LORD OF DARKNESS by GrandmasKitchen Lord of Darkness is an in-depth strategy simulation based on the warring states period of feudal Japan. This period of civil war began with the fall of Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa in 1467, and continued until 1000, when the country was finally united under one warlord's control, Tokugawa leyasu. Your challenge begins in 1555 with Japan divided into feudal states controlled by a lord called a "Daimyo." Each Dalmyo rules his land in independence as there is no central government to enforce regulation. Wars are common as each Daimyo attempts to expand his domain and gain power. You will role-play as a historical warlord with a long list of development, military, trade, information, personnel and diplomacy commands at your disposal. During this feudal period, your samurai need to be skilled both in the military and the arts. Train them in the tactics of war and educate them in the art of the tea ceremony. All Daimyos share the same ambition, to unify Japan under their control. Hostilities will be fierce. You must formulate the winning strategy. Your goal is to conquer all rival Daimyos and unify all feudal states under your control. Two scenarios present different balances of power between the warlords: The Warring States...................1555 Every state in Japan is locked into a struggle for power. Daimyos Date and Mogami occupy the northern Tohoku area. Daimyos Uesugi. Takeda, and Iiojo rule the Kanto area. Daimyos Asai and Asakura have exerted their power in the area surrounding the capital. Oda Nobunaga has not yet emerged as a great warlord and only rules the weak state of Owari. Nobunaga has his sights on recruiting powerful generals such as Shibata Katsuie and expanding his domain. Nobunaga must build up Owari and expand to other states. Nobunaga Surrounded by His Enemies...1571 Nobunaga has extended his influence to Owari. Mino, Ise, Iga, and Yamata. He demonstrates his support for Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki and returns from The capital with new authority. But Yoshiaki fears that he is being used and spreads rumors to other Daimyos that Nobunaga is a dangerous threat. Nobunaga instantly finds himself the enemy of the Daimyo forces of Asai. Asakura, Takeda, Honganji, and Mori. This is a life or death pinch for Nobunaga. Nobunaga must find a way to escape from this powerful opposition and pursue his ambition to conquer all of Japan. There are 3 game modes: * Multi-Play You set the difficulty level of your game and then the number of people who will play. Players take alternate turns. * Historical This is a one player game. Historical events are well-integrated into the game. The game settings are set at a fairly difficult level, and there is no way to change the level of difficulty. * Demonstration This is a demo mode in which the player merely watches a game played out by the computer. You set the difficulty level and whether or not you will view battles between other states. Controller: (SNES shown below, NES is different) START Button * Skip through the introduction to game set-up SELECT Button * Access the Options Menu from the Main Display Button A * Select highlighted commands and items * Answer YES to (Y/N) questions Button B * Cancel selections * Answer NO to (Y/N) questions * End the command turn LEFT/RIGHT Buttons * Switch the data category by which generals are listed * Access map with Daimyos' spheres of power * View battle data while at war Control Pad * Move the cursor through command menus * Scroll through lists or flip through pages of information * Move cursor across map Starting A New Game -Select "New Game" -Decide whether or not to watch other states battles. By selecting cither 'Watch' or 'Choose', the player may view other state battles. For a more detailed explanation, please see Options Menu. -To play a saved game, choose "Saved Game" during setup. Options Menu Ending and saving ihe game can be done from the Options Menu. The option commands can be displayed by pressing the SELECT button at the main display. 1: Save 2: Advice 3: Display Time 4: Sound 5: Battles 6: End Save Up to two games can be saved. If you save in a slot where a game was previously saved, ihe previous game will be erased and replaced with the new game. Advice Decide whether or not to view advice from your military advisor. Advice will be given at the beginning of turns if a military advisor exists in a state. Display Time Set the length of time that messages will lie displayed. Higher numbers indicate a longer message display time. The default setting is 5. Sound Select whether to listen to music and sound effects in Stereo, Mono, or turn all sound OFF. Battles Decide when to view battles between slates over which you do not have direct control. These states will either be computer controlled or states to which you have delegated control. You may select to watch all battle dis-plays, have this option displayed before battles begin, or ignore all battles. End Quit your game. Although you end a game, you may also start a new game from this option. If you don't want to play another game, you can watch the computer take over your Daimyo and continue the game in demonstration mode. Victory Conditions Victory If you defeat all Daimyos and take control of all states in Japan, you win! Defeat If you fall in battle or die of old age without a successor, you lose! You need to have generals in your slates to name a successor in case your Daimyo meets bad luck. MAIN SCREEN Rice and Troop Market This bar graph shows the fluctuation of monthly prices in gold for both one bale of rice and one division of soldiers. Market prices can change dramatically at times, so it's a good idea to keep an eye on these rates. STATE DATA Gold Shows the amount of gold in a state. The gold supply increases in January from the receipt of tax revenues and decreases that same month when military salaries are paid. The gold supply will also change depending on the funds spent on executing commands. Rice Rice is the symbol for military provisions in a state. The rice supply increases In July when tributes are collected and decreases that same month when military salaries are paid. Tea Items The type of the highest class tea item that a Daimyo or Governor holds. Soldiers The number of soldier divisions in a state. You may recruit additional soldiers with MLTV-Recruit. Soldiers will decrease from battle casualties, sickness, and old age. Soldier Loyalty Level of devotion to the Daimyo. Loyalty increases with MLTY-Pay Men. It decreases when soldiers are recruited and when military salaries cannot be paid. Training Skill level of the army. Training increases with MLTY-Train and decreases when new troops are recruited. Generals Number of generals in a state. They command soldiers in battle. Recruiting ronin will increase the number of generals. Castle Defense Defensive capability of the castle. The DVLP-Castle command can increase this value, but earthquakes, sect riots, fire, and battles within the castle lower this value. Rifles Number of rides a state holds, in hundreds. Rifles can be obtained through the TRDE-Rifle and METR-Rifle commands, or from a black marketer. When soldiers of a rifle division fall in battle, the number of rifles also decreases. There is one rifle per soldier in a rifle division. Agriculture The level of rice production. Agriculture can be increased with the DVLP-Fields command. Agriculture decreases when a state is hit by a typhoon or when there is a revolt. The higher the level of production, the more rice a Governor will receive at the tribute rate. The optimal value differs for every state. Water Safety Protection from typhoons and the availability of water for agricultural needs. This protection can be improved with DVLP-Dams, but is decreased with typhoons and with the use of DVLP-Fields. High Water Safety levels will ensure that rice tributes will increase in July and that typhoons will inflict less damage. Commerce Economic development of a state. Commerce is increased through the DVLI-Economy command, but decreases when riots or earthquakes occur. Higher Commerce results in greater tax revenues collected in January. [Tie maximum Commerce value depends upon the Culture level of a state. Citizen Loyalty Citizen loyalty to the Daimyo. Loyalty increases when DVLP commands are executed and when the lax and tribute rates are set low. Plagues, natural disasters, and high tribute and tax rates will cause loyalty lo drop. Loyal citizens are less likely to riot. Culture Culture level in a state. The state with the highest Culture in your domain will lead the way for increasing the other states' Culture levels. Using expensive tea items, hosting tea ceremonies, and inviting to paint murals will raise the Culture level in a state. A high Culture level will allow for an increase in tax revenues. The Culture level can be increased with the PSNL-Educate command. Skill Technology level of state. Skill Increases with the DVLP-Skill command. Skill also increases when a blacksmith visits and offers to teach you a new skill. However, ninja sometimes impersonate blacksmiths and steal your technology secrets. The state will be able to produce greater weapons as skill increases, see below. Skill Level Production Ability 100 Search and mine for gold 250 Forge rifles 500 Construct warships Event Display When an event occurs, the extent of the effects will be displayed by highlighting states on the map. The darker the color, the greater the hardship, or fortune. Relations with Neighboring Countries Neighboring states are those which are either connected by a road or have adjacent borders. States separated by mountains are not considered neighboring states. The MLTY commands Move, Send, Battle, and Joint may not be used in connection with non-neighboring states. Seasons There are four seasons. Spring (Jan-Mar), Summer (Apr-Jun), Fall (Jul-Sep), and Winter (Oct-Dec). The map will change colors for each season. A fan will also display the season. Certain events are seasonal. EXECUTING COMMANDS Every month, each state has one turn to execute commands. The daimyo or his generals may execute commands. The effectiveness of a command depends on a general's abilities and the amount of money expended. Each general may execute only one command per turn, with the exception of the daimyo and state governor. Governance Points (Maximum: 200) Governance Points (GP) are required to execute commands and are expended when commands are executed. Required GP depends on the type of command and the person executing the command. The Daimyo and Governor require the most GP. The INTO-Other and PSNL- Control commands do not require any GP, The number of GP available depends on the Political power of the ruling Daimyo or Governor. When the game begins, the initial GP is equivalent to the governor's political skill. Each month, the political skill value is added to the remaining GP. GENERAL DATA Rank Power hierarchy of generals. There are three ranks: Daimyo, Governor, and General. Age A general ages one year every January. The older a general gets, the easier it is to succumb to illness and old age. Politics (Maximum: 100) Ability in domestic affairs. Political know-how is also important for foreign affairs. Raise a general's Politics level with the Education command. However the maximum level is limited to 5 points lower than the highest politics level of a general under your control. Combat Ed (Maximum: 100) This military ability affects fighting power in battle and troop training. A general can raise his Combat level by capturing or eliminating a general with a higher Combat level during a blitz attack. Charm (Maximum: 100) The ability to charm and persuade others. Extremely important for negotiations with other Daimyos and raising the loyalty of your army. Ambition (Maximum: 100) The degree of sacrifice that a general is willing to make in order to conquer japan. The higher this value, the more likely a general will rebel, and the more likely a daimyo/governor will go to battle. Loyalty (Maximum: 100) Loyalty toward the Daimyo. increases if general is rewarded Decreases if lea items are taken away, or if salaries cannot be met in January and |uly. Low loyalty will increase the chances that a general will rebel or turn against a Daimyo in battle. Education (Maximum: 100) Knowledge of the tea ceremony and other traditional art forms. The Education level can be increased by hosting a tea ceremony and inviting a general to attend, lithe Education level is low. Imai, the merchant, will not trade for rifles or tea items. The higher the value, the greater the chances for success with foreign affairs. Number of States (Daimyos only) Number of states under a Daimyo's rule. Princess (Daimyos only) For your daimyo, it indicates how many princesses you have and if any have been given to other daimyos in arranged marriages. For other daimyos, it Indicates whether you have sent, received or traded daughters with the daimyo. Alliance (Daimyos of Other States only) Indicates whether or not you have an alliance with the selected stale. Tea Items (Daimyos only) The lea item type of the highest class tea item held by a Daimyo will be displayed to the right of his face. All tea items held can be viewed with INFO Tea Item. GAME EVENTS There are several events that occur throughout the game. There are events which are seasonal and can be planned for, and there are random events that occur without warning. Seasonal Events Tax: Tribute Rates As the Daimyo, you must decide and set the tax rate in January, and the tribute rate, in luly. There are three ways to set the rates: By Governor: Delegate the decision to the Governor of each state under a Daimyo's rule. Uniformly: Set the tax and tribute rates so that all states under your rule pay the same rate. By State: Set individual rates for each state. If the rates are set high, the people of a state will become angered and their loyalty will fall. If the rates are set low, the people will rejoice and their loyalty will increase. The standard is 45%, but your military advisor will give you advice on appropriate rates. Tax Collection (Jan) Every year in January, taxes are collected. The rate can be anywhere from 1 to 100%. Depending on the Tax rate. Economy, and Culture, the amount of taxes collected will vary. The higher the rate, the more gold received from taxes, but citizen loyalty will decrease. Military Salary (Jan & July) Generals are paid twice a year. In January they arc paid in gold according to their abilities and in luly, they are paid in rice according to their number of soldiers. If their salaries are not paid due to lack of money and rice, loyalties of both the generals and their soldiers will drop. Typhoon (Apr-Jun) Japan is buffeted by Typhoons every year. States suffer damage to their Agriculture, Economy, and Water Safety. A high Water Safety level can minimize the damage from typhoons. Tribute (Jul) Rice is collected according to the Tribute rate, The amount of rice collected increases when there is a good harvest and decreases when the harvest is poor or when the state has been hit by a typhoon. Harvest (Jul) Depending on the weather, states may experience good or bad harvests. Blizzards and other natural disasters will result in a poor harvest. High levels of Water Safety and Agriculture increase the chance for a good harvest. Blizzard (Oct-Dec) Snow storms which prevent all movement may occur in the northern mountainous areas, especially in the Tohoku area. The MLTY commands Move. Send, and Battle, the TRDE commands, and the AFRS commands cannot be executed during this time. Random Events Ronin Visit These masterless samurai, having heard tales of your greatness, may visit you and ask to be hired. If you agree to hire ronin, they will become your generals. Riot Riots erupt when the citizens are displeased with your decisions or those made by your governors. If the Tax and Tribute rates are set high, and the loyalty of the populace is low, riots may occur frequently. When a riot occurs, you may select from four responses: Give Gold, Give Rice, Do Nothing, and Ready Army. If the Daimyo does nothing. Citizen Loyalty, Agriculture, and Water Safety levels will ail decrease. Ikko Riot People of the Ikko sect are extremist followers of an authoritarian school of thought, led by Honganji. If western ideas are allowed into Japan and the Ikko followers in a state do not accept the teachings, a riot is likely. Citizen Loyalty. Agriculture, and Commerce decrease from the riot. Their riots may lead to fires, which will decrease castle defenses. If Honganji, the leader of the Ikko sect, is defeated, these riots will not occur. Rebellions The generals under a Daimyo or Governor may break away from a state. Generals may defect to neighboring states taking with them troops, rifles and tea items, or they may decide to become ronin and wander. If the loyalty of an ambitious general is low, a rebellion is highly likely. Epidemic Epidemics spread quickly through states. If the people of a state arc affected, then Soldier. Agriculture, Commerce, and Citizen Loyalty values fait. Earthquake Earthquakes can occur on land or off shore. In states which are damaged, Soldier, Commerce, and Castle Defense values all decrease. Tea Master Visit Tea Masters, such as Tsuda Sokyu, travel around Japan and host tea ceremonies. If a tea ceremony is successful, the Loyalty and Education levels of all generals increase along with the state's Culture level. If your tea items are not equal to or better than those of other generals attending a ceremony, the loyalty of your generals and your state's Culture level will decrease. Louis Furois The western scholar Louis Furois may request your permission to teach western ideas in Japan. If the Daimyo allows the teachings, and the people accept the foreign ideas, the Skill level will increase. Sometimes, Louis Furois may present you with a tea item in gratitude for allowing him to continue his teachings. If you reject his teachings, citizen loyalty will decrease. Artist Visit Famous artists, such as Kano Kiloku or Ilasegawa Tohaku. travel throughout Japan and paint folding screens for Daimyos. Depending on the value of a screen, your state's Culture level will increase. MAIN COMMANDS Any commands which require governance points (GP) will display the GP necessary if either the governor or Retainer (General) executes the command. Gold Mine Once your Skill level has reached 100, you can search and mine for gold. This command may be used only once per turn. A gold mine can be depleted of its gold from excessive mining. However, it is possible to search for another gold mine. DVLP (Develop) Fields GP: Daimyo 50 Retainer 25 Cultivate the earth to prepare it for a rice crop. High levels of Agriculture result in greater revenues of rice at tribute time. Developing fields lowers the Water Safety level. Dams GP: Daimyo 50 Retainer 25 Build dams and reinforce river banks to raise the Water Safety level. Building dams will increase the amount of rice produced and protect the state from typhoon damage. Economy GP: Daimyo 50 Retainer 25 Invest in town commerce and help the economy grow. The better the economy, the more gold which can be collected in taxes in January. Skill GP: Daimyo 50 Retainer 25 Scholars of a state will spend time to improve production techniques. When Skill reaches 100, a stale can begin lo mine gold: at 250, rifle production becomes possible; and at 500, warship production is possible. Rifles and warships are exceptionally strong weapons in battle. Castle Defense GP: Daimyo 50 Retainer 25 Fortify your castle defenses. A high Castle Defense level will increase protection against enemy assaults. MLTY (Military) Move GP: All 20 Move a general lo another state under your control. The general may lake gold, rice, soldiers, and rifles. Send GP: Daimyo 20 Retainer 10 Send goods to another state under your control. It is possible to send gold, rice, soldiers, and rifles. Battle GP: All 50 Attack a neighboring state. The maximum number of generals that may join a battle is six. When you (the Daimyo) do noi go to war, a Field Commander must be chosen to command the assault. This command can also be used to send reinforcements lo battle sites for forces caught in extended wars. Joint GP: All 50 Join forces with another Daimyo and attack a third state, joint forces can be sent only from states neighboring the attacking states or the target state. After a messenger is sent to a Daimyo to ask for joint forces, you may still cancel war preparations, but it will cost 10 GP. Recruit GP: Daimyo 40 Retainer 20 Recruit soldiers to expand your army. Soldiers are recruited in divisions. The recruiting cost displayed is for one division, or 100 men. The cost changes according to market prices. Train GP: Daimyo 40 Retainer 20 Increase the combat readiness of your soldiers. The higher the Combat skill of the general chosen to train the soldiers, the more effective the training. High training levels of soldiers will result in a more powerful attacking ability, and a more accurate aim for rifle division soldiers. Pay Men GP: Daimyo 20 Retainer 10 Give gold to soldiers in order to raise their loyalty. High loyalty will ensure a soldier's effectiveness in battle. Low loyalty might cause soldiers to desert in the middle of a battle. TRDE (Trade) Sell Rice GP: Daimyo 40 Retainer 20 Sell extra military provisions for gold. The rate of exchange will vary. Buy Rice GP: Daimyo 40 Retainer 20 Buy rice to maintain military provisions. The rate of exchange will vary. Rifle GP: Daimyo 40 Retainer 20 Buy rifles, in groups of 100, from the Sakai merchant Imai Sokyu. The price is determined by your friendly relations with Imai and the Education level of the general selected to make the purchase. Tea Item GP: Daimyo 40 Retainer 20 Buy a tea item from Imai Sokyu, The Culture level of the state, level of relations with Imai, and the Education level of the general making the purchase all influence the trade. If a general's Education level is too low, Imai will not trade. Tea items are classified in ranks from 10 to 1,1 representing the most valuable items. You may give a tea item to a general as a reward or host a tea ceremony with the item. A lea item also may be used to give tribute to another Daimyo. INFO (Information) General GP: AH O Data on all the generals in a state. Land GP: AM O List of the states under your rule and the methods by which they are governed. Other GP: Daimyo 30 Retainer 15 Use this command to spy on states outside your control. You can send ninja, but they may be captured. It is also possible to view data on states under your own rule, but no GP is required at this time. Tea Item GP: AII O List of tea items held by generals in the state. See State Data-Tea Items for all tea item types. PSNL (Personnel) Control GP: All 0 Give Delegate control of states into the hands of individual governors. Governors will rule by a domestic style of government. Direct Take direct control of all states under your control. Select a state, the general to take direct control, and the type of government by which the state will be governed. Domestic: Focus is on strengthening the state through production. This is usually the best choice for states with 110 neighboring enemies and a Governor with high Political skill. Military: focus is on expansion through military force. This is usually the best choice lor states with neighboring enemies and a Governor with high Combat skill and Ambition. Educate GP: Daimyo Retainer 40 Educate generals in politics and foreign affairs. This command will raise a general's Political skill. Dismiss GP: ALL IO Dismiss generals with low abilities. As a result, other generals with low loyalty might rebel from your service. Generals who desert become ronin. Reward GP: ALL 20 Raise a general's loyalty with a reward of gold or a tea iiem. A Daimyo/Governor's charm greatly affects the general's rise in loyalty. Gold The more gold given, the greater the increase in loyalty. Team Item Give a tea Item from a Governor's or your collection. If the tea item is of a high class, the increase in loyalty will be greater than if gold was given. Take GP: ALL 20 Seize a tea item from a general. The general's loyalty will decrease and he may leave to become a ronin. Tea Ceremony GP: ALL 5O Raise the Education levels of generals who participate in the ceremony. Depending on the number of participants, a certain price will have to be paid. The price varies according to the Education level of the participants and the class level of the tea Items. When in Settsu and its neighboring states, you may invite the merchant Imai. If Imai does attend, relations with him will increase. Note: In order to hold a tea ceremony, there must be at least one general attending that has a tea item and an Education level > 60. AFFR (Affairs) Sabotage GP: Daimyo 90 Retainer 45 Bribe Send a messenger into another state to make a deal with a general to join sides during battle. If this ploy is successful, the enemy general will change sides during battle and fight for you. But even if the general accepts your initial offer, he may not always change sides in the middle of a battle. Incite Send ninja into two different states in an attempt to instigate a fight between them. If this ploy succeeds, the two states will battle and even if it's a stalemate, both states will be weaker and vulnerable to your attack. Agitate Send a ninja into another state to spread damaging rumors about the Daimyo and lower citizen loyalty. If this ploy succeeds, a riot may result. Politics GP: Daimyo 100 Retainer 50 Tribute Improve relations with other stales by sending gifts of gold or tea items to other daimyos. The chances of success depend on the amount of gold sent and the class level of the tea item. Alliance Set up a non-aggression pact with another Daimyo. Once an alliance is set, relations with that Daimyo will improve. Alliances may prove helpful in keeping enemy neighbors in check, but some Daimyos ignore alliances and attack. Marriage Ask another Daimyo for their daughter's hand in marriage. If successful, this will raise relations between the two countries. Daimyos associated by marriage arc less likely to attack each other than with a regular alliance, yet there are no guarantees. Threat Convince another Daimyo to surrender and hand over his domain to you. A threat wiil rarely be successful unless your military strength is far superior to the other state. However, even if you fail, the other slate may try to placate you if they fear military action from you. Cut Ties Break off an alliance with another state. If you attack a state with which you have an alliance, the alliance will be automatically broken and your generals' loyalty will decrease. Therefore, if you plan io attack, it's always a good idea to break off the alliance first. MFTR (Manufacture) It takes three months to finish production of rifles and warships. Rifle Forge rifles in your own state. Your skill level must be at least 250. The amount of gold required to make 100 rifles depends on the Skill level of the state, and the Politics level of the general assigned to oversee production. Warship Manufacture warships in your own state. Your Skill level must be at least 500, Warships are powerful in sea battles with their cannons. The amount of gold required to make one warship depends on the Skill level of the state and the Politics level of the general assigned to the project. However, only the coastal states and Oumi can use this command. WAR Battle Flow Battles take place whenever you attack a state, are attacked, join a tattle, or send reinforcements. The Battle Display will he shown if one of your directly controlled states gets involved in battle or if you have chosen to watch other states' battles. Declare War Select the state to attack. If you are planning a joint attack, you must select the Daimyo whom you will ask for support. War Preparations Select up to six generals lo join the battle. You must also choose a Field Commander to lead your troops when you do not Join the invasion force. Assign soldiers to the generals (Max. 100) and name divisions: Infantry, Cavalry, or Rifle. See Rattle Unit Types. The attacker must also decide how much rice to bring with the army. One unit of rice can feed one division of soldiers for one month. Position Troops You may select the individual positions for each unit or leave this responsibility to the computer. Once the troops have been placed, you'll be ready to fight. Field or Castle Battle (for Defender only) If attacked, you must decide whether to fight on the open plains or from the security of your ensile walls. Once decided, the battle location cannot be changed mid-battle. Field Rattle Takes place outside the castle. The time allotted fur the battle is 7 days. There are 8 turns each day, or one turn every 3 hours. Castle Battle Takes place within the castle. The length of time allotted to the battle is 30 days. There is only one move per day. If at the end of the month neither side has triumphed, then the battle will become an extended war and continue the following month. When the battle resumes, you can request reinforcements from neighboring states (no mote than six units at once). Reinforcements (Defender-Castle Battle) Once the defending side has declared that it will withdraw lo the castle, it has the option of requesting reinforcements. The request can be made- only to a neighboring state. The status of relations between the Daimyo requesting reinforcements and the Daimyo being asked will directly influence whether reinforcements will be sent or not. During the Castle Battle, the defender may also request reinforcements from available generals with the Order command Victory Conditions Attacking Side: * Total destruction of the defending units. * Capture, eliminate, or force the Field Commander to retreat. * Take over the defending main camp (Field Battle} or castle (Castle Battle). * Defender's previsions (rice supply) run out. Demand surrender and defender accepts (Castle Battle only). Defending Side: * Total destruction of the attacking units. * Capture, eliminate, or force the Field Commander to retreat. * The attacking side runs out of provisions (Provisions can he stolen by taking over the enemy's main camp). * The battle lasts more than a week (Field Battle only). After the Battle Once the smoke clears, the state in which the battle was fought becomes a state of the winning side's Daimyo. The losing generals may escape to a neighboring state if there is a state under their Daimyo's rule. If the generals are not able to flee, they will be captured by the winning side. The captured generals will be brought before the winning Daimyo, who will give judgment on their fate: Finish. Release, or Recruit. If the attackers win, the Field Commander of the attacking forces becomes the Governor of the state. Battle Unit Types The blue units are those of the attacker and the red ones are those of the defender. Yellow units represent reinforcements, while green units represent joint forces. Infantry (Basic Mobility 4) Foot soldiers. Infantry unit size is limited only by the number of soldiers. During a siege on a castle, infantry units are capable of crossing moats and scaling walls. Cavalry (Basic Mobility 6) Horse riding warriors. A cavalry unit can be only as large as the amount of gold you hold. Cavalry units have the greatest mobility and execute strong blitz attacks. Rifle Unit (Basic Mobility 3) Soldiers armed with guns. A rifle division can be only as large as the number of rifles held by the state. Rifle units can attack targets from a distance. They may also cross moats and scale walls, like infantry. Assigning Soldiers to Division Types Example; A stale with 23 Gold, 100 Men, and 25 Rifles could create a Rifle unit with up to 25 soldiers, a Cavalry unit with up to 23 soldiers, and an Infantry unit with 52 soldiers. Ships Normal Ship and Warship The warship is a superior version of a normal ship. The mobility for a norma! ship is three while it is six for a warship. Normal ships must be close to their enemies in order to attack: however, the warship is similar to a rifle unit in its ability to fire from a distance. The firepower of warships is even stronger than that of rifle units. Weather and Time The conditions of the battlefield change depending on the season, weather, and time of day. Rain and nightfall limit visibility to adjacent locations. Ik: sure to remember this and plan your commands and moves accordingly. Rain: The defending unit can see only adjacent locations. Rifles and cannons cannot be used. Night: Units can see only adjacent locations. Depending on the season, the nights will vary in length. The Landscape Effective use of the landscape during battle can mean the difference between winning and losing. Protection indicates the level of protection against enemy attacks. Higher numbers represent terrain with a greater strategic importance. Required Mobility represents the mobility points needed to enter that type of terrain. BATTLE COMMANDS When a unit passes a command turn, its mobility increases 1 point (Max. 10). Move The distance a unit can travel depends on the mobility of the unit as well as the landscape. If a unit moves next to an enemy unit and still has mobility points left, il can attack the enemy unit. When rifle units are attacked in this way. the rifle unit will automatically retaliate. Attack Normal Attack a unit in an adjacent location. Blitz Launch a constant, pressing attack with the aim to destroy the enemy unit. If the enemy unit is not completely wiped out, the attacking unit will either pass over the enemy unit or be pushed back to its original position. This attack cannot be used during sea battles. Rifles Rifle units can fire on enemy units within 2 spices (3 spaces for Castle Battles). The attack is more powerful than that of normal attack, but a rifle attack cannot be used in the rain or snow, nor can il be used when a unit is in a lake, river or sea. Furthermore, Rifle units cannot fire through the following terrain: mountains, hills, forests, castle gates, towers, or the inner keep of the castle. A high training level will increase the accuracy of the rifle shots. If two rifle units are adjacent, both units will fire when the command is given for either one to shoot. Cannon Cannons can be used only during a sea battle, but have a range of up to 3 spaces. Cannons are more powerful than rifle units. However, like the rifle units, cannons cannot be used in snow or rain, nor can they fire through terrain such as mountains and hills. In addition, adjacent cannons will both fire if the command is given for either unit to fire. Storm During a Castle Battle, this command is used to storm the castle gales and lower its defensive capabilities. Once the defense of the gate is 0, the gates are broken down and units can move into the castle grounds. Retreat Retreat is only possible to another state under the rule of the same Daimyo, or to a vacant state. If a unit tries to retreat while adjacent to an enemy unit, capture is highly likely. Castle Only generals of the defending side may retreat to the castle. Any general, including the Field Commander, who retreats to the castle may not return to a Field Battle for the remainder of the month. Info Unit View unit data: learn whether a unit is an attacker or defender, if the unit is commanded by the Field Commander, the number of soldier divisions, their training, combat ability and loyalty to their Daimyo. Move the cursor ewer the unit you wish to view and press A. Viewing your own units does not count as a command turn. Advice Ask generals for an analysis of the battle situation. Only the Field Commander can use this command. Order Demand Ask for the surrender of defending enemy forces while in a Castle Battle. Only the Field Commander can use this command. Battle The defending side can call generals waiting in the castle to battle. However, there is a maximum of Kl generals who may be involved in a battle. Gate Open the castle gates. This command can only be used by units adjacent to the gates. The attacking force can only use this if they are on the inside of the gate. Control Give command control of a unit to the general leading the unit. Other Battle Tactics Viewing Data To view the military make-up of both warring sides, press the Left Button. Data includes: the name of the home province and Daimyo, the face graphic and name of the field Commander, whether the army is the attacker or defender, and data on the number of generals, soldier divisions, loyalty, and amount of rice. Pressing the Right button will show the number of troops remaining in each unit. Movement at Sea If a unit moves into a lake or the sea, its graphic will change to a normal ship unit. If the general has a warship, he will use the warship and gain greater mobility. Stealing Provisions If the defending side is able to take over the attacker's main camp, it can steal provisions and force the attacking side to retreat. Ambush Move your unit next to an enemy unit during the night or in the rain to launch a surprise attack. Regardless of who attacked first, the result is decided by the combat skill and training of the general making the move. An ambush is more powerful than a normal attack. HINTS Strengthening the State It is important to consider economics in state affairs. You cannot go around attacking other states without any money or rice. Raise the amount of gold and rice collected during tribute, tax and harvest times by developing your Agriculture, Water Safety and Commerce levels with the DVLP commands. Also use smart trading practices (TRDT) to make a profit by buying low and selling high. Other factors important in building up a state are the Culture: and Skill levels. Use DVLP-Skill to increase the technology skill of the stale lo produce items such as rifles and warships. Culture levels can be raised by using PSNL-Ceremony to host a tea ceremony. In order to host a tea ceremony, you must have a tea item, but It is also possible to purchase lea items from the Sakai merchant Imai Sokyu. Empower Your Military Strengthen your army by improving your generals. Use PSNL commands to educate your generals in Politics and invite them lo tea ceremonies to raise their Education, and Loyalty levels. The higher the Education of a general, the more effective his actions will be on diplomatic missions and the easier it will be for him to purchase rifles and tea items from the merchant Imai. Always take care of your generals. Raise the loyalty on generals with high abilities by rewarding them with gifts and dismiss generals with little or no skills. Build-up your military strength by recruiting more soldiers through PSNL-Recruit. Carefully watch the soldier rate so that you hire at an advantageous rate. With MLTY commands, Improve your army's performance on the battlefield through training and the raising of loyalty through salary payments. Use Politics to Your Advantage Once the state has been able to maintain steady growth, look to expand your power with the AFFR-Politics commands. Continuously waging war will weaken your domain. Take time to establish strategic alliances before forging into war. Set up peace pacts, join powerful families through marriage, and improve your relations with stronger states by offering tribute gifts of gold and lea items. Carefully select your messengers for diplomatic missions. A messenger's Political skill, Education, and Charm will affect the outcome of negotiations. Keep track of your enemies and your allies. Remember, a friend today may be an enemy tomorrow, [f you think that an alliance has outlived its usefulness, break it off with Cut Ties. Sabotage Your Rivals Dirty, but effective AITR-Sabotage commands are useful in swinging situations to your advantage. Weaken enemy states before you begin an attack or issue a threat. Incite enemy Daimyos lo battle amongst themselves or decrease the citizens' faith in their Daimyo. If your sabotage activities are successful, the enemy states will weaken and become ripe for your attack. You may also bribe enemy generals to betray their Daimyos and change sides in battle. But be careful, your accomplices may not live up lo their promises.