Total War: SHOGUN 2 1vs1: Sword Attendants (ROTS) vs Katana Samurai

Total War: SHOGUN 2 1vs1: Sword Attendants (Rise of the Samurai) vs Katana Samurai Clan: Kiso Minamoto vs Takeda Battle Difficulty: normal Sword Attendants: Banzai ON Sword Attendants are specialized anti-infantry melee infantry. While their attack skill is impressive compared to most other units in Rise of the Samurai, they have no anti-cavalry bonus, and their low armor also makes them vulnerable to archer fire. Their low defense means that they die very quickly if they are bogged down in melee combat. Sword Attendants may use the Banzai special ability, temporarily increasing their melee attack as well as making them unbreakable. This makes them similar in function to No-Dachi Samurai and Shogitai in Total War: Shogun 2 and Fall of the Samurai. These units are quite easy to start training even at the very beginning of the game. However, their combat capabilities are not impressive; in battle they suffer heavy losses and do not cause much damage themselves. Their special ability, Banzai, is not available at the start of the game and must be learned in the tech tree. At the initial stages of the game, the price of a unit and the cost of its maintenance are quite high. With improvements, this unit becomes really very strong. Receiving +3 to the attacking power of a unit at the training ground brings its total attack to 13, which is not half bad. But the true potential of this unit is revealed in cities with a forge. If there is a forge specializing in armor and a training ground, the squad will receive 16 attack, which will significantly increase its offensive power, and 6 armor will protect it well from shooting attacks. Once the banzai special ability is unlocked, these sword-wielding warriors are unstoppable in their attack and are capable of destroying huge armies without suffering heavy casualties. Strong houses like Fujiwara Hiraizumi and Minamoto Kamakura start the game with a forge building in the capital city. This is not only a huge bonus that allows them to get the most powerful commanders in the game. But it’s also an excellent reason to effectively use Sword Attendants at the very beginning of the game. In principle, you can complete the game without using this unit at all, giving preference to more versatile warriors with naginatas. But with improvements to the forge, Sword Attendants are practically not inferior to monk warriors in the offensive, and in some respects they are superior to them, being much cheaper and more accessible. Moreover, they are produced in the same building where samurai will be trained in the future. Having 6-8 such units, you can go through the entire game winning every battle. But be careful Sword Attendants are not successful in clashes with enemy cavalry. Although cavalry is quite rare, to reduce losses, always have about 4 squads of warriors with naginatas in your army to cover the flanks and hunt for enemy horsemen. Katana Samurai - These troops wield katanas, excellent anti-infantry weapons. Katana Samurai have good armour and average defence; they can withstand prolonged melee but, due to their lack of a bonus against cavalry, are highly vulnerable against them--particularly if charged from the flanks or rear. Katana Samurai are particularly valuable in the early-mid game, where other factions ubiquitously field Yari Ashigaru and Bow Ashigaru, with few fielding substantial cavalry or other anti-infantry forces. They still suffer if they have to fight frontally against a Yari Wall, however, and function best when attacking from the flank or rear, and particularly when they're well-rested and fighting downhill. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Please join me to get access to membership perks:    / @totalwar1vs1   My Discord channel:   / discord   #totalwar1vs1 #totalwar #shogun2 #totalwarbattles