Conscripts (Nohei)
These guys are the absolute bottom rung, recruitable at low cost from all provinces regardless of government or other buildings. They have poor morale, mediocre fighting abilities and only the most basic equipment but can be mobilized en masse. They only come in yumi (bow) and te-yari (short spear) varieties.
Ashigaru (Hei)
In contrast to the No-hei, the ashigaru are a recognized military force issued weapons and armor by the lords they serve. The ashigaru roster includes archers, pikemen, gunners, artillery crews and a variety of other types. Their versatility, low cost, wide availability and lack of unit caps mean that ashigaru will be the staple of most armies.
Clan Samurai and Hatamoto
Besides the daimyo's personal troops and a handful of elite units, your clan samurai (drawn from your direct vassals and their retainers) are the highest-quality troops available and the main draw of the Feudal Estates government type. They have a near-monopoly on cavalry (who are also effective when dismounted) and can fight on foot with long spears, muskets, bows, and no-dachi. They are not especially expensive but take time to recruit and are capped based on the number and level of your estates.
Where clan samurai are your vassals and their retainers, the Hatamoto is your daimyo's personal troops. They can only be recruited from your daimyo's headquarters, a unique building that establishes a province as the official home of your clan and household. The Hatamoto includes missile, melee and mounted troops with superior equipment, high morale and an inspiring aura but is constrained by low caps.
Ronin
Ronin are an inferior option compared to your own clan samurai, but for economic provinces that lack an advanced military infrastructure they are often the best available. Because they are landless and bound to your clan only by money, they have inferior equipment and morale compared to samurai from the estates as well as higher upkeep. They are useful for stiffening ashigaru in the field but are not economical as the backbone of an army.
Bandits (Senzouku) and Ninja
These units make up the specialty troops from Criminal Syndicate provinces. Bandits are a mix of commoners and samurai united by a common desire to loot, plunder and raid at the periphery of the Sengoku Jidai's great battles. The lower bandit units fight mostly with looted gear of uneven quality, but their better units are formed mostly of impoverished samurai who can manage better weapons and armor. As a rule, bandits are light on their feet and offense-oriented but they have questionable morale and will not stand and fight if they feel the odds are against them. Basic senzouku fight with short spears and yumi but the elite fight on horseback or with massive no-dachi swords.
Ninja are irregular fighters from secluded mountain villages and have mastered light infantry warfare. They are lightly armored but are fairly tough fighters with good morale and the ability to hide nearly anywhere. They can deploy outside the normal combat area and so are best used for taking commanding terrain before the enemy can reach it, laying ambushes or preparing to attack from unexpected flanks. They can fight either with bows, or with swords and firebombs.
Ikki
The Ikki are provincial leagues of peasants, jizamurai and sohei and as such their units are classless. Monks, warriors and peasants stand in the same lines and fight with the same weapons. This organization, combined with their political and social independence, gives Ikki troops very high morale. They lack the elite military skills of feudal troops, but have enough discipline and cohesion to be skilled in defensive warfare, especially in holding fortifications. They field units armed with naginata, bows, and teppo, as well as small units of cavalry.