The Complete Total War Unit Guide.
by Frogbeastegg (Printable
version). This guide is the work of Frogbeastegg, unless otherwise indicated. If you want
a copy of this guide on your website please ask and I will be more than happy to
agree. This guide took me months, don’t steal it.
I regret to say that I am no longer taking corrections or additions for this guide; this is the final version and nothing more will be done with it. Feedback is still welcomed, but I don't have the time to keep updating this any more.
I just don't have the time or will to keep on updating these guides, not when I am writing a book. You're still welcome to discuss this guide in the forum.
Confused by cavalry? Annoyed by archers? Pounded by Polearms? Then this is the
guide for you! This guide contains an in-depth analysis of every single unit and
unit class to appear in the Total War series. It tells you what the units do,
what they don’t do and explains the differences between units of the same
class. You will also find the most important unit stats in here. This guide is
written for single player but it should hold up well in multiplayer, just
remember that Total War changes to a whole new game when your up against another
human. This guide also assumes a basic knowledge of the principles of battle,
you should know how to manoeuvre behind your opponent, ensure your troops have
the best position etc. If you are a complete beginner or don’t know the basics
of the battlefield take a look at The
Beginner's Guide to Total War.
NB: All the screenshots in this guide have been enhanced with PaintShop Pro in
an effort to make them clearer. Please don’t think my games look this good!
Also note that the pictures in the chapter headings are not intended to
demonstrate good deployment of units, they are intended to break up the 80 page
long text and look good! Screenshots labelled S(number) are from Shogun and the
Mongol Invasion add-on and therefore feature units not in plain Shogun. Pictures
labelled M(number) are from Medieval and feature no units etc from the Viking
Invasion add-on. Pictures labelled V(number) are from Medieval with the Viking
expansion installed, they feature units not in plain Medieval.
I should probably add that I chose the factions for the screenshots based on
colour contrasts to make the two sides as clear as possible. No bias is
intended.
If you have any comments or questions please post them here,
I check this topic regularly for questions, feedback and suggestions. Currently
only senior members and above can post in this topic, if you are not a senior
member please make a topic in the Entrance Hall with a title related to the unit
guide, I read that forum regularly and anyone can post there.
Contents
1. Shogun: Total War and the Mongol Invasion (also called Shogun: Warlords
Edition).
1.1 The Japanese
1.2 Yari Ashigaru
1.3 Arquebusiers
1.4 Musketeers
1.5 Yari Samurai
1.6 Samurai Archers
1.7 No-Dachi
1.8 Warrior Monks
1.9 Naginata
1.10 Yari Cavalry
1.11 Cavalry Archers
1.12 Heavy Cavalry
1.13 Naginata Cavalry
1.14 Kensai
1.15 Battlefield Ninja
1.16 Ashigaru Crossbowmen
1.17 The Mongols
1.18 Mongol Light Cavalry
1.19 Mongol Heavy Cavalry
1.20 Korean Skirmishers
1.21 Korean Spearmen
1.22 Korean Guardsmen
1.23 Thunder Bombers
2. Medieval: Total War.
2.1 Spearmen
*Feudal sergeants
*Chivalric sergeants
*Gothic sergeants
*Italian light infantry
*Muwahid foot soldiers
*Nubian spearmen
*Order foot soldiers
*Saracen infantry
*Spearmen
2.2 Archers and ranged units
*Archers
*Bulgarian brigands
*Desert archers
*Genoese sailors
*Golden horde warriors
*Hashishin
*Janissary archers
*Janissary infantry
*Ottoman infantry
*Trebizond archers
*Turcoman foot soldiers
*Crossbowmen
*Pavise crossbowmen
*Arbalesters
*Pavise arbalesters
*Longbowmen
*Handgunner
*Mamluk handgunner
*Arquebusier
2.3 Swordsmen
*Byzantine infantry
*Feudal men at arms
*Chivalric men at arms
*Feudal foot knights
*Gothic foot knights
*Hospitaller foot knights
2.4 Axemen
*Abyssinian guards
*Ghazi infantry
*Varangian guard
*Vikings
*Woodsmen
2.5 Pikemen
*Pikemen
*Swiss Pikemen
*Swiss armoured Pikemen
2.6 Polearms
*Billmen
*Chivalric foot knights
*Halberdiers
*Janissary heavy infantry
*Swiss halberdiers
2.7 Barbarians and Religious Fanatics
*Fanatics
*Futuwwas
*Gallowglasses
*Highland clansmen
*Nizaris
2.8 Peasants
*Almohad urban militia
*Militia sergeants
*Muslim Peasants
*Peasants
*Urban militia
2.9 Knights
*Feudal knights
*Chivalric knights
*Gothic knights
*Knights Hospitaller
*Knights of Santiago
*Knights Templar
*Early royal knights
*High royal knights
*Late royal knights
*Teutonic knights
2.10 Heavy Cavalry
*Armenian heavy cavalry
*Gendarmes
*Early Ghulam bodyguards
*High Ghulam bodyguards
*Late Ghulam bodyguards
*Ghulam cavalry
*Golden horde heavy cavalry
*Kataphraktoi
*Khwarazmian cavalry
*Lancers
*Mamluk cavalry
*Ottoman Sipahi
*Pronoiai Allagion
*Teutonic sergeants
2.11 Missile Cavalry
*Boyars
*Byzantine cavalry
*Sipahi of the Porte
*Golden horde horse archers
*Horse archers
*Mamluk horse archers
*Mounted crossbowmen
*Spanish Jinetes
*Turcoman horsemen
*Turcopole
2.12 Light Cavalry
*Alan mercenary cavalry
*Hobilars
*Lithuanian cavalry
*Mounted sergeants
*Polish retainers
*Saharan cavalry
*Steppe cavalry
2.13 Camels
*Bedouin camel warriors
*Berber camels
2.14 Naptha and Javelin
*Almughavars
*Kerns
*Murabitin infantry
*Naptha throwers
2.15 Artillery
*Ballista
*Bombard
*Catapult
*Culverin
*Demi cannon
*Demi culverin
*Mangonel
*Mortar
*Serpentine
*Siege cannon
*Trebuchet
3. The Viking Invasion
3.1 New Spearmen
*Armoured spearmen
*Dismounted nobles
*Fyrdmen
*Royal bodyguard (infantry version)
*Round shield spearmen
*Rus spearmen
3.2 New Swordsmen
*Arab infantry
*Berserkers
*Celtic warriors
*Dismounted faris
*Swabian swordsmen
*Slav warriors
*Viking Carls
3.3 New Heavy Cavalry
*Avar nobles
*Byzantine lancers
*Khazar royal cavalry
*Mounted nobles
*Royal bodyguards (mounted version)
3.4 New Light Cavalry
*Druzhina cavalry
*Horsemen
*Pictish cavalry
*Viking raider cavalry
3.5 New Missile Cavalry
*Faris
*Steppe heavy cavalry
*Szekely
*Pictish mounted crossbows
3.6 New Axemen
*Saxon huscarles
*Viking landsmenn
*Viking huscarles
*Joms Vikings
3.7 New Peasants
*Viking thralls
3.8 New javelin units
*Jobbagy
*Slav javelin men
*Spanish javelin men
*Bonnachts
3.9 New missile units
*Irish dartmen
*Pictish crossbows
*Sherwood foresters
*Welsh bandits
3.10 New Artillery
*Organ gun
Appendix
*Appendix 1: Cheat codes and command lines for Shogun, Medieval and Vikings.
*Appendix 2: Unit size comparison chart for MTW’s different settings.
*Appendix 3: Shield bonuses.
*Appendix 4: Armour piercing bonus formulae and explanation.
*Appendix 5: Spears and the charging thereof.