Kisho Ninja - seek advice

[Streen15]

I recently started playing Shogun 2 again after a very long time away. I decided to play the standard Shogun 2 campaign as the Hattori. I managed to make my way up the civic tree to be able to recruit my special unit - the Hattori Kishu ninja. Even in vanilla back in the day, I had no idea how to use these units properly. They seemed pointless and a waste of upkeep. The AI either always seem to find them (especially in large open terrain combat), or the stealth ability was not nearly long enough for me to be able to effectively use them to assassinate anyone during sieges.

Advice is welcome, but videos of effective use would be even better. I already looked on the intertubes, but much of the advice anyway is outside of darthmod. I decided to ask here since darth might have changed their values anyway (no idea).

[rob-a-dogg]

Use them to attack units you pin down with something else from behind, because they can sneak they can stay out of sight (reasonably far away) and move in once the main melee starts. The running sneak ability is good for closing the distance.

If the enemy bunches up in a big knot on your main infantry line, move around behind and use blinding grenades. They are also good as a distraction, set them up in some trees and just have them attack something when it gets close. Whatever is close will follow the ninja, who can just run away.

[rob-a-dogg]

I have also used them as back up for ranging sneaky light infantry. All of them hide in the woods, and if any infantry wanders too close, BAM ninja attack. Not so effective vs cavalry unless you charge the cav with the light inf and then use blinding grenades on the melee. And yess this kills your light inf too.

[Elitewolf]

Deploy kisho ninja's to the far sides of the enemy line, a bit in front of your own battle line. When the enemy closes in to charge, move up your ninjas. Use them to take out the enemy archers if you're losing the archery duel. IF you're going to win that use them to charge into the rear of the enemy or let them use their grenades against the enemy general

[rob-a-dogg]

^ A++ suggestion. ninjas own ranged units because they can get close undetected. Particularly if the ranged unit is firing the opposite direction, almost no chance of the enemy turning, reforming and shooting you (since they cant just fire in every direction like in Rome etc)

[Elitewolf]

^ A++ suggestion. ninjas own ranged units because they can get close undetected. Particularly if the ranged unit is firing the opposite direction, almost no chance of the enemy turning, reforming and shooting you (since they cant just fire in every direction like in Rome etc)

Heh, I just played Rome on my laptop. Damn, it's so different! And arrows are actually quite weak there.

[lonewolf80]

I've found no use of them, since I can't determine the formula which chooses whether my ninjas get detected or not. All my hidden units always get detected from what seems like half a mile away.

[Elitewolf]

I've found no use of them, since I can't determine the formula which chooses whether my ninjas get detected or not. All my hidden units always get detected from what seems like half a mile away.

Detection distance decreases with better terrain. ninjas will be spotted from far away when out in the open, closer when they are hidden in light shrub and when they are in a forest you won't see them until they throw those grenades at you.

[rob-a-dogg]

Detection distance decreases with better terrain. ninjas will be spotted from far away when out in the open, closer when they are hidden in light shrub and when they are in a forest you won't see them until they throw those grenades at you.

I thought this was self evident. I mean its harder to spot a guy up a tree then one standing in front you of in a field right?