Shogun 2 Clans Guide: Bonuses, Starts and Playstyles

Nine major clans, three expansions' worth of extras, and now fifty playable minors — Shogun 2's faction list is a menu of playstyles. This guide walks each major clan's bonus package and opening situation so you can choose by mechanics rather than by crest, then explains what the Complete Edition's minor factions add.

The Southern Sword: Shimazu

Bonus identity is katana samurai: cheaper, better swordsmen plus a wealthy Kyushu start with gold and trade. The playstyle is a professional standing army of sword veterans — hold the island, grow rich, then land hardened stacks on the mainland. Weakness is the early naval exposure to Mori and Otomo pressure, which is also its tutorial: learn coastal defense here and it pays everywhere.

The Archers of Shikoku: Chosokabe

Archery bonuses on all bow units, superb farming income, and an island start that AI factions under-invade. The playstyle is attrition by volleys — let arrows win battles before contact. It teaches positioning: armies that stand on hills with overlapping fields of fire. Its knights-in-shining-armor moment is the first time a full enemy stack routs before reaching your line.

The Northern Charge: Date

Charge bonuses for all units and especially the no-dachi swordsmen make Date the aggression clan — battles are won in the first ninety seconds of contact. The northeast is quiet, giving time to build, and the roster rewards players who time charges rather than simply attacking. The lesson Date teaches is tempo: when everything charges better, everything is about when.

The Masses: Oda

Oda ashigaru are the best cheap infantry in the game — long yari walls that hold against cavalry and samurai alike. The playstyle is economics as warfare: more units, acceptably trained, continuously replaced. Oda campaigns feel historical and teach the most transferable lesson in Total War — a line that holds beats a hammer that swings.

Horse Lords: Takeda

The cavalry clan, with charges, costs and mastery all pointed at horsemen. The start is central and hot — Kai sits near powerful rivals — so Takeda teaches cavalry in the deep end: baiting fronts, cycling charges, running down routers. Mastery here is the most mechanically satisfying in Shogun 2.

The Devout: Uesugi

Warrior monks: elite, expensive, inspiring. Uesugi runs quality-over-quantity with an economy that must be managed with monastic discipline. The northern start is pressured early, making Uesugi the connoisseur's campaign — hardest of the originals, gorgeous when it works.

The Traders and the Diplomats: Mori and Tokugawa

Mori turns the Inland Sea into a highway of trade and invasion fleets — naval bonuses, coastal wealth, and sea-lift armies. Tokugawa plays the long game: diplomatic reliability, elite ninja, and patience between two giants, historically accurate and mechanically unique.

The Siegemaster: Hojo

Siege discounts, Kanto wealth, and castle-building bonuses — Hojo wins by making its home fortresses impregnable while its economy outgrows besiegers. The multi-front start teaches army geography: which stack stands where and why.

The Minors of the Complete Edition

Fifty-plus playable minors invert every rule: no bonuses, no safe island, no elite rosters — just position, timing and nerve. They are Shogun 2's endless-game mode, and the best of them turn one-province desperation into the series' best war stories.

FAQ

Which clan teaches the game best? Chosokabe — safe start, clear identity, forgiving economy.

Which plays most differently? Tokugawa — diplomacy and agents as primary weapons.

Are minors viable for a first campaign? No — win a major first; minors assume fluency.

Match the clan to the lesson you want the map to teach you, and check the tier list for the power ranking.