The Metsuke (目付) is an agent type in Total War: Shogun 2.
Description[]
The metsuke are the daimyo's secret policemen, recruited through the market building chain. Metsuke ensure loyalty and obedience from friendly generals and keep your settlements and armies safe from enemy subterfuge when positioned inside them. Metsuke can also bribe enemy garrisons, generals and armies, and detect, capture and try enemy agents in your territory. They are especially vulnerable to removal from the game through conversion by enemy monks or missionaries.
General Information[]
Metsuke are recruited from regions with markets. By default, metsuke have 1 star of profiency when recruited. However, buildings in the intellectual chain and market chain grant newly trained metsuke more stars of proficiency. A region with a fully upgraded market (Kabunakama) and a second-tier or higher intellectual building (Magistrate) can train metsuke that spawn with the maximum of five stars. In addition, the first faction to build a Kabunakama has a permanent +5% chance for all metsuke actions.
Metsuke can apprehend agents from other factions, and are a natural counter to ninja and geisha. They are, however, susceptible to conversion by monks and missionaries.
Metsuke can bribe enemy armies, convincing some units to defect and join the metsuke's faction. This action costs gold; the larger the army, the more expensive it is. The likelihood of the metsuke succeeding depends on the proficency of the metsuke and the loyalty of the general of the army targeted (if any); armies controlled by a rival clan's daimyo cannot be bribed.
Metsuke can oversee towns controlled by their faction by being placed in their region capitals. This greatly increases the income of a town: for every star of proficiency metsuke have, they raise taxes by 5%. Placing multiple metsuke into a single region grants diminishing returns for each metsuke: a second metsuke placed in a region capital only provides half as much bonus to tax income. The increased province income easily offsets the cost of training a metsuke. Training five metsuke and putting them in the five richest provinces is worth doing in any playthrough.
Metsuke can oversee armies controlled by their faction by being placed in armies. This decreases the likelihood a general can be bribed by an opposing faction. Metsuke in armies are also well-placed to remove any ninja or geishas who attempt to assassinate the generals of armies. Finally, metsuke travelling in an army retain their movement points, allowing armies to ferry metsuke farther than they can normally walk on a campaign map.
History[]
The Metsuke, literally meaning "censor", were the emperor's secret police. They acted the emperor's inquisitors and spies checking on the day to day activities of ministers and foreign diplomats, anyone who posed a threat. In history there were two forms of metsuke: the metsuke and the higher ranked ōmetsuke. The metsuke were charged with focusing on those ranking below daimyō (the Tokugawa Shogunate use of the word means feudal lords and not warlord) status; and their counterparts, the ōmetsuke, were responsible for supervising the activities of officials and members of the daimyō. Unlike in the game, metsuke didn't put people on trial but relayed information to the government who in turn notified the courts who conducts the trial.
Metsuke Skills[]
List of Metsuke Skills and Traits
Trivia[]
- The Metsuke seems to be a mix between the Medieval II: Total War inquisitor and a spy.
- The Metsuke are the one of the two new agent types in Total War: Shogun 2. The other is the Monk.
- The Metsuke weren't formed until the creation of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1603, after the Sengoku Jidai period