With Total War: SHOGUN 2 – Complete Edition relaunching the 2011 classic on October 13, 2026, a wave of new and returning players are picking a starting clan for the first time in years. Base-game faction balance hasn't changed with the re-release, so the established pecking order still holds. Here's how the twelve playable clans stack up, from the easiest path to victory to the toughest.
1. Oda - The Best Clan for Beginners
The Oda are the strongest early-game clan by a wide margin. Their Ashigaru are cheap to recruit and maintain, and the clan's Long Yari Ashigaru hold a yari wall that's hard for AI or human opponents to break through. Owari province is fertile, and the Oda Daimyo's leadership bonus adds +1 morale across the army — a small edge that compounds over a long campaign. If this is your first Shogun 2 campaign, start here.
2. Shimazu - Best Early Katana Samurai
The Shimazu field cheaper and superior Katana Samurai and Katana heroes than any rival clan, backed by Shimazu heavy gunners whose matchlock fire adds knockback damage on top of casualties. Their home province is defensible and wealthy, and three nearby trade nodes can be claimed almost immediately, giving the Shimazu one of the fastest economic starts in the game.
3. Otomo - Best Economic Clan
The Otomo start with cheaper matchlock units that upgrade to superior versions, plus access to Portuguese Tercos — hybrid units that combine gunfire with solid melee. A starting Nanban trade port, two provinces, and a nearby trade node make the Otomo one of the richest clans early, which matters enormously once gunpowder tech starts dictating the late game.
Honorable Mentions: Ikko-Ikki, Takeda, and Date
A step below the top three, the Ikko-Ikki field cheap, numerous Ashigaru backed by loan sword infantry that scales well into the midgame, starting with the wealthy provinces of Echizen and Kaga. The Takeda field superior, cheaper cavalry out of horse-rich Kai, with Fire Cavalry as a strong shock unit for players who want an aggressive, mobile campaign. The Date get charge bonuses across their entire roster and cheaper, superior No-Dachi Samurai, backed by the large and defensible province of Iwate.
Rise of the Samurai and Fall of the Samurai
Clan rankings above are for the base campaign. The Complete Edition also bundles the Rise of the Samurai campaign, a prequel set two centuries earlier with its own distinct clan roster and unit roles, and Fall of the Samurai, a late-game scenario built around gunpowder-era warfare, railways, and ironclad warships. Both play differently enough from the main campaign that clan tier placement here doesn't carry over directly — treat them as separate learning curves once you've got a handle on the core game.
Our Take
Clan choice in Shogun 2 is mostly about how forgiving you want your opening moves to be. Oda, Shimazu, and Otomo all offer strong economies and solid starting units that paper over beginner mistakes, while clans like Tokugawa (which starts as a vassal) or Mori (precarious starting position) demand much more careful play. For a full breakdown of every clan's strengths, see this ranked guide to Shogun 2's factions. The Complete Edition is available now on Steam.
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