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For the faction, see Yellow Turban Rebellion (faction). For the DLC, see Yellow Turban Rebellion Warlord Pack.

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The Yellow Turban Rebellion, often shortened to the Yellow Turbans, were a series of large-scale peasant revolts across China against the Han Dynasty lasting from 184 until 205 AD. The Yellow Turbans dramatically destabilised the Han Empire, leading to the eventual rise of powerful warlords as the authority of the central government was left severely weakened.

In Total War: Three Kingdoms, the Yellow Turban Rebellion plays a central role in the Mandate of Heaven DLC and its associated campaign starting in 182 AD. The Yellow Turbans are also considered their own subculture. Different units, buildings, and mechanics are available to the Zhang brothers or the factions added by the Yellow Turban Rebellion Warlord Pack.


Historical Context[]

The Yellow Turban Rebellion was caused by several issues plaguing China in the late 2nd century AD. The Han Empire had grown extremely corrupt under the reign of Emperor Ling (157-189 AD). Ascending to the throne as a twelve-year-old child emperor, he relied heavily on his eunuchs. Eunuchs were tasked with important administrative jobs in dynastic China due to their inability to produce offspring and found a dynasty of their own. This would remove a motivation to betray their master and make them more loyal, though the reality was often disappointing.

Under Emperor Ling, a powerful faction of eunuchs gained control over him, even in adulthood. These so-called Ten Attendants (though, confusingly, there were twelve) were heavily corrupt and abused the Chinese bureaucracy to line their own pockets. Nepotism, over-taxation, and widespread corruption crippled the economy of the Han Empire. Furthermore, China was struck by multiple failed harvests and natural disasters at this time, though the imperial government turned a blind eye. With no relief effort in sight, people starved to death in the streets while the government in Luoyang continued to live in absolute luxury. Besides this, many peasants were also resentful of the lack of social mobility upwards and higher classes (who often served in government) could also force peasants to work for them against their will.

The result of all these factors was a general sense of abandonment amongst the peasant population of China and a hatred of the elitism of the Han. All it required was one person to unify and direct them to battle; that person would be Zhang Jue. Zhang Jue was a religious leader who founded the Way of the Celestial Masters based on Taoist ideas. He already held a decently sized following, yet his followers grew rapidly in the years leading up to the rebellion. He proclaimed that the Han had lost the Mandate of Heaven – the core justification of the Chinese imperial system – and that a new dynasty had to rise from the ashes of the Han. His calls for a new and progressive state that would eliminate many of the old system's problems and replace it with a fairer one that would ensure peace across China struck a chord with the general public. However, it also acted as a threat to the Han.

In 184 AD, the Han moved and tried to have Zhang Jue and his two brothers, Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang arrested. The arrests failed and ultimately sparked a violent response that spiralled into the Yellow Turban Rebellion. The namesake were the yellow turbans or headbands that the rebels wore to identify each other. With the rebels numbering in the hundreds of thousands, the Imperial government was unprepared and unable to defeat them. To save their hides, they called on regional governors and warlords to put down the Yellow Turbans. This proved effective and led to the original Yellow Turban Rebellion ending in 185 AD with the death of the three brothers. However, in the long term, the Han Empire had lost most of its authority to regional warlords, who henceforth acted as the de-facto government in their local regions. With casualties in the millions, the economy of China worsened even furhter, leading to these regional powers also being able to coax their people into submission with economic benefits or grants for serving them over the central government. This unchecked decentralisation of political power would lead to the rapid collapse of the Han after the death of Emperor Ling in 189 AD.

Despite the main Yellow Turban Rebellion ending in 185, more localised resistance continued for two decades after the fact under regional Yellow Turban leaders. These are generally referred to as the Resurgent Yellow Turbans and consisted of those seeking to establish Zhang Jue's vision after his passing. The most prominent of these leaders was Huang Shao. However, the Resurgent Yellow Turbans never managed to pose as significant a threat to the old system as the original rebellion had, primarily due to smaller numbers and being spread out far apart from each other. Furthermore, the movement became polluted by many outlaws who fought under the Yellow Turban banner to justify their banditry. By 205, the last remnants of the Resurgent Yellow Turbans lay dead or surrendered, finally ending the conflict after two decades.

Ultimately, the Yellow Turban Rebellion failed, though their goal of getting rid of the Han Empire succeeded. By 205, the Han Empire had become an insignificant relic under Cao Cao, who controlled Emperor Xian as his puppet. Their authority was symbolic at best, and the Empire was formally abolished in 220 when Cao Pi crowned himself Emperor of Wei.


In-Game[]

In Total War: Three Kingdoms, the Yellow Turban Rebellion is represented by factions of the Yellow Turban subculture. The Yellow Turbans' beliefs blend Taoism and shamanistic principles, and these spiritual aspects are a recurring theme throughout their faction gameplay. Many of their features relate to the three Taoist domains of Land, People and Heaven, or the Three Treasures (or virtues) of Taoism: Frugality, Compassion, and Humility.

Reflecting these concepts, the playable Resurgent Yellow Turban factions are led by He Yi (People), Gong Du (Land) and Huang Shao (Heaven). Each has their own playstyle and unique bonuses. Playable Yellow Turban factions improve their Faction Rank as their campaigns progress. These represent the journey to enlightenment, the achievement of The Great Peace, regaining the Mandate of Heaven, and appointing a just Emperor. Progression requires the player to study the verses in the Book of Great Peace, construct religious buildings in their settlements and improve the virtuous characteristics of the characters under their control.

Yellow Turban factions construct a mix of adapted Han buildings and their own unique structures. Their technology tree is divided into three scrolls from the Book of Great Peace, each of which references the three Taoist domains and contains verses of Taoist scripture. It is structurally and mechanically very different from the default tech trees used by other factions.


Factions[]

In total, seven factions follow the Yellow Turban subculture. These are:


Heroes[]

Main Article: Hero (Total War: Three Kingdoms), Class (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

There are three unique hero classes that only Yellow Turban factions can recruit. These are Healers, Scholars, and Veterans.

Each general is a mix of regular Generals. For example, Healers' colours are green and red, which is a mix of Champions and Vanguards. Healers are generally good at engaging large amounts of troops though are much weaker in duels with other heroes.

Scholars are a mix of Sentinels and Commanders. Their retinues are generally best equipped with archers and a small amount of infantry to defend against melee attacks. They typically have a high amount of cunning, which is beneficial for a hero commanding a retinue of ranged infantry. An example is Huang Shao, who has cunning as his second-highest base attribute and is also a Scholar. Scholars are also much better at melee combat than their strategist counterparts.

Veterans are best at duelling, though they not very good at engaging large amounts of troops. They have the colour of Strategists and Champions. Their retinues are best equipped with melee infantry or cavalry. An example of a great duellist is Pei Yuanshao, a veteran who starts serving under Huang Shao. He has a unique ability tree with Unyielding Earth, Wisdom of the River and other unlockable abilities that make him a better duelist than many of the strongest Vanguards.

Besides generals, Yellow Turbans can also recruit captains. Each captain generally has peasant infantry and or regular Yellow Turban units. Each Captain is like a Han garrison captain, making them improved versions of the default units.


Skills and Abilities[]

Main Article: Skill (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

Yellow Turban characters have different skills and abilities than regular Han characters. However, they have access to some standard skills depending on the character, giving them a hybridized choice of Han and Yellow Turban skills. In addition to this, many Yellow Turban skills provide enlightenment, the Yellow Turban equivalent of prestige.


Armour[]

Main Article: Armour Ancillaries (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

Yellow Turban characters use a unique replacement for Armour Ancillaries. Instead of regular armour, Yellow Turbans use "scaling armour" that improves over time as the character levels up. Healers, Scholars, and Veterans have access to a Common, Refined, Exceptional, and Unique version of their armour sets for a total of twelve new ancillaries.


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