Shingen the Ruler Basic Unit Tactics (BUT) Guide Version 3.04 December 18, 2019 Written by ireant =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ *TOC TABLE OF CONTENTS: --------------------------------- BUT000 Introduction BUT001 New Changes BUT005 Copyright notice BUT007 Contact information BUT010 Star-Search - The method for jumping to references BUT030 Sending Troops to Battle BUT032 Territory Combat BUT040 Automatic Battle BUT042 When to use Automatic Battle: BUT050 Rank BUT051 The affects of rank BUT058 Experience Points needed to gain rank BUT060 Experience Points BUT062 Penalty Experience Points BUT070 Spoils BUT072 Regular Spoils BUT074 Lower Rank Bonus (LRB) Spoils BUT076 Unit Spoils BUT080 Refugee Units BUT100 Battle Objectives (Combat Guide topics preview) 1) Gain experience and rank 2) Gain money and PRD 3) Gain units as spoils 4) Reduce enemy numbers (all or selectively) 5) Capture a territory 6) Prevent the capture of a territory 7) Preserve as much of your army as possible 8) Lose the battle to give enemy spoils 9) Lose the battle to give enemy experience 10) Lose the battle to give enemy the territory BUT110 Unit Types BUT112 Headquarters - HDQ BUT114 Cavalry - CAV BUT116 Lancers - LNC BUT118 Infantry - INF BUT120 Riflemen - RM BUT122 Archers - AR BUT130 Reloading During Battle BUT400 Basic Unit Tactics: BUT401 Attack first; defend second BUT402 Attacking divisions always kill one unit minimum BUT403 Defending divisions sometimes kill none BUT404 Rank considerations BUT405 Division size BUT406 Relative unit strengths BUT407 Unit replacement costs BUT409 Screens BUT410 Dummy Units BUT411 Dummy Screens BUT412 Dummy units to confuse, distract, and delay BUT413 Dummy units to lure AI out of position BUT414 Dummy units to lead AI into isolation or exposure BUT415 Using HDQ as a lure to steer enemy CAV and LNC BUT417 Turn 6 AI retreat BUT418 Rushing to battle increases casualties BUT419 Turn 6 eve reckless attack BUT420 Pressuring the AI to retreat BUT422 AI HDQ are passive, rarely attacking BUT423 Popping the Gate Guardians at turn 20 BUT424 Reduction attacks BUT430 Cavalry Blockades BUT432 Eluding AI CAV Without a Blockade (Cavalry Elusion) BUT434 The Practical Value of Cavalry Elusion =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ *BUT000 Introduction: Basic Unit Tactics (BUT) is the elementary school of combat. In grade school, you learn language for communication: reading, writing, and arithmetic, as the saying goes. First you learn how ideas are communicated, and then in later schooling, you are ready to learn complex subjects. The same will be true here. The Combat Guide will be the college of war that is built on the principles learned in the Basic Unit Tactics. I have kept easy to remember definitions for the words tactics and strategy. Strategy is the plan made, the goal set. Tactics are the means, methods, or procedures used to accomplish the strategy. Although plans can be made without knowing tactics, they are worthless if you don't know how to carry them out. Learning tactics first allows the formation of solid, accomplishable strategies. This guide will explain the fundamentals of battle: outline of the structure of combat, experience and rank, resource and unit spoils, and the capabilities of each unit. The guide concludes with an examination of the tactics each unit could employ. Once you have read and practiced Basic Unit Tactics, you can form your own strategies. Additionally, you will be ready to read the Combat Guide. The Combat Guide is the strategies I have used when playing Shingen the Ruler. At some point you will encounter a term you don't know or can't remember. I put a glossary at the end of the Territory Management guide. I didn't want to clutter this document by repeating the information. Hopefully, you downloaded both TM and the Basic Unit Tactics together. *BUT001 NEW CHANGES It is July 10, 2019 as I add another section to this guide. I am also giving more definition to some sections. BUT417 Turn 6 AI retreat BUT420 Pressuring the AI to Retreat BUT413 Dummy units - to lure AI out of position BUT415 Using HDQ as a lure to steer enemy CAV and LNC Addition: BUT430 Cavalry Blockades December 18, 2019 I am anxious to write version 2 of the LRB Exploit guide. I have delayed because I haven't experienced what I envision, yet. I have tied myself down trying to find the optimal opening strategy. I have made discoveries and have refined my thinking. I am torn between the need to explain the LRB Exploit better, now, and the feeling that I am not yet ready. Revisions: BUT114 Cavalry BUT417 Turn 6 AI retreat BUT415 Using HDQ as a lure to steer enemy CAV and LNC BUT430 Cavalry Blockades Additions BUT432 Eluding AI CAV Without a Blockade (Cavalry Elusion) BUT434 The Practical Value of Cavalry Elusion These revisions and additions are a pertinent example of how topics I explained vaguely before can now be expressed definitively because of more playing time. Specifically, I know how AI CAV move now, which allows me to say what to do in details I didn't fully understand previously. *BUT005 COPYRIGHT NOTICE Anthony Daniel Anderson wrote this Strategy Guide, Basic Unit Tactics, for Shingen the Ruler. I write my guides for my benefit and to share with others. I don't mind other people using the information I provide in other guides without credit to me. However, I would take exception at someone claiming my ideas were his own. Laugh; I have to add that I would be even more upset if someone thought to circumvent copyright by instead claiming to be me. My intention is to submit this guide to Gamefaqs, only. I will rely on their corporate muscle to discourage unauthorized duplication of my guides. *BUT007 Contact Information Please write me about reference number mistakes. Also, suggest phrases I should add to the glossary (the glossary is in the Territory Management guide). I am not concerned so much with typographical errors. It is errors that confuse the information I want to stamp out. Time will see typos corrected. I will reread my documents at some point. However, if you feel strongly that my writing needs improvement and you can tell me how, then go ahead and tell me. My email is ireant2@yahoo.com Please put SHINGEN at the start of the subject line in all capitals. This will help me distinguish your email from the SPAM that packs my inbox. I check my email about once or twice a month. If I anticipate the possiblity of email, I will check it a little more often. I tell you this so that you don't get upset that I haven't responded. Give it time. *BUT010 Star-Search - the technique for navigating this document. Every section is preceded by an asterisk (star) BUT (Basic Unit Tactics), a unique three-digit number, followed by a section title with a possible brief description. The star in front of the BUT number is the key to searching. I will reference a section throughout the guide by giving the BUT number, but when you search for it, preface the BUT number with a star (an asterisk). For example, this section is BUT010. When bringing up the find feature (often CTRL-F in many programs), type: *BUT010 Nowhere else in the document is the BUT number proceeded by an asterisk (except here for the demonstration). If you search without the star, you may encounter all the times I am referencing the section. Only by using the star will you limit your search to the section itself. [If you are unfamiliar with the Find command, it generally searches forward from the cursor position. If the cursor is past the place in the document where the seek location resides, you have to search up, not down. Some programs, such as WordPad, require you to manually bring the cursor back to the top of the document and then search.] Furthermore, you can also return to the Table of Contents by using star TOC. When I was updating the Cute Knight guide, I modified star-search to include keywords. I am doing the same to this document. Cute Knight keywords are easy to anticipate. Here, they are less obvious. Here are some: Auntomatic, RANK, gain, EXP, Penalty, Spoils, LRB, HDQ, RM, CAV, AR, LNC, INF, Refugee, and Basic. Search for any keyword by prefixing an asterisk. Also, some of the references may at times refer to the other guide. TM stands for the Territory Management guide. Consult the other guide to find given references. *BUT030 Sending Troops to Battle: The attacker, human or AI, pays 5PRD to attack. Human attackers must send at least 1HDQ. Additional troops may be sent: none, some, or all in territory. AI randomly sends 30%, 50%, or 70% of attacking territory's army. 70% sent is rare. The human defender must send at least 1HDQ to the field battle. Additional troops may be sent: none, some, or all in territory. AI randomly sends 30%, 50%, or 80% of defending territory's army. 80% sent is rare. [As the attacker, if you save the game at the "Troops, let's go!" screen, you can reload to force the AI percentage you want.] At the castle, the attacker's remaining troops all go. Human and AI defenders must send all troops to battle. Muster size is the 30%, 50%, 70%, or 80% of the total available army that the AI sends to battle. *BUT032 Territory Combat After troops are allocated for battle (BUT030), combat begins. The Takeda army always appears as RED soldiers. The AI troops are always BLUE soldiers. The attacker always starts in the South; the defender always starts in the North. All combat takes place within one of the twenty-one game territories. First, a field battle is conducted. If the attacker wins the field battle, a castle battle may follow at his option. If the attacker also wins the castle battle, his army takes occupancy in the attacked territory. Any surviving defending units may flee to another territory controlled by the loser, if there is one (see BUT080). The human player has the option of choosing whether battles will be manual or automatic (BUT040). Automatic battles give the participants a chance to retreat after six, eleven, and sixteen turns. Manual battles give the participants the chance to retreat at any moment. However, AI players will not retreat until turn six or later. Furthermore, AI armies only retreat at the beginning of a turn. Battle is won by killing all enemy HDQ on the field or at the castle. A victory is also given if the opponent retreats. All battles have twenty turns. If after twenty turns, neither side has won, the battle is a draw. Draws mean the defender has successfully defended the territory and keeps ownership. It is also successfully defended if both attacker and defender lose their HDQ in the same instant. (This is the only case where a HDQ-less army gets spoils, but only to the territory defender.) Any army that ends the battle with some HDQ still alive will get experience points (BUT060). Any army with HDQ and either draws or wins will get spoils (BUT070). Spoils consist of gold and PRD. Additionally, for the human, he may also get unit spoils. Unit spoils are 10% of one AI non-HDQ unit type that survives the battle, selected randomly (BUT076). If the attacker fails to defeat the defender, any attacker unit survivors are returned to the territory that initiated the attack. If HDQ units are present, then any experience points and resource spoils earned in battle are sent back, too. However, if the attacker wins, all experience points and spoils go into the captured territory, along with the attacker's surviving army. Nothing returns to the home territory. *BUT040 *AUTOMATIC BATTLE: If the human player decides to resolve combat with automatic battle, combat still comprises of a field and castle battle. Castle battle only happens if the attacker wins the field battle and chooses to continue. Prior to the castle battle, the choice between automatic and manual is given, again. Battle is also still resolved in 20 turns. However, each turn has two rounds. Each round is completed in one second without pause. A round kills units from both armies based on an algorithm. Higher relative rank does improve results. Kills are percentage based. The more units brought to battle, the more will die regardless of the size of the enemy army. After six, eleven, and sixteen turns, both sides have the option to retreat. Retreat functions the same as manual battle: experience points and spoils are awarded. Outcome of battle also determines whether units are sent home, flee as refugees, or occupy castle. If the retreat was the defender at the field, battle may continue at the castle at the attacker's choice. For accuracy, I have to add that the first break happens after 11 rounds if you are the attacker (each game turn has two rounds). As the defender, it happens as you would expect, after 12 rounds (turn 6). Additionally, as the attacker, the second interval ends at 10.5 turns, 10 rounds later. The third interval ends at 15.5 turns, another 10 rounds. You can observe this as being true by having just enough HDQ to last the 11 rounds with 1 extra. It will die while still turn 6, but in the next interval. The intervals line up with experience point penalties at BUT062. I don't know how precisely automatic battle functions: I don't know the formulas it uses to assign battle casualties to both sides. However, I can tell you what it looks like and give you speculation on how it is implemented. This speculation is based on experimentation I have done. Anyone familiar with roulette? There are 38 slots on a round wheel. A marble sized ball is thrown with velocity along the spinning wheel. As friction slows the wheel and the ball, the ball settles into one of the 38 slots. Gamblers use this wheel to speculate where the ball will land, making bets on the predictions. The Casino, also known as the house, matches those bets. All the slots are colored alternating red and black. If a gambler bets on black, the house essentially has red against the player. If the ball lands on black, the player retains his bet plus the house gives him a sum equal to the bet. Conversely, if the ball lands on red, the house keeps the gambler's bet. Sounds fair, yes? Well it would be a zero sum game under the conditions described, meaning, over the long run, any winnings would balance out with losses. However, the Casino gets an advantage: two slots, one from red and one from black, are given the color green instead. These slots are called house slots. So, the new situation is that there 18 slots black, 18 slots red, and 2 slots green. A gambler betting on black has 18 chances to win. The house gets the red and green slots; it has 20 chances to win. The roulette wheel is analogous to the automatic battle in Shingen the Ruler. Battles between the human and the AI will be close to fair, but the higher ranked army will win more often in the long run. The higher ranked army gets the green slots and thus a slight advantage. I believe that as relative rank increases, slots are taken away from the lower ranked army and given to the higher ranked army. Furthermore, it is likely that more than 38 slots exist in the computer version of a roulette wheel. There are 20 turns of battle. The objective is to have a winner after 20 turns. Therefore, there must be losses that could bring each army to zero units by the end of turn 20. So, roughly 1/20 of each army must be lost each game turn in order to reach zero. That is 5% per turn. However, I believe the game modifies the rate based on the size of the armies in battle. It bumps up the rate if the combined army size, adding the numbers of each army, is large. However, if it is lopsided, one army large and the other small, it keeps the rate at 5%. Each round (two per turn) plays roulette with the rate percentage of each army's troops. For example, if the rate is 5%, 5% of each army plays roulette. Each unit in that group spins the wheel. If it wins, it stays alive. If it loses, it dies. [It has to be this way because even the higher ranked army will lose more units than the lower ranked if it started the battle with significantly more units. Death is percentage based. It is not a one on one contest between individual units.] The above description holds when both armies have units of every type. When one side loses a unit type, the other army has a bye for one of its unit types. The byes favor the more valuable units, meaning, it is most likely that HDQ will be excused from participation, then RM and CAV, then AR and LNC, making INF the most likely unit type to take losses. The bye is randomly selected each round. Getting excused from death roulette one round doesn't mean the next round will be excused, too. When one army starts losing more and more unit types, then the larger army opponent starts losing less and less units as byes excuse more unit types. It is because of byes that you must send a complete six unit type army to automatic battle. Otherwise, you won't be killing the enemy HDQ. *BUT042 When to use Automatic Battle: It takes $178 to upgrade five INF to 1HDQ, 1CAV, 1RM, 1AR, and 1LNC at base prices. In addition to the $178 is the cost to recruit the infantry and the turns used to upgrade units. That has value, too. However, if we imagine that all that is happening anyway, we can stick to $178 as the cost. When you use automatic battle, you will lose many units. The price to replace them is significant. Thus, the reason for using automatic battle instead of manual battle needs to be a good one. Using it to save the tediousness of manual battle is insufficient (unless you are doing experiments and just want to get past the battle). Automatic battle has some good uses for the LRB exploit. I will describe those uses in the LRB Exploit Guide (LEG). Another appropriate use of automatic battle is to reduce the army of a higher ranked AI. But, doing so takes some preparation. You have to have an army bigger than the one you started the game. If you had three times the AI's army, you could just brute force the victory with automatic battle. That is unrealistic and not what we are discussing. I just mean you will need about 50 units of each type more than the game starting troop amounts. You want to conduct reduction attacks to the AI army via automatic battle. The reduction will also happen to you, too. You have to have an army big enough afterward to carry on the fight or else your AI reduction efforts have no purpose. [See BUT424 for an alternate method of reduction attacks.] Reducing an AI army via automatic battle is easy. It will cost you $1958 per month to do it, however (that is the value of the units lost). By sending 11-units of each type, you can reduce a much higher ranked opponent's army without excessive losses on your part. The AI will always win the battle, but lose more units than you do. The objective is to go as many rounds with the AI as possible. Each round give the AI greater losses as the larger army. Sending an 11-unit type army is perfect. You lose one unit per round while the AI loses multiple in each unit type depending on the size. Rank will help the AI lose a little less. If you wanted to increase the number of rounds per battle, you can't use 12-units each type because you would lose 2 units each type the first round followed by ten rounds of 1 lost each type. Your losses increase, but the number of rounds are the same. The AI doesn't lose more because you put more units to be killed in the same 11 rounds. At 13-units each type, you gain an extra round of combat, but the additional round you lose more units than the AI does (because the first round you lose 12 units instead of 6). That is what I found in my testing at rank 0 versus rank 23 Sagami/Hojo with 30%, 50%, and 80% Hojo army size. 11-units each type is the only sure thing to kill more AI units than you lose. But this sure thing requires the AI send more than an average 40-units each type to battle. 40-units each type is about where you would break even in losses with a higher ranked AI. [Obviously, the RR makes a difference. Without specifics, all I can give is generalizations. RR was 23 in my testing.] The larger the AI army sent to the field, the more units the AI will lose. At 11-units per type, you are going to lose 66 units no matter if the AI sends 30%, 50%, or 70% of army. Thus, you can reload over and over (see BUT030) to get 70%. Or, if you are cheat conscious, only do 50%. [50% and 30% occur equally often. You are merely expressing your preference by seeking 50%.] A word of caution: the AI will get 95 experience points from this tactic of sending 11-units each type in automatic battle. You will be steadily increasing the AI rank. If you don't have a solid objective and follow through on your plan, you will make this AI tougher to beat in the future because of rank gain. [If you know about LRB exploit, this could actually be part of the plan. You will get more spoils when you do finally take this AI down. See LRB spoils (BUT074).] When the target AI has been sufficiently reduced by month after month of the 11-units of each type automatic battle reduction attacks, you may be in position to use automatic battle with troops large enough to last through both field and castle battles. Or, the AI army might be thinned out enough that you can continue reduction attacks with manual battle (see BUT424). When the balance shifts, you can stop reduction attacks and take out the AI in manual battle. [All this is theory. I have not done it. However, I always say to myself that one day I will try it. However, I have used all the techniques mentioned. I know they work. I have just not conducted a campaign using all these devices. Yet, I have brought down an army 31 ranks above me that had been thinned out by another AI (RNK43 General-Li at Etchu). I know all this is plausible.] If there ever comes a time that a higher ranked AI attacks that you can’t handle in manual battle, then use the 11-unit tactic in the field. That will thin the AI out. Then, you are in the best position possible to win at the castle via automatic battle or maybe try manual battle. However, if you have another territory, retreat might be a better option. Or move out resources thus leaving the territory empty. *BUT050 *RANK: Rank represents the competence, skill, training, and power of military units. However, the rank of an army is not an attribute of the military units themselves, but the territory in which they fight. For example, the soldiers in Sagami/Hojo fight at rank 23. If Hojo transfers 25% of the army in Sagami to Musashi/Hojo, the units transferred will now fight at rank 10, which is the rank of Musashi. When the soldiers in Musashi capture another territory, say Kai/Takeda, the rank from Musashi goes with them. Moreover, any experience gained in the fight will increase rank. The increased rank goes into Kai along with the sent soldiers. Musashi's rank stays the same. However, if Musashi/Hojo fights Kai/Takeda but fails to win, then the troops return to Musashi along with any experience and rank gain. Rank is not an absolute quality. A rank 10 army does not possess certain abilities, nor does a rank 20 army have those certain abilities in a greater degree, nor a rank 30 army even more so. Rank is only a relative quality of measure. A rank 10 army fighting a rank 25 army is no different than the rank 25 army fighting a rank 40 army. The difference of 15 ranks is all that matters. Both lower ranked armies will have the same difficulties fighting a rival 15 ranks above. *BUT051 The affects of rank: Once you have had some experience playing the game, you will realize that your cavalry are more powerful than your lancers (BUT406). Even if they have the same number of units, the cavalry will hit opponents harder and resist being killed better than the lancers. That difference in strength is analogous to the way rank works. Having higher rank makes your lancers fight like they were cavalry. Lower rank makes your cavalry fight like lancers. The greater the rank difference, the greater the demotion. To illustrate, being four ranks down may make your CAV fight like LNC, but seven ranks down may make your CAV fight like INF. (This is an illustration, not fact: the rank numbers mentioned are just a guess.) Lower rank makes your attacks less effective and increases your casualties when attacked. Higher rank does the reverse: your attacks are more effective and your units better resist being killed. If the relative rank (RR) difference between you and your AI opponent is large, then battles will be a slaughter of the weaker army. The weaker army when attacking in large numbered divisions will only do one kill of damage to medium sized divisions of the stronger army. [The one kill given is because of BUT402, not necessarily because the division is strong enough to cause one kill.] A lower ranked army can kill a higher ranked army if the higher ranked army is sufficiently small. As the weaker army, you would have to fight in concentrated attacks on one enemy unit at a time. Either you fight with great skill or you build a large enough army so the division size advantages counter the rank advantages of your AI rival (see BUT405). But remember, division size only trumps rank if the enemy's divisions are small. At the beginning of the game, you possess two rank 0 territories. Higher ranked armies surround you. West Shinano and North Shinano have small armies. ranked 5 and 7. These are your stepping-stones to gain rank. Small skirmishes with them slowly builds your rank until finally you are strong enough to capture one of those territories. Yet, you don't have to do it that way. As you gain understanding on how to fight, you could even go after Musashi at rank 10 or Kozuke at rank 12. I found it daunting to take on an AI that far ahead of me in rank, but time playing the game has shown me that it can be done, though slowly and cautiously. [I have to add, I don't do it on a regular basis. Just because it can be done, doesn't mean it should be done. I have done much experimentation. There are a few strategies that call for capturing Musashi early, but even then, it is easier to spend one month gaining rank attacking West Shinano, then use the rank 2, 3, or 4 gained from the first month to now go after Musashi. The stepping stone AI of West Shinano/Kiso and North Shinano/Murakami are the best way to begin training your army.] What makes Kozuke especially beatable is that it has a small cavalry. Furthermore, the field terrain at Kozuke is favorable for a weaker army to win. In contrast, Musashi is a tough one to win as the attacker. It takes great skill to best Musashi in the field when 10 ranks behind. It can be done by limiting the attack to just the CAV and range units. Retreat if you must; you get to take the experience points with you. That last sentiment applies to all battles as the underdog: do what you can to gain experience points, but rather than stay on the field to get killed, take what you have accomplished and go home. Start again the next month. If you are killing units while losing little, eventually you will be strong enough to kill more. The strategies to gain rank will be taught in the CG. However, the tactics you need to know will be taught in this guide. Keep reading; you will soon have enough ideas on how to do it without seeing the Combat Guide. *BUT058 Experience Points needed to *gain rank: Experience points comes from battle accomplishments. Experience points are eventually rewarded by rank gain. As indicated in the previous section (BUT050), upping your rank improves your army's combat ability. Like many of the game's hidden mechanics, you are not told how much experience is needed to gain the next rank. That is where the table below helps. Rank is the current rank. EXP is the experience points needed to rise to the next rank. Total is the total experience points you will need to get to the next rank (this is useful for planning ahead). At Need At Need At Need Rank EXP Total Rank EXP Total Rank EXP Total 0 20 20 20 82 1052 40 187 3802 1 23 43 21 87 1139 41 196 3998 2 26 69 22 92 1231 42 205 4203 3 29 98 23 97 1328 43 214 4417 4 32 130 24 102 1430 44 223 4640 5 35 165 25 107 1537 45 232 4872 6 38 203 26 112 1649 46 241 5113 7 41 244 27 117 1766 47 250 5363 8 44 288 28 122 1888 48 259 5622 9 47 335 29 127 2015 49 168 5790 10 50 385 30 133 2148 50 280 6070 11 53 438 31 139 2287 51 292 6362 12 56 494 32 145 2432 52 304 6666 13 59 553 33 151 2583 53 316 6982 14 62 615 34 157 2740 54 328 7310 15 65 680 35 163 2903 55 340 7650 16 68 748 36 169 3072 56 352 8002 17 71 819 37 175 3247 57 364 8366 18 74 893 38 181 3428 58 376 8742 19 77 970 39 187 3615 59 388 9130 (Note: rank 54 and up are estimated. I haven’t yet had a 55+ rank army.) It takes 20 exp to go from RNK0 to RNK1. It takes an additional 23 exp to go from RNK1 to RNK2. Rank gain is summarized in the following statements: It takes 20 exp to go from RNK0 to RNK1. For ranks 1-19, next rank is 3 exp more than the previous For ranks 20-29, next rank is 5 exp more than the previous For ranks 30-39, next rank is 6 exp more than the previous For rank 40, next rank is 187 exp (repeat of rank 39) For ranks 41-48, next rank is 9 exp more than the previous For rank 49, next rank is 168 exp (should be 268) For ranks 50-59, next rank is 12 exp more than the previous I was dismayed by the break in the pattern in the experience point statements. I think the programmer responsible for typing in the experience point values accidentally repeated the same value at ranks 39 and 40. This same person then mistyped 168 instead of the correct 268 at rank 49. These mistakes throws off the smooth pattern of the statements. Apparently, no one checked or cared. *BUT060 *Experience Points (EXP): EXP is wrongly explained in the Shingen the Ruler Game Manual. EXP is the experience within the current rank, or you could think of it as the experience towards gaining the next rank (see BUT050 for rank and BUT058 for the EXP table to gain rank). You get experience in two ways: Killing units in bulk and eliminating unit types. Killing units gives low exp unless you kill a large amount. Eliminating a unit type gives a bundle of points. [I am coining the terms Bundle EXP and Bulk EXP.] Type Bundle Bulk ---- ------ ------------ HDQ 35exp .20 OR +1/5 killed CAV 15exp .20 OR +1/5 killed RM 15exp .15 OR +1/6.67 killed (every 20 killed gives 3exp) AR 10exp .10 OR +1/10 killed LNC 8exp .10 OR +1/10 killed INF 5exp .05 OR +1/20 killed Explaining the table above: Kill all HDQ gives 35exp plus 1exp for every 5HDQ killed. For example, killing 13HDQ of a total of 13HDQ in the enemy army will give 35exp + 2.6exp = 37exp. Fractions are always tossed. Kill both divisions of RM gives 15exp plus 1exp for 6.67 RM killed. It would take 7RM killed to get 1exp. It would take 14RM killed to get 2exp. However, kill 20RM and get 3exp. If you happened to eliminate all RM from the battle, you get an additional 15exp. I need to emphasize that killing one division of a unit type does not get the experience point bundle. Both divisions, or in the case of infantry, all three divisions, must be eliminated to get the bundle. While playing an LRB Exploit game, I encountered a bug that gave me 1exp for killing just 1HDQ. I didn't even kill all the HDQ, just one of the many left. When I switched to killing 1INF, I also got 1exp. Clearly, there is some bug that was circumstantially giving me excess exp. It couldn't be fractional amounts because the bug happened in both field and castle battles. Furthermore, my later LRB play didn't give any exp killing 1INF. However, this validates my confusion in tracking down several game concepts: experience point totals and fractional experience points. The game has bugs that obscure the truth. I believed for quite some time that if I didn't kill enough units to get 1exp, the factional amount of an experience point was still tallied. I thought that the next combat could add to that fraction to make it a whole exp point. I disproved that idea in my testing. Early 2018, I did an experiment as part of my LRB research: I sent attack parties from Kai to Sagami/Hojo in the first month of the game, JAN 1545. I would sacrifice groups of units and then on Shinano's turn, use Nj-Spying to examine Hojo's territory changes. I could see how many units had to die to get one EXP. I also got a few corrections on bundle EXP. Later, I used the same experiment to discover the regular spoils numbers. *BUT062 *PENALTY EXPERIENCE POINTS: There are penalty experience points, too. If you complete battle on turns 6-10, the game removes 2EXP from your total. If you complete battle between turns 11-15, the game removes 5EXP. If you complete battle at 16-20 turns, the game removes 7EXP from the experience points earned. {For clarity, only one penalty is given. For example, finishing battle on turn 17 doesn't give the -2, -5, and -7 penalties. Only -7 exp is given.] Turn Battle Penalty Ends EXP ------- ------- 1-5 NONE 6-10 -2 11-15 -5 16-20 -7 There is one exception to the penalty: when battle ends in a draw, no penalty points are accessed. *BUT070 *SPOILS: Spoils are the gold, PRD, and enemy units won in battle. Even the AI get spoils in the same way the human does. However, AI never get any of your units when you lose (thankfully). Spoils are given at the conclusion of battle, whether it be manual or automatic. In order to get spoils, you must kill all enemy HDQ or stay in the battle until it ends because the AI runs away or 20 turns elapse in draw. Additionally, you must kill at least one enemy unit. However, there is a special case draw when both sides lose their last HDQ on the same round of automatic battle or the same turn of manual battle (through HDQ to HDQ combat). In this case, the draw only gives spoils to the defender. There are three types of spoils: BUT072 Regular Spoils BUT074 LRB spoils BUT076 Unit Spoils *BUT072 Regular Spoils: GOLD for a lower ranked army: $1 per enemy unit killed GOLD for a higher ranked army: $1 per enemy unit killed minus RR PRD: Each unit type gives a different rate for every five killed. HDQ 4/5PRD CAV 4/5PRD RM 3/5PRD AR 2/5PRD LNC 2/5PRD INF 1/5PRD Gold given depends on the relative rank between armies (RR). If the lower ranked army wins, just count the number of units killed. If the higher ranked wins, subtract the RR from the number of units killed. For example, if you win a battle and kill 23HDQ, 17CAV, 8RM, 22AR, 35LNC, and 48INF against an army two ranks below you (RR=2), the calculation of spoils would be: 23HDQ X 4 = 92 17CAV X 4 = 68 8RM X 3 = 24 22AR X 2 = 44 35LNC X 2 = 70 48INF X 1 = 48 -------------------- 153 units 346 / 5 = 69PRD $153 - 2RR $151 This battle will give you $151 and 69PRD in addition to any unit spoils. If the same battle is used but changing the conditions such that the army you face is two ranks above you, then the RR is not subtracted from the units killed. The spoils would be $153 and 69PRD plus LRB spoils (BUT074) of $42 and 30PRD for total spoils of $195 and 99PRD plus any unit spoils (BUT076). [I have encountered times the game rounds up while other times it rounds down. It doesn't follow conventional rules, so I can only say that sometimes you will get +$1 or +1PRD from what I am writing.] Note that a small variable remains unknown to me. I have observed that somewhere between 1PRD and 8PRD is added to the battle victor. All the formulas above are correct as are LRB spoils. There is just another addition I haven't clarified, yet. I do speculate that this small addition is given to the winner of the battle as a minute bonus. I have seen the higher ranked AI get 1 or 2PRD for killing one of my infantry when I withdraw from battle. This has happened so often that I deem it reliable. *BUT074 Lower Rank Bonus (*LRB) Spoils: LRB is a reward for fighting against higher ranked armies. It is a bonus given in addition to regular spoils (BUT072). As the lower ranked army, you are at a disadvantage. The Lower Rank Bonus gives you incentive to do battle with your superior ranked foes. If you are eligible for spoils (BUT070), then you will get LRB compensation based on the distance between your rank and the AI you bested. The relative rank (RR) is calculated by subtracting the lower rank from the higher rank. This calculation is done before the battle, not after experience points have been awarded. Then, gold is given at $21.1 per RR and PRD at 15.2PRD per RR. Gold: $21.1 x RR PRD: 15.2PRD x RR For example, if your first battle was won against rank 5 West Shinano from rank 0 Kai, the RR would be 5 - 0 = 5. $21.1 x 5 = $105.5 and 15.2PRD x 5 = 76PRD. The $105.5 is rounded up to $106. In addition to the regular spoils (BUT072) from battle, you would get a bonus of $106 and 76PRD. Suppose the battle gave you RNK 2 and you move along to the castle battle. Playing it conservatively, you wait until turn 20, and then move up your RM to shoot the LNC guarding the front gate. Turn 20 finishes with both armies present: a draw. RR is now 5 - 2 = 3. Your LRB from the castle battle will be $21.1 x 3 = $63 and 15.2PRD x 3 = 45PRD. You got $63 and 45PRD for popping a few LNC without the hassle of combat (see BUT423). A more detailed examination of how to use the Lower Rank Bonus can be found in the LEG guide (Lower-rank-bonus Exploit Guide). It only exists in a draft form at present. Still, it will give insight on how you could play the game differently. *BUT076 Unit Spoils: Unit Spoils is the third type of battle spoils. It is an addition to the regular spoils (BU072) and LRB spoils (BUT074). Although the AI can receive regular and LRB spoils, AI cannot get unit spoils. Unit spoils only happens if there are unit types within the AI army that you didn't kill in the field or castle battle. Those units become part of a lottery. One unit type is randomly selected, then you get 10% of the remaining units of that type still alive, rounding up. HDQ units are not eligible as spoils. For example, if the AI had 17LNC and 21INF still alive at the conclusion of battle, then you would either get 2LNC or 3INF as unit spoils. The probability of the unit selected is inverse of the cost: INF, LNC, AR, CAV, RM. You can improve the chance of getting the unit type you want by specifically killing those unit types you don't want. That way, they won't be around to participate in the lottery. Also, you can save the game right before the death stroke on enemy HDQ, or the moment the enemy runs away, or the 20th turn draw. Reload and play forward until you get the unit type you want. Another trick is to keep the slot you don't want as spoils packed to the 255 unit limit. The game won't choose that type as spoils. [Logically, you won't receive the full 10% to a slot if there isn't enough room, too.] *BUT080 *Refugee Units: Castle battles determine ownership of the territory. If the castle defender loses all HDQ in battle, but some other units are alive, they become refugees. Likewise, all units, including HDQ, will become refugees if the castle defender flees the castle battle. However, units can only become refugees if the castle defender controls a territory or territories in addition to the territory of the battle. The game won't allow an army to flee a castle battle unless there exists somewhere to go. And if the units are displaced because of loss of HDQ, without a territory to live, they are removed from the game. The refugee territory will accept refugees of all unit types up to the limit of each slot, which is 255 units. Refugees in excess of the 255 unit slots are removed from the game. [Because of this, sometimes I will advance the game ahead to find what territory of mine will get my refugees. If it is a territory without room, I will make room by moving off units or by conceding the attacked territory before battle by moving everything out to somewhere else.] At the beginning of each month, a territory of refuge is randomly selected for each player in the game. It is not selected at the moment refugees are created. If a new territory is captured prior to the creation of refugees, it is possible that the newly captured territory will become the territory of refuge. Furthermore, the game also chooses a second territory of refuge prior to the month start. This only matters when the first territory of refuge is lost so that refugees have to go somewhere else. Similar information was given at TM060, "Full Examination of End of Month Processing." *BUT100 Battle Objectives: There are many possible objectives in battle. 1) Gain experience and rank 2) Gain money and PRD 3) Gain units as spoils 4) Reduce enemy numbers (all or selectively) 5) Capture a territory 6) Prevent the capture of a territory 7) Preserve as much of your army as possible 8) Lose the battle to give enemy spoils 9) Lose the battle to give enemy experience 10) Lose the battle to give enemy the territory Most times, several objectives exist simultaneously. For example, in preventing the capture of a territory, are you willing to sacrifice many units to do so? Or does the objective to preserve your army take priority? If so, you might concede the territory to save units. Similarly, when I am giving away a territory, planning to lose the battle, it doesn't necessarily mean I won't kill as many enemy units as I can before leaving. Often, I plan to recapture the territory the next month, so I will kill the unit types that I don't want to face, usually enemy cavalry or riflemen. The point is you will fight differently depending on your objectives. Thus, your units will fight differently, too. The strategies for the listed objectives are for the Combat Guide; however, in describing the capacities of each unit type, you need to be aware that each unit maybe called upon to perform diverse services because of different objectives. The next section explains the possibilities of each unit type. Knowing what is possible will allow you to decide what to do. *BUT110 Unit Types: Each territory can house six types of units. Each unit type can be from 0 to 255 in number. When sending troops to battle, whether in defense of the home territory or in attack of an AI territory, it is your option to choose how many are sent (BUT030). It is also your option to choose how many units are sent when you are moving resources between your own territories. BUT112 Headquarters - HDQ BUT114 Cavalry - CAV BUT116 Lancers - LNC BUT118 Infantry -INF BUT120 Riflemen -RM BUT122 Archers -AR *BUT112 HEADQUARTERS (*HDQ): Headquarters (HDQ) are the most crucial unit in battles. This doesn't mean they will be on the front lines fighting. Rather, it signifies that losing all your HDQ or killing all the enemy HDQ means the battle is over. It doesn't matter how many other units are still on the field; without the head, the entire body dies. The headquarters move up to six squares per turn. HDQ cannot be divided into divisions. They are a melee unit that hits adjacent squares doing more damage than any other unit and will also resist more damage from enemy attack than any other unit. The base cost is $80 to upgrade infantry to HDQ, so they are also the most expensive unit by far. Because of the importance of the HDQ's survival and the high cost of replacement, putting HDQ on the front lines is inadvisable. However, I use them in combat as my closer in many situations. Because HDQ are so strong, early in the game when I have few other units, 60HDQ can take out in one attack what my other units cannot do. For instance, in field battles, the AI typically sends out a wave of cavalry, riflemen, and archers. At two divisions each and me at low rank, sometimes I cannot kill all of them. I will let the CAV pass my other units on its way towards my HDQ. My other troops deal with the range units. The next turn, I have one division of CAV killed by my army and let my HDQ finish the other. Similarly, my army will sometimes stay clear of charging lancers, letting them approach my HDQ. The same thing happens: my army handles one division and the other is finished off by my HDQ. Enemy lancers will stop and kill any units near them on the way to your HDQ. Enemy CAV in attack mode are just like lancers. Avoid mode CAV will only attack a unit that is next to the CAV when its ends its nine square movement. Because both LNC and CAV seek my HDQ, my HDQ position will influence their movements. See BUT415 for details. In some battles at West Shinano, the enemy LNC group is too large. At low rank, I know I cannot win the castle battle, yet I can stay to draw. I reduce troops so that when I return later, I will be able to win. The lancers chase my HDQ around the moat while my range units take shots at them as they pass, then again across the moat as the LNC pursue my HDQ. If I can get the numbers down low enough, my HDQ will stop running and be able to kill the LNC. How the AI uses HDQ: AI HDQ are passive, rarely fighting. They will stay where they are unless one of your units is within six squares (five empty squares, six total). Then, enemy HDQ run away to a new spot to wait. (There is always like a 1% chance that enemy HDQ will fight when your units are near.) The enemy HDQ will run if they can or stay where they are if surrounded. HDQ will allow themselves to be shot by your range units turn after turn. And when reduced low enough, your melee units could kill them. The only reliable prediction of enemy HDQ fighting is when the AI is attacking your territory, you kill off all units except for the HDQ, then flee the field. If the AI is determined, it will continue on to the castle battle, even though all it has is HDQ. At the castle, the HDQ will charge your army. This scenario can also happen if from the get-go the enemy attacks you from a territory that can only send HDQ. Those will attack on the field. Enemy HDQ can be herded. I frequently position my CAV so that the AI HDQ will run towards my army when the HDQ flee. Occasionally, I do the same to the enemy HDQ with other unit types. *BUT114 CAVALRY (*CAV): Cavalry (CAV) are the most dangerous unit type on the field. Although not as strong as the HDQ, CAV are still close in ability to deal out damage and resist taking damage. What makes the CAV so deadly is speed. Moving nine squares per turn, CAV rapidly close distances to melee with enemy units. You may split CAV into two divisions. Their power comes at a reasonable price: $30 to upgrade infantry into CAV. Similar to HDQ with enemy CAV and LNC, CAV are the focus of the enemy range units. Enemy riflemen and archers will head towards your CAV. Only if there are much closer targets will the enemy range units switch priorities. Often what happens is a few divisions go after your CAV and the other divisions go after the rest of your army. There are times I cannot win the battle except by concentrated group effort when lower ranked than my AI opponent. I will make one division of CAV size 1 to lead a few divisions of enemy range units off to one side of the map. Thus, my main host can apply force in concert to fewer approaching enemy units. Certain field and castle locations are won by using my CAV to scare the enemy HDQ towards my army. In many situations, only the CAV can reach the enemy HDQ before they run away at turn 6 (BUT417). Often, my CAV are not strong enough to take out the enemy HDQ, so I position them so that the enemy HDQ will head towards my range units. After my range units reduce the enemy HDQ, perhaps I can finish the HDQ. But if I am trying to preserve my army, there are times I just settle for the damage my range units do. While on the way towards the enemy HDQ position, my CAV will assist the main army with the initial wave of AI units. I use them to take out what the others cannot reach or lack the strength to kill. AI CAV charge towards your HDQ on field battles and castle battles when attacking. On defense, the CAV also charge your HDQ. Defending at the castle, the AI CAV will stream out the sides or back of the castle then head towards your HDQ. However, the CAV wait until your units draw near before pouring out. Because of differing castle layouts, sometimes the CAV will linger within because your units haven't entered an area that provokes them out the back. At Musashi, for instance, the AI CAV might stay inside if all you have is a frontal attack on the castle. AI cav have two modes of operation: 1) attack mode or 2) avoid mode. Attack mode causes AI CAV to stop to attack any of your units along its chosen path towards your HDQ. In contrast, avoid mode causes AI CAV to pass your units or move around them while seeking to reach your HDQ. However, even avoid mode CAV will attack any player unit adjacent to it after it has expended all nine squares of movement. The decision as to whether AI CAV will be in attack mode or avoid mode is randomly made with equal chance when the battle is initiated. Whether it be the player that sends troops to attack or the AI is attacking, the decision about how the CAV will fight is made before battle begins. So, reloading
during battle is pointless.  You would have to re-issue the going command
from the sending territory or replay the ending of the previous game month to
regenerate what the AI will do if you want to change AI CAV status in AI
attack against you.

AI CAV follow vertical or horizontal paths towards your HDQ.  My less than
thorough testing has me believing that the horizontal and vertical movements
have been pre-selected for each turn at the start of the battle.  Reloading
will not help you change a result.  However, playing ahead then reloading
from the start will give you advance notice of how the AI will move.

When the CAV move during a turn towards your HDQ, both AI CAV divisions will
adhere to the pre-selected direction of travel, either horizontally or
vertically towards your HDQ.  If possible, all nine squares of movement will
be made in that direction.  However, once reaching vertical or horizontal
alignment with the your HDQ position, the AI CAV will turn prependicularly
towards your HDQ.  Yet, the trailing CAV division may turn perpendicullary
one square before reaching alignment with your HDQ.  It does this so that it
has a path to your HDQ not blocked by its own leading CAV division.

Yet before the CAV move, the computer first plots the course.  If the
preferred path as specified in the previous paragraph has terrain that
consume extra movement points, such as mountains, ditches, river squares,
or forest, the AI will plot a course that bends around such obstacles if
a shorter movement cost path can be found.  Similarly, the computer will
plot a course around player units (if in avoid mode), other AI units, rocks,
and impassable deep river squares.  Furthermore, it will make this path
planning adjustment even if the contact with obstacles will happen not this
movement turn, but on a subsequent turn.  I have observed the Uesugi CAV
ford the river on the Echigo field map early because a one-square river
crossing is shorter than a two-square river crossing on a later turn.

Each turn, the path that the AI will take to your HDQ is recalculated.
The computer does this for two reasons:
1) Each turn the direction the CAV must take is randomly determined
2) Both player and AI units create changing obstacles to movement

Shooting CAV with your range units can be trouble when your power is too
little to prevent survivors that could counter-attack.  Dummy screen (BUT411)
or HDQ manuevering (BUT415) can solve this problem.

The Cavalry Blockade tactic (BUT430) can be used against AI CAV to slow them
down, thus keeping your HDQ safe.  The reason this works is because avoid
mode CAV will manuever around obstacles, even if it increases the distances
to your HDQ.

Sometimes the AI will use dummy CAV units.  The bulk of the CAV will be in one
division and one or two units in the other.  I have been fooled many times
because I didn't check division sizes.



*BUT116
LANCERS (*LNC):

Lancers (LNC) are the backbone of many AI armies.  The lancer slot is the one
most likely to be maximized to 255 units in AI territories (not considering
infantry).  At $8 each, they are affordable in large numbers.  They are
frequently the units you can gain as spoils.  Although not as powerful as CAV,
it doesn't matter that many more of them will die in combat because they are
easily replaced.  And though not as useful attacking AI HDQ or CAV, they are
good at ridding you of the AI range units.  They move up to six squares per
turn and can be split into two divisions.

The game will fluctuate LNC prices at your upgrading territories.  It is a
marketing scam to get you to pay hundreds of dollars more to upgrade your pile
of infantry into lancers.  Unless forced to do so, I will wait until the price
returns to the base $8.  I am a cheapskate.

I use lancers opportunistically.  They don't have an assigned task in my army.
Sometimes it is their starting field or castle position that determines what
role they will play.  At many castle attacks, they will be part of the raiders
storming the front gates.  On some field battles, they will move forward so
that my range units can move behind in their line of sight protection from
enemy range units.  My range units reward the lancers with reduced sized enemy
divisions; reduced because of being shot.

I will split the bulk of my LNC into one fighting division and one size 1
dummy unit.  I will not split the LNC into equal sized divisions unless I have
a lot of them or my rank is 4 or more above the rank of my opponent.  If I am
attacking a higher ranked AI, sometimes I will only send 2 LNC so that I can
use two divisions of LNC dummy units (BUT410).

When attacking or when defending on their home field, AI LNC will charge
towards your HDQ.  However, they do not charge from the onset of battle.
The LNC stay where they started until their CAV units are killed.  Until then,
they only defend their local area: if one of your units gets within six or
less squares, then they will attack those units closest.  The LNC will move
five squares to attack your units, but not six squares, even though it is
within LNC capability.  Your units seven squares away, though within LNC
movement range, do not cause the LNC to abandon guard duty.

At the AI Castle, enemy LNC often block the front or side entrances.  Since
the AI usually have LNC in large numbers, LNC make formidable doorstops.
You can approach them up to seven squares away (six squares of empty space),
but not any closer.  At six or less squares distant, the LNC will abandon
their blockage and attack your closest unit.  If two are equally close, the
LNC will hit your most valuable unit first.  [Value is based on type, not
number of units.  For example, if a division of 255AR and 1RM were equally
close to a LNC, I believe the LNC will kill the 1RM and ignore the 255AR.]

There are some anomalies in LNC use.  It may be a location or AI character
quirk: I have seen times that one division of LNC will turn back to attack my
CAV as it approaches the AI HDQ.  The other division of LNC continues on its
way to my HDQ.  This can happen in the field attack on West Shinano.

Another thing I occasionally do is postpone elimination of the AI CAV.  I do
this early in the game when my army is struggling to overcome the greater
numbers and/or rank of the AI.  One of the principles of combat as the underdog
is to isolate the enemy units so that you can concentrate all range units on
one target.  Letting the enemy CAV stay alive delays the time the AI LNC become
active.  Lancers move at six squares per turn.  The enemy range units move at
five.  If I kill the CAV too quick, the enemy LNC catch up with the range
units.  That means as soon as I take care of the range units, the LNC are upon
me and I lose many units.  [I move my units to one side so that the AI range
units have to expose themselves to get me.  Starting in a better location, the
lancers easily catch up.  I am picturing my attack on Shinano field for this
comment.]



*BUT118
INFANTRY (*INF):

Infantry (INF) are the most expendable units in your army.  They do the least
damage in attack, and only surpass the range units in their ability to resist
death from attack - infantry have better armor than range units.  They move up
to six squares per turn and can be split into three divisions.  Often, the
best use is to be split into three divisions: two size 1 dummy divisions and
the last containing the remaining number.

Infantry are gained by enlistment at your territories (TM240) or as spoil
units in battle (BUT076).  Depending on how you use them, you may run out of
them quickly.  Fortunately, they are the easiest unit to replace and to
replace in large numbers.  They can be upgraded into the other unit types
(TM250).

I use infantry mainly as dummy units (BUT410).  If I am fighting a superior
opponent, I will often only send three INF to maximize my use of dummy units.
In other situations, when sending the full INF, I will use the main group to
attack castle gates as part of raiding parties.  Sometimes, I use the main
division as a death lure.  At North Shinano, when higher ranked, I will put my
INF at the side of the castle so the AI INF and LNC guarding the front
entrance kill themselves on my INF, thereby exposing the AI range units that
rush out the open gates.

Largely, I use my infantry in sacrificial roles.  I rarely use them to attack
anything because many of them will die doing so.  I do not see them for the
cheap, replaceable units they are, but as potential upgraded soldiers.
I would rather lose two LNC than seven INF.  It is just me, I think.  I may
not be as ruthless as I should be.

The AI use infantry as HDQ guards, mainly.  When anything gets close to the AI
HDQ, the INF will pounce on the intruder.  You will lose many CAV this way
over time.  The other main use of AI infantry is as door blockers at the
castle.  Like the LNC, they will remain at their posts unless someone closes
to within five squares or less of empty space.  On the field battles, only
when all other units have been killed (except the HDQ) will the AI INF
possibly head towards your HDQ.  However, units they encounter along the way
easily distract them, meaning, they use the lancer philosophy: head towards
the HDQ, but attack anything brushed against along the way.



*BUT120
RIFLEMEN (*RM):

Riflemen (RM) are the equalizers in your army.  By knocking down the numbers
of enemy units as they approach, groups that would have been insurmountable by
your army can often be dispatched (although it may take several turns of
tenderizing to kill some groups).  This power comes at a high price, though.
It is $40 to upgrade infantry to RM.  [It is the firing range of seven squares
that make the riflemen dangerous.]

RM are a range unit.  Range units move the slowest: only five squares per
turn.  Riflemen shoot from 1 to 7 squares distant, though always in straight
horizontal or vertical lines.  But what makes them special is when shooting
units 2 to 7 squares away, the victim gets no counterattack.  This is unique.
All melee units allow the attacked unit a chance to attack back.  This is also
why it is generally inadvisable to shoot units only one square away: doing so
gives the target an unnecessary counterattack.

RM have no armor protecting them.  Hence, they will die easily if attacked.
Because of their high expense and vulnerability, you must take care how you
use them.  Allocating some dummy units to riflemen is wise or you can have a
sizeable group of lancers or infantry acting as escorts, screening and
blocking approach (BUT409).

You have to count squares to make sure you are out of the 12 square riflemen
range.  The RM can move 5 and shoot 7.  That means anything 12 squares away
or less could be hit.  The only exception is the riflemen blind spot at 6
horizontal and 6 vertical squares away.  Although within the 12 squares limit,
riflemen cannot move but five squares per turn.  They can't move to get a
line of sight shot at something 6 vertical and 6 horizontal squares away.

There are times that the enemy RM will stay out of your RM 12 square range,
stopping movement just outside it.  I actually admire them when that happens.
It is preferable than destroying them because of stupidity.

One of the advantages of range units is that they can shoot through their own
troops.  If there are friendly troops between a range unit and the target, the
friendly units do not block the fire.  The shots pass through.  However,
enemies shooting back on that same line will have their shots absorbed by the
intervening units, your friends blocking the path.  They act as screens
(BUT409).

I typically divide my riflemen equally between divisions.  I do so that each
group can reduce or kill two divisions of enemy troops.  It is also beneficial
having equal groups when shooting a large sized division (see BUT405).
However, when outranked, and my units relatively ineffective, I will divide my
riflemen into one division of size one and the rest all in the other.  This
allows one group to always kill one enemy.  The other, containing the bulk,
get the strongest possible result (the one missing riflemen being
inconsequential).  It also allows the size 1 RM division to be sacrificed as a
dummy unit if necessary (BUT410).

I don't like losing units.  I resign myself to the losses I must.  I rarely
fight to win regardless of losses.  Riflemen keep me from losing my melee
units when attacking large groups of enemy units.  I will use delaying tactics
so that my ranged units can soften up groups of enemy sequentially, if
necessary.  

Usually, the first duty I give my range units is to take out the enemy range
units (in field battles).  Or sometimes, I will slow my advance so the CAV
arrive first to be slain, then proceed with enemy range units.

The AI use their riflemen recklessly.  What makes the AI successful is that
many units are sent at you all at once.  Overwhelmed, some of those units can
do heavy damage to you.  However, once you are able to successfully thwart a
pressing attack, sometimes the AI will hold back one group of range units so
that when you do dispatch the AI's initial wave, some of your units are
exposed to the remaining range unit counterattack.  

Despite their recklessness, the AI range units have one safety conscious
behavior: they try to shoot your units at maximum range if possible.  That
means riflemen will backup until they are seven paces away when your units are
shot.  [The same is true of archers -- they will position themselves five
squares away.]

At some  castles, AI RM will go out the back or sides of the castle when your
army draws close.  It depends on your troop placement as to whether this will
happen.  It behooves you to experiment to find out how to get them out because
they are easier to kill this way.

Now and then the AI will employ dummy units.  Since I divide my riflemen
equally, that means I waste  half my force shooting a size 1 RM decoy and
my other half sometimes aren't strong enough to take out the rest of the
enemy RM.



*BUT122
ARCHERS (*AR):

Archers (AR) are range units about half as effective as RM in terms of damage.
Their range is also inferior at only 5 squares.  They move up to five squares
per turn.  They shoot through their own units just like RM do (see BUT120) and
die just as easily from attack because of no armor.  What make AR useful is
their low price of $20 to upgrade infantry.

Just like riflemen, archers have a kill range you should avoid.  The range is
ten squares.  Any unit eleven or more squares away is out of range for the
archers' next turn.  Only come into that range when you can do so and attack
something, preferably the archers so that they are dead or fewer to shoot back
on their next turn.

Also like riflemen, AI archers prefer to shoot your units at maximum range.
The archers will position themselves five squares away from the units they
shoot, if they can do so.

I use archers in conjunction with RM to kill enemy range units and weaken
large enemy divisions so that my melee units can kill them.  Because of their
low price, archers are handy in some terrains such as defending the field
battle at Kai.  Kai can be defended with cheap archers and lancers at the
choke point on the Kai field (with sufficient rank to match up with rank 23
Hojo).

AI archers comprise the first squad that rushes your army on field battles.
However, you will at times see large groups of them because of AR being an AI
upgrade favorite.  They will sometimes go out the back or sides of the castle
when your armies draw close.  For the most part, they have the same behavior
as AI RM.  However, AR are less likely to be used by the AI as dummy units
because the AI has so many of them.



*BUT130
Reloading During Battle:

Many would say that it is okay that I use perfect strategy as long as I did it
from the start.  If I knew what perfect strategy was and used it, no one would
complain.  However, if I reloaded during battle to discover what perfect
strategy is, that would be objectionable to some people.  I am only allowed to
learn during the course of game play without reloading.

Imagine saying to a basketball player that he cannot practice free-throws
except during a game.  He is only allowed to learn free-throw technique while
a game is in progress.  Sure, he could learn that way, but the progress would
be slower.  Similarly, my understanding of Shingen the Ruler combat would be
slowed if the only learning I was allowed was observing only one variation of
my choices each game.

The best time to practice the game is while playing the game.  It is the
optimum moment to reload positions, try something different, and observe
results.  And after I learn what works, I reject the idea that I must wait
until my next game to use it.  I continue my game using what I have learned.
I am not defrauding the computer of fair treatment.  It is a ridiculous
concept.

Furthermore, I see no ethical problem of reloading in the same exact
situations I have previously been in before.  Repetition of lessons is what
teachers are taught to apply to students.  Seeing things over and over again
is what it takes to learn.  If I had a better memory, perhaps I wouldn't need
to see things again.  However, knowing that I can reload when needed keeps me
from overemphasizing all the trivialities of game play.

Much of the combat advice I will give is because I have studied the variations
of possibilities.  I gained that knowledge by replaying the same battles via
reloading.  I suggest you do it, too, so that you can see for yourself the
principles I write.



*BUT400
*Basic Unit Tactics:

This section caries the same title as this document.  This is the central
tidbits of information you need to know when doing manual combat in Shingen.
the Ruler.  I will be referencing these individual tactics in the CG when I
put the smaller tactics together to form strategies.  Those strategies, once
established, become the tactics of grander strategies.

There will be redundancy throughout the lessons.  It is unavoidable.
To illustrate, suppose to fully understand concept A, concept B must be
understood.  Yet, to fully understand concept B, concept C must be understood.
Finally, to fully understand concept C, concept A must be understood.  You may
understand concept C because you read concept A first.  However, you won't
fully understand concept C because you didn't fully understand concept A the
first time.  It takes another round of reading to grasp concepts more
completely.  Furthermore, each round of rereading brings a higher level of
comprehension.

The understanding of concepts doesn't happen independently of each other.  You
have to understand the whole system of concepts all at once to be fully
informed.  Rereading the material will do that, but students are not reliable.
The best teachers review material as they teach new material.  It helps the
less studious keep up.  Sometimes, it is what it takes for me to understand.

There are many concepts to Shingen the Ruler that escaped my understanding for
years.  At some point, the light bulb finally lit up and I saw what I missed
so many times.  For example, writing this guide has brought me new
comprehension that embarrasses me to say I just now know what is going on.
Not everything in this guide I knew before I started writing.  Testing along
the way informed me, sometimes correcting mistaken notions.

So, I apologize to the quick minded out there that think I am stupid for
repeating myself.  I know I could present the material better after having
written all this down if I do another restructuring.  However, it is not time
effective.  There is still more I want to write.  I will never get to it if I
have to make this guide perfect first.


BUT401 Attack first; defend second
BUT402 Attacking divisions always kill one unit minimum
BUT403 Defending divisions sometimes kill none
BUT404 Rank considerations
BUT405 Division size
BUT406 Relative unit strengths
BUT407 Unit replacement costs
BUT409 Screens
BUT410        DUMMY UNITS
       BUT411 Dummy screens
       BUT412 Dummy units to confuse, distract, and delay AI units
       BUT413 Dummy units to lure AI out of position
       BUT414 Dummy units to lead AI into isolation or exposure

BUT415 Using HDQ as a lure to steer enemy CAV and LNC
BUT417        Turn 6 AI retreat
       BUT418 Rushing to battle increases casualties 
       BUT419 Turn 6 eve reckless attack
       BUT420 Pressuring the AI to retreat
BUT422 AI HDQ are passive, rarely attacking
BUT423 Popping the Gate Guardians at turn 20
BUT424 Reduction attacks
BUT430 Cavalry Blockades


*BUT401 
Attack first; defend second

Attack and kill all the enemy.  If you fail to kill all the enemy, at least
there will be less of them when they attack you.  The adage, the best defense
is a good offense is true in this game.

The game gives an advantage to the attacker.  For example, any combat that
happens between units one square away from each other is viewed as melee
combat, even if both are range units.  Melee combat allows the defender a
simultaneous counterattack when attacked.  Even if the units are of the same
type, rank, and division size, the attacking unit will deliver more damage
than the defending unit.

At BUT110, the capabilities of each unit type is given.  Melee units all have
movement of six squares except for the nine of CAV.  By counting squares, you
can keep your units out of the next turn area of attack of enemy melee units.
Specifically, you must be eight squares away from those that move six and
eleven to be out of range of CAV.  You can do the same calculations with the
AI range units: twelve for RM and ten for AR.  Hence, if a unit is thirteen
squares away from RM and eleven squares away from AR, then it is safe from
next turn attack.

Only enter the attack range of enemy units when you do so to attack one of
them first.  You must accept that afterwards they will have the opportunity to
attack you.  Yet, by striking first, you have maximized your killing power and
minimized the enemy's power.  [Even if you kill your target, the other AI
units nearby get a chance to attack next turn.]

The ultimate application of this first principle is guerilla attacks.
Designate one division of your army to be the last to move during a turn (HDQ
or dummy units are good choices).  All your other units take their moves
with attacks.  Then, with your final unit, retreat from battle.  Doing so
denies the AI any chance to hurt your army on its following turn.
If preserving your army is the priority and not some other battle
objective (BUT050), then this is opportune use of the flee option.  Reduction
attacks (BUT424) follow this idea.



*BUT402
Attacking divisions always kill one unit minimum

Another benefit of attacking is being guaranteed to kill at least one enemy
unit.  There are times that you are greatly outranked or outnumbered.  If your
divisions attack the enemy, hardly any damage is done.  Yet, when the enemy's
turn follows, your units are wiped out in large numbers.  In such situations,
the answer is not making your divisions larger to increase damage, but rather
the opposite: make your divisions size 1.

Size 1 divisions can attack an enemy of greater numbers and greater rank with
the guarantee that one enemy will be killed.  Of course, the melee units doing
the attacking are killed in the process, but if you use cheap melee units, you
can get the better of a superior army.  For example, if you sent two size 1
divisions of RM, AR, and LNC, and three divisions of size 1 INF, you could get
nine kills against the enemy.  Then, your HDQ retreats.  Your losses of 2LNC
and 3INF weighed against losses to the enemy CAV and/or ranged units are
insignificant.  (This technique was discussed at TM200 Nj-crisis.  It is also
discoussed in more detail at BUT424.)  Besides beating the enemy five lost
units to the AI's nine, you have hurt the AI financially by killing AI units
that will cost more to replace.

These tactics would not avail you against a large army -- killing it would
take too long.  However, a small army of greater rank would fall quick enough
to this method.  When the enemy's' numbers fall low enough, you can bring your
full force in and win, even with a rank disadvantage.

However, you need to be aware that the always kill one principle can also
work against you.  Even when your rank is superior to your AI combatant's,
when your units approach the enemy with disregard, you will lose some as the
AI units suicide attack yours.  Your CAV heading towards enemy HDQ will still
suffer losses from the INF attending the HDQ.

Furthermore, I have seen the normally reckless AI develop caution at times,
holding back units out of my units' ranges.  I often lose much more units when
the AI armies are smaller and lower ranked than I do when they are equal or
slightly superior to my army.  Part of the reason this happens is because of
the always kill one rule of attacking.  (The other reason is BUT418 as a
result of the turn 6 AI retreat compelling me to attack.)



*BUT403
Defending divisions sometimes kill none

If the size of a division is large enough, it can attack an opponent division
in melee combat without experiencing any losses (compare BUT405).  Similarly,
if the rank of a division is high enough, it can attack an opponent division
in melee combat without any losses in counterattack (see BUT404).  

When trying to accomplish melee attacks without loss, remember the relative
strengths of your melee units.  The strongest is HDQ then CAV followed by LNC
and finally INF.  What 50INF can't kill without loss, perhaps 50LNC could?
Or if they can't, perhaps 50CAV might?  If not, maybe 50HDQ can?  Each tier
of units deliver more firepower and greater defensive armor, too.

However, it isn't just unit type that matters.  250LNC might kill without loss
what 50HDQ can't do.  Number of units makes a difference.  Furthermore, rank
matters, too.  What 250LNC can't kill without loss with one AI opponent may
work fine with a lower ranked AI.

The conclusion here is that it is good to win, but it is even better to win
without losing any troops.  If you know that it is possible, you can take
advantage of it to reduce casualties in your army.  It should also make you
a better defensive player.  Do not buy into the idea that your outranked or
outnumbered troops will always cause the enemy some loss.  Repeat: defending
divsions sometimes kill none.



*BUT404
Rank considerations

See Rank BUT050, but especially see the affects of rank BUT051.
 
Rank will change how you battle the AI units.  As a lower ranked army, your
attacks against enemy units will be less effective.  You need to be more
cautious: use delaying tactics (BUT412); Use screens (BUT411); change your
expectations to smaller objectives such as eliminating one unit type or maybe
two (BUT424).  It all depends on how great the rank deficit is.

In contrast, when you are the greater ranked, you can forget about finesse and
just rush the enemy.  The AI units do little damage.

When there is great disparity between the ranks of armies, all the individual
skirmishes will be lop-sided in favor of the greater ranked army.  In such a
battle, it truly is no-contest - a slaughter.  If you are the greater ranked,
the battle is easy.  If you are too far below your adversary's rank and were
attacked, you need to consider retreat.  Kill what you can then get out of
there before the AI counterattack.



*BUT405
DIVISION SIZE:

Every division of units has an index of resistance to attack.  When a
division's size is small, the index of resistance is the same as the unit
types within.  However, as the division size gets larger, so does the index
of resistance.

To illustrate the index of resistance to attack, consider two combatants
within three ranks of each other (thus removing the distortion in combat
efficiency that rank causes).  A division of 30 riflemen may have 20 kills
against a group of 30 lancers.  Those same riflemen, in the same battle, could
instead shoot a division of 60 lancers and only do 5 kills of damage.  
 
Intuitively, you would think it would actually be easier to get MORE kills
firing into a larger group of enemy soldiers.  Even if you could accept the
reverse logic that a larger group overwhelms the smaller riflemen group, being
twice as large, you would expect that perhaps the riflemen would be half as
effective.  It is not the case.  The riflemen's results diminished non-
uniformly as the group size of the enemy became larger.  [Number of units
killed used here are for illustration.  Actual numbers will vary, but the
phenomenon is readily seen on the battlefield].

A great way to see this effect in action is to have two divisions of equally
sized riflemen shooting the same division of enemy units.  The first group of
riflemen may kill X units of the enemy.  The next group of riflemen, firing
into the same enemy group of soldiers, now reduced by the casualties of the
first riflemen attack, will kill X + 10 units.  Ten more units of the enemy
killed by the second riflemen because the enemy group size is smaller (again,
this is only an illustration).
 
You may make practical use of the division size principle by having your
riflemen shoot an enemy division prior to having your archers shoot the same
division.  You will often get more total kills that way.  Also, you may think
that by making your riflemen one big division, they may kill more of the enemy.
Well, that might be true if your riflemen division size now compares more
favorably to the enemy division size, but I have found that two equal
division sizes work better.  The first division doesn't kill many, but the
second riflemen's kills are higher that way.

However, the last paragraph brings up another concept: there is also an index
of potency when attacking.  Larger divisions do damage greater than the sum of
its individual units.  Mobs are more powerful.

In both attacking or defending, there is a threshold number that bestows
greater ability.  For example, when a large sized AI HDQ division is cornered
to conclude a castle battle, shooting the HDQ turn after turn does little
damage.  Then, there comes a moment when the shots start getting more and more
kills each time.  The HDQ division size has crossed the threshold division
size.  It has lost its superb defensive resistance.

The same concept is true for attacking divisions: there exists a certain
threshold size that gives the division superb attacking power.

Relative rank and unit type strength differences are also factors in
determining where the threshold numbers might be.  I have no formulas to give
you so that you can predetermine when it will happen.  All I can do is inform
you that it happens, so that you will understand.  Know that you benefit from
reducing the numbers of enemy units.  There are many tactics and strategies to
reduce the number of a particular AI unit type.  Once under threshold size,
you can kill that unit type out of the AI army.  That is one of the objectives
of reduction attacks (BUT424, BUT042).



*BUT406
Relative unit strengths 

Several AI units will often swarm your position simultaneously.  Allocating
your assets to kill the enemy wisely minimizes the damage the enemy can do in
return.  Sometimes combat is like a puzzle: if you choose the right match-ups,
you can kill all the first enemy attack group in one or two turns.  However,
if you have your strongest units kill the enemy weak ones, the stronger enemy
units will overwhelm your lesser units.  I can't tell you what to do in every
situation, but I can tell you the factors you might consider when making your
decisions.

The strongest melee unit types for both attack and defense, in descending
order, are HDQ, CAV, LNC, and INF.  As for range units, riflemen are about
twice as strong as archers on attack.  On resisting attack, range units are
equally weak.  Blows that your armored melee units might resist to varying
degrees are fully absorbed by unarmored range units.

With experience fighting manual battles, you will gain an intuitive
understanding of the differing power of your unit types.  You will also learn
the varying resistance of enemy unit types.  However, even after you become
aware of how much stronger CAV are than LNC, it is harder to know which
division is stronger: 65CAV or 130LNC?  BUT405 may help you decide.  When you
know which group is stronger, you can take advantage of BUT403 by killing
enemy divisions without any losses.  Also, use reloading to learn what
happens (BUT130).



*BUT407
Unit replacement costs

As a follow-up to BUT406, choosing enemy targets and assigning your units
tasks is not just about the strength of your units, trying to get match-ups
with the smallest losses on your part.  You also have to consider what the
losses will cost you.  Lost units will have to someday be replaced.

Is it in your best interests to send your HDQ on a task to kill an enemy
division that because of exposure gets two of them killed?  Perhaps you could
send LNC instead?  If the losses the LNC take in the battle and counterattack
is nine units, is it worse than losing two HDQ?  It will cost you $160 to
replace two HDQ.  It will cost you $72 to replace nine LNC.  

Battles are more than just winning the battle today, but also planning to win
the battles in the future.  Each situation has concerns and rewards that
change the usual way of doing things.  For example, if by taking the loss of
the HDQ, the battle is won with greater damage to the enemy generating more
spoils for you, then that extra compensation makes losing the two HDQ better
justified.

On the battlefield, your units are exposed to attack by the enemy.  However,
you can deploy your troops so that they can attack the enemy while presenting
only the lowest value members of your army as targets for enemy counterattacks.
 
For example, I routinely use my headquarters as a heavy damage fighting group.
But, I carefully give them tasks that don't leave them open to counterattack.
If my HDQ aren't far enough away from other enemy units, I will place my other
combat units in positions that deny approach of opponent's melee units or
clear shots for his ranged units on my HDQ.

The concept of screening (BUT409) is based on the replacement cost principles.
Sticking INF and LNC in front of your range units so that the INF and LNC take
hits meant for your range units saves you money.  INF and LNC are cheaper to
replace than range units are to replace.  Furthermore, less of them will die
because they are armored.  More total units would need replacing had range
units taken the hits.



*BUT409
SCREENS:

Range units can fire through their own army units to hit enemies farther away.
However, enemy range units shooting along the same line of fire hit the units
in front of your range units first.  Those units in front of your range units
are screening them from attack.

Typically, LNC and INF are used as screens.  Nonetheless, CAV also serve as
screens for the range units supporting CAV attacks.  The range units fire on
targets in front of the CAV while enemy range units fire at your CAV behind
the CAV's target.  If your CAV division wasn't there, AI range units would hit
yours.

Screens are especially needed when entering a castle; many of your units will
line up to attack the enemies guarding entry.  The enemy range units will fire
into the line from behind those guardians.  Those guardians serve as screens
for the AI.

The screens can be part of the attack on the enemy, either attacking before or
after your range units fire.  Many castles have groups of units behind the
gate guard.  Once your range units have spent their turn shooting the guard,
sometimes it is better that your screen move into position but not attack the
enemy guard.  Why?  That guard blocks another melee unit from advancing to
attack your screen.  You can start the next turn by finishing off the guard or
advancing if he is already dead from attacking your screen.  Your range units
advance behind, firing.  This tactic will waste some of the enemy melee units'
turns by standing around depending on move order.

RR gives screens resistance to attack (BUT051) as does division size (BUT405).
But if you are lower ranked, it makes division size even more important.
If RR is too unfavorable, you should use dummy screens (BUT411).  Even if RR
is approximately equal, large enemy division sizes might shred your screens.
Again, dummy screens may be the way to screen your range units.

You can even combine dummy screens with regular screens.  The dummy screens
take the first hits, saving your full sized screen some carnage.  Extending
the life of your screen extends the time firing your range units at the enemy.



*BUT410
DUMMY UNITS:

Dummy units are size one divisions of any unit type except HDQ.  The purpose
of dummy units is to die in place of your more valuable divisions of many
units.  Dummy units distract, divert, delay, screen and block the enemy units,
keeping them away from your more expensive units.  Because of the always kill
one rule (BUT402), dummy units can sometimes be used to kill enemy troops.
BUT402 and dummy units are the foundation for reduction attacks (BUT424).

Although dummy units are typically made out of your cheapest units, INF and
LNC, there are reasons to make them out of CAV, RM, and AR.  For instance,
when all your INF and LNC screens have already been killed, you can't advance
to the next round lest you get a full dose of enemy counterattack.  However,
if you have size 1 divisions of RM and AR, you can hide the full division of
RM and AR behind them and thereby gain another turn of firing on the enemy.

Often, you know when you are heading into a battle that will require trickery
to beat the opponent.  If you are attacking a much higher ranked army or a
huge army relative to your own, you can anticipate that you will have limited
opportunity to hurt the stronger AI.  In such cases, I will only send 2 LNC
and 3INF so that I can have five size 1 divisions of dummy units.  The full
number of LNC and INF couldn't harm the enemy, anyway.  Leaving them home
keeps them from being killed fruitlessly while making their divisions
available to be used as dummy units.

If you have anticipated a battle that you will need extra dummy units, that is
when you might consider making one division of CAV, RM, and AR a dummy unit.
You lose the versatility to go after several unit types, but it allows you to
focus attack on one or two enemy divisions.



*BUT411
Dummy Screens 

Dummy screens are used when it would be too costly to use regular screens
(BUT409).  Because of unfavorable RR or large enemy range divisions, using
large numbered divisions of LNC or INF screens will result in large casualties.
This is the time to use dummy screens.  [Each player can decide for himself
what type of casualties he is willing to accept or reject.  I hate losing
units, so for me, losing ten is too many.  Yet, there are some objectives that
are so important that I have let more than ten die before.  Remember from the
TM guide, I play the first few years of the game over and over.  I am
conditioned to play conservatively when it comes to troop loss.]

The use of size 1 dummy screens is predicated on your range units being able
to get multiple hits each turn.  If you are so outclassed that you are only
getting one kill per range division, then dummy screens is not what you should
be doing.  The whole idea is to keep the enemy busy killing your dummy units
while your range units do greater damage.  See BUT424 when outclassed.

Screens are most often needed when shooting into a castle, but it can also
happen on the field.  

On the field, there are times your range unit division cannot kill the range
unit division it was assigned, not in one turn, anyway.  A dummy screen can
buy you an extra turn to finish the opposition.  You shoot the enemy, reducing
its number.  It shoots back, killing your dummy unit.  Your range unit
division kills the enemy next turn.

In the above case, a full sized screen may have worked, perhaps even finishing
the enemy in one turn by using the screen to attack after your range units.
However, having a size one screen allowed those units the chance to fight
elsewhere.  They weren't needed if your range division was given an extra
turn.  You have increased your attack power somewhere else by using a dummy
screen.

Battle on the field is often a compromise.  You may find yourself in a
situation that you can handle only part of the enemy units, so you purposefully
decide to let the largest enemy range division survive for next turn.  You use
the time to instead kill off weaker groups.  That is fine, but that one large
enemy range division will hit hard its choice of your units.  However, if all
your vulnerable divisions had their own dummy screen, the powerful surviving
enemy range division is impotent.  All it can kill is a dummy unit.  The next
turn, all your divisions can concentrate on that one enemy range division.

Sometimes your vulnerable range units will need two dummy units if an enemy
range group is positioned diagonally.  The enemy has the range to shoot
vertically or horizontally at your units.  You will need a dummy unit to cover
both directions.

Another type of screen is for your range units shooting AI cavalry.  The AI
cavalry (BUT114) generally move in horizontal or vertical lines, the same
lines that range units must use to shoot the CAV.  Depending on your HDQ
placement, the AI CAV might head towards your range units, killing them if
the CAV are in attack mode (see BUT114).  You might be able to solve this
problem by adjusting your HDQ position (BUT415).  Or, the problem could be
solved with dummy screens.  Sticking a dummy unit between your nearest to
the CAV range unit and CAV on the same firing line will cause attack mode
CAV to stop to attack the dummy unit instead of your range unit should the
next CAV movement be along the firing line.

An even rarer use of a dummy screen can be for the avoid mode CAV.  If you
see a situation that would cause an avoid mode CAV to twist around
obstacles to end its turn next to a valuable unit division of yours, you
could place a dummy unit somewhere in the projected CAV path to make it
end its turn elsewhere, maybe not next to your dummyi unit but empty space
so that you lose nothing.  [Although it is difficult to anticipate such
complicated situations, you may actually see it and know how to fix it.
But more likely, this will happen in a reload situation.  You will see the
danger after it happens, reload the turn to place a dummy unit to stop the
CAV wrap-around attack from happening.]

Sometimes you aren't guaranteed protection by having a dummy screen.  If the
AI sent a melee unit to take out your dummy unit, then an AI range division
could shoot your no longer screened units.  Or perhaps it is a matter of the
AI using an archer to take out your dummy unit and then the longer range
riflemen could hit you.  Yet, if the riflemen shoot your dummy unit, the
archers can't reach your units.  Any action that requires a step by step
process is something the AI can seldom manage.  The AI queues it units' moves.
If the line allows the right order, you are dead.  However, if the queue is in
the wrong order, the AI doesn't know to change it.  Then, your screen is
successful.

You have other tools to protect your valuable units besides screens.  Enemy
range units can be distracted easily.  In the above paragraph, all it would
take is distracting one of the units in the two step process.  Without both
enemy units working together, your screen will hold.  See dummy units as a
distraction (BUT412).



*BUT412
Dummy units - to confuse, distract, and delay AI units

AI range units will backup to the maximum limit of their range to shoot your
units.  This seems like a good policy.  However, I have seen AI range units
ignore my CAV, AR, and RM, while moving into the center of my army, placing
themselves at maximum range then shoot my infantry.  It is a contradiction:
maximum range from their INF target, but oblivious of the danger of being in
the center of my advancing army.

I can't explain why this happens, yet I will take advantage of it.  There are
times I am compelled to expose my CAV, AR, and RM to counterattack by enemy
range units.  I lack the ability to screen them, so I bring my INF and dummy
INF units out into the open as well.  Many times, the INF will be the
preferred targets of enemy range units.  The same is true of my LNC divisions.

AI melee units can also be confused by distractions: AI LNC and CAV are often
dedicated to hunting down your HDQ.  Yet, place a unit next to them, leave it
there without attacking, and next turn the enemy LNC or CAV will forget,
momentarily, the urgency to seek your HDQ and attack the unit next to them.
I don't recall them ever refusing to attack the unit next to them.  (However,
if your valuable units are next to them in addition to a cheap dummy unit, AI
LNC and CAV will attack the more valuable units before the cheap ones.)

AI LNC are easy to delay.  All you have to do is put a dummy unit near the
path the LNC will take on the way to your HDQ.  Any contact with other units
as it travels will cause the LNC to stop and attack.

Except for placing a dummy unit next to them, AI CAV are less predictable.
One sure thing is that CAV will attack whatever is near when it has moved its
maximum 9 squares.  Yet, I often see them brush past my units, ignoring them,
on the way towards my HDQ.  However, if I place a unit directly in their
vertical or horizontal path, there is a good chance the CAV will stop to
attack when blocked.  Still, other times they will zigzag instead of stopping.
But, if in order to zigzag, the CAV have to move to a square that increases
the distance from your HDQ, the CAV will attack the blocker instead.  This
would happen if you have a perpendicular line of advancing units.  The enemy
CAV decide to try to make a hole rather than maneuver around.



*BUT413 
Dummy units - to lure AI out of position

AI battle tactics revolve around overwhelming you with too many unit divisions
at once.  When you have numbers and rank, these tactics don't work anymore.
It is only when your army is small and lower ranked that you have difficulty
with AI tactics.  Misdirecting a few enemy divisions away from where they are
most useful means your main force can attack with less opposition.  The chance
to assign two or more attackers to the defending AI divisions improves odds of
success.

On field battles as the lower ranked, the AI CAV charge, but the range units
are close behind.  If you shoot the CAV then finish them with a melee attack,
the AI range units blast your melee units on their next turn.  Because of RR,
the shots hurt.  Of course, there are also situations where you need to shoot
the CAV for two turns before you can finish them or perhaps you need one turn
for each division.  You won't get time if the AI range units come to the
skirmish.

You can increase distance between CAV and AI range units by backing up so that
the distance between the fast CAV and slow range units increases.  Even if
possible, it uses up turns which will perhaps deprive you of your objective
because of turn 6 AI retreat (BUT417).  What would be better is diverting the
AI range units.

You are diverting the AI range units because you don't have the strength to
kill them because of division size (BUT405) and/or rank (BUT404).  You are not
diverting them so that you can kill them.  Hence, what you need is a dummy unit
so that your main force can fight the central battle.  CAV are best for this
because they are fast enough to get out of range of range units.  Also, AI
range units have a preference to shoot your CAV.  AI range units naturally
want to chase after them.  [However, because of the craziness of BUT412, keep
your infantry far from them lest they get tempted to head towards your main
army.]

The greatest failure of CAV as a range unit lure is placing the CAV out of
range on a straight vertical or horizontal line.  The CAV have to be 13
squares away from RM and 11 squares away from AR.  That distance sometimes
causes the AI range units to redirect towards your main army.  It is what you
have to do, so there is no fault in it.  But if you can, try to get closer by
being diagonal to the range units.  Of course, if the only diagonal available
is one that leads the AI range units closer to your army, stick with the
straight line distance.

The AI count movement to decide what unit of yours to pursue.  So, if your CAV
is hiding out three squares deep in mountains though only nine squares away
from enemy range units, the mountains make the distance count as 15.  You may
find the enemy range divisions switching to go after a unit in your main army
that is 14 squares away.  Though the CAV is 9 squares away and the army unit
14 as the crow flies, the AI calculates the foot distance.

You can use the above to manipulate the AI into following your CAV.  If need
be, hold off advancing your main army units until the AI range units get the
scent of your dummy CAV unit and start going its direction.  One turn of
moving the wrong way might be enough to accomplish the diversion.  You could
put your waiting units in mountains, ditches or forests to increase the AI
distance calculations.

You could let the enemy shoot your CAV to delay one division if the range
units refuse the chase.  Reload and move your CAV to the maximum range of the
riflemen, but make sure that it is the main RM division that shoot the CAV; I
often see AI riflemen dummy units of size 1 or 2 accompany the main riflemen
division.  Furthermore, the AI usually have the dummy group out in front of
the main group.  Why sacrifice your dummy CAV to the AI dummy RM division when
the main RM division is free to approach your army?

I have found that as range units chase my CAV, they do it as I backup to stay
out of range, but not so reliably well when I try to bring them farther away
perpendicularly.  The idea of perpendicular movement is to increase their
distance from my army.  I often just accept that at least they are still
following.  Keeping them away from the real battle is all that matters.
Besides, angling them away is not really beneficial most times, anyway.  If I
dispatch the AI CAV, the next thing I will want to kill is the AI range units.

When there are three divisions of range units accompanying the enemy cavalry,
your dummy CAV is unlikely to lure all three.  Lure what you can and make the
adjustment to handle one incoming enemy range division along with the enemy
CAV divisions.  

This is the time that you use your HDQ to steer the enemy CAV where you want
them to go.  It is possible that you can shoot the CAV without putting your
range units in the next turn range of the AI range units.  Use dummy screens
if necessary.  Or, keep your HDQ 11 or more squares distant from the CAV, or
use delay dummy units to hold the CAV in place (BUT412), then use the time to
attack the incoming range division instead of the CAV.  Your main CAV division
could finish the AI range division.  Perhaps you will need to shoot the AI
range division a few times before the CAV attack.  Likely, you can also get a
few shots at the CAV in addition to handling the AI range division.  Use your
dummy units wisely and you will have an extra to hold the CAV an additional
turn.  Rank and division size may require extra time to kill the enemy with
only small loses to you.

Note that although I am relating the CAV dummy distraction tactic to field
battles, it also happens at some castle battles.  The AI range units will come
out the sides or back.  A CAV dummy unit may entice an enemy range division
the same way as in the field.

Reloading to see what is the right tactic is advised (BUT130).


 
*BUT414
Dummy units to lead enemy into isolation or exposure

When you kill an AI division that is in the midst of other AI units, those
buddies will clobber you after you finish.  However, if you invite the enemy
division "to go outside" the influence of his friends, you can jump him
without reprisal.  This section discusses doing just that with a dummy unit
or even a regular sized division.

Castle defenders generally stay within the castle until you attack.  However,
even the ones that come out enjoy the protection of the ones that remain in
the castle.  If you rush the AI units outside but still close to the castle,
other enemy units come pouring out to kill you.  Or the range units shoot you
through the castle walls.

There is a trip point at many castles.  When your units enter in that zone,
the units within the castle begin shifting and some come out the back or side
gates.  Similar to field battles, CAV and range units are the ones that
abandon defensive posts to approach your army.  Also like field battles, you
can make the whole attack just about killing those units.  You can come back
some other month to continue with the other unit types.

Enemy CAV units will be going after your HDQ.  You can pull them away from the
protection of the castle by moving your HDQ to where you want to ambush them.

Range units are more versatile.  They will go after anything.  Still, CAV make
the best lures because they are fast and AI range units like chasing them.  In
this case, the intent is to lead the AI range units away from the castle so
that they can be killed.  Often, they come in pairs, so I will assume you will
have to handle two at a time (if you only have to handle one division, all
this should be much easier).

There are many ways to carry out this lure.  You may split your CAV into two
equal divisions so as to kill both range divisions following once they are
sufficiently isolated (meaning, the kill area is out of range of other AI
units).  If splitting your CAV means they are not strong enough to take out
two divisions of AI units, then only make one division of CAV.  You can decide
if having a dummy CAV division to assist is worthwhile.

You can just accept that after you take out one division of range units, the
other is going to shoot your CAV and then the CAV will get that division
afterwards (if enough survive).  Or, you can use the CAV to pull the range
units close to one division of your range units that have been tasked to
assist.  If there is a forest, ditches, rocks, or mountains, you could have a
waiting melee division that the CAV could draw the enemy range units towards
(forests, ditches, rocks, and mountains block range unit fire, making the
square behind a safe place to wait).

If the enemy is higher ranked (BUT404) and/or with large range divisions
(BUT405), it is probably best that you provide assistance for your CAV.
Leading the AI units towards ambush might be the only way to avoid heavy CAV
losses.  Or, perhaps you are dealing with three divisions of range units
instead of the assumed two.  Task more ambush units or find a way to attack
two divisions that allows screens to block the third remaining division.
After it pops one of your dummy screens (BUT411), then all your task force
can eliminate the remaining AI range division.

Castle gate guardians rarely leave their posts.  The game allows you to
approach to seven squares without triggering a response.  Seven squares is
close enough to melee attack in one turn.  It is also close enough for one
division of riflemen to shoot a gate guard.  Even when shot, the LNC or INF
division blocking the gate will stay in place as long as your units stay
seven squares away.

The tactic of shooting a gate guardian repeatedly to reduce numbers before
sending a melee unit to finish the job is standard castle assault tactics.
However, if rank and/or division size make your single division of riflemen
too weak to adequately reduce the gate guard, then another plan is needed.
Besides, often what is behind the guard is another large division of LNC or
INF.

Many castles allow placing an enticing dummy unit six squares away from the
gate guard, but off to the side so that castle range unit defenders cannot
shoot.  (If the range units can shoot your dummy unit, the LNC or INF guard
will not leave the guard post.)  Sometimes, if there is another melee unit
stationed behind the first gate guard, you can stick your dummy unit in a
straight line six squares away from the castle entrance.  But if there isn't
another guard, a riflemen division can stand behind the gate guard to shoot
your dummy unit, making the straightaway approach worthless.

After finding the right spot to place your dummy unit, the next AI turn, the
gate guard comes out to kill your dummy unit.  You can now have all your range
units shoot the guard, not just one division of riflemen.  Furthermore, there
should be at least one safe square to conduct a melee attack without reprisal
from other castle denizens.  [Here is strange trivia: I have sometimes seen
the gate guard return to its post after killing the dummy unit, even if the
guard was also attacked, a melee unit next to it.]

On some castles, there is not another guard posted behind the front guard.
In that case, when the guard leaves, the open entryway causes the AI CAV and
range units to come pouring out.  At some castles such as Totoumi, that
outpouring is immediate.  At others, such as North Shinano, the range units
are deeper within so the departure of the gate guard only brings them to the
entrance.  Either way, if you had prepared for it by moving troops to safe,
but near positions, your troops can jump out and get some prime attacks at
exposed enemy troops.  But depending on the situation, you might have to
retreat before the next AI turn because your troops are now exposed to the
remaining AI ones. 

Many gates have a double wide entry with a line of two gate guards.  To get
all the possible cheap shots mentioned in the previous paragraph, you may have
to draw away both guardians.  Examples of double wide entry can be found at
North Shinano, Musashi, Kozuke, and Totoumi.

I Have developed a relatively new tactic at North Shinano.  As the greater
ranked army, I place my full division of INF at the southwest castle corner.
Both gate guardians come out to kill my INF.  Since I am stronger, they die in
the attack on my INF.  The reward is the AI range units come to the gates.
One division is off to the side, however, where it cannot be shot.  Yet, that
isn't a problem because my INF that I used as a death lure to the castle gate
guardians is close enough to kill that division.  [I developed this tactic to
speed up victory because it is hard to kill the HDQ before turn 6 at
North Shinano, at least hard to do without losing lots of CAV.]

You can apply the "dummy unit to isolate or expose" tactic to field battles,
too.  At the field battle at Kai as the attacker, I use two dummy units to
expose the two AI riflemen divisions, drawing them to the lake shore.  The AI
shoots my dummy units; my riflemen counter by shooting the shooters.



*BUT415
Using HDQ as a lure to steer enemy CAV and LNC

HDQ are the prime objective of enemy CAV and LNC.  Fortunately, you only have
to contend with one type at a time.  The AI LNC only activate after the CAV
are killed.  Furthermore, AI castle defense tasks the LNC as gate guards.
They won't head off towards your HDQ when you attack castles.  [However, 
attacking Kozuke, I have seen the AI move the LNC at the front gate towards
my HDQ starting on turn 5, but only after the AI CAV are gone.]

Enemy CAV have a 50% chance of being in attack mode instead of avoid mode.
In attack mode, the CAV will stop to attack anything it encounters while
moving towards your HDQ.  This can be a problem for your range units if they
are not powerful enough to kill a CAV division in one turn.  Since range
units must shoot in straight lines, vertically or horizontally, the same way
the CAV will move, they are in harm's way.  Furthermore, whether in avoid
mode or attack mode, CAV still attack anything adjacent to them when their
movement ends.

Maybe moving your HDQ can help prevent such problems?  You can anticipate
how the AI CAV will move on its next turn.  There are two movement choices: 
horizontally or vertically towards your HDQ.  Once horizontal or vertical
congruence is made, the CAV switch movement to the other spatial direction.
Where your HDQ sits limits the places the AI CAV could go.  The AI CAV never
attain horizontal or vertical alignment then keep going.  They always turn.
Knowing this, the spaces below or to the side of your HDQ position are out
of the AI cavalry possible movement area.  

To illustrate how you could move your HDQ, consider a situation where your
HDQ is Southwest of the AI CAV.  If your riflemen shoot the CAV from the
South to the North, at the maximum distance of seven squares away, any
surviving CAV may attack your riflemen on the next turn.  However, if you
position your HDQ so that it is only five squares South of the AI CAV
position (and as many squares West as you can so the CAV can't reach it),
there is no way the enemy CAV will go South far enough to encounter your
riflemen.

You can use the same principle to keep the enemy CAV away from your units
that are battling the non-CAV AI units.  If you don't want the enemy CAV
attacking your units, move your HDQ so that no horizontal or vertical
movement of the AI CAV will approach your other units.  Remember, all the
AI CAV wants is your HDQ.  The CAV won't go after your other units, so if
the horizontal and vertical paths towards your HDQ gives no contact with
your other soldiers, they are safe from AI CAV.

Setting up ambushes for enemy CAV can be easy: just move your HDQ where you
want the AI CAV to go.  You won't know if the approach will be horizontally
or vertically UNLESS you are aligned in one direction.  For example, if you
have placed your HDQ in vertical alignment with the target enemy CAV, you
know exactly where it will be after its next turn.  You also know where it
will be two turns hence.  Even if you are a couple squares out of vertical
alighnment, on a two-turn ambush plan, you have a 75% chance that one of
the two CAV's turns will be horizontal, putting it into alignment.

HDQ can steer AI LNC, too (but the AI CAV must first be killed for the LNC
to activate).  However, LNC usually attack anything they brush against, so
you have to be more careful (half the time AI CAV are in avoid mode,
ignoring all your units as they move).

I have not done a study on LNC movements, but I believe they behave much
like the CAV do.  They will randomly move horizontally or vertically towards
your HDQ.  Where you place your HDQ thus constrains the paths the enemy LNC
will take when going after your HDQ.

Furthermore, because LNC are the same speed as HDQ, you also have the option
of not killing them.  Lead them endlessly.  You would do this when it would
require troops you can't spare to help out (sometimes the AI lancer divisions
are huge, beyond your army's ability to eliminate).  You could also do this
if you were hoping to get some LNC as spoil units (BUT076).  Lead them out
of battle and let your other units do what they do without AI LNC in the way.

See BUT430 for ideas about how to influence AI CAV movement using your other
units to form a Cavalry Blockade.  BUT432 explains how HDQ might elude AI
CAV.  BUT412 explains how to use dummy units to slow down enemy CAV and LNC.


*BUT417
TURN 6 AI RETREAT

The game mandates the AI stay on the battlefield until turn 6 when the AI may
first choose to retreat.  Every turn from then on, the AI may retreat freely.
The AI uses an honorable retreat, however.  It will not kill some of your
units on the same turn that it chooses to retreat.  The AI leaves at the start
of its turn.

Many field and castle battles position the Takeda army so far from the enemy
that it isn't until the fourth or fifth turn until the human army can attack
the AI army.  This can be frustrating if you are trying to gain rank and
spoils (BUT060, BUT070).  Both require killing more AI units which cannot be
done when the AI leaves early.

So, how does this information relate to tactics?  It does in many ways.  First,
there is a temptation to break the BUT401 principle of attacking first:
rushing to battle increases casualties (BUT418).  Second, you can bring your
troops out into the open on the turn prior to the AI turn 6 without worrying
about reprisal (BUT419).  Third, you can scare the AI into retreating a battle
that you could not have won (BUT420), thereby getting spoils that you would
not have gotten, especially possible capture of a territory.  The LRB exploit
is built on this tactic.


How the AI decides when to retreat in the field:

There is a four step algorithm the AI uses to decide when to flee at the
start of every turn.

Test 1: If battle turn is one through five, stay.  Stop algorithm.

Test 2: If AI army is far more powerful than Takeda, a low FIT, stay.  Stop.

Test 3: AI wants to flee, but randomly stays 5% of the time, anyway.  Stop.

Testing falls through so the AI will flee.


How does the AI determine the power of its army compared to the human army?

Every unit in an army has a power rating.  Adding up all the power ratings
of the individual units gives the army power rating.  HDQ and CAV have the
same power rating of .20 points.  RM are next at .15 points, then AR and LNC
at .10 points finishing with INF at .05 points.  If you review BUT060, the
table on experience points awarded for killing unit types matches the table
below:

Type  Power per unit
----  --------------
HDQ   .20
CAV   .20
RM    .15
AR    .10
LNC   .10
INF   .05

Using that information, you can evaluate the power of the Takeda army in
Kai at the game start as follows below:

 #  Type  Power  Total Power
 ----------------------------
 050 HDQ   .20      10.00
 045 CAV   .20       9.00
 035 RM    .15       5.25
 037 AR    .10       3.70
 040 LNC   .10       4.00
 045 INF   .05       2.25
====================================
 252                34.20  ARMY POWER

There are 252 units in the Kai army, but size does not matter when determining
power.  Having numerous INF, LNC, and AR will not rate as high as an army
comprised only of HDQ and CAV even when only half the size of the INF, LNC,
and AR army.

When the human army power is divided by the AI army power, the Index of
Relative Army Power (IRAP) is computed.  Obviously, the IRAP will be vary
according to the muster size of the AI (the AI sends 30%, 50%, or 80% of
army when defending and 30%, 50%, or 70% when attacking).  IRAP is the
comparison between armies.  An IRAP of 1.00 would mean the two armies are
equally matches.  An IRAP of 2.00 would mean the player army is twice as
powerful as the AI army.  An IRAP of .33 would mean the player army has
about one third the power of the AI army.  Generally speaking, n IRAP
between .24 and .45 is needed to get the AI to flee a field battle.  To
get the AI to flee to another territory at the castle could be as low as
.30 or as high as .70 (in my limited testing).

Each computer controlled territory has a FIT rating.  FIT is an acronym for
Flee-IRAP-Threshold.  This is the number that the in battle IRAP must meet
in order for the AI to flee the FIELD battle on turn six.  For example, the
FIT of Suruga/Imagawa is .243 and the FIT for Sagami/Hojo is .244.  That
means that whatever muster size the AI sends to the field battle, the human
army must have about 25% percent of the troops, Army Power, of the AI army
when the computer decides if the AI will stay on the field or retreat on
turn six.  Again, if the AI stays on turn six, on turn 7, the decision of
whether to stay or not is repeated.  This process will happen every turn
until the battle is over.

IRAP changes during battle.  As units are lost from both the human and AI
armies, the ratio of human Army Power versus AI Army Power may change.  Thus,
you could start a battle with an army too weak to get the AI to flee, but if
you kill enough AI units, the size of your army compared to the AI army will
be more favorable, resulting in a higher IRAP.  If the IRAP rises above the
FIT, the AI will try to flee.

The FIT can change during battle, too.  If you kill off a unit type out of
the AI army, the FIT will drop.  Essentially, the computer deems an army
missing one unit type as being less versitile than a full army.  It will
take less IRAP to cause the AI to flee.  Conversely, if the player loses
a unit type, the FIT will go up.  However, the changes to the FIT by zeroing
out unit types is a fraction of a percentage point.  Larger IRAP changes
from killing off units is more influential on getting the AI to flee.  So,
losing a unit type in battle where you bring three size-one INF divsions
as dummy units, is not appreciatively harmful to the FIT.

FIT is greatly influenced by RR (Relative Rank).  When I gave the FIT rating
for Suruga and Sagami as being .243 and .244 respectively, it was the FIT
rating for a zero ranked Takeda army.  As your army approaches the same rank
as the AI player, the FIT will go down (the likelihood that AI will run away
increases).  The FIT for rank 31 Echigo/Uesugi is much higher, in the .38 to
.44 area (contrast with rank 23 Sagami/Hojo and rank 15 Suruga/Imagawa).

FIT also changes based on the number of territories the AI controls.  This
makes intuitive sense: an AI with two or more territories doesn't fight as
hard to hold onto a territory when it has a spare one.  For example, I did
testing with Hojo.  Sagami/Hojo has a FIT of .244 when Hojo also controls
Musashi.  Capture Musashi and the FIT for Sagami goes up to around .452.
Give a territory back to Hojo, and the FIT for Sagami drops again.  [Note
that different territories by the same AI will have different ranks and
therefore different FIT.]

Earlier, I mentioned that FIT is calculated on the field battle.  Generally
speaking, the FIT at a castle battle is higher.  The AI requires more force
to get them to abandon their castles.  Furthermore, since an AI cannot
abandon a territory when only one is controlled, the definition of FIT fails
to work if it is defined by castle battles.  So, FIT is given for field
battles and castle fleeing tendancies can be extrapolated from it.

Furthermore, calculating the FIT is extremely complicated.  There are soo
many dynamic factors involved.  My efforts to come up with solid, all-
encompassing numbers were frustrated.  It would take a great deal of time
to do the research necessary to express all this more precisely.  If life
has taught me anything, live with it as an approximation, an estimate of
the truth.  In time, I may have the experience necessary to understand it
all better and thus explain it to others.

Illustration:
For example, 50% of the Sagami/Hojo army (50% and 30% are the usual muster
sizes for AI defending in the field) has a power rating of 72.85 at the start
of the game.  If Kai/Takeda were to attack Sagami/Hojo and could last until
turn 6, assuming no change in the number of units, the AI would still run
away.  The human army power of 34.20 divided by 72.85 (the power of half the
Sagami/Hojo army) is .469 which is well above the .244 needed to spook the AI.

At the start of each turn once a battle reaches turn 6, the AI will compute
the Index of Relative Army Power.  If the IRAP is too high, the AI will flee.
However, a random event may over-ride the impulse to flee.  This over-ride
happens about 5% of the time, but I have seen times when the IRAP is close to
the minimum of .244 when the odds of an AI over-ride to stay in battle seems
to happen a little more than 5% of the time.


For extra information, the Sagami/Hojo army at game start is as follows:

 #  Type  Power  total Power
 ----------------------------
 220 HDQ   .20      44.00
 165 CAV   .20      33.00
 140 RM    .15      21.00
 195 AR    .10      19.50
 190 LNC   .10      19.00
 190 INF   .05       9.50
====================================
1100               146.00  ARMY POWER

Keep in mind that 50% of an army leaving to defend the field will be less
than half when there are an odd number of total units and that is why the
50% field army's power is not exactly half of the entire army.  For example,
in the table above, 82CAV and 97AR would be sent to the field while 83CAV
and 98AR stayed behind in the castle.

Had a situation with Echigo/Uesugi with an IRAP of .300, but Uesugi would
not flee the field on turn 6.  On another battle at the CASTLE, Uesugi fled
to Kozuke on turn 6.  IRAP was .436.

My testing with Hojo, a two territory AI, has revealed some facts about the
FIT (Flee IRAP Threshold; IRAP=Index of Relative Army Power).

For Hojo, the FIT in Sagami starts at .244.  When Musashi is captured, the
FIT rises to .4525 for a rank 0 raider.  A rank 2 raider against rank 23
Sagami/Hojo has a FIT of .4416.  Thus, RR (Relative Rank) can change the
FIT.  Furthermore, when Hojo gains a second territory, the FIT goes down
again to 2490 for rank 2 attack on Sagami.  At the second territory, FIT is
.3322 for rank 0 and .2848 for rank 2.

I speculate that I will find similar results with other AI so that I apply
the results in general to all AI.  FIT is a dynamic value that changes
with changed circumstances.  The Flee IRAP Threshold is of most concern
when in the early game when you have a smaller pool of units to deploy.
Once you have gained more units through spoils and recruitment/upgrades, the
need to know if your army is strong enough to exploit the AI will not be an
issue: you can just send large enough armies to ensure AI retreat.  The
early game when trying to establish wealth and territory control is when
measuring your IRAP against the FIT could be useful.


*BUT418
Rushing to battle increases casualties 

A major objective of Basic Unit Tactics is to fight the AI without taking
unnecessary losses.  The principles are easily obeyed when the AI has a more
powerful army.  You know that ignoring the principles will decimate your army.
But when the AI's rank is below your army's, it is easy to ignore principles
because of little fear of repercussions.  However, early in the game without
troop replacement, the loss of troops is significant.  Pursuing rank at the
cost of army numbers will eventually deplete the army.

I feel impatience at the Musashi field battle.  The AI defenders first move
puts one or two units within range, but if I go after them, the AI has the
ability to bring multiple units to bear.  Better it is to hold tight one extra
turn for the AI's next advance then hit nearly all of the first wave.

However, the Musashi field is hard to get the enemy HDQ.  The only way my
range units can participate is if my CAV position themselves behind the enemy
HDQ.  The AI INF whack my CAV, but the AI HDQ runs closer to my range units.

Although this tactic works, it is not much better than the other way: I still
lose CAV, but just not as many.  [The other way is to take out the enemy HDQ
with a CAV attack.]

I have had to do a mental adjustment because of battles like the one described
above at Musashi.  I gain more experience points from getting the HDQ bundle
(35EXP as per BUT060 Experience Points), but I lose precious CAV doing it.
However, if I content myself with killing the CAV, RM, AR, and LNC, I lose
only a few dummy units at most.  Plus, I will get INF as unit spoils.

It is somewhat similar at North Shinano (before I developed my death lure INF
tactic -- see BUT118 or BUT414).  If I try to kill everything before turn 6,
I lose many CAV.  However, if I accept that I won't get them all, I can slow
it down and still get the enemy HDQ by shooting through the castle front gates.
I miss out on the INF and LNC bundles of 5 and 8 EXP, and sometimes the 10 EXP
of AR, but I get the 35EXP from HDQ.  Furthermore, all I lose is at most a few
dummy units.  And, again, I will get unit spoils (BUT076).

That is the conclusion here: rush to get more EXP and lose CAV and more LNC
and INF, or lose a few LNC and INF while getting unit spoils, replenishing the
army.  Less spoils are given as well as is EXP, but the army retains healthy
numbers.  [Note these are all early game concerns.  Once recruiting INF and
upgrading them starts happening, these concerns start to fade.]

This same lesson can be applied to fighting when lower ranked.  Patience is a
tactic!  Take it slow, kill only a few unit types if that is all that can be
done without suffering many units lost.  Fight to frustrate the AI.  If you
can last to turn 6, the AI might run away.  Because of LRB (BUT074), you will
get decent spoils even if you don't kill many of the AI.



*BUT419
Turn 6 eve reckless attack

Because of the turn 6 time limit (BUT417), you can use the turn before the AI
runs away to fight recklessly.  Normally, you must cautiously consider your
unit placement because of enemy counterattack.  Once you are familiar with
when and how the enemy runs away at turn 6, you can confidently send, for
instance, your headquarters into a group of enemy units to attack.  You could
also bring your riflemen close to a large group of units and blast away.
The enemy is going to run away.  Your units are safe.  [But woe to you if the
AI decides to stay!]



*BUT420
Pressuring the AI to retreat

BUT417 gives the formulas for predicting AI retreat.  With the new facts,
this section is thus revised.

Knowing the formulas for AI retreat, you can assess how your army compares
against the AI.  If your army is too far below the index of relative army
power needed, .244 (or 25% estimate), there is little hope of getting the
AI to concede.  However, if you are close to one fourth the AI power, you
can battle to improve that index.

First, your units have four times the value of AI units.  You must battle to
keep your units alive.  However, losing your dummy units of INF, LNC, and AR
are okay because not only is it necessary, but their loss is negligible
because they are low power unit types.  Losing a few of them doesn't reduce
your bottom line much.

Kill enemy CAV.  Although killing HDQ is just as good, it is unlikely you will
get much chance to do that against a stronger army.  CAV, on the otherhand,
are easy.  Ample opportunity for CAV kills are given to you because they are
coming for your HDQ.  Focusing your attack on the AI CAV will improve your
index of relative army power better than any other kills.

However, if rank is against you as well as division sizes, you may choose a
different tactic.  CAV have superior armor and if the division sizes are large,
you won't kill many of them.  Enemy range units you might be able to kill in
large numbers.  The number of kills will compensate for them being less 
influencial on the index of relative army power.  The CAV are easily ignored
if you are on a map that allows your HDQ room to evade them.  The CAV will
chase your HDQ and you can use a dummy unit or two to slow down their approach.
Range units present harder to contain potential for injuring your army.  It
does make some sense to fight them instead of the CAV.

If you have secured a favorable index of army power, then what you need to do
might just be to keep the AI from killing your units.  Use your CAV to lead
the AI range units into a deserted part of the map thereby increasing the
mobility and safety of your other units.  You can use the Cavalry Blockade
(BUT430) on the first game turn to steer the AI CAV into a bad starting
position in their chase for your HDQ.  Furthermore, there is a 50/50 chance
that you can use the blockade to keep the AI CAV running around.
[I realize this is a risky tactic for those that don't reload.  It is a
concept still in development.  You never know when it works or doesn't
except by trying it.  I will give more detail when I have the study ready].

There are some places where you cannot face a full-sized (non-reduced) AI
army and live if you lack the ability to kill off a few AI divisions.  Musashi
field battle as the attacker is one such location.  You will have to engage
in upclose battle.  The best I have been able to do is split the AI range
units so that I only have to deal with half, kill one CAV division, and
hang-on to turn 6 by delaying the final CAV division with dummy units.  I
didn't kill off a unit type, but I did have to kill off one division of
CAV, RM, and AR in order to survive.  This was a rank 0 Kai fighting a
rank 10 Hojo army.  Because of the separation of only 10 ranks, I was able
to accomplish the LRB exploit at Musashi.  A greater relative rank discrepancy
or army size mismatch may make it impossible.  Generally, I consider Musashi
a non-LRB exploit territory for attacking (since it requires gain of experience
points).

The pressure tactic will also work at the castle.  However, in order to get
the AI to flee the castle, it has to have at least one other territory.  If it
doesn't, it is best that you apply BUT423 by stalling until almost turn 20.
At the castle, as long as you haven't stepped too close, the castle occupants
will stay dormant.  Wait as long as you can, then kill one AI unit and hang on
until turn 20 ends in a draw.  You will get the LRB spoils at the castle in
addition to the field spoils this way.

As for pressuring an AI to retreat at a Castle battle, it usually requires a
higher IRAP.  Some situations, like Kozuke/Uesugi rank 12, the defender will
stay if your IRAP is low, around .30, but flee if your IRAP is pushing .40.
The same is true of Musashi.  Musashi/Hojo may abandon the Castle to the small
army in Kai/Takeda at the start of the game.  I have also had times that it
took killing dozens of AI units before Hojo would give up the castle.



*BUT422 
AI HDQ are passive, rarely attacking

AI HDQ will only fight if they are the last unit alive in battle that the AI
is the attacker.  There is also a "blue moon" attack that happens when
surrounded.  It is a rare occurrence.

As the strongest unit type, melee attacking an AI HDQ still gives it
counterattack that will damage your units.  Therefore, it is best to shoot the
AI HDQ turn after turn until it is weak enough to kill with a melee unit.
[However, prolonging the fight removes EXP from your total -- see BUT062.]
Furthermore, you will only get the chance for post turn 6 attack on an enemy
HDQ if you are at the castle battle of an AI without additional territories.
Otherwise, the AI will retreat.

If you are trying to kill a HDQ unit that is too big for CAV to kill, maneuver
the CAV behind the AI HDQ.  The HDQ will run away from the CAV without thought
about where it is going.  You can get the HDQ to run towards your army this
way.

The enemy HDQ will also run anytime one of your units is five squares or less
distant.  Because of this, it is likely that you will cause the HDQ to run
farther away.  Remove HDQ choices before you approach or circle around and
approach from the sides, one square to the rear.  Then the HDQ will dart the
direction you want.

What this also means is that you can shoot a HDQ from six squares away and it
will sit still.  You can have a melee unit ready to go, six squares away, to
finish the HDQ when it is reduced.



*BUT423 
Popping the Gate Guardians at turn 20

Sometimes all you want to do is get a little spoils at the castle battle as a
bonus to winning the field battle.  Or perhaps you want to kill as many gate
guardians as you can without AI reprisals.  At 6 squares away, the guards will
stay in position while your riflemen shoot them.  [NOTE: Assumption that you
are attacking an AI with only this one territory so the AI can't retreat.]

Most castles have activation squares at a certain distance.  If your units
stay on the other side, the Castle defenders stay within the castle.  You can
wait until the 20 turn draw approaches and cross that line to shoot the gate
guards.  How many turns you get before CAV or range units approach from out
the castle sides or back varies with each castle.  It is usually between 1 to
3 turns.  You want to time it so that the 20th turn ends without the CAV or
range units attacking your troops.



*BUT424
Reduction attacks:

BUT401 states that the attacker always kills one unit of any enemy division
regardless of rank or division size.  You can make use of this principle to
send a raiding party consisting of HDQ, 2RM, 2AR, 2LNC, and 3INF.  Each unit
is alone in a size 1 division.  Each of these divisions (except the HDQ) can
get 1 kill against the enemy, then the HDQ retreats.  The AI gets 13EXP for
killing the LNC and INF bundles (BUT060).

Furthermore, because the task force is so small, you can setup more than one
territory to attack your target territory. If you don't have a second
territory adjacent to the target, perhaps you could make one?  In that second
territory, all you need is say 10HDQ, 2RM, 2AR, and a relatively small pool of
LNC and INF to provide 2LNC and 3INF each attack.

AI CAV are the easiest target.  Range units are harder to kill because of
their range and willingness to shoot anything.  In contrast, the CAV want your
HDQ and in most cases will ignore your other units.  Both AR and CAV can kill
units 10 squares away, but RM kill up to 12 squares away.

If your plan is just damage the AI without worry about conquest, then killing
nine CAV per attack is easy to accomplish.  Move your HDQ where you want to
kill the CAV and position your other units nearby.  Since all you are going to
do is kill the CAV then retreat with your HDQ, it doesn't matter if other AI
units are nearby.  They won't get a turn to hurt you.

If you have more ambition than killing all the CAV, you need to plan.  When
all the CAV die, the LNC divisions are activated.  If no CAV come to the
battle, LNC are activated from the start.  The problem is that LNC move
roughly the same speed as the range units.  Likely, all the AI units will
arrive at your position at once.

The solution is to move your HDQ into a deserted part of the map immediately.
Put your HDQ where the LNC approach doesn't take them into the ambush your
task force is setting for the AI range units.  In fact, depending on the time
needed, you could do this while the CAV are still alive if you wanted to kill
range units instead of CAV.  You won't get much time, though, because unlike
LNC, HDQ cannot match the speed of CAV.  Eventually, your HDQ will run out of
room.  Perhaps you could task an INF dummy unit to assist?

Setting an ambush for range units depends on the field map.  If the field map
is open space, a literal field like Suruga, it will be difficult to get more
than one or two of your melee units close enough to kill AI range units.
The only plan I can think of is to do like the AI does: overwhelm the defense.
Wait until the AI is close enough, then send all your task force units towards
the AI simultaneously.  Make sure that your range units are screened and close
enough to hit at least one target (remember, AI range units backup for maximum
range when shooting).  Conceivably, you could get two turns of your range
units shooting the AI, and on the final turn, two melee attacks on the AI for
ten total kills (I am assuming an AI range group of three divisions).

You can do it differently if the terrain has forest, ditches, rocks, or
mountains.  You can put your troops under cover and let the AI range units
approach you.  Jump out and kill one unit, shoot with your range units, then
retreat.

There are all kinds of possibilities depending on the terrain.  For instance,
it could be that you can shoot the CAV as they pass by on the way towards your
hiding HDQ.  Improvise to kill as many AI as you can.  Also, depending on how
you plan things, you could even let your dummy range units get killed.  It is
costly to do it, but I don't know your plan.  [Range unit EXP bundles are 10
and 15EXP.  Remember sacrificing your range units builds enemy rank.]

Another possibility is that you don't mind sacrificing your AR and RM units.
Perhaps even sacrificing the HDQ as well. In that case, send dummy CAV units
with the task force.  Maybe you are trying to maximize your enemy kills while
simultaneously building AI rank?  A squad of 1HDQ, 2CAV, 2RM, 2AR, 2LNC, and
3INF will give the AI 89EXP.  You could be building AI rank as part of an LRB
exploit.

However, the more common plan is to send 10HDQ, no CAV, and retain your range
units alive so that you may use the same set over again on the next attack.

Furthermore, the common intent of reduction attacks is to kill the AI units to
make conquest possible, eventually.  The more time efficient method would be
to reduce the target unit type sufficiently so that you could send a regular
sized attack force to kill off that unit type.  Because of BUT405, the unit
type that is of smaller division size loses its defensive bonuses.  Even
though outranked, your normal sized divisions will start doing more than one
kill of damage to the small enemy divisions.

One other thing to mention is that every month you attack an AI territory, it
loses its turn for the month (TM060).  This may just be an added bonus to your
plans or be an essential part of it.  If you stop attacking the AI territory,
the AI gets the chance to recruit INF or upgrade units.  Your efforts could be
quickly undone if you pause between reduction attacks.  Having two territories
conducting reduction attacks allows one of them to take a break as long as the
other territory continues attack.  The AI never gets its monthly action that
way.

[Another wrench in your plans may come as reinforcements from a second
territory held by your target territory's AI owner.]

You can also use automatic battle to conduct reduction attacks.  See BUT042
for details.  Automatic battle will speed things up but cost you more units.
It will also add to the AI rank, which might be something that makes the
BUT424 method better.

A newer reduction method: use LRB exploit to reduce enemy numbers.  A field
battle LRB exploit is relatively easy to accomplish against most AI.  I have
not calculated the FIT for all the AI armies, but a .44 IRAP against Uesugi
is the highest I have yet seen.  You typically face 30% or 50% of the AI army
in field battles.  80% is rare.  If you are ready for 50%, you can do it most
of the time.  The most units is 255 each type.  That means 127units sent to
the field defense.  44% of that is 56 units each type.  You can easily form
an army that size (and can compensate with more of other types if you are
short in some types).  For Hojo, the maximum requirement for field battle is
32 units each type.

So, if you have a large enough army, you attack, say Sagami/Hojo.  Kill one
CAV, using your CAV to distract the Hojo range units, make it to turn 6,
and collect LRB spoils according to your rank and a sizeble unit spoils taken
from Hojo's army.  Not only can you build your army this way, but you are
slowly reducing Hojo's army.  Furthermore, you are getting paid gold and PRD
while doing it.  Unit spoils reduce one unit type by 10% at the end of the
battle in addition to any you killed during battle.



*BUT430
Cavalry Blockades

BUT415 spoke of how you can protect your units from AI CAV attacks by careful
positioning of your HDQ.  Here, the inverse will be presented: how to position
your units to protect your HDQ.

My new LRB Exploit doesn't require reduction of the AI victim's army.  Thus, I
am battling full-sized AI armies trying to survive until turn 6 for the AI
retreat.  Some maps are easy.  For instance, West Shinano field has armies so
far apart that cornering my HDQ puts it out of AI CAV range before turn 6.
Yet, there is also small field maps such as Musashi where attacking a higher
ranked, full-sized army won't work (but if defending Musashi field, LRB exploit
can be done).  Then, there are other field maps such as Sagami.  Sacrificing
one dummy unit by placing it next to the lead CAV's position will allow me to
make it to turn 6 without the CAV reaching my HDQ.  By using my CAV to lead
the enemy range units away from my HDQ and other units, all I have to worry
about is the enemy CAV.  A large supply of dummy units could do it, but I
thought to devise a way to do it without loss of my units.

The enemy CAV evaluates the map to calculate a path to your HDQ.  It does this
each turn.  Initially, I thought the AI CAV moves to close the greater
distance along the X or Y-axis.  My revised understanding is that movement
towards your HDQ is always random.  Each turn, the AI randomly chooses to
close the distance either vertically or horizontally.  Moreover, once this
choice has been made, both CAV divisions approach the same spatial direction.

Once the lead CAV division reaches vertical or horizontal alignment with your
HDQ, it then uses the rest of its movement to close the distance in the non-
chosen direction.  The exception is the second CAV division: it will often
switch directions when it is one square short of zero alignment with your HDQ
vertically or horizontally before switching directions.  It does this so as to
have a clear path to your HDQ considering the first AI CAV division as an
obstacle to maneuver around.

I have observed some bizarre movement attacking Kozuke when my HDQ is in the
West part of the map, South of the mountains.  With the AI CAV Northeast of
the mountains and horizontal approach is randomly chosen, the AI will still
head south because moving into the mountains will cost 3-squares of movement.
Once it moves south so that a non-mountain square is available horizontally,
it will switch directions, but only for one square because progress West is
again retarded by another mountain square.  This produces a zigzag effect to
the CAV movement.  I have seen this same type of zigzagging when next to
rivers, too.  (Similarly, the AI will at times ammend its direction to ford a
river early because doing so makes for a shorter path to your HDQ.)  Zig-
zagging also happens when the AI is in avoid mode instead of attack mode.

As each battle is generated, the computer randomly chooses attack or avoid
combat mode when encountering player units.  (The AI CAV objective is always
the player HDQ.)  Reloading does not change this determination: Only
regenerating the battle from the going menu (TM230) can change it.

In attack mode, AI CAV will attack any player unit that it brushes up against
while moving towards your HDQ.  In avoid mode, the AI CAV will pass player
units without stopping to attack.  Furthermore, the CAV will maneuver around
any unit that blocks its path whereas in attack mode, a blocker will be
assaulted.  The one exception is that an avoid mode CAV always attacks any
unit next to it when completing its nine square per turn movement allowance.

[I theorize that the simplest way to program the computer players was to
make it so that any time a player unit is next to a computer unit at the
start of the computer player's turn, it assumes the player unit had attacked
the computer unit on the player's turn.  (As you know, not every skirmish
kills all the attacker or defender units.)  Thus, the computer units reliably
attack adjacent units at turn start.  Therefore, the same stricture applies
to ending a move with adjacent player units: they will be attacked.  (To
simulate Artificial Intelligence, this generalization works well because it
doesn't require the computer players to have memory, an awareness of what
happened.  The odds favor interpreting adjacent units as attackers, so the
computer battles them.)]

BLOCKADING:
I experimented with placing my units in a wall-like manner so that the enemy
CAV might choose to go around instead of clearing out my units via combat.
I got inconsistent results.  The only safe way to do it without reloading is
to make the wall while the enemy CAV are still distant.

All field battles start with the defender in the North and the attacker in
the South.  Movement towards each other is therefore vertical.  Although
there maybe times that a position is reached that approach will be primarily
horizontal, in general horizontal distance between armies is secondary to
vertical.  For simplicity, I assume vertical distance is primary when
describing blockading.

Blockading will only work if the AI chose avoid at contact instead of attack
at contact mode.  That is a 50/50 chance that you will not know unless you
are doing reloading to experiment.  You could make a wall, placing your units
such there is no path towards your HDQ for AI to take through those units, to
see how the AI reacts.  If you make the wall while the AI is still distant
enough, you may see the AI CAV alter its straight line course towards your
HDQ to be clear of the wall.  If you see such a diversion, you know that it
will work.  You have a 25% chance of getting this to happen: 1/2 time is
avoid mode multiplied by 1/2 time random movement being horizontal.  

If you don't get the confirmation that the AI is in avoid mode, it still
might be.  You can maintain the wall by placing dummy units where the AI CAV
will hit the wall.  You would have to spend dummy units to slow down the
enemy CAV, anyway.  The difference is that you will not get the optimum delay
out of your dummy units.  When a CAV hits a wall, it makes some forward
progress.  The standard use of dummy units places them adjacent to an AI CAV
division, thus causing the AI CAV to spend its next turn attacking with no
movement at all.  The margin of distance between your HDQ and the enemy CAV
might matter.  If you chance a wall that fails, you may have to use an
additional set of dummy units to keep both AI CAV divisions from reaching
your HDQ.

[Note: the main application of a blockade is when doing the LRB Exploit.  You
want to keep the AI CAV from reaching your HDQ for five turns because on the
sixth turn, most likely the AI will retreat.  If you are not chancing it, not
reloading, you will also make sure that the AI CAV are tied up on turn six
so that if the AI fails to leave, your HDQ won't be reached.  Then, you can
chance a seventh turn with the same odds that the AI will leave.  A one in
ten chance becomes a one in a hundred chance if it must happen two turns in
succession.  That said, it can happen, though not often.]

To be thorough, even in avoid combat mode, you may still lose units when
erecting a Cavalry Blockade.  For instance, if the wall is placed in a
straight horizontal blockade, units all in a line, the enemy CAV going
vertically will hit the wall, then begin moving East or West along the wall.
When the movement points have been expended, likely the CAV will be adjacent
to one of your units.  Even though in avoid mode, the CAV will attack if its
final position is next to one of your units.  However, if you make the
endpoints of your wall one square above the straight alignment, closer to the
CAV, the AI CAV will start heading horizontally before it hits the wall.  It
anticipates the need to go around, calculating a shorter path around your wall
endpoints that are fanned up.  Even so, you must still count squares.  If the
AI CAV ends its turn pivoting around your fanned endpoints, those units will
be attacked when the CAV runs out of movement.  Shifting the wall so that CAV
movement square nine is clear of your units can require thought.

In practice, I now seldom try a wall, instead preferring the next method to
slow down enemy CAV.


*BUT432
Eluding AI CAV Without a Blockade (Cavalry Elusion)

This section is a continuation of BUT430, Cavalry Blockades.

You can slow the AI CAV using dummy units (BUT412); however, if the random
movement directions of the AI CAV are coupled with precise movements of your
HDQ, it is possible that some of the AI CAV movements can increase the
distance to your HDQ.

For example, attack Sagami/Hojo for LRB Exploit, the Hojo CAV will reach your
HDQ on turn five if you merely place your HDQ in the Southwest most corner.
One division must be slowed by a dummy unit.  The second Hojo CAV division
will not require a delay.  [However, to be safe, on turn 6 you should place
dummy units next to both Hojo CAV divisions so that they are held for turn
six in the unlikely event that the AI elects to stay on the field (the LRB
Exploit relies on BUT417, AI turn 6 retreat).]

The Sagami/Hojo field battle begins with the player HDQ five squares away
from the Southwest corner.  I gain five squares of distance moving into the
corner.  But during the next four turns, the AI CAV get closer while my HDQ
does nothing but wait.  A better idea is to move my HDQ such that if the AI
CAV randomly chooses the wrong direction to close in on my HDQ, I can send
my HDQ into a part of the field where it has more room to run instead of
doing nothing.  If the breaks go against me, I retreat into the corner, no
worse off than I was at the beginning.

Ten squares away is the distance the AI CAV can close in one turn.  Moving
nine squares in one turn, the CAV can end up one square away, adjacent to the
HDQ for attack.  If the player HDQ is ten squares away each direction from the
enemy CAV, there is twenty total squares distance.  In two turns, the CAV
could move eighteen squares and attack nineteen squares away.  It would take
three turns for moving CAV to attack a stationary HDQ twenty squares away.

The problem with being ten squares away each direction from the AI CAV is that
after it closes the distance, it will be one square away one direction and ten
squares away the other direction.  The HDQ needs to move 180 degrees opposite
the direction the AI CAV just advanced.  The first HDQ square move brings it
closer to the CAV position, then the next five squares increases the distance,
making for a net gain of four squares.  Subsequent turns will gain six squares
per turn, but that initial diminished gain means the enemy CAV will catch the
HDQ in three more turns.  This is not an improvement considering that the HDQ
reduced the "catch" time by moving towards the enemy CAV to arrive at the
twenty squares away position.  [Another problem, not discussed, is that some
movement away from CAV division one reduces the distance to CAV division two.]

The way to keep sufficient distance between the enemy CAV and the player HDQ
is to speculate on one direction.  That is, keep nine squares away either
horizontally or vertically, but maximize the distance in the other direction.
It is a gamble that gives the player a fifty percent chance of success (but
often there is more than one chance, making the success rate slighly higher).

To illustrate, at Sagami/Hojo, I move my HDQ North on my first move and then
position my second move so that the HDQ is nine squares South of the leading
AI CAV while on the edge of the map West.  If the AI chooses South on its
second move, I have won; my HDQ continues North and will have enough running
room to last until turn six.

However, if the AI moves West on its second turn, eluding the AI CAV will be
more exacting on choosing where to move.  The second division of Hojo CAV is
one square North and four squares East of the leading division.  Thus, moving
East too soon may gain ground on the leading CAV division, but the trailing
division will end up closer.  Moving North was a good plan because the two
AI CAV divisions are functionally the same, being only one square different.

I re-analyzed the data for Sagami/Hojo and found I had made a mistake.  The
discoveries I made doing a second research were well worth the exasperation
I felt for getting it wrong the first time.  

The three things I discovered and will verify in time are:

1) AI units' move order each turn goes from the unit closest to the player
   and ends with the unit farthest from the player's army.  I don't know the
   focal point, yet.  It might be the player HDQ or the closest player unit.

2) The range units move in the same horizontal or vertical direction that the
   CAV units do.

3) I found a practical application of the Cavalry Blockade concept.  Namely,
   when doing Cavalry Elusion, units placed on the same horizontal or
   vertical line as the HDQ may cause CAV in avoid mode to shift movement to
   have a clear path.  However, I think it will seldom be beneficial to do
   so.  Yet, knowing NOT TO DO IT is certainly of value because it could ruin
   a slim margin Cavalry Elusion.

Back to the Sagami/Hojo Cavalry Elusion:
North is the direction we play for by positioning the HDQ to advantage of a
second turn AI CAV movement South.  If that happens, the HDQ goes North with
a big enough lead and enough open space to last until turn six, the moment
the Hojo army is likely to flee the field.

However, if the second turn CAV move is West, going North is unworkable.

There are sixteen permutations of the first four AI cavalry moves.
Combinations are arranging things in groups with no concern for order.
Permutations are arranging things in groups where the order matters.  In this
case, going West and then South is different than going South and then West.
This is because the starting position of the AI CAV are not equally far away
both horizontally and vertically.  Also, going West on the first turn causes
a CAV movement deviation to avoid the mountains.

There are two choices of movement each turn for the AI: horizontally or
vertically.  Four turns of movement gives sixteen different permutations.
I have already implied that eight of those posibilities are successful
Cavalry Elusions when the AI CAV move South on the second turn.  Intuitively,
we know there is an easy to accomplish 50% chance of success.  What is
surprising is that only one permutation, when the AI moves South, West,
South, and West, prevents a successful Cavalry Elusion.  The total chance
of success is therefore 15 out of 16, or 93.75% success rate.  Although this
rate only applies to Sagami field, it is a testament to how well the method
could work.

Consider Sagami field as represented by a Cartesian coordinate system.
I have assigned the bottom left, Southwest corner square as (0,0).  The top
right corner square (the Northeast) is (29,27).  The player HDQ starts at
(3,2), five squares away from the corner.  The AI CAV start at (19,23) and
(23.24).

As stated, the first player HDQ move is North six squares to (3,8).  Takeda
CAV must also go North into the mountain cluster to bait the AI range units
towards them.  The remaining army can hide by moving into the Southeast
corner, moving far enough South to not attract the AI range units focused on
the Takeda CAV.  Dummy units should be close to the HDQ; this includes a size
one division of RM to shoot the Hojo CAV so as to get LRB Exploit spoils.
These dummy units will be used to slow the Hojo CAV if the HDQ movement does
not elude the AI CAV for five turns.  Regardless, for players that don't
reload, an extra pair of dummy units are placed next to the AI CAV on turn
six so that in the unlikely, random chance that the AI desire to flee is
temporarily suspended, the AI CAV will not freely attack the HDQ.

[The assumption is made that the Takeda army has enough Army Power (AP) to be
above the FIT for Hojo.  FIT is Flee-IRAP-Threshold, the minimum relative
army size necessary to cause Hojo's army to run away from battle on turn six
or after.  IRAP is Index of Relative Army Power, the comparison of the Takeda
army against the AI army.  At the start of the game, the Takeda army in Kai
is sufficiently large to cause Sagami/Hojo to flee at turn 6 of a field
battle even if the muster size is 80% of castle defenders.  See BUT417.]

The Sagami/Hojo field battle begins with CAV distance of 37 and 42.  In five
turns of movement, the AI CAV can move 45 squares and attack 46 squares away.
The player could move into the Southwest corner for a distance of 42 and 47
squares, but the lead CAV will be in attack range on turn five.

In the data that follows, the distance the AI CAV from the player HDQ is
given after each player move.  A distance of 11 squares is needed to be safe
from attack for one turn.  A distance of 14 squares is needed to be safe for
two turns.  [It is presumed that AI CAV will gain 9 squares per turn and the
player HDQ will increase distance 6 squares per turn for a net of 3 squares
per turn the AI CAV get closer.]

Five turns of safety are needed because it is hoped that the AI will run away
on turn six.  So, after the first four movement turns, a distance of 11 is
the minimum needed to survive five turns of AI CAV movement.  The results
below with distance less than 11 mean that dummy units must be used on turn
five to keep the AI CAV at bay.  As you will see, only one situation after
the player HDQ moves has a distance from AI CAV under 11.

[NOTE that initial AI CAV movement West bends South because of the
mountiain cluster.]

    AI start      (19,23) & (23,24)  (3,2) Player move (3,8)
1st AI move West  (15,18) & (17,21)  2nd player move   (0,9) dist 24 & 29
2nd AI move West   (7,17) & (12,17)  3rd player move   (0,3) dist 21 & 26
3rd AI move West   (0,15) &  (3,17)  4th player move   (6,3) dist 18 & 17
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4th AI move East   (5,11) &  (6,11)  5th player move  (12,3) dist 15 & 14
4th AI move South  (0,6)  &  (3,8)   5th player move  (12,3) dist 15 & 14
------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    AI start      (19,23) & (23,24)  (3,2) Player move (3,8)
1st AI move West  (15,18) & (17,21)  2nd player move   (0,9) dist 24 & 29
2nd AI move West   (7,17) & (12,17)  3rd player move   (0,3) dist 21 & 26
3rd AI move South  (7,8)  & (12,8)   4th player move   (0,0) dist 15 & 20
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4th AI move West   (0,7)  &  (3,8)   5th player move   (6,0) dist 13 & 11
4th AI move South  (6,0)  & (10,1)   5th player move   (0,6) dist 12 & 15
------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    AI start      (19,23) & (23,24)  (3,2) Player move (3,8)
1st AI move South (19,14) & (23,15)  2nd player move   (0,5) dist 28 & 33
2nd AI move West  (10,14) & (14,15)  3rd player move   (2,1) dist 21 & 26
3rd AI move West   (2,13) &  (5,15)  4th player move   (8,1) dist 18 & 17
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4th AI move East   (7,9)  &  (8,9)   5th player move  (14,1) dist 15 & 14
4th AI move South  (6,0)  & (10,1)   5th player move   (0,6) dist 12 & 15
------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    AI start      (19,23) & (23,24)  (3,2) Player move (3,8)
1st AI move South (19,14) & (23,15)  2nd player move   (0,5) dist 28 & 33
2nd AI move West  (10,14) & (14,15)  3rd player move   (2,1) dist 21 & 26
3rd AI move South (10,5)  & (14,6)   4th player move   (0,0) dist 15 & 20
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4th AI move West   (1,5)  &  (3,6)   5th player move   (6,0) dist 10 &  9
4th AI move South  (6,0)  & (10,1)   5th player move   (0,6) dist 12 & 15
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

==============================================================================

    AI start      (19,23) & (23,24)  (3,2) Player move (3,8)
1st AI move South (19,14) & (23,15)  2nd player move   (0,5)  dist 28 & 33
2nd AI move South (19,5)  & (23,6)   3rd player move   (0,11) dist 25 & 28
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3rd AI move North (16,11) & (18,10)  4th player move    (0,17) dist 22 & 25
3rd AI move West  (10,5)  & (14,6)   4th Player move    (0,17) dist 22 & 27
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
the map allows (0,27), so the player has plenty of room.  The AI gains 3
squares per turn.  There is no way the CAV can catch the player HDQ.


    AI start      (19,23) & (23,24)  (3,2) Player move (3,8)
1st AI move West  (15,18) & (17,21)  2nd player move   (0,9)  dist 24 & 29
2nd AI move South (15,9)  & (17,12)  3rd player move   (0,15) dist 21 & 20
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3rd AI move North (11,14) & (11,15)  4th player move   (0,21) dist 18 & 17
3rd AI move West   (6,9)  &  (8,12)  4th Player move   (0,21) dist 18 & 17
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Player continues North.  AI cannot catch HDQ in next two turns; the lead is
too great.

Knowing which direciton to go for the intial HDQ movement can be crucial.  In
the given example at Sagami/Hojo field, moving six squares North is advised.
If the AI CAV make a wrong move, the HDQ will be moving towards the Northwest
corner, Southeast, or back to the Southwest.  Because of the mountains in the
North center, the AI range units are hindered from switching towards the HDQ
instead of the player CAV enticing them into the mountains.  However, if the
initial HDQ movement is East, going North becomes impossible: the enemy range
units are there.

The Sagami field map is one of many that starts the player in a corner.  In
order to gain more avoidance room for the player HDQ, the dummy units, Calalry
Blockade, or Cavalry Elusion method must be used.  Some maps like Kozuke or
Shinano give the player more movement options because the player starts in the
center of the South, not a corner.  If you understand how to elude the enemy
Calary starting in a corner, you can do it much easier on maps that provides
you with both East and West movement possibilities.

Keep in mind that maps that place the AI range units in central positions
limit your options and possibly give you no chance to use the Cavalry Elusion
method.  Musashi is such a map for the attacker: both AI CAV and range units
must either be eliminated by combat or managed by a prohibitive amount of
dummy units.

[There is a good reason I chose Sagami as an example map.  Besides being a
superb place to conduct an LRB Exploit because the mountains can occupy the
enemy range units, the lack of other obstacles make calculating where the
AI CAV will be is most evident here.  Furthermore, Sagami is the most
profitable and easy to accomplish LRB Exploit available from the Takeda
home territories of Kai and Shinano.  You will make use of this information.]



*BUT434
The Practical Value of Cavalry Elusion

At BUT432, there is an estimated 50% chance you can save a few dummy units
by employing the Cavalry Elusion technique.  Would it not be simpler to just
budget to lose those few size-one divisions of dummy units?  Why bother
learning how to dodge enemy Cavalry?

The LRB Exploit has your troops battling AI of vastly superior rank, relying
on the number of units you bring to a battle to convince the AI to leave
early, hopefully on turn six.  If your CAV units can succeed in keeping the AI
range units off to the side of the field, your HDQ and other units only have
to worry about the enemy CAV.  While your HDQ is dodging enemy CAV, your other
units, the ones that came to the battle only to bring enough numbers to cause
the AI to eventually flee, must exist somewhere on the field.  A brush up
against charging AI CAV could result in disasterous losses.  Knowing where
the enemy CAV won't be because of your HDQ movements allows these units 
places to hide.  Moreover, these safe places are dynamic: the shifting
position of your HDQ may require your other units to stay in motion, too.

What do you know about AI CAV movements?  They always head for your HDQ.
Killing other units is only a by product of their pursuit for your HDQ.
Each turn, CAV movement is randomly choosen to be vertical or horizontal.
Both CAV divisions will abide by this determination.  They will deviate when
the chosen direction has terrain like mountains, forest, or river crossings
that would consume extra movement allowance.  They will also deviate around
their own units and half the time, randomly determined at the start of
battle, around your units, too.  They will proceed in their turn by turn
chosen direction until they reach vertical or horizontal alignment with your
HDQ, then switch directions when straight-line orientation has been
established.  [Note that the second AI CAV division is often one unit shy of
alignment because of considering CAV division one as an obstacle, therefore
taking a path clear.]

Because the AI CAV will not over-shoot your HDQ position vertically or
horizontally, you know what places on the map enemy CAV will not venture.
This is where you place your rank vulnerable units that must hide during the
battle.  If you have your HDQ movement planned, you can also plan where your
other units will be safe from the enemy CAV.

[One place that is usually safe for size one riflemen (the ones that will
shoot a CAV unit so that LRB spoils will be given) or supporting dummy units
is the eye of the square.  As described in BUT430, the AI CAV generally move
in alternating horizontal and vertical bursts.  Knowing how they move is on
the perimeter of a nine by nine square of squares, you can place units in the
center area safely.  However, I recommend that the larger divisions of units
hide in a stable place on the edge of the field.]

Eluding the AI CAV without spending excess dummy units is not guaranteed to
work everytime.  If the AI CAV randomly push your HDQ to the side of the field
with no where to go but the corner, you will have to spend dummy units.  But
even if this happens, you will have managed the AI CAV movements so that your
other units will safely survive the LRB Exploit.

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+