Shogun 2 Pike and Shot Guide

Total War Shogun 2 Pike and Shot Guide where I cover all aspects of Pike and Shot warfare from this steam guide from SunLisa and Volound known as "Fabulous Bird Flow". I also provide analysis in battle replays, which I hope you find entertaining and informative.
0:00-1:21 Intro
1:21-13:59 Steam Guide
13:59-35:49 Battles
Steam Guide: steamcommunity...
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More Shogun 2: • Total War Guides
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#shogun2 #totalwar

[@catinbeanie]

Man. I miss the days of total war where using actual military doctrine from the period can win you battles if you become good at using them. If it be simple hammer and anvil, or divide and conquer tactics, to just plain old raiding and pillaging with a mobile army it all just feels so good to master. Its sad the modern total wars don't have this sort of tactical thought involved with them anymore

[@slacksviii9824]

Fr, it's just send big blob after other big blob and hope your blob is better, there is more nuance to it but not much more. To me personally total war is dead and I gave up after thrones, they lost me as a customer

[@joaogomes9405]

They do though. Along with other unique strategies inherent to them.

[@catinbeanie]

@@joaogomes9405 I would argue that the strategic capabilities of the player have been strongly neutered by the dreaded health system rather than single entity damage to a unit. It manifests in what feels like a game of 'Who has the stronger numbers' versus 'Position your peasants well enough with the right support, on the right kind of terrain, and you can achieve victory even with an army that is better trained or positioned' type of strategy. The last game where i could even really get a hint of that was in Rome 2, coincidentally enough the point where Total war as a franchise began declining Its only in games like Medieval, Shogun, and Rome where studying the real tactics of real armies could give you an upper hand in the right situation. Mastering Pike and Shot in Medieval 2 will still be one of the most satisfying things in any total war.

[@joaogomes9405]

@@catinbeanie Your opinion I suppose. I really don't see how the health system neutered your strategic options, as almost every strategy you could use in the previous games still works in the new games, even if every single hit landed might not kill an entity. Mostly what the health system did was keep ranged weaponry and cavalry from being as obscenely dominant as it was in every old total war game. Even though they kinda failed at that first bit because ranged units are still the strongest, but that's the nature of warfare, otherwise we wouldn't have moved on from swords to guns. Regardless, tactics like flanking, rear charging, pike and shot, square still work even in the most outlandish titles like total war warhammer. Which just so happens to be the most successful title in the series, in number of players and sales on steam, with three kingdoms close behind. I wouldn't call that a decline, even if they've been getting pretty egregious with the DLC and Pharaoh was a complete flop.

[@kubli365]

@@joaogomes9405 >Mostly what the health system did was keep ranged weaponry and cavalry from being as obscenely dominant as it was in every old total war game. >but that's the nature of warfare, otherwise we wouldn't have moved on from swords to guns Why exactly did they aim to do that?

[@sirpasta4927]

You should check out the "Pike & Shot: Total War" mod for Shogun 2, it takes place during the actual Pike & Shot era and has tons of historically accurate units. They're also making a campaign using the new Europe map mod.

[@kyledelsan7024]

I'm glad your releasing content for Shogun 2. There are a lot of people like me that still play this game. No one has managed to stop us!

[@patrickdixon3512]

Bro yes we need more people to play again in the multilayer I hadn't been able to fight anyone for weeks I need a good shogun 2 fight

[@yukitoshimazaki620]

You should check the mod for the Hojo called the “Hojo Special Ashigaru Units”. It gives the Hojo the Oda ashigaru units, the loan swords from Ikko Ikki, and ligh cav from Takeda.

[@HungTran-gz5em]

Holy shit, that'd be insane lmao. Imagine all that with the upgraded armor/attack from the hojo province.

[@therac197]

Personal experience wise adopting variation of Wallensteins formation which he debuted during the battle of Lützen seems most effective, especially against AI. Five or six "battalions" arranged in a two deep checker formation. Each battalion consisting of a three rank deep matchlock with Yari unit in a square in front of it like a T. Guard Mode and Fire by Rank (as they give sustained fire) are also recommended. The AI has minor pathfinding issues and will in 90% of cases engage the Yari Ashigaru. Meanwhile the Matchlock unit is free to fire away with roughly 2/3 of its strength. The rear Yari units can leave formation and engage in melee if needed. Due to not placing units in each other, grouping can be done without it causing errors in the formation. Yari cav and skirmisher support is needed though to draw the enemy into the main force. Well or cannons instead of skirmishers.

[@TripleZHacker]

Sounds like an excellent setup, I forgot to discuss Wallenstein and Gustavus Adolphus pike and shot style.

[@vandeheyeric]

An astute point, and I largely agree even as someone who usually prefers firepower and quality in games. In particular the sort of Wallensteinian or even earlier formations work because a lot of the things that historically beat them up- more and more light field artillery, better muskets, and heavier charge cavalry- are just not present in Medieval Japan, and especially not in Shogun 2. So I find it more important to maximize melee power than firepower in most battles.

[@yabs9642]

i forgot which general did this tactic but he would have pikeman in an ^ shape with matchlocks on the back ends of the arrow. ive been doing that with naginata samurai standing behind the matchlocks and cav fighting on the outskirts with huge success. or i found out spamming yari with horse gunmen to shoot over them just as effective LOL. who needs line of sight when your on a horse

[@fireflyredux3373]

For WH2, Wallenstein's Formation also works really well. Eventually I trade out my "pike" for steam tanks (If playing empire, ovs). Artillery or Skirmishers are a must- I prefer to bum-rush Arty anyway, or else the AI wont decisively engage your units.

[@sebastiansullivan6450]

Perfect advice for my Otomo campaign

[@TripleZHacker]

ooo yay glad to help! you should watch my recent Otomo video too c:

[@spikethedragon341]

Otomo could just spam Tercos and that's their INSTANT WIN Button in Campaign. They should've been having campaign unit cap like FOTS Western Mariners.

[@sirfanatical8763]

@@spikethedragon341 trust me, the otomo need tons of tercios. Bc the religious difference ruins diplomacy and it draws one into more wars.

[@haydenmetheny8119]

"Ashigaru bussy." Ashussy, if you will.

[@TripleZHacker]

Bruh LOL

[@Warmaker01]

"It smells like badussy in here."

[@Uncle228]

That ashussy got him actin’ unwise

[@cole8834]

I prefer modeling the Dutch style of pike-and-shot; that is; five battalions in a "manipular formation" mirroring the ancient Roman style (as the Dutch style did). It gives very forgiving overlapping fields of fire, especially when you realize Shogun 2 is coded in such a way that matchlock units shoot at cavalry riders*** and not their horses (meaning; they shoot over the heads of friendlies to defend from cav charges :)))) ) And also against blobbing units' flanks up front. BY FAR the most frustrating aspect of Avatar Conquest with matchlocks is that once you upgrade to fire-by-rank you can no longer switch back to free-fire mode at all. Which is unlike regular multiplayer battles in which you cna freely switch firing modes. My fire-by-rank units would dominate any and all firefights; but pretty much could no longer shoot a volley into oncoming cav. Also: Matchlock Monks can have 150 range with their ability if you spec them. they're about 1k koku tho so its more of a novelty; merely pointing out the longest range matchlock unit in-game :/ (I suppose matchlock hero can also get 150 range (I think) but the cost of speccing them for extra range would be so insane it's irrelevant) Beautiful video btw

[@TripleZHacker]

Yeah it would be amazing if the Dutch system was possible with Shogun 2 it can be if you use multiple levels of matchlocks, which I showed I’m my video on Matchlock Ashigaru, but it can get overwhelmed easily. Yeah fire by tank only works in specific situations there’s a full steam guide on using matchlocks that covers it and I mention it in two videos. Yeah matchlock monks would be nice if they had more armor to protect from arrows hehe.

[@jonathanjuliman5628]

Man... Two great battle replays! it's like seeing someone play chess but its Total War! Definitely will try practicing this system

[@TripleZHacker]

Thank you yeah definitely like playing chess against such formidable opponents!

[@JamesEvans-hx9gf]

Appreciate the videos, you and donkey, are amazing. Lifelong total war player, and shogun 2 and rtw are still better than anything newer.

[@TripleZHacker]

Hell yeah thank you so much I greatly appreciate the comment and totally agree ~

[@yabs9642]

shogun 2 is the only total war besides 3 kingdoms where i truly enjoyed the rts side of the gameplay. good guide!!

[@TripleZHacker]

Thank you and yeah shogun 2 rts is the best in the series in my opinion

[@yabs9642]

@@TripleZHacker hands down. i want a shogun 3 so badly but with a larger world.. but ngl id be terrified to see how they would butcher a masterpiece.

[@TripleZHacker]

@@yabs9642 I might cover how I would want shogun 3 to be in a future video as I agree it would be difficult for them to surpass what was achieved in shogun 2 in terms of the artwork, gameplay, campaign, unit balancing, and just completeness it has.

[@yabs9642]

@@TripleZHacker that sounds great! id really like to see dynamic cover/terrain in a game at some point. like how medieval 2 longbowmen could plant stakes in the ground to defend from cav. shogun they didnt have shields buuut they had land shields that ashigaru used with bows and muskets, and portable haystacks to ruin field of view once lit. really would kill for that kind of dynamic gameplay. medieval 3 would def tell us exactly the route theyre going to take the historical franchise

[@TripleZHacker]

@@yabs9642 yeah you can use deployable defenses in shogun 2 with bows and matchlock units. You just need to not move your army for a turn and then when you get attacked by an enemy as the defender you can use the defenses in the battle on flat terrain

[@gianlayola9162]

YEEEEEEEEEEEES Shogun 2 content

[@My13101994]

omg, its actually my army formation, thats so funny seeing this after so many years

[@ectrym3053]

love your shogun 2 videos

[@TripleZHacker]

Thank you so much :) I’m glad ya enjoy them!

[@ReviveHF]

You know what? This video reminded me of the youtuber "History Legends" highlighting the importance of masses of peasant soldiers or reservist to fill up the ranks of the army in the conventional wars especially the current Russo Ukrainian War. He said that very often armed forces needed a strong reserve component which has to be ready by the time of the war, the Ukrainian lost a lot of professional soldiers during the war but thanks to the Ukrainian reserve forces they can even intervene and fill up the gaps. This translate very well to the usage of Ashigaru ingame, you are not only forced to use yari/bow/matchlock ashigarus just because of historical accuracy but also had to deal with desperate situations.

[@scorpion5574]

Old comment but ngl I don't agree. In vanilla ashigaru are mainly just early game units, mid to late game you will have full samurai (or even full warrior monks) running around. It's not historically accurate at all.

[@hamster_drip7835]

@@scorpion5574 It is, in fact, very historically accurate.

[@scorpion5574]

@@hamster_drip7835 Thank you Hamster Drip 7835

[@atomicwoodpecker0123]

finally, I can kill the Clan leader who said I get ZERO Geishas and stack NO koban

[@lastone9744]

I just started playing total war only about two months ago and only recently got Shogun 2 thanks for this video and the others I have a quick question for you guys about how to build a defensive army cuz for me that what feels just right for me

[@TripleZHacker]

Defensive in what sense? Passive defense? Elastic? I think generally a good balanced army composition would be fine. 2-3matchlocks, 2-3 bows, 7-8 spears/Naginatas, 3-4 swords, rest cav and general. If playing against the AI prioritize cost efficiency early game then mid-late scale accordingly. Yari ashigaru -> Naginata Samurai/monks. Katana Samurai/No Dachi for swords. Matchlocks and Bows for firepower. And welcome glad you enjoyed the video~

[@Journeyman107]

One time I absolutely destroyed my friend in Medieval II multiplayer by forming pike squares with archers and hand cannons in the center

[@rodsquad5764]

Volound went off the deep end with the whole pro Putin stuff lol

[@tambrone3352]

I'm sorry, he did WHAT

[@rodsquad5764]

@@tambrone3352 Look on his second channel. Volund is a tankie and he quote "Doesn't care about the civilians dying in Ukraine" because he hangs out with Russians online so yeah he's a full on putinist living in Scotland lol. Used to be a big fan of him but he is obviously mentally not well, he is really short tempered with anyone with an opposing opinion so yeah he doesn't care about views anymore you can see his channel dying as a result because he is just so intense with his numerous bad takes

[@cato2906]

Oh nice, guess I'll check his channel out then.

[@Bartek2750]

@@rodsquad5764 cool thanks for reccomending the channel

[@rodsquad5764]

@@Bartek2750 Yeah big fan before he abandoned his main channel then came back for Patreon. Would still be interested in his opinion if he wasn't blacklisted by Creative Assembly.

[@AzoiatheCobra]

OK hear me out: Pike and Shot, but with FIRE ROCKETS

[@tu-estupidez9713]

I mix 2 units of rockets un my campaign, awesone for butchering enemy archers

[@spencer_mynatt]

great video

[@Srrrgp]

didn't quite get it :P what is the purpose of having infantry always behind shooting units? they'll eventually get charged

[@TripleZHacker]

Yeah but you weaken the charge by firing volleyings into the charging units which does damage and you will then win the melee fights? Guns also hurt morale and do really well against a cav charge. Plus you can always issue orders to move them back after you shoot a round or two?

[@luzhang2982]

That’s for people that like to micro small battles. For larger battles, macro orders are more important as you are limited in apm and need to make more meaningful decisions from your limited time. It works, and works better with specific situations, but shouldn’t always be the default. Go see the steam guide on matchlocks specifically bs other units. Its pretty awesome. Also see how to use hills, elevation and defense in depth to annihilate everything incoming

[@TripleZHacker]

@@luzhang2982 yeah the steam guide on Matchlocks is great and works well

[@HenriqueRJchiki]

@@luzhang2982 How exactly are you limited in apm? total war requires very little apm, a silver stacraft 2 player has average 100 apm, much more than a total war player need.

[@felipegama5789]

Check out the MoSS Mod, is the best mod for Shogun 2

[@aladuh3442]

I prefer doing it with the Spanish Tercios 😌

[@cruzaider5339]

Shamfur plug

[@tokugawaieyasu3754]

Next up..... Top 5 best and most satisfying way of taking down the walls of osaka.

[@arnijulian6241]

Ikko iki Monk cavalry is defensive cavalry as they will hold due to high moral but another unit will be required to come to their aid like yari or niginata et cetera. You only want 1-2 maybe 3 Monk cavalry to defend your rear or pick of a archer or non yari/naginata infintry. Great tip: Yari cavalry will lose to 1 vs 1 a monk cavalry if you dismount suffering 50-55 of 60 losses roughly depending on terrain Same goes for Great guard! Tip: A Monk cav dismounted will defeat a yari but it is not worth the cost though an option. TripleZhacker. Why you would stay on the defensive high ground as Ikko iki is what I find most puzzling. Ikki iki is rush aggressive army with monks supporting. Ikko iki ashigaru swords are cheap beasts of a unit that with Warcry & whistling arrows from monks are very nice. You play the Ikko iki like the Chosokabe. Your mate plays the Tokugawa as he understand the mounted gunners are great for harassing but not the bulk of the army Another point the monk cavalry is far more useful to the uesugi clan rather then the Ikko iki as the upkeep is less. Another point the monk Cavalry for some reason have (5) armour dismounted an +3 from mounted (2) armour. People talk about dismounting Katana cavalry when really it is most effective with monks. You need to mount dismount & be all over the rear of your line with monk cavalry monk hay what else do you micro in a Ikko iki or Uesugi army?

[@TripleZHacker]

Thanks for these tips sorry didn’t get to your comment until now~

[@arnijulian6241]

​@@TripleZHacker No problem, said cement was longer then I recall typing. Yari & fire cavalry are still generally superior unit but Monk cavalry have some odd uses. People recruit katana cavalry though not terrible is inferior to monk cavalry in the same role of dismounting to fight on foot. On the siege due to the higher armour +5 & being basically 1/2 sized warrior monks can move to a wall & scale in the rear. Monks are the best cavalry in a siege-assault. Mind most players auto-resolve siege assaults as they are often annoying. I have even separated all my monk cavalry from my army's a few times to B line for a important barely defended player province hiding in forests & such t get there. couple times took date players capital using the extra campaign movement & they instantly quiet as no no-dachi production. Monk cavalry excel at nothing but have fairly high stats across the board able to take on most all units if appropriately mounted or dismounted for the enemy unit's.

[@TripleZHacker]

@@arnijulian6241 true monk cav definitely have niche roles and the example battle I showed I played pretty poorly in and brought a bad build lol. Yeah Katana cav are nice in wedge and obviously can be utilized to varying degrees. I’ll try to show more sieges on the channel in the future definitely haven’t touched on them as much yet.

[@arnijulian6241]

@@TripleZHacker can't blame when it comes to ''sieges''. Defending the siege is easy & assault on the siege is finicky in shogun 2. Funny how the siege weapons barely do what they are labelled for in shogun 2. 1 aspect that really needs an update that I doubt will happen; it's siege weapons. Fire arrows are more reliable in a siege which is kind of funny.

[@TripleZHacker]

@@arnijulian6241 well said~

[@xpqzl2551]

ashigaru bussy..... hmm im going to bed now.

[@TripleZHacker]

BRUH

[@praetoriancorps]

How would this pike and shot tactic work against a full fully upgraded Chosokabe bow samurai stack with superior range. This was basically the army composition my friend used in our co-op campaign.

[@TripleZHacker]

Like you add any scenario and things entirely change. What clan are you playing as in this scenario? Also, what's the terrain of the map? The tactic would work by having some bows of your own to trade with your opponent, also you could just rush the bow samurai with the Cav and Infantry you have and then flank with the matchlocks. Ultimately, if it's a full bow army you can exploit their weakness of not having enough protection for the ranged units.

[@chargingnoisesintensify6335]

volound being a "content creator" is too much credit

[@TripleZHacker]

Hehe

[@antoniocarlosgomesfernedag1637]

I dont see any tercio formation..... Why put it on the name of the video if the most time of the match you was playing with cavalry??

[@TripleZHacker]

You can make the Terico formations and use them well but Cav is essential for them to work fully. If you know the Battle of Rocroi then having cav is nice. Also I demonstrated how the Guns Spears and Swords worked in Unison. That’s a Tercio. Tercio means 3rd so 1/3rd of each unit type working together. Can’t really do the 4 Matchlocks all on the corners of a pile unit in Shogun 2 it’s possible but hard to defend and micro quick and effectively enough.

[@nitroux6969]

weak people... weak soldiers, nobunaga: no problem, givem guns and long pikes XD samurai need to get close to cut down the WEAK lmao...

[@musAKulture]

that's such a horrible machine translation of the chinese original 鹏 is a mythical bird that transforms between an enormous, mythical whale 鲲 (the one in the animated film "big fish & begonia") and a giant, "fabulous" bird. 流 is "style" or "school", but it also means "flow" of liquids so the correct translation would be something like "Great Albatross Style"

[@bello9740]

pike/spear + gun + sword. this is literally a tercio

[@AbdulHannanAbdulMatheen]

👏🙂

[@handrito.9105]

other people use guide and cool or clean way to win , while me use mods so i can outnumber enemy and send my own army to death for entertaiment as tyrant leader LMAO

[@luzhang2982]

Man, matchlock is largely irrelevant to single player campaigns. It’s basically multiplayer only, cheat mod (for faster research) or otomo clan, because the campaign is literally over by the 60+ turns it takes to research and field them. Before anyone says swap religion, that is also rng based event and not reliable. Matchlocks are strong, but unrealistic for anyone in SP to use. The core of army will get reliable easy to obtain units, and by the time it stabilizes, you’ve basically already won the game.

[@TripleZHacker]

They’re great in defensive sieges for SP so that’s already realistic enough for the player to use and yeah it’s a lot of turns into the campaign for sure but it’s not too difficult to get to them if you stack some research bonuses or put emphasis on it.

[@TheDudztallicA]

Funny memes but my god the fart huffing in this video is tedious to watch

[@smelly551]

Ughhh that was a terrible intro. Boo