Quote Originally Posted by Sp4 View Post
Gatling guns: Surprisingly mediocre with very little ammo.
Sharpshooters, Tosa Riflemen, and whatever else there is that has longer range than standard line infantry and fancy camo bonuses: Surprisingly useless once the bullets start flying in both directions.
I use Gatlings to protect the other artillery. On occasion it outkills the Parrotts and Armstrongs. I think the biggest factor is how long they can engage before a rout leaves them without targets. If the enemy stands for it Gatlings can do great execution. Typically, though, guns hammer the enemy on the way in, the Gatlings fire a bit, targets promptly rout beyond Gatling range and the guns continue to paste them.

Gatlings and sharpshooters are great for attacking fortifications from beyond the range of the defenders. They can cause lots of casualties without risk to themselves. Flanking from woods is also a useful ploy with sharpshooters but one does need to use care as they fire more slowly and don't melee very well.

Archers can hit targets in a siege assault that rifles cannot. Very useful.

For anyone who hasn't used kisho ninja to sneak into a castle, they can do so very quickly and open gates and capture towers before the garrison is wise, provided that the garrison doesn't or can't cover every approach.