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For the character, see Yuan Shao.

Yuan Shao is a playable faction in Total War: Three Kingdoms. It is located in northern China in Wei commandery. The faction appears in 190, 194, and 200. Gaining a rank as a duke, king or emperor renames the faction to Song.


Unique Features[]

Yuan Shao Unique Units

Unique Units

Unique Buildings

Unique Features

  • Lineage
  • Captain Retinues
  • Captain Armoury


Lineage[]

Lineage is the unique faction resource of Yuan Shao. Like most faction resources, it is gained through winning battles, declaring war, and taking commanderies. Furthermore, recruiting a Captain grants 10 Lineage. There are also a few ways to earn Lineage passively:

  • Deploy Yuan Shao as a general, +5 Lineage per turn
  • Have someone join your coalition, +1 Lineage per turn per member
  • Have someone join your military alliance, +2 Lineage per turn per member
  • Build Yuan Administration Office, +1/2/4 per turn depending on the level.

Lineage ranges from a minimum of zero to a maximum of 1000 and is divided into six tiers. These are:

Unnamed (0-29)

  • No effect


Lineage: Tarnished (30-59)

  • Gain access to purchase tier 1 rewards in the captain armoury.

You are descended from a distinguished, centuries-old family, but what have you contributed to its legacy?


Lineage: Admirable (60-99)

  • Gain access to purchase tier 2 rewards in the captain armoury.

Word is spreading of your name, your actions have been noteworthy and your notability is increasing.


Lineage: Esteemed (100-149)

  • Gain access to purchase tier 3 rewards in the captain armoury.

Your achievements have not gone unnoticed and you are on the path to fulfilling your family legacy.


Lineage: Respectable (150-299)

  • Gain access to purchase tier 4 rewards in the captain armoury.

Through words and deeds, your reputation as the true successor of the Yuan has been established!


Lineage: Honourable (300-1000)

  • Gain access to purchase tier 5 rewards in the captain armoury.

Long after your time is done, the scribes of future generations will still be celebrating your legacy.


Legacy is spent on a few things. First, as Yuan Shao is focused on recruiting captains, not so much heroes, recruiting a candidate costs 10 Lineage. Furthermore, Yuan Shao has a unique option to Secure & Occupy a captured settlement at the cost of 50 Lineage. This provides (locally):

  • +25 faction support
  • +30 military supplies
  • +20% replenishment for garrisons
  • +20% replenishment

However, the far larger system centered around Lineage is the captain system.


Captain Retinues[]

Captain Retinues are retinues that are not led by a Hero, but by a talented commoner elevated into a position of leadership. Captains do not have access to Hero abilities; instead, using the Captain Armoury, they may be upgraded with powerful abilities of their own. These include abilities like Stalk, Whitewater, Unbreakable, and offensive ambushing, which may otherwise be difficult or impossible for Heroes to acquire.

There are other benefits as well—by completing Captain Missions, Captain Retinues gain hefty discounts to both recruitment cost and upkeep. Likewise Captains will never have any satisfaction issues, nor will they rebel or become spies.

Advancing to higher faction ranks will improve the quality of units in newly recruited Captain Retinues. Units in existing Captain Retinues, however, will not be automatically upgraded.

The following table lists the unit composition of each Captain Retinue for each faction rank:

Jian Infantry Captain Ji Infantry Captain Archer Captain Lance Cavalry Captain Jian Cavalry Captain
Noble 4 Axe Band

2 Archer Militia

4 Spear Warriors

2 Mounted Lancer Militia

4 Archers

2 Ji Militia

4 Mounted Lancer Militia

2 Mounted Sabre Militia

4 Sabre Cavalry

2 Sabre Militia

Marquis 2 Sabre Infantry

2 Axe Band
2 Archer Militia

2 Spear Guards

2 Spear Warriors
2 Mounted Lancer Militia

2 Crossbowmen

2 Archers
2 Ji Militia

2 Lance Cavalry

2 Mounted Lancer Militia
2 Mounted Sabre Militia

2 Jian Swordguard Cavalry

2 Sabre Cavalry
2 Sabre Infantry

King 4 Sabre Infantry

2 Archers

4 Spear Guards

2 Lance Cavalry

4 Crossbowmen

2 Spear Guards

4 Lance Cavalry

2 Sabre Cavalry

4 Jian Swordguard Cavalry

2 Jian Swordguards

Equipping a Colonel of the Northern Army ancillary on a general will allow them to recruit special Northern Army Captain Retinues:

Northern Sabre Infantry Captain Northern Ji Infantry Captain Northern Spear Guard Captain Northern Lancer Cavalry Captain Northern Sabre Cavalry Captain
1 Northern Veteran Sabre Infantry

3 Northern Sabre Infantry
2 Crossbowmen

1 Northern Veteran Ji Infantry

3 Northern Ji Infantry
2 Northern Lancer Cavalry

1 Northern Veteran Spears

3 Northern Spear Guards
2 Archers

1 Northern Veteran Lancers

3 Northern Lancer Cavalry
2 Northern Sabre Cavalry

1 Northern Veteran Sabre Cavalry

3 Northern Sabre Cavalry
2 Northern Sabre Infantry

Note that Captains cannot lead armies—each army requires at least one hero to lead it. If the last hero in an army is recalled, killed, or otherwise removed in some way, then all Captain Retinues in the army will be automatically disbanded!

CaptainArmoury

In-game menu

Captain Armoury[]

The Captain Armoury allows players to fully customize their deployed captain retinues and their troops, granting them bonuses in combat, as well as unit abilities. These perks come at the cost of Lineage. Below is a list of the available perks.






Captain Armoury Perks
Name Description Effect Lineage Required Lineage Cost
Captain Missions Put your captains through their paces and test their loyalty! Unlock Captain Missions (listed further below) Tarnished 0
Guerrilla Deployment We can use our superior wisdom to our benefit! Get close to the enemy to prevent them from setting up their battle lines. Enables: Guerrilla Deployment Tarnished 30
Melee Damage We must forge our weapons from the finest metals in order to inflict as much damage as possible. +20% melee damage Tarnished 30
Melee Attack Rate The enemy will tremble when they see our men swinging their weapons furiously over and over again without rest! +10% melee attack rate Tarnished 30
Melee Charge Bonus The ground will quake beneath their feet as our soldiers charge at the enemy. +15% charge bonus for all units Tarnished 30
Unit Training Investing in time on the training ground will pay dividends in battle. Work hard now and reap the benefits later! +25 bonus experience for units per season Admirable 60
Attack Range Improving your weaponry will allow our ranged attacks to fire even further! +7% range Admirable 60
Caltrops Drop these at your feet to stop the enemy dead in their tracks, either whilst retreating or to set up a trap! Enables: Caltrops Admirable 60
Armour Reinforced armour will give your units an edge on the battlefield. When your enemies' weapons are bouncing off you, they'll wonder what options they have left. +10% armour Admirable 60
Flaming Arrows Set your arrows on fire before firing and watch our enemies burn and reduce their settlements to ash! Enables: Fire Arrows Admirable 60
Replenish in Enemy Territory We shall not retreat when wounded! Our advanced medical training will allow us to recoup whilst in enemy territory! +10% replenishment in foreign lands Esteemed 100
Resupply in Enemy Territory Scouting ahead will allow us to forage supplies from our enemies' territory without having to retreat. +15 military supplies in enemy territory Esteemed 100
Morale Disciplined men will fight harder, more confidently and more enthusiastically by your side! +5 morale Esteemed 100
Melee Evasion The men must be swift on their feet to avoid the attacks of the enemy, as evading their attacks increases our chances of victory! +10% melee evasion Esteemed 100
Poison Arrows Dip your arrows in poison before firing and inflict pain and misery onto our foes. Enables: Poison Arrows Esteemed 100
Ranged Attack Rate We will fill the skies with our arrows and watch them rain down on our enemies. +15% ranged firing rate Esteemed 100
Ranged Ammunition Improved equipment will allow our ranged units to bring more ammunition onto the battlefield. +50% ammunition for archers. Esteemed 100
Whitewater We will use our knowledge of our enemy against them! Our superior strategies will confuse the enemy to no end! Ability: Whitewater Respectable 150
Unbreakable Your men will fight until the death for you! They are fierce warriors whose will cannot be broken no matter what happens. Enables: Unbreakable Respectable 150
Ranged Damage Investing the resources on improving our weaponry will be worthwhile. Nothing will be able to stop our arrows! +20% ranged damage Respectable 150
Stalk Follow your prey before striking. Remaining hidden will increase our chances at defeating our foes! Enables: Stalk Respectable 150
Speed Train our men to move more quickly across the battlefield! +25% battle running speed Respectable 150
Smoke Screen Employing advanced tactics will increase our versatility in battle. Enables: Smoke Screen Respectable 150
Increase Army Limit Taking extra care with our planning will allow us to field even more units on the battlefield. Our enemies will tremble at our numbers! +3 available armies Honourable 300
Ambush Battles Stealth training allows us to sneak up on our enemies without being spotted. Ambushing them when they least expect it will give us a better chance of winning our battles. +25% chance of ambushing

Chance of ambushing any enemy army this force attacks

Honourable 300
Terror Our enemies will tremble at the sheer brutality of our soldiers. Enables: Terror Honourable 300
Missile Block Chance Improving our equipment will render their ranged attacks practically useless against our men. +10% ranged block chance Honourable 300


Captain Missions[]

Captain Missions
Name Description Objective Effect
Pursuit: Manoeuvre 01 "The good fighter will be terrible in his onset, and prompt in his actions." - Sun Tzu In battle, achieve 100 kills with your captains. -10% upkeep cost for mercenaries (faction-wide)
Pursuit: Manoeuvre 02 "The good fighter will be terrible in his onset, and prompt in his actions." - Sun Tzu In battle, achieve 300 kills with your captains. -20% upkeep cost for mercenaries (faction-wide)
Pursuit: Manoeuvre 03 "The good fighter will be terrible in his onset, and prompt in his actions." - Sun Tzu In battle, achieve 500 kills with your captains. -30% upkeep cost for mercenaries (faction-wide)
Pursuit: Enlistment 01 "The control of a large force is the same principle as the control of a few men: it is merely a question of dividing up their numbers." - Sun Tzu Recruit new captain retinues 3 times. +30 Lineage (faction-wide)
Pursuit: Enlistment 02 "The control of a large force is the same principle as the control of a few men: it is merely a question of dividing up their numbers." - Sun Tzu Recruit new captain retinues 5 times. +45 Lineage (faction-wide)
Pursuit: Enlistment 03 "The control of a large force is the same principle as the control of a few men: it is merely a question of dividing up their numbers." - Sun Tzu Recruit new captain retinues 7 times. +70 Lineage (faction-wide)
Pursuit: Triumph 01 "A victorious army opposed to a routed one, is as a pound's weight placed in the scale against a single grain." - Sun Tzu Win 3 battles with captains in your army. -10% recruitment cost for captain retinues (faction-wide)
Pursuit: Triumph 02 "A victorious army opposed to a routed one, is as a pound's weight placed in the scale against a single grain." - Sun Tzu Win 5 battles with captains in your army. -25% recruitment cost for captain retinues (faction-wide)
Pursuit: Triumph 03 "A victorious army opposed to a routed one, is as a pound's weight placed in the scale against a single grain." - Sun Tzu Win 7 battles with captains in your army. -45% recruitment cost for captain retinues (faction-wide)


Starting Situation[]

Rise of the Warlords (190)[]

Yuan Shao is the Han's loyal defender, and will follow the dynasty to whatever end. It was he who stormed Luoyang to liberate the emperor, personally slaughtering the traitorous eunuchs in his lord's defence. Descended from power and prestige, Yuan Shao was chosen – because of his reputation and wealth – to lead the coalition against Dong Zhuo's tyrannical reign. Although the coalition now stagnates, the Dragon of the Yuan stands proud; although he may lack substance, let none doubt his ostentatious style...

Start: Normal

TW3K Yuan Shao 190

190, Yuan Shao - Brown, Enemies - Red

Yuan Shao starts the game in northeastern China. He is an enemy of Dong Zhuo and is at war with the Han Empire. However, after defeating Han general Cui Jun, securing Wei commandery should be of little challenge. However, Yuan Shao stands surrounded by many major factions such as Cao Cao, Gongsun Zan, Zhang Yan and Huang Shao. This leads to a relatively slow start for the faction, as expanding too rapidly will leave you defenseless.

Yuan Shao's initial dilemma revolves around Gongsun Zan and his former master, Liu Yu. Gongsun Zan will declare war on him. You have two options: you can side with Zan and forge an alliance with the general, or you can betray his trust and side with Liu Yu, securing the territory for yourself.

TW3K Yuan Shao-dilema

Characters

Children


A World Betrayed (194)[]

Yuan Shao is the Han's loyal defender, and will follow the dynasty to whatever end. It was he who stormed Luoyang to liberate the emperor, personally slaughtering the traitorous eunuchs in his lord's defence. Descended from power and prestige, Yuan Shao was chosen – because of his reputation and wealth – to lead the coalition against Dong Zhuo's tyrannical reign. Although the coalition now stagnates, the Dragon of the Yuan stands proud; although he may lack substance, let none doubt his ostentatious style...

Start: Easy

TW3K Yuan Shao 194

194, Yuan Shao - Brown, Vassals - Light Blue, Enemies - Red

Yuan Shao has conquered a good chunk of territory in the north and has turned his son, Yuan Tan, and his cousin, Gao Gan, into his loyal vassals. He is at war on almost all fronts, yet his situation is easily winnable. By focusing on Zang Hong and then Kong Rong in the east, he can rapidly turn around to defeat Gongsun Zan and Zhang Yan in the north. However, from the south, Cao Cao and Lü Bu both pose as much bigger threats in the long term.

Characters

Candidates


Fates Divided (200)[]

Yuan Shao has consolidated all of northern China under his noble rule and now turns his gaze upon those who would conspire against his just ambition! The fading of one dynasty may give rise to another – yet he is barred by Cao Cao, who controls the emperor and holds the lands south of the Yellow River. Although both swear fealty to the Han, their twin ambitions are straining at the seams. It will certainly come to war, and there is no doubt that Yuan Shao must prevail!

Start: Easy

TW3K Yuan Shao 200

200, Yuan Shao - Brown, Vassals - Light Blue, Allies - Dark Blue, Enemies - Red

Yuan Shao is locked in an all-out war with Cao Cao's Duchy of Wei. While Wei controls more territory, Yuan Shao has his loyal vassals to rely on. If the three armies of Wei – Xiahou Dun in the west, Cao Ren in the south-west, and Yu Jin in the south – can be defeated quickly, then the way is open for Yuan Shao to conquer most of the Duchy. If Wei falls, then Yuan Shao is in a position to take over all of China practically unopposed.

Characters


Gallery[]



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