Ainu

Primary culture

Kamchatkan (Ainu)

Capital province

Tokachi (1852)

Government

Siberian Clan Council

State religion

Animist

Technology group

Chinese

Ainu ideas

Traditions:

−15% Land attrition

+1 Land leader maneuver

Chasi

+20% Fort defense

Riches of the Sea

+10% Goods produced modifier

Southern Traders

+15% Provincial trade power modifier

Heirs of Jomon

+1 Yearly prestige

Hunters and Warriors

+1 Attrition for enemies

Yukar

+2 Tolerance of the true faith

Fierce Resistance

+10% Infantry combat ability

Ambition:

+15% National manpower modifier

Ainu is a tribe located in the North of Hokkaido. They start as a tribe in the Northern part of the Japanese archipelago during the Sengoku period (戦国時代 Sengoku Jidai).

Strategy[edit | edit source]

The below is one of many player suggested strategies for Ainu. Bear in mind, due to the dynamic nature of the game, it may unfold differently for other players.

Early game[edit | edit source]

As the Ainu , even though a small primitive nation, the player can follow two very interesting gameplays with varying hardness. One might either can blob and take on the Manchurian tribes, then take on the Ming or try to take the low development provinces of Central Asia (that also would make possible to keep your original religion), and expand as much as possible; another very interesting gameplay would also be the reclamation of Ainu lands. This Strategy guide is for the latter objective.

For both strategies, especially during the first stages of the game, navy will be crucial for survival and success.

Reclamation of Ainu lands Strategy Guide:[edit | edit source]

Start off by deleting or selling non-combat ships, as this will allow the player to build more galleys without exceeding the navy force limit. It is preferred the player gets at least 2 flanking units, as it gives him a great advantage against other tribes using only one. The increase in combat ships will pay off in the first years of the start game. Meanwhile claims on Tyr (to make it cheaper for coring) and Kamchadals should be forged.

Before attacking the Nivkh Army (the first target of this strategy) immediately engage their main army - with two flanking units the Players army will have a great advantage against the Nivkh Army, and getting them by surprise before they have maximum morale would be ideal. The player is advised to take Nangha'er and Tyr, the provinces of Ulch and Miyoo Gasan will get his border wider and rebels more numerous, there will be enough time in the coming years to get fingers on them.

Claim Oshima in south Hokkaido.

Try to ally Korea, Jianzhou or Nanai, at least until the conquest of the Kamchadals. Allying Korea would ease the game quite a bit, but if only Jianzhou or Nanai accepts an Alliance they would also help to deter Orochoni which will attack for Tyr every time they see an opportunity.

If, whenever the Orochoni declare war, a good strategy to beat them would be letting them get Sakhalin. Embark on Tyr and cut their army from the mainland. This strategy should have a high success rate most times, even when fighting against both Ashikaga and Orochoni.

Up to now, the Ainu tribes still won't have the institution of Feudalism, so the Japanese Daimyos will get technologies faster then the Ainu tribes which will put them in a long-term disadvantage. In order to mitigate this shortfall the Ainus need to get Japanese provinces as fast as they can.

After taking on Nivkh and Kamchadals some of the Japanese daimyos will be having more then 50% liberty desire, and so refuse to fight for Ashikaga.

Unification of Hokkaido[edit | edit source]

The two most important factors for this warfare style taking on the Japanese will be first, that Oshima isn't a fort or any capital which needs more than one phase to besiege, and second, the Ainu tribes navy. With the number of Galleys in their possession now (depending hugely on the ships captured from Nivkh and Kamchadals) it will be easy to block the strait between Oshima and Mutsu.

Besides protecting the strait the Player should try to use galleys to decimate the Japanese fleets until they can't pose a threat to [[cogs, so that the transportation of troops around Japan gets feasible.

The Player should capture easy targets like for instance the island of Tsushima to get more war score, and start besieging Ashikaga lands. Besiege southern lands when the Japanese armies are in the north, and the opposite.

This war strategy will easily get a war score high enough to get Oshima, and at least 1 province in Tohoku, also monetary reparations and some Ducats to pay off debts.

Usually during this time the capture of the remaining lands of the Nivkh will be possible.

Convert Tengri provinces to Animist (still won't be able to convert the Shinto ones though!).

As for the first idea one could go for Quality, the conventional one would be to take Quantity ideas to increase Manpower, but this strategy focuses mainly on naval battles, small armies and hence a more unique gameplay.

The land of the Emishi - Creating Greater Aynumosir[edit | edit source]

The Player should prepare for their Second War against the Japanese. The objectives of this War are to conquer all of Tohoku and Kanto (Eastern and Western). One approach to beating the Shogunate would be to let the Japanese armies invade Hokkaido, and the moment they cross the strait you occupy Mutsu. This will cut off all the Japanese troops, and all of Ashikaga will be ready for conquest by the Ainu tribes.

Securing the Southern borders would be easier by releasing a vassal country and feed it all captured Kanto regions, except Musashi. Musashi as a high dev province would be more useful to the Ainu!

Having Korea as an ally during this period would be very beneficial if anything goes wrong with the battle strategy, so constantly improving relations and getting royal marriages will be profitable for long-term gameplay.

As for the second idea the Player could go with Economic ideas, and later the Policies enacted by these first two ideas are quite useful.

Up to this point the Ainu won't need a large army, as their navy will be their Centre of Gravity.

Secure the surviving of Greater Aynumosir to eternity[edit | edit source]

The third war will be one last conquering War against the Japanese foes. It most probably will be around 1550 and the province of Echigo will be a gold producing province. So, the Player wants to take at least Echigo for themselves, and can feed Eastern Chubu to their vassal.

In the meantime the Tribe should invest in Buildings to raise economy, naval force limit and province development. After taking Echigo build up to manpower force limit, and start constantly drilling the army (with now around 20-25k). Prior to this the Ainu tribes probably hit level 8 admin tech and are able to enact a National decisions which gives a +2 religious conversion boost, so they can start converting Shinto provinces.

Tip: Accepting Togoku as a culture will fasten their religious conversion. The Ainu culture will be able to project itself onto their Japanese subjects, and so the Player can choose to convert the Togoku to Ainu, after converting their religion. After finally turning Musashi (the last Japanese province to get converted according to this strategy guide) to an Ainu province one might get rid of Togoku culture as an accepted one, or just continue on to conquer all of Japan and unite the Jomon lands under the same tribe.

After the Ainu tribes stabilized from constant warfare, Japan will most probably be divided amongst two to three countries. It would be wise to attack them every time they seem to recover. Take their money, transfer trade power, humiliate and take war reparations. This will greatly help the economy as another income source and hamper their development, else they are still formidable and pose a potent threat to the old tribes of the Emishi.

Tip: Keep inflation in check!

If the Player still hasn't, they might conquer the Siberian tribes. The Khodynt province of Olomon is Yukaghir, so converting it to Kamchadese culture should be considered.

The third Idea the Player can take are Maritime ideas, they will boost trade income considerably as their fleet will be huge for country size. Furthermore, privateering in Beijing and Hangzhou, and protecting the trade in Nippon are good strategies in increasing Trade income.

From here on the Player can await the Russians arriving in Siberia and try to beat a superpower with a smaller army and clever tactics (using their superb navy), or start colonizing lands in the Philippines, Oceania or the Americas.

This strategy ensures that the Navy becomes one of the strongest world-wide (quality wise), and ward off even the western powers trying to conquer the land of the Ainu.

Further one might choose ideas like Defensive, Innovative, Trade, and Influence, boosting trade, and navy & troop morale even further.

Country guides

Eastern technology group