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Liu Yu is a Chinese name; the family name is Liu.

For the faction, see Liu Yu (faction)

Liu Yu is a Commander hero in Total War: Three Kingdoms. He leads his own faction, Liu Yu, in 190 and 182.


General Information[]

Attributes[]

Main Article: Attributes (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

  • Expertise: 59
    • -7% construction cost (administered commandery)
    • +11 melee evasion
  • Resolve: 59
    • +17% general's health
    • +2k population growth (administered commandery)
  • Cunning: 67
    • +21% ammunition (own retinue)
    • +6 military supplies (own army)
  • Instinct: 40
    • +3% melee damage
    • -1% recruitment cost (this army)
  • Authority: 77
    • +3 satisfaction (faction-wide)
    • +3 unit morale (own retinue)


Background[]

Main Article: Background (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

Prosperous Trader

  • +10 expertise
  • +15 cunning
  • +5 authority
  • Unlocks assignment: Surplus Markets
  • +1 resilience
  • +15% trade influence (faction-wide)
  • +1 available trade agreements (faction-wide)

Admires Intelligence, Commends Flexibility.


Unit Statistics[]

  • Morale: 55
  • Melee Toughness: 24
  • Ranged Toughness: 30
  • Melee Power: 9


  • Hit Points: 18k
  • Melee Charge Bonus: 116
  • Melee Attack Rate: 50
  • Base Melee Damage: 332
  • Armour-Piercing Melee Damage: 80
  • Base Melee Evasion: 11%
  • Base Armour: 36%
  • Speed: 97


Traits[]

Main Article: Traits (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

Sincere

  • +2 resolve
  • +6 authority
  • +1 satisfaction (local county)

Values Diplomacy, Commends Trustworthiness.


Modest

  • +2 cunning
  • +6 authority
  • -50% desire for higher office
  • -15% retinue upkeep
  • Decreases ambition to gain independence as administrator

Commends Honour, Loathes Arrogance, Loathes Greed


Fraternal

  • +8 resolve
  • -50% desire for higher office

Focuses on Friendship.


Skills[]

Main Article: Traits (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

  • Zeal
    • +8 expertise
    • +10% melee armour-piercing damage (own army)
    • +40% melee attack rate
  • Unyielding Earth
    • +4 resolve
    • +4 authority
    • Ability: Unyielding Earth


Abilities[]

Main Article: Ability (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

  • Unyielding Earth (Active Buff)
    • Can use if:
      • Not on Elephant
    • +1900% Charge Resistance
    • +100% Melee Evasion
    • Unbreakable
    • Range: 75m
    • Duration: 30s
    • Cooldown: 120s


Ancillaries[]

Main Article: Ancillary (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

  • Ceremonial Sword
    • Base Melee Damage: 321
    • Armour-Piercing Melee Damage: 80
    • Melee Attack Rate: 30
    • +6 authority
  • Dignified Raiment
    • Base Armour: 36
    • +10 authority
  • Grey Horse
    • Speed: 97
    • Mass: 1.5k
    • +2 expertise


Guanxi[]

Main Article: Guanxi


Biography[]

Liu Yu is mainly remembered for his bitter rivalry with general and former friend Gongsun Zan, but there is more to Liu Yu than meets the eye at first glance, as he was an official who truly served the people. He rose through the bureaucratic ranks as the son of an influential administrator. Making his career across northern China, he gained a reputation for being both utterly incorruptible while also being highly efficient at his job.

This led to him gaining considerable power, even managing to rally non-Chinese ethnicities to his side, as he often dealt with foreigners in both trade and diplomacy. Overall, Liu Yu was well respected across China and beyond. When the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out, he set out with Gongsun Zan to prevent the Yellow Turbans from conquering northeastern China. Despite losing significant portions of territory to the Yellow Turban cause, he was able to preserve most of his land with the aid of Gongsun Zan.

However, ultimately, his downfall would come not from the Yellow Turbans but from his own subordinates. It started with Gongsun Du, siding with Dong Zhuo instead of the coalition. Then, in 190, Gongsun Zan, disgruntled at Liu Yu's leadership, gathered a significant portion of his army and defected, claiming territory for himself. Liu Yu's plan for the war was to keep casualties at an absolute minimum, as he genuinely cared about the lives of his subjects. However, when Zan realised what Yu was up to, he began aggressively attacking Yu's territory.

Eventually, Gongsun Zan would capture Liu Yu, later beheading him for supposedly committing treason against himself and the Han Empire. This move was met with outrage across China, as most people knew these charges were bogus, as Liu Yu had been nothing but honourable his whole life.

His death would be one of the motivations behind Yuan Shao's invasion of Gongsun Zan's territory some years later, which ended up with Gongsun Zan and his family dead, and his armies scattered in the wind.

References[]

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