Yuan Shao (faction)

Yuan Shao
Flag of Song
Alternative Name	Song
Culture	Han Empire
Playable	Yes
Appears in	Rise of the Warlords A World Betrayed Fates Divided
Leader	Yuan Shao
Capital	Wei (190) Anping (194, 200)

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

Unique Units

• Warriors of Ye
• Defenders of Hebei

Unique Buildings

• Yuan Administration Office

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!

Notably, cavalry units in Captain Retinues do not receive recruitment or upkeep discounts from Horse Pastures. However, units in Captain Retinues do receive upkeep discounts from other sources, such as Reforms, Prestige, and the Captain Armoury.

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

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.

Characters

• Yuan Shao
• Yuan Tan
• Yan Liang
• Wen Chou
• Xu You
• Lady Liu

Children

• Yuan Xi
• Yuan Shang

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

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

• Yuan Shao
• Tian Feng
• Pang Ji
• Chunyu Qiong
• Zhang He
• Shen Pei
• Yuan Xi
• Xu You
• Ju Shou
• Wen Chou
• Lady Liu
• Guo Tu
• Xin Ping
• Yuan Shang
• Yan Liang

Candidates

• Tian Chou
• Cui Yan

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

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

• Yuan Shao
• Yuan Shang
• Zhang He
• Yan Liang
• Xu You
• Wen Chou
• Ju Shou
• Wang Xiu
• Tian Feng
• Xin Ping
• Pang Ji
• Shen Pei
• Chunyu Qiong
• Cui Yan
• Guo Tu

Gallery

Total War- THREE KINGDOMS - Fates Divided Announcement Trailer