Overview
I have some experience,and have watched some pros play and study why they love that units.but I’m just a normal human,so if there’s anything wrong,you can correct me.or if I say something right,and you correct it with a wrong thing,go to h3ll.note:This is only for open battle.Siege scenario is different.
Unit Ranks
There are actually Ranks in every army,from the Roman times to FoTS time
But these are my opinion,if you have another unit ranks that didn’t in this list,sorry
1. Skirmishers
You may already know this kind of units.These units are used to fight other Archers before the battle start,and damaging their mainline units if they won the fight,or the enemy start to attack with their mainline.
Once the Mainline Crash,these units can’t shoot enemy anymore,but you can use them
to damage routing units,and maybe shatter them.
2. Mainline
These guys will do most the killing,and the most who died.These units can be mostly armed with Spears,Sword,and for Versatility Naginata
3. Reserve
These units rank are rarely used in early game,but sometimes used in Mid to Late Games. they’re armed the same like the mainline,but can close the gap,reinforce,and even stop any flanking units if your flank defender is having a trouble
4. Flank Defender
These guys are considered the hero of any of my army.they’re the one who will watch the back of any soldier,a true friend working to defend their comrade.They’re mostly armed with Spear and Naginata.
5. Flank Attacker
These guys are the ones who will fight the enemy Flank attacker if accidentally bumped,and if they win they can manouver to attack enemy flanks,or rout their archer,and even kill their general who was sitting in the back of the line.
6. Misc
These units are different,they’re a situational units,these means like Siege,and Ninjas.
Every Man Has His Place in a Army
Some units can be Used in a part of the army,while other could be more versatile.
1. Skirmishers
This is the simplest part of the army,I will tell you the best to the worst.
5th Hattori Bandits
Just don’t use these guys,same Cost and upkeep,better Accuracy,but less Unit size and Damage.
4th Bow Ashigaru
Simple Units,good at Skirmishing,but not the best at melee.
3rd Bow Samurai
A Archer who can Shoot faster,and more accurate than Bow Ashigaru.These Guys can fight if needed,and take less damage from arrows.
2nd Chosokabe Daikyu Samurai
Probably the best Non-Monk Archers for the Chosokabe,they’re more Damaging with their Daikyu,and they have more range than regular archers.
Be warry though,they have slow firing speed of 35,instead of 40 or 50(Chosokabe) From Bow Samurai,so make sure they’re experienced,Lv 2 and Lv 3 Bow Dojo gives Experience for these units.
they also need the Lv2 Accuracy Encampment Building that needed the technology Heaven and Earth.
1st Bow Monks
Don’t ask me why.
175 Range,55 Accuracy,65 Reload Speed.
What can you ask more from these Monks.
Less Cost,more unit size,less upkeep.
Nah you can’t have that.
0th Shimazu Heavy Gunner
Destroy the enemy formation completely before the fight,Take my Money and my daughter virgininty.or my son’s virginity if you have a daughter.
2. Mainline
7th No-Dachi Samurai
only use if you want a fast battle,but if your charge fail,your mainline will crumble.
6th Yari Ashigaru
these are your early mainline units,and can even fight samurai in yari wall.
5th Ikko Ikki Katana Ashigaru
They’re the best cheap Units to use for the Ikko Ikki,if you don’t have enough money,and they’re pretty good in melee due to their combat skill and unit size.
4th Yari Samurai
Rarely used in late,but they’re here because of their dishonored brother,Yari Ronin The thing is Yari Ronin has less upkeep,and the only yari samurai units who has less Upkeep.
3rd Katana Samurai
The Core of every army,good combat skill.they’re weak to cavalry though,but putting them in the middle makes sure that no cavalry are attacking them,since the ai never charge cavalry into a mainline.
2nd Oda Long Yari Ashigaru
They can even beat a Katana Samurai in Yari wall,but they’re for defensive,which means if there’s a idle Long Yari Ashigaru in a mainline,they can’t support the unit next to them.
1st Naginata Samurai
lets see.
9 Armor.
Average Fighting Skill.
Yep you guys are the best unit for the mainline.
1st Date Bulletproof Samurai
Lets see.
9 Armor.
Good Fighting Skill.
Resistant to Bullet fire.
Rapid Advance.
4 unit limit.
Yep you guys can be the 1st with your adopted Naginata Samurai brother.
3. Reserve
5th Ikko Ikki Katana Ashigaru
They’re pretty good if you have spears as your mainline,but watch out for cav.
4th Mori Pirates
Same like Ikko Ikki,but they’re cheaper,and have a samurai skill.but they can only be recruited with a province that have a dock.and most province that have a blacksmith doesn’t have a dock.
3rd Katana Samurai
Better than Ashigaru,and more Versatility than Mori Pirates.
2nd Yari Samurai
if you’re using Katana as your mainline these men can swap in the flank if the enemy have many cavalry,but if your katana is getting pushed back,you must not have high hope for them.
1st Naginata Samurai
Versatility.
Good vs cav if you use Katana for mainline.
Can fight Infantry if you use Spear for mainline.
1st Naginata Monk
War cry > Every Ability that can reduce morale if you work that unit,war Cry is just a Click,and then the enemy have their morale cut for no cost and time.
4. Flank Defender
3rd Yari Ashigaru
Flank Watcher is the guy who watch for cavalry,and hold infantry long enough for the reserve or any idle mainline to come and help them.
if you don’t have the money,yari ashigaru is the thing.
2nd Yari Samurai
They can be either Offensive if they beat the Flank Attacker,and can defend if they’re attacked by infantry.
1st Naginata Samurai
They can fight cavalry.they can beat infantry if given time and support if being pushed back.
5. Flank Attacker
6th Ikko Ikki Katana Ashigaru
they are cheap,and got a good charge and attack.
5th Katana Samurai
Can even be the Flank Attacker,even if your mainline is Katana Samurai.Good combat,and can hold their own if the flank attack fail.
4th Mori Pirates
good for early attack,or late attack,but you must time them right,to early will Kill them,and Too late the battle will be over.
3rd No-Dachi Samurai
with good charge and “TEKA NO CHINO BANZAIIIII”.
2nd Light Cavalry
Speed,Elegancy,and that hat is magnifice-
I mean good for early cavalry if you don’t have access for the best.
1st Ikko Ikki Monk Cavalry
with the Combat Skill of a Katana Cavalry,and versatility of Yari Cavalry. Must use if you’re Ikko Ikki,because Ikko Ikki Can’t access other than Light Cavalry Samurai.
1st Yari Cavalry
Let’s see.
Yari on a horse.
Yep,best cavalry.
1st Takeda Fire Cavalry
Let’s see.
Like a Yari Cavalry.
But can Encourage units Like a boss.
yep,best cav for Takeda.
1st Otomo Donderbuss Cavalry
ok now you guys please stop pointing those shotguns at my head,if my head blows up I’m gonna die from blood loss.
ok t-these units are good if you can get c-close,which is no problem for cavalry. d-don’t be fooled by their 50 range,they actually can fight if needed,and mostly unit who got shot by them will eventually shocked,since their Donderbuss Matchlock shot 6 Bullet at a time,instead of 1.which means each volley will shoot 480 Bullets in ultra unit size.
but becareful they can hurt your men as bad as the enemy got shot from them.
1st Tokugawa Mounted Gunner
Not you guys again don’t you think that’s enoug- okay okay I’ll give this unit a chance.
if you can’t get closer to use the donderbuss,the mounted gunner bring in a mobile Matchlocks who can fire and retreat easilly,for some reason they’re much better than infantry matchlock.
Outsiders:
Matchlock units.
They’re good at shooting the flanks,but you will need the terrain and manouver.but if you’re otomo you can try to use the tercos,they have rather average combat skill.but their armor will carry the day.
6. Misc
These units either has no place in my army,or I rarely used them I didn’t know they exist.
-Fire Rockets
Best Anti Cavalry units.
but you can’t use them early on,and even in late game you can only recruit them in 1 province.
-Bow Cavalry
I never found use of them,they’re supposed to be mobile skirmisher,but skirmisher selling point is their damage,and their damage is quite low.
-Katana Samurai
only use them if you want to charge home into a mainline of sword infantry,and get killed either by the sword infantry slowly,or by their reserve.
-Kisho Ninja
ehh…N.U (Never Used)
-Firebomb Thrower
N.U
-Mangonel
N.U Too bad.
-Cannon
N.U Ask Much,Give Little.
Army Composition and Formation
“Everything is depend on you”
but if you want to know my Army Composition.
1 General
5 Mainline
5 Reserve
5 Skirmisher
2 Flank Attacker
2 Flank Defender
let’s use my army composition for the formation example.
General : G
Mainlime : M
Reserve : R
Skirmisher : S
Flank Attacker : A
Flank Defender : D
The basic formation goes like this:
SSSSS
MMMMM
AD RRRRR DA
G
but there’s an alternative of
SSSSS
MMMMM
DD RRRRR AA
G
you see if you want to fully attack a side without worrying the other side,you can put your Flank Defenders on the opposite side as the Flank attacker.