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Yuan Shao is a Chinese name; the family name is Yuan.

For the Faction, see Yuan Shao (faction)

Yuan Shao is a unique legendary Commander hero in Total War: Three Kingdoms. He is a member of Liu Hong in 182, later leading his own faction, Yuan Shao, in 190, 194 and 200.


Description[]

As the Han's loyal defender, Yuan Shao stormed Luoyang to liberate the emperor and personally slaughtered the treacherous eunuchs. He rose to power due to his outstanding reputation, wealth, and prestige. Though he lacks in substance, his ostentatious style is beyond doubt.

As the leader of the coalition, the charismatic Yuan Shao will appeal to players with diplomatic flair who want to focus on alliances and political maneuvering. His ability to field military captains as leaders of retinues enables him to build strong forces without the necessity of controlling the satisfaction and loyalties of his generals.

Powerful and ostentatious, Yuan Shao is for those who know they'll make an excellent emperor.


Overview[]

Yuan Shao is a charismatic and noble leader of men whose appeal to the common soldier cannot be underestimated. His unique ability to recruit retinues that are led by a military captain and not by a commanding general provides him with a way to quickly bolster his forces, and as long as he is the faction leader he will also benefit from a reduction in these retinues' cost.

It is primarily his lineage that is the driver of Yuan Shao's significant charisma and influence. Yuan Shao gains lineage when he is in alliances or coalitions, and if the faction leader is leading armies in the field. Bringing characters into his faction means that he must pull some strings and make promises based on his nobility, effectively expending this currency. Yuan Shao can also use his lineage to more effectively pacify captured settlements. Notably, Yuan Shao is one of the few characters able to forge alliances right at the start of the game – only his half-brother Yuan Shu can do this as well.

All this means that Yuan Shao is best suited to focusing on alliance gameplay, so always making sure to care about your diplomatic relationships, and to be involved with as many factions as possible while also building up large forces comprising military captains and their retinues is a wise choice.


General Information[]

Attributes[]

Main Article: Attributes (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

  • Expertise: 57
    • -8% construction cost (administered commandery)
    • +12 melee evasion
  • Resolve: 60
    • +18% general's health
    • +2k population growth (administered commandery)
  • Cunning: 40
    • +7% ammunition (own retinue)
    • +2 military supplies (own army)
  • Instinct: 57
    • +11% melee damage
    • -3% recruitment cost (this army)
  • Authority: 125
    • +8 satisfaction (faction-wide)
    • +6 unit morale (own retinue)


Background[]

Main Article: Background (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

Preeminent Commander

  • +30 resolve
  • +10 instinct
  • +20 authority
  • +1 resilience
  • +100% reinforcement range
  • +50% income from family estates (if faction leader)
  • -15% recruitment cost for polearm infantry (faction-wide, if leader, heir or prime minister)
  • +3 starting rank for polearm infantry recruits (faction-wide, if leader, heir or prime minister)

Commends Honour, Opposes Criminality, Opposes Cruelty.



Unit Statistics[]

  • Morale: 100
  • Melee Toughness: 28
  • Ranged Toughness: 35
  • Melee Power: 11
  • Hit Points: 18k
  • Melee Charge Bonus: 116
  • Melee Attack Rate: 32
  • Base Melee Damage: 491
  • Armour-Piercing Melee Damage: 326
  • Base Melee Evasion: 12%
  • Base Armour: 70%
  • Speed: 97


Traits[]

Main Article: Traits (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

Arrogant

  • +2 instinct
  • +6 authority
  • -15% chance of evading capture post-battle

Loathes Arrogance.


Charismatic

  • +12 authority
  • +5 satisfaction (faction-wide, if leader, heir or prime minister)
  • +3 public order (administered commandery)
  • Increases ambition to gain independence as administrator

Values Sociability, Admires Zeal.


Vain

  • -4 cunning
  • +6 instinct
  • +25% retinue upkeep
  • +1 starting rank for all recruits (own retinue)

Admires Attractiveness, Indulges Vanity, Dislikes Scarring.


Skills[]

Main Article: Skill (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

  • Dignity
    • +8 instinct
    • Enables: Disciplined (own retinue)
    • +5 faction support (faction-wide)
  • Meditation
    • +8 authority
    • Enables: Unbreakable
    • +2 morale when defending (when commanding)
  • Familial Conflict
  • Nobility
    • +8 authority
    • +1 available assignments
    • Enables: Encourage
    • +20% ranged block chance for melee cavalry (own retinue)


Abilities[]

Main Article: Ability (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

  • Encourage
    • Provides a morale bonus to nearby allies.
  • Unbreakable
    • Does not suffer any morale loss and will never rout.
  • Familial Conflict (Passive Buff)
    • Enabled if:
      • Friendly units are in range with this ability
    • Can use if:
      • Not on Elephant
    • +50% Base Melee Damage
    • +50% Armour-Piercing Melee Damage
    • +50% Melee Charge Bonus
    • +50% Melee Attack Rate
    • +5 Morale
    • Duration: ∞


Ancillaries[]

Main Article: Ancillary (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

  • Military Jian
    • Base Melee Damage: 441
    • Armour-Piercing Melee Damage: 326
    • Melee Attack Rate: 30
    • +12 expertise
  • Yuan Shao's Armour
    • Base Armour: 70
    • +6 instinct
    • +15 authority
    • +5% melee attack rate
  • White Horse
    • Speed: 97
    • Mass: 1.5k
    • +2 authority


Guanxi[]

Main Article: Guanxi

TW3K Yuan Shao-guanxi

Family

Friends

Acquaintances

Negative Acquaintances

Rivals

Nemeses


Biography[]

A handsome and charismatic lord, Yuan Shao was He Jin's right-hand man, and instrumental in the defeat of the Ten Attendants.

He resisted Dong Zhuo's attempts to get him on board with his plans to dethrone the current child emperor and replace him with an even younger, more malleable alternative, opening up a rift between the two of them.

Yuan Shao was then pressed by Cao Cao to call all able-bodied men to join a coalition against the tyrant, joining him in protesting Dong Zhuo's military takeover of the capital. When Yuan Shao and his allies drafted troops to fight against Dong Zhuo, the tyrant attempted to make peace with him – only for Yuan Shao to slay several of the envoys that came to greet him.

With Emperor Xian as Dong Zhuo's puppet, Yuan Shao and Han Fu sought to establish Liu Yu as emperor in his place – a proposal that was abandoned due to the objections of Liu Yu himself.

Yuan Shao is descended from power and prestige. His great grandfather Yuan An is well-known for having built the lofty Yuan dynasty, while his grandfather Yuan Tang is a high-ranking minister of the Han dynasty. However, his father Yuan Feng is something of a controversial figure, with rumours suggesting that Yuan Shao may not actually be his son at all.[1]


Trivia[]

  • The Alliance Leader is a title given by The Creative Assembly to Yuan Shao after his playstyle.
  • Yuan Shao's English voice actor is Paul Hyu.[2]


Gallery[]

Reference[]

  1. Total War: THREE KINGDOMS Warlord Legends – Yuan Shao
  2. [https://www.totalwar.com/blog/an-interview-with-three-kingdoms-voice-actor-paul-hyu/ “Please never make me shout as much again!”: an interview with THREE KINGDOMS voice actor Paul Hyu
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