Hello and welcome to the official Shogun Total War hints and tips pages. Check out the great guides which were written by Jason Fitzgerald (Studio Marketing Manager) and Michael de Plater (Executive Producer) from Dreamtime Interactive. We also have sections written by Bob Smith, the programmer who designed Shogun Total Wars AI, click here, and a section written and compiled by the guys at http://www.totalwar.org/which you can see here.
You can also check out our fantastic on-line guide The Way Of The Daimyo. This is an historical companion to Shogun Total War that will give you some of the background knowledge that will help you to understand the time period and your opponents better. There will be more features coming soon, so keep an eye on these pages. Anyone who wishes to submit a strategy guide should contact the webmaster.
TACTICAL BATTLE ADVICE From SUN TZU'S ART OF WAR (some comments inserted in brackets by Jason to explain how each point is relevant to the game). When deploying troops and observing the enemy you should take into account the following points:
When we cannot defeat the enemy we should take up a defensive disposition. When we can defeat the enemy we should engage battle. One takes up a defensive position because one lacks the strength necessary for victory. One engages in battle because one has more than enough strength. An army that is adept at defending does not let the enemy gain even the smallest insight as to it's actual situation. As if it were hidden underground. An army adept at attacking strikes as if it were descending from the heavens. Not giving the enemy an opportunity to defend. A general who can do this can defend without worry of loss. And can attack with the assurance of victory. When crossing mountains quickly, follow the valley floors. When stationing troops, look for high ground. Look for places suitable to attack as well as defend. If the enemy is first to gain the high ground do not commence a frontal attack. These are the rules of combat in mountainous areas.
When fording a river, cross quickly and distance yourself from it, lest the enemy take advantage of the situation. If the enemy crosses a river in the course of their attack, do not go to the water to engage them. Wait until they are halfway across and half on the water and then engage them. If anticipating engagement with the enemy do not engage from a riverbank. Rather, ready your forces on high ground facing the water. Even more important, do not take up a position downriver from the enemy. (they will smell your forces!!!) These are the principles of deploying troops near rivers.
When waging war on a plain, deploy your troops on level ground. Have your back or right flank toward high ground. You want the high ground behind you and the low before you. These are the principles for deploying troops on a plain. When the enemy is near but calm, he is depending on the hazards of the terrain. When the enemy charges while still far away, he is enticing me to advance. When the enemy takes up a position on open level ground, there is surely some benefit for him there. The shaking of trees indicates that the enemy is advancing. Many birds taking wing indicate that the enemy is lying in ambush.
STRATEGY MAP ADVICE If the words of the enemy are humble yet he remains his readiness, this is a sign that he will attack. (Very true of the Takeda clan in the game). If the enemy's words are forceful and his troops feign advances, this is a sign that he will retreat. (Very true of the Mori clan in the game). Whether you want to attack a certain place, lay siege to a city, or assassinate an enemy general you must first have a spy find out the name and the character of the commander in charge. (And if you kill the commander in charge it will be a huge advantage).
In a disadvantageous situation considering the possible benefits will increase conviction. In an advantageous situation considering the possible harm will allow you to avoid hidden danger. Make the enemy focus on domestic affairs by inciting internal dissent. (Drop a Shinobi into an enemy territory and he will increase peasant disloyalty the longer he stays there). According to the principles and tactics of warfare, do not expect the enemy NOT to come. Instead, be in complete military readiness. Do not expect the enemy not to attack. Instead, assure yourself that the enemy would not be successful in the event of an attack. (Keep a large army in important territories particularly those that border large enemies)
There are five personal traits that are dangerous in a commander - He who is intent on dying can be murdered (just because you have an heir does not mean you should be too brave - the heir will be of lower honour) He who is intent on living can be captured (when you have no heir) He who is quick to anger can be insulted (when an enemy refuses your peace treaty) He who is self conscious can be humiliated (great castles once taken provide an advantage to the enemy) He who is compassionate can be troubled (remember to click on the KOKU button and keep the taxes high)
Michael de Plater's Basic Hints and Tips for Shogun Total War
Here are some basic hints and tips written by Exec. Producer Michael de Plater.
Basic Hints and Tips for Shogun Total War: The most important tip is "Read the Art of War by Sun Tzu". His principals of strategy really do work and are very applicable in Shogun Total War.
Advanced Strategy (for the turn based Strategy Map): Look at the Honour of your Generals: A General with high honour will pass an honour bonus to all the troops under his command. Because of this it's worth right clicking on a General and using the highest honour Generals to lead your men into battle. Conversely you can deal a devestating blow to an enemy army by assassinating a rival General - so use your Ninja and your spies. Build Ports: You can move men in a single turn between any two territories under your control that have a Port. So they are essential as your empire expands and you need to move men to the front lines. Plus they give you an income bonus by encouraging Trade. Use Alliances: If you are surrounded by enemies on all sides you're going to have a lot of problems holding onto your territory. Pick your enemies and focus your attacks on them one at a time - and try to keep a web of alliances going. Note that some rival Clans are not to be trusted in any circumstances - particularly the Takeda. And if you give them an open invitation to break an alliance by leaving an attractive region open they will take it.
Focus your efforts on key territories: There are very significant differences in the value of different territories. For example "Musashi" is very productive and wealthy. Sometimes it can be better to retreat from a less valuable territory to focus your defence on more valuable ones. In the same way, when you are picking territories to invade choose your targets carefully. You will generally lose more men attacking than defending so you want to focus your attacks on the most valuable territory.
Watch your money: If you just keep building troops and building up your armies without expanding your territory you will find that the cost of maintaining your forces exceeds your income. If you've got a big army - use it. You should aim to expand your territory to increase your income and there's the added bonus that your men will gain more honour and experience along the way - making them much more valuable. Samurai Archers: These are a very valuable unit throughout the game, but particularly early on before most of your enemies have trained Cavalry. They are very effective at firing at the enemy and are not too bad at hand-to-hand combat.
Train your forces wisely: Take advantage of the various Clan and Region training bonus'. For example the Shimazu Clan can train higher honour Samurai Swordsmen (No-Dachi) and they control the province of Satsuma which provides an Honour bonus to No-Dachi trained there. The combination of these bonus' can lead to the training of some very formidable warriors. Don't try to build everything in every region or you will be spread too thin.
Advanced Tactics (for the real time battles): Use a Mixed Force: The most basic principle in battle is to combine your forces effectively. Keep your Missilemen (archers and gunners) at a distance and rain death on the enemy, use your spearmen to form a defensive wall protecting your Missilemen, use the speed of your Cavalry to run down the enemy archers etc. Any single unit type used on it's own will have a weakness that will be exploited by a cunning enemy.
Use the Terrain: It's obvious that you want to keep your archers on high ground to improve their range. But as Sun Tzu points out it is always better to fight downhill for all troop types. Use the Forests: Forests allow you to hide so you can ambush the enemy, they provide good cover from enemy arrow or gunfire and they provide very good protection from enemy cavalry as horses can't manouvre effectively in the trees.
Use the Weather: If you are attacking you get some control of the weather as you can choose the day of your attack, so it pays to know the effects. Rain will make Arquebus (primitive guns) useless as their powder gets wet. It will also diminish the range of archers as the strings are damp. Wind will reduce the accuracy of arrow fire. Snow will slow all units down - but especially cavalry and will increase the fatigue of heavily armoured units. Study the Map: You can review the battlefield before the battle starts - do so. This will enable you to identify the key strategic points. On some maps this is obvious and areas such as bridges are clearly going to be choke points for any attack (read what Sun Tzu has to say about attacking an army crossing a bridge). Break the Spirit of your Enemy: Morale is very important, and one of the best ways to reduce the morale of your enemy is to kill his General in battle. You can identify the General because he has a special Standard rather than the normal Flag (Mon) which all units have.
Use Formations & Melee Modes: The right formation at the right time can make a big difference. Wedges are great for breaking enemy lines - but also mean that you suffer more casualties. Close formations will let you hold a defensive point more effectively, but at the expense of your attack. Loose formations are good if you are under fire, but not if you are fighting hand to hand. Attacking an enemy unit from the flank or rear has a major effect on their combat effectiveness. Some units, such as spearmen generally work better in ordered formation ('Hold Formation'), others such as fanatical warrior monks can be more effective when every man is allowed to pursue combat ('Engage at Will'). Claim as Many Heads as Possible: Even if you win a battle, if many of the enemy troops escape alive they will be back to fight you next year. So try to make sure that you kill as many as possible. Cavalry are especially good for running down a routing enemy, and since units usually flee to the edge of the map they came from you can try to head them off.