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


Liu Zhang is a unique Commander hero in Total War: Three Kingdoms. He is a member of Liu Yan in 190 and 194, serving as the heir of Liu Yan. He leads the faction in 200 as his successor.

Description[]

The youngest son of Liu Yan, Liu Zhang ruled over the Yi Province. While he maintained peace in his realm, some viewed him to be a foolish and incapable ruler. He is easily taken in by tricks and deception, and will choose the wellbeing of his subjects over his own ambition.


General Information[]

Attributes[]

Main Article: Attributes (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

  • Expertise: 56
    • -8% construction cost (administered commandery)
    • +12 melee evasion
  • Resolve: 36
    • +5% general's health
    • +1k population growth (administered commandery)
  • Cunning: 58
    • +17% ammunition (own retinue)
    • +5 military supplies (own army)
  • Instinct: 60
    • +9% melee damage
    • -2% recruitment cost (this army)
  • Authority: 86
    • +5 satisfaction (faction-wide)
    • +4 unit morale (own retinue)


Background[]

Main Article: Background (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

Proponent of Peace

  • +10 cunning
  • +5 instinct
  • +15 authority
  • +1 resilience
  • +50% food production (faction-wide)

Values Kindness, Values Diplomacy, Opposes War.


Unit Statistics[]

  • Morale: 55
  • Melee Toughness: 22
  • Ranged Toughness: 27
  • Melee Power: 11


  • Hit Points: 18k
  • Melee Charge Bonus: 116
  • Melee Attack Rate: 30
  • Base Melee Damage: 702
  • Armour-Piercing Melee Damage: 161
  • Base Melee Evasion: 12%
  • Base Armour: 20%
  • Speed: 97


Traits[]

Main Article: Traits (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

Clever

  • +8 cunning
  • +25% character experience

Admires Intelligence, Loahtes Superstition.


Incompetent

  • -4 expertise
  • +4 resolve
  • -20% character experience

Accepts Carelessness, Wary of Intelligence.


Careless

  • -4 cunning
  • +6 instinct
  • -15% chance of avoiding ambush (own army)

Accepts Carelessness.


Skills[]

Main Article: Skill (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

Nature's Ally

  • +4 cunning
  • +4 authority
  • Ability: Nature's Ally


Nobility

  • +8 authority
  • +1 available assignments
  • Enables: Encourage
  • +20% ranged block chance for melee cavalry (own retinue)


Dignity

  • +8 instinct
  • Enables: Disciplined (own retinue)
  • +5 faction support (faction-wide)


Abilities[]

Main Article: Ability (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

  • Encourage (Passive)
    • Provides a morale boost to nearby allies.
  • Nature's Ally (Passive)
    • +25% speed
    • +10 morale
    • Ignore Forest Penalties
    • Range: 75m


Ancillaries[]

Main Article: Ancillary (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

Noble's Sword

  • Base Melee Damage: 643
  • Armour-Piercing Melee Damage: 161
  • Melee Attack Rate: 30
  • +9 authority
  • +5 satisfaction


Liu Zhang's Armour

  • Base Armour: 20
  • +15 expertise
  • +6 instinct


Brown Horse

  • Speed: 97
  • Mass: 1.5k
  • +2 resolve


Guanxi[]

Main Article: Guanxi

Family

Friends

Acquaintances


Biography[]

To know about Liu Zhang, you must first learn about Liu Yan. In short, Yan was a power-hungry tyrant in his own regard. Whilst never outright declaring war on the Han Empire, he did become the governor of Yi Province, a position he earned by having any opposition assassinated and putting down the revolt of Jia Long. He spent the next few years growing his territory. When Dong Zhuo died, Yan allied with Ma Teng to march on Chang'an against the cruel reign of Li Jue. Yan had become too ambitious for his own good, and when the plan fell in enemy hands, Li Jue crushed the combined armies of the two warlords. Liu Fan and Liu Dan, the two remaining brothers of Zhang (Liu Mao had died earlier of disease), were captured and tortured to death. Liu Zhang was the only son to escape being caught. Liu Yan died shortly after, with Yi Province rapidly falling into chaos with the elderly warlord gone.

Liu Zhang inherited the province with the approval of Emperor Xian in 194. Zhang immediately consolidated his power, quickly stabilizing the chaotic region he inherited. Unlike Yan before him, Liu Zhang never built large armies and seemed to be his father's polar opposite. Whereas Liu Yan took every opportunity to expand his territory, Liu Zhang never made any effort to conquer more land, instead opting to stabilize and develop Yi. This policy earned him somewhat of an unjustified reputation as a weak ruler. Whilst Zhang was peaceful, he was no pushover and maintained firm control over his province, crushing any outlaws foolish enough to plunder his territory. He had a chance to prove himself before long.

Zhang Lu, a former vassal warlord of Liu Yan, had begrudgingly tolerated Liu Zhang's rise to power. Zhang Lu was well-liked by the late Liu Yan, mostly because he was just as aggressive as Yan himself. Zhang Lu had conquered a significant amount of territory to the north, and now his new overlord was a pacifist who refused to launch any campaigns. In 200, Zhang Lu had enough and launched a revolt against Liu Zhang. The plan was to simply take over Yi province and then conquer more land independently.

The rebellion wasn't precisely what Zhang Lu had in mind. While Zhang Lu failed to defeat Liu Zhang, Liu Zhang could not defeat him either, and the conflict quickly bogged down to a stalemate. Liu Zhang had a trick up his sleeve, though: the famous warlord Liu Bei to the east. Liu Zhang and Liu Bei were loosely related to each other, with both being members of the royal family, and as such, Liu Bei sent over an army to defend Yi Province.

Zhang Song, a disgruntled general under Liu Zhang, quickly started scheming to overthrow Liu Zhang. His goal was not to take the province for himself but to conquer it for Liu Bei. After all, Liu Zhang's reputation as a weak ruler preceded him across China, and Liu Bei was well respected. Liu Zhang eventually found out about the plot against him, but it was already too late at that point. Zhang Song quickly made peace with Zhang Lu, then his and Liu Bei's soldiers rose up all across Yi Province. Despite the unwinnable odds, Liu Zhang's soldiers were bitterly loyal and put up fierce resistance against the surprise attack, but it was not enough to protect Liu Zhang's power.

Liu Zhang desperately defended his province but ultimately retreated to his capital city of Chengdu in 214. Whilst his men would happily fight to the bitter end, Liu Zhang was no fool and surrendered to Zhang Song, who later handed the territory over to Liu Bei. Liu Bei didn't give the order for the rebellion, nor did he entirely agree with it, but he still happily accepted ownership of Yi Province. Zhang Lu's territory would be partitioned between Liu Bei and Cao Cao in later years.

Liu Zhang was banished from his province and was eventually taken in by Sun Quan. Sun Quan recognized him as the rightful governor of Yi Province, referring to Emperor Xian's approval in 194 and the lack of such imperial support for Liu Bei, but never bothered to press the claim against him as they were still in an alliance against Cao Cao at the time. Sun Quan still didn't press the claim when war broke out between the two former allies. Liu Zhang died in 219 from old age.


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