Well, your clan had cultured background and reputation as preservers of lore and art, so GM could add some game mechanical element which makes such clan as valuable ally (perhaps able grant others prestige? Be sort PR people who help bolster reputation of someone or decrease it by writing less flattering texts or make less flattering art).<br/><br/>I thought that Takeda could had offered alliance in return if your clan would had helped get back his general from Yunar Exiles example (but game did not progress that far as Takeda focused to gain control much of territory as he could), you sort inflitrate or get close to their territory and then perform kidnap sort scenario or other subtle activity which your not caught on immediately (as if Gunba had tried any moves Corvantes would had executed the general). Example Hachiru send request for negotiations for Yunar Exiles and hope lure the 'ensared' general and then get her from captivity and deliver to Gunba.<br/><br/>Takeda may be schemer but he holds on his alliances solidly once he makes them. He would not betray his allies even if it would benefit him. But I can understand frustration getting stuck in the corner; I did discuss in PM with Vonandi in season 1 in first year how we split territory with each other around the mountains (so thus reason why I did not go farther to west than bandit hold in lower section of Shindo). You should (and if you did, sorry for assumption from thinking you did not do so) had talked immediately with Oshiro daimyo how you split land and form alliance (so Oshiro would had continued along western coast and you along eastern coast).<br/><br/>Also to IC explain why daimyos did split land so; they agreed such detail (if not exactly RP'ed out but could easily added if needed) that they talked how they handle expansions close one another as Aka Ka and Gunba were close to each other.