Three Kingdoms Warlords - Total War Academy

Total War is all about giving players the freedom to create their own stories in some of the most exciting periods in human history, and these initial dilemmas ... Disclaimer:Alldetailsincludedbelowaresubjecttochangeasdevelopmentcontinuesandshouldnotbeconsideredfinal. HeroClass: Commander Nickname: StrategicMastermind Playstyle CaoCaoisabrilliantstrategiccommander,excellinginwarandpolitics.Hismainstrengthliesindiplomaticexploitation.Hedividesandconquers,manipulatingrelationshipsbetweenfactionsbyspreadingrumoursofdisunitybetweenthem.Thiscanfraytheirrelationstothepointwherewarisallbutinevitable.Ofcourse,CaoCaocanalsoinfluencerelationshipstoforgestrongerbondsbetweenwarlords.He’sanexcellentmelderofemotionsandcanmakeothersthinkmorepositivelyofhimselforhisallies,allowinghimtogetbetterdiplomaticdealsfromthosetargeted.PlayingasCaoCaoisallaboutlong-termstrategicplanning;preparingforwarfarinadvancebysettingthediplomaticstagetostrike,whileexpandingyourrealmslowlybutsteadily.Hisagriculturalgarrisonshelptomakehisfarmsmoredefendableandgivestrongerbooststohisarmies.Theseuniqueabilitiescanbetakenevenfurther.WithCaoCao’sfaction,youcaninstigateaproxywarbetweentwowarlords.Indesperatetimeswhenswiftactionisneeded,ratherthanmakingtwofactionslikeeachotherlessandhopingtheymightgotowar–youcandirectlytriggeritwithoutanyoneknowingitwasyourdoing.Becauseofthis,youcanconceivablywinthegamewithouteverbeinginvolvedinanymajorconflicts.Bysystematicallydrivingfactionsagainsteachother,bymanipulatingothersintoattackinghimandcallinghisalliestodefendhim,andbylaterconfederatingorvassalisingthefracturedremnantsofonce-greatfactions,CaoCaocangrowinterritoryandpowerwithoutfightingasinglebattle. Whoishe? CaoCaowasbornin155CEinQiaocounty,HanEmpire.HisfatherCaoSongwasafostersonofCaoTeng,oneofthefavouredeunuchsofEmperorHuan.ItissaidthatCaoSong’soriginalfamilynamewasXiahou.ThismakesCaoCaorelatedtotwoofhismosttrustedgenerals,XiahouDunandXiahouYuan.Hisfamilywascloselyintertwinedwithpolitics,andCaoCaostudiedhard,maturingintoapowerfullycunningandshrewdstatesmaninhisownright.CaoCaohasseenemperorsfallandtyrantsrise,hehaswitnessedpowergraspedbytheundeserving,anditisthisworldofchaosthroughwhichheplotsapathtoorder.Regardedasastrategicgenius,CaoCaopursuesvictoryatanycost,andensuresthattheendsalwaysjustifythemeans.Thoughsomecallhimruthless,heisneverthelessmindfulandconsiderate,maintainingagriculturalgarrisonstoprotectbothhissuppliesandhispeopleduringtroubledtimes.Ingeniousandmerciless,he’sknownasthePuppetMasterandhasnoqualmsincontrollingotherstofulfillhisaspirations.Heisaleaderwhodedicateshimselftohisambitionsandpossessesauniquemindset.Caringlittleforstatusorhideboundtradition,hejudgesmensolelyontheirachievementsandskill,andhiscompanionsrespecthimforthisreason.Gainsayinghisreputationforruthlessness,helooksoutforhisfollowersandtreatsthemwithgenerosity.Despitetheirrivalry,CaoCaoandLiuBeiareverysimilarinthisregard;theyarebothsupportedandtrustedbythepeople. Guanxi InthissectionwefocusontheheroesandrelationshipsmostimportanttoCaoCaoatthestartofthegameasdefinedbyGuanxi(theChineseconceptofdynamicinter-relationships).UnlikeSunJian,whosefamilycontainstheseedsofpowerfulcharacters,CaoCaohasaccesstoskilledofficersrightfromtheoutsetofthecampaignwhohecantrusttoexecutehiswill.CaoCaobeginswithtwoverypowerfulgeneralsfightingforhiscause:XiahouDunandXiahouYuan.He’sparticularlyclosetoXiahouDun,whohasservedwithCaoCaoforhisentiremilitarycareer,andisoneofthefewwhotrulyunderstandsthereasoningbehindhisactions.CaoCaoisaknownforsurroundinghimselfwithheroesofgreattalent.WhileCaoCao’simmediatefamilyisstillimportanttohim,thesupportofXiahouDunandXiahouYuanmeanheisapositiontodeploymoreofficersearlierinthegamethanSunJianandmanyoftheothermajorwarlords.Theseofficerscanbegiventheirownarmiestolead,allowingyoutoexpandanddefendonmultiplefronts. StartingPosition  Atthestartofthegame,CaoCaoisbrandedanenemyofthestatebyDongZhuo,andthetyrant’shenchmenarecomingafterhim.Beforehecanconsiderlonger-termplans–suchastopplingDongZhuo–heknowsheneedstobuildastrongfoundation.ThisbeginsinChencommandery,southoftheYellowRiver;acentralpositionwithmanypossibleroutesofexpansion.First,CaoCaoneedstodefendhimselfagainstHanEmpirehenchmenwhoaresupposedtobringhimdown.Then,hewillhavetoestablishapowerbaseinChenbyovercomingthelocalHanEmpireadministrators.Onlythenwillhelookelsewhere,whichiswhentheTaoQianincidenthappens.Remember,thebiggerCaoCao’sempiregets,themorefactionswilllooktowardsbringinghimdownwhen/ifheshowsweakness… InitialDilemma  Earlyinacampaign,eachplayablewarlordwillfaceaninitialdilemmaafterfulfillingcertainprerequisiteactions.Thesedilemmaswillpositiontheplayerataforkintheroad,markingapivotalmomentinthatwarlord’sstory.Oneoftheoptionsavailabletoyouisachoicereflectingwhathappenedinhistory,andtheoutcomeswillfollowtheeventsoftheperiod.Theotherletsyouforgeataleofwhatmighthavebeen.TotalWarisallaboutgivingplayersthefreedomtocreatetheirownstoriesinsomeofthemostexcitingperiodsinhumanhistory,andtheseinitialdilemmasepitomisethatspirit.CaoCao’sdilemmaisaboutTaoQianpotentiallykillingCaoCao’sfather,CaoSong.CaoCaofindsoutthatTaoQian’ssoldiersrobbedandkilledCaoSong–perhapsonTaoQian’sorders,butperhapsnot…Youneedtodecidewhichcourseofactionwillbestserveyouinyourquestforvengeance.ThisiswhereCaoCao’scunningnaturecomesintoplay.WhiledealingwithTaoQian,ashrewdplayerwillalreadybethinkingahead.Whichpotentialconflictsmayfollow?YuanShaoorGongsunZaninthenorth?SunJianinthesouthwest?Dependingonthesituation,CaoCaocanstartmanipulatingthesefactionsagainsteachother,tyingthemdowninproxywarsandensuringhehastheupperhandwhentheinevitableconflictsemerge…CaoCao’sdiplomaticarsenalwillhelptokeepsurroundingfactionsoffhisback.Hismanipulationabilitycanalsobeusedtomakepeoplefriendlierwithhim.Insomesituations,thiscanmeanthedifferencebetweenbeingdeclaredwarat,ornot–oritcanmeanthatCaoCaoisabletoformapowerfulalliancethatcanprotecthisback.Afterall,you’llneedeverytoolavailabletostayafloatinthesimmeringdiplomaticcauldronthatisthecentreofthecampaignmap.Onceyourpowerbaseissecure,youcanlooktoexpandandconquerotherterritory.Movingnorthwilllikelyleadtoconfrontationandbattlewithpowerfulwarlordsinthatregion,suchasYuanShaoorGongsunZan.Forgingsouth,CaoCaomightappealtootherpowerfullordsinhisschemesagainstDongZhuo.YourultimateaimsaretobuildalargerrealminthenorthofChina,formingtheKingdomofWei,andtoconquerthefactionsthatestablishthemselvesinthesouth,unitingallofChinaunderyourrule.Thealliesandenemiesyoumakeduringyourcampaignwillplaykeyrolesinyourpursuitofthatgoal. WhatkindofplayerisCaoCaofor? Heisthechoiceofcorrupters,conjurors,andpuppeteers.Thosewhoprefertoemployslymethods,pullingstringsintheshadowsandmanipulatingotherstoensurethefutureofWeiKingdom.DownloadthehighresolutioncharacterposterwithTotalWarAccess. FurtherReading ImperialWarlord:abiographyofCaoCao155-220ADbyRafedeCrespigny(Brill,2010)(https://researchers.anu.edu.au/publications/59534) RomanceoftheThreeKingdomschapter4,chapter5,andchapters10to31 ABiographicalDictionaryofLaterHantotheThreeKingdoms(23-230AD)byRafedeCrespigny(Brill,2007) Kongming(http://kongming.net/novel/sgyy/caocao.php)   BUYNOWONSTEAM Disclaimer:Alldetailsincludedbelowaresubjecttochangeasdevelopmentcontinuesandshouldnotbeconsideredfinal. HeroClass:Vanguard Nickname:TheIronfistGeneral Whoishe? GongsunZanisamilitary-mindedmanwhoseesrulingastatemuchlikecommandinganarmy.He’slongdefendedthenorthernterritoriesagainstthebarbariansalongwithLiuYu,howeverarivalryformedbetweenthemduetotheirdifferencesinapproach.LiuYufavouredamorelenientpolicytowardstheWuhuanandXianbipeoples,whileGongsunZan’swasfarmorehardline–heusedwhitehorseswhendealingwiththeWuhuanpeopleastheyconsideredthemtobeaholyanimalandwouldn’tattackhim.Inthecacophonyofrisingchaos,GongsunZanisheardlikeaclarioncallabovethefray.Hestandsfirminhisbeliefsandisunafraidtodowhathefeelsisright.AchildhoodfriendofLiuBei,GongsunZanearnedareputationasafiercewarrior,defendingtheempireagainstforeignfoesbeyondtheborder.GongsunZanruleshislandswiththesamemartialmindsetwithwhichhegovernshisforces–onthedangerousfringesoftheempire,militaryprecisioninallthingsmustbeobserved.Whicheverallieshechooses,itremainstobeseenwhetherGongsunZancansuccessfullyseizethenorthandestablishadynasticlinestrongenoughtoseehimbecomeemperor. Playstyle GongsunZanisatraditionalmilitary-mindedcharacter,andhisplaystylereflectsthis.Focusingonamilitaristicapproachtoempiremanagement,GongsunZandoesn’thaveaccesstoadministratorsbutinsteadhashiscivicmattersoverseenbythecommandinggeneralsofhisarmies–whoalsoprovidebonusestothecommanderiesinwhichthey’restationed.GongsunZanhimselfprovidestwoimportantbonusesasafactionleader.Thefirstisa50%reinforcementrangebonus,meaningthathisarmiesaremorelikelytoreinforceeachotherinallsituations.Thismakeshimparticularlystrongwhenhe’sonthedefensive,andsynergiseswellwiththecivicbonusesgainedfromhiscommandinggenerals.Thesecondishisshockcavalry,whicharemoreheavilyarmouredcomparedwithotherfactions’andassuchmuchmoredurableincombat.However,bothofthesebonusesarespecifictoGongsunZan,meaningthattheywillbothbelostshouldhefallandbereplacedbyhisheir.GongsunZan’sfactionalsobenefitsfromthecommandoftheuniquewhitehorsearchercavalry,thesearethesomeofthemostpowerfulhorsearcherunitsin-gameandcanbeusedforanumberofpotentstrategiesinbattle. Guanxi  GongsunZangrewupwithLiuBeiandmaintainsagoodrelationshipwithhisformerschoolfriend.Furthermore,healsostartsoutwithZhaoYununderhiscommand,oneofthegreatestwarriorsofthethreekingdomsperiod.However,althoughrichinfriendshehasnochildrenofhisown,andsoensuringthathehasastronglineofsuccessioninplaceisanimportantpartofGongsunZan’sdynasticstrategy. StartingPosition  GongsunZan’sstartingpositioninYoubeipingCommanderyisrelativelysecure.Itcaneasilybeturnedintoastronghold–butbreakingoutofisnomeanfeat.YourrivalLiuYuistothewest,posingasignificantthreat.Itfallstoyou,DefenderoftheNorth,todefeathimandwincontrolofthesurroundingareas–youneedtounifytheNorthbeforethechaosovertakesit.Meanwhile,yourotherneighbourYuanShaogrowsevermorepowerful,andconflictwithhimisalmostinevitable–unlessyoucanfindawaytonegotiatewithhimandHanFuandturnahistoricalenemyintoanally. InitialDilemma  Ineachplayablewarlord’scampaign,theywillfaceauniquedilemmaafterfulfillingcertainprerequisiteactions.Thesedilemmaswillpositiontheplayerataforkintheroad,markingapivotalmomentinthatwarlord’sstory.Oneoftheoptionsavailabletoyouisachoicereflectingwhathappenedinhistory,andtheoutcomeswillfollowtheeventsoftheperiod.Theotherletsyouforgeataleofwhatmighthavebeen.TotalWarisallaboutgivingplayersthefreedomtocreatetheirownstoriesinsomeofthemostexcitingperiodsinhumanhistory,andtheseinitialdilemmasepitomisethatspirit.ThereisaconflictbrewingbetweenGongsunZanandtheneighbouringLiuYu,whoadoptedaverydifferentandmorelenientstrategywhendealingwiththeWuhuanandXianbipeoples.LiuYuisalsosupportedbyDongZhuo,andGongsunZanisresentfulaboutLiuYu’ssuccess.Additionally,YuanShaoisaskingforaidagainstHanFu,meaningyoucanchoosetochannelyourresourcestowardsthisconflictinanattempttoappeasetohim.Onwhichofthesetwoconflictswillyoufocus,andwherewillyoudirectyourresources? CampaignProgression GongsunZan’sinitialfocusshouldbesecuringastrongholdinthenorth.ThiscouldincorporatesecuringanalliancewithGongsunDu,butitalsomightbemoreefficienttosubjugateGongsunDuanddominatetheareaentirely.ThiscouldalsobeyouropportunitytotakeoutyourrivalLiuYuandlayclaimtotheHanempireregion.Oncethisstrongholdisestablished,yourprogressionwillinevitablyleadwest–whereconflictwithYuanShaoisverylikely.Assuch,itmightbewisetofindalliesbeyondYuanShao’srealm–suchashishalf-brotherYuanShu,thecunningCaoCao,oreventhebanditsinthemountainsZhangYanorZhengJiang.Finally,GongsunZanmustmovetosecurethenorthandtheultimategoalofbecomingemperor. WhatkindofplayerisGongsunZanfor? GongsunZanisthechoiceofexpertmilitarists–heisawarriorwithoutfearorrestraint,butalsoadefensivemasterwhenthesituationrequiresit.Braveryishiscallingcard,andifthere’sanobstaclehehastoconquer,you’dbetterhopehe’sonyourside.DownloadthehighresolutioncharacterposterwithTotalWarAccess. FurtherReading ABiographicalDictionaryofLaterHantotheThreeKingdoms(23-230AD)byRafedeCrespigny(Brill,2007) RomanceoftheThreeKingdoms,chapters1,2,5,6,7,11,18,and21 Kongming(http://kongming.net/encyclopedia/Gongsun-Zan)   BUYNOWONSTEAM   Disclaimer:Alldetailsincludedbelowaresubjecttochangeasdevelopmentcontinuesandshouldnotbeconsideredfinal. HeroClass:Strategist Nickname:TheMasterScholar Whoishe? BornintheformerLustate,Rongwasaresourcefulyoungboy.Whenhegrewolder,KongRongenteredthebureaucracyoftheEasternHandynasty.Asabrilliantpoliticianandscholar,hewassuccessivelypromotedandbecamechancellorofBeihaiCommanderyinQingProvince,whichwasinvadedbytheYellowTurbanrebels.AfterafewyearsshowinghisworthinessatBeihai,thepeoplehadbecomedevotedtoKongRong–theysaythathe’sanhonestman,andaneducatedanddeterminedleader.KongRongissaidtobeadescendantofConfucius.Famedforhisquickwitsandelaborateliterarystyle,KongRongwasrankedamongtheSevenScholarsofJian’an,agroupofrepresentativeliterati.Armedwithadangerouslysharptongue,KongRongisnearconstantlyopposedtoCaoCaoinhispoliticalviews,oftencomingupwithinventivewaystoinsulthim.ThisincludedtryingtopersuadeCaoCaothathewasnotpowerfulenoughtodefeatYuanShao.Despitehisintellectualsabrerattling,KongRong’smainfocusisonwisdomandlearning–hebelievesinintelligenceandanalysistowinthewar.ThebureaucracyofChinacanonlysucceedthroughthesupportofeducation.Therefore,KongRongconcentratesonreconstructionofthecityandtheestablishmentofschools.Now,aschaosconsumesChinayetagain,KongRongknowsthatonlythoughknowledgeandinsightwillprosperityprevailoncemore. Playstyle PlayingasKongRongisarelativelypeacefulexperience,withhimfavouringapacifistplaystylethatrewardspeacefultradeaswellasspreadingeducationandknowledge.ForKongRong,knowledgeispower.Hisstrategyistoseekoutinformationandeducationtobeattheenemy,notstooptobloodshedasafirstresort.Tradeinfluenceisanewsystemforallfactionsthatdetermineshowmuchtheybenefitfromatradeagreement,andonethatisparticularlyimportantforKongRong.Tradeincomeisdeterminedbycomparingtherelativetradeinfluenceofthetwofactions–themoretradeinfluenceyouhave,themoreofthesharedpotwillflowtoyouasincome.Inshort,themoretradeinfluenceyouhave,themoreyou’llbenefitfromtradeagreements.Asamasterintheartoftrade,KongRonghastwouniquewaystofurtherboosthistradeinfluence:bymaintaininghighpopulationnumbers,andwithauniquedealindiplomacythatfurtherincreasesthestrengthofhisweboftraderelations.ThismeansthatKongRongdoesn’tnecessarilyneedtoexpandveryfarandcaninsteadallyhimselfwithwarlordswithmoreexpansiveterritoriesbyforginglucrativetradeagreementsandusingtheresultingwealthtofurtherbuilduphisexistingsettlements.Largesettlementsmeanmoreprestigeaswellaswealth,allowinghimtogotowarifhemustbutalsoenablinghimtowinthecampaignwitharelativelyfewterritoriesunderhiscommandifhesochooses. Guanxi  EvensinceLiuBeihelpedhimdefeattheYellowTurbanRebellion,heandKongRonghavebeencloseallies–thetwoknowtheycanrelyoneachothernomatterwhat.KongRong’sgeneralandGrandAdministratorofBeihaiWangXiuishonourable,loyal,andalwayswillingtocometotheaidofhislord. StartingPosition  KongRong’scampaignbeginswithhimfightingagainsttheYellowTurbansfromBeihaiCommandery,hisbaseofoperations.AftercapturingBeihailivestockfarmandconqueringthecommanderyinoneswiftblow,KongRonghasadifficultchoicetomake. InitialDilemma  Ineachplayablewarlord’scampaign,theywillfaceauniquedilemmaafterfulfillingcertainprerequisiteactions.Thesedilemmaswillpositiontheplayerataforkintheroad,markingapivotalmomentinthatwarlord’sstory.Oneoftheoptionsavailabletoyouisachoicereflectingwhathappenedinhistory,andtheoutcomeswillfollowtheeventsoftheperiod.Theotherletsyouforgeataleofwhatmighthavebeen.TotalWarisallaboutgivingplayersthefreedomtocreatetheirownstoriesinsomeofthemostexcitingperiodsinhumanhistory,andtheseinitialdilemmasepitomizethatspirit.KongRong’sfirstmissionistosecureanddefendQingProvinceagainsttheYellowTurbans.BesetuponallsidesbytheYellowTurbans,agreatwarriormayofferhisservicestoKongRong.Doeshesendthatofficerofftoseekoutsideaid,orbringthatherointohisfactiontohelprepeltherebels? CampaignProgression KongRong’sinitialconcernistheYellowTurbans,whomustbedealtwithonewayoranotherbeforehecanproceed.Fromthenon,KongRong’searlycampaignisrelativelysafe–butalsowell-guardedbyremnantsofthecrumblingHanEmpire.Earlyexpansionwon’tbeeasy,buttheothermajorwarlordsareunlikelytoturnagainsthimwithanygreathaste. WhatkindofplayerisKongRongfor? KongRongisthechoiceofperceptiveandsharpminds.Heistheperfectheroforthosewhofocusonlogic,rules,andreasonwhilefightingforthegreatergood.Underhissageguidance,theempirewillbestandstrongoncemore.Ifyouwanttopursueastrategyofgoingtallandarelativelypeacefulplaythrough,KongRongisoneofyourbestchoices.DownloadthehighresolutioncharacterposterwithTotalWarAccess. FurtherReading ABiographicalDictionaryofLaterHantotheThreeKingdoms(23-230AD)byRafedeCrespigny(Brill,2007) RomanceoftheThreeKingdoms,chapters11,15,20,22,23,and40 Kongming(http://kongming.net/encyclopedia/Kong-Rong)   BUYNOWONSTEAM   Disclaimer:Alldetailsincludedbelowaresubjecttochangeasdevelopmentcontinuesandshouldnotbeconsideredfinal. HeroClass:Commander Nickname:VirtuousIdealist Whoishe? LiuBeiwasbornin161CEinZhuoCounty(ZhuoCommandery).LikeSunJian,hegrewupinapoorfamily,amemberofthecommonclass.LiuBeilosthisfatherwhenhewasstillachild.HewasadescendantofLiuZhen,asonofLiuShengandagrandsonofEmperorJing.Fromchildhood,hewasfullofambitionandseemeddestinedforgreatness.Empatheticwiththecommonfolk,heeasilygainedthepeople’strustandsupport.ThisparticulartraitmadehimafearedadversarytohisenemyCaoCao.LiuBeiishonestandkindtohisfriends,andwell-likedbyhiscompanions.Amodestandmercifulwarlordwhocherisheshisdevotedfollowers,heiswidelyknownasabenevolentandhumaneruler,onewhocaresforhispeopleandsurroundshimselfwithgreatadvisers.Heisabrilliantpoliticianandleaderwhosecaringnaturemotivatespowerfulheroestojoinhissideandfightforhiscause.ForLiuBei,DongZhuorepresentschaos,andhewantsnothingmorethantoseecorruptionuprootedandtheHandynastyrestored.TheLiufamilywasonlynominallyattachedtotheHan,yettherearethosewhourgeLiuBeitosaveChinafrommadnessandrestorethecollapsingdynasty.Humble,virtuousandkind,LiuBeiisaninspiringpresence,summoningstrengthfromunlikelyplaces,andforgingunshakablebondswiththosewhofollowhim.Despitehiscommonroots,thebloodofancientHanemperorsflowthroughLiuBei’sveins. Playstyle EventhoughLiuBeihailsfromadynastyofEmperors,herosefromhumblebeginnings,anddoessointhecampaignaswell.Comparedtotheotherwarlords,hisstartingpositionisveryfragileandinsecure.Hehasnopowerbaseworthmentioning,thoughhedoesbeginplaywiththemostpowerfularmyonthemap.Ofallthewarlords,hehasthestrongestbondswithhisstartingcharacters,hisswornbrothersZhangFeiandGuanYu.Yetbecauseofhislowlystatus,LiuBeiisonlyabletorecruitonearmyatthestartofthegame.Onlyafterhehasestablishedhimselfcanhefieldmoreforcesandeffectivelyexpandhisterritory.Buttobeginwithatleast,it’ssafertoplayLiuBeiwithalowregioncountandfocusonensuringstrongandprosperousgovernance.LiuBei’sstrengthisderivedfromthoseclosesttohim,sohemustmaintainunityandcohesionwithinhisfaction.Onlybyleadingatight-knitbandofbrotherswillLiuBeibeabletoemergevictoriousfromthisconflict.Therefore,playerswillneedtobedoublyvigilanttoensurehisfollowersaresatisfiedandhappy.Ifhedoesso,LiuBeiwillbenefitfromthisunitywithfasterprogressionthroughthefactionranksandbettergovernmentcapabilities,suchasfieldingextraarmiesandassigningmoregovernors.LiuBeiisundoubtedlypopularwiththemassesand,aslongasheleadshisfaction,hismilitiaunitsdonotcostanyupkeep.Thismakesiteasyforhimtomaintainhisforces,especiallyearlyon.Duetohisimperialancestry,manyseeLiuBeiwithmorelegitimacythanotherfactionleaders,whichallowshimtoconfederatewithotherwarlordsearlierthanmostfactions.And,atthecostofsomeunity,hecanclaimterritoryunderthecontroloftheHanEmpirewithoutafight. Guanxi  LiuBeiconsidershisfriendsashisfamily.HisinitialbondwithbothGuanYuandZhangFeiisverystrong.Thethreeofthemareswornbrothers,aconnectionbetweenthemthatholdsthroughthickandthin.LiuBeibenefitsfromtheserelationshipsearlyinthegame(thesecharactersgainbuffswhenfightingalongsideeachotherinbattle,forexample).ItissaidthatLiuBeimetGuanYuandZhangFeiduringhiseffortstosuppresstheYellowTurbanRebellion.ThethreesharedavisionofpeaceacrossaunifiedChina,andtheysworebrotherhoodinthelegendaryPeachGardenOath.Thisconnectionismutuallyreinforcing.TheothermajoraspectofLiuBei’sGuanxiisageneralfocusonrelationshipsthroughhisunitymechanic.Onlyhappycharacterswillhelptoincreaseunity,andtokeepcharactershappy,enablingthemtoforgerelationshipsisvital. StartingPosition  LiuBeistartsinasmallpartoftheDongprovincewithhisbrothersGuanYuandZhangFei.Atthispoint,hedoesn’tholdanyterritory–it’sjusthimandhisbrotherswithapeasantmilitiaarmy.RemnantsoftheYellowTurbanrebellionstillsurroundhim,sohisinitialchallengewillbetobreakthroughthese.AstheHanEmpirecollapses,LiuBeiwantstosavethedynastybyrootingoutrebelsandcorruption.Butfirst,heneedsapowerbaseinordertoreplenishandbuildhisstrength.You’llhavetodealwiththelocalrebelsandreinstatelawandorder.Fromthere,hisstartingpositionimpliesvariouspathsofexpansion,themainroutesbeingeithersouth-easttowardLangye,orwestwardstowardLuoyang. InitialDilemma  Earlyinacampaign,eachplayablewarlordwillfaceaninitialdilemmaafterfulfillingcertainprerequisiteactions.Thesedilemmaswillpositiontheplayerataforkintheroad,markingapivotalmomentinthatwarlord’sstory.Oneoftheoptionsavailabletoyouisachoicereflectingwhathappenedinhistory,andtheoutcomeswillfollowtheeventsoftheperiod.Theotherletsyouforgeataleofwhatmighthavebeen.TotalWarisallaboutgivingplayersthefreedomtocreatetheirownstoriesinsomeofthemostexcitingperiodsinhumanhistory,andtheseinitialdilemmasepitomisethatspirit.LiuBei’searlydilemmaisabouthelpingTaoQianagainstCaoCao.TaoQianhadallegedlykilledCaoCao’sfatherCaoSong,butTaoQianofcoursedeniesthis.Inanycase,ittriggersconflictbetweenCaoCaoandTaoQian,wherethelatterseekshelpfromLiuBei.TheplayercandecidetojointhisconflictonthesideofTaoQian.ThiswillmeanapotentiallydifficultwaragainstCaoCao,butiftheattackisrepelled,hewillhaveprovenhisworthandvirtue.WhenTaoQiandies(heisaratheroldmanalreadyatthestartofthegame),hisfollowerswilloffertojoinLiuBei,whichwilleffectivelyconfederateTaoQianwithLiuBei.Yourmid-gameaimistoacquireasmuchprestigeaspossibleanddisrupttheotherkeyplayersfromgettingtoobig.WhenLiuBeigainsenoughprestige,heabletoraiseadditionalarmies,andhere’swhenyou’llstartbuildingyourrealpowerbase.AconfederationwithLiuBiao’sfactionafterhisdeathcanalsobeawaytoexpandyourempireevenfurther.However,withLiuBeiwithoutawifeorchildrenatthestartofthegame,you’llalsoneedtofocusonbuildingyourdynastyandsecuringasuitableheirtocontinueyourlegacy.Howwillyougetthere?Willyouaimtosecurepowerfuldiplomaticmarriage?Orbymarryingaloyalmemberofyourcourt?OrwillyouskipmarriagealtogetherandchooseoneofyourswornbrotherstobeyourheirandhavethemleadLiuBei’sfactionafterhisdeath. WhatkindofplayerisLiuBeifor? LiuBeiisthechoiceoftheconfident,wiseandmodestruler.Someonewhocaresaboutthepeople,understandstheirneeds,wantstorestorepeaceinthelandandknowswhenanopportunityforvictoryshowsuptomakeitso.DownloadthehighresolutioncharacterposterwithTotalWarAccess. FurtherReading RomanceoftheThreeKingdomschapters1,2,5,6,7,11,12,24,31,35,37,41,42,55,65,73,80,81,83,84,and85 ABiographicalDictionaryofLaterHantotheThreeKingdoms(23-230AD)byRafedeCrespigny(Brill,2007) Kongming(http://kongming.net/novel/sgz/liubei.php)   BUYNOWONSTEAM   Disclaimer:Alldetailsincludedbelowaresubjecttochangeasdevelopmentcontinuesandshouldnotbeconsideredfinal. HeroClass:Commander Nickname:GentlemanoftheHan Whoishe? EsteemedacademicLiuBiaoisknownasoneoftheEightGeniusesofJiangxia:agroupofscholarsduringthelaterHanera.GovernorofJingProvince,he’sasmartandcharismaticmanwithanappreciationofetiquette,nobility,andthefinerthingsinlife.Amanseldomruffled,LiuBiaodemonstrateshisaristocraticpedigreethroughstableofficiality.ThoughtheHancrumbles,itsspiritandlegacyenduresthroughitsmanybranchesanddescendants.LiuBiaoholdsthislineageclosely,servingwithunwaveringsenseofdutyandprosperinggreatlyduringatimeofpeace.Anaccomplishedadministrator,andeverthetraditionalist,LiuBiaowishestopreservethestatusquo,earnestlyhopingthatthechaoswillabateandreasonwillprevail.Buttimesarechanging,andLiuBiaomustfindhisplaceinthisnewland,orfadeforeverintothemistsoftheforgotten…Yetwithchangecomesopportunity.LiuBiaoisanexceptionalGovernorandhaspotentialtobemuchmore,providedhecanadapttothiseraofconflict.IfhesucceedsinexercisinghisauthorityonXiangyangcommandery,hecanleadhiscommanderytoatimeofstabilityinthischaos.Usingthatashisfoundation,itmayonlybeamatteroftimeuntilhecanrestorepeacetoallofChina. Playstyle LiuBiao’sfocusonacademiaandintelligencedefineshisplaystyle.Heoffersasafehaventonoblesandgentry,andassuch,hevaluessophistication,knowledge,andharmony.Thisgrantshimuniquescholarlycourtpositions(Student,Tutor,Scholar)thatincreaseexperiencegainfortheseandallcharactersinhisfaction,andhisuniquebuildingchain(LodgingandTeaGardens)canfurtherincreaseexperiencegain.Whenusedwell,LiuBiao’sbonusestocharactergrowthcanofferyouapathtoemployinghighrankinggeneralsearlierinthegamethanotherWarlords.Meaning,althoughnotasignificantmilitaryforceattheoutset,LiuBiaocanusethisstrategytocompetewiththemoremilitary-mindedwarlordsonthemap.LiuBiaoalsostartsinarelativelysecureddiplomaticsituation,beingthemasteroftwovassals:CaiMaoandHuangZu.Thesevassalsoccupylandtothesouthofhimandoffervaluablesupportinshoringuphissouthernborders.Acalmandsteadyhandatthewheel,LiuBiaooffersapublicorderbonustohislandswhilefactionleader,andasatisfactionboosttoallcharactersunderhiscontrol.However,he’sanospringchickenatthestartofthegame,sowhenplayingashimyou’llneedtobecarefulwhoyouselectasyourheir.Yoursons,thoughyourfleshandblood,sadlydon’tshowthesamelevelofpromisethattheirfatherdidattheirage,andyoumayneedtolookoutsideofyourcurrentfamilytosecureyourlegacy. Guanxi  LiuBiaostartsthegamewiththesupportofhisclosefriend,HuangZhong,abraveandwiseelderlygeneral.Despitehisage,HuangZhongisstillamorethancapablewarriorandoneofthegreatestarchersaround,somethingheiskeentoprovewhenevertheopportunitypresentsitself.LiuBiaoalsohasthesupportofhissons,LiuQiandLiuCong.Astimegoesby,theyshouldbegivengreaterresponsibilitiestocarryonXiangyangadministration.However,itisknownthatLiuBiaoputsmoretrustinHuangZhongthaneitherofthem.WhileHuangZhong’sagemakeshimunsuitableforanheir,somesaythatLiuBiaoisalreadylookingtootherstopickupthemantle. StartingPosition  ThegamebeginswithLiuBiaoinXiangyangcommanderyinJingprovinceastheGovernorofthisprovince,anofficegiventoLiuBiaobythegreatHanEmpire.However,rebelsarerisingallaroundhisterritory.LiuBiaoneedstobringthemdown,protecthispeople,andrestoreordertothecommanderybeforegoingfurther.OnlythencanLiuBiaoexpand,movingclosertotheterritoryofotherwarlords.Amongthem,YuanShuandSunJianmaybethefirsthehastodealwith… InitialDilemma  Earlyinacampaign,eachplayableWarlordwillfaceaninitialdilemmaafterfulfillingcertainprerequisiteactions.Thesedilemmaswillpositiontheplayerataforkintheroad,markingapivotalmomentinthatWarlord’sstory.Oneoftheoptionsavailabletoyouisachoicereflectingwhathappenedinhistory,andtheoutcomeswillfollowtheeventsoftheperiod.Theotherletsyouforgeataleofwhatmighthavebeen.TotalWarisallaboutgivingplayersthefreedomtocreatetheirownstoriesinsomeofthemostexcitingperiodsinhumanhistory,andtheseinitialdilemmasepitomisethatspirit.LiuBia’sdilemmastartswhenYuanShaosecretlysendhimamessagetotaketheImperialSealbackfromSunJian.Theplayerwillhavetomakeachoice:AcceptYuanShao’srequestandattackSunJian,whichwilltriggerawaragainstSunJianandYuanShu,hisally.OrignoreYuanShao’srequestandangeringthewarlordinthenorth.ThechoiceofthisdilemmawillhaveabigimpactontheimmediatesituationinthiscentralareawithSunJian,LiuBiao,andYuanShu.IgnoringYuanShaowillmeanthatthesituationiscalmer,butyourpotentialenemieswillhavetheabilitytogrowmuchstrongeraswell.AttackingSunJianontheotherhandwillmeanadifficultstart,butwithgreatopportunities…AstherulerofXiangyangcommandery,theplayerneedstounitethiscommanderybyconqueringregionsthatwerelosttorebels.Afterwards,LiuBiaowillhavedifficultiesexpandingandheneedstopickhisenemiesinasmartway.IfhedoesnotgotowarwithSunJianandYuanShu,hemighthavetothinkaboutcuttinghimselfloosefromtheHanEmpire,orpotentiallyfocusonbuildingupXiangyangbeforemakingfurtherstepsandexpandhisrealm. WhatkindofplayerisLiuBiaofor? LiuBiaoisthechoiceofthosewhoseekwisdom,knowledge,andclarityofthoughttotaketherightdecisionsandbringpeacebacktothischaoticland.Thelandsarebesetbyconflictandyoumustrestoreorder;LiuBiaoisamanwhoviewswisdomandexperienceastheswordandshieldwithwhichtoprotecttherealm.DownloadthehighresolutioncharacterposterwithTotalWarAccess. FurtherReading ABiographicalDictionaryofLaterHantotheThreeKingdoms(23-220AD)byRafedeCrespigny(Brill,2007)(https://researchers.anu.edu.au/publications/40121) RomanceoftheThreeKingdomschapters6,7,8,15,16,17,18,19,21,22,23,29,31,32,33,34,35,36,38,39,and40 Kongming(http://kongming.net/novel/sgz/liubiao.php)   BUYNOWONSTEAM   Disclaimer:Alldetailsincludedbelowaresubjecttochangeasdevelopmentcontinuesandshouldnotbeconsideredfinal. HeroClass:Vanguard Nickname:ProtectoroftheWest Whoishe? AlthoughtheexactdetailsofMaTeng’sbirthareupfordebate,manybelievehewasbornin156CEinMaolingCounty(FufengCommandery).Hisfather,MaPing,wasonceanesteemedofficeroftheHanEmpire,buthewasdismissedfromhispostafteramysteriousdispute.MaPingthenwenttoliveamongtheQiangtribesinNorthernChina,marriedalocalwoman,andfatheredMaTeng.MaTeng’searlylifewasoneofgreatpoverty.Inhisyouthhewasputtoworksellingfirewoodhecollectedfromthemountainstohelphisfamilymakeendsmeet.Hegrewuptobeanaccomplishedwarrior,andwhentheQiangtribesrebelledheenlistedintheHanarmytosecuretheruleoftheHangovernment.Hissignificantmartialprowessshonethrough,andwhentherebellionwassuppressed,hewasgrantedthetitleofofficerintheHanEmpire.ItwasduringthiscampaignthathemetandbecamegreatfriendswithHanSui,andtogethertheynowcontrolmuchofLiangProvince.RisingfromnothingtoapositionofpowerandwealthbecauseofthesupportoftheHanDynasty,heiskeennottoseeitfalltopieces.Whilemanyothershavebrokentheiroathsoffealty,withtheechoesofhisfather’sdisgracefulremovalstillhangingintheair,MaTengiskeentoavoidthesamefateandbringfurthershametohisfamily.EvenasthestormofchaosrollsandthundersoverLuoyang,MaTengdoesnotletthesquallsofthecourtcloudhismind.Thoughmanysaythedynastyisfinished,MaTengremainsloyaltotheHan,prosecutingtheenemiesoftheemperoraboveallelse.Onthewesternfringesoftheempire,hehaslongdefendedChina’smostvaluabletraderoutes,holdingbackhostileinterlopers,andwillcontinuetochargeintobattleintheemperor’sname.MaTengmaytreathisfriendswell,butheremainsmercilesswithHan’senemies.HewasmadeGeneraloftheWestandwaspersuaded,alongwithHanSui,toaidDongZhuoinbattlingagainstthecoalitionthatformedagainsthim. Playstyle MaTengishardy,andabletosurviveinmanydifficultsituationsandadverseenvironments.Healsokeenlyunderstandstheimportanceofmilitarylogistics.Allarmiesinhisfactiongainbonusmilitarysupplies,andwhenencamped,histroopsaretrainedtoforageforfood.Meaninghisarmiesarestronglyequippedtopushforward,continueonthefrontfoot,andsupportastrategyofaggressiveexpansion.MaTeng’sfactioncanalsoconstructtheuniqueXiliangSupplyLinesbuildingchain–oneofthefewfood-productionchainsthatcanbebuiltinCommanderycapitals.Thischainalsoinstitutesregionalcavalrypatrols,whichimprovethemilitarysuppliesforarmiesinadjacentcommanderiesanddepletesthemilitarysuppliesofanyinvadingforces.MaTengalsobenefitsfromhiscloseconnectiontotheSilkRoad,gainingincreasedincomefromsilkandspice.OnekeydifferentiatorofhisplaystyleisthatheistheonlyplayablefactionatthestartofthegamethatisalliedwiththetyrantDongZhuo.MaTengisincrediblyloyaltotheHandynastyanditsregime,sohewillsupportDongZhuoasthenominalchancellorofstate.HenowfightsagainstDongZhuo’senemiesbecauseofit.He’snotnecessarilyongreattermspersonallywithDongZhuo,butheiswillingtoputthattoonesideinordertodohisdutyandfightfortheHanempire. Guanxi  Closefriendsformanyyears,togetherMaTengandHanSuigovernLiangprovinceandprotecttheChina’snorthwesternbordersagainstinvasion.Theirtight-knitbondandfocusonastrongmilitaryalliancegoesalongwaytoensuringstabilityintheregion.MaChaoisMaTeng’ssonandheir,thoughattheoutsetofthecampaignheisstillachild.Itwillbeafewyearsbeforehecomesofage,butmanywithincourtalreadybelievehehasthepotentialtobecomeamightywarrior. StartingPosition  Atthestartofthegame,MaTengisatwarwiththeYellowTurbansinWuducommandery.Theplayerwillhavetoconquertheentirecommanderytogainastrongfootholdinthewest.Oncetherebelsintheareahavebeendispatched,MaTengwillhavetodecidewhethertodrivehisconquestsouthacrossthemountainsorfightforcontrolofthenorth-westalone. InitialDilemma  Ineachplayablewarlord’scampaign,theywillfaceauniquedilemmaafterfulfillingcertainprerequisiteactions.Thesedilemmaswillpositiontheplayerataforkintheroad,markingapivotalmomentinthatwarlord’sstory.Oneoftheoptionsavailabletoyouisachoicereflectingwhathappenedinhistory,andtheoutcomeswillfollowtheeventsoftheperiod.Theotherletsyouforgeataleofwhatmighthavebeen.TotalWarisallaboutgivingplayersthefreedomtocreatetheirownstoriesinsomeofthemostexcitingperiodsinhumanhistory,andtheseinitialdilemmasepitomisethatspirit.MaTeng’sdilemmatriggersif/whenDongZhuomeetshisend.Withouttheirtyrannicalleader,DongZhuo’sfactionwillsplinterasacivilwarbreaksoutbetweentheloyalistsandtheseparatists.ThisleavesMaTengwithamajorchoice.Doeshejointheconflictandopenhimselfuptoahugewarrightonhisdoorstep?OrdoesheavoidbloodshedandleaveDongZhuo’srivenfactiontoitsownfate?Theformerprovideshimwiththeopportunitytorescuethechild-emperorfromtheflamesofwar.Butthelatterallowshimtofocusonexpandinghisholdingselsewhere,bidinghistimeonlytostrikelateron.Dependingonhowyourcampaignhasprogressedatthispoint,ahugewarmightbeexactlywhatyou’relookingfor.Butwarisneverwithoutrisk,andyoumustdecidewhichroutetotakeasyoufighttobringharmonybacktotheHanempire. CampaignProgression Intheearlystagesofthecampaign,MaTengwillneedtodefeattherebelsinhishomecommanderyofWudu,andunifyitbycapturingallsettlements.AsMaTeng’scampaignprogresses,multiplepotentialpathswillbecomeapparent.YoucouldbeginexpandingsouthwardsintoHanzhong.Youmightchoosetofollowhistory,fightingforsupremacyinthenorth-eastbypittingMaTengagainsthisformerfriendHanSui.OrperhapschallengeDongZhuodirectlybydeclaringwaragainsthim.Alternatively,MaTengcanwagewarwiththeenemiesoftheHanfurtherwest,orspendtimegatheringthesupportofotherwarlordsinordertostrikeagainstDongZhoulater.Yourultimateaimistobuildagreatrealminthenorth-westofChina,creatingyourownDynastyandpushingforthtouniteallofChinaunderyourrule.Thealliesandenemiesyoumakeduringyourcampaignwillhaveakeyroleinshapingyourpursuitofthatgoal. WhatkindofplayerisMaTengfor? MaTengisabornsurvivor.He’swellequippedtowithstandtheharshconditionsofthearidplains,mountainousregionsandthedeepjungle.Butaboveall,MaTengisdrivenbyloyalty.He’llfightanyfactionwhochallengestheauthorityoftheHanDynasty,regardlessoftheirmotives.Ifloyaltymatterstoyou,thenMaTengistheperfectwarlord.DownloadthehighresolutioncharacterposterwithTotalWarAccess. FurtherReading RomanceoftheThreeKingdomschapterten ABiographicalDictionaryofLaterHantotheThreeKingdoms(23-230AD)byRafedeCrespigny(Brill,2007) Kongming(http://kongming.net/novel/sgyy/mateng.php)   BUYNOWONSTEAM   Disclaimer:Alldetailsincludedbelowaresubjecttochangeasdevelopmentcontinuesandshouldnotbeconsideredfinal. HeroClass:Commander Nickname:TheAmbitiousPowermonger Whoishe? Theproductofalonglineofinfluentialnobles,YuanShuhasestablishedhimselfasapowerfulwarlord.Originallyknownforhiscourageandvalour,YuanShuwasagreathunterandfalconerinhisyouth,climbingthroughseveralgovernmentranksincludingGeneraloftheHouseholdRapidasaTiger.Astimeprogressed,however,hewasknownmoreforhisostentatiousness.Hewasnotagreatadministratorhimself,andsoreliedoncommanderssuchasSunJiantooverseehisforces.YuanShuwasinstrumentalinfightingbackagainstthecorruptionoftheHandynasty–andwasnamedGeneraloftheRearbyDongZhuohimself.However,whenDongZhuotookoverthecapital,YuanShuestablishedabaseatLuoyangandalliedhimselfwithagroupofotherwarlordsinordertoopposehim.Inretaliationforhisbetrayal,DongZhuokilledYuanShu’sfather,thusalsosparkingShu’songoingconflictwithhalf-brotherYuanShaoasthetwobattledtoassumeleadershipofthefamilyintheaftermath.AfterheconqueredNanyang,YuanShuplacedSunJianinchargeofhisarmy,whothenproceededtorepeatedlycrushDongZhuo’sforces.YuanShu,meanwhile,continuedtoactashegemonofNanyang,cementinghisreputationasadecadentandextravagantruler.Despitethissuccess,followingDongZhuo’sretreatfromthecapitalYuanShu’sanimositytowardsYuanShaogrew.YuanShuandhisallyGongsunZanfoughtYuanShaoforsometimebutwereultimatelydefeated.FollowingthedeathofhisenvoyHanYinatthehandsofLüBu,YuanShulaunchedanotherlarge-scaleinvasionofXuProvince.UnfortunatelyforYuanShu,theattackfailedmiserably,decimatinghisarmyandleavinghisopponentstotakeadvantageofthisweakness.ItwasCaoCaowhoeventuallyattackedanddestroyedYuanShu’skingdom,withYuanShufleeingtoasmallvillagewherehelaterdiedofillness. Playstyle YuanShu’splaystyleisprimarilyfocusedonmanaginghislegitimacyandclaimtobeemperor.Whilehecanprogressthroughtheranksinthesamewaysasmostfactions,hehastheuniqueabilitytodemandsupportofhislegitimacy.Thismeansthat,ifanotherfactionleaderacceptsYuanShu’sclaim,itwillgrantYuanShuasignificantamountoflegitimacy.Highlevelsoflegitimacynotonlyprovidehigherincomebutalsoalargeamountofextraprestige,whichwillaccelerateYuanShu’sprogressionthroughtheranks.LegitimacymustalsobespentonrecruitingnewcharactersintoYuanShu’sfaction–withoutothersacceptinghislegitimacy,YuanShuwillhavetroublefindingallieswillingtojoinhim.Asidefromlegitimacy,YuanShu’sotherkeyfocusisoncommerceandindustry.Asfactionleader,YuanShuprovidesasignificantbonustotheseincometypes,soitcanbeworthwhiletofocusonthesewhileheisatthehelm.CharactersinYuanShu’sfactionalsohaveaccesstoauniqueassignmentthatrequiressomefinancialinvestmentupfrontbutthenprovidesasignificantbonustoincomeovertime. Guanxi  YuanShuispronetohavingantagonisticrelationshipswiththosearoundhim(includingwithhiswifeLadyFeng).YuanShu’srivalrywithhischarismatichalf-brotherYuanShaoisneverfarfromhismind.BelievinghimselftobetherightfulheirtothefamilynameandthatYuanShaohasstolenhisbirthright,YuanShuisintentonprovinghissuperiorworthiness. StartingPosition  YuanShu’sstartingpositionisoneofgreatopportunitybutalsoprecariousness–hiscampaignhasoneofthemostdifficultstartsinthegame.SituatednexttotheformidableLiuBiao,YuanShu’sterritoryisalsowithinstrikingrangeofDongZhuo’sforces–whoiscertainlylikelytolashoutatYuanShuearlyon.Additionally,totheeastliesCaoCao,anopponentwithwhomthechanceoffrictionishigh.Surroundedbypowerfulandambitiouswarlordswithfewalliestohand,playingasYuanShuisaverychallengingexperiencethatrequiresinitialcautionfollowedbysufficientboldnesstocarveoutastrongpositionasthecampaignprogresses. InitialDilemma  Ineachplayablewarlord’scampaign,theywillfaceauniquedilemmaafterfulfillingcertainprerequisiteactions.Thesedilemmaswillpositiontheplayerataforkintheroad,markingapivotalmomentinthatwarlord’sstory.Oneoftheoptionsavailabletoyouisachoicereflectingwhathappenedinhistory,andtheoutcomeswillfollowtheeventsoftheperiod.Theotherletsyouforgeataleofwhatmighthavebeen.TotalWarisallaboutgivingplayersthefreedomtocreatetheirownstoriesinsomeofthemostexcitingperiodsinhumanhistory,andtheseinitialdilemmasepitomisethatspirit.YuanShu’sinitialdilemmaseeshimbeingapproachedbyanenvoyfromSunJian.TheenvoyreportsthatSunJianisbeingbesetonallsidesbytheforcesofLiuBiao,whoisseekingtheImperialSealinthenameofYuanShao.YoucandecidetohelpSunJianbydeclaringwaronLiuBiao–whichwillofcoursepleasetheformerandangerthelatter–oryoucaninsteadchoosetoletSunJianfendforhimself. CampaignProgression YuanShu’soverarchingaimistobecomeemperor,buttobeginwithYuanShumustfocusonstabilisinghispowerbaseagainstDongZhuoandLiuBiaowhilealsobuildinganallianceagainstYuanShao.Ultimately,YuanShuwillhavetodominatethesouth(instrongoppositiontoSunJian),theeast(versusCaoCao),orthewest(againstDongZhuoandLiuBiao)–andnoneoftheseoptionsareeasy.However,theareassurroundingYuanShu’sstartingposition,whilenotnecessarilyimmediatelywealthy,canleadtoastrongeconomywithplentyofcommerceandindustrialresourcesaswellasfarmlandifproperlyturnedtohisadvantage. WhatkindofplayerisYuanShufor? YuanShuisforplayerswhowantachallengefromstarttofinish,aswellasthoseenjoybeingaschemingpowermongerwhohustlesothersintoacceptingtheirlegitimacyandsupremacy.Withtheloftygoalofbecomingemperordominatinghisplaystyle,andpotentialenemiesonallsides,YuanShu’scampaignrequiressteelynervesandacarefulbalanceofbothcautionanddecisivenesswhentheneedarises.DownloadthehighresolutioncharacterposterwithTotalWarAccess. FurtherReading ABiographicalDictionaryofLaterHantotheThreeKingdoms(23-230AD)byRafedeCrespigny(Brill,2007) RomanceoftheThreeKingdoms,chapters3,5,6to12,and14to21 Kongming(http://kongming.net/novel/kma/yuanshu.php)   BUYNOWONSTEAM   Disclaimer:Alldetailsincludedbelowaresubjecttochangeasdevelopmentcontinuesandshouldnotbeconsideredfinal. HeroClass:Commander Nickname:TheDragonoftheYuan Whoishe? Ahandsomeandcharismaticlord,YuanShaowasHeJin’sright-handman,andinstrumentalinthedefeatoftheTenAttendants.HeresistedDongZhuo’sattemptstogethimonboardwithhisplanstodethronethecurrentchildemperorandreplacehimwithanevenyounger,moremalleablealternative,openingupariftbetweenthetwoofthem.YuanShaowasthenpressedbyCaoCaotocallallable-bodiedmentojoinacoalitionagainstthetyrant,joininghiminprotestingDongZhuo’smilitarytakeoverofthecapital.WhenYuanShaoandhisalliesdraftedtroopstofightagainstDongZhuo,thetyrantattemptedtomakepeacewithhim–onlyforYuanShaotoslayseveraloftheenvoysthatcametogreethim.WithEmperorXianasDongZhuo’spuppet,YuanShaoandHanFusoughttoestablishLiuYuasemperorinhisplace–aproposalthatwasabandonedduetotheobjectionsofLiuYuhimself.YuanShaoisdescendedfrompowerandprestige.HisgreatgrandfatherYuanAniswell-knownforhavingbuilttheloftyYuandynasty,whilehisgrandfatherYuanTangisahigh-rankingministeroftheHandynasty.However,hisfatherYuanFengissomethingofacontroversialfigure,withrumourssuggestingthatYuanShaomaynotactuallybehissonatall. Playstyle YuanShaoisacharismaticandnobleleaderofmenwhoseappealtothecommonsoldiercannotbeunderestimated.Hisuniqueabilitytorecruitretinuesthatareledbyamilitarycaptainandnotbyacommandinggeneralprovideshimwithawaytoquicklybolsterhisforces,andaslongasheisthefactionleaderhewillalsobenefitfromareductionintheseretinues’cost.ItisprimarilyhislineagethatisthedriverofYuanShao’ssignificantcharismaandinfluence.YuanShaogainslineagewhenheisinalliancesorcoalitions,andifthefactionleaderisleadingarmiesinthefield.Bringingcharactersintohisfactionmeansthathemustpullsomestringsandmakepromisesbasedonhisnobility,effectivelyexpendingthiscurrency.YuanShaocanalsousehislineagetomoreeffectivelypacifycapturedsettlements.Notably,YuanShaoisoneofthefewcharactersabletoforgealliancesrightatthestartofthegame–onlyhishalf-brotherYuanShucandothisaswell.AllthismeansthatYuanShaoisbestsuitedtofocusingonalliancegameplay,soalwaysmakingsuretocareaboutyourdiplomaticrelationships,andtobeinvolvedwithasmanyfactionsaspossiblewhilealsobuildinguplargeforcescomprisingmilitarycaptainsandtheirretinuesisawisechoice. Guanxi  AlthoughYuanShaoisacharismaticleaderofsoldiers,hestruggledtogaintheappreciationofcomradesonequalfooting.Nevertheless,WenChouandYanLianghavebeenwithYuanShaosincetheverybeginning.Histwobestgeneralsandformidablewarriors,theymakeanexcellentteam.There’salsothenotinsignificantmatterofhisrivalrywithhishalf-brotherYuanShu…YuanShubelievesthatheistherightfulheirtothefamilyname,andthatYuanShaohasstolenhisbirthright.Thetwoareoftenatodds–andasYuanShaoyoumustprovethatyouarethesuperiorcandidate. StartingPosition  AlthoughthecoalitionagainstDongZhuohassincebrokendown,thisistheperfectsituationforYuanShao–therearemanyadvantageousnewalliancestobemade.YuanShao’sstartinglocationisalsoarelativelysafeonethatgiveshimtheoptiontoswiftlyunifytheWeiCommandery.Withplentyoffarmlandsandagriculturallyrichprovinceswithinrelativelyeasyreach,YuanShaohaslotsofresourcestodrawoninordertoforgeastrongfoundationforathrivingrealm. InitialDilemma  Ineachplayablewarlord’scampaign,theywillfaceauniquedilemmaafterfulfillingcertainprerequisiteactions.Thesedilemmaswillpositiontheplayerataforkintheroad,markingapivotalmomentinthatwarlord’sstory.Oneoftheoptionsavailabletoyouisachoicereflectingwhathappenedinhistory,andtheoutcomeswillfollowtheeventsoftheperiod.Theotherletsyouforgeataleofwhatmighthavebeen.TotalWarisallaboutgivingplayersthefreedomtocreatetheirownstoriesinsomeofthemostexcitingperiodsinhumanhistory,andtheseinitialdilemmasepitomisethatspirit.YuanShao’sinitialdilemmafocusesaroundtheconflictbetweenHanFunandGongsunZan.YouwereabletoconvinceGongsunZanaboutattackingHanFu,soheisnowaskingyoutoaidhiminthisattack,butatthesametimeHanFuisseekingrefugeinyourrealm–andiswillingtopasshislandsontoyouinreturn.ItfallstoyouwhethertostandbyyourpromisetoGongsunZananddeclarewaronHanFu(thusimprovingyourrelationswiththeformer)ortousethisopportunitytoincreasethesizeofyourrealmbytakingHanFuintoyourfold,confederatinghisfactioninyours(whichwillunderstandablyupsetGongsunZan). CampaignProgression YuanShaoisinagoodpositionintheearlygame,withthenumerousfertileandprofitablecommanderieswithinreachenablinghimtoforgeaprettypowerfulkingdomintheselands.Mostofhisinitialneighborsarerelativelyminorfactions,whocanbeeasilyconqueredtofurtherincreaseYuanShao’spower.However,oncehe’slaiddownthefoundationsforasturdypowerbase,YuanShaomustexpand–anendeavorthatcouldbenefitfromsettingaboutconqueringeverythingnorthoftheYellowRiver.ThingsgetalittlemoredifficultforYuanShaowhenthemidgamerollsaroundafteralltheminorfactionshavebeensnappedup,especiallyashewilloftenfindhimselfsandwichedbetweenmajorplayerssuchasGongsunZan,CaoCao,DongZhuo,andhishalf-brotherYuanShu.YuanShao’sultimateaimistobecometheemperor,agoalthatwillrequireallofhisstrengthandmasterytofulfill. WhatkindofplayerisYuanShaofor? Astheleaderofthecoalition,thecharismaticYuanShaowillappealtoplayerswithdiplomaticflairwhowanttofocusonalliancesandpoliticalmaneuvering.Hisabilitytofieldmilitarycaptainsasleadersofretinuesenableshimtobuildstrongforceswithoutthenecessityofcontrollingthesatisfactionandloyaltiesofhisgenerals.Powerfulandostentatious,YuanShaoisforthosewhoknowthey’llmakeanexcellentemperor.DownloadthehighresolutioncharacterposterwithTotalWarAccess. FurtherReading ABiographicalDictionaryofLaterHantotheThreeKingdoms(23-230AD)byRafedeCrespigny(Brill,2007) RomanceoftheThreeKingdoms,chapters2to7,10,11,13to16,18,19,21to33,38,40,43to45,48,50,and56 Kongming(http://kongming.net/encyclopedia/Yuan-Shao)   BUYNOWONSTEAM   Disclaimer:Alldetailsincludedbelowaresubjecttochangeasdevelopmentcontinuesandshouldnotbeconsideredfinal. HeroClass:Champion Nickname:KingofBlackMountain Whoishe? NotmuchisknownofZhangYan’searlylife.BornChuYaninChangshanCommandery,hewasnicknamed“FlyingSwallow”byhismenduetohisspeed,agility,andbravery.In185CE,ChuYanraidedthetownofYingtaowithfellowbanditleaderZhangNiujue.ZhangNiujuewaskilledintheassault,butbeforedyingheorderedhismentotakeChuYanastheirnewleader.InordertohonourZhangNiujue,ChuYanchangedhisfamilynametoZhang.AlthoughZhangYan’sbackgroundisoneofbanditry,makinghimanenemyofthestate,hissolemotivationispersonalgainandhewillhappilyintegrateintotheHanEmpireeliteifitfurthershispursuitofriches.Becauseofthis,ZhangYanleadshisfactionwiththeideathatloyaltyissomethingalwaysupfornegation.Atthedropofahatheiswillingtoswitchallegiancetothehighestbidder,particularlyifhefeelsthatwillhelphimincreasehisholdingsandcontrolinnorthernChina.Amandrivenbyathirstforpowerandriches,hebelievesthatwordslikehonoranddutyareexcusesthrownaroundbylessermenwhentheyareunabletoachievetheirdesires.BetweenthelightofthecivilisedHan,andthechaosofopportunisticbanditry,ZhangYanstraddlesthetwilight–heseesthecarnagewroughtbyDongZhuoandwonderhowthiscanbeturnedtohisadvantage.ToattacktheBlackMountainbanditsistoinvitedeceptionandambush,astheyhavemasteredtheartofwarunseen.Yetallthesame,ZhangYanwillformalliancesandfriendshipswithanywhowillservehisinterests–betheyhigh-bornormud-stained… Playstyle ZhangYan’srichhistoryofguerrillawarfareandhitandruntacticsmeansheexcelsatambushesanddeception.Healsograntsaspeedbonustotroopsloyaltohisfactionwhenmovingthroughforests,meaninghe’swellsuitedtogettinghimselfandhiswarriorsoutofstickysituations.Aboveall,ZhangYanofferssomeprettychallenginggameplay,andisarguablyoneofthehardestwarlordstoplayas.Theprimarydifficultycomesfromhisgeographicalpositionwhich,whiledefendable,isalsohardtobreakoutfrom–especiallywhenhe’ssurroundedbysuchpowerfulwarlordsasYuanShaoandGongsunZan.Withoutawifeorchildrenbehindhim,establishingafamilyandfurtheringZhangYan’sdynastyisalsomoredifficult,withhissuccesshighlydependentonfindingtherightallies.ThismeansthatZhangYantypicallyworksbestasasupportingcharacterintheearly-midgame,backinganothermorepowerfulwarlordwiththeirclaimtothethrone,whilealsogrowinghisownstrengthinthemeantime.Then,whenthetimeisright,hecanexploitthatwarlord’sweaknessandclaimpowerforhimself.Ashisalliancesattheoutsetofthecampaignareyettobedefined,withthatcomesastrongdegreeoffreedomtochoosewhoseclaimtothethroneyoumaywishtosupport.ThisfluidviewonallegiancealsomeansthatZhangYan’sfactionistheonlyoneabletoengageindiplomacywiththeYellowTurbans,thankstotheconnectionsaffordedtohimviahisuniqueBlackMountainHideout.However,hecanjustaseasilyalignhimselfwiththeHanempire,orstrikeoutonhisown.ZhangYan’salliancesaremercurial,andhisalignmentcaneasilychangeovertimetosuithispurposes. Guanxi  ZhangYanstartsthegamewiththesupportoffellowbanditsLiDamuandYuDu.TheyarekeyfiguresintheBlackMountainbanditsandalongsideZhangYantheyfighttoexpandtheirgriponthelandsinnorthernChina. StartingPosition  Atthestartofthegame,ZhangYanissituatedinthefarnorthernYanmenMountainCommandery.Surroundedbypowerfulwarlords,ZhangYanneedstofighthiswaythroughandraidthesurroundingnorthernterritoriesinordertobuilduphisstrengthforthetoughbattlesahead. InitialDilemma  Ineachplayablewarlord’scampaign,theywillfaceauniquedilemmaafterfulfillingcertainprerequisiteactions.Thesedilemmaswillpositiontheplayerataforkintheroad,markingapivotalmomentinthatwarlord’sstory.Oneoftheoptionsavailabletoyouisachoicereflectingwhathappenedinhistory,andtheoutcomeswillfollowtheeventsoftheperiod.Theotherletsyouforgeataleofwhatmighthavebeen.TotalWarisallaboutgivingplayersthefreedomtocreatetheirownstoriesinsomeofthemostexcitingperiodsinhumanhistory,andtheseinitialdilemmasepitomisethatspirit.ZhangYan’sfirstmajorchoicerevolvesaroundwhichnearbywarlordpresentthemostprofitabletargetforhimtoattack.WithGongsunZanandYuanShaowarringintheplainstothesouth-westofhim,it’stheperfectopportunitytoliberatesomelandfromYuanShao,andthat’sthechoicehemadehistorically.Alternatively,ZhangYancaninsteadfocusonfightingforsupremacyinthemountains,anddeclarewaronanyrivalbanditsinthenorthwhohavealreadybeeneyeinghisownlandscovetously.Withthemountainsprovidingasecurebase,ZhangYancaneasilylaunchraidsintothesurroundinglandsinalldirections. CampaignProgression ZhangYan’spositioninthemountainallowshiscampaigntounfoldinanumberofdifferentways.Perhapshismostobviouspathistoexpandintotheplainstothesouth,wherehewillinevitablygetdrawnintoconflictwithYuanShao.However,hecanalsotrytoexpandwestwards,inthearidlandsofnorth-westChina.Whilethisoptionoffershimrelativesecurity(asmountainspostquiteasignificantobstacle),furtherexpansioncouldbetrickyasthetyrantDongZhuowillbeoneofhisneighbours.Finally,ZhangYancanchoosetostayinhisnativemountainsandbuilduptheserockycommanderiesinrelativepeace,otherwisechoosingtoheadsouthtowardstheburnedruinsofLuoyang.Akeypartofhisprogressionfromthereisfindingtherightwarlordtopartnerupwithinreturnforprotectionandsupport.AcoupleofstrongcontendersandhishistoricalchoiceswhereCaoCaoandGongsunZan,butthereareawholehostofoptionsavailabledependingonhowyoudecidetoexpandhisinitialholdings.Ofcourse,youcouldalsodecidetogoitaloneandforgeyourbuddingempiresolo,butwithoutthebackingofapowerplayerearlyon,itdefinitelywon’tbeeasy. WhatkindofplayerisZhangYanfor? ZhangYanisanunderdogandamanofopportunity,hoveringbetweennobilityandbanditryandtakingthepaththatbestserveshim.Withoutstatusorpromisebehindhim,hemustfightforrenownamongsomeoftheera’smosticonicheroes.ZhangYan’scampaignisforplayerswhowanttotriumphagainsttheoddsanddon’tmindhavingafewtricksuptheirsleevetoturnthingsintheirfavor.DownloadthehighresolutioncharacterposterwithTotalWarAccess. FurtherReading ABiographicalDictionaryofLaterHantotheThreeKingdoms(23-230AD)byRafedeCrespigny(Brill,2007) RomanceoftheThreeKingdoms,chapters11,21,and33 Kongming(http://kongming.net/encyclopedia/Zhang-Yan)   BUYNOWONSTEAM   Disclaimer:Alldetailsincludedbelowaresubjecttochangeasdevelopmentcontinuesandshouldnotbeconsideredfinal. HeroClass:Champion Nickname:TheBanditQueen Whoisshe? DynastiesandnobilitymeannothingtoZhengJiang:shepreferstoseizegloryinherownway.AstheHanburns,sheseesatlastthecrumblingofaninstitutionshedeeplydespises–whathavetheyeverknownofhunger?Whatfearhavetheyeverfeltforcorruptandavariciousofficials?ZhengJianghasneverknowntheeaseofanobleupbringing,northeexpectationof“civilised”society.Instead,sheisresolvedtoearnfameandprestigeforherselfthroughmercilessfuryandunrelentingstrength.HercominghadallegedlybeenpredictedbythescholarLiuZheninadream,withrenownedinterpreterofdreamsZhouXuan–saidtoberightninetimesoutoften–warninghimthatfemalerebelswouldsoonbeathand.Unlikesomeofherfellowbandits,ZhengJiangisdrivenbyatruepoliticalagenda:shewantstoseetheHandynastyburnandfallatherhands.Shethrivesonthisvision,relishingherrisetopowerandthechancetoputtheoldoppressorsunderherboottogivethematasteoftheirownmedicine. Playstyle ZhengJianglovestohavepower,andshealsolovesdemonstratingit.Sheoperatesbysubduingothersandforcingthemtopaytributetoher.Asherinfamygrows,ZhengJiang’spopularity–notsurprisingly–decreases,makingdiplomacymoreandmorechallengingastimeprogresses.However,asZhengJiang’spowergrowsandshebecomesmoreestablished,shealsobecomesmoreandmoreliketheregimesheistryingtobringdown.OldHanstructureswillstillbeinplaceleftandright,andZhengJiangwillhavetousetheminordertoleadwhatisessentiallyanewstate.ZhengJiangwillalsoneedringleaderswhoaretruetohercausetotakeherwillintotheprovinces.ForZhengJiang,infamy–andthemomentumitbringsher–iskey.Shegainsinfamyfromwinningbattlesandstrikingsettlements–butthiswilldecayifshebecomestoopassive.ZhengJiangmustkeepdrivingrelentlesslyforwardorelseshewilllosetheelementofsurpriseandherrebellionwillsurelyfail.Infamyisearnedbycapturingsettlements,winningbattles,andhavingtributarystates(whichacknowledgeherpowerbypayinghermoneybutarenotboundtofollowherintowar).However,infamyautomaticallyreducesovertime,soZhengJiangcan’trestonherlaurels–ifshe’stoopassivefortoolong,herinfamywilldecrease.HighinfamygrantsbonusessuchasahighermoraleinbattleandhighercharacterXPgainbutmostimportantlyitprovidesprestigepoints,whicharerequiredtoincreaseZhengJiang’sfactionranksandeventuallyproclaimherselfempressofanewdynasty.Asafactionleader,ZhengJiang’spersonalbonusesfocusonquickermusteringtimeandincreasedincomefromtributaries.ZhengJiangalsohasaccesstocertainpost-siegeoccupationoptionsthatenablehertolootanddestroyonagranderscalethanherpeers. Guanxi  ZhengJiangbeginsthecampaignwithLuZhengasherswornsisterandsecondincommand.TogethertheyfighttobringdownthecorruptHanregimeandgivepowerbacktothepeople.Withnootherrealalliestospeakof,overtimeZhengJiangmustfocusonbuildingupafollowingofloyalringleaderswhoexerciseherruleandideas.Perhapsherbiggestchallengeisbuildingupadynastyandlineofsuccession,withaclearcandidateforthisnotimmediatelyevident.Whileitistraditionforchildrentotakethenameofthefather’sfamily,ZhengJiangrefusestofollowtheHan’srules–inherfaction,childrenarenamedaftertheirmother. StartingPosition  ZhengJiangstartsoutinthedifficultterrainofthemountains,andatwarwiththeneighbouringDongZhuoandHanempire.However,theremotenessofherstartingpositiondoesprovideagoodrefugeandrelativesafety–buteventuallyshemustleavethisandstartconquering.Asabandit,shedoesn’thaveanyclearestablishedallegiancesordiplomaticalignments,meaningherfortuneandfuturearehersalonetocarve. InitialDilemma  Ineachplayablewarlord’scampaign,theywillfaceauniquedilemmaafterfulfillingcertainprerequisiteactions.Thesedilemmaswillpositiontheplayerataforkintheroad,markingapivotalmomentinthatwarlord’sstory.Oneoftheoptionsavailabletoyouisachoicereflectingwhathappenedinhistory,andtheoutcomeswillfollowtheeventsoftheperiod.Theotherletsyouforgeataleofwhatmighthavebeen.TotalWarisallaboutgivingplayersthefreedomtocreatetheirownstoriesinsomeofthemostexcitingperiodsinhumanhistory,andtheseinitialdilemmasepitomisethatspirit.ZhengJiang’sdilemmafocusesonestablishingdominanceinthemountains,andprovidesadifferentangleontheclashbetweenYuanShaoandGongsunZan.AsZhangYanenterstheconflict,hecallsonfellowbanditleadersforaid.AsZhengJiang,youhavethechoiceofjoiningupwithZhangYanagainstYuanShaoorinsteaddenyinghisrequestanddeclaringwaronhiminanattempttosecureyourownsupremacyoverthemountains. CampaignProgression ZhengJiang’searlygameisallaboutsettingupagoodbaseofoperations–regionalincomesourcesneedtobeexploitedinordertofundherwarlordry,andahideoutmustbeestablished.Overall,however,ZhengJiang’sprogressionpathisquiteflexible,withanumberofdifferentroutesopentoher.Duetoherlocationinthenorthernmountains,ZhengJiangcantrytoexpandwest,east,orsouth.Expandingeastisthemoreobviouschoice,andherdilemmapointstowardthatdirection,butlikewiseshecantrytosetherbaseofoperationsupinthewest,orsouthofherstartingpositionalongtheYellowRiver.Duringthemidgame,ZhengJiangmustfocusonbuildingupherinfamythroughfightingandconquest–aswellasestablishingalliesifshesochooses.Finally,inordertoultimatelyemergevictoriousZhengJiangmustaccrueenoughinfamytoreachhighlevelsofprestige,thusenablinghertoproclaimherselfempressandtoppleallotherpretenders. WhatkindofplayerisZhengJiangfor? ZhengJiangisalawuntoherself,afiercewarriorwhowantsnothingmorethantoseetheHandynastyfall–nomatterwhatthecost.AsZhengJiangyoumuststayontheoffensive–sittingbackandrelaxingisnotsomethingyoucandoaspartofhercampaign.ZhengJiangisforplayerswhowantthechallengeofstrikingoutagainstthestatusquo,tearingthroughtherealmonatideofinfamythatmustnotstopuntilyousucceed.DownloadthehighresolutioncharacterposterwithTotalWarAccess. FurtherReading ABiographicalDictionaryofLaterHantotheThreeKingdoms(23-230AD)byRafedeCrespigny(Brill,2007) Kongming(http://kongming.net/encyclopedia/Zheng-Jiang)   BUYNOWONSTEAM   Disclaimer:Alldetailsincludedbelowaresubjecttochangeasdevelopmentcontinuesandshouldnotbeconsideredfinal. HeroClass:Sentinel Nickname:TheTigerofJiangdong Whoishe? SunJianwasbornin155CEtoapoorfamilyinthesouthofChina.Unlikeotherwarlordsoftheperiodwhocamefrompowerful,esteemedlineages,SunJian’sfatherwasjustamerchant,andthislowbornbackgroundiswhatgiveshimtheconstanturgetoprovehimselfagainststrongerfoes.He’saskilledanddaringwarriorknownfortakingrisks.Heexcelsunderpressureandisathisbestwhenthedeckisstackedagainsthim.FightingtoendthechaosfloodingthroughChina,SunJianhasriskedhislifeforthegoodoftherealmonmultipleoccasions.Mostfamously,whenfightingbanditsattheSiegeofWanchengSunJianplacedhimselfattheheadofhisarmyandclimbedthecitywallsalone,killing20menbeforetherestofhisarmyfloodedin.SunJianhasnevershiedawayfromopportunity –anddespitehisloyalties,thefalloftheimperialcourtpresentsgreatopportunities.Asayoungman,SunJianrosefromtheobscurityofhismercantileupbringing,learningfromthedeedsofhisfatherthatfortunemustbeseized–neverexpected.ItisthisdeterminedspiritthatdrivestheTigerofJiangdongforward –mayhisroarsweepallobstaclesaway!Justpriortothestartofthegame,SunJianfindstheImperialSealinthewreckageofLuoyang.Passedfromdynastytodynasty,itissaidthatwhoeverholdstheImperialSealshallruleallofChina.WiththeagainstthetyrantDongZhuofallingapart,SunJiandecidestotaketheImperialSealbacksouthwardstohishomeinChangsha,wherehisbelovedwifeandyoungfamilyreside. Playstyle SunJianisatalentedwarriorwhopusheshisarmiesforwardandisalwaysontheattack.Ifhekeepsprovinghisbravery,hegainsincreasedreplenishmentinenemyterritory,recruitsmercenariesatalowerprice,andincreasesthesatisfactionofcharactersloyaltohim.Inenemyterritory,allhisunitsalsohaveguerrilladeployment,supportinghisaggressiveplaystyle.Tofinancehisoffensivecampaigns,SunJiancanleveragetheconnectionsfromhismerchantfamilybackground:allhisportsincreaseincomefromcommerceacrosshisholdings.PlayingasSunJian,you’llberewardedforinitiatingbattles,particularlythosewherethenumbersareagainstyou.Afterall,evenwhenoutnumbered,aplayerwhoattacksmultiplearmiescanstilldefeattheoppositionthroughsmartoraggressivetacticsinbattle.AsSunJian’sentirearmygainsguerrilladeploymentinsuchasituation,thismeanshehastheshortestpotentialtimetoengagementofanyfaction,makingitpossibletodefeatanarmybeforereinforcementsenterthefray.Thisisapotentiallyriskyapproachhowever,aswithoutdecisiveactionearlyonaplayercanfindthemselvesoverwhelmedinaprotractedfight.Suchbattlesarelikelytobecostly,butthereplenishmentbonusesgrantedtoSunJian’sfactionthroughresourcepooleffectsgranthisarmyreduceddowntimebetweenbattles,andthereforetheabilitytocontinuefightingatthefrontaslongastheyarewell-supplied. FamilyTree  SunJianismarriedtoLadyWu,andtogethertheyhavethreeyoungchildren:SunCe,SunQuan,andSunRen.Guidedwell,theirpowerandinfluencewillonlygrowovertime,perhapseventoeclipsethatofthefatherhimself!Withayoungfamilyinthehomesteaddownsouth,andthemotivationsofhisso-calledalliesbecomingmurkierbytheday,it’seasytounderstandwhySunJianwantedtoreturnhomeduringsuchapivotalpointinhisstory.However,onhiswayhomehewasambushedbyLiuBiao’sforcesandbarelymanagedtosurvive,losinghalfhisarmyintheprocess.AlthoughhewouldlaterwinmultiplebattlesagainstLiuBiaooutsidehiscityofXiangyang,hisrisk-takingnaturesoonshonethrough,refusingtofleeafteromenstoldofhisimpendingdefeat.Soonafterwardshewasambushedagainandshottodeathwithcountlessarrows,leavinghisyoungchildrentogrowupwithoutafather.WhenplayingasSunJian,yourinitialchallengeistomakeitbacksafelytoyourfamilyandrewritehistoryinyourfavour. StartingPosition  ThegamebeginswithSunJiannorthoftheYangtzeRiverinJiangling:he’sawayfromhomeanddeepwithinenemyterritory,althoughthat’snothingnewtohim.Hemustcontinuehisjourneysouthwardsbacktohisfamilyandbeginbuildinghisbaseofpower.Oncethere,hismainfocusintheshorttermisfightingagainsttheHanEmpireinthesouthandfortifyinghisstrongholdinChangsha.Althoughthisallchangeswhenfacedwithyourcampaign’sfirstdilemma… InitialDilemma  Earlyoninyourcampaign,eachplayableWarlordwillhaveaninitialdilemmatheyarefacedwithoncetheyfulfilcertainprerequisiteactions.ThesedilemmaswillputtheplayerataforkintheroadatapivotalmomentinthatWarlord’sstory.Oneoftheoptionsavailabletoyouisthehistoricalchoice,reflectingwhatactuallyhappenedandtheoutcomeswillfollowhowtheeventsoftheperiodunfolded.Theotherletsyouforgeastorydownthepathofwhatcouldhavebeen.TotalWarisallaboutgivingplayersthefreedomtocreatetheirownstoriesatthefulcrumofsomeofthemostexcitingmomentsinhumanhistory,andtheseinitialdilemmasepitomisethatspirit.ThefirstmajoropportunityforthattohappenwhileplayingasSunJianrevolvesaroundthemuch-covetedImperialSealinanincidentwhereLiuBiaorequeststheImperialSealfromyou.Youcanaccepthisrequest,losingthesealandimprovingyourrelationswithhim.Oryoucandecline,pushingyouralignmentmoretowardsYuanShu,makinghimanallyandLiuBiaoanenemy.Thefalloutfromthischoiceishugeandatthispointyournarrativecanswitchdrastically.EitherLiuBiaoisappeased,yournorthernbordersarerelativelysafe,andyourimmediatefocusnowchangestoestablishingyourpowerbasesouthoftheYangtze.OritisalloutwaragainstLiuBiaoandhisvassalsrightonyourdoorstep.Eitherchoiceislikelytodominateyourmidgame.Yourultimateaimistobuildalargerrealminthesouth/centreofChina,formingtheKingdomofWu,andthenpushingforthevenfurthertouniteallofChinaunderyourrule.Thealliesandenemiesyoumakeduringyourwhiletacklingyourinitialdilemmawillhaveakeyroleinshapinghowyoufareinpursuitofthatgoal. WhatkindofplayerisSunJianfor? SunJianisthechoiceoftherisk-taker,thethrill-seeker.Someonewhotiresofplayingitsafeandknowsthatwhentheoddsarestackedagainstthem,itmakesforamoreepictaleofvictory.DownloadthehighresolutioncharacterposterwithTotalWarAccess. FurtherReading GeneralsoftheSouthbyRafeDeCrespigny(https://researchers.anu.edu.au/publications/124747) RomanceoftheThreeKingdomschapter2,chapter5,chapter6,andchapter7 ABiographicalDictionaryofLaterHantotheThreeKingdoms(23-230AD)byRafedeCrespigny(Brill,2007) Kongming(http://kongming.net/novel/sgyy/sunjian.php)   BUYNOWONSTEAM   Disclaimer:Alldetailsincludedbelowaresubjecttochangeasdevelopmentcontinuesandshouldnotbeconsideredfinal. HeroClass:Vanguard Nickname:TheTyrant Whoishe? Despitehisreputation,DongZhuowasachivalrousyouthwithatalentforhorsebackarcherywhospenthisearlieryearstravellingtheQiangregionandbefriendingmanygreatmenofvalour. Asanadult,hereturnedtohisbirthplaceofLongxiCommanderyandtookupfarming,inadvertentlydiscoveringabladebearingtheinscription“Slicesthroughjade,likesomuchlogging”thatthescholarCaiYongclaimedwasthebladeofQindynastywarlordXiangYu. Afteraverysuccessfulperiodofserviceintheimperialguardthatincludedseveralpromotions,DongZhuowassenttosnuffouttheYellowTurbanrebellion–butwasultimatelydefeatedanddemoted.TheLiangProvinceRebellionsawDongZhuoreinstatedandsenttosuppresstherebels,andwhilehefailedtodefeatthemhisunitwastheonlyonetoescapeunscathedthankstoacunningdeceptioninvolvingdamminganearbyriver. DongZhuowassubsequentlypromotedtoGeneraloftheVanguardandInspectorofBingProvince,butrefusedtotakeuphisnewpostashedidn’twanttoleavehisforcesbackinLiangProvince.WiththepoweroftheHandynastywaning,hesettledInLiangProvincetobuilduphisown,withSunJian’ssuggestionthatDongZhuo’sarroganceandinsubordinationwasworthyofadeathsentencegoingunheeded. FollowingthedeathofEmperorLingoftheHan,HeJinorderedDongZhuotoleadtroopsintoLuoyanginordertoeliminatetheTenAttendants.However,thelatterassassinatedHeJinbeforeDongZhuoarrived,withthecapitalfallingintoturmoilasaresult. TheTenAttendantstookthechildEmperorShaohostageandfledLuoyang–onlytobeinterceptedbyDongZhuo,whoreturnedtheyoungemperortothepalace. Takingadvantageoftheongoingchaosinthecapitaltooffsethislackofpopularityasapotentialregent,DongZhuotookcommandoftheHefamily’sleaderlessforcesandsoonestablishedhimselfasatyrant,rulingthroughfearandintimidation. Playstyle DongZhuoistryingtoholdontothelastremnantsofHanimperialpower–butashisfistgripstighterandtighter,oppositionfromtheoutsidegrows. ItisthisbalancethatisthecornerstoneofDongZhuo’splaystyle:willyoutrytorulewithanironfist,stabilisingyourrealminternallybutcreatingexternalenemies,orwillyoutryto–atleastinappearance–begentler,andmakeyourenemiesturnagainsteachother? Crucially,DongZhuostartswiththeHanemperor–EmperorXian–underhiscontrol. Thismeansthatthestill-mightyHanempireishisvassal,whichprovideshimwithsignificantincomeandalsomeanshecanannexandintegrateHanempireterritorybyclaimingownershipforhimself(somethingthatallfactionsareabletodoiftheycontroltheemperor).DongZhuoalsostartsatahigherfactionrankthanalloftheotherplayablefactions. DongZhuoalsohasaccesstoauniqueresource:intimidation.Thismeasureshisauthority,exercisedthroughhisironfistandhiscruelty,andtheamountofcontrolheexertsoverhisterritoryandhissubjects.HighintimidationkeepscharactersunderDongZhuoinlinewithincreasedsatisfactionandreducescorruptionacrosshisrealm–whichiskeyinthelaterstagesofthecampaign.Conversely,lowintimidationmeanslesssatisfactionandhighercorruption. IntimidationisincreasedbyannexingorintegratingHanempireterritory,winningbattles,orexecutingothercharacters.Intimidationdecreaseswhencharactersarepromoted,orbattlesarelost,aswellasdecayingovertime.DongZhuocanalsospendintimidationtocoerceotherfactionsintomoreefficientdiplomacy,meaningthatwithhighintimidationhecanforceotherfactionsintocertaindeals. Overall,DongZhuo’splaystylerevolvesaroundjugglinginternalcontrolwithexternalthreats–muchlikethehistoricalDongZhuohimself.Youhavealotofpower,andtheabilitytomakealotofdifferentthingshappen,butthereinsareslippingawayfromyouandalltheotherwarlordswantasliceofthepie.Andthere’sonlyonewaytoknowhowtomaintaintheupperhand:torulewithintimidation,tyranny,andanironfist. Guanxi DongZhuoreliesonthehandfulofstronggeneralsathiscommandbuthealsocountsanumberofimportantfactionleadersashisrivalsfromthestart,meaningthatdiplomacywiththemwillbedifficult.Additionally,thankstotheeventsprecedingthecampaign,DongZhuoalsostartswithreduceddiplomatictrustworthiness. LüBu(hisfosterson,whoDongZhuoconvincedtokillhisoriginalfosterfatherDingYuan)considershimafriend,buthehaspersonalrivalrieswithSunJian(whohasbeenactivelyfightingagainsthim),YuanShao(wholedtheallianceagainsthim),andCaoCao(whoDongZhuohasdeclaredaprimeenemyofthestate). DongZhuo’sfactionalsoincludesothersuchnoteworthyfiguresasZhangLiao,LiRu,andGuoSi. StartingPosition AsDongZhuo,timeisonyourside.Ifyoucanconsolidateyourimmediatesituation,you’llbeinagoodpositionforthemidgame. However,thesituationisdifficult,mostlyhingingonyoursuccessatstabilisingyourstartingsituationandpreventingtheformercoalitionfromreunitingagainstyou. DongZhuo’senemiesareprimarilytotheeast:YuanShu,CaoCao,andYuanShaoareallwithinstrikingrange,andcanbecomeathreatearlyonifyouaretoobold. TothenorthandsouththereisalotofHanEmpireterritorythatyoucouldclaimforyourself,butsuchactionswilldrawalotofattentionandmightmakeotherfactionsmoreaggressivetowardsyou.However,itmightstillbethemostefficientstrategytobeasaggressiveaspossibleinordertogetanearlyadvantage. Equally,youcantrytoremainrelativelydefensive,consolidatingyoursituationandlettingtheotherwarlordsturnagainsteachother.However,withthisstrategyyouriskfallingbehindintheracetoestablishastrongmid-gamepower. InitialDilemma Ineachplayablewarlord’scampaign,theywillfaceauniquedilemmaafterfulfillingcertainprerequisiteactions.Thesedilemmaswillpositiontheplayerataforkintheroad,markingapivotalmomentinthatwarlord’sstory.Oneoftheoptionsavailabletoyouisachoicereflectingwhathappenedinhistory,andtheoutcomeswillfollowtheeventsoftheperiod.Theotherletsyouforgeataleofwhatmighthavebeen.TotalWarisallaboutgivingplayersthefreedomtocreatetheirownstoriesinsomeofthemostexcitingperiodsinhumanhistory,andtheseinitialdilemmasepitomisethatspirit. DongZhuo’sdilemmaprimarilyconcernshisrelationshipwith–oralienationfrom–LüBu. However,it’suptoyoutodecidehowbesttohandlethesituationandkeepthefamouswarriorinline.Dependingonyourchoices,itmayverywellturnoutthatyoumeetanearlydemiseandendupbeingsucceededbytheculprithimself… Unliketheotherwarlords,thisoutcomeisdictatedbynotonebutachainofdilemmasandevents,eachofwhichdependsontheselectedgamemode. InRomanceMode,DongZhuo’sdilemmachainfocusesaroundDiaochan,thebeautifulservinggirlwhoturnedDongZhuandLüBuagainsteachotherwiththeirjealousy(whicheventuallyledtoDongZhuo’sdeath). AsDongZhuo,youcaninfluencetheseeventsbygivinguponDiaochaninordertogainLüBu’sapproval–orconfirminghisaffectionbymarryingher,thusleadingtoamoredifficultoutcome. InClassicMode,thisdilemmachainisbasedaroundpersonaldifferencesbetweenDongZhuoandLüBu,aswellasthepoliticalschemingofWangYun. CampaignProgression Aswithallthewarlords,DongZhuo’spathtovictorydependsonyou. Ifyouoptforamorepassive,defensivestrategy,theotherwarlordswilleventuallyturnagainsteachother,meaningDongZhuowillneedtostrikeoutinthelaterstagesofhiscampaign.Hewillthenfindhimselffacingsteadilystrongerwarlordsandrealms,andwillhavetobattleitoutwiththeotherwarringfactionsonequalfooting. Anaggressivestrategyearlyonwillallowforquickexpansionbutwillalsoresultinalotofoppositionfromvarioussidesrightfromthestart. DongZhuowillalsowanttotakeHanterritorywhereverandwheneverappropriate. Whateverhisapproach,DongZhuowillwanttodohisutmostto“protect”EmperorXianandmakesureheexploitshisposition–andhisroleastyrant–tothefullest WhatkindofplayerisDongZhuofor? DongZhuoisthewarlordforanyonewho’supforthechallengeofkeepingacrumblingrealmtogether,rulingwithauthorityandbyincitingfear–forthosewillingtostepintotheshoesofatruetyrant. FurtherReading ABiographicalDictionaryofLaterHantotheThreeKingdoms(23-230AD)byRafedeCrespigny(Brill,2007) RomanceoftheThreeKingdoms,chapters1to10 Kongming(http://kongming.net/encyclopedia/Dong-Zhuo)   BUYNOWONSTEAM