Bei Ping
|
|
|
Xi Liang Jin Yang------Ye-------+
| | | | +----Ping Yuan
| |-----+ | |
|--------------------+ | | |
| | | +-Pu Yang----------|
| | | | | |
Tian Shui-------------Chang An----Luo Yang----+ | |
| | | | |
| | +---------Xu Chang-------Xia Pi
| | | |
+--Han Zhong--+ +----Xiang Yang-------------| |
| | | | |
| | | He Fei Jian Ye-+
Cheng Du--------Yong An-----Jiang Ling | |
| | | |
+-------+ | Chai Sang----------Hui Ji
| | | |
| Wu Ling--+--Chang Sha------+ |
+------Jian Ning | +-------+
| | |
Nanman | +-------+
| | |
+---------------------------Jiao Zhi----------------+
=================================
| DYNASTY WARRIORS 5: EMPIRES |
| FAQ by Darrell Wong (DKW 001) |
=================================
CONTENTS
i. Stuff for CJayC
ii. Glossary
iii. Introduction
1. Overview
2. About officers
3. Strategies
4. Items
5. Policies
6. Other info
7. Time periods
8. Incidentals
i. Stuff for CJayC
------------------
Date completed: 12/25/08
Version: Revised Final (numerous additional corrections)
E-mail: dkw001@hawaiiantel.net
ii. Glossary
------------
Once again, I think it's best that I do this first, mainly to avoid complaints
about telling me something doesn't work or doesn't happen when that's not how I
intended to describe it. Or something.
C# - Standard notation for charge attacks. C1 is a charge attack without any
normal attacks before it, C2 is a charge after one normal, C3 is a charge after
two normals, and so on.
CHARACTER - An officer who doesn't use one of the generic officer templates.
The "important" officers of the game.
DECISION - A single use of Consult, Delegate, or Assign in the strategic phase.
DOWN - To run an enemy out of energy, removing him from the battle (either
temporarily or permanently). This is called a "K.O." in the game.
GENERIC - An officer who uses one of the seven generic templates: Warrior, Hero,
Strategist, Large Warrior, Ruler, Nanman Officer, and Barbarian.
HOME LAND - For your kingdom, the territory your leader starts out in; for all
others, the territory the leader is currently in.
KINGDOM - One of the factions/power groups fighting for control of the empire.
LEADER - The supreme ruler of a kingdom. Responsible for making decisions,
making trades, proposing alliances, etc.
OFFICER - Generic term for anyone in command of troops. They're divided into
characters and generics.
OFFICER SAVE - The saved level, stats, and weapon enhancements for an officer.
It's loaded at the beginning of the game and updated at the end if Experience is
on.
POLICY - One of the actions you can take during the strategic phase.
RELATION ONLY - Referring to a character, this is one who only shows up to join
a certain other character, usually at the start of a certain year.
THREE KINGDOMS - The kingdoms of Wei, Shu, and Wu, represented by blue, green,
and red, respectively.
Musou attack terms:
ELEVATOR - The character stands still, attacking in a wide radius, all enemies
in the radius getting hit continuously.
GROUND - The character moves and attacks, and the enemies stay on the ground.
JUGGLING - The character moves and attacks, the first hit knocking the enemy off
the ground. If an enemy is hit continuously, he's kept at the same level above
the ground.
MISSILE - The character continuously fires a ranged attack while standing still
(except for Zhuge Liang). The attack always goes in a straight line, limiting
its effectiveness on uneven ground.
RISING - The character moves and attacks. The enemy is lifted off the ground,
and if hit continuously, steadily rises higher until he's out of range.
RUSH - The character moves ahead at high speed, knocking enemies into the air.
SPIN - The character continuously spins around with the weapon held straight
out,
hitting enemies in an even radius and moving slowly. Enemies that are hit
continuously are lifted, then juggled.
STANDSTILL - The character stands still, slashing in front of him, and the
enemies stay on the ground.
iv. Introduction
----------------
The period from 184 to 265 AD was one of the most turbulent eras in the history
of China, beginning with a massive peasant revolution and ending with an
idealist's final, doomed battle against fate and the relentless wheels of time.
In the late 2nd century, the Han Dynasty, which had ruled peacefully for over
four centuries, had fallen into corruption and greed. Peasant unrest became
more and more commonplace, culminating in the Yellow Turban Rebellion in 184.
Although the rebellion failed, the Han would not survive this upheaval. The
great empire broke up into numerous factions, each with its own ideologies,
purposes, and hopes. One by one, they either died out or were conquered by
greater powers. This led to the rise of three powerful kingdoms, Wei, Shu, and
Wu, all of which believed that they would be the ones to claim the Mandate of
Heaven and unite the empire.
Wei had recently won a bitter struggle against a Han loyalist for control of the
north. Combining the prosperity of the old empire with tremendous military
might, it sought to take all of China by sheer force. Shu, of the southwest,
was the smallest of the three kingdoms, but led by a wise and virtuous leader
who commanded fanatical loyalty from all of his subjects. They sought to topple
the Wei "usurpers" and restore the Han to power. Wu, the mighty naval power of
the southeast, was mostly concerned with self-preservation, patiently waiting
for a chance to either preserve their identity or mold an empire to it.
Ultimately, Heaven would not smile on any of them. Shu was unable to survive
the loss of its founder and, after a long resistance, was finally crushed by
Wei,
ending the period of three kingdoms. Soon thereafter, Wei fell victim to an
internal power struggle and was overthrown and replaced by the Jin Dynasty.
Finally, Wu came under the control of a petty, selfish tyrant who was almost
universally loathed by his people and lost the respect of his military. Wu
yielded with virtually no resistance to the Jin onslaught. The empire was
united again...under a forgotten dynasty led by a faceless emperor, long after
the last of the great leaders had perished.
What if history had taken a different turn? What if one of the kings had a
little more wisdom, a little less misfortune? What if he treated his subjects
fairly, forgave a land dispute instead of starting a ruinous vendetta, or
listened to his advisors instead of ignoring them? What if even one brilliant
strategist, mighty warrior, or iron-hearted commander had been on a different
side?
Now you the chance to rewrite history and succeed where the three kingdoms and
China's other powers ultimately failed. Take control of a faction and wage a
war of conquest against the surrounding lands. Hire new officers from conquered
territories or conduct searches for them. Keep a close eye on your enemies'
movements and make sure your conquests are well-protected. Treat your people
with kindness and they'll aid your cause; exploit them and you can build a
mighty war chest, but be prepared to deal with the consequences. Build
alliances for temporary peace and a united front against a dangerous enemy, but
remember that in the end, there can be only one.
The fate of an empire is in your hands, and the dynasty you create will be your
own.
===========
1. Overview
===========
Your objective is to conquer all 25 territories of the empire. How you do this
is up to you; you can attempt to seize the empire by storm, as Cao Cao did, you
can support weaker powers against the stronger ones and steadily expand your own
power before going for the kill, like Liu Bei, or you can simply hold your own,
outlast the weaker powers, and then slug it out, like the Sun family. There are
a plethora of tactics and tools you can use to turn events in your favor, so
long as your officers are considerate enough to bring them to you. No matter
what, the final judge is always the battlefield, where there's no substitute for
victory.
You start by choosing a time period. At the beginning of the game, only the
earliest one, Yellow Turban Rebellion, and the edit game (A Gathering of Heroes)
will be available. Upon choosing a time period, you'll see the forces for that
period and the territories they occupy. If you like, you can create one or more
additional forces by choosing an unoccupied territory. Added forces have one
territory each and can only have officers that you've obtained in a previous
game *and* are available for that period. Once you've chosen your force, the
options screen comes up.
Map: The map has two settings, close and far (there is no intermediate setting).
This determines whether or not the computer will automatically adjust it.
You'll probably want to just leave this on Manual.
Difficulty: There are five difficulty levels, which affect all aspects of the
game:
NOVICE - The enemy forces do and can take only a little damage, and they need
an overwhelming advantage to down officers or take bases. They get negligible
benefit from their bases. Their officers are prone to overextending and
isolating themselves, making them easy targets. Enemy reinforcements will
arrive only occasionally. Most kingdoms don't attack you at all (aggressive
leaders, like Dong Zhuo, may attack on occasion), and they never join forces
against you.
EASY - The enemy forces are fairly weak overall. They can cause trouble for
your officers in sufficient numbers but still take a long time to down officers
or take bases. Their bases help them, but not much. Their officers usually
don't get isolated, but still overextend themselves a lot. Other kingdoms are
slow to attack you and will only rarely ally against you. Enemy reinforcements
always take a long time to arrive. Officers take more damage as you gain rank
but never become incredibly tough.
NORMAL - Common enemies are average in all aspects. Most officers are
difficult to kill, leaders are *extraordinarily* durable, and certain officers
(like Zhang Fei and Guan Yu) have amazing toughness as well. All become even
hardier as you rise in rank. You'll be attacked on occasion, but never by more
than one kingdom at a time. You'll start facing enemy alliances more
frequently,
both attacking and defending. At least one kingdom will attempt to expand
aggressively.
HARD - The enemy forces are aggressive and can do a lot of damage to your
forces in a short time. If you don't take out threats quickly, you can quickly
find yourself overwhelmed. The other kingdoms team up against you constantly,
and you'll be facing reinforcements virtually every battle. Knocking out even
one officer is a chore, and leaders can take an unbelievable amount of damage.
Expect to be attacked frequently, especially if you leave a weakness anywhere.
CHAOS - In a word, insane. You can die in as few as six hits, and taking down
a single officer can take an eternity, especially with the need to avoid getting
shredded yourself. It's crazy enough playing a round of this in Free Mode, much
less an entire game.
I almost never pick anything besides Easy; this seems to be the standard "fun"
level. Take it for what it's worth.
Experience: If this is off, the all the officers begin with starting values, and
you begin with the basic set of policies and a level of 5 for all items. You
have the option of saving experience at the end. If this is on, this loads the
officer save for every officer at the beginning of the game and saves it again
at the end, and you have all the policies you've unlocked and item levels you've
built up. Note that even if experience is off, this doesn't affect the master
list (which you can view from Archives), and any new policies you obtain are
added to the list and become available the next time you turn experience on
(more on this later). Officers' weapon enhancements are also saved.
Time Limit: If this is on, if you haven't won after 50 years (200 turns), your
leader dies, ending the game.
Edit Officers: If this is on, any officers you've created in Edit Mode may
appear in the game.
Annex: Indicates the easiest condition for taking over a kingdom. Ruler means
you simply have to take the home land. Isolate means that you must take the
home land while none of the kingdom's other territories are bordering it. No
means that there are no shortcuts; you have to conquer every territory.
Officer Limit: Sets the maximum number of officers you can control, 6, 20, 50,
100, and 150. If you set a low number, other kingdoms may be able to have more
officers than you (but not much). Personally, I don't see any reason not to set
this as high as possible, but it's up to you.
Officer Death: If this is on, it's possible for certain officers to die over the
course of the game, and you also get the option of executing (i.e. permanently
removing, i.e. *killing*) officers that you capture in battle. If it's off, no
one can ever die except for Zhang Jiao and Dong Zhuo in special events.
Winning the game on any difficulty other than Novice unlocks new options. There
are no set requirements for each unlock. Instead, you earn progress toward new
options (the higher the difficulty, the more progress). Using a variety of
leaders seems to help as well. Some options take longer than others,
particularly the 6 and 150 Officer Limits. It *is* possible to unlock
everything playing on only Easy difficulty. This progress is completely
independent of Experience and officer saves, so don't worry about that.
The start of each round is the strategy phase. You get a set amount of gold
based on the number of territories you own and your current rank. From lowest
to highest, the ranks are Governor, Count, Duke, and King. Rank is based on the
number of territories you own and the number of battles you've won. You can
only gain one rank per turn. You then find out about any disasters that
recently struck the empire.
Locust swarms ravage the land, costing the affected kingdom gold for repairs.
Earthquakes cause extensive structural damage, lowering the areas' defense
rating.
Snowstorms render roads unusable and prevent areas from being invaded. These
only affect northern territories.
Plagues kill large numbers of troops (but never officers).
Floods lower the areas' defense rating *and* prevent invasion.
There's also an event that's good news instead of bad, an abundant harvest which
doubles the area's income for that turn.
Then it's time to make decisions, the number remaining indicated by green
circles in the bottom right corner of the screen. You have 3 options, each of
which counts as a single decision:
CONSULT brings up two policies by 4 of your generals (or all of them if you
have fewer than 4). If the action has "New" in front of it, it's will be added
to your freely selectable policies if you choose it. You cannot enact only one
policy; it's both or neither. If you don't like any of the choices or need to
think about it some more, select "choose none" at the bottom.
DELEGATE allows you to choose any general, not just the ones on the Consult
screen, to enact a pair of policies. Unfortunately, you have no way of knowing
which ones he'll choose, and you cannot decline them. The only use for this is
if you're trying to make a Strategist. I never use this.
ASSIGN allows you to enact any one policy that's available to you. You get a
basic set in the beginning; every time you choose a policy in Consult, it gets
added to the list. A few, namely the Trades and the later good and evil
policies, are not always available.
You will always get the same policies for Consult until you make a decision,
then they change. So if you're trying to unlock policies, you can keep going to
Assign until something new pops up. The frequency of new policies varies
wildly;
some, like the various Trades, show up all the time, while you can play five
complete games without seeing Annul Alliance once.
In addition to policies, you can position your forces with "Station". The map
will show how many officers you have in each of your territories. First, pick
on a territory; it'll show up on the movement screen with it's officers. Then
pick the territory you want to move officers to or from. You must have two
territories selected before you can move anyone. Choose the officer and an
empty space in the other territory to make the move, or choose two officers to
swap them. If you want to move someone to a different territory, simply change
the appropriate column. You can also change officers from lieutenants to
generals and vice versa (characters cannot be lieutenants). Remember, only
generals can suggest policies, so if you have 4 or more officers but aren't
getting full input, be sure to move someone from a lieutenant to a general slot.
There can be a maximum of 3 generals and 3 lieutenants in any territory. Never
have a territory with only lieutenants, as it will be completely unable to
attack *or* defend.
You can temporarily place officers in the "unassigned" slot; this is handy if
you're exchanging officers between two areas near or at the maximum. Any
officers left unassigned when you leave the Station screen will be dismissed
(the game will warn you before this happens); they leave your force and become
free for the taking.
Once you're done making decisions and movements, choose "Proceed" to move on to
the battle phase. There's always a useful policy, so there's no benefit to
leaving decisions on the board.
In between the strategy and battle phases, you may be approached by a travelling
merchant or a leader requesting an alliance. The merchant will sell you a
random item for 500 gold. If you could use the little extra help, go for it.
As for alliances, be advised that leaders invariably do this for their own
benefit (as should you). Use discretion. If Wei or Wu wants your help wiping
out smaller kingdoms, it could work out very well for you. If a kingdom you've
been running roughshod over asks to be friends, best to decline and put the
kingdom out of its misery, not prolong it.
Occasionally, if you have a certain officer in your force, an officer will offer
to join you for free. It's up to you whether or not to take him (although you
definitely should the vast majority of the time).
In the battle phase, you can either Invade another territory or, if you're being
invaded, you can Defend against the assault. You *cannot* ever invade a kingdom
you're currently allied with no matter how much of an unprincipled cur you are,
and you also cannot invade a territory that's sending an invasion against you.
(Fortunately, the other kingdoms are under the same restrictions.) If you
currently have an ally, you can also do a Joint Attack if it's making an
invasion or Help Ally to defend it from being invaded. You'll get a message
from your ally informing you of the situation in either event. If you have
multiple allies, it's possible for one to attack another; if so, you have the
option of supporting either side (this is the only time you can fight an ally).
You can only fight one battle per turn. Select "skip battle" to end your turn
without fighting.
Whenever you invade a territory, any officers in a territory bordering the
target can take part. You can assign up to three generals, three lieutenants,
and one reserve general and lieutenant. When defending, the invaded territory
and any bordering territories can contribute to the fight. In either case, the
first general on the list is the one you will control. For ally battles, you
must select one officer, which will be added to your ally's force.
Deploying an officer for an invasion costs you 1 gold for every 100 troops the
officer currently has. You cannot invade with more officers than you can
afford.
Other battles do not have this expense.
If you do not take up the defense against an enemy invasion, the outcome of the
battle will be handled automatically based on your and the enemy's strengths.
If the enemy wins, any officers in the territory join the enemy's side. Because
of this, you very rarely want to leave the defense to chance. And save
beforehand if you do, obviously.
Once you've decided on a battle, it's time to hit the field. The bright blue
circle indicates your main camp, the bright red circle your enemy's. The main
camp always has a raised platform in the center. Attack bases are indicated by
triangles, supply bases by circles, and defense bases by squares. An attack
base is equipped with catapults that bombard any enemy that comes near. A
supply base improves morale and provides items you can pick up. A defense base
exists strictly as a wall against opposing forces; its troops defend effectively
and are difficult to take down.
In the prefight screen, you can select your officer's outfit and weapon, equip
items, and employ whatever special units or benefits you've purchased (up to 2).
Some benefits, like Blockade and Equal Start, go into effect automatically;
others, i.e. the tactics, need to be manually activated. You use a tactic by
choosing it in "Tactics" in the pause menu.
If you're attacking a home land, you can win by either taking the enemy main
camp or downing the leader; for all other invasions, you must take the enemy
main camp. On defense, either taking the main camp or downing the commander of
the assault result in victory, and you also win if time runs out.
There's a map in the top right of the screen. Friendly territory is indicated
by blue, enemy territory is red, and the space in between is brown. The
composition changes as you take (or lose) bases. Friendly officers are dark
blue dots and enemy officers are white. A pulsating aura around a dot indicates
an officer on a horse or elephant.
To take a base, you and/or your forces have to kill all the guard captains (the
default is always four) and also down any officer(s) in the base, then occupy it
for a few seconds. New guard captains and troops arrive to replace the ones
downed if a base is not taken quickly enough, so speed is of the essence. For
supply bases, the defenders will get access to a 2x attack powerup, 2x defense
powerup, or health restore; if the fight goes on for a long time, they'll get a
second powerup. Any enemy officers in the base get the same benefits.
Although a base can be taken at any time, one that's not connected to another
friendly base will be completely unsupported (i.e. no troop replacements) and
easy to recapture. So it's advisable to take bases in order as much as
possible.
A main camp is easily recognized by the raised wooden platform in its center;
otherwise, it's handled the same as any other base. It cannot be taken until
one of the adjoining bases has been taken as well.
A downed enemy officer is forced to leave the battlefield to recuperate. When
an officer returns to battle, the "return indicator" next to the morale bars
goes down by one; when it reaches 0, anyone who goes down is out of the picture.
If an officer has very few troops left or is deep in enemy territory, there will
be a pair of red sparks continually circling his head; this means that he'll be
captured the next time he's downed. If he goes down with no returns but you
don't capture him, he simply abandons the battle. When an officer is downed,
all the surviving troops in his force flee until he returns. So it's usually a
good idea to take out officers at every opportunity.
Units have three types of actions, attack an enemy base, protect a friendly
base,
or gather around you. At the start, each unit is free to act on its own. You
can command individual units from the pause menu, or give a blanket command with
the direction pad. Up = attack, down = protect, and left = gather. Right
returns each unit to "free" status. All units return to free status after a
certain amount of time regardless of what you command.
Victory earns you rewards, either gold, enhancements to your weapon, or stat
increases. The higher the difficulty, the more and better the rewards. All the
officers on a winning side earn points, and your general gets a personal reward
as well. If you lose, you still get personal rewards but no overall rewards,
and one or more of your officers may be captured. (It's possible to lose an
officer in victory, but this is extraordinarily rare.)
If you've captured any officers, it's now time to decide what to do with them.
Any officer you captured on the field will be here, and you'll get an extra
captive or two on occasion. When you take over a kingdom, all the officers in
the home land (only) are taken. You choices are Hire and Release, and also
Execute if Officer Death is on. Hire adds the officer to your ranks, provided
you can afford him and he's willing to serve you; the higher the level, the
greater the cost. Some officers will not serve certain leaders, and some are
completely militant. (More on all this in the "obtaining officers" section.)
You can only hire the leader if you conquered his kingdom in the battle.
Release does just that; the officer returns to his kingdom if it still exists
and has enough room; otherwise he becomes a free agent. Execute kills
him...dead, gone, goodbye...and you will not be seeing that officer again in
this world (at least for the current game). It goes without saying that the
last option is never one you should take lightly. If you're up against a
powerful kingdom with plenty of strong officers, dispensing final justice
without remorse is a wise course of action (and kinda fun, I have to admit :-D).
If there's an officer you've had an eye on but don't have the cash to sign him
up just yet, it's a good idea to spare him. In general, if it's a choice
between sparing someone who might cause you trouble later and killing someone
you might want later, do the former. (Besides, if he does cause you trouble
later, you can always capture him again and punish his incredible foolishness.)
If you capture the leader, you can execute him. However, if you didn't take
over his kingdom, i.e. you captured him in a defense or are playing under the
Isolate or No Annex option, another officer immediately becomes the new leader.
If, after a defense, you hire or kill all of the kingdom's officers, the kingdom
simply disappears, and its territory immediately becomes unoccupied. (Again,
you cannot hire a leader after a defense; you must kill him.) This is useful for
reaching "unlimited endgame" status (more on this later).
Invading an unoccupied territory is automatically successful but doesn't earn
you any rewards.
This isn't likely, but it is possible for your kingdom to get split up. This
happens when a successful enemy invasion results in one of your territories
getting isolated from your main kingdom, i.e. the part that has your home land.
This is *very* bad news for the unfortunate officers in the isolated land, since
not only are they completely unable to attack or defend, it's impossible to move
anyone between the split lands. As long as you're reasonably cautious and don't
grossly overextend your forces, you don't have to worry about this. In fact,
there's only one time you should ever allow this; see the "policies" section for
details.
If at any point after a turn you suddenly see one of your territories with a
dark brown color, that means that an enemy force has persuaded one of your
officers revolt and form a new kingdom. There's no way to prevent this and
nothing you can do other than crush that spurious excuse for a kingdom and take
the turncoat back. Thankfully, this almost never happens (in fact, it only
happened to me once; Zuo Ci, of all people).
Free Mode is a one-shot battle. You can choose any battlefield or any special
event you've participated in, as well as any officers you've obtained. You can
choose any items you've developed in Empire Mode and up to the highest weapon
level you've acquired. If you win, your officer gains experience and rewards,
just like in Empire Mode.
=================
2. About officers
=================
Officers' weapons are divided into three categories, "blade", "spear", and
"weapon" (or other weapon). At the start, only the first, basic weapon for each
officer is available; this has 4 attacks. Adding 100 points to a weapon type
raises the level to 2 and makes the second weapons, with 5 attacks, available
for all of your officers with that type. 200 points raises the level to 3 and
provides the third weapons, with 6 attacks. 300/level 4 allows you to go for
the fourth weapon (see below), and 400/level 5, the maximum, unlocks special
rewards. Weapons can be of Light, Medium, or Heavy weight. Light weapons are
fast but weak; Heavy weapons are the opposite. The default is always Medium.
Remember to *equip* your new weapons! The game will *not* warn you when you're
about to head out with inferior hardware. Make a habit of selecting the
"weapon" option in the pre-battle screen.
Winning a battle usually earns you enhancements to your current weapon, called
"attributes". You can have up to 5 per weapon. If you add an attribute that
you already have, it replaces the old one. The game will *not* warn you when
you're about to replace a higher attribute with a lower one, so always pay
attention! If you start a game with Experience off and you add attributes to
your weapon, you have the option of replacing the officer save's attributes with
them.
A weapon level of 5 will *occasionally* give you a power and/or weight attribute
after victory. As with regular attributes, adding it replaces the old level.
Officers advance in level as they gain experience points. The level number
*decreases* as they advance, starting from 16. Advancing a level results in
stat gains, and (more importantly) the officer can command more troops:
16 - 2,000 10 - 7,000 4 - 13,000
15 - 2,500 9 - 8,000 3 - 14,000
14 - 3,200 8 - 9,000 2 - 15,000
13 - 4,000 7 - 10,000 1 - 17,000
12 - 5,000 6 - 11,000 MAX - 20,000
11 - 6,000 5 - 12,000
If experience is turned on, officer experience and levels will be saved at the
end of the game (although you always start with weapon level 1 in everything and
just the first weapon). Weapon attributes are always saved.
On the battlefield, all the forces are under control of officers. If an officer
is downed, all his remaining troops stop fighting and flee by the most expedient
means available (usually through the "no access" entrances that were the
checkpoint locations in the original DW5). If more than one officer is in the
same area and one is downed, the other may take up some of the other's troops.
If one side is completely out of officers, i.e. no more returns and everyone on
the field has been downed, everyone left goes to "standing orders". They will
fight any enemies in their area, but not attack or defend bases unless they were
already doing so.
Some enemy officers will attempt to run back to friendly territory when low on
health. Just like troops, a fleeing officer will not put up a fight, making it
easy to finish him off if you're fast enough. An officer will also retreat if
he gets too deep and finds himself cut off after losing a friendly base. If
completely surrounded by hostile territory, he panics and runs all over the
place, sometimes even right through your main camp. (If you down an officer in
such a state, there's a very good chance he'll be captured.)
Characters have four outfits each. The second is unlocked first, and the third
and fourth are unlocked together. The exact level depends on the character.
You can select the outfit on the prefight screen.
An important thing to always remember is that juggles (hits landed in the air)
do *much* less damage than hits on the ground. This effect is especially
noticable for the big-damage musou attacks. You can land a pretty impressive
juggle combo and still not do a whole lot of damage.
- Officer rundown -
Numbers after the character indicate time periods available. Eras in brackets
indicate the officer is already in a force in the beginning of that era. Some
characters become available any time a certain other character is present (and a
few *only* become available that way).
<< WEI >>
Cao Cao - [All]
Weapon type: blade Musou: special Specialty: Assault
One of the more unusual sword wielders, with a delayed dash attack and an energy
charge attack (C1). Good overall and well-rounded, but not the best choice if
you're facing lots of tough foes. His musou is also unusual; he slashes
diagonally downward and upward while rotating. Kind of a cross between a rising
and a rush.
Xiahou Dun - [All]
Weapon type: blade Musou: juggling Specialty: Rally
He's quick on the attack and has excellent range, but he's also surprisingly
weak. Because of this, he's better suited for swarms of minor enemies than one-
on-one officer slugfests. He's especially good at cutting down those pesky
archers. His musou is a continuous flurry of slashes that can take out a horde
of enemies or lay a serious hurt on a single officer if it lasts long enough.
Xiahou Yuan - [All]
Weapon type: weapon Musou: juggling Specialty: Assault
Like most of the blunt weapon users, he can do plenty of damage, but he has
varying motions for his attacks which make it a bit tough to get a full combo
in.
He does his best work at close range. His musou is a continuous whirling,
hopping swing with his club, great for slaughtering troops and pretty damaging
with a long enough juggle.
Zhang He - 184 190 [195] [200] [208]
Weapon type: weapon Musou: special Specialty: Speed
If you're a fan of "skill" characters, he's your man. His claws are amazingly
sharp, and he's fast on his feet. But virtually everything he does has either
an unusual motion or is otherwise tough to connect with, so it's important to be
careful with your attacks (C4 in particular). His musou is a series of gliding
claw swipes that do impressive damage and leave the enemies on the ground, but
are hard to control.
Dian Wei - 184 190
Weapon type: weapon Musou: rising Specialty: Defend
By far the *worst* Wei officer, almost shocking considering how effective he was
in DW2 and DW3. His axe covers quite a bit of space around him, but he's slow-
footed, and his damage is only average. And his musou is a rising, one of the
toughest types to do appreciable damage with. Just too ineffective to be any
good.
Xu Zhu - 190 [195] [200] [208]
Weapon type: weapon Musou: spin Specialty: Rally
The archtypical big goon, all brawn and no...well, speed (although his brain
isn't too impressive either). He can really lay on the hurt with his long-range
mallet as long as he can get to the fight in time. A well-upgraded Speed Scroll
or a mount helps a lot. His spinning musou, which used to send the enemies
flying back, now juggles them, making it much easier to down tough enemies with.
Xu Huang - 190 195 [200] [208]
Weapon type: spear Musou: rising Specialty: Rush
I really don't care for him too much. His attacks are pretty slow, and he does
a lot less damage than he should. Even his whirling-ax musou has been nerfed
(it used to be a ground) and *really* hard to do continuous damage with. Very
good range is about his only plus.
Zhang Liao - [190] [200] [208]
Weapon type: spear Musou: ground Specialty: Defend
A dependable, tough, strong, fearsome threshing machine with almost no
weaknesses to speak of. I honestly can't find anything bad to say about him.
Just put him at the helm and kick butt. His musou is a flurry of diagonal
slashes which shred through everything in their path, troop and officer.
Pang De - 190 [200] [208]
Weapon type: spear Musou: standstill Specialty: Rush
As you might imagine, it's not easy to fight with two polearms; in fact, he has
the worst attack speed of all. But when he hits, the damage he does is quite
impressive. His charge attacks are especially deadly, and his running speed is
pretty respectable as well. He has the rare standstill musou (a.k.a. the
"officer buster"), as well as Ma Chao-style devastating one-sided mounted
attacks. Think of him as a superheavyweight Zhou Tai.
Sima Yi - 195 [200] [208]
Weapon type: weapon Musou: missile Specialty: Defend
This guy is simply a blast to play. Fast on the attack and his feet, with a
whole bunch of cool charge attacks. But the real fun begins when he fires his
musou. He stands still and shoots streams of purple lasers...that's right,
*lasers*... which do sick damage and can utterly obliterate an entire unit in
seconds. The only bad thing about this is that the POV remains fixed, making it
easy to lose officers off-screen. I put him *just* a notch below Zhuge Liang
because of this.
Cao Ren - [195] [200] [208]
Weapon type: weapon Musou: ground Specialty: Defend
Like most of the Wei champions, he's designed to deal damage. Both his normal
and charge attacks are punishing, and he also has a very effective gliding dash
attack. His short arms and the design of his weapon mean that you have to get
close. His musou is back-and-forth slashes finishing with a ground stomp that
blasts away anyone near.
Zhen Ji - [200] [208]
Weapon type: weapon Musou: elevator Specialty: Taunt
A slim figure and a short-range weapon makes it tough for her to avoid being
knocked around. But she can hit a lot harder than you'd expect her to, and
she's FAST. For her musou, she plays a single note on the flute repeatedly
which blasts every enemy around her into the air. One of those "good as long as
she doesn't get killed" deals. She becomes *much* better with the second and
third weapons.
Cao Pi - [200] [208]
Weapon type: blade Musou: juggling Specialty: Rally
Other than his unusual weaponry (n.b. it's not a double-bladed sword, it's two
connected swords), he's a pretty typical swordsman. Good at hitting enemies all
around him. His musou is a series of slashes with both swords.
<< WU >>
Sun Jian - [184] [190]
Weapon type: blade Musou: ground Specialty: Rush
Like all the "sword kings", he's a lethal slasher with a variety of talents.
His musou is a flurry of sweeping slashes, ending with a forceful gliding slash.
Sun Ce - [195] [200]
Weapon type: weapon Musou: rising Specialty: Rush
One thing's changed between DW4 and DW5, and that dropped him from one of my
favorites to just okay. His twirling-tonfas musou. Before, it was absolutely
incredible, able to wipe out mob after mob and battering officers into pulp.
This was THE reason I was able to finish the "The Two Qiaos" stage *at all*.
The difference? Was ground...now is rising. Also seems to do less damage, too.
As for his normal attacks, they're quick but short-ranged, so he needs to stay
on the move. He's pretty fast, and his dash attack is good for knocking out
fleeing troops.
Sun Quan - [200] [208]
Weapon type: blade Musou: ground Specialty: Rally
Essentially the same as his father except that his musou ends with a simple hard
slash. He takes over the "Sun family swordsman" role after 200.
Huang Gai - [All]
Weapon type: weapon Musou: rising Specialty: Fire
I like him *way* better as a general I'm not controlling than as the one I am.
He has a variety of unusual attacks that are very useful in certain situations,
especially his bombs, but not all players will be able to recognize these
situations. Like most of the clubbers, it's also not easy to deal significant
damage with him. Finally, his musou is rising, easily the worst type of them
all, and made even tougher due to the so-so range of his weapon. A highly
useful officer, but I'm happy letting him fight his own fight.
Taishi Ci - 184 [190] [195] [200] [208]
Weapon type: weapon Musou: ground Specialty: Rush
I call him the "battering ram" because most of his attacks are powerful but very
linear, especially his musou. He's fantastic against tough single foes but
takes a while to eliminate a crowd. If you have a Tiger Amulet or Green Scroll
to spare, you can turn him into a wrecking machine.
Gan Ning - 184 190 [195] [200] [208]
Weapon type: blade Musou: rush Specialty: Rush
A thoroughly mediocre swordsman with one potentially very useful attack...the
musou. He sprints ahead at incredible speed (faster than his 2x running speed),
mowing down everyone in his path. Tremendous damage, but also tremendously
difficult to control, as you might imagine. Not too much else to recommend him.
Zhou Tai - 190 195 200 [208]
Weapon type: blade Musou: standstill Specialty: Rally
Everyone seems to either love him or hate him. He's unusual in that he's quick
and has long range but also has nasty delays on a lot of his attacks. His
musou,
the original standstill, does an unbelievable amount of damage in a short time
(hence the term "officer buster"). It has an unhealthy recovery time at the
end,
however. He also has the highly effective one-sided mounted attack popularized
by Ma Chao. Since you'll be relying heavily on his normal attacks, it's
advisable to build up to at least weapon level 2 ASAP. (The weapon, BTW, is a
"miao dao"; Omega Force got that wrong.)
Zhou Yu - [195] [200] [208]
Weapon type: blade Musou: juggling Specialty: Fire
A lithe, mobile, agile officer with a lightning-fast sword. He's best suited
for quick strikes and man-to-man battles; you don't want to throw him into a
horde of foes. His dash attack can hit several times and is fantastic for
cutting down troops on the run. His musou is a rain of vertical slashes while
moving slowly. It's best used to carve up a stubborn officer, as you probably
won't get a lot of kills with it.
Lu Meng - 195 [200] [208]
Weapon type: spear Musou: ground Specialty: Assault
He's just a plain 'ol grunt, good in most aspects and with a high-damage
slashing musou. The musou's backhand slashes have considerably less range than
the forehands, so you have to be fairly close to lay it on officers.
Da Qiao - 195 200 208
Weapon type: weapon Musou: special Specialty: Rally
I like her a little more than her younger (dumber, weaker, clumsier) sister.
She's fast on her feet, and she moves so much during her attacks that it's
difficult for other foes to knock her out of them. She doesn't hit very hard,
however (what do you expect from a *girl*?), so you'll probably want to stock up
on Tiger Amulets if you're thinking of sending her into tough battles. For her
musou, she sends one of her fans into a spinning orbit a few feet away from her;
you can control it with the analog stick. It's not great at any one thing;
mostly a "get out of trouble" option.
Lu Xun - 200 [208]
Weapon type: blade Musou: ground Specialty: Speed
Wow. I never would've guessed that the little strategist would be arguably the
best Wu warrior of all. Fast with all his attacks, fast on his feet, capable of
*heavy* damage, and has a spinning ground musou that absolutely slices and dices
through everybody. About his only weakness is his short range, but getting
close should never be a problem with his speed.
Ling Tong - 208
Weapon type: weapon Musou: special Specialty: Rally
Speed, speed, and more speed. Both his movements and attacks are blindingly
fast, so much so that it'll take some practice just to get the button timings
right. Think of him as Zhou Yu on fast forward. His attacks have slightly
unusual motions, so you're going to whiff some every battle. In his musou, he
whirls his nunchakus vertically, juggling the enemy steadily higher. It's like
a rising, except that he's fast enough to continue juggling even when the enemy
goes over the top.
Sun Shang Xiang - relation only (Sun Quan)
Weapon type: weapon Musou: rising Specialty: Speed
Her biggest weakness is her low damage, which makes fighting officers a major
chore, especially with that rising musou. She also has one of the shortest
ranges of the warriors. On the plus side, she's fast on her feet and can
recover quickly. You'll rarely want to send her out without an offensive
enhancement of some kind. To obtain her, play as Wu in the 208 era; she'll join
after a few turns. (Might also be possible in 200, but you'll have to be
patient.) Once you've obtained her, she'll appear in future games as a free
officer if you're not playing as Wu.
Xiao Qiao - ?
Weapon type: weapon Musou: rush Specialty: Taunt
The same as her Big counterpart, except tougher to use effectively. Use her
dash attack sparingly, as it has a horrendous recovery time. Her musou is a
vertical "buzzsaw" tumble with the fans with her floating above the ground.
Very damaging if it connects but tough to get a decent juggle. She shows up
irregularly and unpredictably; I once actually got her with a Search in 184,
believe it or not. She shows up more frequently in the later eras, however.
<< SHU >>
Liu Bei - [All]
Weapon type: blade Musou: ground Specialty: Rally
Much like Liu Bei himself, his sword style is simple and dependable. No fancy
tricks, just lots of quick, efficient slashes. His musou is a series of
horizontal slashes ending with a long range 3-slash combo.
Zhang Fei - [All]
Weapon type: spear Musou: juggling Specialty: Defend
A brawny bulldozer of an officer. Not all that precise (will miss once in a
while) or long-ranged, but when he hits, it hurts. His musou is a whirlwind of
cross slashes that does as much damage as some ground musous.
Guan Yu - [All]
Weapon type: spear Musou: juggling Specialty: Rush
Used to be one of the best, then pretty good, now...not so good. He doesn't hit
very hard, and the range of his normal attacks isn't as good as you'd expect it
to be. His circling musou has a delay on the slashes and is tough to get a
decent juggle with, especially on uneven ground. Another officer I like better
when I'm not playing him.
Zhao Yun - [184 190] 195 200 [208]
Weapon type: spear Musou: juggling Specialty: Speed
*Damn*, this guy rocks. Charge in. Rip enemies apart. Capture the base.
Repeat. With both speed and power out the yin-yang, there's virtually nothing
he can't handle. Give him his third weapon or a Tiger Amulet and he's death on
rails. His musou is a rapid diagonal whirl of his spear which can utterly
demolish an entire squad and/or leave an officer half dead. Forget Lu Bu; he
may have a big fancy halberd, but Zhao Yun has it where it counts.
Huang Zhong - [184] [195] [200] [208]
Weapon type: blade Musou: rising Specialty: Rally
Didn't like him in DW2, don't like him now. Decent normal attacks, so-so charge
attacks, crummy musou. The musou is the same as Xiahou Yuan's, except that it's
harder to hit with and has a huge recovery time at the end. For some reason,
though, he's a very capable officer when you're not controlling him. He's like
Shu's Huang Gai.
Ma Chao - [195] [200] [208]
Weapon type: spear Musou: rising Specialty: Speed
Everyone talks about how great he is on a horse. And he is, with the
occasionally imitated (Zhou Tai and Pang De) but never duplicated single-side
mount assault, which can do a *sick* amount of damage. But don't write off his
ground offensive; he's a fast striker with punishing charge attacks. Even his
spinning-spear musou is great for crowd control, and it deals a generous dose of
hurt to officers.
Wei Yan - [195] [200] [208]
Weapon type: spear Musou: rush Specialty: Assault
The problem with a double weapon is that it's a major challenge simply using it
without hurting yourself. It won't be easy getting consistent hits with the
masked musclehead; you might actually want to favor charge attacks. For his
musou, he tumbles continually (lying, standing, lying, standing, etc.) while
spinning his weapon. Great for plowing through crowds, and it'll shred an
officer if you approach head-on.
Pang Tong - 195 200 208
Weapon type: weapon Musou: elevator Specialty: Fire
With attacks that go all over the place and no real big gun, it can be a pain
fighting a battle with him. Nothing to really recommend him other than the
"challenge" factor. His musou isn't too powerful, but it can get him out of
trouble.
Zhuge Liang - 200 [208]
Weapon type: weapon Musou: missile Specialty: Taunt
Shu's counterpart to Sima Yi, i.e. fast moving and attacking, very good charge
attacks. For his musou, he slowly glides ahead while firing white lasers.
These have limited homing capability and can be concentrated on a foe...and yes,
they do a hell of a lot of damage. If you can tolerate his worthless advice,
you'll be glad to have him.
Guan Ping - [208]
Weapon type: blade Musou: spin Specialty: Assault
He has good range and deals plenty of damage with that big sword, and his attack
speed is better than you'd expect. Another officer that's not incredible at any
one thing but can do it all. His musou is a continuous revolving slash while
moving at a pretty fast clip. It can easily take out normal troops, even
archers. Against an officer, the best thing to do is approach and then circle
around continuously.
Yue Ying - 208
Weapon type: spear Musou: spin Specialty: Fire
An overall lack of power and fairly slow attacks makes it something of a chore
to use her. Much like Xu Huang, her only real asset is range. Her musou is a
fast whirl which can hit a lot of enemies but does very little damage per hit.
Xing Cai - relation only (Zhang Fei)
Weapon type: spear Musou: standstill Specialty: Taunt
Okay power is about her only plus; she's slow on the attack and has trouble
dealing with multiple enemies. It'll take a lot of effort to get anything out
of her. Her musou is unusual; she actually knocks the foe off the ground before
doing the slashes. She joins you if Zhang Fei is in your kingdom at the start
of 217. Once you've obtained her, she'll appear in future games as a free
officer if you don't have Zhang Fei.
Jiang Wei - special
Weapon type: spear Musou: rising Specialty:
An unremarkable spearman. Good range, fairly strong, a little awkward on the
attack, and fairly quick on his feet. His musou is a series of spear twirls
which toss enemies around; tough to get decent damage on any one enemy. The
only way to get him is to wait until a fairly late year, then use Search Wide or
get REALLY lucky with Recruit; I'm almost certain you need to have Zhuge Liang
as well. 215 is a good time to start.
<< OTHER >>
Meng Huo - [All]
Weapon type: weapon Musou: elevator Specialty: Rush
He has crushing power, and his ground-pound musou works wonders for cleaning
house. Unfortunately, he's a painfully slow attacker (only Pang De is slower)
with ugly delays everywhere, so you'd better make your shots count. You'll want
a horse to get around much of the time, but be sure to dismount to attack, as he
has virtually no range in the saddle.
Zhu Rong - [All]
Weapon type: weapon Musou: missile Specialty: Speed
Arguably the most unusual warrior of all, with two of the best musou attacks and
some of the worst normal attacks. She has very little range *and* is pretty
slow with both her normal and charge attacks. For her musou, she throws bunches
of knives (you can rotate her during the musou) which do a ton of damage and can
obliterate an officer in seconds. Her mounted musou is also terrific; her
boomerang spins around and around, shredding everyone around her to pieces.
You'll rarely want to send her out without at least one musou-boosting item.
Zhang Jiao - [184]
Weapon type: weapon Musou: missile Specialty: Assault
Never a popular officer, and for good reason. His attacks have very awkward
motions (even more so than Huang Gai and Xiahou Yuan), his fireball musou is
largely ineffective and tough to aim, and every single one of his attacks does
piffling damage. I'd actually rather play the generics than him.
Dong Zhuo - [184 190]
Weapon type: blade Musou: ground Specialty: Assault
A hulking tank of a warrior with formidable power. He has pretty good range as
well, and he covers a wide swath with those slashes. Not very fast, as you
might expect, but once he reaches the enemy, look out. His musou is a series of
hard slashes followed by a flop to the ground which obliterates everyone around
him.
Lu Bu - 184 [190 195]
Weapon type: spear Musou: rising Specialty: Rush
One word...length. The reach of his halberd is just insane; he can kill most
common enemies before they're even in position to attack him. He also has
powerful charge attacks and can even move at a decent clip. Unfortunately, he
only does average damage at best, making a lot of officer battles a tedious game
of hit-and-run. Okay overall, but needs some help to live up to his reputation.
He has the same whirling musou as Zhao Yun, except that it's rising instead of
juggling, making it less effective. Still pretty good due to his range.
Diao Chan - [190 195]
Weapon type: weapon Musou: rising Specialty: Taunt
I've always wondered why Koei made her a warrior. She has a very minor role in
Romance of the Three Kingdoms and is a fictional character to boot. Anyway,
she's another one of those officers that works better as the one you're not
playing. None of her attacks are too effective, and her spin-kicking musou is
difficult to do any real damage with.
Yuan Shao - [184 190 195 200]
Weapon type: blade Musou: ground Specialty: Rally
Of all the "sword kings", I like him the best. It's pretty simple: his sword
gouges out big chunks of life, he's fairly fast, and his attacks don't leave him
open for an eternity. Same as with all the other destroyers, set 'im loose and
let 'im tear it up. With his first weapon, always use C4 instead of the normal
ending, which has a delay for some reason. His musou is the usual back-and-
forth slash ending with a single swipe.
Zuo Ci - ?
Weapon type: weapon Musou: spin Specialty: Fire
There's no telling when or where he'll show up, but if you can convince him to
join your side, you won't regret it. Not much to say, because *everything* he
does is deadly. For his musou, cards spin around him, shredding up anyone who
comes near; it ends with a debilitating blast with a GIGANTIC radius. There's
simply no way *not* to rule with him.
<< GENERICS/EDIT >>
Warrior
Weapon type: blade Musou: ground
These are standard-issue subordinate officers. Average in most aspects.
Nearly all their attacks leave the enemy on the ground, making them actually
pretty effective against tough officers. The musou is the same as Xiahou Yuan's
and Huang Zhong's, but it leaves the enemy on the ground, allowing it to do
*much* more damage.
Hero
Weapon type: spear Musou: ground
A little more daring than the average warrior. Like Warriors, most of their
attacks leave the enemy on the ground, and they're average in most aspects. The
musou is the same as Jiang Wei's, but it leaves the enemy on the ground; it does
respectable damage.
Strategist
Weapon type: blade Musou: ground
The thinkers and planners of the battlefield. They like to use tactical
attacks.
Quick and decisive, but not too strong or tough. Moveset is based on a variety
of sword wielders.
Large Warrior
Weapon type: spear Musou: ground
Big powerhouses who strike first and hard. Moveset is based mostly on Lu Meng.
Ruler
Weapon type: blade Musou: ground
Governors, viceroys, warlords, and local noblemen protecting their interests
with their well-honed sword skills. Moveset is based on the "sword kings".
Nanman Officer
Weapon type: spear Musou: ground
Same as Large Warrior in all aspects.
Barbarian
Weapon type: blade Musou: ground
Same as Hero in all aspects.
Rapier (edit only)
Weapon type: blade Musou: standstill
This was Nu Wa in DW3. Fast moving and attacking, but relatively weak. The
musou is a blindingly fast flurry of thrusts; very good damage if it lasts long
enough.
Broadsword (edit only)
Weapon type: blade Musou: spin
This was Fu Xi in DW3. The exact opposite of Rapier, powerful and long-ranged,
but pretty slow overall. The musou is pretty much the same as Guan Ping's, only
a little slower.
+ + + + + TIERS FOR FEARS!!! + + + + +
Yes...I, Darrell Wong (a.k.a. DKW, hawaiidkw) have created a tier list for these
officers. Nu Wa help me.
Divine War Dragon of Awesome Destructitude (all-Zhongguo death machines)
Yuan Shao, Zhao Yun, Zhang Liao, Sun Jian, Sun Quan, Lu Xun, Zuo Ci
Steroid Pumped Elephant in Full Plate Armor and Holding a Pillar (slow running
or attacking bonecrushers)
Pang De, Meng Huo, Xu Zhu, Cao Ren, Zhang Fei, Taishi Ci, Dong Zhuo, Broadsword
Overcaffienated Hare Sprinting Down Mountain Covered With Ice (short-range
speedsters)
Sun Shang Xiang, Da Qiao, Xiao Qiao, Zhen Ji
Berserk Ferret Furiously Clawing Away at Dimwitted Ox (fast attacks but minor
damage)
Ling Tong, Xiahou Dun, Zhou Yu, Sun Ce, Rapier
Dancing Chameleon Surrounded by Mirrors (multitalents)
Zhou Tai, Cao Cao, Ma Chao, Sima Yi, Zhuge Liang, Guan Ping
Dogly Dog That's Just a Dog (ordinary guys)
Generics, Liu Bei, Lu Meng, Cao Pi, Jiang Wei
Clumsy Mantis Holding Long Twig Tied to Another Long Twig (extreme-range
lovetappers)
Lu Bu, Xu Huang, Yue Ying
Fierce Tiger With Cute Little Kitten On Its Tail (good & bad)
Zhu Rong, Zhang He, Wei Yan
Blind Boar After Two Drinks And Getting Clubbed on the Head (good stats but hard
to connect with that weapon)
Xiahou Yuan, Huang Gai, Guan Yu
Basically Useless Rat (the ones you have to make excuses for)
Huang Zhong, Dian Wei, Pang Tong, Diao Chan, Xing Cai, Zhang Jiao, Gan Ning
=============
3. Strategies
=============
For all the policies, tactics, and intrigue, Dynasty Warriors is all about war.
Your skills on the battlefield have a greater effect on your chances of success
than anything else. A great warrior can crush even the most diabolical tactics
and tricks of the enemy; a weak warrior is doomed from the start.
Before I get to anything else, here are the two universal rules:
1. Never stop working. Every minute you should be fighting troops, attacking a
base, moving to the next fight, judging the situation, *something*. Fortunes
are notoriously fickle, and a situation that looks good one moment can turn bad
and then horrible, sometimes in less than a minute. Don't count on high morale
staying that way; don't count on a beaten foe staying beaten. The only way to
win and win consistently is to gain the upper hand, then continually press your
advantage. There is always an officer, unit, or base that needs smashing.
Don't ignore it.
2. Speed is life. Moving quickly and killing quickly are always the keys to
victory. It's very easy to lose a critical base or even your main camp simply
because you can't get to it in time. Damage, and how quickly you can dish it
out, affects *everything*, and it becomes exponentially more critical at higher
difficulties.
The first general in the deployment screen is the one you will control, a.k.a.
the commander. Always make this choice carefully; a too weak, too slow, or
otherwise unsuitable point man can make things *very* painful for you. NEVER
pick a general simply to give him experience or simply because you want to try
someone out; you probably won't like the results. (Free Mode is great for
testing new generals; the Train policy is the best option for bringing him up to
speed.) For the remaining officers, the most important consideration is troop
strength. Specialties help, but they're not going to win the battle all on
their own. If you have a few high-level officers and lots of low-level ones,
it's a judgment call as to whether to use your strength or give the journeymen
some experience. The latter is sometimes risky, but overdoing the former may
leave you undermanned on all fronts. I prefer to put at least one or two low-
levels in and keep a big force in reserve if need be. The Train policy is a
good way to up officer levels without risk.
Your first priority, whether you're attacking or defending, is protecting your
main camp. If an officer is threatening the base, drop *whatever* you're doing
and run back to save it. Officers move *very* quickly when they're not engaged
in a fight, and with the branching paths of numerous battlefields, you can find
your main camp in danger before you even realize it. Unless you're sure the
camp is completely out of danger, *always* keep one eye on it in case an officer
managed to slip past your defenses.
Once your main camp is safe, it's time to take out enemy officers and bases.
Give priority to officers, since bases don't move. Unless you're going for a
high bodycount ("K.O.'s", as the game puts it), it's usually best to go directly
after the officer, downing his troops only if they're in your way. Taking out
an officer deals a blow to the enemy's morale, and you want to do this as much
as possible. If no officers are threatening at the moment, move on to the
nearest enemy base. Every base you take over brings you a step closer to
victory, so don't worry about what type it is. The process is always the same;
take out as many troops as possible, then mop up the surviving guard captains.
If there's an officer in the base, he must be dealt with as well. If the base
is already under attack, so much the better; get the most vulnerable guard
captain and repeat until all are eliminated. Defense bases are a little tougher
because the enemies will be on guard most of the time. Sometimes it may
actually be easier to single out the guard captains, since they're more
aggressive and willing to run into your attacks.
If you're alone when you clear out a base, *always* get confirmation of the base
changing to your control before leaving, no matter how desperate things are
elsewhere. If you leave it in enemy hands, they'll just fill it right back up.
If some of your forces are in there, you can go; all this means is that someone
else gets credit for taking the base.
Occasionally, a guard captain unit will engage your troops. This happens when a
base reinforcement doesn't arrive in time or an enemy officer uses the "Charm
Enemy" tactic (see Tactics, below). Guard captains are the equivalent of
officers fighting-wise, and they can tie up a good chunk of your forces. If an
officer-free area is putting up unusually strong resistance, you'll probably
find a guard captain there. Dispose of him at your discretion.
Sometimes the enemy will have additional help. Bandits are common, peasant
units and armor troops are fairly frequent, and you'll probably have to deal
with juggernauts at least once. For the most part, you don't have to seek them
out, as they're more than happy to come to you. If you don't have the muscle to
deal with them expediently (an especially common problem with juggernauts,
especially on higher difficulty settings), the best thing to do is to seek out
and down the controlling officer. "Kill the quarterback" is a time-honored
strategy in Dynasty Warriors, and when you're faced with lots of too-tough
specialists, it can be a lifesaver.
Your other officers will help, but always remember that they're not capable of
the same things you are. They take a long time to capture bases or defeat
officers, they struggle in even fights (you'll see this a lot), and they cannot
handle multiple officers or officer/base tandems *at all*. Sometimes a
beleaguered officer will have the good sense to pull back and cut his losses,
but all too often he just keeps fighting ineffectually until he's downed, or
worse, captured. Learn to spot these situations quickly and rush to the rescue
ASAP.
If all goes well, the battle will steadily go more in your favor, culminating in
the final push toward the enemy main camp. You cannot take it before taking one
of the bases adjoining it. If the main camp is very far, you may have to take a
second base. If there's an enemy commander in the battle, doing this will also
bring him out. One option against especially tough commanders is to eliminate
the main camp's guard captains, then drive or lure the commander away from the
base. Once he's far enough, your troops take the base, and victory is yours.
Overaggressive generals like Meng Huo are especially vulnerable to this.
If you're unable to achieve victory, you have a tough decision to make. Do you
call a retreat or go down fighting? Sometimes you want to take the better part
of valor and preserve your officers, sometimes you should do as much damage as
humanly possible before succumbing to the inevitable. It's your call.
As your kingdom expands and rivals are eliminated, you'll be facing tougher
battles. The enemies will do more damage, have better strategies, and take
*much* more punishment before giving out. This is when you'll want to favor
your veterans, keeping them well-supplied with troops at all times. Items such
as the Tortoise Amulet, Tiger Amulet, and Wind Scroll will also make these
pivotal stages less painful.
Specialties aren't too useful by themselves, but they can help take the edge off
of a difficult battle. No matter what, the specialty should match the
battlefield and enemy.
Finally, an important note on items that increase your health. Every time you
take any one of these, your side actually *loses troops*. The more powerful the
health item, the more troops you lose (starting with 500 for a single meat bun).
This makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, of course, but it happens, and
there's no way to prevent it. *Do not take any health items unless you
absolutely have to!* No other powerups have this effect, fortunately.
** SPECIFIC TERRITORY STRATEGIES **
- Bei Ping -
This is a small battlefield with paths extending its entire length. The
defenders are stationed in a fort in the north with the attackers in the south.
Attacking: Pretty simple. Start at the bottom, work your way up. You may have
to take a couple side trips to clear out all the bases, but it's a short enough
hike that it's no big danger.
Defending: Again, just take it one base at a time. You shouldn't have trouble
protecting the main camp, as there's only one way to get to it.
- Chai Sang -
This lush grassland has lots of small clearings connected by irregular paths.
(This is the only battlefield that wasn't in DW5.)
Either side: Keep a close eye on enemy units, who will often bypass your bases
entirely. It's pretty easy to get around, but you usually have to do a fair
amount of running; make sure your fellow officers can pull their weight.
- Chang An -
The defenders take their positions inside a massive fortress, with the attacking
army approaching from a plain in the south. The main entrance is in the west,
and a long side path breaches the fortress in the east. If you're defending,
the attackers will also have a siege ramp near the western edge of the wall to
gain entry. Cannon-like weapons are embedded in the front wall and pepper
anyone who gets too close.
Attacking: The enemy officers are in a very good position to pick their shots,
and you have to be ready to respond to threats at a moment's notice. Make sure
your commander can get around. Once the plain is secure, you have to decide
whether to take the fortress from the left or the right. The eastern path takes
a while, especially with that base in the middle; only go for it if things are
safe elsewhere. Once you're in, all that's left is to take the entire fortress
exterior before the final push to the main camp.
Defending: Because your main camp is in such an excellent defensive position,
you shouldn't have to worry about defeat unless your side completely falls
apart.
Always start by clearing out the fortress and smacking down anyone who tries to
sneak in through the east.
- Chang Sha -
The attackers' main camp is in the southwest corner of the huge battlefield.
Two long roads lead out the north and east, and a forest full of twisty paths
lies to the northeast. All three pathways lead to a big open area, which
connects at three points to the north where the defenders' main camp is.
Attacking: Pick a good, fast officer, and make sure your fellow officers are
capable as well, because they'll probably have to hold their own for a while.
Move quickly to intercept threats, and be *very* careful if the enemy pulls off
a Force March. Remember, your army can't do anything without you, and every
minute you're moving from one place to another is a minute you're not killing
troops, downing an officer, or attacking a base. You're going to be stuck
protecting your main camp for a while, so don't get impatient. Equal Start will
help a lot here, and you might want a Slow March as well.
Defending: You'll face threats from multiple directions at the onset. As
always,
get the nearest officer and move on to the next nearest officer. Once you've
survived the initial onslaught, the rest is pretty simple.
- Cheng Du -
The attackers' main camp is at the southeastern edge of a big, wide-open forest,
while the defenders' is in the building in either the west or south. It's easy
to get around.
Attacking: Your first target should be the officer and base in the north. Work
quickly, because things are going to get wild very soon. Once the other
officers storm the forest (whether or not you successfully took out the officer
and/or base), fall back and deal with the threat. It's almost inevitable that
someone will get by you in the forest cover, and you know what to do then.
Clear the forest completely of officers before going after bases.
Defending: Pretty simple. Just take it one step at a time and secure all the
bases.
- Han Zhong -
A barren mountain region with steep paths connecting all areas. The attackers
are nestled in a remote base in the southwest, with the defenders in a guarded
position in the northeast. Separating them is a big semicircle with a pass
running through it. Two roads lead to the defenders' main camp.
Attacking: With enemies in three directions, it's usually a good idea to let
them make the first move. Target officers first, obviously, then move on to
either the northwest or southeast base. Don't get cocky and run straight to the
main camp or your officers are going to get sandwiched. Returning enemy
officers usually take the eastern path and head straight for the southeast base;
when they do, make sure you're there to give them a proper greeting.
Defending: Pretty straightforward. Secure both paths leading to your main camp,
get everything else except the main camp, then seal the deal.
- He Fei -
In a word, irregular. Irregular areas connected by irregular bridges in
irregular locations. The defenders' main camp is nestled in the little castle
in the northwest, with the attackers' somewhere in the southeast.
Either side: The battlefield isn't just big, it's confusing. Until you learn
the lay of this place, it's best to consult the pause map regularly, just to see
how to get to there from here. The eastern third is where you have to be
careful, because there are only three bridges out of there, and it's a pretty
long hike to any of them. Otherwise, it's your typical run-all-over-the-place-
and-deal-with-threats-as-they-come drill.
- Hui Ji -
The battlefield is very roughly shaped like three horizontal loops on top of
each other, with a big open area in the northeast. The attackers start from the
north, the defenders from the southeast.
Attacking: Since it's so easy for the enemy officers to overload on one side and
break through, you'll have to hustle for several minutes just to stem the tide.
Once you've finally blunted their assault, take the bases one layer at a time.
Use a Neutral Start if you need it.
Defending: With just that one lengthy road leading to your main camp, this is a
piece of cake. No need to take chances here, just start at the bottom and work
your way up.
- Jian Ning -
The two main camps in the southwest and northeast are separated by a giant oval.
The defenders have an extra base between their main camp and the oval;
otherwise,
both sides are in an identical position.
Either side: A classic two-front battle, which you'll be fighting for at least
several minutes. The cardinal rule for these is that the moment you see your
forces start to give way on one side, drop *whatever* you're doing and head
right there. You're going to have to take out more than a few officers; a
general who can deal a lot of damage is recommended. Once one side is
reasonably secure, "complete the circle", then crush the remaining opposition.
- Jian Ye -
Towering walls crisscross the rugged landscape, turning the entire battlefield
into a giant defensive structure. The bases are laid out in roughly a square
shape.
Attacking: Due to all the fortifications, it's a little tougher than usual to
find the bases here. Go to the pause map if you're ever in doubt. The only
ways to get to the base in the west are from the east and southwest, and it
takes a little while. Don't go after it until things are safe elsewhere.
Otherwise, this is just another battlefield where you have to be alert and help
anyone in danger. It's fairly small, so don't be afraid to bring out the
heavyweights.
Defending: Appropriately, you'll be playing defense most of the time thanks to
all the paths around and to your main camp. It's pretty easy to run back home
if it's threatened, so you can afford to get aggressive.
- Jiang Ling -
The defenders are entrenched in a fortress in the north protected by three
layers of walls. Paths extend from it on the east and west. The southern half
contains two rows of three bases each, all connected by short paths.
Attacking: This is one of those places where one of your officers is always
going to be in some kind of trouble. As always, protect your main camp above
all else, and watch to see if one side is being overloaded. When you arrive at
the fortress, take out the base in the northeast or northwest (these give your
men all kinds of headaches), then get to the other ASAP, taking out any officers
you can along the way. Get every base before the final assault on the main
camp.
Defending: As long as the bases in the northeast and northwest are under your
control, you have no worries. Clear out the fortress and push south.
- Jiao Zhi -
The battlefield has three irregular paths crossing from east to west. A great
river runs from the northwest to the southeast. The attackers' main camp is in
the center of the bottom path, the defenders' in the center of the north or
middle one.
Attacking: Another two-fronter, and one where you have to be especially careful,
since it's extremely easy for the defenders to overload on your officers. Pick
a commander who can move it, because you're going to be running around almost
constantly and will have to cross the entire width of the battlefield at least
once. Since threats can come from multiple directions, it's a good idea to get
every base before going after the main camp unless you're pressed for time.
Defending: The location of the attackers' main camp really works to your
advantage. Not only is it isolated, it gives returning officers a long hike
just to get back to the action. Just put up a solid defense and it's an easy
victory.
- Jin Yang -
The entire battlefield is a wide-open square with uneven eastern and southern
sides. The attackers' and defenders' main camps are in the southeast and
northwest, respectively.
Either side: There's nothing preventing the enemy officers from heading straight
for your main camp...which can work in your favor. If you're attacking a base
and someone gets by you, let him go. Once you've taken the base, the officer
will be isolated deep in your territory, and it's a cinch to go back and pummel
him, possibly capturing him as well. If you're not actively taking a base,
target those quick, dangerous officers with extreme prejudice (and of course, if
one enters a base while you're attacking it, carve him up good then as well).
- Luo Yang -
The shape of the battlefield is roughly an irregular loop in the south connected
to an irregular loop in the east, both of which border a plain in the northwest
with a castle, in which is the defenders' main camp. A small additional loop in
the north feeds into the castle from the northeast. The attackers' main camp is
somewhere in the south.
Attacking: You have to fight smart here. There are always at least two active
fronts, and fighting one means abandoning the other for a while; *always* go to
where you're needed the most. If an enemy base is already under heavy attack,
leave it and head for the next threat. Returning officers inevitably head out
to the plain via the castle's main entrance; when they're there, make sure
you're there as well. The northmost base is optional; go after it if you want
the points.
Defending: First and last, protect the plain base; as long as it's yours, the
enemy can't touch your main camp. Secure the plain before going after bases.
- Nanman -
A massive spaghetti junction with two, three, or four entrances to every
clearing. There are lots of steep uphill and downhill stretches, especially
north-south. The attackers' main camp is in the northeast corner; the
defenders' in the village in the southeast.
Attacking: With three paths leading to the clearing that's just a stone's throw
from your main camp, it's easy for one or more officers to slip through your
fingers, so you definitely don't want to rush things. Let the officers make the
first move, then down them one by one. If someone gets behind you and besieges
your main camp, chase 'im home and put 'im out. Only when no officers are
threatening should you head for the nearest base. Keep a very close eye on the
map. It's very easy for your officers to get overmatched, and once they give
way even a little, that gives an enemy officer a free shot at your main camp.
You will invariably face at least one officer on an elephant (Meng Huo always
rides an elephant). The easiest way to drop (unelephant?) him is with an arrow.
Otherwise, wait until he stops moving, then jump straight up and swat him down.
If you have a Neutral Start to spare, it'll make this battle *much* simpler.
Defending: You'll rarely, if ever, have to defend this place. If you do, it's
actually a little more merciful because your main camp is in a more secure
location. Same strategy otherwise.
- Ping Yuan -
The attackers start in the southwest behind a river crossable at the extreme
east and west. An S-shaped path dominates the northwest, and the northeast is
largely open. The defenders' main camp is in the north or northeast.
Attacking: First off, decide whether to head north or east. North is the better
choice the majority of the time. Claim as much territory as possible before
someone on the other front decides to get aggressive, then push 'em back.
Defending: Much of the fight will take place in open ground, which is a simple
matter. Bring quality officers and head for whichever is the closest threat at
the moment.
- Pu Yang -
The main part of the battlefield is shaped very roughly like a right triangle,
with the attackers' main camp in the southeast, three bases extending from
southwest to northeast, a fourth base in a clearing next to the northeast one,
and a fifth midway down the eastern path. The center base inhabits a wide plain
which has two paths leading to the front gates of a castle, in which is the
defenders' main camp. A long path extends south from the castle front and loops
around, feeding into the castle from the side.
Attacking: Your first task is to quikcly determine the enemy officers' plan of
attack. In general, they will either key on the center base or make a strong
push down the eastern path. Get to where they're going and hit them hard. Once
the field is clear, you can either get to work on bases or head right head for
the castle front and get the officers again as they return en masse. Because of
the way the bases are set up, you really only need to take four or five before
attacking the main camp. I like to be thorough, but up to you.
Defending: The center plain is your main target, and also keep a close eye on
the north. Don't worry if someone tries to use the side path; you have all the
time in the world to teach him a lesson. From the plain, get all three bases in
the northeast and east.
- Tian Shui -
The battlefield is roughly five interconnected loops, with small fortifications
in the southwest and south center. The attackers' main base is nestled in the
south, the defenders' in the north or northeast.
Either side: This one's similar to Jiang Ling. Watch for big enemy
concentrations and go after them first. Other than that, just bring quality
officers and follow the basic strategy.
- Wu Ling -
The entire battlefield is three long routes separating the attacking camp in the
north and the defending camp in the south. Bridges cross a stream near the
northern camp.
Either side: Thought two-front battles were hectic? Try doing THREE at a time!
Actually, this isn't much different. Go to wherever the biggest threat is, then
head for another front as it becomes the biggest threat. As long as you do your
part, one of the lines will eventually break through, and then it's a simple
matter of claiming the others before marching on the main camp.
- Xi Liang -
In contrast to most of the battlefields, this one's almost completely linear.
It's shaped roughly like a horseshoe arch, with just one area close to the
attackers' camp that splits into two.
Attacking: Start by taking the main road on the left. Don't bother with the
little bridge on the right; it'll invariably be destroyed before you get there.
You'll have to evade boulders, but that's no sweat. Once you're past that
obstacle, take the first base to stop the boulders, then kill, capture, hurt,
and maim all the way to the enemy main camp.
Defending: Outside of Free Mode, you'll probably never play a defense of this
area, since it's in the northwest corner of the map and there are only two ways
to get to it. At any rate, it's exactly the same deal.
- Xia Pi -
The main feature is the castle complex taking up a big portion of the east, with
entrances in the southeast and northwest. The rest contains a few scattered
bases and paths leading everywhere. The defenders' main camp is either inside
the castle or in the clearing in the northeast; the attackers begin in the
southwest.
Attacking: Not a fun place to attack. The multiple paths makes it very easy for
enemy generals to swarm, outflank, and evade your forces, it takes a long time
to get around, and it's all too easy to get lost in the castle. Start by
protecting your main camp, of course, then head for either the castle or the
base in the southeast. If you see a breakthrough elsewhere, extricate yourself
*immediately* and head for it. Get all the bases surrounding the main camp
before heading for it. Needless to say, bring plenty of troops and a commander
who can lay on the pain.
Defending: Chances are likely that the clock will expire before the attackers
do.
Don't pull anything fancy here, just protect the main camp with your life and
get those annoying officers.
- Xiang Yang -
Bases are scattered all over this yawning plain. The attackers start from a
small encampment in the southwest, while the defenders occupy the castle in the
northeast.
Attacking: This is a battlefield that requires patience, steady nerves, and a
heaping dose of offense, and you'll rarely want to bring fewer than eight
officers. There are a lot of bases that need your attention, and it takes a
while just to get from one to the other. Even worse, you'll almost always get
hit with a Slow March at some point. Unless you can make quick, efficient
kills,
you simply won't have enough time to get the job done. Once you've committed to
a course of action, don't stop until it's done; leave, and it could be a while
before you get a second chance. You might want to consider skipping the
southeast-most base entirely, as it's well out of the way and not necessary to
take the main camp. If you want to use tactics (which is a good idea), Equal
Start, Blockade, Call Reserves, Extend Time, and Force March are your best bets.
Defending: Much easier since time is on your side. Get the officer/base closest
to you and move on to the next officer/base closest to you until victory is
yours (one way or another).
- Xu Chang -
An enormous, multilayered palace with several entry points. The defenders' main
camp is in the north; the attackers' is somewhere in the south. Catapults
bombard anyone approaching from the front, and fireball-shooting lion statues
guard both corridors leading to the center.
Either side: It's big. It has a lot of bases. It's not easy to get around.
All this translates to a massive brawl where your fellow officers *must* be able
to hold their own. Bring the biggest force possible and choose a commander
you're confident with. And of course, be sure to memorize the layout,
particularly the castle interior.
- Ye -
The entire battlefield is two connected irregular loops, with the attackers
starting somewhere in the south and the defenders in the northeast.
Either side: See previous notes on two-front battles. The only possible
complication is that when you're attacking, you'll occasionally have a high-
damage whirlwind to deal with (I have no idea what causes this). When you see
it, run and keep running until you're safely past. Other than that, nothing new
to add here.
- Yong An -
This place is unique in that every path is either north/south or east/west. The
paths are extremely long with few intersections. A small fortress with a base
dominates the east, with a wide strip with a base behind it; either base can be
the defenders' main camp. East-west paths on the south connect to both, and a
path through the infamous Eight Array Maze (which isn't problematic in this
game)
passes through the north. The attackers' main camp is somewhere in the west.
Attacking: Another battlefield where speed is of the essence. Don't even think
of bringing a slow commander. Returning officers tend to head south from the
main camp and can collect quickly; if you're in the vicinity, give them the
attention they deserve. Nothing's happening quickly here; you just need to
proceed step by step, base by base, until you're in a good enough position to
take out the main camp. If you've been laying a beating on their officers,
there's a good chance your friends may finish the job for you (nothing wrong
with that, of course).
Defending: Depending on the enemy strength, this can be either a lengthy
slugfest or Hell on Earth. In any event, chances are very good that you're not
going to even sniff the assault commander in 15 minutes. Play it conservatively
and *always* watch for attacks on your main camp, which can come from almost any
direction.
** SPECIAL EVENTS NOTES **
Special events are handled the same as ally battles, i.e. you select a single
officer to serve on the force. Tactics are preset; you cannot choose any in the
prefight screen.
Winning any special event doubles your individual points, the same as if you had
used Point Increase. Winning the Yellow Turban Campaign kills Zhang Jiao, and
winning Alliance Against Dong Zhuo kills him. Also, their territories go to
nearby kingdoms; I'm not exactly sure how who gets what is decided (you'll never
gain more than one). Winning any of the other three events temporarily reduces
the enemy side's troop strength. There are no other rewards. There's no
penalty for not participating in the event or losing it.
Playing a special event makes it available in Free Mode.
- Yellow Turban Campaign -
The Yellow Turban officers return *very* quickly, and with so many convenient
paths for them to take, you may find your home base in serious trouble before
you know it. Speed isn't critical (since you'll be on the defensive for a
while), but you need an officer who can deal damage. If you can take out
officers expediently, the regular troops won't pose any threat. Get every
officer and base before going after Zhang Jiao.
- Alliance Against Dong Zhuo -
This one's actually simpler than Yellow Turban Campaign, mainly because you
don't have to watch more than two fronts at any time. You have a powerful team
at your back, so just do your job. Lu Bu isn't anything special, although you
probably don't want to attack him head-on due to his weapon's range.
If you lose or don't take part in this event, in a couple of turns you'll see a
little scene where Diao Chan tricks Lu Bu into killing Dong Zhuo. Lu Bu then
takes over the kingdom. (This, incidentally, is taken directly from Romance of
the Three Kingdoms, the epic novel which Dynasty Warriors is based on, and is
the only thing of note Diao Chan ever does.)
- Battle of Guan Du -
Yuan Shao: The most important thing is to protect the supply depot (that little
inaccessible base area in the middle of the map with an east-west road going
through it). If you lose it, your entire sides suffers a loss of morale; with
Wei's strength, that puts you in a heap of trouble. Other than that, you just
need to work quickly to stem the tide. Be prepared for when Zhang He defects to
the enemy, which will happen without warning. Downing him once ends the threat
of the depot burning.
Wei: The longer the battle lasts, the better things get for you. If you can
survive Yuan Shao's powerful initial drive, you're well on the way to victory.
Don't bother trying to burn the supply depot; it's really chancy and doesn't
even help you all that much, especially on Hard or Chaos difficulty.
- Battle of Chi Bi -
Wei: Very early in the battle, the allies will set fire to your fleet (there's
no way to prevent this). Fortunately, all this does is damage most of your
troops. Hunt down those annoying officers, then head for the nearest enemy
base.
Allies: The Wei officers tend to stack on one side, usually the left. Get there
as soon as possible, and also take over any enemy bases along the way (you'll
need them). Wait for the fire attack before heading into the enemy fleet.
- Battle of Yi Ling -
Shu: You definitely want to build up your troop strength beforehand. Wu not
only has a powerful army, but they'll employ a fire attack that weakens your
entire force (again, there's no way to prevent it). Otherwise, this is the same
as any other Chang Sha battle.
Wu: As long as you have the numbers, this is easy. Go after the base that's the
most immediate threat, and repeat until you have all of the north. Once the
fire attack occurs, you have this in the bag.
========
4. Items
========
There are dozens of items available to help you achieve victory. Before going
into battle, you have the option of selecting as many items as you have slots
for. You can equip a harness, an orb, and 2-5 standard items depending on the
officer's level. Items can only be used once.
Items are generated with the Production policy. The Rob Grave and Despotism
policies will get you items as well as gold (details in the Policies section).
Travelling merchants will occasionally offer items for sale, but you have no way
of knowing what the item is. 9 is the maximum you can have of any one item.
Some items have levels; this always starts at 5. Using an Upgrade policy
increases the level, up to a maximum of 20. You have to upgrade an item quite a
bit to get an appreciable improvement, so only do this for items you use a lot.
The first item in each territory is always available. To get the others, you
must use the Development policy. Items are always developed from the top of the
list to the bottom.
Area and order of availability in that area are given after each item.
+ Harnesses +
With a harness, you begin the battle mounted on one of the special horses. If
you dismount, the horse will be indicated by a small yellow icon on the pause
map. There is no risk of losing a special horse no matter how far you travel
from it.
Hex Mark Harness [Yong An 1] - Hex Mark improves your luck. Given the
considerable sacrifice you have to make with every meat bun, this is actually
the *worst* harness (although if you need one, still better than none)
Red Hare Harness [Luo Yang 4] - Red Hare is the fastest horse, an absolute
godsend for your slow-footed officers.
Storm Harness [Jiang Ling 2] - Storm Runner makes your mounted attacks more
powerful.
Elephant Harness [Nanman 1] - An elephant tramples everyone in its path and
can smash right through certain obstacles. Its height also makes you tough to
knock off. It's fairly slow, however, and its attacks aren't especially lethal.
Better for getting around unimpeded than mounted combat.
+ Orbs +
An orb adds an element to your charge and musou attacks, making them more
effective.
Fire Orb [Luo Yang 2, Tian Shui 1] - Sets the enemy on fire, doing additional
damage.
Ice Orb [Jian Ye 3, Jin Yang 2] - Encases the enemy in a block of ice for
several seconds. The enemy is immobile and completely defenseless for the
duration.
Shadow Orb [Xiang Yang 1, Ye 2] - Does a major amount of damage.
Light Orb [Cheng Du 2, Jiang Ling 1] - Stuns a blocking enemy. Doesn't work
with musou attacks, only charge.
+ Normal items with level +
Peacock Amulet [Chang An 1, Wu Ling 1] - Increases maximum life.
Dragon Amulet [He Fei 1, Luo Yang 1] - Increase maximum musou.
Tiger Amulet [Han Zhong 1, Pu Yang 1] - Increases attack. The effect is
cumulative with the 2x powerup.
Tortoise Amulet [Bei Ping 1, Cheng Du 1] - Increases defense. Also cumulative
with the 2x powerup.
Speed Scroll [Ping Yuan 1, Xu Chang 1] - Makes your character faster on foot.
Considerable benefit for the real plodders; not much help for characters that
are already fast.
Huang's Bow [Han Zhong 2, Xia Pi 1] - Your arrows do more damage, and you take
less damage from enemy arrows.
Horned Helm [Chang An 2, Xi Liang 1] - Your mounted attacks do more damage,
and you take less damage from enemy mounted attacks. Seems to place a
"diminishing returns" effect on the Tiger Amulet and Tortoise Amulet.
Seven Star Sash [Luo Yang 2, Tian Shui 1] - Meat buns appear more frequently.
With the troop losses, this is at best a mixed blessing. Probably better to go
with the Tortoise Amulet.
Ginseng [Chang Sha 1, Ping Yuan 2] - The Musou gauge fills faster.
Herbal Remedy [Chai Sang 1, Xu Chang 2] - Charge attacks do more damage.
+ Normal items without level +
Art of War [He Fei 2] - 2x powerups last longer
Survival Guide [Bei Ping 2] - When your health is low, you become twice as
powerful after getting knocked down.
Bodyguard Manual [Jiao Zhi 2] - Makes your bodyguards more powerful. Not
really sure how this works, since you don't *have* bodyguards, at least not the
same kind you have in the regular DW game.
Demon Band [Hui Ji 1] - Musou Rage lasts longer
Way of Musou [Jin Yang 1, Ye 3] - Musou attack is always the True version.
Only use this if your character's True Musou is a blockbuster (most aren't).
Wind Scroll [Jian Ye 2, Xiang Yang 2] - Gives your weapon greater range. The
effect is absolute, i.e. it doesn't depend on the length of the weapon.
Fire Arrows [Cheng Du 3, Jian Ye 1] - Gives your arrows the fire element, as
per the orb.
Arm Guards [Chai Sang 2, Nanman 2] - Prevents your charge attacks from being
stopped by enemy attacks.
Tiger Collar [Jian Ning 1] - A tiger accompanies you for the stage. It
attacks enemies at random (you have no control over it) and is completely
invincible. Works better as a "meat shield" than an offensive option.
Green Scroll [Cheng Du 4, Xiang Yang 3] - Considerably increases attack
strength at the cost of a small amount of defensive ability.
Musou Armor [Pu Yang 2, Xi Liang 2] - Prevents you from being stunned when hit
by an arrow.
Tribal Remedy [Jian Ye 4, Xu Chang 3] - You gain health after 100 kills. It
takes a while to get that many kills, so the use of this is questionable. The
Peacock Amulet is usually a better deal.
Serpent Earrings [Hui Ji 2] / Naga Earrings [Jiao Zhi 1] - The former
increases your attack every 100 kills; the latter does the same to your defense.
The increase is *extremely* small, and the amount of damage you do and can take
depends more on level than anything. I wouldn't go out of my way to get these.
Dragon Arms [Xia Pi 2] - Allows you to jump while doing a charge attack.
True Way of Musou [Chang Sha 3, Yong An 1] - Increase the strength and
duration of Musou attacks.
Ice Arrows [Han Zhong 3, Ping Yuan 3] - Gives your arrows the ice element, as
per the orb.
Vampire Arms [Chang An 3, Xiang Yang 4] - You gain a small amount of health
after a successful parry.
Meat Bun Sack [Luo Yang 3, Ye 2] - More enemies than usual will drop meat
buns.
As with the Seven Star Sash, this generally creates more problems than it
solves.
Kirin Hoof [Jian Ning 2] - Horses and elephants that you ride do more damage.
Parry Scroll [Wu Ling 2] - Makes your parry more effective. Not sure what
that means.
+ Hidden items +
These are indicated by a "????" in the respective territories. To make them
available, you must develop the area's second item and then use the appropriate
Trade policy for the area. Once you've Traded successfully enough times, you'll
get a message saying that a new item is available.
Mammoth Harness [Nanman - Nanman Trade] - A mammoth is a more powerful version
of an elephant and does more damage.
Shadow Harness [Xi Liang - Western Trade] - When mounted on Shadow Runner, you
cannot be knocked off.
Siberian Collar [Jiao Zhi - Southern Trade] - Same as the Tiger Collar, but
with 3 tigers.
Unicorn Hoof [Bei Ping - Northern Trade] - Your mounted speed is faster.
===========
5. Policies
===========
At the outset, the only policies available are Promote Craft, Production,
Upgrade, Bladesmith, Spearsmith, Weaponsmith, Search Local, Hire Local, Short
Alliance, Reinforce, Replenish, Defense, Governance, Charitable Aid, and
Emergency Tax. Generals usually suggest new policies based on need (e.g.
Reinforce); on occasion, a specific officer may bring up a policy he
specifically favors. Some policies are only available from certain officers,
and I've noted the ones I've found. There's no telling what you'll get or when;
you just have to check Consult often.
There are four good policies and four evil ones. Although you don't need to
obtain any of them in the Consult screen, at the start only the first two good
policies and the first evil policy are selectable. The rest become available as
you move towards good or evil. Using the latter good or evil policies is
necessary to get the special "Emperor" endings.
I strongly recommend getting Promote Craft+, All Smith, Reinforce++, and at
least one Replenish at the first opportunity, as these are absolutely vital.
Hire Wide is also very useful, but it shows up regularly.
The chance of getting a new policy depends on how many policies you currently
have. If you have a lot of policies, the chances of getting a new one are
minuscule. *However*, if you start a new game with Experience off, you'll go
back to the basic set, and any policies you've already obtained will remain on
the master list. So you can easily obtain new policies, which will also go on
the list, which will become available in its entirety the next time you turn
Experience on. And before you ask...yes, it *is* possible to get every policy.
I did it myself. (And if I can do it, it can't be that hard. :-D)
- COMMERCE -
All of these show up frequently and are not specific to any officer. Promote
Craft+ usually (but not always) shows up whenever you're low on gold.
Promote Craft / Promote Craft+
This is your primary (non-evil) means of generating extra cash. The only
difference is that the former gets you about 300 gold, while the latter almost
always gives you at least 600 gold (if your kingdom is very small, it'll be
less). Needless to say, get the latter as soon as you can and stick with it.
Money is always useful, so if you don't have any other pressing needs, choose
this.
Southern/Northern/Western/Nanman Trade (1,000)
Set up shop and hope for the best. If it goes well, you earn a healthy profit
(about 600-800 gold on average); if not, you lose a small amount of gold (half
as much as you would have gained). You can only trade in an area that you
currently have a footing in. This policy is necessary to obtain the hidden
items. Otherwise, I'd avoid it; it's risky and gives you very little, if any,
profit in the long run. Stick with Promote Craft+.
- EQUIPMENT -
All of these show up randomly, and you have no way of telling when you'll get
any of them. You might get All Smith on the very first turn, you might get it
after five years. It's the luck of the draw.
Production (by item)
Produce one item that's been developed in one of your territories.
Upgrade / Upgrade+ (300/500)
This increases the level of an item; of course, it only works on the items that
have a level. The former improves the level by 1-3 (4 if you're really lucky),
the latter by 4-6. The highest possible level is 20. Item levels are saved if
Experience is on, but each kingdom has its own set of levels.
Development (800)
Makes one of the undeveloped items in any of your territories available. Items
are always developed in order, from the topmost item to the bottommost.
Bladesmith / Spearsmith / Weaponsmith (500)
Adds 20 points to the corresponding weapon type. See "About officers" for
details on weapon levels. There's little benefit to improving just one weapon
type (not to mention the trouble of remembering who has what type), so I
recommend using these *only* before you get All Smith.
All Smith (2,000)
Increases all weapon types by 20. Because everyone benefits considerably from
improved weapons, pick this up ASAP. It's more expensive, but because it only
counts as one policy, you can more than make up the difference with Promote
Craft+. Once you have this, never even look at the puny single smith policies
again.
- PERSONNEL -
Like the Equipment policies, these show up randomly. See "obtaining officers"
for more on them.
Search Local / Search Wide (400/600)
Searches for and recruits a random officer in your kingdom that's willing to
join you. Local searches one territory chosen at random, while Wide searches
your entire kingdom. If successful, the selection and recruitment happen
automatically. If no one is available, you're just out of luck. I don't
recommend this unless you need warm bodies on the cheap in a hurry (which won't
happen often) or are new to the game and not looking for anyone in particular.
Recruit (1,000)
This searches a fairly wide area and brings up five random willing officers, of
which you choose one. A "middle of the road" option between Search and Hire
that really isn't too useful. The only advantage of this over Hire is that you
can *occasionally* get an officer who otherwise wouldn't join you. Unless
you're going for that (and have the patience to save and load as many times as
it'll take you), better to stock up on items and go for a Hire.
Hire Local / Hire Wide (500/700 plus item cost)
This brings up a list of all the officers in either your territories (Local) or
the entire empire (Wide). You need at least one item in your inventory to
choose this. The free officers are listed first, followed by each of the
kingdoms in order, and you can attempt to hire any of them. The officer is
under no obligation to accept your offer, and some will not join you no matter
what. If the officer is willing, he will require a certain number of an item as
well as gold. It's usually 2 or 3; a few will ask for 4. If you're REALLY
lucky, he'll settle for 1. Remember, it's one item type, so having one each of
several different items won't help you. The officer joins once you agree to the
price. You don't pay until you make the hire, so you can back out if you have
second thoughts. Even with the risk of refusal, this is the best way to get
exactly who you want. Once you've gotten some experience at this game, you'll
rarely want any other recruiting option.
Train (600)
Increases the experience of an officer by a moderate amount. Its primary use is
a risk-free method of bringing up your rookies; officers that are already highly
experienced don't benefit so much. If you intend to use someone strictly as
"extra muscle" and not play him, this is a good choice.
- FOREIGN -
Except for alliances, these show up infrequently even if you have one of the
required officers, so definitely get 'em while they're hot (if you're going for
the full set, of course). Hard March is the hardest policy to obtain in the
entire game, but once you do get it, you'll be glad you did.
Short Alliance / Long Alliance (400/1,000)
Creates an alliance with any other kingdom for 4 turns (Short) or 12 (Long). In
times of war, leaders are more than happy to have a friend they can count on, so
you don't ever have to worry about being turned down. Alliances have two
benefits, a kingdom you don't have to worry about attacking you, and ally
battles, which are *very* lucrative and an easy way to give an officer
experience. Remember, you *absolutely cannot* invade a kingdom that you are
allied to.
Request (500)
Calls on your ally (if you have one) for aid in an invasion or defense. You
must fight the battle on the same turn to receive the benefit. Your ally might
not join in if the battle goes overwhelmingly in your favor.
Surrender (400)
Demands another leader to surrender to you. The success rate of this is dismal;
for the most part, it amounts to throwing away gold and a decision. The only
reliable method of getting this to work is to conquer all 24 other territories,
then weaken the sole remaining kingdom with a successful defense.
Annul Alliance (300)
If an alliance has outlived its usefulness, use this to go back to being
enemies.
Entice Enemy (800 plus item cost)
Attempts to use an item to bribe another kingdom's officer into defecting to
your side. An extremely iffy gambit that virtually never succeeds. Don't
bother with this unless you get it in Consult; there are far more effective
methods of obtaining officers or dealing with a strong enemy force. If the
unthinkable happens, i.e. you are successful, you must invade the territory with
the officer and approach him during the battle.
Cause Uprising (300)
Convinces the peasants in an enemy territory to rise up against the kingdom.
Peasants aren't warriors by any stretch of the imagination, so don't expect
dramatic results. The success rate actually isn't too bad (I'd say somewhere
around 30%). If successful, they'll take out some troops and lower morale
somewhat.
Cause Revolt (400)
Convinces an enemy officer to leave his kingdom and become free. Utterly fails
the vast majority of the time. Another policy best relegated to occasional
Consult use. If successful, this creates a brown one-territory kingdom. I've
only ever seen this twice, so we really are talking a microscopic chance.
Invite Attack (600)
Provokes an enemy kingdom into attacking one of your territories. The best use
for this is weakening a territory prior to invading it or demanding a surrender.
If you want to give some of your lower-level officers some fighting experience,
this is a good way to do it without a risky invasion. This policy is always
successful, but you do not get to select which territory the kingdom attacks;
make sure your entire front is covered.
Hard March (1,000)
Allows you to attack *any* enemy territory for this turn, *and* you can select
any of your officers to participate in the invasion. I give the complete
lowdown of this fun and very useful policy in the Other Info section. To get
it,
you must allow another kingdom to isolate at least one of your territories, then
select the policy as soon as it shows up. You might have to wait a while, so
make sure your cut-off officers can hold their own!
- MILITARY -
For the *most* part, these show up based on demand. Your officers will always
bring up the most economical choice; e.g. if someone is 900 troops shy of the
maximum, the policy brought up will be Reinforce, not Reinforce+ or Reinforce++.
Reinforce / Reinforce+ / Reinforce++ (200/500/1,000)
Restores 1,000, 2,000, and all troops to one officer, respectively.
Replenish / Replenish+ / Replenish++ (500/1,000/2,000)
Restores 500, 1,000, and 2,000 troops to all officers, respectively. Unless
you're *extraordinarily* lucky, you cannot get Replenish+ if you already have
Replenish++, and vice versa. You have to play at least one Experience-off game
to get both. If you have officers in a cut-off territory, they're replenished
as well.
Defense / Defense+ (400/1,600)
Increases the defense of one area or all your areas, respectively. The higher
an area's defense, the better the chance of it being able to resist an enemy
invasion when you don't take the defense.
- STRATEGY -
These are battle-encompassing plans which you select with the Tactics option on
the prefight screen. They're completely random, but the more you have, the
lesser the chance you'll get a new one.
Hinder (300)
This slows the rate in which an enemy force recovers troops after a battle.
Since a single defeat generally doesn't result in massive losses, this is pretty
much useless.
Expedite (400)
Increases the rate in which your ally restores troops after an ally battle.
Don't even see a point to this.
Local Aid (500)
A peasant militia comes to your aid at some point in the battle. The main job
of peasants is to tie up enemy units and take a little heat off of your forces.
Don't expect these guys to capture a base or anything.
Blockade (800)
Prevents any enemy reinforcements from appearing. Use this to "keep 'em honest"
in a tough battle.
Equal Start (1,000)
You start with slightly less than half (not exactly half) of the bases under
your control. The gain isn't much, so only use this where it'll help. I only
use this for Chang Sha and Xu Chang.
Neutral Start (1,500)
All bases except the main camps are neutral at the start. A neutral base is
taken by whichever side gets to it first. The enemy officers will make their
move very quickly, so don't dawdle. This is best suited for battlefields that
are very big and/or tough to get around, like Chang Sha, Yong An, and Nanman.
It's of limited use on small battlefields like Bei Ping and virtually worthless
at Xi Liang. This also bunches up the enemy officers; make sure you get to them
before they get to your fellow officers. At 1,500 gold, you definitely
shouldn't overuse it, but you'll probably want at least one in reserve to make a
really unfriendly battle a little easier.
Extend Time (400)
Adds 10 minutes to the clock. For the most part, if you're faced with an
invasion that might take more than 30 minutes, it's usually a better idea to
forget about it entirely and build your forces some more. Except for Xiang
Yang,
I don't ever recommend this.
Shorten Time (1,000)
Takes 5 minutes off the clock. Only useful for defenses, obviously. Pretty
limited benefit for 1,000 gold, so save it for very difficult defenses where
every second counts.
Point Increase (600)
Doubles the *individual* point reward earned by your officer. Overall battle
points are not affected.
Scout Report (100)
Useless. This allows you to see what commands the enemy units are under by
highlighting them in the pause menu. Why you'd ever give a flying meat bun
about this is a mystery. (You're a warrior, not a football coach.) Cheap, but
you get what you pay for.
- SPECIAL -
These are special units and weapons, also selected with the Tactics option on
the prefight screen. All are officer-specific.
Juggernaut (500)
A mobile flamethrowing device accompanies each of your officers and burns up
enemy forces. A few more guard your main camp. Much like peasants, they can do
some damage, but their main purpose is to provide another target for the enemy.
They take a *lot* of damage before falling apart. The only way to get this is
to have both Zhuge Liang and Yue Ying on your force for a few turns. When you
see a scene of them talking about her new inventions, it becomes available (and
you also get Wood Ox).
Sorcerers (300)
Squads of spellhurlers (always 5 at a time) show up in various locations and
blast away at enemies. In tandem with an officer, they can cause all kinds of
havoc. They're surprisingly tough, too. You get this from a Yellow Turban
officer; sometimes Pang Tong will bring it up as well.
Beastmasters (200)
They bring vicious tigers onto the field. Tigers serve much the same purpose as
peasants and juggernauts and are especially effective because they take no
damage from any attack. The tigers flee if the beastmaster is killed.
Occasionally, the beastmaster will throw a bomb. You can get this from a number
of characters; if you have Meng Huo or Sun Jian, you're almost certain to get
it.
Armor Troops (200)
An elite corps of Nanman armor-wearing troops is added to your ranks. Alone,
they won't make much of a difference; best to use them in tandem with a more
powerful unit. Zhu Rong gives you this.
Bandits (100)
A swarming mob of axe-wielding malcontents accompanies you into battle. Almost
useless on their own; you'll want them accompanied by Armor Troops at minimum.
An easy unit to obtain; any number of rough or unsavory characters will bring it
up.
Wood Ox (500)
Several slow-moving supply carts shaped like oxen accompany your units. Break
the cart open to get the item. You get this the same way as Juggernaut.
Fire Arrows (200)
Gives your arrows the fire element; same effect as the orb. Officers famous for
their use of fire, like Huang Gai, Lu Xun, and Zhou Yu, regularly suggest this.
Ice Arrows (300)
Gives your arrows the ice element; same effect as the orb. This is the toughest
Special to obtain because it only shows up occasionally even if you have the
right officer. Your best bet is a character famous for archery or with some
kind of ice attack (or similar effect). I got this from Cao Cao, and I think
Huang Zhong sometimes gives it to you.
- TACTICS -
These tactical maneuvers are kept in reserve during a battle until you need
them.
To use one, go to "Tactics" in the pause menu and select it. They seem to be
mostly random, but some officers *may* suggest them more than usual.
Raze Grounds (1,600)
Damages a large number of enemy troops, similar to the fire attacks in the
Battle of Chi Bi and Battle of Yi Ling special events. One of those policies
that's more fun than useful, and there are a lot of better things to spend 1,600
gold on. I never use this. Surprisingly enough, Zhuge Liang suggests this the
most frequently.
Capture (1,600)
While this tactic is in effect, any enemy officers you down will be captured.
How you down the officer doesn't matter, but be sure to wait until the effect
actually begins (that's the mistake I made before). It lasts for a *very* short
time, during which your damage is halved. Frankly, unless you're going for the
"vanishing kingdom" I described earlier, I say forget it; it's far too
problematic and expensive to justify. You can get every officer in the game
without ever using this. I've gotten this from Lu Bu and Dian Wei.
Call Reserves (1,200)
Restore your troop level to what you started the battle with. Great for
particularly grueling battles.
Poison Enemy (1,200)
Decreases the total number troops for each enemy officer currently on the field.
Not much point to this, especially since it has no effect on the number of
returns. If you're going for "kingdom vanish", the Capture policy is better.
Set Ambush (600)
A squad of troops appears out of nowhere and takes on any nearby foes. The
exact location they show up is unpredictable. If you've deployed a special
unit,
it'll be included in the ambush party.
Charm Enemy (700)
Causes a number of enemies to turn to your side. Not a tremendous number, and
they don't get any stronger than they once were. Like most of the units, better
for keeping the enemy busy than really hurting them.
Rally Troops (400)
Raises the morale of your entire force. For the most part, if a battle is going
badly for you, a temporary morale boost isn't going to help. The only practical
use I can think of for this is if you have a very difficult defense and every
bit of staying power helps. Even then, you'll want additional help, like
Shorten Time.
Force March (500)
Gives the 2x speed powerup to your entire force for a limited time. Use with
caution, as this is not always a good thing (it makes it a lot easier for them
to overextend or run right by enemy officers).
Slow March (400)
This lowers the speed of all the enemies. Best used when you're faced with
threats from multiple directions, like at Yong An. This can also negate a Force
March used by the enemy.
Demoralize (300)
Reduces the enemy's overall morale. Like Rally Troops, this will at best buy
you some time and should never be used alone.
- GOOD & EVIL -
Governance, Charitable Aid, Emergency Tax, and Rob Grave are under Commerce,
Release and Conscript are under Military, and Philanthropy and Despotism are
under Equipment. The later policies become available when you build up enough
goodness or evilness. The exact policy doesn't matter, although the later ones
have a greater effect. Evil policies have a FAR greater bearing on your overall
moral standing than good ones, so be very careful if you wish to avoid unrest.
I explain these in greater detail in "good and evil policy effects".
How you deal with captured officers also affects your morality (releasing them
is good, executing them is evil), but the effect is very slight, and it only
goes up to a certain point. No amount of clemency will make Release available,
and no amount of cold-bloodedness will make Rob Grave available (although you
can lose Charitable Aid).
Governance (300)
One of the two initially available good policies. This causes a very slight
increase in your support (talk is cheap). I recommend this only if you get it
in Consult or if Charitable Aid becomes unavailable to you.
Charitable Aid (1,000)
One of the two initially available good policies. This improves your support a
little more than Governance. This is available so long as you don't become evil
on the balance.
Release (500)
The third good policy. Releases 20% of the troops under each of your officers
from service. This remarkable act of compassion will improve your standing much
more than Charitable Aid...just make sure it doesn't leave you in danger of
being overrun. You must use this at least a few times before Philanthropy
becomes available.
Philanthropy - (2,000 plus item cost)
The last good policy, and absolutely essential for attaining good Emperor
status.
You give gold and all of your most plentiful item to the people . If more than
one item is the most plentiful, one is chosen at random. If you have no items,
you cannot use this policy.
Emergency Tax
The first evil policy. You acquire a flat 500 gold. Needless to say, most
folks don't like being hit up for taxes on demand, and this will lower their
faith in you.
Rob Grave
The second evil policy. You get a sizable quantity of gold (roughly 800 on
average) and an item. Defiling an honored resting place for personal gain is
pretty brazen, and it'll make you highly unpopular in a hurry.
Conscript (3,000)
The third evil policy. Forces peasants all over the land into the ranks,
restoring all your officers' troop levels to maximum. Not surprisingly, this is
an act of pure evil that all but seals your "tyrant" status for good. A
fantastic way to replenish your ranks at a relatively low cost...as long as
you're willing to deal with constant peasant revolts.
Despotism
The ultimate evil policy, available after using Conscript (one use is usually
sufficient), and required to become an evil Emperor. Extorts a hefty quantity
of gold (at least 1600) from the populace and fills one item to the maximum of
9.
Resorting to such an extreme measure will make you loathed by pretty much the
entire empire, and you can expect peasant uprisings all over the place.
Rest (0)
Even though this is listed under its own category, I'm putting it here. Why?
Because what this does is move your moral standing towards neutral. In other
words, if you're evil, resting makes you less evil, and if you're good, you
become less good. If you were headed down the evil path and have second
thoughts, this is the best way to clean the slate. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother
with this. Of course, you should avoid this if you're going for good Emperor
(though there's never any reason you would choose it anyway). This always
becomes available in Consult whenever your gold runs low.
=============
6. Other info
=============
- The "unlimited endgame" -
One nifty trick is to conquer all the territories except for one unoccupied one.
Since the game doesn't end until you have all 25 territories, you can do
whatever you want...recruit, train, even go for good Emperor, all without any
danger of being attacked. If you choose Wei in 208, your kingdom starts out
completely surrounding unoccupied Bei Ping. Otherwise, you need to target and
isolate a territory ASAP. The other kingdoms rapidly fill open spaces after a
few turns, so don't waste any time.
If that isn't feasible (and it won't be the vast majority of the time), the next
best thing is the "kingdom vanish" I described earlier. You need the Invite
Attack policy for this, and ideally Capture as well (not strictly necessary, but
it makes the task *much* easier). Just keep provoking attacks and capturing
officers one at a time. Be sure to bring two Captures into the battle so you
deplete officers faster than the kingdom can recover them, and of course, pay
attention to which officers you can capture without the policy. If you have
Neutral Start, that's even better; for the first defense, bunch up the officers
before going after two or three with a single Capture.
If all else fails, you can simply ally with the remaining force indefinitely.
This is really just as good since it only costs you 1,000 gold every 12 turns
and nobody ever refuses an alliance.
- Obtaining officers -
There are three ways to gain officers, recruitment, hiring captured officers, or
by relationship. The first two require that the officer be willing to join you.
The majority of them aren't picky and will serve nearly anybody. Some of them
are hostile to certain other officers and will not serve on the same side. All
that's required is that the unwelcome officer be in your force; it doesn't
matter whether or not he's the leader. A few will not join under *any*
circumstances unless you have a certain officer they're loyal to (again, he
doesn't need to be the leader). For example, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei must have
Liu Bei, and Zhu Rong requires Meng Huo.
<RECRUITMENT>
Search is a usually risk-free way to obtain an officer, but there's no way to
determine who you'll get. Because of this, I recommend it only when you're
severely shorthanded and need *someone*. Wide almost guarantees you an officer.
Local only goes to one of your areas, and with people always on the move,
there's a pretty good chance that you'll come up empty. In either case, always
save beforehand so you can try something else if you find nobody.
Recruit will always get you someone (five someones, actually), but it costs
1,000 gold. If there's someone you want, and you're *pretty* sure he's in your
kingdom, it might be worth going after. Not much use otherwise. You can
recruit a militant officer with this policy without having the requisite
officer,
but he has to be in your kingdom and be one of the five who show up. IMO, it's
better to just obtain the requisite officer.
Hire is the best way to get exactly who you want, but you need to prepare
properly. First, produce at least two of an item. Then *save*. If you have a
sufficient quantity of any item, the officer will ask for a certain number of
the item you have the most of (if more than one is the most plentiful, one is
randomly selected). If not, you'll be immediately turned down, and you'll have
to go back and produce another item. If you have plenty of items and are still
refused, chances are the officer is militant.
<CAPTURED OFFICERS>
Any time you win a battle, there's a chance that one or more officers will be
taken prisoner. An officer captured by any means is automatically a prisoner,
but anyone downed has a chance to be taken. If you pay the hiring price and the
officer is willing to join, you sign him up. Placing the new hires is done the
same way as Stationing.
When you conquer a kingdom, all the officers in the home land are captured (any
others become free). Because the leader is always presented last, however, any
militant officer requiring that leader will not join you. If you want him, you
must release him, hire the leader, then go after the militant with a Personnel
policy, preferably Hire.
You cannot hire any officers captured in ally battles.
Hire costs:
Level Character Generic
16-13 500 400
12-9 650 500
8-5 800 600
4-1 950 700
MAX 1100 800
<RELATIONSHIP>
Certain officers will offer to join you at some point if your force has a
certain character. This happens either at a certain year or after a certain
number of turns have passed. Of course, if the officer joins a different force,
you can obtain him by the usual methods. Sun Shang Xiang and Xing Cai only
become available via relationship.
- Special events -
The era with the simplest conditions for each of the special events:
YELLOW TURBAN CAMPAIGN: 184. Choose any kingdom except Zhang Jiao's. Do not
attack Zhang Jiao, Yuan Shao, Dong Zhuo, or any of the Three Kingdoms for one
turn.
ALLIANCE AGAINST DONG ZHUO: 190. Choose any kingdom except Dong Zhuo's. Do
not attack Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao, or any of the Three Kingdoms for one turn.
BATTLE OF GUAN DU: 200. Choose Wei or Yuan Shao's kingdom. Do not attack the
other for one turn.
BATTLE OF CHI BI: 208. Choose any of the Three Kingdoms. Do not attack
either of the others for one turn.
BATTLE OF YI LING: 208. Choose Shu or Wu. The year must be 210 or later (I
don't know what the latest possible year is...my advice, don't wait too long),
Zhuge Liang must never have left Shu, and Lu Xun must never have left Wu. As
Shu, take over Wu Ling and Chang Sha, then let Wu take over either territory.
You can leave the territory unoccupied (in fact, that's exactly what I
recommend), and it's okay to use Invite Attack (ditto). As Wu, wait until Shu
takes over Wu Ling and Chang Sha (just never attack them and it'll happen
eventually), then successfully invade either.
Except for the Yellow Turban Campaign, it's possible to get these events on
earlier eras. The conditions are less stringent, but the essentials are mostly
the same. For example, I once got the Battle of Guan Du in the 195 era playing
Wei after I knocked out Lu Bu, Liu Bei, and one other kingdom, Yuan Shao had
taken over Gongsun Zan, and neither of us had attacked the other. It happened
sometime in 197.
- Good and evil policy effects -
The more evil policies you enact, the more hostile the peasantry becomes.
They're too weak to rebel on their own, but during a battle, they're more than
happy to add their weight to the opposing side. Once you get to Conscript and
Despotism, you'll be fighting peasants almost constantly until you've beaten
them enough times to break their will.
Once you have enough territories (attaining the rank of King isn't enough),
being sufficiently evil gives your leader the title of evil Emperor. You'll see
a little ceremony commemorating this achievement. It won't take long; once you
start using Conscript and Despotism, the descent to total wickedness is *very*
fast. Note that even one use Despotism is pretty much the point of no return; a
hundred fact-finding trips or cleansing vacations isn't going to improve
anyone's opinion of your power-mad cretin of a leader. Actually, Conscript and
Despotism are so amazingly useful (actually *too* useful, if you ask some
players) that there's really no reason to stop using them, whatever your opinion
of becoming the next Dong Zhuo may be. In other words, if you're going to take
the plunge, you may as well go all the way.
Building enough goodness will not only prevent peasant uprisings, but sometimes
the common folk will take your side on the battlefield.
Becoming a good Emperor is exactly the same as the evil route...except longer
and *much* easier to mess up. Since a lot of players are having all kinds of
trouble with this, here's the simplest, most direct method to achieve it:
- Set the difficulty to Novice. No sense being a masochist. You can turn off
Time Limit too if you like, but this isn't necessary.
- Before doing ANYTHING else, get to unlimited endgame status. You'll need
the income, you don't want to risk being invaded, and remember, you need land to
become Emperor. Again, Wei in 208 is the easiest.
- Never, never, ever use Emergency Tax even once; use ONLY Promote Craft+ to
acquire extra gold. Every hint of evil takes time to undo, possibly more than a
year (and definitely more than a year if you lose Charitable Aid), and there's
no sense making this any harder than it has to be.
- Likewise, never execute anybody. Turn Officer Death off if the temptation
is just too great. No one officer is going to give you headaches on Novice, so
you'd may as well be merciful.
- Once you have 24 territories and are still on a morally sound footing, it's
time to get to work. Use Charitable Aid until Release becomes available (it
won't take long).
- Once you have Release (or if you already have it), use it until Philanthropy
becomes available. This may take more than one turn. Also produce a number of
items (one of each type is sufficient).
- Use Philanthropy as soon as its available. This improves your goodness more
than any other policy, making it indispensable in your quest for good Emperor.
If an officer in Consult brings up both Charitable Aid and Philanthropy (which
happens fairly regularly once you get Philanthropy), that's even better.
- Don't produce too many items! In fact, don't ever produce more than one of
each type, and even then no more than 8 types or so. Hoard too many items and
you'll actually lose access to Release and Philanthropy, which is no good at
all.
- Keep at it. Philanthropy, Release, Charitable Aid, repeatedly, constantly.
A few acts of compassion are good for PR, but it takes a *gigantic* effort to
make Emperor. It's going to take a minimum of 4 years under the most ideal
conditions (i.e. my method). You will lose progress, if not the very
possibility of becoming a good Emperor, if you slack off. It's like rowing
upstream: Any time you're not moving forward, you're moving backward. You
*will* make it if you don't give up.
- Oh yeah...if the last territory is occupied, don't forget to rebuild your
forces before invading it.
During the journey to ultimate goodness or evilness, your leader will make a
special comment reflecting on just how good/evil he's become. Because evil
policies have a vastly greater effect on a leader's moral standing than good
ones, you will sometimes get the evil comment after he's already become Emperor,
while the good comment invariably comes long before he's anywhere near his final
ascension.
There's isn't much benefit to being Emperor (a little more gold per turn, big
whoop), but you do get a special ending when you win.
My advice: *Forget* goodness. The good Emperor ending is the *only* reason you
should go for it, and even then only once. A bunch of feeble peasant fighters
doesn't come close to justifying the thousands it'll cost you (especially since
you can get the exact same thing with a 500 gold policy). A revolt isn't a
threat unless the battle was extremely even to begin with, and even then Call
Reserves and Request are much better choices. I read somewhere that goodness
makes disasters less frequent, but I've seen no evidence of this, and even if
they do, the marginal damage averted can be easily fixed for a tiny fraction of
the cost. And of course, any non-villainous level of evil can be washed away
with the freebie Rest. Remember, too, that Release will cripple your forces and
is absolutely not an option when you're fighting a powerful kingdom or
protecting your borders.
Dedicate one game to the virtuous path and be done with it. For every other
game, you should either play it straight-down-the-pipe neutral or depraved iron-
fisted despot monster. The leader I do the latter with the most is Liu Bei,
mainly because he usually needs all the help he can get.
- About Hard March -
This is a great policy that allows you to really get aggressive, but it needs to
be used with discretion.
First off, the only way to get this is for an enemy force to isolate at least
one of your territories. There are a number of ways to do this; my method was
to play as Dong Zhuo in Dong Zhuo In Luo Yang, expand eastward, then leave Chang
An unoccupied until Yuan Shu took it over. You *cannot* get this by playing as
the Yellow Turbans and leaving Xu Chang isolated (and why did I have to find
*this* out the hard way, people? :-P). Remember that even though you can't move
isolated officers, they can defend their territories and Replenish troops, so
they should be fine as long as they have the numbers.
The conservative, sensible use for Hard March is to bring a full complement of
officers for an invasion where it otherwise wouldn't be possible, i.e. an area
only one of your territories borders. This is quite useful, particularly when
you're fighting a powerful kingdom that doesn't let you invade on your own
terms.
If you're victorious, the reserve officers return to the territory they came
from, the same as for a normal invasion.
The "normal" use for this is to attack a territory that doesn't border your
kingdom. Maybe there's a one-territory kingdom you want to eliminate before it
gets troublesome, maybe you're completely boxed in by an ally. If this is
successful, it creates an isolated territory that you cannot move anyone to or
from. Keep in mind that any officers you hire from the battle get placed in
that territory, so if you want to keep anyone, bring fewer than six! You can
use another Hard March policy and have them invade somewhere else if you want to
get them out.
And of course, there's a way it can be incredibly lethal...taking over home
lands. Instead of slugging your way through a kingdom, all it takes is a small,
capable complement of officers to invade the home land and conquer the entire
kingdom from the inside. Cut off the head and, you know. This admittedly might
take some of the fun out of the game, so I only recommend this if you're in a
very weak position and need land *now*, or if you've gotten tired of the current
campaign and want to get victory over with.
- 4th Weapons -
The fourth weapon becomes available if you increase the level for the weapon
type to 4, then get 500 kills in a battle. The easiest way to do this is to
give the "defend" command to all your officers, then go straight to the enemy
main camp. As long as you haven't taken a connecting base, the enemies will be
limitless. You'll get the fourth weapon after winning the battle.
It *might* be possible to get 500 kills *before* building to level 4, then
getting a certain number of kills in another battle, but there's really no
reason to do this.
- Three Kingdoms hero -
If you're really ambitious, you can go for the ultimate title. You need to get
at least *1000* kills in one battle to get it. Doing this has the monumental,
vast reward of...uh, getting an extra item slot. Oh, and you also get to see a
cutscene, and there'll be an icon next to the officer's name. YMMV.
- Getting all the characters & special events -
Getting every character isn't too hard, especially compared to getting all the
policies (and about a thousand times easier than getting all the videos or all
the pictures). Here's the most expedient way.
* Wu, 184 or 190. The only two eras where Sun Jian is available, and you'll
get Sun Ce as well.
* Dong Zhuo, 190. Get Lu Bu, Diao Chan, and of course Dong Zhuo.
* Wei, 200 or 208. Every Wei officer except Dian Wei can be had in either
era.
* Wu, 208. Get every Wu character you didn't get in 184/190, especially Sun
Shang Xiang. Make Ling Tong a priority, and get the Qiaos when they appear.
* Shu, 208. You can get *all* the Shu officers in this era. The really
important ones are Jiang Wei and Xing Cai, and you'll definitely want Yue Ying
as well (especially for the Juggernaut and Wood Ox policies).
Wei Yan, Huang Zhong, and Pang Tong aren't too picky about whom they serve.
Taishi Ci is *really* easy to get, so don't ever sweat him. You might want to
play as Wei before going after Pang De, as it's tough to get him to serve anyone
else. For Ma Chao, you must first have Ma Teng in your force (and since Teng is
a leader, this means you must conquer his kingdom).
That leaves Zhang Jiao, Yuan Shao, Dian Wei, Meng Huo, and Zhu Rong. You can
get Jiao by refusing the Yellow Turban Campaign, conquering his lands, and
signing him up. He's not the least bit militant (he hates all other leaders
equally :-D), so you should never have to worry about him refusing you. Shao,
for all his pomp and bluster, would much rather fight under another leader's
banner than not fight, and he'll accept pretty much any force besides Wei with
open arms. The bald bodyguard is pretty easy to hire if you can afford him.
Huo is a cinch to get since he's in every era and will serve anyone, and once
he's on board, his wife will gladly support your cause as well. And of course,
you can simply play as the Zhang Jiao, Yuan Shao, and Meng Huo forces, all of
which I recommend at some point.
As for the special events, I'd go with either Wu or Nanman for the Yellow Turban
Campaign (take an unoccupied territory on your first turn), Yuan Shao for the
Battle of Guan Du, and any eligible kingdom for the Battle of Chi Bi and the
Battle of Yi Ling. You're going to do 208 with all Three Kingdoms at some
point,
so don't sweat it if you miss out the first time. Anyone's fine for Alliance
Against Dong Zhuo. Remember that you cannot get both Zhang Jiao and the Yellow
Turban Campaign in the same game, nor Dong Zhuo and the Alliance Against Dong
Zhuo, so you have to play 184 and 190 at least twice. This can help you avoid
redundant games.
Here, then, is a tentative plan of attack for getting everything:
Games 1 & 2: 184 - Yellow Turbans & Wu (Sun Jian, Sun Ce, YTC).
Games 3 & 4: 190 - Dong Zhuo & anyone (Nanman's the best choice; get Dian Wei if
you haven't already).
Game 5: 195 - No pressing needs in this era, so pick whoever you like. I
actually recommend Ma Teng, as he's in a very secure location and has two of the
tougher characters to get. Nanman and Lu Bu are also good choices.
Game 6: 200 - Yuan Shao. Get him, win Guan Du with him, kick butt with him,
worry about Wei later.
Games 7-9: 208 - Three Kingdoms. As Wu, win Chi Bi, attack Wei without mercy,
and initiate Yi Ling when the opportunity arises. As Shu, win Chi Bi, take Wu
Ling and Chang Sha and leave them unoccupied, then focus on Wei until it's time
for Yi Ling. A Wei, just conquer all with the overwhelming force you have and
go for good Emperor.
===============
7. Time periods
===============
The Three Kingdoms era had a cavalcade of kings, generals, warriors, and
strategists that spanned over four generations. New heroes continually took
over as the old ones died or fell out of power. Some continued the battles of
their forebears; others refused to carry on the legacy or took up entirely new
battles.
The time period dictates which officers are available to you. For example,
Zhang Jiao is only available in 184: Yellow Turban Rebellion. Winning on the
latest time period makes the next one available.
In the starting values, the names to the left of the double slash are generals,
the ones to the right are lieutenants. An "X" means there are none. Characters
are indicated with plus signs.
General tips:
In general, and especially in Divided Land, keep this word in mind: SIMPLIFY.
Anytime you have a chance to take out a Yan Baihu or a Zhang Lu, do it. Not
only are they usually easy targets, but eliminating them prevents them from
attacking you, allying with strong enemies, conquering other small kingdoms
themselves, or any number of other troublesome developments. If the choice is
between taking a territory from a large or even somewhat large kingdom or taking
a kingdom's last territory, go for the latter every time, even if it means
letting the large kingdom gain another territory. It's *much* easier to deal
with one strong enemy than two or three fairly strong ones. For the most part,
the big powers will help the simplification process along by eating up 1- and 2-
territory kingdoms of their own, so you just have to go for the ones that are in
your area and convenient.
If there are several unoccupied territories near you, you may be tempted to grab
them as quickly as possible. Actually, I don't recommend taking a freebie at
all unless you don't have the manpower for a fight for that turn. For one,
fighting is good for your officers; it allows them to grow stronger and lead
bigger armies, which you *will* need at some point. Also, because you don't
gain anything from an unoccupied land, you can very easily spread yourself way
too thin. It's usually better to let the other kingdoms make land grabs and
spread *themselves* too thin, then wipe them out and nab it all. Always
remember, taking is easy, it's *keeping* that makes you an emperor.
It's up to you whether or not to participate in the special battles. In
general,
they're good for both points and experience but not tremendously helpful to your
cause. (This isn't like DW4E, where you can win the Yellow Turban campaign with
Wu and have five territories after one turn.) There's never any need to
participate in them; it's your call.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ERA 1: 184 - YELLOW TURBAN REBELLION
Zhang Jiao, a former government official, has renounced the corrupt Han Dynasty
and rallied thousands of common folk to his cause, "The Way of Peace". This
enormous peasant force, known as the Yellow Turbans, has grown increasingly
belligerent, and the Imperial government is too weak to combat it. The call is
going out for an alliance to eliminate the Yellow Turbans and save the Han. But
China's leaders have their own agendas, and to them, the Han may be just the
next obstacle...
In a turbulent time where nothing is certain, a man of influence has the
opportunity to take control and shape the course of a fractured empire, whether
it be the regal Yuan Shao, the devious Dong Zhuo, or even Zhang Jiao himself.
Could the chaos end as quickly as it began?
Leaders: Zhang Jiao, Cao Cao, Sun Jian, Liu Bei, Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao, Meng Huo,
Gongsun Zan, Ma Teng, Zhang Lu, Yuan Shu, Liu Zhang, Liu Biao, Yan Baihu
* Yellow Turbans *
Ye: +Zhang Jiao+, Zhang Bao, Zhang Liang // Cheng Yuanzhi, Deng Mao
Ping Yuan: X // Guan Hai, Yan Zheng, Gao Sheng
Xu Chang: Zhang Man Cheng, Bo Zhang // X
* Dong Zhuo *
Chang An: +Dong Zhuo+, Hua Xiong, Li Ru // Xu Rong
Tian Shui: Guo Si, Zhang Xiu, Li Jue // Fan Chou
* Yuan Shao *
Luo Yang: +Yuan Shao+, Yan Liang, Wen Chou // Guo Tu, Feng Ji
* Three Kingdoms *
Pu Yang: +Cao Cao+, +Xiahou Dun+, +Xiahou Yuan+ // Yu Jin, Yue Jin
Xia Pi: +Sun Jian+, +Huang Gai+, Cheng Pu // Zhu Zhi, Han Dang
Jin Yang: +Liu Bei+, +Zhang Fei+, +Guan Yu+ // Jian Yong
* Others *
Nanman: +Meng Huo+, +Zhu Rong+, Meng You // X
Bei Ping: Gongsun Zan, Gongsun Yue, +Zhao Yun+ // Yan Gang
Cheng Du: Liu Zhang, Zhang Ren, Yan Yan // X
Han Zhong: Zhang Lu, Yan Pu, Yan Song // X
Jian Ye: Yan Baihu, Yan Yu // X
Jiang Ling: Liu Biao, Cai Mao, +Huang Zhong+ // Kuai Liang, Huang Zu
Xi Liang: Ma Teng, Han Sui, Liang Xing // X
Xiang Yang: Yuan Shu, Yuan Yin, Ji Ling // Chen Lau, Li Feng
This is a wide-open scenario with lots of possibilities. No one leader has a
significant advantage over the others, so you can do good with pretty much
anybody. A conservative strategy would be to pick off one or two of the weaker
leaders, create an alliance with a strong kingdom, and grow stronger one
territory at a time. Alternatively, you can wait for an aggressive power (Dong
Zhuo and Sun Jian are highly expansive; Cao Cao usually likes to grow as well)
to take over a number of territories, then knock out the leader and claim it
all.
This is very effective, especially on easier levels, since it's not possible to
have more than 8 officers in a battle no matter how many are in the bordering
friendly territories.
This is the only era in which you can participate in the Yellow Turban Campaign.
In all honesty, there's almost no benefit to winning this, since it gives
another kingdom the Yellow Turban territories and Zhang Jiao isn't a major
threat by any stretch of the imagination. Don't forget, too, that the requisite
is not attacking any of the important leaders on the first turn, which is NOT
exactly convenient for Wei or Wu, much less Shu or Yuan Shao. If you are going
to play this, the best leader is Dong Zhuo or Meng Huo, neither of whom will be
affected much by the outcome.
As Wei or Wu, it's best to take out the other kingdom right off the bat. This
gives you a free shot at both Zhang Jiao and Yan Baihu, neither of whom will put
up much resistance once you've built up sufficient troop levels. This gives you
6 territories in the span of 3 or 4 turns and plenty of room to expand. From
there, eliminate Yuan Shao (and Gongsun Zan if Yuan Shao hasn't already taken
care of him). With your three biggest enemies out of play and a secure foothold
in the northeast, you're well on your way to victory.
Zhang Jiao starts out in an unusual situation. While he has three territories,
one, Xu Chang, starts out isolated. It's best to take out Wei or Wu ASAP to
"bridge the gap", preferably the former. Jiao himself is a pretty lousy
fighter,
so you're probably better off taking command of the generics. Don't scoff; in
an era with relatively few characters, dependable attacks and a ground musou can
go a long way. If you're a beginner, you might want to favor leaders and
warriors, who have simple and effective movesets. Cleanse the land of Dong Zhuo
next, followed by Ma Teng if Zhuo hasn't eradicated him yet. From there it's up
to you which direction you wish to spread the Way of Peace, although I'd go for
Wu and Yuan Shao, as they're your biggest remaining threats.
Dong Zhuo starts out in a very good, defendable position. Start by taking Xi
Liang, then work your way either south or east. (I prefer east because I like
to get aggressive with him.) You might want to consider an alliance with Cao
Cao,
Yuan Shao, or Meng Huo if your cash situation gets a little tight. As long as
you go into each battle with sufficient strength and protect all your conquests,
nothing can stop you.
Yuan Shao has the option of taking out the Yellow Turbans, Dong Zhuo, or Wei on
the first turn. You're going to want them all, so the order doesn't really
matter. There's no reason to let the Yellow Turban territories go to anyone but
yourself, so don't bother with the Yellow Turban Campaign. Once the entire
north is under control (don't forget Ma Teng and Gongsun Zan), you're really in
the driver's seat. Alternatively, you can ally with Dong Zhuo if you don't mind
slugging it out with him for a long time in the end.
Shu starts out in a tough position. The best thing is to conquer Ye right off
the bat, signing up one or two more generics beforehand if need be. Forget the
Yellow Turban Campaign; all it does is help your enemies. Don't pick a fight
with Cao Cao or Yuan Shao until you have the strength, but definitely do it
ASAP.
Once you have some breathing room, you can work on building your forces and
taking out the rest of the northeast. It's generally not worth allying with
Dong Zhuo or Cao Cao (they'll box you in pretty quickly), but Sun Jian and Meng
Huo might be worth a cash-for-friendship deal.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ERA 2: 190 - DONG ZHUO IN LUO YANG
After narrowly surviving the onslaught of the Yellow Turbans, the Han Dynasty is
left with a rapidly dissolving empire headed by an underage ruler. Dong Zhuo, a
highly-regarded government official, has been given the task of protecting the
emperor and maintaining order at the capital of Luo Yang. However, unchecked
power is notorious for its ability to corrupt a man, and he quickly became an
obnoxious, self-serving dictator. Now with numerous powerful officers at his
command, including the devastating Lu Bu, he's determined to turn all of China
into his twisted "paradise".
Yuan Shao, one of the last of the Han faithful, is organizing an alliance to
eliminate the traitor once and for all. If Dong Zhuo is successfully ousted,
this will leave Yuan Shao in control of the capital...and many lords are already
questioning whether or not he'd be an improvement.
Dynasty clashes against dynasty, king against king, friend against friend. Who
will emerge victorious from the chaos?
Leaders: Cao Cao, Sun Jian, Liu Bei, Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao, Meng Huo, Gongsun
Zan,
Zhang Yan, Ma Teng, Tao Qian, Zhang Lu, Yuan Shu, Yan Baihu, Liu Yong
* Dong Zhuo *
Luo Yang: +Dong Zhuo+, +Lu Bu+, +Diao Chan+ // X
Chang An: +Zhang Liao+, Hua Xiong, Li Ru // X
Tian Shui: Zhang Xiu, Fan Chou, Li Jue // Guo Si
* Yuan Shao *
Ye: +Yuan Shao+, Yan Liang, Wen Chou // Shen Pei, Guo Tu, Feng Ji
* Three Kingdoms *
Pu Yang: +Cao Cao+, +Xiahou Dun+, +Xiahou Yuan+ // Yu Jin, Yue Jin
Chang Sha: +Sun Jian+, +Huang Gai+, Cheng Pu // Zhu Zhi, Han Dang
Ping Yuan: +Liu Bei+, +Zhang Fei+, +Guan Yu+ // Jian Yong
* Others *
Bei Ping: Gongsun Zan, Gongsun Yue, +Zhao Yun+ // Yan Gang
Jin Yang: Zhang Yan, Guo Daxian, Li Damu // Yu Du
Xi Liang: Ma Teng, Han Sui, Liang Xing // Yang Qin
Xia Pi: Tao Qian, Sun Qian, Zang Ba // Mi Zhu, Mi Fang
Han Zhong: Zhang Lu, Yan Pu, Zhang Wei // Yang Song, Yang Ren
Xiang Yang: Yuan Shu, Yuan Yin, Ji Ling // Chen Lau, Li Feng, Liu Xun
Jian Ye: Yan Baihu, Yan Yu // X
Chai Sang: Liu Yong, +Taishi Ci+ // Fan Neng, Zhang Ying
Nanman: +Meng Huo+, +Zhu Rong+, Meng You // X
The first big decision is whether or not to participate in the Alliance Against
Dong Zhuo. This is the easiest special event to win but also the least
beneficial. Thanks to Lu Bu, Dong Zhuo is dead man walking no matter what, so
I'd do it only for the points. If you want to "test run" a character, this is a
safe place to do it.
As Dong Zhuo, you start out at a considerable advantage and should have no
problem whatsoever knocking off the other leaders one by one. Squash that
pitiful Ma Teng first, then make your way across the north. Once Wei and Yuan
Shao are out of the picture, you're unstoppable.
As Yuan Shao, step #1 is always the same: *destroy Wei*. With a 6 to 5
advantage and an uncomplicated battlefield, this is a simple matter. Once it's
out of the way, all of the northeast is free for the taking, and then you can
either wipe Lu Bu off the face of the earth or go after Wu.
As Wei, the important first step is to take unoccupied Xu Chang. You're not
accomplishing anything with one measly decision per turn. Knock off Shu next,
which, after signing up Jian Yong, will allow you to go at Yuan Shao at full
strength. Definitely get him ASAP, especially if you completed the Alliance, as
he's easily your most vexing enemy. From there, just follow the same path as
Yuan Shao.
Wu has a somewhat simpler task. Your first few turns should be spent taking
over territories; be sure to get the unoccupied territories quickly before other
leaders make a run for them. From there, steadily increase your forces (this is
one of the few instances where the cheap Search is pretty useful). If you're
attacked, a successful defense may give you one or two officers. Once you've
filled your ranks, work toward conquering the south, preferably starting with
the southeast. If Meng Huo offers you an alliance, so much the better; you can
expand to his borders and a little to the north before crushing him and
consolidating the south.
Shu always seems to get the worst of it, and this era is no exception. You have
to make a risky invasion just to get out of the starting gate. Xia Pi is
probably your best bet. From there, stretch a bit to the south and build some
strength before making a bid for the northeast. Keep your kingdom *tight* and
well-defended, or Cao Cao and Yuan Shao are going to pick you apart. It's
probably a good idea to participate in the Alliance just so you won't have a
powerful Lu Bu-led kingdom to deal with.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ERA 3: 195 - DIVIDED LAND
Dong Zhuo is dead...leaving behind a shattered empire in utter disarray. China
is the most fragmented it's been in history, with no fewer than seventeen
factions vying for control. War rages across the land, allies and enemies
change seemingly by the day, and the only justice is at the point of a sword or
spear.
The ambitious Cao Cao has been steadily expanding his power. By keeping his
lands secure and driving away bandits and marauders, he's established himself as
a rock of order in the endless chaos. Sun Ce, now the ruler of Wu after the
death of his father at the hands of Liu Biao, is seeking both revenge and
greatness. Liu Bei, the man of the people, is quietly holding his own against
all who'd destroy him, waiting for a chance to replace cruelty with virtue.
Yuan Shao maintains his hold on the north and remains steadfastly loyal to the
Han. In the middle of it all is the belligerent Lu Bu. While nearly everyone
in China lives in fear of the constant conflict, Lu Bu relishes it. Having
betrayed Dong Zhuo and having no kingdom of his own, he intends to create one,
one blood-soaked battlefield at a time.
The strong will survive. The weak will be crushed. In the end, there can be
only one...
Leaders: Cao Cao, Sun Ce, Liu Bei, Lu Bu, Yuan Shao, Meng Huo, Liu Biao, Liu
Zhang, Ma Teng, Gongsun Zan, Li Jue, Zhang Lu, Yuan Shu, Wang Lang, Liu Yong,
Zhang Yan, Zhang Xiu
* Yuan Shao *
Ye: +Yuan Shao+, Yan Liang, Wen Chou // Shen Pei, Guo Tu, Feng Ji
Ping Yuan: +Zhang He+, Gao Gan, Ju Shou // Chunyu Qiong, Xiu Pi, Gao Lan
* Wei *
Xu Chang: +Cao Cao+, +Dian Wei+, +Xiahou Dun+ // Xun Yu, Xun You, Cheng Yu
Luo Yang: +Xu Zhu+, +Xiahou Yuan+, +Cao Ren+ // Yu Jin, Yue Jin, Zhu Ling
* Wu *
Chai Sang: +Sun Ce+, +Huang Gai+, +Zhou Yu+ // Han Dang, Zhu Zhi, Cheng Pu
* Shu *
Xia Pi: +Liu Bei+, +Zhang Fei+, +Guan Yu+ // Jian Yong, Mi Zhu, Mi Fang
* Liu Biao*
Jiang Ling: Liu Biao, Kuai Ling, +Wei Yan+ // Lu Gong
Chang Sha: +Huang Zhong+, +Gan Ning+, Cai Mao // Huang Zu
* Liu Zhang*
Cheng Du: Liu Zhang, Zhang Ren, Zhang Song // Gao Pei
Yong An: Yan Yan, Fa Zheng, Meng Da // X
* Ma Teng *
Xi Liang: Ma Teng, Han Sui, Liang Xing // X
Tian Shui: +Ma Chao+, +Pang De+, Yang Qin // Hon Xuan
* Others *
Nanman: +Meng Huo+, +Zhu Rong+, Meng You // Ahui Nan
Pu Yang: +Lu Bu+, +Diao Chan+, +Zhang Liao+ // Gao Shun, Hou Cheng, Chen Gong
Bei Ping: Gongsun Zan // X
Chang An: Li Jue, Fan Chou, Guo Si // X
Han Zhong: Zhang Lu, Yan Pu, Zhang Wei // Yang Song, Yang Ren
He Fei: Yuan Shu, Yuan Yin, Ji Ling // Chen Lan, Li Feng, Liu Xun
Hui Ji: Wang Lang, Zhou Xin // X
Jian Ye: Liu Yong, Zhang Ying, +Taishi Ci+ // Yan Baihu, Yan Yu
Jin Yang: Zhang Yan // X
Xiang Yang: Zhang Xiu, Hu Che Er, Jia Xu // X
This is a barn-burner from day one, and no matter which force you choose, it's
important to stay strong and always watch your back. In particular, Cao Cao and
Yuan Shao get aggressive pretty quickly, so if you're near them, it's best to
remove one, if not both, as quickly as possible.
This is the only era where you can play Lu Bu as a leader; he starts out with a
single territory and surrounded by hostile foes. Start by eliminating Wei
immediately; it'll cause you major headaches if you don't. Spread out to the
northeast from there, starting with Yuan Shao (don't worry if hasn't taken out
Gongsun Zan and/or Zhang Yan yet; they're pushovers). Liu Bei's an easy target,
so he should go next. Where you go from there is up to you. If you're playing
as Yuan Shao or Wei, pretty much the same strategy applies.
Wu starts out bordering three territories, all occupied. Fortunately, Hui Ji is
extremely weak, so take it posthaste. Take unoccupied Jiao Zhi for your second
turn, then take Wu Ling and Jian Ye in the next 2 turns. From there, it
shouldn't be too hard to eliminate Liu Zhang and consolidate the southeast.
It doesn't get any easier for Shu; once again it's surrounded by tough enemies.
You might want to consider shooting for evil Emperor from day one. No matter
what, choose your battles wisely and don't ever get impatient. Of course, if
someone offers an alliance, by all means take it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ERA 4: 200 - BATTLE OF GUAN DU
Amidst the chaos, two great leaders have emerged, Yuan Shao and Cao Cao. Both
have been steadily driving out all their challengers in the north since the
death of Dong Zhuo. Now they are only ones remaining and stationed on opposite
sides, both geographically and ideologically. Yuan Shao is from the old order,
jealously guarding his power and disdainful of lowborn upstarts; Cao Cao is the
hero of a new age, building his kingdom brick by brick and filled with disgust
for all born into privilege. With so much hatred between them, a massive battle
looks imminent. Whoever prevails will deal a crippling blow to the other. If
he can then take over the other kingdom, he'll have complete control of the
northeast and have taken a giant step towards unification.
Elsewhere, Sun Ce has gained the nickname "The Little Conqueror" for his recent
retaking of the Wu territory. With ambition rivalling Cao Cao's, he's started a
massive push for the entire Central Plains. Liu Bei maintains his close
relationship with Yuan Shao, keeping the dream of the return of the Han alive.
And Liu Biao, Liu Zhang, and Ma Teng, the last remnants of the old empire,
struggle for survival in a rapidly changing landscape.
It all starts with a much-anticipated showdown at Guan Du. From there, the
question arises: Who will rule over all, Cao Cao, Yuan Shao...or neither?
Leaders: Cao Cao, Sun Ce, Liu Bei, Yuan Shao, Meng Huo, Liu Biao, Liu Zhang, Ma
Teng, Zhang Lu
* Yuan Shao *
Ye: +Yuan Shao+, Yuan Shang, Tian Feng // Yan Liang, Wen Chou
Bei Ping: +Zhen Ji+, Yuan Xi, Ju Shou // X
Jin Yang: Gao Gan, Shen Pei, Feng Ji // Chunyu Qiong
Ping Yuan: +Zhang He+, Yuan Tan, Gao Lan // Guo Tu, Xin Pi
* Wei *
Xu Chang: +Cao Cao+, +Xu Zhu+, +Cao Pi+ // Guo Jia, Xun Yu, Cheng Yu
Chang An: +Xiahou Yuan+, +Cao Ren+ // Zhu Ling, Xun You, Cao Xiu
Luo Yang: +Xiahou Dun+, +Sima Yi // Jia Xu, Yue Jin, Zhang Xiu
Pu Yang: +Zhang Liao+, +Xu Huang+ // Yu Jin, Cao Hong, Li Dian
* Wu *
Jian Ye: +Sun Ce+, +Sun Quan+, +Taishi Ci+ // Jiang Qin, Cheng Pu, Zhang Zhao
Chai Sang: +Zhou Yu+, +Lu Meng+, +Huang Gai+ // Han Dang, Zhu Zhi, Ling Cao
* Shu *
Xia Pi: +Liu Bei+, +Zhang Fei+, +Guan Yu+ // Jian Yong, Mi Zhu, Mi Fang
* Liu Biao *
Xiang Yang: Liu Biao, Cai Mao, Kuai Liang // Lu Gong
Chang Sha: +Huang Zhong+, +Wei Yan+, Han Xuan // X
Jiang Ling: +Gan Ning+, Huang Zu, Wen Pin // X
* Liu Zhang *
Cheng Du: Liu Zhang, Zhang Ren, Zhang Song // Liu Xun
Yong An: Yan Yan, Fa Zheng, Meng Da // Gao Pei
* Ma Teng *
Xi Liang: Ma Teng, Han Sui, Liang Xing // Ma Dai
Tian Shui: +Ma Chao+, +Pang De+, Yang Qin / Hon Xuan
* Others *
Nanman: +Meng Huo+, +Zhu Rong+, Meng You // Jinhuan Sanjie, Dong Tu Na, Ahui
Nan
Han Zhong: Zhang Lu, Yan Pu, Zhang Wei // Yang Song, Yang Ren
First off, the two principals and their big showdown. The Battle of Guan Du is
actually the best special event, since not only is there a big advantage to
winning it (badly weakening the entire opposing kingdom), but you're in the
perfect position to exploit that advantage. To that end, I suggest going in
with the officer that you're the most capable of doing heavy damage with, as
that's exactly what it's going to take to win this. (And again, definitely
don't ignore the generics, especially if they're at a high level.) After you
win,
immediately make a surge for the opposing home land. You'll face
reinforcements,
of course, but they'll be just as weak and demoralized as the rest of their
forces. Once you're successful, you'll have eight territories in your hands.
With that kind of advantage, the only thing that can stop you is divine
intervention (which was not programmed into this game :-D).
The story for Wu and Shu hasn't changed much; get what you can and beef up with
the former, move cautiously and work for a breakthrough with the latter. And of
course, get He Fei before the other does. One thing you should consider is
allying with Wei *and* Yuan Shao; this allows you to always support the kingdom
that's weaker at the moment and keep them both in check while you gradually
expand your own influence (an easy task with the tons of cash you'll be raking
in).
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ERA 5: 208 - FLAMES OVER CHI BI
Under Cao Cao's iron leadership, the kingdom of Wei has not only gained an
unshakable grip on the northeast, but spread all the way south to Wu's borders.
It's the most land under one power since the fall of the old order. The
ferocious and fanatically loyal Wei warriors have been unstoppable, and many
believe that it's only a matter of time before the "Hero of Chaos" has the whole
land under his control.
All that remains is to eliminate Wu, a stubborn defensive power which has
resisted all attempts to breach it. If Wu falls, the still small and weak
kingdom of Shu won't stand a chance. The only way Cao Cao can be denied his
dream is if both kingdoms join forces to halt his offensive and weaken the Wei
juggernaut, paving the way for a successful counterattack.
Everything comes to a head in the year 208 at Chi Bi. If Wei wins, the age of
divisiveness is all but over. If Wei loses, the saga of the Three Kingdoms
still has a few chapters left...
Leaders: Cao Cao, Sun Quan, Liu Bei, Ma Teng, Liu Zhang, Meng Huo, Han Xuan, Jin
Xuan, Zhang Lu
* Wei *
Xu Chang: +Cao Cao+, +Xu Zhu+, Xun Yu // Cai Mao, Xu Shu, Wen Pin
Jin Yang: +Xu Huang+, Cao Zhang, Zhang Yan // Zhu Ling, Du Xi
Ye: +Zhen Ji+, +Cao Pi+, Jia Xu // Hua Xin, Sun Li
Ping Yuan: +Zhang He+, Xin Pi, Zang Ba // Yang Xiu
Chang An: +Xiahou Yuan+, Xiahou Shang, Cao Zhen // Hao Zhao, Wei Kang
Luo Yang: +Sima Yi+, +Cao Ren+, Xun You // Niu Jin, Guo Huai
Pu Yang: Yu Jin, Cao Hong, Cheng Yu // Wang Lang, Jia Kui
Xia Pi: +Xiahou Dun+, Cao Xiu, Man Chong // Liu Xun, Liu Ye
He Fe: +Zhang Liao+, Yue Jin, Li Dian // Jiang Ji, Dong Heng
* Wu *
Jian Ye: +Sun Quan+, +Lu Xun+, +Zhou Tai+ // Cheng Pu, Lu Su, Zhang Zhao
Hui Ji: +Taishi Ci+, +Huang Gai+, Zhu Zhi // Han Dang, Xu Sheng, Dong Xi
Chai Sang: +Zhou Yu+, +Lu Meng+, +Gan Ning+ // Jiang Qin, Chen Wu, Pan Zhang
* Shu *
Xiang Yang: +Liu Bei+, +Zhuge Liang+, +Zhao Yun+ // Jian Yong, Sun Qian, Mi Zhu
Jiang Ling: +Guan Yu+, +Zhang Fei+, +Guan Ping+ // Zhou Cang, Mi Fang, Liao Hua
* Ma Teng *
Xi Liang: Ma Teng, Han Sui, Liang Xing // Ma Dai
Tian Shui: +Ma Chao+, +Pang De+, Yang Qin // Hou Xuan
* Liu Zhang *
Cheng Du: Liu Zhang, Liu Xun, Zhang Ren // Gao Pei, Li Yan, Leng Bao
Yong An: Yan Yan, Meng Da, Zhang Song // Wu Lan, Lei Tong, Fa Zheng
* Others *
Nanman: +Meng Huo+, +Zhu Rong+, Meng You // Jinhuan Sanjie, Dong Tu Na, Ahui
Nan
Chang Sha: Han Xuan, +Wei Yan+, +Huang Zhong+ // Han Hao
Wu Ling: Jin Xuan, Gong Zhi // X
Han Zhong: Zhang Lu, Yan Pu, Zhang Wei // Yang Song, Yang Ren
If you've made it this far, you know what to do. Wei if you want a really easy
win, obviously. Other than that, just have fun and kick some butt.
==============
8. Incidentals
==============
- CODEBREAKER CODES -
I'd be remiss if I didn't make a note of these (not to mention a complete
flamin' hypocrite :-D).
There are literally thousands of codes for this game, most of them officer
stats,
so there's no point in me reprinting them here. The Patch Codes FAQ on this
site has an outstanding collection. You can go to Codetwink.com if you want to
download them directly to your memory card, but that site only has "official"
codes and is missing quite a few.
A few caveats from a player who's had a lot of experience with this device:
Max infinite musou - There've been problems with regular infinite musou codes
in these games, so you might want to go with this. Or just use either "always
have infinite musou powerup" code, which amounts to the same.
Unlock all ending edits/movies/artwork - Once they've saved to disk, you'll
always have them (unlike DW4E); you don't need to turn on the code again. So
don't save unless this is what you want!
Always have powerups - Although you won't see the usual visual effect, you
always have the powerup(s). Taking the respective powerup(s) on the battlefield
has no effect.
Max KO count - This locks your KOs at 9999.
Always musou rage - Unlike the always have powerups codes, you do get the
normal visual effect for the musou rage, including, unfortunately, the annoying
crackling electricity effects.
Important note: Make sure your codes are for the right Codebreaker version!
Using a wrong version causes all kinds of problems, including the game freezing
up after you win. (You can press Start to get out of it, but you won't be able
to see the ending at all.) If you have 9.0 or later and are using the
appropriate codes, you should be fine.
- ENDING EDITS -
Scenes 1 and 7 are fullscreen; the others are in a small box next to the credit
scroll. Every time you win (or if time runs out), you get the appropriate
winning clips and one randomly selected clip for scenes 3-6 based on your
officers. You'll always get a clip you didn't have before if possible. Once
you get a clip with any officer, you can use whichever officers you want (within
limitations, if any) in the "Ending Edit" playback in Archives. The easiest way
to get all the clips is to save your game just before winning, then finish it
multiple times, but it's simple enough to obtain the requisite officers that you
probably won't have to.
If a scene says "any", generics can be in it too, but for some reason they're
not available for playback. Double slashes indicate two required officers.
All the clips for scene 6 branch off of 5. The third and fourth clips for 5
have the same edits in 6.
Scene 1
1 [the new order] Win without becoming Emperor
2 [peaceful ride] Win as a good Emperor
3 [power trip] Win as an evil Emperor
4 [forgotten hero] Don't win after 200 turns w/time limit on
Scene 2
1 [rebuilding] Win without becoming Emperor
2 [noblesse oblige] Win as a good Emperor
3 [big bad boss] Win as an evil Emperor
Scene 3
1 [going home] any
2 [the master's words] any
3 [just playing] Zhang Fei, Xu Zhu, Sun Shang Xiang, Dong Zhuo, Xiao Qiao
Scene 4
1 [drinking buddies] Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Dian Wei, Liu Bei, Gan Ning, Jiang
Wei // Xu Zhu, Lu Bu, Sun Quan, Zhuge Liang, Wei Yan, Ling Tong
2 [battle of wits] Guan Yu, Zhou Yu, Taishi Ci, Liu Bei, Yuan Shao, Xiahou
Yuan // Lu Xun, Zhuge Liang, Cao Cao, Huang Zhong, Lu Meng, Sun Ce
3 [dramatic pose] any
4 [separate ways] Guan Yu, Zhou Yu, Zhuge Liang, Cao Cao, Lu Bu, Sun Shang
Xiang, Ma Chao, Xiahou Yuan, Sun Ce, Meng Huo, Cao Pi, Xing Cai // Zhang Fei,
Xiahou Dun, Diao Chan, Liu Bei, Zhang Jiao, Zhu Rong, Da Qiao, Xiao Qiao, Cao
Ren, Yue Ying, Pang De, Guan Ping
Scene 5
1 [song of unity] any female
2 [archery challenge] Liu Bei, Yuan Shao, Sun Jian, Cao Cao
3 [dance instruction] Diao Chan, Zhang He
4 [funky dancer] Diao Chan, Zhang He // Zhang Fei, Dian Wei, Xu Zhu, Meng Huo
5 [seeding] any
6 [gone fishing] any
Scene 6
1 [unfriendly duet] any two females
2-1 [bullseye] Liu Bei, Yuan Shao, Sun Jian, Cao Cao
2-2 [quadruple miss] Liu Bei, Yuan Shao, Sun Jian, Cao Cao
3/4-1 [troop dance] Diao Chan, Zhang He
3/4-2 [firemaking] Zhang Jiao, Pang Tong, Zuo Ci
5 [mother boar] any
6-1 [convenient broiler] Zhuge Liang
6-2 [lousy luck] any
6-3 [tea break] Zhang Jiao, Pang Tong, Zuo Ci
Scene 7
1 [farewell to the past] Win without becoming Emperor
2 [bridge to Heaven] Win as a good Emperor
3 [golden tyrant] Win as an evil Emperor
4 [dust to dust] Don't win after 200 turns w/time limit on
As for the videos and pictures - Codebreaker. Seriously, don't even bother.
(C'mon, you're going to get one sooner or later; may as well be sooner.)
======================================================================
FAQ copyright 2008 by Darrell Wong (DKW 001)
All rights reserved
