This is just a quick run down of the units to give you an idea of how they are typically or best used. I want to stress just using tons of hero units or veteran units, do not mean you will win the game. Sometimes cheaper units can be much more usefull. This is a very diffrent game from playing against the AI in single player.

Spear Units

Yari Ashigaru - regardless of puny stats can be extremely important. They have a huge 200 unit size. This makes them ideal for allot of roles not just dealing with cavalry. For example, in games set at "low funds" many players will try to use veteran units and higher tier units. These being more expensive than normal units can make there army very small in size. By deliberately opting to use lower tier Yari Ashigaru you can simply swarm them with unit count in certain scenarios. Combining them with multiple retainers that maximize moral than make them an effective meat shield against FOTS firearm units. They can act as a barrier for many units you wish to protect such as bow units.

Warrior Nuns - These units have deadly melee. Like monk though they are extremely vulnerable to missile. It is usually best to keep these units at the back or hidden if possible rather than charging in at the start of a clash.

Yari Samurai - These units cost more than Yari Ashigaru but have a slightly smaller (160) unit size. The main benefit of these units is the sprint ability. By activating those when in range of missile units you can close in much faster reducing the chances of units routing and loosing larger causalities.

Naginata Samurai - These units have some of the best Armour in the game. When attacking massed archers or playing a siege, these units are excellent with excellent melee attack. They lack the speed of Yari Samurai though and are slightly weaker against Katana units.

Warrior Monks - Much like the Warrior Nuns, these units have deadly melee attack. And again, much like the Warrior nuns, being cloth units they are extremely vulnerable to missile fire. These units have less melee damage than nuns however they have better stats against cavalry.

Sword Units

Lonesword - These units have extremely poor Armour. However they are a cost effective melee. Ideal for low fund battles.

Katana - Katana have good melee damage and decent Armour. This is probably the sword class people use most. Due to the higher price point, it's still not a good idea to have them get shot up by missile units. They will do better than other sword units but it's still best to send Yari Ashigaru as they are around half the price and keep these guys focused on othermelee units.

No-Dachi Samurai - These are cloth units. Extremely vulnerable to missile attacks. However the charge they have is deadly as is there melee attack. I don't think it's a good idea to send these guys in first. I like to wait for a mash up to start, then send these units charging in as a shock tactic. In many cases the charge alone will units to route without the need for prolonged melee fighting.

Sword Attendants - These are extremely cheap units. They have terrible Armour and fairly mediocre melee. They can be useful for "low fund" games. But generally I don't bother with them.

Bow Units

Bow Ashigaru - Like Yari Ashigaru the main strength these units have over other units is it's size and cost. Other units such as Bow cavalry and Foot Samurai have better stats but a smaller unit count. Massed Bow Ashigaru can beat higher tier units with size. They also act as excellent defense and bait. The "hit and run" tactic mentioned in my previous blog can end up loosing more units when faced against massed bow Ashigaru. Likewise someone planning to play the game camping may put spear or gunpowder, rather than bow units in front with cavalry at the back or sides. By going in and taking a few pot shots then retreating behind other units, you can soften up an army before charging in or having them take the bait and charge at you. Gun-powder units lack the range of bow units. And some such as matchlock have very low moral. Excellent targets for bow. Likewise with cavalry, they have a very small size and with a simple few volleys you can cut the proportion down.

Bow Samurai- These are basically higher tier Bow Ashigaru. They have the ability to use fire and will in practically all cases, beat Ashigaru They are far more expensive though.

Foot Samurai - The main weakness of this unit is it's small size. Against Bow Ashigaru or Bow Samurai masses, they will be beaten. However the stats of this unit is superior. When not bothered by other bow units they will inflict larger damage against specific units. They are probably best units to target higher tier units such as nuns, monks and Katana.

Bow Monk - Like Foot Samurai, against masses of bow units, these guys will beat regardless of higher stats. These are the best bow units though. They have superior range making them the best bow unit for hitting armies steadily coming towards you are hitting players who opt to camp. With the extra distance the bow monk can hit units and retreat without the player able to do much about it unless he has a specific unit to counter it such as fire-rockets or other bow monks. When in a huge class, getting your bow monks to specifically target cloth units such as warrior monks, nuns or No-Dachi will inflict heavy casualties. These are fantastic but very costly units.

Matchlock

Matchlock act less as a killing machine and more as a "shock" unit. They excel at causing units to route. Almost any unit near the firing shots of these units will route after a sustained volley. These units are very useful and commonly used in matches using higher funds.

Cavalry

Light cavalry - These units are best used for low fund matches. Against any other cavalry, pike or even higher tier melee they will be defeated. Like all cavalry, keep them away from bow. These units can be useful for ambushes. Since they are low cost and low stat, the risk of loosing them isn't as bad as it would be with other units.

Monk cavalry - Excellent melee, like all monk units vurnible to bow units

Yari cavalry - These are probably the most used and most powerful cavalry outside of hero units. While units like Katana are superior in prolonged melee, these units have a superior charge and can end battle almost instantaneity upon making contact. These can be considered "shock" units as the majority of the time they act as routers rather than getting into melee.

Katana cavalry - Against Yari these units will get destroyed. However they have excellent melee and are deadly against foot units that are not spear. They are also slightly cheaper making them more cost effective when attempting to squeeze funds.

Bow cavalry - Like Foot Samurai these units will get destroyed by massed foot archers. The main advantage of this unit is it's mobility. With the "hit and run" mentioned in the previous blog post they are a fantastic harassment class. occasionally during a match a player will be so engrossed in a battle that he will fail to notice your bow cavalry sitting at the edge of his army whittling away units sat at the side or back. Try to always keep these units hidden or at the edges of the game map rather than straight head on.

Stealth And Siege units

As previously explained, do not bother with any siege unite barring Fire-Rockets. They cost allot of money, have poor accuracy and mobility. And allot of the time will be blocked by trees rendering them useless. Likewise stealth units like Kisho, Bandits and Wacko are almost entirely useless and not worth the time or effort.

Moral

Moral does not work individually. When units around a unit route, other units that haven't routed, get lowered moral and they them self may succumbed to routing. Moral is dynamic. Depending on the specific situation, moral may lower or higher. If a unit is a aware that there flank is exposed, moral will lower. If they are under missile attack while engaged in melee, moral will lower. High and low ground will effect moral. If a unit close to routing returns to a massed army, it's moral will rise again. It's very important to take moral into account far more than single player. Human players are intelligent compared to the AI and will moral into account. Be easily wary of fire-arm units. These are incredibly effective at causing units to route.

Veteran Units

In Shogun 2's multiplayer you can re-name units. Typically if a player has a Veteran unit. They will re-color the unit or re-name the unit to make it apparent to them while playing. This also makes it apparent to you. If you see a unit that has been renamed something along the lines of "vet unit" Elite unit" or something along these lines, it's a higher tier unit meaning typically more of a threat over other units. They should also be prime missile targets over lower quality units.

Retainers

Retainers are basically "buffs" and "de-buffs". They can increase stats of units or lower stats of the opposing player.Alot of the strategy in Shogun 2's multiplayer comes before the actual battle itself. It's very much like a game poker. You must select what you think will work best against the other players hand. If you suspect they will use lots of missile units, use a retainer that lowers the reload time or accuracy. If you suspect they will use lots of cavalry, use a retainer that slows them down and reduces charge bonus. There are many retainers and many combinations to be used. A simple but effect "meat shield" method is to specifically use retainers that increase the moral of "Yari Ashigarui" units. This can be very useful for low fund matches when you can simply swamp a player with massed units. Some units such as Fire-Rockets, Kisho and great guard require a specific retainer to be used. As you level up your avatar, more retainer slots become available.

Next blog probably try do hero units.