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Units are the smallest controllable entity on the battlefield in Total War: Three Kingdoms. Units make up the retinues of individual generals, with a maximum of six units per retinue.


Overview[]

A single organized body of soldiers, armed and armoured identically, is known as a unit. In the campaign, units are recruited into army retinues and cost upkeep each turn to maintain.

In battle, the soldiers in each unit move and fight together, responding to orders as a single entity, and have a single combined morale rating that rises or falls according to the unit’s circumstances in the heat of battle. Units also suffer fatigue over time according to the orders they are given in battle, reducing their movement speed and effectiveness in combat.

In battle, units have a front, a flank, and a rear. All units fight most effectively and gain the most defence against enemy weapons in the front. Units attacked in the flank and rear will fight less effectively in those directions, will take a greater deal of damage, will gain no bonus from their shields if they are so equipped, and will suffer extra morale penalties.

Units gather experience through battle, and their characteristics improve in line with their rise in rank. The player can check a unit’s specific characteristics by selecting the unit in a campaign or battle, and viewing the unit info panel on the left of the screen.

Certain units are particularly strong – or weak – against certain others in battle. When a player has a unit selected, sometimes a red threat warning triangle will be shown above specific enemy units. These highlight enemy units that the player-selected unit is especially vulnerable to.[1]


Research and Unlocking Units[]

Units are available to retinue-leading generals based on their class, faction, the faction's reforms, the faction's rank, and sometimes themselves.[2] Possible available units can be seen in Recruitment -> Display Unavailable Units.

  • Militia: Every faction and every general has access to militia units, regardless of class and general rank. There are militia units in different Wu Xing classes offering varying capabilities. Militia units have low morale, often have low stats compared to more advanced units (but not always), and are usually the lowest cost for both recruitment and maintenance. Militia units do not have access to advanced formations.
  • Wu Xing class: Each unit in Three Kingdoms belongs to a Wu Xing class. Each class of units has some shared characteristics. Unit availability is typically restricted by the class (Wu Xing) of the commanding general in the retinue. Only generals with matching Wu Xing can recruit units of that Wu Xing class. For example, only Strategist can field siege weapons, which all belong to Water.
  • Advanced Units: More advanced units may be unlocked by reforms, including the elite Dragon units. Dragon units are not only powerful and can be recruited by generals of any class – the flexibility adds to their strength. Imperial Units are unlocked by reaching the King faction rank. Imperial units start at Rank 10 upon recruitment but have very slow replenishment. Imperial units can be recruited by any general without class restriction. Some imperial units may require reforms. Multiple imperial units in the vicinity buff each other.
  • Unique Units: Factions and characters may have unique units. Faction-unique units can be recruited by any general in the corresponding faction as long as the requirement of the general's rank is fulfilled. For example, all generals under Cao Cao can recruit Tiger and Leopard Cavalry at Rank 3 and its heavy variant at Rank 6.
  • Heavy Variants: Some units have heavy variants that are unlocked by the rank of the general and possibly more advanced reforms. For example, when a Champion hits rank 6, they can recruit the Heavy Spear Guard, which is the heavy variant of the Spear Guard. Heavy variants are typically better armoured, slower, have more mass (for calculating charge damage), and are more expensive to recruit and maintain.
  • Captains units: Captains are powerful retinues led by generic captain characters. Only a handful of factions have access to them, such as Yellow Turbans, Yuan Shao, or Sun Jian. Yuan Shao's captain armoury mechanic allows the customisation of captain retinues.[3]

Unit types[]

The armament, apparel, and quality of different units grant them specific roles on the battlefield. Getting the most out of an army is all about manoeuvring units into positions where they can optimally perform their roles against targets most vulnerable to their attacks.

Units may have the terms light, medium, or heavy in their title. These refer to the unit’s armour but, by inference, can help players make broad assumptions about other aspects of the unit. Elite warriors tend to get more expensive and effective armour for example, so it’s reasonable to assume that heavy units tend to have higher morale, and will be better fighters. Heavier troops have greater mass too, so medium and heavy cavalry units will generally carry greater momentum, and therefore deal greater impact damage when charging.

Units in Three Kingdoms are also classified by Wu Xing elements so the player can understand their roles and synergies at a glance, though traditional classes of units such as Melee infantry and Shock cavalry are still being mentioned in the game. Some units carry shields into battle, reducing any melee and ranged damage they are dealt - but only from the front. If a Strategist character is present in an army, units will be granted special formations to enhance their capabilities in battle.

  • Melee Infantry (Metal) - Armed with swords or axes and bearing shields, melee infantry is players' principal assault troops as they have a good melee charge bonus. They are effective at dealing damage against polearm and ranged infantry but are less effective against cavalry and are quite vulnerable to flank attacks by them. In the game, the melee infantry is assigned to Metal element and colour-coded purple. Melee Infantry is best assigned to Sentinel heroes.
  • Polearm Infantry (Wood) - Reasonable all-rounders and an army's principal defensive troops, pike and spear infantry form the backbone of many armies. While they generally do not deal as much damage as melee infantry (and are generally vulnerable to them), they are much better at fighting cavalry. When standing still, they gain the braced and Charge Reflection vs Mounted ability against frontal charges. Some spear & shield infantry can assume turtle formations, rendering them impervious to most missile attacks. In-game, the melee infantry is assigned to Wood element and colour-coded green. Polearm Infantry is best assigned to Champion heroes.
  • Ranged Infantry (Water) - Infantry armed with bows and crossbows can damage enemy units from afar but are generally lightly armoured and less effective in melee than other infantry types, and so are best placed behind the front line. Alternatively, they can be placed in the front to fire off a volley or two before retreating behind supporting troops. They are particularly vulnerable to cavalry, which can swiftly manoeuvre around the front line to access them. However, they can inflict plenty of damage against unshielded opponents, especially most shock cavalry. Bows have a shorter range than crossbows but are faster to fire and can use fire arrows and poison arrows, while crossbows have a longer range and deal significantly more armour-piercing damage. Repeater Crossbows have a faster rate of fire than Crossbows and inflict suppression but deal no AP damage and have a short range. The faster a unit is moving, the harder it is to hit. Archers will therefore do a lot more damage to a tightly-formed block of static or slow-moving troops, for example, than they will to a loosely spaced unit of cavalry galloping at full speed. In the game, the ranged infantry is assigned to Water element and colour-coded blue. Ranged Infantry is best assigned to Strategist heroes.
  • Ranged Artillery (Water) - Ranged Artillery pieces such as the trebuchet are powerful long-range weapons that hurl large projectiles at greater distances. They can damage and destroy city walls, bastion artillery, defensive towers, and gates, and may be commanded to fire different ammo types. Artillery is extremely vulnerable to melee attack however and should be protected by other units. In the game, the ranged artillery is assigned to Water element and colour-coded blue. Ranged Artillery can only be recruited by Strategist heroes.
  • Ranged Cavalry (Water) - Ranged cavalry carry bows, granting them the ranged damage of archers combined with the speed and manoeuvrability of cavalry. Due to their cavalry speed and mass, they can still cause impact damage when charging, though are less effective at this than shock or melee cavalry. In the game, the ranged cavalry is assigned to Water element and colour-coded blue. Cavalry units move rapidly, which means they can outmanoeuvre infantry and choose where to engage. This makes them versatile and grants them a range of uses on the battlefield. Ranged Cavalry can often kite another cavalry due to its superior speed and ranged fire, and are quite effective at whittling down unshielded shock cavalry. Ranged Cavalry is best assigned to Strategist heroes.
  • Shock Cavalry (Fire) - Shock cavalry wields lances and causes tremendous impact damage. They are therefore best used when charging and are the best type of cavalry to use against another cavalry. When their charge bonus has faded, they do not deal as much damage over time as melee cavalry and should be pulled out and cycle-charged to maintain optimal damage output. But watch out for ranged troops; most shock cavalry lack ranged protection and their large size makes them easy targets for projectiles. In the game, the shock cavalry is assigned to Fire element and colour-coded red. Shock cavalry's speed and mass combine to deal major impact damage when they charge, reflected by their high melee charge bonus rating. If shock cavalry is locked in static melee with an enemy unit, it's useful to pull them out of combat, set them up to charge again, and deal more impact damage. This is known as cycle charging. It is best assigned to Vanguard heroes.
  • Melee Cavalry (Earth) - Melee cavalry is armed with swords and shields, so are better able to weather arrow-fire, and deal greater damage over time when locked in melee than shock or ranged cavalry. In the game, the ranged cavalry is assigned to Earth element and colour-coded yellow. They also have an additional defence bonus to ranged infantry due to the element counter mechanics. Cavalry, especially Melee Cavalry, make an excellent counter to archers, as they can manoeuvre around the enemy army to reach them, and are useful for running down or chasing routing troops from the field, as routing troops will not recover morale while continuously engaged. Polearm infantry, with their braced and charge reflection VS mounted abilities, should never be charged face-on by cavalry. They are vulnerable when pinned by swordsmen or enemy spearmen. This gives chance for the cavalry to perform flank or rear charges, where they cannot bring their polearms to bear. It is best assigned to Commander heroes.
  • Elephants (Fire) - Added by the Furious Wild, Elephants are exclusively available to Nanman factions. These gigantic beasts of war are similar to Shock Cavalry, as they are excellent at charging due to their extremely high mass. Their main weakness is ranged attacks, as they will suffer extra damage from ranged units due to Water doing extra damage to Fire due to the Wu Xing mechanic. It is best assigned to Nanman heroes.


Attributes[]

Units have base attributes (stats) and the stats can be modified by faction-wide, county-wide, army-wide, or retinue-wide bonuses and maluses.

Damage[]

Different units armed with different weapons can cause a range of damage types. Understanding these will enhance the effectiveness of players' armies in battle, which helps to determine which targets are most susceptible to which damage type. Damage types and effects include:

  • Base damage: Base damage is the regular, unmodified form of damage that one unit deals to another. All units have a melee damage-base characteristic, while ranged units also have a ranged damage–base characteristic. These base values do not take into account any modifiers in play, such as bonuses granted by the character leading their retinue, or other active battlefield effects.
  • Armour piercing (AP): Weapons, skills, and abilities that cause AP Damage to ignore a unit’s armour value. AP damage from melee weapons and projectiles may still be evaded, according to the unit’s melee and ranged evasion characteristics. Generally, units with high AP damage often have lower base damage and/or lower attack rate, making them vulnerable to being mobbed by unarmoured enemies.
  • Fire damage: During a siege battle or a town and resource battle, flaming projectiles and units with the raider ability may set fire to buildings. As the flames spread, units in the defending army will begin to suffer increasing morale penalties for the duration of the battle. Any buildings that are damaged or destroyed by fire during the battle will require repair or rebuilding after the battle concludes. Trees and some vegetation may also be set ablaze in any battle type, reducing morale, slightly damaging, and increasing the fatigue of nearby units.
  • Flaming projectiles: Flaming projectiles, such as arrows and artillery rounds, cause greater standard damage but less AP damage than standard projectiles. They also deal a morale penalty to the target unit and may set nearby buildings and vegetation ablaze.
  • Impact damage: A cavalry unit’s speed and mass combine to deal impact damage when it charges. Broadly speaking, the heavier the unit, the greater the impact damage, so heavy shock cavalry will deal greater impact damage than medium shock cavalry. After impact damage has been dealt, the cavalry unit will deal enhanced melee damage for a period, according to its melee charge bonus characteristic. This enhancement fades over 60 seconds, after which the cavalry unit will continue to deal its usual melee damage.

Ammunition[]

Ammunition is a measure of how much a ranged unit can fire its projectiles per battle. Every time a range unit fires, some ammunition is depleted, which is displayed on the top right of unit cards in battle. Ammunition depletion accounts for whether a volley is fired by all or part of the unit.

The ammunition stat defines the starting available ammunition and is the limiting factor for how much damage a range unit can deal in a battle.

Displayed unit ammunition is the base multiplied by the sum of bonuses and maluses and then rounded to the nearest integer. Base ammunition is fixed by unit type. The % bonuses and maluses are all additives. For example, Guo Jia at 187 Cunning is displayed to have +92% ammo from his Cunning stat. Additionally, Guo Jia has the Brilliant trait, which confers a +15% ammo bonus. Suppose Zhang Wen, who has the same Brilliant trait, is in the same or an allied faction and is in the same county. The two identical traits do stack their bonuses. The final bonus on ammunition is thus +122%. Onyx Dragon, which has a base ammo stat of 30 will now display 52, which is 30 x (1 + 122%) and rounded to the nearest integer.

Ranged units have access to several different ammunition types for different purposes, including:

  • Flammable Round (Artillery): Medium damage, explosive, small morale penalty to target, can set buildings on fire. Available only in retinues of a Strategist who has unlocked the Resourcefulness skill.
  • Flaming Shot (Archers): Slow to fire, reduced AP damage, morale penalty to target. Available in retinues of a Strategist, Commander or Sentinel who has unlocked the Composure skill in the army.
  • Poison Arrows (Archers): Slow to fire, no AP damage, extra damage over time, speed and combat penalty to target. Available in retinues of certain generals with the Ruthlessness skill, by Ancillary or unique title.
  • Standard Round (Artillery): Heavy damage, passes through ranks, strong VS walls.
  • Standard Shot (Archers): Quick to fire, good base damage and AP damage.

Fatigue[]

As units, both heroes and retinues, run and fight throughout a battle, they will become steadily more fatigued. Increasing fatigue reduces a unit's movement speed and its effectiveness in combat. Walking does not impact fatigue. Troops who stood idle and unengaged will recover over time, and walking troops will recover from fatigue, though less quickly than when standing still.

Managing units' fatigue requires a common-sense approach. For example, if the player orders units to run everywhere, or they spend significant time in combat, they will become more fatigued.

Some useful ways to reduce the effects of fatigue are to walk troops into position when the battle begins rather than running them. Also, if the player has the luxury of numbers, consider holding a few units back when committing the army to battle. This way, players can cycle exhausted troops of the front line to rest, replacing them with fresh troops who will charge more swiftly and fight more effectively.


Abilities[]

Main Articles: Unit Ability (Total War: Three Kingdoms) and Formation (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

Much like characters, units also have their own abilities. They can also receive extra abilities not part of their base set if their general has a trait that grants Unit Abilities. Unit Abilities grant specific skills and tactical advantages in battles. Unit Abilities are noted in the description panel to the left of the screen when the unit is selected.

Formations are abilities that players can use to enhance certain aspects of a unit's performance in battle. If a Strategist is present in an army, they will unlock new formations for units across the entire army.

Tactics[]

  • Flanking - A core concept in battle, flanking simply refers to attacking a unit in the side or rear, where it is weakest as it cannot bring its weapons or defences to bear at the point of contact. Flanking is also a key tactic in reducing a unit’s morale and forcing it to rout.
  • Terrain - Unit movement speed is affected by the terrain on the battlefield. Charging downhill will grant units higher movement speed and a charge damage bonus.


Unit Cards[]

TW3K unitcard ani

Unit card style comparison[4]

The units in-game are represented by the unit card that appeared on the army panel on the campaign map and in battle. By default, units are grouped together with their retinue and the leading general. However, for players who are more accustomed to previous Total War games, the default grouping can be changed in the interface options in the settings menu. The unit cards can also be manually rearranged in each battle using the group select feature.

Unit cards in the game feature two art styles. The original units are painted in the styles of traditional Chinese ink-painting and watercolours. Alternative unit card style features rendered 3D unit models. The player can turn the alternative unit cards on in the interface menu in the settings.


Unit List[]

Main Article: Category:Units (Total War: Three Kingdoms)


References[]

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