For the character, see Yuan Shu.
Yuan Shu is a playable faction in Total War: Three Kingdoms. It starts the campaign in central China, located in Nanyang commandery. The faction exists in 190, 194, and 182. Gaining a rank as a duke, king, or emperor, renames the faction to Zhong.
Unique Features[]
Units[]
Yuan Shu's unique units
Buildings[]
Mechanics[]
Legitimacy[]
Legitimacy is Yuan Shu's unique faction resource, reflecting his historical ambition to become emperor. High levels of Legitimacy greatly increase his prestige at the cost of greatly reducing his standing with the emperor and other Han factions.
| Rank | Values | Effects | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irrelevant | 0-100 |
|
Long have you been mocked, dismissed and ignored; will you languish in lowliness forever? |
| Acknowledged | 101-200 |
|
Through determined effort, you have made yourself worthy of acknowledgement. |
| Regarded | 201-300 |
|
You are finally given the respect you deserve – China knows of your efforts, and through fear or love, they approve. |
| Revered | 301-400 |
|
There are few who now question your heavenly mandate; complete rule over China, and unlimited power, are finally within reach. |
Because of the disadvantages at higher levels (Imperial Favour being generally a difficult resource to earn), it is recommended to keep Legitimacy at a manageable level, strategically raising it to reach a higher faction rank before lowering it again. Maintaining high legitimacy for too long can cause the faction to lose all its Imperial Favour, be declared an Enemy of the Han, and suddenly be forced to defend against enemies from all sides—similar to the historical downfall of Yuan Shu.
Gaining Legitimacy[]
There are various ways to gain legitimacy, mostly through diplomacy. Yuan Shu has a unique diplomatic treaty called Demand (faction leader) Supports Legitimacy. If the other party agrees, Yuan Shu will receive eight Legitimacy per turn.
Another way to gain Legitimacy is through Vassals, with each vassal of Yuan Shu providing Legitimacy every turn.
Lastly, a small amount of legitimacy is passively gained per turn based on faction rank.
Uses[]
Unlike most other Factions, Yuan Shu does not spend money to recruit new characters, but must instead spend 50 Legitimacy. Legitimacy is also consumed by his unique Zhong Administration building, which replaces the default administration building chain, as well as his unique assignment, Business Ventures.
Business Ventures[]
Business Ventures is a unique assignment that increases income in a commandery at the cost of Legitimacy:
- -6 Legitimacy per turn
- +75% income from commerce (local commandery)
- +25% income from industry (local commandery)
- +25% income from peasantry (local commandery)
Your attendant will launch business ventures and oversee them within the commandery, making sure that the return from investments meets the standards of your house.
Starting Situation[]
Rise of the Warlords (190)[]
190, Yuan Shu - Green (default red), Enemies - Red
Yuan Shu watches the ascent of Dong Zhuo, and believes he has the means and the right to wield such power instead. He hails from the prestigious and wealthy Yuan family, which weighs upon his shoulders, as does the braggish blustering of his half-brother, Yuan Shao. Only through demonstrating his legitimacy to others can Yuan Shu prove his right to rule.
Start: Very Hard
Yuan Shu starts the campaign in Nanyang commandery with only a single county to his name. However, expansion should be relatively easy, as he starts surrounded by the Han Empire, with very few forces stationed near his lands. After defeating Han general Jia Cong and capturing Xinye county, Yuan Shu can expand north and later east, vying for territory with other warlords such as Liu Chong and Cao Cao. He can also strike south against the Yellow Turban Warlord He Yi, or minor warlords such as Cai Mao and Huang Zu. However, he should keep a close eye on his border with Dong Zhuo to the northwest, as he might be inclined to attack Yuan Shu.
Yuan Shu's initial dilemma
Yuan Shu's initial dilemma revolves around the Imperial Seal, which will be found by Sun Jian. The two start the campaign friendly toward each other's factions. However, Sun Jian will most likely be attacked by the powerful governor Liu Biao, and Yuan Shu's dilemma revolves around helping Sun Jian or leaving him to fend for himself. While the choice may seem obvious at first, Yuan Shu already has a dangerous front with Dong Zhuo, and adding a second front with Liu Biao might overwhelm his military. This effect is worsened due to Yuan Shu recruiting with Legitimacy as opposed to money, as it might make it difficult for Shu to field enough generals.
Overall, it is a difficult start, though not impossible. If Yuan Shu can find his footing early in the campaign, he is in a great position to expand in any direction due to his centralized starting location.
Characters
Children
Mandate of Heaven (182)[]
182, Yuan Shu - Red
Yuan Shu possesses an instinct second to none. He is the tiger who relishes the hunt! He hails from the prestigious and wealthy Yuan family, which weighs upon his shoulders, as does the braggish blustering of his half-brother, Yuan Shao. Only through demonstrating his legitimacy to others can Yuan Shu prove his right to rule.
Start: Very Hard
Yuan Shu, while a playable faction in 182, doesn't have any content. He has no missions or goals, nobody in his faction besides himself, and no feasible way to expand. Even his family has been deleted.
As an A.I, Yuan Shu defies the recruitment restrictions, so he will often have two full armies just in his faction. It is unknown why and how this happens.
Characters
A World Betrayed (194)[]
194, Yuan Shu - Green, Wu Jing - Blue, Enemies - Red
Yuan Shu can feel his time is coming; with every new sentence written in history's ledger, he knows his time is approaching, and draws his schemes accordingly. He hails from the prestigious and wealthy Yuan family, which weighs upon his shoulders, as does the braggish blustering of his half-brother, Yuan Shao. Only through demonstrating his legitimacy to others can Yuan Shu prove his right to rule.
Start: Normal
Yuan Shu has been driven out of his original starting place in Nanyang commandery and now rules from Huainan commandery. His situation here is significantly more powerful. Yuan Shu starts the game with two vassals: Wu Jing and Sun Ce, the son of the late Sun Jian. Sun Ce is likely to conquer a great deal of the south, starting with the warlord Lu Kang. Besides Lu Knag, Yuan Shu is also at war with Liu Chong to the north and Liu Yao, Xue Li, and Hua Xin to the south. With the exception of Liu Chong and Yao, these weak warlords should prove little opposition to Yuan Shu.
After defeating Liu Yao, Yuan Shu will be in a great position to build a vast empire in southern China. He can mop up minor warlords such as Ze Rong, Xu Gong, and Xu Zhao, expand into south-eastern China ruled by the bandit Yan Baihu and Wang Lang, or strike further south, attacking the severely weakened remnants of the Han Empire or establishing order in the unruly lands of Jian'an and Yizhou. Yuan Shu's choices are nearly limitless in this matter, and he can easily become one of the three emperors from this position.
Characters
- Yuan Shu
- Ji Ling
- Yang Hong
- Lü Fan
- Yan Xiang
- Zhang Cheng
- Yuan Anyang
- Han Dang
- Lady Feng
- Cheng Pu
- Lu Su
- Liu Xun
- Huang Gai
- Yuan Yao
- Chen Ji
Other Languages[]
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| English | Yuan Shu / Zhong |
| French | Yuan Shu / Zhong |
| German | Yuan Shu / Zhong |
| Italian | Yuan Shu / Zhong |
| Spanish | Yuan Shu / Zhong |
| Brazilian Portuguese | Yuan Shu / Zhong |
| Polish | Yuan Shu / Zhong |
| Czech | Jüan Šu / Čung |
| Turkish | Yuan Shu / Zhong |
| Simplified Chinese | 袁术 / 仲 Yuán Shù / Zhòng
|
| Traditional Chinese | 袁術 / 仲 Yuán Shù / Zhòng
|
| Korean | 원술 / 중 Won-sul / Jung
|
| Russian | Юань Шу / Чжун Yuan' Shu / Chzhun
|