Navarone_Guy's guide to Japan
Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 9:26 am
Navarone_Guy's Guide to Japan
I've had the chance to play Japan for a while, and I really like it. Their cav aren't crap like Indian camels, but they're not OP like China. A very enjoyable civ to play with many different strategies.
Basically, the standard thing to do is spam ashigaru musketeers to start in age 2, adding in yumi archers if necessary, and later naginata riders.
Important cards:
Age 1
Mountain Warrior (for treasure-heavy maps)
Team Chonindo (for team games)
Trickle card of all resources
3 fishing boats (for water maps)
+25% fishing boat gathering (for water maps)
Age 2
5 ashigaru musketeers
5 yumi archers
ashigaru attack
yumi attack
2 cherry orchards
5 fishing ships (for water maps)
+30% fishing boat gathering (for water maps)
2 age 2 warships, whatever they're called (for water maps)
diamyo
team 1 castle (for team games)
Age 3
dojo
dojo
diamyo
naginata rider hitpoints
bloody harvest
way of the bow
close combat
team 2 castles (for team games)
Age 4
shogun
team cheaper unit upgrades (for team games)
Basic strategy:
Age 1
Build your orchard as close to your TC as you can. Make as many shrines as you can near hunts, setting them to food for the remainder of age 1. Split up your monks and send them scouting, teaming up if necessary if there's a tough treasure. Of course, keep all vils on the orchard. For your first card, I'd recommend: 3 fishing boats if it's a water map, team chonindo if it's a team game, mountain warrior if there are a lot of big resource treasures, or the resource trickle card if there aren't any of those three instances. Other cards may be better, or you may want to save it for age 2. It's a toss-up. As soon as you get 800 food, task about 4 vils on the 1.5x exp wonder. You can do other wonders, but I find that one the best for age 2.
Transition, age 1 -> age 2
Switch about 4 vils onto wood, switch your shrines to wood.
Age 2
NEVER STOP MAKING VILS. Build a barracks between your base and his and try to make some mischief with your free samurai. Put the guys who were on the wonder onto gold, ship 5 ashigaru and then again once you get another shipment, then send ashigaru attack after that, as your 4th card. If it's a water map, you may want to send 5 fishing ships or 2 warships. If it's a team game, maybe send team 1 castle. If you have extra wood, throw down a stable and consulate to diversify your army. At this time, your orchard is probably running low, so you might want to send the 2 orchard card. Spam ashigaru out of that barracks! If he is making infantry, you may want to throw in yumi. If he is spamming light infantry, then you probably want to throw down a stable and make some naginata riders. If he's turtling, pick off vils with your ashigaru, as they can kill vils in 5 hits with the attack card in play. Send the diamyo or maybe yumi attack later, or age to 3 if you have the resources. I'd recommend aging up with the shogunate. You get a free diamyo, who is VERY helpful in battle.
Age 3
This is where you have to take over. It's really a toss-up depending on the situation. Send naginata hitpoints and close combat, maybe the two dojos. Just play it however the situation demands. However, don't use diamyos in battle unless necessary. They only have 780 hp and 39 attack and are expensive to retrain. They give a 10% attack bonus to all nearby allies, though.
Age 4
Send shogun tokugawa. He's an animal, with 180 base attack and 2250 base hp. He can be retrained for 332 gold and gives a 20% hp bonus to all nearby units. He can 1 hit KO most infantry.
Ok, now that we've covered the basic strategy, here are some tips.
The monk, when the treasures are drained and you have enough shrines, makes a GREAT meatshield. Put him into melee mode and have him charge the enemy, absorbing damage your normal army doesn't have to take.
Naginata riders are too expensive and fragile to spam and let die. Send them behind where you suspect the enemy is going to attack in the fog of war, and then charge into their light infantry while their cavalry and heavy infantry are fighting your non-cavalry army.
Diamyos and the shogun are best left behind your army in stand ground stance. They are safe, can train units, and provide the aura to your army without getting bumped off by some pesky pikemen. They're too expensive to be expendable, although the shogun is an absolute beast in battle. Just keep an eye on him.
Hope this helped!
I've had the chance to play Japan for a while, and I really like it. Their cav aren't crap like Indian camels, but they're not OP like China. A very enjoyable civ to play with many different strategies.
Basically, the standard thing to do is spam ashigaru musketeers to start in age 2, adding in yumi archers if necessary, and later naginata riders.
Important cards:
Age 1
Mountain Warrior (for treasure-heavy maps)
Team Chonindo (for team games)
Trickle card of all resources
3 fishing boats (for water maps)
+25% fishing boat gathering (for water maps)
Age 2
5 ashigaru musketeers
5 yumi archers
ashigaru attack
yumi attack
2 cherry orchards
5 fishing ships (for water maps)
+30% fishing boat gathering (for water maps)
2 age 2 warships, whatever they're called (for water maps)
diamyo
team 1 castle (for team games)
Age 3
dojo
dojo
diamyo
naginata rider hitpoints
bloody harvest
way of the bow
close combat
team 2 castles (for team games)
Age 4
shogun
team cheaper unit upgrades (for team games)
Basic strategy:
Age 1
Build your orchard as close to your TC as you can. Make as many shrines as you can near hunts, setting them to food for the remainder of age 1. Split up your monks and send them scouting, teaming up if necessary if there's a tough treasure. Of course, keep all vils on the orchard. For your first card, I'd recommend: 3 fishing boats if it's a water map, team chonindo if it's a team game, mountain warrior if there are a lot of big resource treasures, or the resource trickle card if there aren't any of those three instances. Other cards may be better, or you may want to save it for age 2. It's a toss-up. As soon as you get 800 food, task about 4 vils on the 1.5x exp wonder. You can do other wonders, but I find that one the best for age 2.
Transition, age 1 -> age 2
Switch about 4 vils onto wood, switch your shrines to wood.
Age 2
NEVER STOP MAKING VILS. Build a barracks between your base and his and try to make some mischief with your free samurai. Put the guys who were on the wonder onto gold, ship 5 ashigaru and then again once you get another shipment, then send ashigaru attack after that, as your 4th card. If it's a water map, you may want to send 5 fishing ships or 2 warships. If it's a team game, maybe send team 1 castle. If you have extra wood, throw down a stable and consulate to diversify your army. At this time, your orchard is probably running low, so you might want to send the 2 orchard card. Spam ashigaru out of that barracks! If he is making infantry, you may want to throw in yumi. If he is spamming light infantry, then you probably want to throw down a stable and make some naginata riders. If he's turtling, pick off vils with your ashigaru, as they can kill vils in 5 hits with the attack card in play. Send the diamyo or maybe yumi attack later, or age to 3 if you have the resources. I'd recommend aging up with the shogunate. You get a free diamyo, who is VERY helpful in battle.
Age 3
This is where you have to take over. It's really a toss-up depending on the situation. Send naginata hitpoints and close combat, maybe the two dojos. Just play it however the situation demands. However, don't use diamyos in battle unless necessary. They only have 780 hp and 39 attack and are expensive to retrain. They give a 10% attack bonus to all nearby allies, though.
Age 4
Send shogun tokugawa. He's an animal, with 180 base attack and 2250 base hp. He can be retrained for 332 gold and gives a 20% hp bonus to all nearby units. He can 1 hit KO most infantry.
Ok, now that we've covered the basic strategy, here are some tips.
The monk, when the treasures are drained and you have enough shrines, makes a GREAT meatshield. Put him into melee mode and have him charge the enemy, absorbing damage your normal army doesn't have to take.
Naginata riders are too expensive and fragile to spam and let die. Send them behind where you suspect the enemy is going to attack in the fog of war, and then charge into their light infantry while their cavalry and heavy infantry are fighting your non-cavalry army.
Diamyos and the shogun are best left behind your army in stand ground stance. They are safe, can train units, and provide the aura to your army without getting bumped off by some pesky pikemen. They're too expensive to be expendable, although the shogun is an absolute beast in battle. Just keep an eye on him.
Hope this helped!