[Top 10] Total War Shogun 2 Best Units That Are Powerful

Total War Shogun 2 Best Units Are Powerful

Updated:

05 Oct 2022

Total War: Shogun 2 is an older game now, but all that means is that there’s plenty of time for players to figure out the most powerful units in the game. As the Total War game that has one of the most balanced rosters to begin with, most troop types are useful in at least some contexts. However, there are definitely some extremely powerful units that shine through. Add in the DLC units and there are some big standouts.

10. No-Dachi Samurai

The No-Dachi Samurai, big guys with big swords, are the most effective infantry unit in the game if they get a charge. They have the highest attack skill out of any infantry, but have low defense, so a prolonged melee isn’t an effective way to use them.

However, with their huge charge bonus, they’ll make short work out of any low tier troops and basically anything if they’re flanking or attacking from the rear. If you use other units to engage your enemy and then charge from the flanks, you’ll pretty much annihilate anything you face.

They also have the Banzai ability, which increases their attack, charge, and speed, so popping that just before a charge turns them into human missiles. Just keep them away from cavalry and out of bow range, because even a Bow Ashigaru will destroy them with concentrated fire.

No-Dachi Samurai Strengths

Extremely high charge bonus
Extremely high attack
Banzai ability

What No-Dachi Samurai Excel In

Attacking
Flanking
Charging low defense units

No-Dachi Samurai Full Details: https://totalwar.fandom.com/wiki/No-Dachi_Samurai

9. Bow Samurai

Bow Samurai are the middle tier, in between Bow Ashigaru and Bow Warrior Monks, but they still fulfill a role even into the very late game. Because they have good armor for a ranged unit, they’re a very effective counter skirmishing unit, and their better accuracy and reload skill will win out over the more numerous Bow Ashigaru.

They still don’t kill as fast as Bow Warrior Monks, but because they’re cheaper, easier to train, and more numerous than their Warrior Monk counterparts, in certain contexts they’re the better unit. They also have relatively good melee skills, so with a few chevrons on them a fresh Bow Samurai unit could take a tired Yari Ashigaru.

Bow Samurai Strengths

Good armor
Better reload skill, accuracy, and range than Bow Ashigaru
Cheaper than Bow Warrior Monks

What Bow Samurai Excel In

Counter-skirmishing
Defensive Sieges

Bow Samurai Full Details: https://totalwar.fandom.com/wiki/Bow_Samurai

8. Light Cavalry

The first tier of cavalry you can get, Light Cavalry aren’t the best cavalry, but they’re extremely cost effective and excel in the early game when there isn’t much other cavalry to rival them. You can use them like other cavalry, for flanking and rear charging, and they’re also extremely good at chasing down fleeing units.

One of their biggest strengths, however, is hunting down enemy generals. Even though they’re way outclassed in terms of stats by the General’s Bodyguard, they outnumber them, and if you’re able to get a good charge, they can swamp the much better Bodyguard unit and snipe the enemy general, which is a huge advantage.

Light Cavalry Strengths

Cheap
Fast

What Light Cavalry Excel In

Flanking and rear charging
Chasing fleeing units
Hunting down generals

Light Cavalry Full Details: https://totalwar.fandom.com/wiki/Light_Cavalry_(Total_War:_Shogun_2)

7. Naginata Samurai

One of the most versatile units in the game, Naginata Samurai take a place between the anti-infantry capabilities of Katana Samurai and the anti-cavalry nature of the Yari Samurai.

However, because of the Yari Samurai’s low stats and lack of the Yari Wall ability, they lose to Yari Ashigaru, a much cheaper and easily recruited unit. This means that there’s really no reason to recruit a Yari Samurai, especially when Naginata Samurai fulfill an anti-cavalry role while at the same time possessing better armor and anti-infantry abilities.

They have enough anti-cavalry skill to defeat any cavalry unit, and they have the highest armor out of any non-unique unit, so they’re a very useful unit to protect your more fragile troops from ranged attacks and cavalry charges, two of the most dangerous parts of battles in Shogun 2. Overall, they are a very utilitarian unit, and can work well as both a screen for glass cannon units as well as a frontline attacking force.

Naginata Samurai Strengths

Extremely high armor
Versatile

What Naginata Samurai Excel In

Screening fragile units
Defeating cavalry
Tanking arrow fire

Naginata Samurai Full Details: https://totalwar.fandom.com/wiki/Naginata_Samurai_(Total_War:_Shogun_2)

6. Katana Samurai

Somewhere between Naginata Samurai and No-Dachi Samurai, Katana Samurai are the quintessential samurai unit. They are excellent in attack, with extremely high offensive values, but can also survive a prolonged melee much better than No-Dachi Samurai.

Their armor isn’t too bad either, so you don’t have to worry too much about them being made into pincushions, but you shouldn’t allow them to be shot for too long. They work well as a mainline unit, but make sure you have some strong anti-cavalry units to protect them from being flanked, as they won’t last long if they take a rear charge from Katana Cavalry.

Overall, Katana Samurai are balanced enough that they can take on any enemy type, but they still require some micro-management to avoid being shot to death or ridden down by horse-riding maniacs.

Katana Samurai Strengths

High attack
Good armor
Good charge

What Katana Samurai Excel In

Frontal charges
Extended melee
Attacks against frontline infantry

Katana Samurai Full Details: https://totalwar.fandom.com/wiki/Katana_Samurai

5. Portuguese Tercos

These matchlock armed men are unique to the Otomo clan but considering they’re the best matchlock unit in the game I had to include them. They have high armor, just a little below the Naginata Samurai, so they should be able to take volley after volley of arrows, and they’re actually good in melee, so even if an enemy reaches them, they should be able to fight them off with a little support.

The Portuguese Tercos also have the best loading speed and accuracy of any non-hero matchlock unit, and will even defeat Matchlock Samurai and Matchlock Warrior Monks, the only units that can come close to them. They’re also easier to recruit than other high tier gun units, making them even more efficient.

These foreign troops are also extremely effective in defensive sieges. If you put them at the walls, their accurate gunfire will devastate any troops that enter their range, and because of the morale debuffs that accompany gunfire, they might break low morale units before they even start to scale the walls. Plus, when an enemy actually reaches them, their melee abilities will most likely win the day.

Portuguese Tercos Strengths

Best matchlock stats
Good armor
Good in melee

What Portuguese Tercos Excel In

Counter skirmishing
Defensive sieges
Debuffing enemies and then engaging in melee

Portuguese Tercos Full Details: https://totalwar.fandom.com/wiki/Portuguese_Tercos

4. Loan Sword Ashigaru

If you like smelly peasants, the Loan Sword Ashigaru are for you. Unique to the Ikko Ikki, they’re one of the most efficient and powerful units in the early game. They are extremely cheap and easy to recruit, as all you need is a Fort, which all provinces start with.

As they’re sword armed infantry, they’ll absolutely shred Yari Ashigaru and other low tier troops, and they’ll even beat Yari Samurai in an up-front battle. This allows the Ikko Ikki to blob out of control early on, and you can even use them in the mid game to great effect. However, they’ll still be beaten by Katana Samurai, and cavalry will destroy them, so keep them out of the way of people riding horses.

Loan Sword Ashigaru are also extremely effective garrison troops because of their cost and convenience, and they’ll be able to cut through rebel armies and other low tier attackers.

Loan Sword Ashigaru Strengths

High attack
Low cost
Ease of recruitment

What Loan Sword Ashigaru Excel In

Early game front line fights
Garrison duty

Loan Sword Ashigaru Full Details: https://totalwar.fandom.com/wiki/Loan_Sword_Ashigaru

3. Bow Warrior Monks

Masters of the bow, the Bow Warrior Monks are the most lethal archer unit in the game. With high range, reload rate, and accuracy, four or five of them in your army will almost guarantee nothing gets to your front line without being decimated.

Because they have higher range than most other archers, they’re also good for killing other ranged units before they get close enough to fight. They do have low armor, however, so if other units do get in range they’ll die quickly, especially if other units focus them down one by one.

Because they’re Warrior Monks, they also come with interesting abilities, such as Whistling Arrows. Once activated, the Warrior Monks fire a volley of arrows with this ability. Any unit the volley flies over or hits is debuffed, making it useful if the target is about to be charged. However, you need to be careful because it can debuff friendly units.

Bow Warrior Monk Strengths

Very long range
Excellent shooting stats
Useful abilities

What Bow Warrior Monks Excel In

Sniping important units
Debuffing and weakening attacking enemies
Absolute ranged destruction

Bow Warrior Monks Full Details: https://totalwar.fandom.com/wiki/Bow_Warrior_Monks_(Total_War:_Shogun_2)

2. Yari Cavalry

Mounted samurai using spears sounds like a killer combination, and it is. This unit is hands down the most effective mid and late game weapon against other cavalry. A unit of Yari Cavalry will kill enemy Generals, Katana Cavalry, and Light Cavalry easily. They’re also very fast, so you can use them as flanking units, and just like any cavalry they do great in a flanking charge.

Using them as clean up units is also very effective, and they can rack up hundreds of kills after a battle is over and the enemy is fleeing. Like most cavalry, they don’t do well in sieges, and basically just take up space. They also aren’t as good at defeating infantry as Katana Cavalry, but they’re an auto pick simply because of their utility against other cav.

Yari Cavalry Strengths

High speed
High anti-cavalry skill
High charge bonus

What Yari Cavalry Excel In

Hunting down other cavalry
Flanking
Hunting down fleeing enemies

Yari Cavalry Full Details: https://totalwar.fandom.com/wiki/Yari_Cavalry_(Total_War:_Shogun_2)

1. Yari Ashigaru

Now, I know you’re wondering, how can the lowest tier unit in the game be the strongest? Well, it’s partly because these humble spearmen are so cheap and easy to recruit. They’re extremely good for garrison troops, and if you need an army quickly, then you can easily recruit them from various provinces.

The other reason they’re number one is because of their Yari Wall ability. It is, quite simply, the best ability in the game. A newly recruited Yari Ashigaru unit can defeat any cavalry, other Ashigaru, and even Yari Samurai, as long as they’re in Yari Wall.

They are so cost-effective that it would almost be better to use them the whole campaign, although that’s not as fun. Plus, if you add a few chevrons to them and recruit them in a province with a blacksmith building chain, they become even more effective. Overall, they are hands down the strongest unit in the game, when considering cost and utility.

Yari Ashigaru Strengths