Vanilla Shogun 2 has a lot of replayability in and of itself, and its balance and gameplay are deep enough that you could play it for years without any mods or DLC. However, DLC adds new units, clans, mechanics, and entire campaigns, and these new aspects to a game can make a deep game even deeper. So, with that in mind, here are the ten best Shogun 2 DLCs.

10. Rise of the Samurai

A campaign sized DLC, Rise of the Samurai is on this list because of the sheer amount of new content it provides. Set in an entirely different era from the original Shogun 2 Campaign, RotS takes place during the Gempei War, the conflict that leads to all the hallmarks of medieval Japan that people know, such as the samurai as a ruling class and the first Shogunate. 

Although the map is the same Japan that we know from the other campaigns, the set up is completely different and the roster has been changed a lot. There are also now six starting clans, divided into three families: the Minamoto, the Taira, and the Fujiwara. 

Some of the standout new units for the DLC are the Bow Attendants, Sword Attendants, Naginata Attendants, and the Foot Samurai. The Foot Samurai are the most interesting, since they’re a small unit size but fight extremely well with both sword and bow. 

The DLC also comes with a new set of units, the Junatshushi, which acts like a Meisuke, the Sou, which acts like a Priest, the Monomi, which acts like a Ninja, and the Shirabyoshi, which acts like a Geisha from Fall of the Samurai. 

Get this DLC if:

• You want to see how the first Shogunate came about
• You like a focus on politics
• You like smaller, more elite units juxtaposed with more numerous but low skilled ones
• You want to explore a new campaign with similar mechanics but a different feel

DLC Full Details: https://store.steampowered.com/app/34343/Total_War_SHOGUN_2__Rise_of_the...

Rating: 6/10

9. The Dragon War Battle Pack

Coming alongside the Fall of the Samurai DLC campaign, this DLC adds a bunch of new historical battles but in the era of the Boshin War, with all the cool guns and artillery that war entails. 

Playing historical battles in Total War has always been a good way to learn the units and history around the conflicts without the time investment that a full campaign requires. You don’t need to spend countless turns researching elite units, instead you get whatever army the developers decided to give you and try your best to beat the battle.

Overall, it’s a fun addition to the game, and using Saigo Takamori’s army to defeat the enemies of the Emperor is enjoyable, especially if you know the history surrounding him..

Get this DLC if:

• You like the history of the Boshin War and wanted to play as Saigo Takamori
• You like the Fall of the Samurai campaign
• You want to play with a full army but don’t want to put the time investment of playing a full campaign

DLC Full Details:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/201277/Total_War_SHOGUN_2__Dragon_War...

Rating: 6/10

8. Saints and Heroes

Adding new units to a Total War game is like adding a tasty new ingredient to a stew; the resulting product is a new experience. The Saints and Heroes Unit DLC does this extremely well, adding unique and powerful hero units to the game to give the player even more tools to work with in their domination of the Japanese Isles. 

This DLC adds nine new units to the game, all extremely good. However, their small number makes them specialty units instead of front-line battle troops, and they tend to do well if they are supported by other, more robust formations. Two of the coolest heroes are Hanzo’s Shadows, a heroic Kisho Ninja, and Tadakatsu’s Tetsubo Warriors. 

Hanzo’s Shadows, pound for pound, are the best heroic unit in the game. They’ll defeat any other hero unit in a straight up fight, plus they’ve got bombs and bombs are fun. 

Tadakatsu’s Tetsubo Warriors are easy to recruit, and they’re also just a completely  brutal unit. Their armor is the highest in the game, and with an attack skill of 30, they will crush through just about anything. All you really need to know, however, is that they’re guys in heavy armor, with big, big clubs. 

Get this DLC if:

• You like specialist units that feel powerful yet need finesse
• You like ninjas with demon masks (who doesn’t)
• You want to catch ‘em all. The hero units, that is

DLC Full Details: https://store.steampowered.com/app/201279/Total_War_SHOGUN_2_Saints_and_...

Rating: 7/10

7. The Hattori Clan Pack

Speaking of ninjas with demon masks, the Hattori Clan DLC adds an entirely new clan to play in the campaign, the shadowy masters of Ninjutsu, the Hattori. 

The clans that are added by DLC tend to be the most unique ones because the developers can focus on just that one clan, as opposed to creating multiple clans with limited time and budget. Because of this, clans like the Hattori will have unique campaign and battle effects that can fundamentally change the way they play.

The Hattori are excellent examples of this because all their infantry units possess Kisho Training, which lets them deploy outside of their deployment zone. This makes them very aggressive and focused on ambush attacks. Plus, their mastery of Ninjutsu makes their Kisho Ninjas deadly, and, of course, ninjas are cool.

Get this DLC if:

• You like a dope black and red color scheme
• You like ninjas, bombs, and ambushing your opponents

DLC Full Details:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/34345/Total_War_SHOGUN_2__The_Hattori...

Rating: 7/10

6. Blood Pack DLC

No Total War game is complete without the obligatory Blood DLC. Creative Assembly has claimed that they sell the Blood Pack as a DLC so they can get around a Mature rating and can sell the base game to more people. It’s weird they don’t just give the DLC away for free if that’s the problem, but whatever..

Regardless, it’s worth the 2.99, because this Blood Pack adds so many cinematic moments to an already cinematic game. It’s incredibly satisfying to charge your chevroned up Katana Samurai into a low tier unit and watch them absolutely shellac their opponents in a bloody mess of heads and flashing swords. 

Overall, there’s a lot of reasons to get this DLC, and I absolutely recommend it. 

Get this DLC if:

• You like getting close ups of your troops in battle 
• You enjoy blood spraying all over the screen in a classic samurai movie homage
• You enjoy absolute bloody mayhem

DLC Full Details:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/201272/Total_War_Shogun_2__Blood_Pack...

Rating: 8/10

5. Fall of the Samurai Faction DLCs

Because a lot of the Fall of the Samurai Factions play in a similar way, I’ve decided to place the DLC factions together instead of spreading them out. 

These clan DLCs add new replayability in an already excellent DLC, and for this I’ve decided they’re in the top five. If you’re tired of playing the same campaigns with the vanilla factions like the Satsuma, Tosa, Nagaoka, and Jozai, these DLCs add a lot of variability to a campaign. 

Because of their difficult starting positions but good expansion possibilities, clans like the Obama and the Tsu are quite fun to play. Plus, some of the clans encourage playing a more traditional army, which can be an enjoyable challenge as opposed to the classic method of looking for bigger guns.

Get this DLC if:

• You want new starting positions for FOTS
• You like plenty of choices when it comes to starting a new campaign
• You want some more options when it comes to army builds.

Full DLC Details:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/201271/A_Total_War_Saga_FALL_OF_THE_S...

Rating: 8/10

4. The Ikko Ikki Clan Pack

As I said before, the DLC clans tend to be some of the most unique in terms of playstyle, and the Ikko Ikki exemplify this ideal. With a new army roster that forgoes samurai in favor of stronger Ashigaru and Warrior Monk units, as well as a few Ronin, the Ikko Ikki also bring a new religion into the game.

The Ikko Ikki are a challenging clan to play, especially since they can’t recruit samurai and instead have to rely on low number Ronin units, difficult to recruit Warrior Monks, and weak but numerous Ashigaru. However, they do possess Loan Sword Ashigaru, a very powerful early game unit, so it’s the late game you have to worry about with them. 

This DLC also changes the way the Ikko Ikki use agents. They can’t access Metsuke, but their Priests have been buffed, evening it out a bit. 

Get this DLC if:

• You like a challenge
• You like to play a faction that upsets the established order in the game
• You like powerful Warrior Monks

Full DLC Details:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/34348/Total_War_SHOGUN_2__The_Ikko_Ik...

Rating: 9/10

3. Sengoku Jidai Unit Pack

The base clans aren’t that different in vanilla Shogun 2 aside from the small bonuses they get to various units. However, this DLC adds a unit for each clan that is unique to them. These units are powerful, but not necessarily better than all vanilla units. However, they do add other options to the game that other clans don’t have.

My personal favorites are the Chosokabe Daikyu Samurai and Shimazu Heavy Gunners. The Heavy Gunners damage buildings when they shoot at them and totally disrupt enemy formations, and it's awesome to watch them bust up charging samurai and rank and file Ashigaru with volley after volley. 

The Daikyu Samurai fulfill a similar role to the Bow Warrior Monks. However, they have more armor, so they counter skirmish better and they’re easier to recruit. Their high range can give you an advantage against your opponent’s Bow Samurai and Bow Ashigaru. 

Overall, any DLC that adds uniqueness to the clans and gives more replayability is a win in my book. 

Get this DLC if:

• You like unique units that fit the vibe of the vanilla clans
• You want to see men with mortars shoot over your men’s heads and hit your enemies
• You like really, really fast Warrior Monks with big bladed polearms

Full DLC Details:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/34342/Total_War_SHOGUN_2__Sengoku_Jid...

Rating 9/10

2. The Otomo Clan DLC

Guns. Ships. Cool armor. Smelly Jesuits who cause revolutions. This DLC has it all. 

Taking the Matchlock units in base game Shogun 2 and extrapolating from there, this DLC makes a faction that excels at firearms and has close ties to the European nation that first introduced them to the Japanese warlords of the era. 

Truly, the Otomo get the most unique and exciting units out of any of the clans. Portuguese Tercos and the Donderbuss cavalry are extremely fun troops, and they shine a lot in an already excellently balanced game. 

The Portuguese Tercos are great, but in the end, they’re simply heavily armored men with guns and a good attack skill. However, the Donderbuss Cavalry ride horses and carry Renaissance era shotguns, which works exactly like you’d expect on a medieval Japanese battlefield. Add the Blood Pack DLC to this mix and you get a huge mess of blood and mayhem in an already bloody and mayhem filled battlefield.

Get this DLC if:

• You like Matchlock units
• You like big ships with cannons
• You like religious revolutions but don’t want to play Ikko Ikki

Full DLC Details:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/223180/Total_War_SHOGUN_2__Otomo_Clan...

Rating: 10/10

1. Fall of the Samurai

One of Creative Assembly’s crowning achievements, Fall of the Samurai takes an already excellent game and brings it crashing into the 19th century. 

The switch from the Sengoku Jidai campaign to the FOTS campaign feels right, and the unique era of the Boshin War is the obvious answer to the question of where Shogun 2 should go for DLC. Because of the nature of the war as a conflict between tradition and technology, the developers were able to use many of the concepts of base game Shogun 2 and extrapolate them into Fall of the Samurai, making it almost a seamless transition between playing one and then the other.

The new modern units are also just fun, plain and simple. Blasting away with breech-loading rifle armed infantry, shredding formations with Armstrong Guns, and skirmishing your enemies at range with Sharpshooters is a total blast, and if you want a challenge, a more traditional approach is difficult but very rewarding. 

Get this DLC if:

• You like “The Last Samurai”
• You like seeing modern technology face a warrior culture that has existed for 700 years
• You like Gatling Guns

Full DLC Details:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/201271/A_Total_War_Saga_FALL_OF_THE_S...

Rating: 10/10

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