For the character, see Cao Cao.
Cao Cao is a playable faction in Total War: Three Kingdoms. It is located in northern China in 190, 194 and 200. The faction also exists in 182 but does not hold any territory at the start of the campaign. Gaining a rank as a duke, king or emperor renames the faction to Wei.
Unique Features[]
Unique Units
Unique Buildings
Unique Features
- Schemes
Schemes[]
Screenshot of Schemes Menu
Schemes are the faction-unique aspect of Cao Cao and a critical tool for his playstyle. There are 29 schemes in total, with various targets and effects too broad to summarize. In short, you can spend Credibility for buffs to your faction and penalties to enemy factions.
Cao Cao can use these schemes to do anything from buffing his generals, creating more income, more satisfaction and even instantly unlock reforms. On the other side, he can use schemes to inspire disloyalty, sabotage armies, hinder economies and even trigger civil wars by playing his cards right. A complete list of every scheme available to Cao Cao is further down below, but let's talk about Credibility before that.
Credibility[]
Credibility is the resource tied to the schemes system. It decays naturally and can only be increased by selecting certain schemes. Some give you credibility, and others cost you credibility. How quickly credibility reduces is tied to how much of it you currently possess. If you have the resource maxed out, you'll barely lose any, but you'll find it harder to keep the number up at lower levels.
Character Schemes[]
Character Schemes target both friendly and enemy characters and mostly have to do with how satisfied a character is or how much the character costs to maintain.
| Name | Target | Credibility | Effect | Duration | Cooldown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| An Owl to Seek an Owl | Enemy | -5 | +25% redeploment cost | 5 Turns | 15 Turns |
| Eyes and Ears Within | Enemy | -3 | -25 satisfaction | 5 Turns | 10 Turns |
| Feast for the General | Enemy | -5 | +50% retinue upkeep | 5 turns | 10 Turns |
| Flatter the General | Self | +10 | -15k population growth (local commandery)
-50% retinue upkeep |
5 Turns | 10 Turns |
| Gift of Honour | Enemy | -5 | +50% character salary | 5 Turns | 10 Turns |
| Knowledge of the Ambitious | Self | +10 | +15 satisfaction
+25% character salary |
5 Turns | 10 Turns |
| Mountain Air Will Harm the Body | Enemy | -5 | +50% recruitment cost | 5 Turns | 15 Turns |
Faction Schemes[]
Faction Schemes are focused on the mechanics surrounding factions. It concerns things such as diplomacy and trade.
| Name | Target | Credibility | Effect | Duration | Cooldown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children in the Hand | Enemy | -3 | -50 diplomatic relations with all factions | Instant | 10 Turns |
| Dominion Over the Realm | Self | +20 | Unlocks a new reform | Instant | 20 Turns |
| Hungry Snake Over the Full | Enemy | -5 | +20 cover cost when performing spy actions
(all active spies) |
5 Turns | 10 Turns |
| Mastery of the Dragon's Way | Enemy | -5 | -25% trade influence | 5 Turns | 10 Turns |
| Pay the Rats to Reveal the Snake | Enemy | -5 | -20 undercover network cost gain per turn when spying
(all active spies) |
5 Turns | 10 Turns |
| Relative Above Stranger | Enemy | -3 | +50 diplomatic relations (towards Cao Cao) | Instant | 10 Turns |
| Rival Tigers and One Prey | Self | +10 | +20 diplomatic relations with all factions | 3 Turns | 8 Turns |
| The Cattle Keep the Milk | Enemy | -3 | -20% food production (events) | 5 Turns | 10 Turns |
Commandery Schemes[]
Commandery Schemes serve to either sabotage or buff specific commanderies.
| Name | Target | Credibility | Effect | Duration | Cooldown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drain the Lake to Lay a Road | Enemy | -7 | -50k population growth | 5 Turns | 10 Turns |
| Foresight when Blind | Enemy | -5 | -25 public order | 5 Turns | 10 Turns |
| Stoke the Fires of Rebellion | Enemy | -5 | -20 faction support | 5 Turns | 10 Turns |
| The Wolf who Provokes the Chickens | Enemy | -5 | +2 construction time (commandery-wide) | 5 Turns | 10 Turns |
| Tiger Over the Mouse | Self | +15 | +20 public order
-10 reserve capacity |
3 Turns | 12 Turns |
| Trapped Fish Above the Retreating Tide | Self | +10 | +100 reserves
-15 public order |
5 Turns | 10 Turns |
| Two Bears, One Kill | Enemy | -5 | -100 reserves (local commandery) | 5 Turns | 10 Turns |
Army Schemes[]
Army Schemes focus on buffing friendly armies and sabotaging enemy ones.
| Name | Target | Credibility | Effect | Duration | Cooldown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arrows From the Enemy | Self | +10 | +25% ammunition for all units
+25 military supplies |
3 Turns | 7 Turns |
| Changing of the Seasons | Enemy | -5 | -50% enemy campaign movement range | 3 Turns | 12 Turns |
| Hawk & Tiger Manoeuvres | Self | +15 | Fatigue in battle locked to below: Winded
+50% campaign movement range |
1 Turn | 10 Turns |
| Release the Dammed River | Enemy | -5 | -25% melee damage | 5 Turns | 10 Turns |
| Undermine Defensive Ability | Enemy | -5 | -5 diplomatic relations
-25% melee evasion |
5 Turns | 10 Turns |
| When Far, Appear Near | Enemy | -5 | -100% charge bonus for all units | 5 Turns | 10 Turns |
| When Near, Appear Far | Enemy | -5 | -20 morale | 3 Turns | 12 Turns |
Starting Situation[]
Rise of the Warlords (190)[]
190, Cao Cao - Blue, Enemies - Red
Cao Cao watches dynasties fall and tyrants rise. He has seen power slip into the hands of the undeserving, and through the chaos plots a path back to order by his hand. Regarded as a strategic genius, he pursues victory at any cost, assured that the ends always justify the means. Though some call him ruthless, Cao Cao is nevertheless mindful and considerate, maintaining agricultural garrisons to protect both his supplies and the populace during inhospitable times.
Start: Easy
Cao Cao starts the game in Chen commandery. Dong Zhuo now controls the Han Dynasty, and he has sent general Yuan Huan to arrest you. Defeat Yuan Huan and strike south to unify Chen solidly under your banner. Before long, you will also gain an event regarding the death of Cao Song, your father. You can bide your time or declare war on the governor held responsible, Tao Qian.
Characters
Children
Before long, you will also receive events to recruit the following unique characters:
Mandate of Heaven (182)[]
Cao Cao is not ignorant to the failings of the Han, yet he will fight all the same to see its survival. Despite his loyalty, he has nevertheless experienced first-hand the capricious nature of the imperial court. The emperor, split between corrupt eunuchs and the resistant empress, proffers generosity to Cao Cao with one hand, yet cruelty with the other. Recalled now to fight the emperor's enemies, Cao Cao will proliferate the imperial message to all, whether with conjured rhetoric or remorseless steel.
Start: Hard
Cao Cao starts the game without any land to his name and only has a small army. You must defeat a nearby group of looters led by Shen Chen. After this straightforward victory, the campaign progresses a little differently, with you becoming somewhat of a nomadic faction roaming around China and investigating outlaws. There are three missions to choose from after defeating the looters. The choice is yours.
Characters
Children
A World Betrayed (194)[]
194, Cao Cao - Blue, Lü Bu - Red
Cao Cao watches dynasties fall and tyrants rise. He has seen power slip into the hands of the undeserving, and through the chaos plots a path back to order by his hand. Regarded as a strategic genius, Cao Cao pursues victory at any cost, assured that the ends always justify the means. Though some call him ruthless, he is nevertheless mindful and considerate, maintaining agricultural garrisons to protect both his supplies and the populace during inhospitable times.
Start: Hard
Lü Bu has risen against you and taken your capital of Chen commandery. Your court has moved to Yingchuan commandery. You must defeat Lü Bu and the traitors that joined alongside him. You have a mission to retake your capital of Chen commandery, but Lü Bu's powerful army roams not far to the north. Be cautious.
Characters
- Cao Cao
- Cao Ren
- Lady Bian
- Cao Ang
- Xiahou Dun
- Xiahou Yuan
- Xun Yu
- Xu Chu
- Dian Wei
- Yue Jin
- Yu Jin
- Cheng Yu
- Han Hao
Children
Candidates
Fates Divided (200)[]
200, Cao Cao - Blue, Enemies - Red, Zhang Xiu - Green, Chen Deng - Teal
In the years since the tyrant's demise, Cao Cao has wisely moved from strength to strength: with the emperor now in his custody, all of China would seem to be laid before him, ripe for the taking! Still he moves carefully; Yuan Shao holds the land north of the Yellow River, and has thus far been appeased. However, the ambitious warlord will surely seek to supplant Cao Cao and 'liberate' the emperor. War is all but inevitable, thus Cao Cao must make his next move the best!
Start: Hard
You start the game at war on all sides. Yuan Shao to the north has gathered yet another coalition, this time aimed at stopping Cao Cao once and for all. He's dragged Liu Bei in the east and Gong Du to the south into the war with you alongside his minor allied factions. You also are at with a small and isolated Zheng Jiang, which shouldn't be too much of a problem. Gather your armies and strike north, and beware of the mighty Liu Biao in the south. Your vassal Zhang Xiu and your ally Chen Deng might be able to aid you in this war.
Characters
- Cao Cao
- Cao Ren
- Lady Bian
- Xiahou Dun
- Xiahou Yuan
- Xun Yu
- Yu Jin
- Yue Jin
- Xu Huang
- Jia Xu
- Guo Jia
- Zhang Liao
- Kong Rong
- Xu Chu
- Xun You
- Wang Lang
- Cai Yang
- Cheng Yu
- Mao Jie
- Du Ji
- Zang Ba
- Han Hao
- Zhang Ji
- Yin Li
- Yang Biao
Children
Gallery[]
