30 kills per battle? What did the entire enemy army blob up in one spot? They can't hit the broadside of a mountain and most infantry just stand back up after getting hit :D
Best memory of using Mangonels is having one of them one shot a general and instantly guarantee me the win because the enemy morale was dumpster fire. They are fun to use but not effective at all.
Naga samurai can soak more damage from range units than any other unit in the game. Warrior monks are good at excellence combat due to warcry. But I believe they can be beaten by Date no dachi samurai due to the extra charge bonus and the banzai charge. Even if the Naga warrior monks don't break they'll be dealt alot of damage.
Kisho ninja are actually really good at defending a castle. Can hide them, leave them guarding a "weak" spot. Send them to kill units that are climbing, so their small numbers are not a problem.
Also you cal spread ninjas on the wall in one line, and place some archers after them in a second line, and you will be getting few benefits: 1) all kisho ninjas will throw bombs, exactly at bunched up enemies under the wall 2) they are less likely to blow a wall they are standing, because they are spread in a long line 3) archers can shoot while staing behind them, and make their impact on long range 4) ninjas pretty effectively protect bowman from melee One downside - in this case they usually tend to have serious casualties, both from mellee and missiles, even die, especially if their armour is unapgraded.
@@steelwind2334 lol, they are not costefficient comparing to ninjas at all. Bombers upkeep is 150, while ninjas is 275. But ninjas are *better* at throwing bombs then bomb throwrs themselvs, just because ninjas have *more men per unit, and more ammo per man* But above that they have passive and active invisibility(and active ability also gives them INSANE *+5* bonuses to melee attack, and *+14* to charge), also they can climb walls much faster and not fall down, and they may even shred catana sams 1 on 1. Ninjas are far more useful. And bomb throwers, while having more then half of the upkeep cost of ninjas, have only slightly better range and nothing more, they are just waste of a unit slot in army.
My dad introduced me to shogun 2 A couple years ago, when the game first came out I was too young to even understand the concept of how computers worked but now that I’m 13 it is my favorite strategy game.
They are very good at helping win automatic siege battles, and in field battles they make the enemy come towards you in a rush, always, so you can hold a solid position
Yeah Kisho ninja are pretty underrated. A little while ago I was challenged by a friend to beat a Mori campaign using only Kisho ninja. It was hard, but definitely doable and I really appreciated the very high killing power of the Ninja, especially when equipped with maxed out weaponsmith upgrades and the jiu-jitsu dojo.
Kisho Ninja & Waku raider only challenge is more fun & forgiving. Be the climbing king & freak out the enemy. The quicker you can up those walls the less you get pelted which people really down play as most players auto siege assaults & any that that say they don't are lying or frankly insane.
Nothing beats Marathon Monks for siege attacks though as they climb walls at the same speed as Kisho Ninja. Two or three units of Marathon Monks in hiding can quickly get up the walls of a castle while the AI is distracted and capture the tenshu ending the battle quickly and with minimal losses
00:02 Katana Cavalry is an underrated unit in Shogun 2. 01:00 Katana Cav are underrated units that excel in attacking infantry and defenseless missile units. 01:59 Naginata samurai are the best frontline infantry unit in Shogun 2 with high attack, defense, morale, and armor. 02:48 Light cavalry units are cost-efficient and versatile in Shogun 2 03:45 Kisho ninja are underrated but powerful units in Shogun 2. 04:39 Kisho Ninjas are highly situational units that can be used for hit and run maneuvers, surprise attacks, and general sniping. 05:39 Bow Ashigaru is the top underrated unit due to their frequent use and impact in campaigns and battles. 06:38 Boashigaru units are underrated and undervalued
Something to note about Kisho Ninja is if you use Stealth and maneuver them correctly you can reach bomb throwing distance without being spotted. Which tends to have unpleasant results if you reach the right unit.
The bow ashigaru is op in siege defense because I was in a daved and Goliath situation 7 enemy units vs 4 they handled pretty well as meat shields to stall the enemy for my samuria retainers to flank
... I'm surprised by the number 1. As the Oda I exclusively use ashigaru units so I LOVE the bow ashigaru: they cheap, and when they get enough xp they do a very decent job at dealing damage before the melee starts. And as other clans, if they don't have specialist bow units (like the Chosokabe, Uesugi or Ikko-Ikki) I just don't see a reason to make my armies more expensive with regular bow samurai when I'm already having an already expensive arny based on sword (Date and Shimazu) and cavalry (Takeda) armies supplemented by naginata samurai. That's why only with the Chosokabe I go for their unique bow samurai and for the Uesugi and Ikko-Ikki I go for their bow warrior monks as soon as i can afford them, but just because they get bonuses too good to pass up
Great video! I wholeheartedly agree with your naginata samurai assessment. Probably the only unit which you can just spam an army with, simply right click the enemy once and still win every encounter in singleplayer.
Favorite thing to do is man walls with muskets, having ninjas standing in hiding behind them and as units commit to climbs, stealth and run to quick swap the ninjas onto the walls to literally bomb the shit out of armies. Its glorious.
@Vincrand bit late to the conversation but a year ago i won i multiplayer battle solidly because of the losses inflicted by some matchlock ashigaru, they are crazy cost efficent against anything armored.
If you're using the Strongholds of The Samurai canons are actually good since most of the forts are made of wood which has a lower durability than stone and when part of the wall is destroyed everyone on it will die.
I was looking for this comment. Filthy pesants with their mangonels have no appreciation for the fine art of cannon. I use 2-3 slots on my siege armies with naginata sams, matchlocks and samu bows. They do require careful placement and good micro but getting a couple of hits when the enemy is marching is invaluable. You just have to time it right and aim in front. And clearing walls of ashigaru bows is the most fun you can have with your pants on, basically. These boys can fly :D
Bow ashigaru is probably the best unit you can use in multiplayer to destroy lightly armored units like monks or ninjas. they don't even need many upgrades to do so. Naginata samurai are really good for one specific role, yet they are a rare sight in multiplayer. They are absolutely the best defensive unit in the game (if you exclude Bulletproof samurai) If you use them in a role to tank a no-dachi charge or just arrows they will excel at both. They are countered by matchlocks, Daikyus and bow generals though. Two of which are in almost every multiplayer match, which is why I believe they are not seen as much. But bringing one or two of them to just sit there and hold down 2-3 units each in melee to allow your other units to outmatch your opponent is incredibly viable. Throw in a hero there for the extra offensive power and morale buff is very strong.... You should know Triple ;)
Very nice video! Naginata Samurai is my favorite unit in the game. They are so amazing in Campaign, with max meele attack buff (Master Weaponsmith + Jujutsu Dojo) they hold the line and beat everything than approaches.
My favorite template in campaign is 4 ashigaru front line, 4 missile units of your choice flanked by 2 naginata samurai, 4 katana samurai, 4 mounted yari samurai and a wild card slot. I do play Darth mod so the unit sizes are much larger which allows this to work quite well.
It was such a CRIME that Yari Samurai are getting their butts kicked towards yari ashigaru, and many other units, even though they have far more armor and stats then they have -- or they SHOULD. Even worse is when their CAVALRY counterpart does BETTER than them!!! On top of that, the OTHER samurai units beat them as well!!! SHAMFRUL DISPRAY!!!
I was surprised to see that some people think they're bad. a cheap sword unit with Kisho training that can go toe to toe with Katana Samurai, how does anyone think they're bad?
@@mitchelrowe6915 Ooof yeah that’s honestly how it goes. Shogun 2 is a lot of rapid expansion and then turtle. The process repeats quite a few times. Usually the AI tends to be very aggressive on the harder difficulties too.
To me, light cavalry is the best cavalry in the campaign. They are fast, cheap, excellent to pursue fleeing enemies and in an infantry stalemate, they can make a hammer and anvil very quickly, although they are easily killed by anything.
I'm always surprised by how brittle they are. I always think they should be superior to archers as in other TW games but always get insane losses. Running 2 of them against 3 ashigaru archers even if most arrows miss, they get killed fast in melee after a few seconds which are crucial, because if they don't rout by then, I have to get my cav back into safety. Every battle they have I basically have to declare them dead lol.
@@kotzpenner Indeed! I tend to use them quite late in the battle formation, unless I want to use them as bait. Even in Battles that I end with overwhelming victory, losing 1/3 is assured. lol
@@Flan67 I actually fought a battle right now against a mass of ill equipped rebels and wanted to try my cavalry against the archers, 4 cav against 3 archers (from behind so they couldn't even shoot), no other units. They did well so I managed another front (castle defense, so it tends to be chaotic). Came back 20 seconds later, 1 cav routed, the others had only 50%. wtf, can't you even mow down 0 exp archers lmao.
@@kotzpenner Sometimes, I think that they love to die, lol. Even well moralized ashigaru archers can bring them down in melee (I had this experience once and, yeah, a shameful display). Still, I love their speed and their upkeep cost.
I personally like bow samurai, bc i can use them efectively as meele, they completely wreck most spear units and other archers, i just use the spear line and throw them to attack the sides, and light cav to decimate enemy archers
Shogun 2 is historical inaccurate. naginata is pretty much phased out by Sengokujidai. Only monk and female warriors wielded them. On Sengokujidai battlefield，yari reigned supreme. Yari and katana are like modern day rifle and pistol. You fight open battles with rifles and only in close quarter，you pull pistol.
The iconic katana was developed at the end of this era/beginning of next era, and sword weilding units certainly weren't the mainstay. Hattori weren't Daimyo and Ikko Ikki weren't a unified faction. Several cities are in the wrong place. Fire Rockets. Yeah Shogun 2 has a lot of historical inaccuracies but then I've always considered TW games historical sandbox games.
It still saw some use in the Sengoku period., even on peasants. Which makes sense. Hard for a weapon like it to completely phase out. And on the bright side, sohei and onnabushi in this game do in fact carry naginata in melee.
@@Naraku-no-Hana-WE ikko ikki were unorganized at first but they organized and took control of Kaga province first time in history of Japan that a province was controlled by commoners.
I think its because all if not most yari were long yari instead of just regular yari. Also I think that fire rocket cannons are the chinese teppo that the Japanese got from the chinese in the 12th century but never used until the advent of the tanegashima teppo matchlock where they brushed it up upgraded it and finally used it for battles.
So I tested bow ashigaru and bow samurai against yari ashigaru in custom battles and it seems that the kills per volley of both the bow ashigaru and bow samurai was the same against ashigaru armour class units. The difference in total kill count came from the faster reload rate of bow samurai which resulted in more volleys per minute.
It's funny to me that Naginata samurais are underated since they where basically one of the units who carried my ass in avatar conquest back then. You know what I loved this game and because of you I may consider replaying it XD
I didn't know yari bowmen were so derided! Haven't played in a long while, but back in the day it felt like bow units were OP in Shogun 2. I would always try and fit as many bowmen into my armies that I could possibly still protect with other units, take a hill, and watch them mow down most of the opponent before they could even engage our lines. I often took Yari stacks well into the middle and even late game against the AI.
Your channel remind me smartdonkey LP channel. Dude cover almost everything about shogun tw. Until it running out of content . Sure cover your favorite game is good spirit 👍
I personally loved naginata samurai online, even tho I had few veterans on my online clan, I usually got a few vanilla ones and they were great and versatile. Not the best, but far from the worst! Great video! Happy to have subscribed lately.
To complete your words about the underratement of the bow ashigaru (I'm not a multi-player guy so this is about the campaign and maybe true in multiplayer but if that's the case, even I don't know): for the mid/late game (meanly if you are playing the Oda and MAYBE chosokabe) if you recruit those units in a province with max accuracy bonus (20 or 25 depending on if you have a camp with the right upgrade) those units will do better than samourais and more precisely monks because even tho their reload isn't the best, their large number will give them the deadliest first voley of all bow units. So even tho units in front have better reload if they are not many left of them it doesn't matter. And this is not even speaking of aditionnal bonuses that they can get through the tech tree and general skill tree if I remember correctly
They scale well with upgrades and veterancy though once you can deploy Bow warrior monks to the field the range advantage is too significant to ignore. But until you can afford monks bow ashigaru are definitely worth their weight in koku
Kisho ninja also have vanguard deployment. Hide them at some flank where u think the enemy will be. Walk them close to stay hidden. Surprise attack them in the flanks when both armies engage using stealth. They mow every thing from the back.
Horse archers are by far my favorite support unit! Each time im deploying them I think to myself "let me show you what happened to the romans...." and they really put the enemy AI in a no-win scenarion: Either ignore them and take a ton of damage for free, or chase them off and STILL take a ton of damage. Extra fun if the guys chasing them is the enemy general, because you shot one arrow at hit bodyguard and went "nanananana, you cannot catch us!"
That’s how the samurai started out as Horse-archers! Bow Cav can be quite the versatile unit and I think they are very strong in auto-resolve for some reason
I think the treshhold for 1bow ashirgaru beating a bow warrior monk is 6-7 veteran points(dont know how they are called really xD). If you use yari kav and kill their archers, Bow ashigaru become the best bow unit in the game. exp stand and fight and the tech tree + recruitment camps/bow mastery building get them to about 70 precision and 50 reload. with their unit size it just deals more damage than the other archers. Im with you. i just didnt know people would think they are bad.
I agree with Bow Ashigaru and Kisho Ninja. Naginata Samurai and Light cav are very well regarded already. Katana cav aren't underrated because there's nothing to underrate about them. It may be just me but in 99% of all battlefield situations where I have a Katana cav unit, I find myself wishing I'd brought something else. Yeah, they're good against sword infantry, but that's a unit type that has so many counters that are far more versatile, including Yari cav (only slightly worse at killing sword infantry but infinitely better on the charge, against cavalry and especially generals) or any ranged unit.
Katana cav work best when you have yari cav as well. Use the mounted spears to kill the enemy horses and while that's happening use the Katana to blitz through into the archers. Doing this early on will save your infantry
Kisho ninja is overstated af Amazing utilities, but also a stat stick that will kill pretty much everyone in melee. With Stealth on they charge harder than cavalry, and in prolonged fight they beat most units 1v1. All of that at a cheap price, only slightly more than samurai.
I prefer naginata as my melee foot infantry. Situationally yari and katana units are better, but you have to make sure they're attacking what needs to be attacked, whether it's foot soldiers or cavalry. Whereas recruiting naginatas out of a province with a master weaponsmith and proving grounds encampment makes the best all around foot soldier in the game. So I go with that. Maybe people underrate them because they like specialists more, and are willing to micromanage the battlefield.
Very agree with you in almost everything, but I prefer Master Weaponsmith + Jujutsu Dojo (+6 meele Attack) make them front line monsters than beat everything than aproaches.
The only faction that can use Yari Samurai more effectively is the Hattori clan : 1. Just place Hattori Yari Samurai at the enemy's rear 2. Charge 3. Click rapid advance ability. 4. Profit
Heck, if you're playing Chosokabe and tech into the Superior Bows artisan feature, you can train Bow Ashigaru with superior accuracy and at that point they become effectively superior to bow samurai due to their unit size. They'll hit just as accurately and at the same range, so the additional missiles end up adding a lot more power to the battlefield. Granted, that's a specific circumstance, and Chosokabe get access to their unique archers who have Bow Warrior monk range minus the whistling shot, but I did that campaign recently and found these guys to be clutch.
One unit I would say is underrated is Yari Samurai, purely because people overhate them. They actually are decent units, while I can recognize they are far from the best, people tend to think they are useless, which is blatantly not true.
Yeah, that's right! Naginata Samurai is the best frontline infantry from mid to late game! They hold the line and performing so well against everything.
Naginata units need more love. I usually play a mod that gives Naginata Ashigaru, More historically accurate anyway. Absolutely amazing unit, not OP and they’ll hold ground against anything for as long as you need them to.
i understand in MP why bow ashigaru would not be used as much, but who said they are trash in single player/campaign? with how cheap they are, you want 2 bow ashigarus over 1 bow samurai in my opinion 9/10 times...again, in campaign. amazing at sieges, get exp quickly hence their reload and accuracy improves drastically by the mid-game with 4-6 exp shevrons(right spelling?). numbers, replenishment is faster cuz ashigaru replenish faster compared to samurais, cheaper so you can run with 2-3 armies compared to 1 samurai army. and a favourite tactic of mine: have a normal battle stack supported by a...generally half a stack of bow ashigaru. used exclusively for sieges. because the army system was actually allows you any number of armies of even single units to be on the field without a general in shogun 2 compared to what came with rome 2 and since.
Yari samurai is like the most disappointing infantry unit -_-, I expected they'd be good at combat. Also katana cavalry also. They an fight with prolonged fights, but I believe their meant to be paired with hammer and anvil when the main lines are stuck and due to their good in melee and can prolong its just honestly an waste of money at the same time. Though Naginata are pretty good 👍 their an all rounder fighters, I'm surprised they are here. Light cavalry is pretty good for the start.
Hoboy Bow Ashigaru and Kisho Ninja are the only units that deserve to be on this list. I use Bow Ashigaru until Bow Monks in SP and in MP for a LIGHT skirmish force as melee cores are just what it is. Honestly if a Bow unit was to be put in there Bow Cav would be a better choice. I also personally never use Katana Samurai and just stick to Naginatas. Katana Cav should not even exist. Same with Mangonels and European Cannons. Matchlock units aside from Monk/Terico/Heavy Gunners units also get overlooked a ton. 1 unit of Matchlock Ashigaru can add a ton of utility... Samurai is very questionable.
Fair points, I agree that matchlock ashigaru are OP, I don’t think they get overlooked in Multiplayer though but perhaps in campaign they do, as for Katana Cav I know they’re terrible but they still are extremely good in specific situations. Bow Cav is an interesting option for sure, so perhaps I did miss an opportunity to put them on the list. Thanks for the feedback and comment though I appreciate it!
@@TripleZHacker I do not think Matchlock Ashigaru are OP by any stretch just add utility and specific situations for Katana Cav are far too rare for me to even consider them at all. Cycle charging Light Cav will do more damage than a Katana Cav in every instance, far more mobile and costs less. If Spear units were not so abundant Katana Cav would have at least a chance.
@@kusarigama7899 Yeah light Cav are very cost effective, but cycle charging can be mirco intensive, if Katana Cav fight any sword unit then they can just remain in the melee and you don’t have to worry about them. As for matchlock ashigaru, if they get two volleys on any unit that unit is likely going to route or is severely crippled by casualties. Matchlock ashigaru are like glass cannons in my opinion and can be devastating when used effectively.
Bow Ashigaru? maybe its just how my battles go (only really play single player) but, the biggest problem i have with them is they don't use their ammo fast enough, like they will probably rout before running out of ammo or the battle lines join at which point you don't want them to shoot or you take time to get them on the flanks. Otherwise Yes i agree. kinda surprised the yari samurai arnt on here. (i know why but still)
Yari Samurai is underrated too and it should stay that way, like what is the point of it? If to counter cavalries or for defense, Yari Ashigarus can do the job and much cheaper, if it's for breaking enemy units, their melee attack sucks
You're not wrong about any of these though I think most people know about the strengths of Katana Cav and Naginata Sam. I'd like to see some unique units listed here there are definitely a few that are underrated or that on paper look unimpressive until you put them out there.
People under appreciate bow ashigaru? Yeah, they blow… until you bump their reload by 2 ranks and accuracy by 2 ranks. Plus a leadership general and they become insanely cost effective, especially in sieges. Under appreciated units 1 - naginata attendants. Pair them with matchlocks and wipe out anything. 2 - Yari samurai. Keep your army compact and 2 units can provide all the anti cav you need 3 - light cav. Don’t upgrade them. So dang cheap. Best way to get an ambush off in multiplayer is to stick 2 of them in woods and “preemptively/prematurely” attack with one. Don’t lose the unit, just make it look like it was a mistake then as your “surprise” is ruined, send that unit to the rest of your army. Now when the actual battle is joined, the enemy will focus on your obvious light cav and not see the second one you never attacked with until his general is dead 4. Fire rockets. Keep them in trees with a nagi attendant escort. Get the enemy to bunch their infantry or take your aim at high value cav or general. They will wreck face 5. Matchlock samurai, no upgrades. Just a solid unit which doesn’t require babysitting. Can be used as an obvious target to bait a cav charge, will do ok (not good), but WILL rally and can then be almost just as effective since only the first Ranch of matchlocks fire 6. Bow general. If you’re good at micro. Plus the crazy long bow range on horseback means you’re guaranteed to force the enemy to attack you on terrain favorable to you 7. Yari ki. Stronger and cheaper than Yari cav, just not as fast
Ninjas are my favourite unit. They can just obliterate a cavalry unit in seconds. Since they have nodachi-like melee and charge stats with wonderful defense and can completely cancel the ai charge animation of any unit. Just form a line and enjoy how 45 dudes in a line can obliterate the 80% of a general in just 1 second.
A lot of people will flat out not use Light Cavalry at all in the campaign just because they're not "proper". Having cavalry is better than having no cavalry...... Also mangonels are artillery. I heard before I even tried them back in the day that they were utter dogshit but I still went out of my way to get one. When you have a single piece of artillery and the enemy has none you dictate the terms of the engagement not the other way around. Even if they decide to weather the projectiles knowing most won't hit and then move there's any easy counter.... You move everything towards them until you're fractionally outside of their missile range and then you start using your mangonel from that distance.... It now will get hits, will still start killing and they will move first and you're planted and ready to receive them.
Is the first time I hear someone call underrated to Naginata Samurai, Light Cavalry and Bow Ashigaru. I didn't play ONE campaing without recruting these lads, fair enough my early armys are made of mainly of Yari Ashigaru but I always have like 4 Light Cavalry if I can recruit them (who then gets replaced by Yari Cavalry, like, you can blame me? They'e litteraly the same better version) and 6 Bow Ashigaru to counter-skirmish (and then this ones get replaced by Bow Warriors Monks IF I go for defensive armies). With the Naginata? The only ones who I use instead of them from time to time are Naginata Warriors Monk and even there if I want my army to be defensive I just pick the Samurai, they're that good!
Honestly yeah those units aren’t super underrated in campaign but in multiplayer I think they tend to be, but even in campaign I think a lot of newer players probably make the jump from bow ashigaru to bow samurai and then for Naginatas I would say they’re underrated in the sense that they should be like considered one of the best units in the game instead of just a quality unit. And light Cav is so busted in early campaign lol
@@TripleZHacker yeah, bow samurai, those poor ways are really underrated, I always jump from Bow Ashigaru to Bow Warrior Monks and skip them completly. And yes, I have like 0 exp in MP I just play hundred of hours of SP
@@matiasmattera6650 Yeah that’s the way to go straight to the Bow Warrior Monks and of course SP is a better experience currently with the MP relatively inactive
@@TripleZHacker I start a Mori campaing some weeks ago with a whole new list of mods courtesy of Pilps Clans Experience videos, it really change the game for the better even.
Very nice coment about the SP experiencie in Shogun 2, according to you in everything, especially the transition from Bow Ashigaru to Bow Warrior Monks (the former is very useful in early game and the latter are basically the best bow unit in the game). About Naginata Samurai, is my favorite melee unit and the best frontline infantry from mid to late, very versatile for any ocassion. I love defensive strategy so my personally preferred army is a line of Naginata Samurai protecting a line of Bow Warrior Monks; they destroy any kind of armies.
Bro what people hate bow ashigaru? They’re like the only bow infantry I use 😨 (unless I’m chosekabe) I’m not spending double the upkeep for marginally better stats in the bow samurai fr. Bowmen are for suppressing and a thinning out before the melee in my experience. If I cheap out in archers I can better afford my more expensive melee units
I guess I'm just dumb, but katana cavalry are the only ones I use consistently because they are good at surviving and killing enemies. I'm weak at cavs so maybe I'm just not using other units correctly
You're not dumb, Katana cav actually does fight longer in melee usually because of their armor and melee defense. The main reason katana cav are so underrated is that they do not have an anti-cav bonus. Yari Cavalry is great but you have to cycle charge with them, that is charge and charge again repeatedly with them. It takes time and play some more Takeda to practice using cav more if you want!
Naginata samurai are underrated? I've never played without them and I have never seen a playthrough on UA-cam where they were not at least a component of someone's late game forces. They get their due by anyone who has played the game on Legendary and won.
Ah yeah that’s fair, I think they’re underrated in that they belong to in the discussion of best units in the game, also I think in Avatar conquest they’re often underrated at times.
I have over 2000 hours in the game I am not new whatsoever, and I never said any of these units were bad at all, just that they are underrated clearly there's a difference in meaning.
Mangonels are highly underrated, those 30 kills per battle can really make a difference!
30 kills per battle? What did the entire enemy army blob up in one spot? They can't hit the broadside of a mountain and most infantry just stand back up after getting hit :D
That many
You’re using them wrong, they’re suppose to add atmospheric battle explosions in the background while your troops fight
@@tonyng3285 I mean, they are dope to watch.
they were meant to hit friendlies in the midst of intense combat. just like Medieval 2
Best memory of using Mangonels is having one of them one shot a general and instantly guarantee me the win because the enemy morale was dumpster fire. They are fun to use but not effective at all.
As someone who's been spamming Naginata samurais since I got Shogun2 I'm surprised you included them in the list. Great vid nevertheless
Thanks man, and yeah I get that, I think like they’re underrated in the sense that they deserve to be like one of the best units in the game.
Same, I was under the impression most people saw them as great.
They compite with naga warrior monks wich also have warcry to reduce moral wich is great... btw no spear/naganata faction in shogun 2 =(
@@pabloarammasmanian5391 no they dont, they have 2 completly different roles
Naga samurai can soak more damage from range units than any other unit in the game.
Warrior monks are good at excellence combat due to warcry. But I believe they can be beaten by Date no dachi samurai due to the extra charge bonus and the banzai charge. Even if the Naga warrior monks don't break they'll be dealt alot of damage.
Kisho ninja are actually really good at defending a castle. Can hide them, leave them guarding a "weak" spot. Send them to kill units that are climbing, so their small numbers are not a problem.
Add in that firebomb units are actually surprisingly capable when defending a wall (so long as you don't mind a few repairs after battle)
Also you cal spread ninjas on the wall in one line, and place some archers after them in a second line, and you will be getting few benefits:
1) all kisho ninjas will throw bombs, exactly at bunched up enemies under the wall
2) they are less likely to blow a wall they are standing, because they are spread in a long line
3) archers can shoot while staing behind them, and make their impact on long range
4) ninjas pretty effectively protect bowman from melee
One downside - in this case they usually tend to have serious casualties, both from mellee and missiles, even die, especially if their armour is unapgraded.
@@МаксимАсеев1 great idea.
@@МаксимАсеев1 u canuse bomb throuwers for the same as they are much more costeffecient
@@steelwind2334 lol, they are not costefficient comparing to ninjas at all.
Bombers upkeep is 150, while ninjas is 275. But ninjas are *better* at throwing bombs then bomb throwrs themselvs, just because ninjas have *more men per unit, and more ammo per man*
But above that they have passive and active invisibility(and active ability also gives them INSANE *+5* bonuses to melee attack, and *+14* to charge), also they can climb walls much faster and not fall down, and they may even shred catana sams 1 on 1. Ninjas are far more useful.
And bomb throwers, while having more then half of the upkeep cost of ninjas, have only slightly better range and nothing more, they are just waste of a unit slot in army.
Katana Cav counts as Heavy Cavalry in the game files so it gets a highest hidden bonus of armor and anti-infantry melee attack bonus
My dad introduced me to shogun 2 A couple years ago, when the game first came out I was too young to even understand the concept of how computers worked but now that I’m 13 it is my favorite strategy game.
matchlock samurai is underrated too, many players didn't realize their reload bonus is 2 per level and the skill plus another 10
Oh true good point!
Wait matchlock samurai get a frickton better reload rate!?!?!??!
@@finnishboo4192 Yes, just like i said in comment
They are very good at helping win automatic siege battles, and in field battles they make the enemy come towards you in a rush, always, so you can hold a solid position
Yeah Kisho ninja are pretty underrated. A little while ago I was challenged by a friend to beat a Mori campaign using only Kisho ninja. It was hard, but definitely doable and I really appreciated the very high killing power of the Ninja, especially when equipped with maxed out weaponsmith upgrades and the jiu-jitsu dojo.
Yup they’ve got a very nice set of stats
Kisho Ninja & Waku raider only challenge is more fun & forgiving.
Be the climbing king & freak out the enemy.
The quicker you can up those walls the less you get pelted which people really down play as most players auto siege assaults & any that that say they don't are lying or frankly insane.
Nothing beats Marathon Monks for siege attacks though as they climb walls at the same speed as Kisho Ninja.
Two or three units of Marathon Monks in hiding can quickly get up the walls of a castle while the AI is distracted and capture the tenshu ending the battle quickly and with minimal losses
00:02 Katana Cavalry is an underrated unit in Shogun 2.
01:00 Katana Cav are underrated units that excel in attacking infantry and defenseless missile units.
01:59 Naginata samurai are the best frontline infantry unit in Shogun 2 with high attack, defense, morale, and armor.
02:48 Light cavalry units are cost-efficient and versatile in Shogun 2
03:45 Kisho ninja are underrated but powerful units in Shogun 2.
04:39 Kisho Ninjas are highly situational units that can be used for hit and run maneuvers, surprise attacks, and general sniping.
05:39 Bow Ashigaru is the top underrated unit due to their frequent use and impact in campaigns and battles.
06:38 Boashigaru units are underrated and undervalued
100% agree mate! especially about Naginata Samurai, they the best frontline unit and they work very well even in Legendary
Something to note about Kisho Ninja is if you use Stealth and maneuver them correctly you can reach bomb throwing distance without being spotted. Which tends to have unpleasant results if you reach the right unit.
I got my first Mangonels by chance when fighting the Hojo. Never looked back, no castle was free from my wrath lmaooo
The bow ashigaru is op in siege defense because I was in a daved and Goliath situation 7 enemy units vs 4 they handled pretty well as meat shields to stall the enemy for my samuria retainers to flank
... I'm surprised by the number 1. As the Oda I exclusively use ashigaru units so I LOVE the bow ashigaru: they cheap, and when they get enough xp they do a very decent job at dealing damage before the melee starts. And as other clans, if they don't have specialist bow units (like the Chosokabe, Uesugi or Ikko-Ikki) I just don't see a reason to make my armies more expensive with regular bow samurai when I'm already having an already expensive arny based on sword (Date and Shimazu) and cavalry (Takeda) armies supplemented by naginata samurai. That's why only with the Chosokabe I go for their unique bow samurai and for the Uesugi and Ikko-Ikki I go for their bow warrior monks as soon as i can afford them, but just because they get bonuses too good to pass up
Most underrated Shogun 2 channel! Hopefully you get big my friend!
Ah thank you so much :)
Until now
The algorithm is strong with this one. Though that may be due to the fact his videos are great...
Great video! I wholeheartedly agree with your naginata samurai assessment. Probably the only unit which you can just spam an army with, simply right click the enemy once and still win every encounter in singleplayer.
Thanks man! Yeah they’re like all around monsters in campaign especially with those buildings buffs xD
Favorite thing to do is man walls with muskets, having ninjas standing in hiding behind them and as units commit to climbs, stealth and run to quick swap the ninjas onto the walls to literally bomb the shit out of armies. Its glorious.
2:44 I'm quite certain Matchlock units are armor piercing. They also have the "ap" trait enabled inside the unit files
But how much armor do they pierce though XD.
@@Vincrand e n o u g h
@Vincrand bit late to the conversation but a year ago i won i multiplayer battle solidly because of the losses inflicted by some matchlock ashigaru, they are crazy cost efficent against anything armored.
umber one should be European canons!
The fear they strike into the enemys heart is invaluable!
Yeah when they can shoot over the slight dip in the ground in front of them :D
If you're using the Strongholds of The Samurai canons are actually good since most of the forts are made of wood which has a lower durability than stone and when part of the wall is destroyed everyone on it will die.
In siege it’s highly amusing to watch them send people flying 500 feet in the air in large sprays of splinters and bodies.
I was looking for this comment. Filthy pesants with their mangonels have no appreciation for the fine art of cannon. I use 2-3 slots on my siege armies with naginata sams, matchlocks and samu bows. They do require careful placement and good micro but getting a couple of hits when the enemy is marching is invaluable. You just have to time it right and aim in front. And clearing walls of ashigaru bows is the most fun you can have with your pants on, basically. These boys can fly :D
Bow ashigaru is probably the best unit you can use in multiplayer to destroy lightly armored units like monks or ninjas. they don't even need many upgrades to do so.
Naginata samurai are really good for one specific role, yet they are a rare sight in multiplayer. They are absolutely the best defensive unit in the game (if you exclude Bulletproof samurai)
If you use them in a role to tank a no-dachi charge or just arrows they will excel at both. They are countered by matchlocks, Daikyus and bow generals though. Two of which are in almost every multiplayer match, which is why I believe they are not seen as much. But bringing one or two of them to just sit there and hold down 2-3 units each in melee to allow your other units to outmatch your opponent is incredibly viable. Throw in a hero there for the extra offensive power and morale buff is very strong.... You should know Triple ;)
Oh boy I’m well aware of that bow general and those hero units lol
Very nice video! Naginata Samurai is my favorite unit in the game. They are so amazing in Campaign, with max meele attack buff (Master Weaponsmith + Jujutsu Dojo) they hold the line and beat everything than approaches.
My favorite template in campaign is 4 ashigaru front line, 4 missile units of your choice flanked by 2 naginata samurai, 4 katana samurai, 4 mounted yari samurai and a wild card slot. I do play Darth mod so the unit sizes are much larger which allows this to work quite well.
I currently have a playthrough as Oda just one town before realm divide. This video couldn't come at a better time lol
It was such a CRIME that Yari Samurai are getting their butts kicked towards yari ashigaru, and many other units, even though they have far more armor and stats then they have -- or they SHOULD. Even worse is when their CAVALRY counterpart does BETTER than them!!! On top of that, the OTHER samurai units beat them as well!!! SHAMFRUL DISPRAY!!!
bow ashigaru + fire bow that's deadly combination
now this is a theme i can enjoy
Another great vid. Honourable mention for wako raiders from me 🏴☠️
Hahaha yes they can get that spot for sure
I was surprised to see that some people think they're bad.
a cheap sword unit with Kisho training that can go toe to toe with Katana Samurai, how does anyone think they're bad?
@@captainnyet9855 I dont like them because their lack of armor personally but I also meme on them quiet a bit lol
I remember disbanding a garrison full of Naginata Samurai 2 turns before the red equiphile declared war on me (again)
Literally just started playing this gem again, god I suck at it relative to every other tw tho haha
Ah you’ll get the hang out it eventually, certainly plays a bit different that the others because of no shields lol
@@TripleZHacker I can handle the battles well I just find myself turtling most of the time as half of Japan seems to be after me by turn 10 😂
@@mitchelrowe6915 Ooof yeah that’s honestly how it goes. Shogun 2 is a lot of rapid expansion and then turtle. The process repeats quite a few times. Usually the AI tends to be very aggressive on the harder difficulties too.
@@mitchelrowe6915 You just need to embrace your inner peasant army leader for 20 turns. then youll be fine :D
To me, light cavalry is the best cavalry in the campaign. They are fast, cheap, excellent to pursue fleeing enemies and in an infantry stalemate, they can make a hammer and anvil very quickly, although they are easily killed by anything.
I'm always surprised by how brittle they are. I always think they should be superior to archers as in other TW games but always get insane losses. Running 2 of them against 3 ashigaru archers even if most arrows miss, they get killed fast in melee after a few seconds which are crucial, because if they don't rout by then, I have to get my cav back into safety.
Every battle they have I basically have to declare them dead lol.
@@kotzpenner Indeed! I tend to use them quite late in the battle formation, unless I want to use them as bait. Even in Battles that I end with overwhelming victory, losing 1/3 is assured. lol
@@Flan67 I actually fought a battle right now against a mass of ill equipped rebels and wanted to try my cavalry against the archers, 4 cav against 3 archers (from behind so they couldn't even shoot), no other units. They did well so I managed another front (castle defense, so it tends to be chaotic).
Came back 20 seconds later, 1 cav routed, the others had only 50%. wtf, can't you even mow down 0 exp archers lmao.
@@kotzpenner Sometimes, I think that they love to die, lol. Even well moralized ashigaru archers can bring them down in melee (I had this experience once and, yeah, a shameful display). Still, I love their speed and their upkeep cost.
I personally like bow samurai, bc i can use them efectively as meele, they completely wreck most spear units and other archers, i just use the spear line and throw them to attack the sides, and light cav to decimate enemy archers
Shogun 2 is historical inaccurate. naginata is pretty much phased out by Sengokujidai. Only monk and female warriors wielded them. On Sengokujidai battlefield，yari reigned supreme. Yari and katana are like modern day rifle and pistol. You fight open battles with rifles and only in close quarter，you pull pistol.
The iconic katana was developed at the end of this era/beginning of next era, and sword weilding units certainly weren't the mainstay. Hattori weren't Daimyo and Ikko Ikki weren't a unified faction. Several cities are in the wrong place. Fire Rockets. Yeah Shogun 2 has a lot of historical inaccuracies but then I've always considered TW games historical sandbox games.
It still saw some use in the Sengoku period., even on peasants. Which makes sense. Hard for a weapon like it to completely phase out. And on the bright side, sohei and onnabushi in this game do in fact carry naginata in melee.
@@Naraku-no-Hana-WE ikko ikki were unorganized at first but they organized and took control of Kaga province first time in history of Japan that a province was controlled by commoners.
I think its because all if not most yari were long yari instead of just regular yari. Also I think that fire rocket cannons are the chinese teppo that the Japanese got from the chinese in the 12th century but never used until the advent of the tanegashima teppo matchlock where they brushed it up upgraded it and finally used it for battles.
So I tested bow ashigaru and bow samurai against yari ashigaru in custom battles and it seems that the kills per volley of both the bow ashigaru and bow samurai was the same against ashigaru armour class units. The difference in total kill count came from the faster reload rate of bow samurai which resulted in more volleys per minute.
It's funny to me that Naginata samurais are underated since they where basically one of the units who carried my ass in avatar conquest back then.
You know what I loved this game and because of you I may consider replaying it XD
Do it! It’s a glorious game :)
@@TripleZHacker I wonder if there is still a multiplayer community but even then it will be worth it just for campaigns.
@@reym_8229 there is a community for sure multiplayer is super fun as well once you get the hang of it :)
@@TripleZHacker Yeah I know I've played avatar conquest quite a bit and still got my old avatar generals.
I wish MrSmartDonkey would make more Shogun 2 videos. That was the reason I subscribed to him 4 years ago.
Shogun 2 is great and maybe he will eventually?
@@TripleZHacker I hope
@@KyoushaPumpItUp I hope so too!
@@MrSmartDonkeyLP I just realized you replied to my comment after rewatching this video.
I didn't know yari bowmen were so derided! Haven't played in a long while, but back in the day it felt like bow units were OP in Shogun 2. I would always try and fit as many bowmen into my armies that I could possibly still protect with other units, take a hill, and watch them mow down most of the opponent before they could even engage our lines. I often took Yari stacks well into the middle and even late game against the AI.
I have a confession to make... I fucking love... Shogun 2
*sad fire projecting mangonels noises*
I agree on the ninjas. Gotta love their ‘nades!
Your channel remind me smartdonkey LP channel. Dude cover almost everything about shogun tw. Until it running out of content . Sure cover your favorite game is good spirit 👍
I personally loved naginata samurai online, even tho I had few veterans on my online clan, I usually got a few vanilla ones and they were great and versatile. Not the best, but far from the worst!
Great video! Happy to have subscribed lately.
Thank you so much! And glad to have your support! :)
Yarimazing!
Yes my brother you are one of the chosen ones
To complete your words about the underratement of the bow ashigaru (I'm not a multi-player guy so this is about the campaign and maybe true in multiplayer but if that's the case, even I don't know): for the mid/late game (meanly if you are playing the Oda and MAYBE chosokabe) if you recruit those units in a province with max accuracy bonus (20 or 25 depending on if you have a camp with the right upgrade) those units will do better than samourais and more precisely monks because even tho their reload isn't the best, their large number will give them the deadliest first voley of all bow units. So even tho units in front have better reload if they are not many left of them it doesn't matter. And this is not even speaking of aditionnal bonuses that they can get through the tech tree and general skill tree if I remember correctly
They scale well with upgrades and veterancy though once you can deploy Bow warrior monks to the field the range advantage is too significant to ignore. But until you can afford monks bow ashigaru are definitely worth their weight in koku
Little known fact, you can upgrade bow ashigaru with long yari arrows so they become God teir melee and ranged units. Truly yarimazing
Kisho ninja also have vanguard deployment.
Hide them at some flank where u think the enemy will be. Walk them close to stay hidden. Surprise attack them in the flanks when both armies engage using stealth.
They mow every thing from the back.
Horse archers are by far my favorite support unit! Each time im deploying them I think to myself "let me show you what happened to the romans...." and they really put the enemy AI in a no-win scenarion: Either ignore them and take a ton of damage for free, or chase them off and STILL take a ton of damage. Extra fun if the guys chasing them is the enemy general, because you shot one arrow at hit bodyguard and went "nanananana, you cannot catch us!"
That’s how the samurai started out as Horse-archers! Bow Cav can be quite the versatile unit and I think they are very strong in auto-resolve for some reason
As an Oda player... I literally use all of these and dominate.
Thank you for making Shogun 2 content! Very enjoyable video as always
Of course I love this game and thank you for watching my and for the comment :)
@@TripleZHacker :D
I think the treshhold for 1bow ashirgaru beating a bow warrior monk is 6-7 veteran points(dont know how they are called really xD). If you use yari kav and kill their archers, Bow ashigaru become the best bow unit in the game. exp stand and fight and the tech tree + recruitment camps/bow mastery building get them to about 70 precision and 50 reload. with their unit size it just deals more damage than the other archers.
Im with you. i just didnt know people would think they are bad.
I think the word your looking for is Chevron
I agree with Bow Ashigaru and Kisho Ninja. Naginata Samurai and Light cav are very well regarded already. Katana cav aren't underrated because there's nothing to underrate about them. It may be just me but in 99% of all battlefield situations where I have a Katana cav unit, I find myself wishing I'd brought something else. Yeah, they're good against sword infantry, but that's a unit type that has so many counters that are far more versatile, including Yari cav (only slightly worse at killing sword infantry but infinitely better on the charge, against cavalry and especially generals) or any ranged unit.
Katana cav work best when you have yari cav as well.
Use the mounted spears to kill the enemy horses and while that's happening use the Katana to blitz through into the archers. Doing this early on will save your infantry
Kisho ninja is overstated af
Amazing utilities, but also a stat stick that will kill pretty much everyone in melee. With Stealth on they charge harder than cavalry, and in prolonged fight they beat most units 1v1. All of that at a cheap price, only slightly more than samurai.
Lol, I use all those 5 units in campaign, specially The naginata samurai and katana cav.
I prefer naginata as my melee foot infantry. Situationally yari and katana units are better, but you have to make sure they're attacking what needs to be attacked, whether it's foot soldiers or cavalry. Whereas recruiting naginatas out of a province with a master weaponsmith and proving grounds encampment makes the best all around foot soldier in the game. So I go with that. Maybe people underrate them because they like specialists more, and are willing to micromanage the battlefield.
Very agree with you in almost everything, but I prefer Master Weaponsmith + Jujutsu Dojo (+6 meele Attack) make them front line monsters than beat everything than aproaches.
@@shingeovanny508 I have thought about that, but I figured an extra 5 charge was better than an extra 2 attack. Not that I've done testing on this.
Great video man!
In my two Campangs Naginata Samurai are in evry fieldarmy and Bow Ashigaru are perfect to protect my Territories.
Man you need more subs, you are top quality
Thanks man!
The only faction that can use Yari Samurai more effectively is the Hattori clan :
1. Just place Hattori Yari Samurai at the enemy's rear
2. Charge
3. Click rapid advance ability.
4. Profit
A few bow ashigaru and firebomb throwers will make a superb defense when defending forts etc. Often the enemy breaks before they get up the walls.
Heck, if you're playing Chosokabe and tech into the Superior Bows artisan feature, you can train Bow Ashigaru with superior accuracy and at that point they become effectively superior to bow samurai due to their unit size. They'll hit just as accurately and at the same range, so the additional missiles end up adding a lot more power to the battlefield.
Granted, that's a specific circumstance, and Chosokabe get access to their unique archers who have Bow Warrior monk range minus the whistling shot, but I did that campaign recently and found these guys to be clutch.
The best use of mangonel is the AI will be forced to attack you even when they are defending.
One unit I would say is underrated is Yari Samurai, purely because people overhate them. They actually are decent units, while I can recognize they are far from the best, people tend to think they are useless, which is blatantly not true.
Am I the only one expiriencing AI bow samurai doomstacks? Naginatas are a neccesity in the mid game.
Yeah, that's right! Naginata Samurai is the best frontline infantry from mid to late game! They hold the line and performing so well against everything.
Naginata units need more love. I usually play a mod that gives Naginata Ashigaru, More historically accurate anyway.
Absolutely amazing unit, not OP and they’ll hold ground against anything for as long as you need them to.
I’ve used them before and they’re great wish a clan had a naginata specialization
i understand in MP why bow ashigaru would not be used as much, but who said they are trash in single player/campaign? with how cheap they are, you want 2 bow ashigarus over 1 bow samurai in my opinion 9/10 times...again, in campaign.
amazing at sieges, get exp quickly hence their reload and accuracy improves drastically by the mid-game with 4-6 exp shevrons(right spelling?). numbers, replenishment is faster cuz ashigaru replenish faster compared to samurais, cheaper so you can run with 2-3 armies compared to 1 samurai army.
and a favourite tactic of mine: have a normal battle stack supported by a...generally half a stack of bow ashigaru. used exclusively for sieges. because the army system was actually allows you any number of armies of even single units to be on the field without a general in shogun 2 compared to what came with rome 2 and since.
Brilliant tactic I usually love having a siege specialist force as well but you’re absolutely right bow ashigaru are vital in sieges
Yari samurai is like the most disappointing infantry unit -_-, I expected they'd be good at combat.
Also katana cavalry also. They an fight with prolonged fights, but I believe their meant to be paired with hammer and anvil when the main lines are stuck and due to their good in melee and can prolong its just honestly an waste of money at the same time.
Though Naginata are pretty good 👍 their an all rounder fighters, I'm surprised they are here. Light cavalry is pretty good for the start.
like how you talk about mp when the mp is virtually dead
Hoboy Bow Ashigaru and Kisho Ninja are the only units that deserve to be on this list. I use Bow Ashigaru until Bow Monks in SP and in MP for a LIGHT skirmish force as melee cores are just what it is. Honestly if a Bow unit was to be put in there Bow Cav would be a better choice. I also personally never use Katana Samurai and just stick to Naginatas.
Katana Cav should not even exist. Same with Mangonels and European Cannons.
Matchlock units aside from Monk/Terico/Heavy Gunners units also get overlooked a ton. 1 unit of Matchlock Ashigaru can add a ton of utility... Samurai is very questionable.
Fair points, I agree that matchlock ashigaru are OP, I don’t think they get overlooked in Multiplayer though but perhaps in campaign they do, as for Katana Cav I know they’re terrible but they still are extremely good in specific situations. Bow Cav is an interesting option for sure, so perhaps I did miss an opportunity to put them on the list. Thanks for the feedback and comment though I appreciate it!
@@TripleZHacker I do not think Matchlock Ashigaru are OP by any stretch just add utility and specific situations for Katana Cav are far too rare for me to even consider them at all. Cycle charging Light Cav will do more damage than a Katana Cav in every instance, far more mobile and costs less. If Spear units were not so abundant Katana Cav would have at least a chance.
@@kusarigama7899 Yeah light Cav are very cost effective, but cycle charging can be mirco intensive, if Katana Cav fight any sword unit then they can just remain in the melee and you don’t have to worry about them. As for matchlock ashigaru, if they get two volleys on any unit that unit is likely going to route or is severely crippled by casualties. Matchlock ashigaru are like glass cannons in my opinion and can be devastating when used effectively.
Bulk of my army was naginata samurai.
The Fishsandwhichpatrol reference to the Kishi Ninja core theory
Yes I referenced him in another one of my videos!
do you think you would do a install video for last alliance mod for shogun 2
Bow Ashigaru? maybe its just how my battles go (only really play single player) but, the biggest problem i have with them is they don't use their ammo fast enough, like they will probably rout before running out of ammo or the battle lines join at which point you don't want them to shoot or you take time to get them on the flanks.
Otherwise Yes i agree. kinda surprised the yari samurai arnt on here. (i know why but still)
Nice video! I don't suppose you could make one for general skills?
For sure I can make another guide for that
@@TripleZHacker Whoops, I meant skills. And thanks for responding!
@@aze94 oh of course and general skills for campaign or multiplayer? :)
@@TripleZHacker Oh, well if you want me to choose I would say single player on legendary. :)
@@aze94 Of course I’ll make one shortly! Singleplayer legendary guides are always fun to make
Yari Samurai is underrated too and it should stay that way, like what is the point of it? If to counter cavalries or for defense, Yari Ashigarus can do the job and much cheaper, if it's for breaking enemy units, their melee attack sucks
katana cav can reduce the charge from opponents by using diamond formation, that way they beat yari cav with half remaining
You're not wrong about any of these though I think most people know about the strengths of Katana Cav and Naginata Sam. I'd like to see some unique units listed here there are definitely a few that are underrated or that on paper look unimpressive until you put them out there.
Hmm that’s fair I’ll have to make a video on them sometime soon
People under appreciate bow ashigaru? Yeah, they blow… until you bump their reload by 2 ranks and accuracy by 2 ranks. Plus a leadership general and they become insanely cost effective, especially in sieges.
Under appreciated units
1 - naginata attendants. Pair them with matchlocks and wipe out anything.
2 - Yari samurai. Keep your army compact and 2 units can provide all the anti cav you need
3 - light cav. Don’t upgrade them. So dang cheap. Best way to get an ambush off in multiplayer is to stick 2 of them in woods and “preemptively/prematurely” attack with one. Don’t lose the unit, just make it look like it was a mistake then as your “surprise” is ruined, send that unit to the rest of your army. Now when the actual battle is joined, the enemy will focus on your obvious light cav and not see the second one you never attacked with until his general is dead
4. Fire rockets. Keep them in trees with a nagi attendant escort. Get the enemy to bunch their infantry or take your aim at high value cav or general. They will wreck face
5. Matchlock samurai, no upgrades. Just a solid unit which doesn’t require babysitting. Can be used as an obvious target to bait a cav charge, will do ok (not good), but WILL rally and can then be almost just as effective since only the first Ranch of matchlocks fire
6. Bow general. If you’re good at micro. Plus the crazy long bow range on horseback means you’re guaranteed to force the enemy to attack you on terrain favorable to you
7. Yari ki. Stronger and cheaper than Yari cav, just not as fast
Ninjas are my favourite unit. They can just obliterate a cavalry unit in seconds. Since they have nodachi-like melee and charge stats with wonderful defense and can completely cancel the ai charge animation of any unit.
Just form a line and enjoy how 45 dudes in a line can obliterate the 80% of a general in just 1 second.
A lot of people will flat out not use Light Cavalry at all in the campaign just because they're not "proper". Having cavalry is better than having no cavalry...... Also mangonels are artillery. I heard before I even tried them back in the day that they were utter dogshit but I still went out of my way to get one. When you have a single piece of artillery and the enemy has none you dictate the terms of the engagement not the other way around. Even if they decide to weather the projectiles knowing most won't hit and then move there's any easy counter.... You move everything towards them until you're fractionally outside of their missile range and then you start using your mangonel from that distance.... It now will get hits, will still start killing and they will move first and you're planted and ready to receive them.
how exactly are naginata samurai, light cav and bow ashigaru underrated units in Shogun 2?
Level 3 bow ashigaru in Avatar Conquest can have 50 accuracy and 45 reload when you have the yumi officer. Makes them pretty good.
Great point, and especially since they're so cheap and more men in the unit means that more arrows are being fired at the enemy!
@@TripleZHacker but recently I've found an interest in mounted gunners. Pretty good to hunt down the enemy general.
@@jarlnils435 Yeah they're broken, hands down best unit in the game for sure.
Mangonels are great for single player. Watching exploding the enemy is great.
Mangonels are only efective if You want the enemy to attack You
And in that matter, at least cannons kill a little bit more than them
I love bow ashigaru, because I love Soviet style ashigaru tactics. When I have 4 armies to your 1, I have the better army.
The first time played this game i played with oda and didn't use anything other than ashigaru because they were so cheap
Its kinda funny that my first campaign that I won was a katana cav only takeda run
Cheap missile unit’s are useful to distract other missiles and bait cavalry charges.
I was waiting for the Wako Raiders 😔
warrior monks fear the peasant bowman
i didn't even know this game had catapults.
Is the first time I hear someone call underrated to Naginata Samurai, Light Cavalry and Bow Ashigaru. I didn't play ONE campaing without recruting these lads, fair enough my early armys are made of mainly of Yari Ashigaru but I always have like 4 Light Cavalry if I can recruit them (who then gets replaced by Yari Cavalry, like, you can blame me? They'e litteraly the same better version) and 6 Bow Ashigaru to counter-skirmish (and then this ones get replaced by Bow Warriors Monks IF I go for defensive armies). With the Naginata? The only ones who I use instead of them from time to time are Naginata Warriors Monk and even there if I want my army to be defensive I just pick the Samurai, they're that good!
Honestly yeah those units aren’t super underrated in campaign but in multiplayer I think they tend to be, but even in campaign I think a lot of newer players probably make the jump from bow ashigaru to bow samurai and then for Naginatas I would say they’re underrated in the sense that they should be like considered one of the best units in the game instead of just a quality unit. And light Cav is so busted in early campaign lol
@@TripleZHacker yeah, bow samurai, those poor ways are really underrated, I always jump from Bow Ashigaru to Bow Warrior Monks and skip them completly. And yes, I have like 0 exp in MP I just play hundred of hours of SP
@@matiasmattera6650 Yeah that’s the way to go straight to the Bow Warrior Monks and of course SP is a better experience currently with the MP relatively inactive
@@TripleZHacker I start a Mori campaing some weeks ago with a whole new list of mods courtesy of Pilps Clans Experience videos, it really change the game for the better even.
Very nice coment about the SP experiencie in Shogun 2, according to you in everything, especially the transition from Bow Ashigaru to Bow Warrior Monks (the former is very useful in early game and the latter are basically the best bow unit in the game). About Naginata Samurai, is my favorite melee unit and the best frontline infantry from mid to late, very versatile for any ocassion. I love defensive strategy so my personally preferred army is a line of Naginata Samurai protecting a line of Bow Warrior Monks; they destroy any kind of armies.
Bro what people hate bow ashigaru? They’re like the only bow infantry I use 😨 (unless I’m chosekabe) I’m not spending double the upkeep for marginally better stats in the bow samurai fr. Bowmen are for suppressing and a thinning out before the melee in my experience. If I cheap out in archers I can better afford my more expensive melee units
Some people think bow ashi are useless and should be replaced by bow sam asap. Those people are very wrong.
2 minutes after ser this video i get shogun 2
Ah yay shogun 2 is a great game enjoy it!
I guess I'm just dumb, but katana cavalry are the only ones I use consistently because they are good at surviving and killing enemies. I'm weak at cavs so maybe I'm just not using other units correctly
You're not dumb, Katana cav actually does fight longer in melee usually because of their armor and melee defense. The main reason katana cav are so underrated is that they do not have an anti-cav bonus. Yari Cavalry is great but you have to cycle charge with them, that is charge and charge again repeatedly with them. It takes time and play some more Takeda to practice using cav more if you want!
Naginata samurai are underrated? I've never played without them and I have never seen a playthrough on UA-cam where they were not at least a component of someone's late game forces. They get their due by anyone who has played the game on Legendary and won.
Ah yeah that’s fair, I think they’re underrated in that they belong to in the discussion of best units in the game, also I think in Avatar conquest they’re often underrated at times.
@@TripleZHacker Same with Light Cav, bro. Who doesn't LOVE them?
@@TheLoyalOfficer lol that’s fair, I still thought they deserved a spot since most assume Yari Cav is so dominant.
Me abusing the tax order glitch and spamming levy units only(they're good in the end games )
you should make episode about your favourite mods etc
Ah yes I plan to do so sometime soon!
You are still new to the game .
Play more and you'll understand .
Katana cav , naginata , bow ashi
Are good unit !
I have over 2000 hours in the game I am not new whatsoever, and I never said any of these units were bad at all, just that they are underrated clearly there's a difference in meaning.
@@TripleZHacker
Well... You actually explain how good they are . Those who underrated them are the noob one
You're right 👍
Sorry
@@greatndit Oh I see I see I misunderstood your comment! Yeah they can be really really effective when you know how to use those units ^^
So, when will you do fav DLC?
Oh interesting, I might do that soon, like dlc units or just dlc for the game?
@@TripleZHacker Why not both?
why you gotta do my mangonels like that :(