Civ Customized Units?

[Youngsun]

quote: many samurais were spearmen. Having just bought Shogun I know that most close combat samurai were equiped with pikes, called Yari. In other words they're just spearmen anyway.

I don't know why EA used the term Samurai for "Yari samurai" but they are not Samuaris. Unlike Ashigarus and Samurais, Yari Samurai(game term)'s position is somewhat between those two. It is difficult to find the exact comparison with European examples but it's loosely like yeomen(Ashigaru),pikemen(yari samurai)and knights(samurai). You wouldn't call a pikeman a knight would you?

Actually they(Yari armed elements)were all called Yaritai and clan Takeda and Uesugi had many highly trained veteran yaritai look similar to those of yari samurai in the game and clan Oda no doubt used the typical Ashigarus a lot. Anyway their social status dosen't get close to that of Samurai.

A Samurai strictly uses swords with few exceptions like using Naginata(usually women used it)or Yari(Kato Kiyomasa?). Another distinctive feature between Samurai and others can be found from the helmets and armours they wear and following elements really suit what is real Samurai from the game.

Heavy cav
Yari cav
Horse archer
Naginata
No-Dachi
Archer

Yari Samurai is really misrepresented part of the game in terms of the name it has.