Ninja!

By Liam_the_Spartan | Forum thread

Ninjas are masters of spying, sabotaging and assassinating. Ninjas are recruited from stealth chain building, such as a Gambling Hall, each one allowing the recuitment of one extra ninja. Ninjas can be used for:

Assasination

Ninjas can make rival generals or agents “Disappear”.. for a small price, of course. To assasinate, select your ninja and right click on the soon-to-be victim. A panel will appear with the targets and the chance of success of each one. The percentage depends on the skill of the ninja and of the target; Daimyos will be harder to kill than monks, for instance.

Spying

Every army, fleet, agent or anything belonging to you will uncover information about rivals if they are in close range. Ninjas can reveal more details than other agents or armies.

Scouting

Ninjas have a large line of sight, they can go discovering the map or improve the line of sight of an army or castle. If a ninja is embedded into an army, it increases it’s movement ability and protects it from being demoralised by enemy monks or missionaries.

Sabotage

Ninjas can damage enemy buildings. Select your target wisely. If you wish to cause unrest you may want to target temples, but if you destroy a farm, they will lose money and may be unable to pay the upkeep for their armies, for instance.

Army sabotage

Ninjas can also sabotage armies, poisoning food and water supplies. The army will recieve slight casualties and not be able to move for a turn.

Establish a spy network

If a ninja is garrisoned in a castle, he will police the streets and make sure no enemy agent is freely walking the streets undetected, and may even get the chance to eliminate them. He also increases the line of site of the castle. It is free, but your agent gains very little experience while doing this. Ninjas gain experience through successful subterfuge. Each rank gives the ninja more points to spend on improvements and a total of three retainers. Sabotaging buldings or small armies are a good way to train your ninja up, as they are cheap and do not have many risks.

Rank 2

Spy In silence much may be learned.

  • Level 1: +1 to subterfuge when spying.
    +5 increase to campaign map line of sight.
  • Level 2: +2 to subterfuge when spying.
    +10 increase to campaign map line of sight.
  • Level 3: +4 to subterfuge when spying.
    +15 increase to campaign map line of sight.

Saboteur There is beauty in destruction, and in flames.

  • Level 1: +1 to subterfuge when sabotaging buildings.
  • Level 2: +2 to subterfuge when sabotaging buildings.

Assassin A knife is truly dangerous only in the right hands.

  • Level 1: +1 to subterfuge when assassinating.
  • Level 2: +2 to subterfuge when assassinating.

Rank 3

Military Spy An army, for all its strength, can be a delicate thing.

  • Level 1: +1 to subterfuge when scouting in the field.
  • Level 2:+2 to subterfuge when scouting in the field.
  • Level 3:+4 to subterfuge when scouting in the field.

Infiltrator Leave no footprints, even in darkness.

  • Level 1: +5% to the chance that the ninja will avoid detection when unsuccessful.
  • Level 2:+5% to the chance that the ninja will avoid detection when unsuccessful.

Misdirection Confusion is a powerful ally and friend.

  • Level 1: +1 to subterfuge when sabotaging armies.
  • Level 2: +2 to subterfuge when sabotaging armies.
  • Level 3: +4 to subterfuge when sabotaging armies.

Exotic Weapons Anything is a weapon, a weapon anything.

  • Level 1: +2 to convalescence time for characters wounded by ninja.
  • Level 2: +1 to subterfuge when assassinating. +5 to convalescence time for characters wounded by ninja.

Rank 4

Criminal Contacts In the service of the great, a man must choose strange friends

  • Level 1: +1 to subterfuge when establishing spy networks.
  • Level 2: +2 to subterfuge when establishing spy networks.
  • Level 3: +4 to subterfuge when establishing spy networks. +10 increase to campaign map line of sight.

Master of Disguise Lies made flesh are not falsehood.

  • Level 1: +5% to the chance that the ninja will avoid detection when unsuccessful. +5% to campaign movement range for the army this agent is embedded into.
  • Level 2: +10% to the chance that the ninja will avoid detection when unsuccessful. +10% to campaign movement range for the army this agent is embedded into.

Gunpowder Alchemist Fire, sulphur and demon’s breath are tools for the cunning.

  • Level 1: +1 to subterfuge when sabotaging buildings.
  • Level 2: +2 to subterfuge when sabotaging buildings.

Rank 5

Escape Artist There is always a way out. Always.

  • Level 1: +10% to the chance of escaping from enemy agents. +10% to the chance of escape following an unsuccessful action.
  • Level 2: +20% to the chance of escaping from enemy agents. +20% to the chance of escape following an unsuccessful action.

Poisoner Death comes in many forms, not all of them edged.

  • Level 1: +1 to subterfuge when assassinating.

Rank 6

Noble Bandit Giving away another’s riches is wisdom.

  • Level 1: -15% reduced action cost.
  • Level 2: -30% reduced action cost.

Invisible To hide is one thing. To walk abroad another.

  • Level 1: +5% to the chance that the ninja will avoid detection when unsuccessful. +5% to campaign movement range for the army this agent is embedded into. +10% to the chance of escape following an unsuccessful action.
  • Level 2: +10% to the chance that the ninja will avoid detection when unsuccessful. +10% to campaign movement range for the army this agent is embedded into. +20% to the chance of escape following an unsuccessful action.

Ninjutsu A lifetime to master the art of stealth is time well spent.

  • Level 1: +3% to the agent’s success chance.
  • Level 2: +6% to the agent’s success chance.
  • Level 3: +9% to the agent’s success chance.

Notorious Killer Reputation is a weapon forged from your enemy’s fears.

  • -Level 1: +10% to the agent’s critical success chance.
  • Level 2: +20% to the agent’s critical success chance.

The Hattori Clan is a specialist ninja clan, and get extra benefit for their ninjas. The higher rank the ninja is, the better it will be. But you cannot gain all the skills, and you will have to chose what your ninja specialises in. Shall he be a knife in the dark, killing many? Or maybe spying on the enemy? The choice is yours.

It may be a good idea to keep your ninjas close to each other. One can scout the field and clear the way for another to enter and kill the target.