This podcast episode provides an overview of the base unit types in Total War: Shogun 2, including generals, foot soldiers, ranged units, and cavalry. It discusses the strengths and weaknesses of each unit type, as well as tactical tips for using them effectively in battle. Generals provide morale boosts and abilities that can turn the tide of battle. Yari Ashigaru spear units are effective against cavalry but vulnerable to ranged attacks. Sword units are more offensive and can break enemy formations. Bow units are weak in melee combat but useful in sieges. Cavalry excel at flanking and chasing enemies but should not fight alone or take on spear units. The episode concludes by recommending custom battles to practice using different unit types

1. Daniel Thompson
Script
*Intro Music file plays*
Helloguysandwelcome tothe 5th
episode of ‘The Total War-Fare experience’.Asyouall will know
by now,thisseriesof podcastsisbasedonthe fan favourite of the series:Shogun2.
*Gong soundeffect*
In thisepisode, we will be talkingaboutthe base unitsinthe game andwhichsituationsyoushould
enterandavoidin battle withthem.Thisepisode will be particularlyuseful forall of the new players
out there whowantto getto knowthe unittypesandwhatbonusestheycan bringto the battlefield
to change the tide of the war.We will beginwiththe mostinfluentialunitinthe battle - the general
– andthenmove on to foot-soldiers,followedbyrangedunitsandfinallycavalry.Artillerywillbe
coveredinmynext episode:‘DefendingandAttackinginSiege Battles’.
*Battle Music file plays*
Generals
Kickingoff ourlist,we have the General unit.The general isone of the mostimportantunitsof every
army. Althoughitispossibletowinbattleswithoutone,itis still extremelyhelpful tohave one
around.Theyoffera stat boostto any nearbyunitsandcan use special abilitiesthatincrease itsown
or any neighbouringunits’moraleorattack whichcan easilyturnthe tide of battle.Thisisvery
helpful aswhen analliedunitislosingitscurrentengagementandisrapidlylosingmorale,the
general wouldbe able toincrease thatmorale eventhoughtheyhave lesssoldiersandtheywill
continue tofighton.Thiscouldpossiblybreakthe otherside’sunitdue tothemgettingtiredand
confusedasto whythe losingside isn’trunning.Theseabilitiesstartoff extremelybasichoweverbut
can be upgradedonce the general levelsup.Generalslevel upbyfightinginbattlesandgaining
experience infights.Generalsin battle actexactlylikecavalryunitsdoandthe onlydifference to
normal cavalryis theirnoticeableincrease inmorale.Thisunitismore likelytofighttothe deathif
losingisensured.Theyare goodforflankingenemiesandare noticeablybetterat usinghammerand
anvil tactics.Hammerand anvil iswhena unitof footsoldiers –oftenreferredtoas the anvil – is
engaginganotherunitina straightline anda cavalryunit – the hammer– attacks the flankwhichisa
guaranteedunitlossforthe enemycommander.Forall theyshare the same bonusesascavalry
units,theyalsoshare the same flawstoo.For example,the playershouldneversendthemtofighta
full strengthmeleeunitoranyspearunitsas theyare sure to lose.Whenusingageneral to fight,
make sure that you keepaneye onthemand keepthemnearbytoalliesandrelativelysafeasthe
general himself candie atany pointwithoutthe enemyhavingtokill the restof hisunitfirst.And
remember:if the general dies,youwilllose all of theirupgrades,skillsandstatisticboostsonthe
battlefield.
FootUnits
Movingon to the foot soldiers nowandfirstoff we have the spearunitsand backbone of everyearly
army inthe game: the Yari Ashigaru.Thisunitisessentialformostarmies,especiallywhenthe
playerison the defensive.TheirSpearWall abilityallowsthemtotightlypackintoa strongline of
spearswhichcan haltprettymuch any otherunitfromchargingthrough.Althoughthe Yari Ashigaru

2. Daniel Thompson
are so popularineacharmy, theywill be defeatedbyeventhe mostweakestswordunitwhich
meansthat a close eye will needtobe keptonthemwhentheyare close by. Theycan alsobe used
to stall enemyunitsonthe offensive while yourmostpowerfultroopsmove upforsupport.Asyou
wouldassume withthe Yari beinga spear,Yari Ashigaruunitsare at theirbestwhenfightingcavalry.
Theywill veryrarelylose anengagementagainstone andare cheapto create too so can be
deployedinhighernumbers.One of the Yari Ashigaru’sbiggestweaknesses,however,is facingany
type of ranged unit.Much like anyotherfootsoldier,theywouldgetdestroyedagainstsuch
enemiesunlesstheyhave muchmore strengthinnumbers orare close enoughtocatch them.
The nextbase unitis the Loan SwordAshigaru. Swordunitsare one of the mostdecidingunitsonthe
battlefieldandcanturn the tide of a battle inminutesdependingonhow theyare used.Asopposed
to the Yari unit’sdefensivepurpose,the swordunitsare a more offensive type andare often the
mainaggressorineverybattle.Itisrare that you will notsee theminanarmy. SwordunitsinShogun
2 are mainlyusedtobreakformationsinenemyarmiesandcutdownany anti cavalry or lesser
armoredswordunits - mostnotably:the Yari unit’sspearwall ability.Asthere are tacticsavailable
whenusingYari and General units,there are plentytouse withthe swordunitstoo.A good example
of a superiortacticwouldbe to use a lesser,more weakerunit - saythe Yari,to attack an enemy
headon while the swordunitflanksaroundthe backto finishthe job.Due tobeingsurrounded,the
enemywill losetheirsoldiersfasterandtheirmorale willdropquicker.The biggestweaknessto
swordunitsisfightingcavalryunits.Asstatedearlier,asword unitshouldbe able toholdtheirown
againsta cavalry unitalone butthe weaknessliesinthe charges.Up to half of a unitcan be wiped
out injustthe charge fromone cavalryunitwhichmakesitevenmore importantthatthe player
keepstheirarmiesdiverse andisable tosupporta swordunitwitha yari one inspearwall
formation.
RangedUnits
The firstranged unitthatwill be introducedtothe playerwill be the Bow Ashigaru.Thisunitisthe
weakestinthe whole game andwill alwaysneedtobe accompaniedbyanothermeleeunitnearby.
Anyotherunitthat attacks theminmelee will destroytheminamatterof minuteswithverylittle
casualties.Thisbeingsaid,Bowunitsobviouslyhave arange advantage andcan pick off plentyof
enemiesontheirwaytoattack whichrendersthemone of the mostuseful unitsinsiege battles.
Whenusingbowunits,itwouldalwayspayoff to have a yari unitforma spearwall infront of them
for protection.
CavalryUnits
The last unitI will talkaboutisarguablyone of the mostimportantunitsinbattle.The cavalry.
Cavalryunitshave an obviousadvantage of speedagainsteveryothertype of unitandcan act as
reinforcementsforanyallieswhoare havingahard time fighting.The cavalry’schargesare
devastatingtoeveryunitinthe game - exceptforyari unitsintheirpopularspearwall formation -
and can oftentake outa huge portionof the enemy’sunitfromthem.These unitsare especially
useful forchasingdownarcherunitsthat couldotherwise wipe outfootsoldiersthenrunawayto
the safetyof theirarmy.Cavalryshouldneverengage anenemyalone astheywill almostalwayslose
but insteadshouldbe supportedbyatleastone othercavalryunit.Theyare alsogood supportas
theycan conduct the ‘hammerandanvil’tacticmentionedearlierinthispodcast. Itisbestto stick

3. Daniel Thompson
to hitand run tactics andonlycommitcavalryto lengthycombatwhenyourtargetis an archeryunit.
Andnever, eversendcavalryagainstspearunits.Theywill be slaughtered extremelyquickly.
Andthat, ladiesandgentlemen,concludesmyoverview of the manybasicunitsthatyou will
encountertowardsthe beginningof the game’scampaign.The tipsandfactsgiveninthispodcast
applyto all levelsof the typesof unitstalkedaboutsojuststicktothe tacticsgivenandeverything
shouldturnout fine.Itwouldalsohelpfornew playerstocreate a custombattle before startingthe
campaignso that theycan geta general ideaof how eachunitisusedand to helppractice their
tactics andskills.
Thank youfor listening,andgoodbye.