Research in Shogun 2 has two trees that focus on seperate aspects: Bushido for military bonuses as well as arts that unlock new military buildings, units, formations and tactics. This guide is intended for newer players and those of intermediate level. Since the game was released for free during a short period in April last year, many new players have picked up the 2012 classic. Therefore the game forces you to choose between the two paths, Bushido (military focused) and Chi (Economic and Civic focused) and might leave you lacking in one side without balance. You cannot research all of the arts in every campaign - indeed, only in the longest campaigns with many bonuses to research will you be able to achieve this goal.

Each art in Shogun 2 takes a long time to complete, making prioritisation necessary. I have written this in order to provide a complete breakdown of the most important research (also referred to as arts or technology) to obtain during the campaign for each game. Welcome to this definitive guide for Shogun 2’s main campaign.

Shogun 2 campaign map