I'm a ninja, It's your birthday! - Let's Play Total War: Shogun 2

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Play! > I'm a ninja, It's your birthday! - Let's Play Total War: Shogun 2

the JJ: Mar 31, 2011

Rogue 7 posted:

If I'm recalling the legend properly, the legend behind the mirror goes like this:

Susano-o, the storm god, Amaterasu's brother and generally kind of a douchebag, wrecked something or other of Amaterasu's. She got very mad at this and locked herself in a cave- somewhere in Ise, IIRC. Since she was the sun goddess, this meant that there wasn't any sun, and hence this caused some problems. So the other gods got together and threw a big party/possibly an orgy, which got Amaterasu's interest. She peeked out of her cave and was dazzled by her own reflection in a mirror and decided to come out. That's the mirror of Amaterasu.

My apologies if I'm completely wrong on this, I'm going by memory and didn't look up anything to confirm.

No that's basically it. In some versions the gods decide to convince Amaterasu that, since she was sulking, they'd decided to replace her. Of course, the only godess magnificent enough to plausibly replace Amaterasu was.. Amaterasu. Hence the mirror. Amaterasu soon saw through the ploy but was flattered anyway.

So it's a pretty basic seasonal myth, winter happens because the summer goddess runs off underground, but she's brought out and we can have spring again.

# ¿ Nov 12, 2013 19:55

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# ¿ May 2, 2024 14:09

the JJ: Mar 31, 2011

I'll take a vanilla DLC if it's on offer. Ikko Ikki might be fun.

Anyway, on my last trip to Japan, I got drunk at a party and made out with a Chisato. So, you know, I've been sorta amused by her presence in the LP since the start. (Not sure if this counts as bad or good, honestly, and it's not much of a story. Though I did miss last train.)

Okay, but more seriously... I went to a castle. I've also got pics from Osakajo, Kyoto, a Tanabata festival, and Tokyo.

Bonus, from the museum next door: medieval riot control and (NSFW) fertility statues.

I think those were good things?

# ¿ Dec 23, 2013 08:28

the JJ: Mar 31, 2011

Herf blerf I'm an idiot.

e: Seriously, this is a pretty generous gift bag, I'm a bit befuddled. Maybe the entry requirements are just sooo broad as to be confusing? Or everyone in the thread already has a lot of what's up for grabs.

# ¿ Jan 7, 2014 03:05

the JJ: Mar 31, 2011

Ratoslov posted:

That's Latin for 'totally hosed', isn't it?

More or less.

Some :hist101:

for those not in on the joke. The units of RTW fame come from old Roman military structure (we're talking pre-Legion, citizen militia stuff here) where the first few ranks would be the younger men but the last rank would be the blooded veterans. Each rank was set up so that it could retreat behind the last one, save for the triarii who had to hold at all costs. If things have 'come to the triarii' then the situation is certainly not all lost, but you have fallen back to your last resort.

# ¿ Jun 19, 2014 21:09

the JJ: Mar 31, 2011

Good, light armor could take bullets and bolts pretty well, even at point blank ranges. And a peasant who has just been handed a musket is never going to stand for a cavalry charge. Knights were not replaced by untrained peasants, they were replaced by professional soldiers. There was no techonological magicry that did them in, it was the socio-political shift to the early Modern state and the demands of logistics that really closed the door on European military aristocracy, and even then many places (e.g. Poland) kept variants of that phenomenon around. Hell, the officer corps. of even WWI, WWII England was predominantly of a certain class, never mind the 'New Model Army.'

# ¿ Jun 29, 2014 03:34

the JJ: Mar 31, 2011

When I did Chosokabe I shifted West and nabbed that island. You can put your back to the wall and once those provinces are calmed down pretty much strip the garrisons.

(Esp if you go Christian and throw some Nanban ships into your defense fleets.)

# ¿ Jul 18, 2014 21:50

the JJ: Mar 31, 2011

Jobbo_Fett posted:

Artillery is your friend, use line infantry as your cannon fodder and practice your use of cavalry to attack the flanks.

Use no cav, mass arty in the center, never march towards the AI unless they have more arty than you, have more arty than the AI.

Artillery is really important is what I'm saying.

# ¿ Aug 5, 2014 06:24

the JJ: Mar 31, 2011

Rout

# ¿ Aug 11, 2014 04:47

the JJ: Mar 31, 2011

Sydin posted:

That's kind of their gimmick, yeah. They're really good for siege because they can jump over the walls and take a tower/gate without being noticed, or just run up and blind a unit from behind as you assault the wall. Ninja have really high stats but not many bodies, so they are easily overwhelmed and crushed. The best luck I've had with them is once the lines are engaged, move the ninja behind the enemy line, bomb the poo poo out of some heavier units, and charge in. They're also very effective general killers: stealth up to the enemy general, nail em' with grenades, then charge in. You'll probably be able to ice him before help arrives.

Matchlock ashi are very hard to use on the offensive because of their short range and relatively low morale. They'll just get diced apart by bows before getting in range. You can always try to move them up behind your melee troops after they're already engaged, but they have awful aim and may end up just firing more shots into your own units' backs. Honestly I don't find them very useful at all in field attacks. Otomo Tercos are another matter, since they have the morale and melee stats to get in close on the flanks for some good shots, and can hold their own if the enemy tries to engage them.

In a defense or when the enemy is otherwise coming to you, stick them up on the side of a hill behind your bows but in front of your melee core. When the enemy approaches, pull your archers behind to the top of the hill, move your melee forward to the bottom of the hill to engage, and leave the matchlocks where they are. Your archers will have the range and visibility to put arrows into the enemy, while your matchlocks will be able to shoot over the heads of your melee troops and still be close enough to the battle to have range.

Also remember that with matchlock ashi their purpose isn't so much to get kills as much as it is to freak out the units they're shooting at with lots of loud noise and explosions. A handful of matchlock ashi all firing a volley can route an entire flank, so concentrate your fire to punch a hole in the enemy line, then penetrate and annihilate.

It's rout goddamn it. :colbert:

But yeah, sometimes the best use is to have just one unit of matchlocks to swing on the flanks of a melee line/furball and start the chain rout.

# ¿ Sep 3, 2014 19:19

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# ¿ May 2, 2024 14:09

the JJ: Mar 31, 2011

Sydin posted:

It's goddamn it.

Thank you though, fixed that.

drat phone auto capitalizing.

# ¿ Sep 3, 2014 22:08

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Play! > I'm a ninja, It's your birthday! - Let's Play Total War: Shogun 2