- For the Total War: Shogun 2 unit, see Yari Samurai.
Yari Samurai are a type of melee infantry unit featured in Shogun: Total War.
Description[]
The Yari Samurai is the mainstay of the Samurai army. The yari is a long spear tipped with a razor sharp blade. Making these troops very effective defending against mounted opponents. So long as the unit remains well ordered they are good against most troop types.
Originally, this was simply a slightly sturdier version of the lance-like spear used by mounted samurai, but over the years it became a different and heavier weapon. Once battle had been joined samurai equipped with the yari were equally adept in close combat as long as the unit kept good order in its ranks.
Yari samurai are extremely effective against cavalry. It is, after all, very difficult to force even the best-trained cavalry horses to charge into a mass of spear points! Thus, they tend to be used "defensively." In an ideal world, the enemy would be tempted into charging onto the spears, dashing themselves to pieces against a foe which who is just a few metres away beyond the range of a sword swing.