Note: This guide is tailored to the Pro-Shogunate/Imperial path and may not be as effective when going your own path.

Please be aware that the images included are from a Satsuma playthrough and may not align perfectly with the building and skill choices recommended in this guide.

Additionally, this is my second attempt at creating a guide. I welcome any feedback you may have to offer.

Lastly, English is not my first language, so you may come across grammatical errors and unusual phrasing.

The reason behind creating this guide is to share my knowledge and insights. I haven't reviewed other guides, so it's possible that there are existing guides that cover the same content, possibly in a much more comprehensive manner.

In this section, we'll cover the fundamental aspects of the game. If you're already familiar with the game, feel free to skip this section and proceed to Section 2.

To increase your chances of winning, it's essential to have a good understanding of your province, as it serves as a primary source of income necessary for maintaining your armies.



1.1.1 Summary
List the province's allegiance. Hovering over the percentage will display further information about the influencing factors.

1.1.2 Public Order
Shows the happiness level in a province, including both positive and negative factors. Hovering over the icons will provide additional details.

There are many things that affect the happiness of a province, here are the following list that I can remember:

• + Garrison Level
  
• + Number of units stationed inside the Town (More units lead to higher happiness)
  
• + Agents
  
• + Daimyo Honour (Having high Daimyo Honour)
  
• + Generals traits
  
• + Art Masteries
  
• + Events (Temporary)
  
• - Tax (The higher the tax-rate the higher the unhappiness)
  
• - Number of territories (The more territories the higher the base unrest in conquered towns)
  
• - Daimyo Honour (Having low Daimyo Honour caps at -2)
  
• - Newly conquered province (Decrease by 1 each turn to a fixed amount based on territories)
  
• - Modernisation (based on the buildings within the province)

Negative happiness will result in mounting unrest then rebel if the issue remains unresolved. Player usually has one turn to handle unrest before rebel.

1.1.3 Wealth
Shows Province Wealth, Tax Rate and the Income generate by that particular province.

Farm and Commerce are base income and will always stay the same unless the player decided to demolish/upgrade the building in question.

1.1.3.1 Town
This value will increase or decrease each turn based on the Town's Growth. A province with a high "Town" Value will generate more income. Looting will greatly damage a province's "Town" but provide a lot of Koku.

1.1.3.2 Province Wealth
Display the total amount of Wealth the province possesses.

1.1.3.3 Tax Rate
Display the tax rate in that particular province. Hovering over the percentage will provide further information on what factors affect the Tax Rate in that province.

1.1.4.4 Income
Indicates how much money you will receive from the province each turn.

1.1.5 Town Growth
Display the positive and negative factors that determine whether the Town Growth will increase or decrease each turn.

Note: Some events, such as unrest or random events, can significantly reduce Town Growth.

The next essential step is to understand Finance, as it plays a pivotal role in making critical decisions that can either lead to success or failure.

1.2.1 Taxes


Here, you will receive an overview of your clan's overall happiness in each province, along with the corresponding tax levels, as well as a listing of your clan's income and expenses.

• Green indicates happiness above 1.
  
• Yellow indicates happiness at 0.
  
• Red indicates Happiness is below 0 and will cause Unrest then Rebel if left unresolved.
  
• Black indicates the province is exempt from taxes.

Consider exempting a province from taxes to help improve PO, this will also let you move on with your army faster. This is important in the beginning of RD.

1.2.2 Trade


1.2.2.1 Resources
Displays your clan's current production, imports, and items yet to acquire.
Hovering over the icon reveals the quantity of the specific product being traded. A product with 100% export indicates that all of it is being traded, this is also what you want to achieve to make the most money out of it. It also displays how much the product is worth.

1.2.2.2 Trade Partners
Display whom you are trading with, whether by sea or land and how much you make from the trade. A boat icon means trading by sea else a cart means trade by land. A stroke on the boat icon indicates a blocked port, resulting in no trading income for either party.

Note that the longer you’re in trade with the other party the more income it will generate and also has a positive effect in Diplomacy.

When negotiating a trade deal, consider selling it instead of merely accepting it. This approach can yield additional koku. In some cases, you may also need to purchase trade deals.

1.2.3 Summary


A more comprehensive breakdown of your clan's income and expenses. The tab provides the following information:

• Current Expected Income and Expenses.
  
• Previous Turn's Income and Expenses.

This allows you to track your financial performance over time and make informed decisions.

For the next step we are going to look into the Diplomacy to get a better understanding.

While playing FoTS Pro-Imperial/Shogunate, I do not feel diplomacy plays a majour part at all but more of "it's just there for the sake of being there", unlike RoTS where diplomacy plays a majour part. Maybe diplomacy is more important if you go your own path?



On this tab you will get an overview of your clan’s power, current standing amongst other clans, allies, trade partner, vassals, enemies and the information of the other clan in question.

• White means your provinces.
  
• Green means friendly (The darker the green the more they like you).
  
• Red means hostile (The darker the red the more they hate you and if there's a double sword crossed it means you're at war).

1.3.1 Power
This display your clan’s Military Power and plays an important part whether or not another clan will declare war on you. The weaker your Military Power the more likely the AI will declare war on you.

1.3.2 Attitude
Display your standing towards the clan in question, whether or not they like you, neutral or not.

1.3.3 Temperament
The playstyle of the clan in question, whether they play defensively or aggressively. By defensively they are more prone to defend their provinces than expand, while aggressively are more likely to declare war on other clans to expand their territory.

1.3.4 Integrity
The reputation of that clan in question. The higher (Dependable) the reputation the more likely they will assist you in battle if ally and stand by your side in the event of some other clan declares war on you. However, this is closely tied to their attitude toward your clan. The lower the reputation (Questionable/Treacherous) the more likely they will backstab you.

Before we delve further into the guide, it’s important to understand your clan and how to manage it effectively.



1.4.1 Summary
Here you will get an overview of your clan, such as its trait, victory condition, fame, diplomacy, mission etc.

1.4.1.1 Clans Trait
Here lists the current trait of your clan, each clan has a fixed trait and more can be gained through masteries and events (Temporary for events).

1.4.1.2 Fame
How famous you are, this also determine what kind of threat the other clan sees you as. The higher the fame, the higher are you as a threat to the other clan. Once reaching Legendary, most clan if not all will declare war on you unless you managed to keep them on the good side. Or they are on the same side as you. Depending on the path you choose.

1.4.1.3 Details
Lists important information such as your capital (Stronghold), Allegiance, etc

1.4.1.4 Victory Condition
What you need to do to achieve victory.

1.4.1.5 Diplomacy
An overview of whom you’re ally with, your vassals, trade partners and enemies.

1.4.1.6 Current Mission
These are special mission that usually provide you with benefits if you decide to complete them.

1.4.2 Family & Council
Here lists an overview of your clan’s family tree and your generals. Your Daimyo’s Honour, your general’s royalty. Here you can also let go of a general if you wish and also arrange marriage for your daughter. Adopting etc.



The most important element in this section is the Commissions. There are only 4 Commissions, hovering over them will display further information.

The higher the level of the general, the higher are the benefits provide by the Commission. Each Commission provide a +1 to general loyalty to the general in question. However, if a general is strip from his Commission, he will suffer a -2 penalty to loyalty.

When adopting, creating a new general through event or recruit an enemy's general. All the existing general will gain -1 to their loyalty.

In this game, there are different types of agents, and they play a crucial role in your clan's success. However, the importance of each agent can vary depending on how the game unfolds.

Actions and Consequences:
When performing actions, if the action is a failure, incur a cost deduction of half the initial cost and the possibility of a Diplomacy Penalty (DP). If the action is successful, the full cost will be deducted, and there's still a chance of a Diplomacy Penalty (DP) occurring.

Agent Limitations:
Each town and army can accommodate a maximum of 3 agents. If a town or army has more than 1 General, only the first one is affected.

You can only employ a maximum of 5 agents of the same type. However, with the final level of specific buildings, you can increase this number by 1.

Choosing Targets Wisely:
When using agents, it's essential to use them selectively. Focus on enemies you intend to wage war against, plan to engage with, or are currently at war with. This is because it costs money and have the possibility of incurring Diplomacy Penalty.

Agents are powerful tools for controlling the enemy's movement and power. Although it might be costly in term of finance.

Agent Stealth:
Shinobi is the only agent that’s hidden by default from enemy unless discovered.

Agent Persistence:
Agents remain in your service for the entire playthrough unless they are killed. Once recruited, they stay with you until the end.

Skill Points:
At the maximum level, each agent possesses 9 skill points. Levels 2 and 3 grant 1 point each, levels 4 and 5 grant 2 points each, and level 6 grants 3 points.

Specialisation:
Specialising in a specific Skill Tree increases the chances of success in that area. However, specialisation doesn't prevent agents from performing their intended tasks. Depending on the situation, you might want to consider selecting different perks compared to the ones I recommend.

Agent Leveling:
To level an Agent effectively, find a town at the lowest level or an army with only one unit in it and perform the same action repeatedly until the desired level is reached. The reason for this is that the higher the level of the town, the more it will cost, and the less likely it is to succeed. The same goes for the army. This method can be costly, but it also allows you to level up your agents the fastest. Otherwise, you can simply assign them to an army or town, but they will level up much more slowly.

• Echant: Seduce an enemy's General or Agent to join your clan. Generals who join your clan through this way will suffer -1 loyalty, the lower the loyalty the higher the success rate.
  
• Inspire: Boost the morale of your army and probably increase the first General's loyalty by +1.
  
• Distract Army: Prevent the enemy's army from moving during the next turn, run away if attacked or join as reinforcement.
  
• Entertain Nobles: Add town growth to the province each turn while also gives +1 to royalty to the first General stationed within the town.

2.1.1 The use of Geisha
I consider there are 2 ways to specialise a Geisha but you can mix them however you want.

• Temptress - The Offensive Geisha: Use to distract, tempting (converting enemy General or Agent to your side) enemy and inspiring army.
  
• Entrepreneur - The Defensive Geisha: Use to boost town's growth and keep people happy.

2.1.2 Temptress
Useful to seduce high level General/Agent to join your cause, or to buy you enough time to mobilise an army to counter an invasion through distraction. Or increase your troops moral during battle and your General's loyalty. This can also be use to control enemie's movement and power. Through distraction one will prevent the enemy to reinforce critical area/conquer new provinces by denying their army’s movement. For this, chose the Blue Tree in the picture bellow, this will increase her chances when Distracting and Enchanting.

2.1.3 Entrepreneur:
Useful when wanting your town to grown faster, thus generate more income. With some point in the distraction tree this will also help her to distract army and buy you enough time to defend your province where she is presence. For this choose the Orange Tree in the picture bellow. This will also increase happiness in the province once certain skills are mastered (+2 to happiness). She can also boost income (10%) from business buildings clan wide once certain skill is mastered (This can stack up to 50% if all 5 Geisha mastered this skill).

2.1.4 Limitations and Strength

• Cannot enchant enemy's Geisha, Shingsengumi and Ishin shishi.
  
• Cannot seduce enemy's Agent if the maximum amount of X agent has been reached.
  
• Strong against Foreign Veterans.
  
• Weak against Shinobi.

I personally prefer Entrepreneur since she can boost a towns growth as well as giving clan wide income boost, this way in the long run she will generate a lot more income but also act as a last defence barrier to delay the enemy from conquering my most valuable province and give me time to prepare for counterattack.

• Establish Spy Network: Increase the province line of sight, enhance the chance to detect hidden armies or Agents, and reduce the chance of successful revolt incitement.
  
• Scout Army: Increase the army's line of sight and allow the army to march further.
  
• Spy (Passive): Reveal unit type and amount in an Army when in close proximity.
  
• Sabotage: Sabotage a building or an Army. If used on a building, it remains disabled until repaired. When targeting an army, it prevents the Army from moving for one turn, run away if attacked or join as reinforcement and causing casualties.
  
• Assassination: Assassinate a General or Agent, effectively removing them from the campaign.

2.2.1 The use of Shinobi
I don't really consider there exist any special build when it comes to Shinobi, so spec him as you wish.

Playing as Pro-Imperial/Shogunate, I don't use Shinobi that much or at all. This is because there are Faction Specific Agent and Foreign Veteran, and Shinobi also requires an additional building that I do not consider in my playstyle.

If there must be a build, then I would probably build him somewhere in the middle of everything he's good at. For this go with the Blue Tree.

2.2.2 Strength and Weakness

• Vulneable against Faction specific agent
  
• Strong against Geisha

• Rally Populace: Increase happiness of the province based on the province's allegiance. The higher the allegiance toward your faction the more happiness.
  
• Persuade: Persuade the enemy's army to join your faction, typically leading to the majority of their units joining your cause.
  
• Instil Fervour: Increase the Charge ability of units within the embedded army.
  
• Incite Revolt: Incite rebellion within a province.
  
• Assassinate: Remove enemy Agents or Generals from the campaign.

2.3.1 The use of Ishin Shishi
There are two ways of specialising Ishin Shishi:

• Assassination/Revolt
  
• Influence/Persuasion

2.3.2 Assassination/Revolt
Useful when wanting to weaken an enemy without the need of going to war. Can even wipe out an entire Clan if do correctly, and getting rid of troublesome character such as high level General or Agents. For this build go with the Orange Tree.

2.3.3 Influence/Persuasion
Useful when wanting to spread allegiance faster and happier populace. With persuation, you can buy up their army and then use it to defend your province or conquer their province, note that going this route cost a lot of money. For this go with the Blue Tree.

2.3.4 Strength and Weakness

• Strong against Shinobi (Detect Shinobi) and Foreign Veterans.

I personally prefer both builds. In this case, you can choose the primary branch of each tree. This approach enhances your ability to incite revolts effectively, as his presence in enemy provinces decreases Public Order (PO) by -5 as well as it increases his chances of success. Additionally, it allows him to effectively assassinate enemy Agents and Generals. Furthermore, he provides clan-wide happiness (+1 to PO and stacks with multiple agents) and locally boosts it by +3. If needed, you can embed him within an army to march further, increase charges, and, simultaneously, aid in province conversion much more effectively.

• Subdue Dissidents: Increase repression of the province based on the province's allegiance. The higher the allegiance towards the enemy faction the higher the repression.
  
• Coerce: Coerce the enemy's army to join your faction, typically leading to the majority of their units joining your cause.
  
• Instil Discipline: Increase melee defence of units within the embedded army.
  
• Incite Revolt: Incite rebellion within a province.
  
• Assassinate: Remove enemy Agents or Generals from the campaign.

2.4.1 The use of Shinsengumi
There are two ways of specialising Ishin Shishi:

• Assassination/Revolt
  
• Influence/Coerce

2.4.2 Assassination/Revolt
Useful when wanting to weaken an enemy without the need of going to war. Can even wipe out an entire Clan if do correctly, and getting rid of troublesome character such as high level General or Agents. For this build go with the Orange Tree.

2.4.3 Influence/Coerce
Useful when wanting to spread the allegiance faster and happier populace. With coercering, you can buy upp their army and then use it to defend your province or conquer their province, note that going this route cost a lot of money. For this go with the Blue Tree. For this go with the Blue Tree

2.4.4 Strength and Weakness

• Strong against Shinobi (Detect Shinobi) and Foreign Veterans.

I personally prefer both builds. In this case, you can choose the primary branch of each tree. This approach enhances your ability to incite revolts effectively, as his presence in enemy provinces decreases Public Order (PO) by -5 as well as it increases his chances of success. Additionally, it allows him to effectively assassinate enemy Agents and Generals. Furthermore, he provides clan-wide repression (+1 to PO and stacks with multiple agents) and locally boosts it by +3. If needed, you can embed him within an army to increase melee defence, and, simultaneously, aid in province conversion much more effectively.

• Supervise Recruitment: Decreases recruitment cost and increases troops' experience over time.
  
• Train Troops: Increases troops' experience over time.
  
• Sabotage Building: Damages and disables the targeted building until repaired.
  
• Harass: Causes attrition and reduces enemy morale.
  
• Challenge to Combat: Attempts to kill the enemy General or Agent in a duel.

2.5.1 The use of Ishin Foreign Veteran
There are two ways of specialising Foreign Veteran:

• Duel/Harrass
  
• Supervise

2.5.2 Duel/Harrass
Useful when taking out troublesome General and Agents as well as weaken the army before battle. For this build go with the Blue Tree.

2.5.3 Supervise
Useful to train troops in the Military province as well as your army. For this build go with the Orange Tree.

2.5.4 Strength and Weakness

• Weak against Geisha

I personally prefer both builds. In this case, you can choose the primary branch of each tree. Depending on the situation, I might consider swapping the last two masteries (Guerrilla and Seasoned Fighter) for Accuracy and Marksmanship. This trade-off makes your infantry more lethal and improves the accuracy of your navy's bombardment. However, it comes at the cost of making your Agent more susceptible to enemy actions and weakening their ability to perform assassinations, harass, and supervise. This build also reduces the upkeep of the embedded army by 15%.

To have a strong economy is crucial in this game because money can solve almost, if not all, of your problems. It will also enable you to cover all your expenses, regardless of your playstyle.

In this game, I typically categorize the economy into three parts:

• Tax: Revenue generated from taxing provinces.
  
• Trade: Wealth acquired through trade with other clans and the Western.
  
• Temporary Income: Wealth obtained from temporary sources, such as raids, selling trade rights, sacking a province, or selling military rights, etc.

When it comes to provinces, they are generally divided into two types: Economy and Military. Build military structures exclusively in Military provinces, as this ensures you have enough koku to cover your expenses.

Before we go any further into economy, we have first to talk about the economy buildings in this game since they are more or less your main income.

Please note that when it comes to the last tier upgrade, you can only upgrade it once (The Inn and Cottage Industry). This means you can only have one building of each type unless the province you conquer already has one.

The Koku, Growth, Happiness and Modernisation listed here are what you will gain if you were to build said building. Also I usually count tax as 28%.

3.1.1.1 Inn
When opting for the Market chain for the Inn, I consider it to generate 0 public order, as the happiness and unhappiness cancel each other out.


3.1.1.2 Cottage

3.1.2.1 Farm
For farms, the values listed here represent their base values without any multipliers. In fertile or very fertile regions, you can take the base number and multiply it by 2 or 3, respectively, to calculate the final wealth the farm generates.


3.1.2.2 Dock

In this game there exist province specific building and I'll call them special buildings. Most of the province has them.

I'll divide them into 3 sections; Cost Reduction Buildings, Commerce Buildings and Military Buildings.

3.2.1.1 Clay Chain building:

• Generate some wealth (100, 200, (400, 600))
  
• Generate some growth (1, 2, (5, 3))
  
• Reduce building cost (5%, 10%, 15% on province and 5% clan wide)
  
• Can give modernisation (3)
  
• Can induce happiness penalty (-2)

Even though it stacks with multiple Clay Chain Buildings (Clan-wide), and if one were to build it to the highest tier before constructing mid-game buildings, it would mostly break even or yield a small gain. However, I personally don't see its worth. This is because, after the Real Divide (RD), the clan generates so much koku that this building becomes obsolete due to the abundance of money. Nonetheless, do consider upgrading it to the maximum tier if you have extra funds to spare, as it can save you some money when constructing buildings in newly conquered provinces.

3.2.1.2 Coal Mining Chain building:

• Generate some wealth (200, 400, 600)
  
• Generate some growth (1, 2, 5, 3)
  
• Reduce ship cost (5%, 10%, 15% on province and 1% clan wide)
  
• Generate modernisation (2, 3)
  
• Induce happiness penalty (-1, -2)
  
• Generate coal to trade

Before starting to build a navy, it's advisable to upgrade the Coal Mining Chain to its maximum level. The base wealth it generates will typically cover most of the garrison units needed to offset the public order penalty, with only a slight loss. Additionally, it's worth noting that this chain produces coal, which commands the highest price in the game, and it also contributes to growth.

Therefore, consider maxing it out in 1-2 provinces where you plan to establish a Navy Military Base. The more navy bases you have, the faster you can assemble a navy fleet. As for surplus provinces, if you're trading coal at 100%, feel free to upgrade to the next tier. However, if you're not, it's best to leave it as it is, as the public order penalty may not make it worthwhile.

3.2.1.3 Copper Mining Chain building:

• Generate some wealth (100, 200, (400, 600))
  
• Generate some growth (1, 2, (5, 3))
  
• Reduce mordern unit cost (5%, 10%, 15% on province and 5% clan wide)
  
• Can give modernisation (3)
  
• Can induce happiness penalty (-2)
  
• Generate copper to trade

Copper Mining Chain building is questionable, it might be good to upgrade but can also be a waste of money.

Before considering an upgrade to tier 2, it's essential to evaluate your copper trade. If you're trading copper at 100%, then it's worth upgrading to the next tier. However, if you're not, there's no need to bother. The wealth it generates doesn't significantly impact your Net Tax, and the growth it provides is minimal.

The advantage of upgrading lies in reducing the cost of modern units, and at the highest tier, it grants a 5% clan-wide discount. These discounts stack if you have multiple Copper Mining buildings. However, the drawback is that reaching the max tier is costly, and the discounts may not justify the expense, and you should recruit units in a province with a blacksmith.

If, by chance, you're still trading copper at 100% even after the tier 2 upgrade, then consider upgrading to tier 3. Opt for the upgrade that doesn't impose a public order penalty since modernization is generally not a concern. This will increase your trade income, contribute slightly to Net Tax, and grant you the discount bonus.

3.2.1.4 Iron Mining Chain building:

• Generate some wealth (100, 200, (400, 600))
  
• Generate some growth (1, 2, (5, 3))
  
• Reduce building cost (5%, 10%, 15% on province and 5% clan wide)
  
• Can give modernisation (3)
  
• Can induce happiness penalty (-2)
  
• Generate Iron to trade

For Iron Mining Chain, it’s the same as Copper Chain.

3.2.1.5 Holy Site:

• Increase unit's charge (5, 10, 15)
  
• Reduce Traditional unit cost (5%, 10%, 15% on province and 5% clan wide)
  
• Reduce modernisation (-1, -2)

I have no opinion of Holy Site since I I do not even use it at all.

3.2.2.1 Gold Mining Chain:

• Generate wealth (800, 1400, (1700, 2000))
  
• Can give modernisation (3)
  
• Can induce happiness penalty (-2)

I recommend upgrading the Gold Mine to at least tier 2, as the cost-to-revenue ratio is good. However, when considering tier 3, it's essential to exercise caution due to the substantial upgrade cost and the relatively modest increase in wealth generation from tier 2 to tier 3.

Consider upgrading it to the maximum tier only if you have surplus funds available. Before upgrading, be sure to assess your province's public order (PO). When upgrading to tier 3, you'll have the option to choose between a wealth gain of 300 koku or 600 koku with a PO penalty of 2. This translates to a Net Tax of 84 koku and 168 koku, respectively. If you select the 600 koku option when your PO is at 0, you may incur a loss, as you'll need to allocate resources for garrison units as well as paying 40% extra in term of construction cost.

3.2.2.2 Silk Chain:

• Generate wealth (350, 700, 1000)
  
• Generate some growth (1, 2)
  
• Generate Silk to trade

I recommend upgrading the Silk Chain to at least tier 2 due to its excellent cost-to-revenue ratio. Additionally, this upgrade provides more silk for trade, allowing you to generate even more koku without any constraints.

As for the final tier, it's essential to assess your trade situation. If you're trading silk at 100%, then it's advisable to proceed with upgrading this building to the highest tier, especially if you have surplus koku to spare.

3.2.2.3 Tea Chain:

• Generate some wealth (400, 700, 1000)
  
• Generate some growth (1, 2)
  
• Can give modernisation (3)
  
• Can induce happiness penalty (-2)
  
• Generate Tea to trade

I recommend upgrading the Tea Chain to at least tier 2 due to its excellent cost-to-revenue ratio. However, when contemplating the final tier, exercise caution. It's essential to assess both your trade situation and your province's public order (PO) before proceeding.

If you're trading tea at 100% and your province's PO is in the positive, then it's advisable to upgrade. However, if these conditions are not met, refrain from upgrading, as it will result in a PO penalty of 2, necessitating additional units for garrison and causing a loss of 114 koku in Net Tax

3.2.2.4 Smuggling Chain building:

• Generate some wealth (300, 500, 900)
  
• Generate growth (4, 8, 12)
  
• +1 to geisha rank

As for the Smuggling Chain, I don't find it to have a favorable cost-to-revenue ratio. While it does provide a significant amount of growth, the initial wealth it generates is relatively low. Therefore, I recommend upgrading it only if you have extra koku to spare.

3.2.3.1 Blacksmith:

• Increase unit's accuracy (5, 10, 20)
  
• Can increase/decrease modernisation (3/-2)
  
• Can induce happiness penalty (-2)

I strongly recommend upgrading the Blacksmith to the last tier and choosing the option that provides a 20 accuracy bonus. This enhancement will significantly increase the lethality of your units. Even if it comes with a public order penalty, the benefits it brings are well worth it.

3.2.3.2 Railway Chain:

• Generate some wealth (200, 460, 900)
  
• Generate growth (4, 8, 12)
  
• Induce PO penalty (-1, -2)
  
• Give modernisation (2, 4)

I recommend upgrading the Railway to the second tier. As for the final tier, if you have extra funds to spare, it's worth considering an upgrade to the last tier. The reasoning behind this is that the second tier allows for swift mobilization of your army and agents, typically requiring only 2-3 stops depending on the unit type, with each stop covering about 2 provinces. This feature is especially crucial for clans located on the mainland.

The Net Tax should help offset most of the costs for the new units needed for garrison due to the public order penalty, and there is also growth. With enough time, the growth should cover these expenses.

Mastering the right arts at the right time is critical for your campaign, as these arts not only provide bonuses to your clan but also unlock better units and more. It's important to note that, unlike the base game Shogun and RoTS, I find most arts in this game to be useful, although some hold greater importance than others.

4.1 Civil Policy
This section not only boosts your economy but also unlocks Western units, additional military buildings, and provides bonuses to tax and tax reduction.

In most cases, I would recommend focusing your attention on this tree, at least to acquire the arts that I consider important.

Arts that I deem crucial in the Civil Policy tree are marked with Blue. For the Orange Tree, they are additional arts that’s good depending on the situation. Take these if you want to spread your influence faster or want your Geisha to succeed more etc.

4.2 Military Policy
This section allows you to upgrade higher-tier military buildings, thereby unlocking access to better units for recruitment.

I would recommend focusing on this tree only after you have researched the majority of important arts in the Civil Tree.

Those that I consider to be important here in the Military Policy are marked with Red.

I will divide the game into 5 phases, early, early+, mid, mid+ and late game. Here I'll go through what I consider is good to build during those phases and will try to explain their pros and cons.

Also note that I'll use shortened terms to make it easier to write the guide so here they are:

• Koku (k)
  
• Growth (g)
  
• Happiness (h)
  
• Modernisation (m)
  
• Generally tax is around 28%

To keep public order, I'll use the lowest upkeep unit which is 98 koku.

This phase marks the beginning of the game and is critically important because establishing a strong foundation is vital for success in Legendary mode. Typically, you start with just one province, and after conquering two additional provinces, your fame level will increase to the next tier. It's worth noting that provinces you capture beyond the first three will have a base Resistance to Invader (RTI) value of -1. Please be aware that if you don't let the RTI runs out (which decreases 1 each turn) for your first two provinces, they will also have a base RTI value of -1. The fame cap during this early game phase is six provinces, and as your fame increases, so will the RTI penalties.

For the sake of this early game analysis, let's assume you have a total of six provinces. Additionally, I'll consider that you've researched the first happiness technology to counteract any unhappiness.

Please note that famous battles counts towards your fame such as Heroic victory and might not align with provinces count for fame.

5.1.1 Happiness
Public order is crucial in this game as it directly affects your economy and also keeps your provinces in check; otherwise, there will be revolts.

Public Order (PO):

• Stronghold: 4
  
• Technology: 1
  
• Total: 5

Public Order Penalty:

• Resistance to invader: -1
  
• Tax: -4
  
• Total: -5

Final PO: 0

5.1.2 General Buildings (GB)
The buildings I consider to be the foundation across different builds.

Port + Subsistence Farming:
Total: 550k, 2g, 0h, 0m

5.1.3 Specialise Buildings (SB)

Inn:
Toltal: 360k, 0g, 1h, 0m
Final (GB + SB + PO): 910k, 0g, 1h, 0m
Gross Tax: 910 * 0,28 = 255k
Public Order Upkeep: 0k
Net Tax: 255 - 0 = 255k

Cottage Industry:
Toltal: 560k, 0g, -1h, 1m
Final (GB + SB + PO): 1110k, 2g, -1h, 1m
Gross Tax: 1110 * 0,28 = 311k
Public Order Upkeep: 98 * 1 = 98k
Net Tax: 311 - 98 = 213k

Note: If you're playing a faction that start with 1 province then this phase gives you +1 surplus in happiness if you researched the tech that gives happiness. Which means Cottage Industry gives the most Net Tax here.

5.1.4 Analyse
Keep in mind that this is the early game, and for now, you only have one building slot available. This means you'll need to choose between constructing an Inn or a Cottage Industry.

As you can see, if you were to build Inn in every province in early game you won’t be able to advance to the next level of technology as it lacks modernisation and it’s game over for you.

Then what about Cottage Industry? It gives a bit of modernisation, surely it’s a good call, since it allows you to advance to unlock the next level of technology but also counts towards your Military Might since you now have to recruit 1 units for garrison, so it's good right?

5.1.5 Conclusion
In this phase, you start with only one province and will soon get your third provinces, and since you'll need one to build a military building, you're left with two provinces so I recommend the following:

Second Province: Build an Inn, but do not upgrade it at this stage. I'll explain why in the later phases of the game. This choice will maximize your income without requiring additional funds to purchase garrison units. Instead, you can recruit units to strengthen your army for conquering other provinces.

Third Province: Consider constructing a Cottage Industry. The reason for this choice is that you'll need the Inn in the second province to let you move on to conquer the third province faster but also you might need Modernisation to unlock the next tier Art if you're taking your time, else consider building an Inn here as well.

Once you've secured three provinces, take a moment to plan your strategy. Aim to reduce the Resistance to Invader (RTI) to 0 by the time you conquer the fourth province. This approach allows your army to replenish its strength before moving on to conquer the fourth province. In some situations, if RTI has not reached 0 and the opportunity arrises to capture the fourth province with minimal resistance then by all means go ahead.

Beyond that (Referring to province 4+) build Cottage Industry as needed to unlock the next tier of technology. This choice also contributes to your Military Might and will have a significant impact on other clans, influencing their decisions on whether or not to declare war against you.

Regarding Ports, they require an initial investment to upgrade and do not generate direct wealth. However, they enable sea trade with other clans, providing a substantial income boost of approximately 100-150 Net Koku during the early game. This can be a significant source of revenue.

This phase builds upon our early game phase, and at this point, the Resistance to Invader (RTI) will be at -2, indicating that you now control approximately 9 provinces.

I'll assume you have reached tier 2 of technology with a PO penalty of -1 and you have also researched the related technology that provides another +1 to PO, effectively canceling out the penalty.

I'll also assume you now have upgrade your Stronghold to Fortress and Town to Large Town.

5.2.1 Happiness
Here I will also assume you have unlocked tier 3 of technology already which gives a penalty of -2 to PO, but also have researched the PO related technology that gives another +1 to PO.

Public Order (PO):

• Technology: 2
  
• Fortress: 6
  
• Total: 8

Public Order Penalty:

• Resistance to invader: -2
  
• Tax: -4
  
• Large Town: -1
  
• Technology: -2
  
• Total: -9

Final PO: -1

5.2.2 General Buildings (GB)
Port + Subsistence Farming:
Total: 550k, 2g, 0h, 0m

5.2.3 Specialise Buildings (SB)

Gambling Den:
Toltal: 600k, 1g, 2h, -1m
Final (GB + SB + PO): 1150k, 3g, 1h, -1m
Gross Tax: 1150 * 0,28 = 322k
Public Order Upkeep: 0k
Net Tax: 322 - 0 = 322k

Market:
Toltal: 720k, 2g, 0h, 1m
Final (GB + SB + PO): 1270k, 4g, -1h, 1m
Gross Tax: 1270 * 0,28 = 356k
Public Order Upkeep: 98 * 1 = 98k
Net Tax: 356 - 98 = 255k

5.2.4 Analyse
With this phase we will be upgrade the Inn and as you can see Gambling Den (BD) gives the most gain from our Inn at 255 koku to 322 koku. However, what about modernisation? It does give -1 to modernisation. Doesn’t this mean game over? Since we can’t unlock the next technology tier?

Then Market should be an obvious choice. Although it only gives a Net Tax gain of 3 koku from our Inn, but it gives 1 modernisation and count towards our Military Might since we need a unit to maintain PO as well as more growth. Right?

5.2.5 Conclusion
While the Market seems like a tempting choice at this phase due to its additional growth, it's worth considering that in the long run, it won't generate as much money as the Gambling Den (GD). This is because the GD provides a surplus to happiness, eliminating the need for additional units for garrison duty. Consequently, you'll gain more in net tax with the GD compared to the Market.

The drawback of GD here is modernisation since it gives us negative value, however, before upgrading the Inn be sure to upgrade the Town to Large Town, this will give you +1 modernisation and 1 additional slot which will let you build Cottage on previously provinces that only has Inn. Large Town does give -1 to happiness but GD does give you +2 to happiness so it will cancel each other out. With this your modernisation shouldn’t be an issue.

Once you have upgraded the Inn or build Cottage don’t forget to upgrade the Stronghold to Fortress as Fortress gives 2PO which will prepare us for the next phase. With this you will get a Net PO of 1 otherwise you will be at -1 PO and thus require unit for garrison which means less unit to conquer other provinces.

This phase builds upon our early phase, and the Resistance to Invader (RTI) here will be at -3. This indicates that you are in control of approximately 12 provinces, giving you a comfortable margin before reaching Realm Divide (RD).

5.3.1 Happiness
As you proceed with upgrades, you will eventually reach the last tier of technology, which imposes a penalty of -3 to Public Order (PO). To account for this, let's assume the worst-case scenario. I'll also assume that you've researched the PO-related technology, which provides an additional +2 to PO. Additionally, I'll assume that you have upgraded all your ports to Trading Ports, except for the Navy Base, which will will be a Military Port, and Subsistence Farming has been upgraded to Tenant Fields.

Public Order (PO):

• Technology: 4
  
• Fortress: 6
  
• Total: 10

Public Order Penalty:

• Resistance to invader: -3
  
• Tax: -4
  
• Large Town: -1
  
• Technology: -3
  
• Total: -11

Final PO: -1

5.3.2 General Buildings (GB)
Trading Port + Tenant Fields:
Total: 1600k, 6g, -1h, 2m

5.3.3 Specialise Buildings (SB)

Financial District (FD) + Cotton Weaving Shed (CWS):
Toltal: 2460k, 7g, -2h, 5m
Final (GB + SB + PO): 4060k, 13g, -4h, 7m
Gross Tax: 4060 * 0.28 = 1137k
Public Order Upkeep: 98 * 4 = 392k
Net Tax: 1137 - 392 = 745k

Richi Mahjong Parlour (RMP) + Cotton Weaving Shed (CWS):
Toltal: 2200k, 5g, 1h, 2m
Final (GB + SB + PO): 3800k, 11g, -1h, 4m
Gross Tax: 3800 * 0.28 = 1064k
Public Order Upkeep: 98 * 1 = 98k
Net Tax: 1064 - 98 = 966k

Financial District (FD) + Craft Workshop (CW):
Toltal: 2510k, 5g, -1h, 4m
Final (GB + SB + PO): 4110k, 11g, -3h, 6m
Gross Tax: 4110 * 0.28 = 1151k
Public Order Upkeep: 98 * 3 = 294k
Net Tax: 1151 - 294 = 857k

Richi Mahjong Parlour (RMP) + Craft Workshop (CW):
Toltal: 2250k, 3g, 2h, 1m
Final (GB + SB + PO): 3850k, 9g, 0h, 3m
Gross Tax: 3850 * 0.28 = 1078k
Public Order Upkeep: 98 * 0 = 0k
Net Tax: 1078 - 0 = 1078k

Financial District (FD) + Silk Weaving Shed (SWS):
Toltal: 2560k, 4g, -1h, 3m
Final (GB + SB + PO): 4160k, 10g, -3h, 5m
Gross Tax: 4110 * 0.28 = 1165k
Public Order Upkeep: 98 * 3 = 294k
Net Tax: 1165 - 294 = 871k

Richi Mahjong Parlour (RMP) + Silk Weaving Shed (SWS):
Toltal: 2300k, 2g, 2h, 0m
Final (GB + SB + PO): 3900k, 8g, 0h, 2m
Gross Tax: 3900 * 0.28 = 1092k
Public Order Upkeep: 98 * 0 = 0k
Net Tax: 1092 - 0 = 1092k

5.3.4 Result

FD + CWS vs FD + CW vs FD + SWS:
FDCWS Net Tax = 745k, 13g, 7m (Before PO: 1137k -4PO cost 400k more compare to CW)
FDCW Net Tax = 857k, 11g, 6m (Before PO: 1151k -3PO)
FDSWS Net Tax = 871k 10g, 5m (Before PO: 1165k -3PO cost 300k more compare to CW)

RMP + CWS vs RMP + CW vs RMP + SWS
RMPCWS Net Tax = 966k, 11g, 4m (Before PO: 1064k -1PO cost 400k more compare to CW)
RMPCW Net Tax = 1078k, 9g, 3m (Before PO: 1078k 0PO)
RMPSWS Net Tax = 1092k, 8g, 2m (Before PO: 1092k 0PO cost 300k more compare to CW)

5.3.5 Analyse
As you can see, building FDresults in the least net tax, but it contributes significantly to your Military Might. This is because you'll need to recruit a substantial number of units to garrison your province and maintain public order. On the other hand, RMP provides more net tax but contributes less to your Military Might since fewer units are required to maintain public order.

There is, however, one more Public Order (PO) Mastery that grants +2 PO. If you were to master it, then the FD build would yield 943 (FDCWS), 1052 (FDCW), and 1066 (FDSWS), respectively.It's important to note that building an FD costs 600 koku more than an RMP. Even with the last Mastery granting +2 PO, the FD still generates less net tax compared to the RMP. Despite the FD providing an additional two points of growth, it doesn't outshine the RMP in terms of cost and revenue.

However, if you have an Agent that provides +1 clan-wide happiness or a Daimyo with high honor (6 points), granting a +2 PO (4 points yield +1, and 6 points yield +2, which can be earned from Heroic Victory and Masteries), then you might consider opting for the FD build, as it will provide the highest income.

5.3.6 Conclusion
In this phase, you have the choice between building RMPCWS, RMPCW, or RMPSWS. One option yields less Net Tax but offers more modernization and growth, while the other provides a higher Net Tax return. For my preference, I opt for RMPCW, despite its slightly lower growth. The reason behind this choice is that in the next tier, regardless of the initial build, Cottage Industry will be upgraded to a Factory anyway. Not to mention this build is the cheapest of all builds as well.

As for FD build, I don't consider it to be that good, while it counts toward your military might but you will end up with a lot of units that you can't "use" because they have to garrison your province and they are not strong enough to prevent an attack since the AI will come with full force. But also they gives less Net Tax imo. While RMP gives happiness, which makes it more flexibel for you and when conquering new provinces you can also move on faster. Another reason is due to Market, FD and CWS cost more too build and takes 1 turn longer to complete compared to their counterparts. Thus, you will have to pay for the price differences and losing income of 1 turn as well.

Example: FD takes 7 turns to complete and cost 600 koku more compared to RMP which takes 6 turns and 600 koku less, if we translate this into profit it would be you losing 1 turn of income from RMP which is an addition of 400 * 0,28 = 112, which gives us a total differences of 712 koku loss. However, FD does gives 73 (Best case senario) koku more each turn and also a 2 more growth. This means the differences will become null at about 10 turns, with growth taking in consideration. Which means any money after 10 turns after it's being built means more income. And the game usually last for about 180 turns for me. That's when I have all the whole Japan either Pro-shogunate or Pro-Imperial.

Note: Consider upgrade to Commercial Farming (CF) at this phase on provinces that are fertile or very fertile since it multiplies the income by 2 respectively 3. This means Tenant Fields that gives 900 koku actually gives 1800 koku respectively 2700 koku. Upgrading to CF gives a base of +500 koku so multiple that by 2 or 3 and you will end up with 1000-1500 extra koku (Brutto Tax). Be sure to upgrade the farm in the order of fertility, so very fertile, fertile, etc.

This phase is a bit special because there are a few ways to go at it. You can either go with upgrading Tenant Fields (TF) to Commercial Farming (CF) and Cottage build to Factory. Or upgrade your Large Town to City and build Police Station and upgrade it to Magistrate. Or skip this phase all together and just save up some koku for RD.

When you’re at this phase try to be at peace, preferably not at war with any clan at all. This is because at this phase we are preparing for RD. Strike peace is the most important here and not to enter RD at any cost. Public Order from the previous phase applies. I'll also assume you have researched the necessary tech needed for Factory.

5.4.1 General Buildings (GB)
Trading Port + Commercial Farming:
Total: 2100k, 7g, -2h, 3m

5.4.2 Specialise Buildings (SB)

Financial District (FD) + Factory (F):
Toltal: 2960k, 9g, -2h, 5m
Final (GB + SB + PO): 5060k, 16g, -5h, 8m
Gross Tax: 5060 * 0.28 = 1417k
Public Order Upkeep: 98 * 5 = 294k
Net Tax: 1417 - 490 = 927k

Richi Mahjong Parlour (RMP) + Factory (F):
Toltal: 2700k, 7g, 1h, 2m
Final (GB + SB + PO): 4800k, 14g, -2h, 5m
Gross Tax: 4800 * 0.28 = 1344k
Public Order Upkeep: 98 * 2 = 196k
Net Tax: 1344 - 196 = 1148k

5.4.3 City and Magistrate
When upgradde Large Town to City you will earn;

• 2m
  
• -1h
  
• 2% tax

While Magistrate gives;

• 2PO
  
• +1 to agent (Ishin Shishi/Shisengumi)

This means we will go surplus on PO by 1 and +2% on tax, which gives us on a province that has about 4000 koku in wealth of a extra Net Tax about 80 koku. Please remember that during the construction of Police Station you will suffer a -1PO, so be sure to have a surplus of PO before upgrading the town.

5.4.4 Result
FD + F vs RMP + F:
FDF Net Tax = 927k, 16g, 8m
RMPF Net Tax = 1148k, 14g, 5m

5.4.5 Conclusion
Since we went with RMP the FD build is already obsolete because as you can see here RMPF gives a much higher net tax compared to FDF, this means less unit station inside a province and more unit for army to conquer other provinces.

Depending on whether you build RMPCWS or RMPCW you might want to consider skip upgrading to Factory and CF but instead upgrade your Large Town to City and Build Police Station then upgrade to Magistrate instead.

Alternatively you can mix these 2, on provinces previously build RMPCWS you can go ahead and upgrade to Factory and CF since this will gives the most Net Tax, while on provinces you previously build RMPCW then go ahead and upgrade Large Town to City and Magistrate instead, since this allows for conversion (and) recruit agent. Depending your path.

I would advise to go with City and Magistrate if you're going to switch side. This will help you restore PO the fastest but also allows to recruit agent depending on the path you choose.

You can also decide to skip this phase and just save money for RD which reduce the length of the game quite a bit.

For me, I would probably build Magistrate on 1-2 provinces instead of cottage since I will not change side, this will also let me have 1-2 agents. Once RD kicks in I'll always build police station on newly conquered provinces anyway to help with PO and there I can then recruit agents if I so desire. This means I will skip this phase and build Factory if I have koku to spare or needed it. Usually I will just sack a few provinces right at the start of RD which should gives me 1-2 hundred thousands koku in about 1-2 season.

This phase means we are entering RD and are ready for it. It's time to conquer JAPAN!

Here just go ahead and continue to upgrade the buildings you have already built to make even more income if you have money to spare, usually getting new province will give you quite a bit of extra net tax so continuing to upgrade your provinces is kind of unnecessary.

If you need a lot of koku then consider sacking the province which usually gives a lot of koku right away. Do note that doing so gives penalty to your Honour and high public unrest. However, Honour shouldn't be a problem since it can be earned through many different ways and sacking max out at -3 Honour. As for PO penalty, let the rebel take over the town and fight them again and reclaim it or also kill them before they take the town, this will give you about 5PO towards Military Crackdown and decreases by 1 each turn.

As mentioned previously, there are generally two types of provinces: Economy and Military. In this section, we'll focus on Military Provinces.

6.1 Tera Base
When developing Military Provinces, it's advisable to construct Military buildings in a province that combines a Blacksmith with a Training Camp upgrade to a Firing Range. This combination results in your modern units gaining a significant advantage with a total of 35 extra accuracy.

Additionally, consider building your Artillery units in this province, as they too will benefit from the increased accuracy, making them even deadlier. To achieve this, it's necessary to upgrade the military province to at least a City level. You should also contemplate upgrading the Stronghold to a Fortress for the extra repression, as modern buildings can result in a public order penalty.

6.2 Navy Base
When it comes to your navy, upgrading a Port to a Military Port and then to a Drydock in a province with a Coal Mining facility is recommended. This upgrade path reduces the cost required to recruit ships, ultimately saving you money, as naval units can be quite expensive. However, having 1-2 Navy Bases should suffice.

Please note that it might not be ideal to build the Navy Base in your Tera Base, as doing so would limit your ability to recruit Foreign units, which are the best units available in the game.

Having the best unit combination but also the cheapest upkeep might be hard. Here I'll try to break it down for both Naval and Land armies.

When attacking the enemy, consider using Agents to make the battle even easier, especially if you do not wish to declare war while still wanting to claim new provinces. By employing Ishin Shishi or Shinsengumi, you can incite a revolt in other provinces. This means you won't need to declare war on another clan to gain control of a province that's currently being held by said clan. You can also use them to acquire their army and turn it against them, but playing this way requires a significant amount of koku.

Before engaging an enemy army, I recommend using the Foreign Veteran to harass the enemy and Assassinate their General with another agent. Harassment causes attrition and reduces morale, making the battle even easier for that mass rout.

Early-Mid Game:
In the early game, I would recommend skipping Levy Infantry altogether or just get about two of them. This is due to their very low accuracy, slow reload rate, and weak in melee combat. The only thing they are good is to inflict moral penalty since gun reduces moral quite nice. Therefore, go with Line Infantry until you get better gun units.

To recruit Line Infantry, you'll need a Cadet School (CS), so consider demolishing a building in your "temporary" military town to make room for a CS. Because once the AI got Line Infantry, it will be quite a tough battle if you’re still running around with Spear Levy and Levy Infantry since Line Infantry melee combat is more or less quiet even with Spear Levy.

Army Composition:
I recommend going with:

• 6 Line Infantry
  
• 6 Spear Levy
  
• 2 Parrot Gun
  
• 2 Cavalry

You should get Parrot Gun and Cavalry as you enter Early+ to Mid game and you don’t even need a full army either. The reason for this is because in the Early - Mid Game, there are a lot of things happening. Everyone is at war with each other, therefore, the AI usually running around with Line Infantry or Levy Infantry. This also means more income for you to build and expand your economy provinces instead of putting in a lot of money in military and on expensive units that's unnecessary.

What about Katana Kachi, Yari Kachi, and Sharpshooters? Since they are much better than the units I recommend in Early+ - Mid Game.

For Katana and Tari Kachi, I consider them End Game units and so I’ll get to that later. As for Sharpshooter. If you need additional army in Early+ - Mid Game and has already secured a province with a Blacksmith and established a permanent Military Province then by all means, do go for Sharpshooter since they are much more deadly compare to Inline Infantry and they only cost a slightly more. Otherwise your army consist of Inline Infantry should be enough to carry you to Mid Game. The reason I do not recommend going with Sharpshooter is that you will need to upgrade your Cadet School, which means it cost money to which later you will have to burn down because it’s not build on a province with a Blacksmith, and in Early - Mid Game you will need all the money you can get.

Late Game:
Keep in mind that you can recruit a maximum of 8 units of Elite Infantry, meaning you can have 8 Guard Infantry and 8 Marines.

For late-game unit composition, I recommend having at least 2 Armstrongs, 2 Cavalry, 6 Infantry, and 1 General, with the remaining slots open to your preference.

But why those units? Why not other? Well, you can build whatever you want, but for me, those gives the best result based on my playstyle.

Armstrongs are useful for enticing the enemy to attack you instead of you having to run towards the enemy, and they excel in Siege Battles, particularly when built in a province with a Blacksmith and Training Camp. This means that by the time the enemy reaches you, they've already suffered casualties, and you might even eliminate their General with some luck.

Unlike Shogun 2 where I use Cavalry as flank, kill General, engage archers and chasing down fleeing units, I only use Calvary to chase down fleeing units in FoTS so I don’t have to spend additional action points after the battle to chase and finish them off. This is because using Armstrong and Infantry, it’s enough to shatter the enemy, and depending on the combination, you could even rout them before they even get close to you.

As for my preference, I have tried different built on my Satsuma and Saga playthrough, on Satsuma I opted for 2 Gatling + 2 Armstrong + 2 Cavalry + 8 Infantry + 1 General + 5 Spear Levy which saves me some income and allows me to have 2 armies and 1 Navy for RD + 1 mid-tier Garrison Army, then later I expand to 4 Navy and 4 Armies . While on Saga I went with 3 Gatling + 4 Armstrong + 2 Cavalry + 6 Infantry + 1 General + 2 Yari Kachi + 2 Katana Kachi, which gives me 2 armies 0 navy and 2 mid-tier Garrison armies. To which I prefer the Satsuma build better since it gives me more money to build Navy, and Navy is a must in FoTS or else you will have 0 Sea control and it's quite the pain in the ***.

If I were to recommend a build, I would recommend going with:

• 3 Armstrong
  
• 6 Infantry (Use elite ones if you can, they are even more deadly)
  
• 2 Cavalry
  
• 1 General
  
• 8 Spear Levy

Alternatively, 6 Katana Kachi and 2 Yari Kachi instead of 5 Spear Levy. You can also take 4 Armstrong and 6 Infantry and 2 Gatling if you like gatling gun more.

I favor Spear Levy over Katana and Yari Kachi because the latter units require additional buildings and take longer to recruit, along with higher costs. While Katana and Yari Kachi make siege battles somewhat easier, Infantry can still engage in melee combat effectively. Moreover, with Armstrongs and the AI often relying on lower-tier units even in the late game, you can still maintain a strong presence on the battlefield. Except their core army which have Katana to it.

In siege battles, when using Armstrongs against units stationed on walls, target the walls themselves instead of the units. Try to evenly damage the walls so that they explode simultaneously, effectively eliminating the stationed units. Also, even if a wall is at 100% damage, you can still target it if you target it correctly. This is what you want to do instead of attacking the unit. The splash damage from the cannon ball is enough to kill of a chunk of the unit, with only 1 hit from a canon you usually got a lot of kills. This means it will be a lot of micromanagement, but you will get the most kill out of it and also allowing you to move up your army in a safer way.

When it comes to naval battles, expect a considerable amount of micromanagement. This is because you'll need to constantly move and issue new orders to your ships to secure victory and minimize losses. As a result, it's generally not advisable to use the auto-resolve option for naval battles, as it tends to result in the loss of many ships unless you can afford it.

When manually engaging in naval battles, always focus on maneuvering your ships to maximize their firing capabilities. This includes turning your ships around so they can fire both sides, as reloading can be time-consuming. Proper navigation can allow you to output more firepower and avoid enemy attacks.

The number of naval fleets you need depends on how the game plays out. In my playthroughs, I've used anywhere from 1 to 4 full fleets, depending on my faction's success in the war against enemy factions.

Fleet Composition:
For the Navy composition I usually go with the following:

• 1 Kaiyo Maru (Frigate) as the flagship due to its high upkeep but high morale, crew count, and many cannons. High morale is essential since the flagship's retreat can lead to defeat. The large crew count ensures that capturing the flagship is nearly impossible for the enemy, and the numerous cannons help in routing the enemy.
  
  
• 5 Kasuga (Corvette) ships, which make up the main composition. These are the upgraded versions of Kaiten and have slightly higher upkeep, but they boast more cannons and crew.
  
  
• 4 Chiyodagata (Torpedo) ships, which serve as support vessels. These ships are small, with few cannons, but they are easy to maneuver and provide support to your Kasuga ships. They require more micromanagement as they can help sink enemy ships. Keep them away from boarding situations, as they are vulnerable if boarded or targeted by enemy cannons. Note that you can only have a maximum of 8 of these. If you need more than 2 full fleets, you can use the gun version, which is less effective but can still fulfill their role.
  
  
• Optionally, you can include 2 Kotetsu (Ironclad) ships if desired. They are slow but can absorb a lot of damage and can ram enemy ships. However, their upkeep is high. I tend not to use them due to their cost.

In the early to mid-game, you won't have access to all ship types, and the enemy won't have many ships either. During this phase, you can consider using 2 Gun Boats and 2 Kaiten. As the game progresses and more ships become available, you can build your navy as recommended or as you see fit. Keep in mind that having a strong navy makes land battles significantly easier with bombardment, but this also adds length to the game since you have to manage naval battles.