This allows them to fight outside of the range of a samurai's katana or impale a horse before they trample over, thus making them effective melee units even if their prowess is lacking. They use polearms to skewer, slash, and bash opponents at a distance. Spearmen are soldiers who have demonstrated their skill in fighting with sword and spear. They can be further trained into an elite unit depending on the clan. Armed with whatever passes as a weapon and protected only by their meager clothing, they often meet their ends just as quickly as they began but under a wise commander, and perhaps a few skilled trainers, they can gain the skills they need to rise through the ranks as spearmen or skirmishers. Unfortunately, their eagerness leads them to follow you with little to no preparation. Villagers are fresh recruits who have decided to take their chances on the battlefields of feudal Japan.

These recruits are identified by region and can be further trained to become experienced Ashigaru units. They can be recruited as peasants from any village at a cost of 10 mon each. Ashigaru are trained peasants armed with spears, bows and muskets.

Mount and blade wiki troop tree