fire Bomb Throwers)
- Update 21 (Autumn 1185) (Added Washi Mills, Placer Gold Mining)
- Update 22 (Winter 1185) (Added Barracks, Buddhist Temple, Post Road and Stations)
- Update 23 (Winter 1185 (Enemy Turn) - Spring 1186) (Added Naginata Warrior Monks)
- Update 24 (Summer 1186) (Added General - Leader (Rank 2))
- Update 25 (Autumn 1186 - Winter 1186) (Added Direct Land Tax, Sou - Militant (Rank 1), Sou - Worldly (Rank 1), Monomi - Noble Bandit (Rank 2), Monomi - Poisoner (Rank 1&2))
- Update 26 (Spring 1187) (Added Victory!)
- Epilogue (What happened to our heroes?)
- Post Game Update 1 - What we missed - Agent Skills and Arts
- Post Game Update 2 - What we missed - Units
- Post Game Update 3 - Things we missed - Buildings (Part 1)
- Post Game Update 4 - Things we missed - Buildings (Part 2)
- Economic Breakdown 1 Empire Size and Food Growth
- Economic Breakdown 2 Non-farming economic buildings
- Economic Breakdown 3 Building the perfect province
- Multiplayer Tournament Update 1 GenericServices vs Yukitsu - Winners Bracket Round 1
- Multiplayer Tournament Update 2 Sydin vs ScotchDK - Winners Bracket Round 1
- Multiplayer Tournament Update 3 Brainamp vs Revenent Threshold - Winners Bracket Round 1
- Multiplayer Tournament Update 4 Yukitsu vs Sydin - Winners Bracket Round 2
- Multiplayer Tournament Update 5 Revenant Threshold vs ScotchDK - Mixed Bracket Round 2
- Multiplayer Tournament Update 6 Brainamp vs GenericServices - Losers Bracket Round 2
- Multiplayer Tournament Update 7 GenericServices vs ScotchDK - Losers Bracket Round 3
- Multiplayer Tournament Update 8 RevenantThreshold vs Sydin - Losers Bracket Round 3
- Multiplayer Tournament Update 9 ScotchDK vs Sydin - Semi Final
- Multiplayer Tournament Update 10 Sydin vs Yukitsu - Grand Final Part 1
- Multiplayer Tournament Update 11 Sydin vs Yukitsu - Grand Final Part 2
- Appendix A - Arts
- Appendix B1 - Buildings - 1 of 3
- Appendix B2 - Buildings - 2 of 3
- Appendix B3 - Buildings - 3 of 3
- Appendix C - Characters/Agents
- Appendix D - Units
Fan Art
my dad demonstrates the best way to take a castle.