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Zhang Liao is a Chinese name; the family name is Zhang.

Zhang Liao is a unique legendary Sentinel hero in Total War: Three Kingdoms. He is a member of Dong Zhuo in 190, Lü Bu in 194 and Cao Cao in 200.


Description[]

Zhang Liao is a model of professionalism and organisation, having led many successful campaigns over his military career. Valued by any army he is a part of, Zhang Liao often uses his sharp negotiation skills and his even sharper blade to ensure victory.


General Information[]

Attributes[]

Main Article: Attributes (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

  • Expertise: 122
    • -27% construction cost (administered commandery)
    • +41 melee evasion
  • Resolve: 46
    • +10% general's health
    • +1k population growth (administered commandery)
  • Cunning: 53
    • +13% ammunition (own retinue)
    • +3 military supplies (own army)
  • Instinct: 50
    • +6% melee damage
    • -2% recruitment cost (this army)
  • Authority: 77
    • +3 unit morale (own retinue)


Background[]

Main Article: Background (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

The Heavenly Dragon General

  • +20 expertise
  • +10 instinct
  • +20 authority
  • +1 resilience

Respects Discipline, Respects Decisiveness, Opposes Criminality, Unsympathetic to the Weak.


Unit Statistics[]

  • Morale: 45
  • Melee Toughness: 32
  • Ranged Toughness: 32
  • Melee Power: 11


  • Hit Points: 18k
  • Melee Charge Bonus: 113
  • Melee Attack Rate: 32
  • Base Melee Damage: 469
  • Armour-Piercing Melee Damage: 326
  • Base Melee Evasion: 41%
  • Base Armour: 47%
  • Speed: 97


Traits[]

Main Article: Traits (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

Relentless

  • +2 resolve
  • +6 instinct
  • -25% fatigue rate

Commends Physical Strength, Admires Zeal, Respects Decisiveness.


Sincere

  • +2 resolve
  • +6 authority
  • +1 satisfaction (local county)

Values Diplomacy, Commends Trustworthiness.


Committed

  • +2 resolve
  • +6 authority
  • -1 mustering time (own army)
  • +3% replenishment (own army)

Admires Zeal, Respects Decisiveness.


Skills[]

Main Article: Skill (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

  • Scholarship
    • +8 cunning
    • +10% character experience (this army)
    • +40% income from commerce, silk and spice (administered commandery)
  • Precision
    • +8 expertise
    • +10% ranged armour-piercing damage (own army)
    • +10% ranged firing rate (when commanding)
  • Roar of the Beast
    • +4 expertise
    • +4 instinct
    • Ability: Roar of the Beast
  • Intuition
    • +8 expertise
    • +25% chance of evading capture post-battle
    • +15% income from industry (administered commandery)


Abilities[]

Main Article: Ability (Total War: Three Kingdoms)

  • Roar of the Beast (Active Debuff)
    • Can use if:
      • In melee
      • Engaged in a duel or has an attack order
      • Not on Elephant
    • -18 morale
    • Range: 50m
    • Duration: 15s
    • Cooldown: 60s


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
  • Zhang Liao's Armour
    • Base Armour: 47
    • +18 expertise
    • +5% melee attack rate
  • Grey Horse
    • Speed: 97
    • Mass: 1.5k
    • +2 expertise


Guanxi[]

Main Article: Guanxi


Biography[]

Zhang Liao began his career as a minor official under Ding Yuan. As the Han Empire stood on the brink of collapse and Dong Zhuo was rising to power, Yuan made a quick plot to have the warlord assassinated. Yuan told both Lü Bu and Zhang Liao of his scheme against Zhuo, and both men protested. However, Ding Yuan wouldn't have it and continued to ignore the objections of his subordinates, going through with his plan. In response, Lü Bu betrayed and killed the warlord, sending his head to Dong Zhuo alongside a letter asking to join him. Zhang Liao would accompany Lü Bu to Chang'an, and the two formed a strong friendship.

When Lü Bu killed Dong Zhuo in 192, Liao sided firmly with him in the ensuing civil war. However, as Li Jue and Guo Si captured Chang'an, Lü Bu was forced to flee, accompanied by Liao. When Lü Bu overthrew Cao Cao's home province, Liao took up arms against anyone threatening his rebellion, mostly fighting Xiahou Dun. When Lü Bu later revolted in the territory of Liu Bei, Zhang Liao continued the fight against the unwinnable coalition of Cao Cao, Liu Bei and even Yuan Shu. His skill as a general impressed many of his enemies, but his loyalty to Lü Bu was absolute.

Unfortunately, Lü Bu found himself executed in 198, which led to Zhang Liao surrendering himself to Cao Cao. Impressed by his abilities, the warlord put him in charge of a small unit. Despite this sudden shift in allegiance, Liao served Cao Cao to the best of his abilities. Most famously, he repelled a much larger army under Sun Quan by himself. Cao Cao was so impressed at this that he made Liao a proper general.

Zhang Liao continued to serve both Cao Cao until his death in 220 and Cao Pi until 221. In this year, during Cao Pi's invasion of Eastern Wu, Zhang Liao caught a stray arrow in the stomach on the battlefield. Despite being rushed to a medic, the wound was fatal, and he died from his injuries only a few hours later.


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