The Siege of Osaka

The Siege of Osaka
Scenario information
Game	Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties
Campaign	Act I: Japan
Civilization	Japanese
Color	Blue
Scenario no.	1
Next	Uprising!
Setting information
Year	1600
Map

“	Many weep for Toyotomi, but they should save their tears. One man still unite this country. My master, Tokugawa Ieyasu, most powerful of the Daimyo, has sent me to Osaka castle to seize the power that rightfullly belongs to him. An empire dawns today.	”
—Description in the Definitive Edition

The Siege of Osaka is the first scenario of Act I: Japan in Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties. It starts off with the cinematic "The slow March of Death" and "A Castle for a King". The scenario shows the uprisings and violence of the Japanese people after the death of Daimyo Toyotomi Hideyoshi. It introduces the player to Sakuma Kichiro, a young general who helps lead Tokugawa's army and Daimyo Torii Mototada, a close ally to Kichiro and Tokugawa who also helped lead armies.

Summary

In 1598, after the failure of its campaign in Korea and the defeat of its fleet at Noryang Point by Yi Sun-Shin's turtle ships, and after the death of Hideyoshi, Japan was once again divided. Among all the powerful Daimyos, one of them would rise up wanting the definitive unification of Japan under his command: Tokugawa Ieyasu, who together with his generals Torii Mototada and Kichiro, Tokugawa's apprentice, would set out to achieve this goal. They begun their campaign two years later by conquering the fortified castle of Osaka, where Hideyoshi's young heir and successor, Toyotomi Hideyori, was located.

Objectives

Primary objectives

• Destroy the Osaka Town Center. (400 XP)

Secondary objectives

• Destroy the Ronin Camp. (400 XP)
• Free the captive woodcutters of Osaka. (500 XP)
• Build 3 Shrines. (400 XP)
• Build a Wonder so your army can Age up. (400 XP)
• Build a Castle in the Western Village. (400 XP)
• Destroy the Outposts that Guard the Farmers. (500 XP)

Players

Player

• Eastern Tokugawa Army ( Japanese): The player starts out with Torii Mototada, General Kichiro, and a generous-sized army consisting of Naginata Riders, Ashigaru Musketeers, Yumi Archers, and Yabusame. The player will also be provided with a village containing a Town Center, Orchard Rickshaw, and a few Villagers evenly gathering resources. The player must destroy the enemy Town Center.

Allies

• Northern Village ( Japanese): Composed of a few passive Villagers and a small village guarded by two towers. Upon the destruction of the Ronin Camp, they will become active and build their own army to assist the player.
• Western Village ( Japanese): Composed of a few passive Villagers and a small village. Upon construction of a Castle in their village, they become active and build their own army to assist the player.
• Osaka Farmers ( Japanese): Controls various Villagers tasked to Rice Paddies in the southern part of the map. Upon destroying the Osaka Garrison's Outposts near them, they will transform into a variety of military units (such as Ashigaru Musketeers and Yumi Archers) and assist the player in laying siege to the Castle.
• Osaka Woodcutters ( Japanese): Controls various woodcutting Villagers to the east of the castle, as well as captive Yojimbo. Upon destroying the Stockades housing the Wokou Horsemen, they will join the player's side.

Enemies

• Osaka Garrison ( Japanese): The primary enemy of the scenario. They control a massive section of the map, with the center of the map comprised of a base with the Town Center, a Shogunate, and a Castle defended by Fort Walls. Outside of these walls, they also start with military defenses built on the two entrances to their base, composed of Samurai, Outposts and walls. They also have various outposts overseeing the Osaka Woodcutters and Farmers.
• Ronin Camp ( Japanese): A small camp located in the northeast of the map. They control a small walled base with an Outpost and Barracks. Ronin, Naginata Riders, Shinobi, and Wokou Horsemen, Wokou, and Yumi Archers will appear from the Barracks to defend it.

Treasures

There are nine treasures spread across the map: Three in the west of the map between the northern and western villages and the player's base, two in the north and east of the northern village and west of the Ronin camp, one south of the western village, and three in the northeast, east, and southeast of the Osaka Garrison and Osaka Farmers.

The map

Minimap

The map is crossed by one river that separates the allied villages and the player's base from the Osaka Castle. The terrain is based on Honshu. There are not many animals, but there is a lot of wood, so the player must build Rice Paddies to generate food and, when the mines are used up, coin.

Strategy

The player starts out with Mototada, Kichiro, and a generous-sized army consisting of Naginata Riders, Ashigaru Musketeers, Yumi Archers, and Yabusame. The player will also be provided with a village containing a Town Center, Orchard Rickshaw, and a few Villagers evenly gathering resources. The player can use their large army to gather treasure and will not face any major attacks at this point. Due to the lack of Villagers gathering resources, the player should use the majority of shipments to send in troops for reinforcements. The player should also choose the Dutch for the Consulate ally due to their Culverins, Falconets, and strong cavalry and their Bank Wagon shipment to generate coin after the mines are consumed.

As the player's troop explore and head east, they will meet the Northern Village. The Villagers will explain how the Osaka Castle did not help them fight off the Ronin camp in the East and will request the player to destroy the camp. At the same time, the location of the Ronin camp will be revealed as well. The player will now have to head East to destroy the camp. The camp will have an Outpost, Barracks, and units guarding the site.

Another friendly village can also be found to the West of the map and South of the player's colony. The West Village will also provide military assistance with attacking Osaka Castle if a castle is build in their village.

Once the player reaches the Ronin camp, they will be attacked by powerful Wokou Ronins and Samurai in the front ending up with many Cavalry units dead and perhaps even Daimyo Mototada fallen. Yumi Archers and Ashigaru Muskeeters will be shooting in the back and must be taken out after. Once the troops are defeated, the player can begin to raze and destroy the Outpost of the camp. After the outpost is destroyed, more enemy troops from the camp will attack. This time the troops will consist of powerful Ronin, Shinobi, and Wokou Horsemen slaying many of the player's troops.

If the player successfully, destroys the Barracks and kills off the last troops in the Ronin camp, the Village will thank them and will help them breach the gates of Osaka Castle. Shortly after, the outer walls and gates will be destroyed by the Villagers, allowing the player to advance their army in the outskirts of Osaka castle. The player should be close to advancing or be at the Fortress Age at this point.

Once the player's army heads deeper inside the grounds of Osaka Castle, they will face enemy villages nestled inside and can attack the nearby villagers, The player should not raze the Town Center and head back to friendly grounds if they don't have the army. The player should start growing another large army and station it near the Western village for an attack on the western side.

The player should send in their troops stationed in the Western Village to attack and breach the western walls of Osaka. At the same time, the player should send their other army in the Northern village to attack and free the imprisoned woodcutters by destroying the Outpost the Stockades containing them. Once freed, the Woodcutters (who are Yojimbo) will join the player's side and help fight.

The player by now will have a large economy, multiples armies attacking the enemy colonies, and amass large number of forces to invade Osaka Castle. Osaka Castle will be heavily guarded by durable Walls and Castles and the Player will have to merge their armies into one large force to break open the walls. Falconets, Morutarus, and other Artillery will be crucial to break open the walls of Osaka Castle.

After the walls are torn down, the player can destroy the buildings inside the walls. Once the Town Center inside the walls is destroyed, the scenario is complete.

Trivia

• After destroying the Ronin camp, a Northern Villager approaches the walls of Osaka and comically asks where his pet duck Chiko is only to be hushed by a Sentry stationed in Osaka.
• The Siege of Osaka occurred in 1615, but in the game, it was brought forward to the year 1600.

Gallery

Attacking and destroying the Ronin camp.

Attacking the enemy villages inside the walls.

Freeing the imprisoned woodcutters.

Breaching the walls of Osaka castle.

Kichiro receives news of Daimyo Toyotomi Hideyoshi's death.

Daimyo Mototada and General Kichiro look over the walls of Osaka Castle.