Total War Wiki
Register
Advertisement

Cai Mao is a Chinese name; the family name is Cai.

For the faction, see Cai Mao (faction)

Cai Mao is a Vanguard hero in Total War: Three Kingdoms. He leads his own faction, Cai Mao in 190. He later joins Liu Biao in 194 and 200.

General Information[]

Attributes[]

Main Article: Attributes (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

  • Expertise: 41
    • -3% construction cost (administered commandery)
    • +6 melee evasion
  • Resolve: 48
    • +11% general's health
    • +2k population growth (administered commandery)
  • Cunning: 36
    • +5% ammunition (own retinue)
    • +1 military supplies (own army)
  • Instinct: 90
    • +17% melee damage
    • -5% recruitment cost (this army)
  • Authority: 63
    • +2 satisfaction (faction-wide)
    • +2 unit morale (own retinue)

Background[]

Main Article: Background (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

Competent Sailor

  • +5 resolve
  • +15 instinct
  • +10 authority
  • +1 resilience
  • +5 reserves (faction-wide, if prime minister, heir or leader)

Commends Flexibility.

Unit Statistics[]

  • Morale: 40
  • Melee Toughness: 26
  • Ranged Toughness: 34
  • Melee Power: 4


  • Hit Points: 18k
  • Melee Charge Bonus: 193
  • Melee Attack Rate: 22
  • Base Melee Damage: 104
  • Armour-Piercing Melee Damage: 354
  • Base Melee Evasion: 6%
  • Base Armour: 60%
  • Speed: 89


Traits[]

Main Article: Traits (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

Disciplinarian

  • +6 expertise
  • +2 resolve
  • +4 satisfaction (faction-wide)
  • Enables: Fatigue Resistance

Respects Discipline, Opposes Criminality, Dislikes Carelessness, Dislikes Impulsiveness.


Ambitious

  • +8 authority
  • +50% desire for higher office
  • +5% income from all sources (administered commandery)
  • Increases ambition to gain independence as administrator

Admires Power, Wary of Ambition


Deceitful

  • +6 cunning
  • +2 instinct
  • -5 cover cost when performing spy actions

Disregards Honour, Disregards Trustworthiness


Skills[]

Main Article: Skill (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

  • Vengeance
    • +8 instinct
    • Enables: Scare
    • +2 morale in own territory (when commanding)
  • Flames of the Phoenix
    • +4 expertise
    • +4 instinct
    • Ability: Flames of the Phoenix


Abilities[]

Main Article: Ability (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

  • Scare
    • Reduces nearby enemy morale. Does not stack.
  • Resistant to Fatigue
    • Takes longer to feel fatigued.
  • Flames of the Phoenix (Melee Attack)
    • Can use if:
      • In melee
      • Engaged in a duel or has an attack order
      • Not on Elephant
    • Splash Damage: 3.8k
    • Duration: 10s
    • Cooldown: 30s


Ancillaries[]

Main Article: Ancillary (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

  • Spear
    • Base Melee Damage; 88
    • Armour-Piercing Melee Damage: 354
    • Melee Attack Rate: 24
    • +3 expertise
    • +3 instinct
  • Forged Iron Scale
    • Base Armour: 60
    • -12 expertise
    • +6 resolve
    • +6 instinct
    • -8% speed
    • -8% melee attack rate
    • +12 charge bonus
  • Red Horse
    • Speed: 97
    • Mass: 1.5k
    • +2 instinct


Guanxi[]

Main Article: Guanxi


Biography[]

Cai Mao was born into extreme wealth, the son of the influential Cai Feng. Thanks to this considerate power, Mao was able to allign himself with Liu Biao from a relatively young age, partially thanks to his older sister's marriage to Biao. Here he served as a military officer. He rapidly rose through Biao's ranks until being appointed a full-fledged general. He wasn't done yet, however, becoming a vassal lord under Biao.

Thanks to his status as a vassal, Cai Mao was more or less forced to follow Liu Biao's lead when Dong Zhuo rose to power. This alligned Mao with Zhuo's imperial government, but his role throughout the 190s and early 200s is rather limited as he mostly stayed in his own territory. When Liu Biao became was nearing death, it looked like Liu Qi would succeed him. Cai Mao, among others, plotted to instead have Liu Cong be made heir.

Liu Biao agreed before his death, and when Cong rose to power. he immediately surrendered all his territory to Cao Cao. Liu Bei hastily tried to gain control over this territory, but Cai Mao didn't join in this effort, defecting to Cao Cao, who he had known as a child. He settled down at Cao Cao's court in the late 200s, where he disappears from history. What his final fate was is unknown, but it is likely he lived out the rest of his life in both comfort and luxury.

References[]

Advertisement