Dynasty Warriors 3 Character Guide and FAQ Final Version Written by Z-Force (z-force@execpc.com) Table of Contents I. Intro II Disclaimer III Version History IV Places to get this FAQ V Newbie Questions VI The Basics VII Characters a. Shu Kingdom b. Wei Kingdom c. Wu Kingdom d. Other characters VIII Character Rankings and other character related info. IX Items and Weapons Guide X Fourth Weapon Strategies XI Strategies XII Codes and tricks XIII Xtreme Legends XIV Contributors and other resources. XV Things to Come (Future Updates) ************************************************************************** IMPORTANT NOTE – PLEASE READ BEFORE EMAILING ME ************************************************************************** While I enjoy answering emails and questions from people about this game and discussing it in general, lately I have been getting quiet a few emails that I feel are questions that could have been answered by reading the FAQ. PLEASE read the FAQ completely before asking me questions. Keep in mind that everything I know about the game basically is included in this guide. Especially in regards to fourth weapons. Everything I know about getting special weapons is covered in the FAQ. From here on out, any emails asking me “How do I get so and so’s fourth weapon?” will be ignored and deleted. If you need help beyond what is in this guide, I recommend asking the people at the GameFAQ’s message board, someone there may be able to assist you. I repeat, DO NOT EMAIL ME ABOUT ANYTHING THAT IS COVERED IN THIS FAQ. I don’t like to be rude, but I am getting very tired of answering questions about stuff I’ve already written. All of the strategies for getting characters, fourth weapons, etc. have worked for me. If you cannot get them to work, then I don’t know what the problem is, unless you have used a Gameshark in which case, your save file is probably screwed up. Also, if I can’t understand what you are saying in your message, don’t expect an answer back. INTRO AND THANKS This guide is intended to be a guide to all the characters in Dynasty Warriors 3, and its expansion pack, Xtreme Legends. Contributions are welcome, and full credit will be given. I'd like to give props out to Muni Shinobu, who has provided lots of information on the game (some of which is incorporated here) the people on the GameFAQ's DW3 board, for providing information to those in need, and Dynasty Warriors 3 Essence (http://www.geocities.com/dw3essence/) for being an all around cool site, as well as Kongming’s site (www.kongming.net ), another excellent site. And of course, thanks to Koei, for making this awesome game which has sucked up hours of my free time. DISCLAIMER This document is copyrighted by Z-Force. I really don't care that much if you take it and use it for your own website or whatever, just don't try to sell it or use it in any way to make money. Also, if you want to use my FAQ on your website, e-mail me so I can add your site to my list. Also let me know if you are currently using your FAQ. Version History Version 0.1 (1-2-2002) First Version, everything you see here has been added. Version 0.2 (1-4-2002) Added Info on a few of the generals, the Super Sneaky Officer Killing Trick, and descriptions on how to get some special items. Added basics section, a codes and tricks section, and a contributors and resources section. Version 0.3 (1-7-2002) Added info on getting the items that I forgot to put in the last revision. Added more info on generals, and various other additions, including the secret ending. Began adding strategies for some of the stages. Check out the He Fei section for a comprehensive guide to unlocking Sun Quan, which has been one of the most requested posts on the GameFAQs boards. Version 0.4 (1-8-2002) Added strategy for a couple more stages. Added strategy for getting Cao Cao and Zhang He's fourth weapons. Added info on a few more officers. Added to the strategies section with some general tips on getting fourth weapons. Version 0.5 (1-9-2002) Added more stage strategy, and officer info. Added info on getting Zhou Yu, Zhuge Liang, and Sun Jian's fourth weapons. Added info on what stages each character plays, courtesy of Mashu's FAQ. Added how to get the Art of War special item. Last but not least, added the cheat codes for the US version of the game. Version 0.6 (1-10-2002) Added a lot of info on character's attacks. Added strategy for several different stages. Version 0.7 (1-11-2002) Added strategies for several stages, and officer info for a couple of characters. Added how to get Lu Xun and Liu Bei's fourth weapons. Added another DW3 website to the resources list. Added info on horses and the scoring system to the Misc info section Version 0.8 (1-13-2002) Added a lot of stage strategy, and info for some officers. Added the rest of the descriptions on how to get Red special items. Version 0.85 (1-14-2002) Added some more officer info and stage strategy. Most of the stage strategy is complete, except for a few variations on the different stages. Added a couple fourth weapon strategies. Added the complete list of weapons, however many of them don't have their base stats and users, so anyone who can help me fill this in would be greatly appreciated. Version 0.87 (1-15-2002) Added some more info on generals' attacks and stage strategy. Version 0.9 (1-16-2002) Finished up the list of moves for each officer. Added a few more stage strategies. Added a list of things to add (how redundant :P) for future updates. Version 0.92 (1-17-2002) Finished up stage strategies and how to get fourth weapons for each character. Version 0.94 (1-18-2002) Added snack and wine locations for each stage, taken from DW3 Essence. They're listed in each stage's strategy. Added physical descriptions for each character as requested by Xandoidao. I tried to be funny with them and probably failed : ) Added some new stuff to the basics section about defense, and dealing with archers. Added my opinions on the benefits of the non red special items (Peacock urn and such) Version 0.96 (1-19-2002) Added a separate section on getting fourth weapons. You can still locate fourth weapon instructions in each character’s section, but now they’re all in once place for your benefit. Big addition to the weapons section. Added overall assessments for some officers. Version 0.97 (1-20-2002) Added a newbie questions section, to answer frequently asked questions on the GameFAQs board about the game. Added crowd tactics and officer tactics to the basics section. Added a list of combos for each character to unleash their elemental attacks, it can be found in the fourth weapon section. Started a character ranking section including my top 10 characters, and a section on picking a good character for beginners. Added another strategy for beating Fan Castle stage using Guan Yu. Version 0.98 (2-9-2002) I got a lot of good strategies, tips, and submission from people, so they’ve been interspersed throughout the FAQ Version 0.985 (3-11-2002) Added some info sent in by readers, as well as an addition to the disclaimer section. PLEASE READ THE DISCLAIMER BEFORE SENDING ME E-MAIL REGARDING THIS GAME. For my own amusement, added a DW3 vs State of Emergency Chart, comparing the two games. Added a section on morale in the basics section. Version 0.99 (3-18-2002) Added a bunch of weapon stats, I know have everything except the Staff of Wind. Added a couple character assessments, and some other stuff. Version 1.0 (3-23-2002) Added the last bit of info for the weapons section. Started adding a favorite quote to each character in the character’s section. Added strategy for the 3 Musou only stages in the stage strategy section. Added a section on combos to the basics section. Added some various bits of info to the walkthroughs section. Version 1.01 (3-24-2002) As per a request I received, added how to get snacks and wines for the 3 Musou only stages. Added a few more character assessments, and generally touched up things where I could. Version 1.1 (3-29-2002) Finished adding character assessments. Also I added some REAL character rankings to that section. Other assorted corrections throughout the FAQ where needed. At this point the FAQ is more or less complete, unless something major comes up. Version 1.2 (3-31-2002) Added more detailed strategies for getting some of the fourth weapons. Couple other minor additions. Version 1.3 (5-24-2002) Added a benefits section to the fourth weapon strategy section which shows how much a character benefits from getting their particular fourth weapon. Added in some corrections and info by readers. Revised my rankings for characters. Version 1.4 (6-25-2002) Added some minor assorted things sent in by readers. Version 1.5 (8-2-2002) Added more assorted stuff sent in by readers. Added a bit on Fierce Warriors, the upcoming special edition of DW3 Version 1.6 (8-27-2002) Added in yet more info sent in by readers. Version 2.0 (1-14-2003) Added info on each characters running attacks, a few are still missing. Added advanced strategy for most characters. Added Miscellaneous stuff throughout the FAQ. Added a preliminary section for the expansion for DW3, Xtreme Legends. More will be added to this section in the future. Version 2.1 (1-15-2003) Xtreme Legends was released today. As such, I’ve started the section, with a couple stage strategies, information on the new challenge modes, and other general info. Version 2.2 (1-16-2003) Added some more stage strategies. Added the first 5th weapon method (for Cao Cao) Other general updates. Version 2.3 (1-17-2003) More Stage strategies. Added how to get Zhen Ji’s 5th weapon. Version 2.4 (1-18-2003) Filled in how to find the rest of the 5th weapons. Since I have yet to actually get them, more specific strategy will come later. Added in a lot of miscellaneous additions from contributors. Added more stage strategy. Version 2.5 (1-22-2003) Added in some more stage strategies. Added in tips for combo mania. Added info on getting another item. Added some 5th weapon stats. Version 2.6 (1-24-2003) Added more stage strategies, 5th weapon stats, and another new item. Added more challenge mode tips. Version 2.7 (1-26-2003) Added more stage strategies, 5th weapon stats, and another item. Deleted several links on the resources page that no longer work. All the 5th weapon stats are now finished. Version 2.8 (1-31-2003) Added more stage strategies, and an assortment of contributions from readers. Version 2.9 (3-3-2003) Finished adding stage strategies. Added a smattering of other info, including the rest of the advanced character strategies for each fighter, that I never got around to finishing. The next version of the FAQ will most likely be the last, and will contain the rest of the information that I’ve gotten from readers. Final Version (6-10-2003) Added in the rest of the contributions I received. This is going to be the final update to this FAQ. Places to get this FAQ – Please keep in mind that I am happy to let your site host my FAQ, but I only send the most recent updates to GameFAQs. However, these two sites are the best places to get the FAQ, as they will most likely have the most recent updates. I really don’t care if other sites use my FAQ, as long as it is not for profit, and they do not edit any part of the FAQ. (Except for IGN, who I do NOT want using any of my stuff) www.gamefaqs.com www.kongming.net NEWBIE QUESTIONS (Please note, that any email sent to me that asks one of these questions will be immediately deleted) This is sort of a section to answer all of the Questions that I see asked on the GameFAQs board too many times. Q: Should I buy this game? A: Yes. Q: Why? A: Because it’s fun as hell, very addictive, and a throwback to old school beat em ups such as Final Fight and Streets of Rage Q: Are there any codes for this game? A: Yes, scroll to the bottom of the FAQ to find all the codes. Q: I have the (Japan or UK) version of this game. The codes don’t work! Do you know what the codes are? A: No Q: Where are the elephants? A: Nanman Campaign stage. That’s the ONLY place elephants appear. Q: How do I get (insert item or fourth weapon name here)? A: See the appropriate sections of the FAQ. I listed fourth weapons in each of the appropriate character’s section, and there is also a section for fourth weapons for those that want to look them all up at once. Special items are listed in the items section of the FAQ. If that doesn’t help, try looking at one of the websites I’ve linked to at the bottom of the FAQ, they might have a better explanation than I do. Also, MAKE SURE YOU ARE PLAYING ON HARD MODE!!! I don’t know how many people have forgotten to put this on before going after the fourth weapons, even though it’s explicitly stated in the FAQ. If you are going after 5th weapons in Xtreme Legends, MAKE SURE YOU ARE PLAYING ON VERY HARD MODE Q: There’s a book based on this game? Where can I get it? A: Actually, this game is based on the book, Three Kingdoms. Check the links at the bottom for some resources. You can read the entire book online for free, or check www.amazon.com or other online booksellers. Do a search for “three kingdoms” I recommend the four volume set translated by Moss Roberts. BTW, the book is excellent and well worth reading. Q: Who are the strongest characters? What character should I start as? A: That’s a matter of taste. Try out different people and see who works best for you. Different style players will find that different style characters work best for them. Or you can check my character ranking section for some help. Q: How do I get Wind Scroll or Elixir/Alive Pill A: These two items are rarer than the other stat boosting items. Keep plugging away till you get them. I got a Wind Scroll fairly easily, but I had to play for at least 50 hours, before I ever found an Elixir. (The following added by Anime Japan) Battle at You Ting 228 AD, HARD MODE. Get all the items as possible, via bosses and boxes. then before killing the final general (Sima Yi). QUIT GAME! (wtf??) Well make sure you are not stupid enough to quit without saving...then just load the game, finish the boss, see what u got? none of those? Reload and try again! Hard mode plus the better version trick below ensure high stats should u get one of the rare items! Q: How do I get better versions of the items? A: Play the game on hard. Also, the later the level you play, the better stuff you can get. Also, finish off item dropping enemies with big combos to improve your chances of getting better items and weapons. Q: What does luck do? A: It seems to increase the rate of dropped items such as meatbuns, axes, and the like. Also some say it improves your chances of getting more powerful weapons and items. According to Anime Japan, it also increases the size of arrows and buns dropped. NEW INFORMATION: According to the Xtreme Legends Manual, Luck increases the chances that good items will be dropped by people you fight. Whether they are referring to mundane items like meat buns and stuff, or items and weapons, is anyone’s guess. Q: Is there a soundtrack? How can I get music for this game? A: There is a soundtrack available, it’s a two disc set containing music from all 3 Dynasty Warriors games. Here is a link to the site. http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/ Once there, do a search for “sangoku” under Album/Movie Titles. You can also get it at www.gamemusic.com . The soundtrack has also recently began appearing on ebay, and you can get a good deal on it there. I was able to get my soundtrack off of Ebay for about $20 which included shipping. Q: How do I unlock some of the sides with no playable characters, such as Liu Biao? A: Good question. I’m not sure which characters unlock those sides, but you can use the code listed under the codes section to unlock them. Beating the game with certain characters probably unlocks these sides, but I don’t know which ones. Q: Can I use Lu Bu in Musou Mode? A: No, you can only use Lu Bu, or any of the other unaligned characters in Free Mode. I repeat… YOU CANNOT USE LU BU, DONG ZHUO, DIAO CHAN, FU XI, NU WA, ZHANG JIAO, YUAN SHAO, ZHU RONG OR MENG HUO IN MUSOU MODE!!! Unless you are playing Xtreme Legends, see that section of the FAQ for info. Q: I maxed out all of the bars on the character select screen, but they aren’t maxed out on the mission screen when selecting my weapons. What Gives? A: The bars on the character select screen represent the highest level a character can attain by collecting power ups. On the mission screen, those bars can be increased further by equipping items and weapons. Most, if not all characters, won’t be able to max out the bars on the mission screen. (Lu Bu might be an exception) Q: How do I get second and third weapons? A: They are found in weapon boxes dropped by officers. And last but not least… Q: How do I unlock Sun Quan? How do I unlock (Insert Character name here) A: Check the stage strategies section under He Fei for a VERY detailed explanation including EVERYTHING I did in order to unlock Sun Quan. If you can’t figure it out, then I don’t know what to say. As for the other characters, check the character profiles, which list how to get them. THE BASICS I'm not going to bore you by reciting every single thing out of the manual, but I will take the time here to give you some basic tips when fighting. First off, make sure to learn how your character fights. Before getting into the thick of things, practice your moves and get a feel for your character. Guys who use similar weapons often fight somewhat the same, but even they are different. Find each character's nuances. When you're playing the stages, make sure to take out the gate guards. This is crucial in some stages, because enemies will pour out of the gates till you take them down. This is especially true once you reach the boss, if you don't take out the gate captain first, you'll be swarmed with bad guys. Attack Properties When fighting on foot, you have several basic attacks. Each one has a specific function, but its execution varies depending on the character (S = Square, T = Triangle) Combo attack (S rapidly) – This is a repeated series of attacks with your character's weapon. The better weapon you have, the more hits you can do in the combo. You can end the combo with any of the special attack listed below. Attack 1 (T) – This is a wide attack, that can clear out a group of enemies, usually the ones in front of you. Usually I don't use this attack too much, because it's slow to come out, but it can be useful. This attack also acts as a Guard Break, meaning if the guy is blocking and you hit em with this, it will break their guard and you can attack. (Thanks to the Panting Dog for pointing out this omission.) Attack 2 (S, T) – Juggle Attack. This attack knocks the enemy into the air. You can follow it up with a combo if you like. This attack usually isn't too useful either, because you'll get a better juggling attack later. Attack 3 (S, S, T) – Dizzy Attack. This attack will dizzy anyone who it hits. The effectiveness of this attack varies depending on the character. Generally it's pretty useful, as it sets up enemies for a bunch more hits. Attack 4 (S, S, S, T) – Knockback attack. This attack will knock away any enemy who it hits. This will generally be your staple move, as it often has a good range, and will allow you to take out a lot of enemies and clear a path. Attack 5 (S, S, S, S, T) – High Juggle Move. This attack becomes available once you've gotten your second weapon. This hits the enemy up in the air really high, and is the key to high hitting combos. You can hit the enemy when they come down, and possibly do the high juggle move again, resulting in an infinite combo. Also, if you repeatedly hit T after knocking the enemy up, you will follow them up in the air and attack them further. This is pretty cool to use as a finishing blow, but if you’re looking to damage the enemy, it’s better to go for the infinite combo. Attack 6 (S, S, S, S, S, T) – Special Attack. The nature and properties of this attack vary completely depending on your character. For more information, refer to the character sections. Some characters can repeatedly hit T after the 6th attack for even more attacks. Bow attacks When you hold down R1, you switch into bow mode. From here, fire an arrow with S, a stunning arrow with T, or a Rapid fire arrow assault with Circle. Arrows are very useful in many situations, so use them wisely. The arrow is also useful for the Super Sneaky Officer Killing Trick, see the bottom of this FAQ for details. You can also hold the L1 button to move while using the bow, for strafing action (thanks to Anime Japan for pointing out this omission) Keep in mind some characters are better with bow attacks than others. They do more damage and hit more often. Some guys hit almost every time, others can’t hit the broad side of a barn from 3 feet away. For more specifics on who’s good and bad, check out Professor Worm’s FAQ at gamefaqs. In the meantime, know that Huang Zhong and Xiahou Yuan are the best bow fighters in the game. Mounted Attacks Horses are mainly used to get from point A to point B faster, but you can attack off of them too. S will swing your weapon from left to right. This usually keeps the enemy off their guard, but in a big group, someone will usually manage to knock you off your mount. T will do a charge attack to both sides. Circle activates your Musou attack, which will swing your weapon and hit both sides of your mount. Elephant Attacks You only get elephants in the Nanman stage, they're slow, yet very powerful. Use S to swing your trunk to nail anyone in front of you. T does a powerful stomping attack that is very powerful and dizzies those who it hits (it's also useful for knocking other guys off their elephants). Circle activates Musou which has you repeatedly rush forward to trample fools. The S attack also breaks down the wooden barriers you see in some parts of the stage. Defensive tactics As far as defense is concerned, the L1 button is your best friend. Use it to block the enemy's attacks, however beware. If you hold a block for too long, the enemy can break your guard and screw you over, unless you've got the Buckler, in which case you can turtle all day while you wait for an opening. If you tap S at the right time while blocking, you can push the enemy back a bit. This is useful to create a bit of a distance from a powerful enemy, so you can quickly drop your guard and get the heck out. Be warned, that blocking won’t really protect you from arrows, or if you’re in a big crowd and guys are behind you. Finally, the most useful defensive tactic is the recovery. When you are knocked down, tap L1 at the right moment to make a fast recovery. You can also hit S while springing back up to do your jumping attack. This can clear out some enemies and help you clear a path. Usually, you hit L1 as your guy hits the ground, but if you are knocked up by different combos, sometimes you can hit L1 in midair to recover there. This is useful when you are knocked up by an elephant, you can spring up high, and take a swing at the rider. Morale It is very important to keep your army’s morale high during the fight. The higher their morale is, the better they’ll fight. There are two ways of measuring morale. First off is the bar on the upper left. This will display the basic tide of the battle, and who is winning. The more blue in the bar, the better things are going overall for you. Second off, and more accurate, is the number of stars next to a character’s name when displayed on the upper left. That will show the individual morale of that person, (which is the same as the morale as the person he’s fighting under) They can have up to 8 stars, and the more you have, the better. Morale is improved by defeating lots of enemy soldiers, defeating officers, or other heroic deeds. BONUS TIP: If you can defeat 1000 enemies on one stage, you will be called a “True Hero of the 3 Kingdoms” and everyone on your side will get their morale boosted to the max of 8 stars. Archer Tactics Soon into this game, you will develop a hatred for archers. These guys are nasty as all hell, and can kill you rather easily. They love to pick at you while you're fighting through a crowd of bigger guys. When you get shot, try to figure out from what direction the shot came in, then as soon as you have an opening, go for that guy. As soon as you're in range, start swinging, and hopefully, you'll get in your licks before the archer can run away. Most of the time, archers will go down to a few good hits. If they are in a large group, try to hit as many as you can before they scatter. Using a Musou attack grants you invincibility and long range Musou attacks like Sima Yi can be useful in clearing them out from a distance. Also, when there is a group of archers far away, and you have to rush them, do so in a zig zag pattern so they can't target you as easily. Also using a jump is helpful to throw off their aim. When dealing with archers in watchtowers, try to do it from closer up. This way, your arrows can reach them faster. Also pay attention to whether you knock them down, or knock them out of the tower completely, and follow up accordingly. Here’s another tip on dealing with archers: Always try to take out the First Bow or First Crossbow(or Bow Captian on the Nanman stage) before attacking the other archers. As long as the First Bow is alive the archers will fire as a unit, hitting you with a barrage of arrows instead of one at a time. Once the First Bow is dead the others will become disorganized and easier to pick off. Actually, all computer controlled characters work in units, but this tactic is most helpful in dealing with archers. Crowd Tactics When you’re fighting a big group of enemies, your goal is to get them out of your hair as quickly as possible. Most characters have a good clear out move they can use to knock down a large group of foes at once. Usually, this is your S, S, S, T move, but experiment with your guy. Musou attacks are also useful for chopping up big crowds. Some guys are better at fighting through crowds with regular attacks than others, usually spear fighters have good crowd control ability because of their wider range. Sometimes a series of regular attacks is better for cutting through a crowd than one of your special attacks, because they are often delayed, and if there are a lot of enemies, one of them can hit you. Officer Tactics Officers will generally be your toughest opponents. Here are some keys to beating them. First of all, use the block button. Sure, you can win without defense, but you can stop your enemy’s attacks and wait for an opening to chop them up. If you have the Buckler, this is especially good, because you can block endlessly, without having to worry about having them break your guard. If you’re on the offensive, use short bursts of attacks. Use the S, S, S, combo, then break if the enemy blocks it. If you complete the combo, you will usually leave yourself open for a counterattack at the end of the combo. If you do a short combo and cancel it, you can pick things up with another combo until they stop blocking. Finally, the most powerful thing against officers is what I like to call the Musou Combo Breaker. If you have your Musou charged, and they start hitting you, you can hit Musou and completely break the enemies attack, and pummel them with your Musou and there’s nothing they can do about it. You can even cancel the enemy’s Musou attack with one of your own, which will result in a weapon lock. More officer killing tips from OmniX: An easy way of defeating generals and officers whom may be just too tough for you to take on head to head or to try and block until an opportunity comes (like against Lu Bu) is to just try and distract them or get them dizzy or knock em' down. Then come around behind them and when they get up keep knocking the stuffing out of them until they are dead. This is very useful when you have a new character who can't quite take blows very well or can't go toe to toe with those stronger generals. Here’s another tip when fighting officers (or any strong enemy) If you knock them down, try to get behind them. If you do, you can hit them from behind as they get up, and they won’t be able to block. You can do this endlessly until the enemy dies. This works especially well with faster weaker characters. Combos When used properly, combos can do devastating damage to enemies, or rack up tons of hits which can aid you in getting better stuff. If you’re only interested in racking up hits, the best way to do it is with your S, S, S, S, T combo, which you can then repeat infinitely (though the game will only register up to 255 hits) When the guy is dead, I like to finish off with an S, S, S, S, T, T to whack him out of the sky for a stylish finish. If you’re looking for big damage, keep these pointers in mind. Guys who have their 3rd weapon, and can do a repeated charge 6 attack (such as Cao Cao amd Lu Bu) can rack up big time damaging combos with this. Most importantly, remember that you can cancel ANY attack of yours with a Musou attack to end your combo in style. In other words, the most devastating combo you can usually pull off is S, S, S, S, S, T (then T repeatedly if you have that ability) then finish off by canceling the T attack with your Musou for big damage. Experiment with your guy to find his or her devastating combo attacks. Dizzy and juggling attacks are good at setting up or prolonging combos, knockback attacks are good to finish the combo off. Here’s some more information on infinite combos sent in by Lee David: Firstly the infinite combo move, you need to have a second weapon or higher so that you can perform the High Juggling Move. Secondly it must be a one-one fight in a large space. That is if u want to kill the general quickly, you have to make sure that no enemy soldier will attack you from behind. Now for the combo. Do the high juggling move (SSSST). The opponent will be smacked up by you. DO NOT PRESS T again to complete the combo. As the opponent falls down, do the same SSSST again. Repent until he/she gets killed. Note: It will work better if your person is quick, has a long range weapon ( like a spear ) and your allies do not crowd the opponent. Since it is an infinite combo, you will find that the later hits are not as hard as the initial attacks. It only works if the enemy is not able to do the speedy recovery in the air. Musou Attacks The Musou attack is basically your super move. The move is usually a powerful combo of attacks, and can do a lot of damage when used right. Also, you are invincible while doing the attack. If you just tap the O button once, you will do a Musou attack of a certain length, but you can prolong the attack by holding O. Team Musou Attack If you are playing two players, and your Musou bars are both full, you can activate the Musou attack in the vicinity of each other, and do a powerful Super Musou attack. This attack gets the lightning element, and will do tons of damage to enemies Body Guards You can set your guards to use 5 different weapons, and set them to either attack or defend. As you rise in rank, your guards will as well, you'll also be awarded with more bodyguards, up to a maximum of 8. As far as which ones to use, I offer this strategy. Early on, your guards are going to get slaughtered pretty quickly, so I recommend setting them with a bow (regular or crossbow, it's up to you, though I personally use crossbow) and set them to defend. This way they'll hold back and pelt the enemies from a distance, and won't die quite as quickly. Later on, once you've got up to 4 guards, you can change them to attack if you want. Later on, once you've gotten 6 or 8 bodyguards and they've become stronger, you have a choice. You can either keep them as bow soldiers, to take the enemy down from a distance, or you can change them to melee guards, and give them a sword, spear, or pike. Personally, I recommend giving them spears, as I've found that once they reach elite status, guards with a good melee weapon will maul the majority of the lesser enemies, and will wear down officers and major enemies, or at least keep them occupied while you attack them from behind. Powering up your characters I highly recommend that before you begin taking a character through Musou mode, you spend a little time in Free Mode stages to power them up. The best stage to take a beginning character to is Guan Yu's escape. Since you're teamed up with Guan Yu, it's a lot easier to fight through this stage. Since there are 10 generals on this board, you can get a decent array of power ups, also it's a fairly short stage. I recommend playing this stage a couple times until you can get the character's second weapon. This will give you an advantage in the early stages in Musou mode. If you're really lucky, you can get your 3rd weapon on Guan Yu's escape. This will give you an extreme advantage in early stages in Musou mode. For middle range characters, you can play just about any stage, but one of my favorites in the Hu Lao gate stage. There are a lot of generals and gate guards to give you power ups here. The most risky, but potentially high reward stage is the Nanman stage. There are tons of generals here, and if you manage to beat Meng Huo all seven times, you'll get lots of good power ups from him each time, and you'll be in good shape if you can beat the stage. Here are a couple ways to build up health fast, sent in by Danath2: I think it’s a bit faster to do He Fei. Here’s what I do... Pending on your character... you usually start in the middle, specifically for me considering I lean towards Shu characters. What I do is, I run to corner of the middle and kill Zhang Liao, then I go straight to Cao Cao's HQ ignoring ALL distractions... I head for the very top left corner, and there is a health +10 there... once i grab it, cao cao is in such close vicinity I can just walk up and kill him. I did that to max out 6 diff characters health... I was able to beat it each time in like 2-4 minutes... reeaaaally fast. You Ting is good for that too... I skip through the middle.... grab a musou up in Cao Xiu's fort, then just a little farther up is a Health up, then I grab it and kill Sima Yi... it works wonders CHARACTERS This is the meat of this FAQ. I hope to provide a comprehensive guide to each of the characters in this game, including how they fight, their special attacks, and other information about them. The information is provided in the following format Name (Self Explanatory) History (A brief description of the character's background, ripped from the manual and DW3 Essence) Unlocking (How to unlock the character) Fourth Weapon (How to obtain the character's fourth weapon NOTE: Fourth weapons must be obtained on Hard Mode) Attacks (A list of each character's special attacks NOTE: S = Square and T = Triangle) Attack 1 – T (This attack usually clears out a few foes in front of you) Attack 2 – ST (Low Juggling Move) Attack 3 – SST (Dizzying Move) Attack 4 – SSST (Knockback Move) Attack 5 – SSSST (High Juggling Move) Attack 6 – SSSSST (This attack will vary depending on your character) Musou Attack – A description of the special Musou attack Running Attack – A description of the running attack Overall Assessment - Basic strengths and weaknesses of the character Advanced Strategy – A more in depth look of the character SHU KINGDOM In general, the Shu kingdom characters are very well balanced. Their main weakness is a lack of variety, and you’ll find a lot of run of the mill spear and sword fighters here. Zhao Yun “I shall give my life in defense of lord Liu Bei!” History: Formerly a servant of Yuan Shao and later Gongsun Zan, he changed loyalties to Liu Bei, impressed by his virtuousness and personality. Bold and daring, he singled-handedly charged through the enemy army at the Battle of Chang Ban in order to rescue Liu Bei's son. He is among the Five Tiger generals of the Shu Kingdom. Unlocking: Starting Character Description: He's the guy your cursor is on from the start. He wears greenish blue armor and carries a spear. Your basic heroic looking character. Stages Played The Battle at Chang Ban 208 AD (Liu Bei vs Cao Cao) The Battle at Chi Bi 208 AD (Allies vs Cao Cao) The Assault on Cheng Du 214 AD (Liu Bei vs Liu Zhang) The Battle of Mt Ding Jun 219 AD (Shu vs Wei) The Battle at Yi Ling 222 AD (Shu vs Wu) The Nanman Campaign 225 AD (Shu vs Nanman) The Battle at Wu Zhang Plains 234 AD (Shu vs Wei) Fourth Weapon: Chang Ban stage, Shu side. Defeat Xiahou Dun and Zhang Liao. After a little while, Cao Cao's unit will appear. Liu Bei will call for help, so get a horse and ride over to him, at which point a cut scene will appear. Then get to Zhang He and defeat him. A supply troop will appear near Zhang He's starting point, and head for the northeast entry point. Hunt down the captain and kill him to get the item. Attacks Attack 1: A quick spinning strike with his spear. Good for a hard hit, or a clear out. Attack 2: Uppercut with the back end of his spear. Standard Juggling move. Attack 3: A downward strike with his spear. Dizzies anyone it hits. Doesn't have much horizontal range. Attack 4: Sweeping strike with his spear. Clears out a pretty good path of enemies, but will still leave those behind you able to attack. Attack 5: High uppercut with his spear. Standard High Juggling move. Attack 6: A series of 3 thrusts with his spear. This attack does a lot of damage to one enemy, and is an 8 hit combo if you connect with the rest of the hits in your combo, which will net you a better item from an officer. You can rapidly tap T during this attack to get some more hits. Musou Attack: A rapid fire series of spear strikes. Useful for doing a lot of damage to a single enemy, or cutting through a group of them. Running Attack – A sweeping strike attack. Good range and will knock back enemies. Overall Assessment: Zhao Yun is a very good, well balanced character. He doesn't shine in any one particular area, but has good moves, and good abilities, that will enable him to take down most challengers. Advanced Strategy – There aren’t any real specific strategies for Zhao Yun, he’s so well balanced you can pretty much fight any way you want. His Charge 6 attack is somewhat hard to land on a single enemy, but if you connect, you can chain a Musou attack on the end for some nice damage. Guan Yu “I am Guan Yu, brother of Liu Bei! I will prevail! History: Sworn brother of Liu Bei and Zhang Fei, he is the leader of the Five Tigers and helped build the foundation of the Shu Kingdom. With his strong sense of duty and bravery, he has been labeled as a "match for 10,000 men." Guan Yu is also known for his beautiful, long beard. Unlocking: Starting Character Description: Big dude with a long black beard and green uniform. Carries a spear. His beard is beautiful and long :P Stages Played The Yellow Turban Rebellion 184 AD (Han vs Turbans) The Battle at Hu Lao Gate 191 AD (Allies vs Dong Zhuo) Guan Yu's Escape 201 AD (Guan Yu vs Cao Cao) The Battle at Chang Ban 208 AD (Liu Bei vs Cao Cao) The Battle at Fan Castle 219 AD (Shu vs Allied) The Battle at Yi Ling 222 AD (Shu vs Wu) The Battle at Wu Zhang Plains 234 AD (Shu vs Wei) Fourth Weapon: Guan Yu's escape, Guan Yu's side (hey, who'da thunk it?) Once you pass the fourth gate, the supply team will appear north of the fourth fort and head south. Kill the captain to get the weapon. Attacks Attack 1: A sweeping strike with your spear. This attack has a nice wide range and will clear out those in front of you. Attack 2: Uppercut strike with your spear. Basic Juggling move. Attack 3: Downward strike with your spear: Will dizzy those who it hits, but no horizontal range. Attack 4: Sweeping strike with your spear. Great for clearing out crowds in front of you. Attack 5: Uppercut spear strike. Basic High Juggling move. Attack 6: A very wide swing that creates a small shockwave, nailing any enemy around you. Very useful as a clear out move. Musou Attack: A rapid fire series of sweeping strikes. This can do some good damage, and is very useful as a crowd clearing move. Running Attack: Sweeping slash attack with great range that knocks back enemies. Overall Assessment: Guan Yu is another well balanced character, with good strength and decent speed. He can go in and swing with the grunts, and do some good damage to the enemies. A solid all around choice. No glaring strengths or weaknesses. He gets the job done, although he lacks the pizzazz of some of the other generals. Advanced strategies: Guan Yu has an excellent set of normal attacks, and you should use it often to clear out masses of bad guys. Combined with his good power, this makes him capable of clearing out the hordes you’ll face throughout the levels. His Charge 6 and Musou attack are also great crowd clearers. Zhang Fei “I’m Zhang Fei of Yan! Come… I shall make you fear death!” History: A member of the Five Tigers. Sworn brother of Liu Bei and Guan Yu. At the Battle of Chang Ban, he alone rode out on the Chang Ban Bridge and gave a powerful shout, frightening off one million of Cao Cao's troops, who were in pursuit. A lover of wine and drink, it often leads to his defeat in battle more times than not. Unlocking: Starting Character Description: Wears a red bandanna, is fat, and carries a spear. He also always seems pissed off. The Battle at Hu Lao Gate 191 AD (Allies vs Dong Zhuo) The Battle at Chang Ban 208 AD (Liu Bei vs Cao Cao) The Battle at Chi Bi 208 AD (Allies vs Cao Cao) The Assault on Cheng Du 214 AD (Liu Bei vs Liu Zhang) The Battle at Yi Ling 222 AD (Shu vs Wu) The Mountain Bandit Campaign The Nanman Campaign 225 AD (Shu vs Nanman) Fourth Weapon: Chang Ban Stage, Shu Side. Meet the enemies at the Chouhan Bridge (it's the one south of where Cao Cao initially appears) You will get the yell event (I shall make you fear death!) Then kill Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan. The supply team will appear by the entry point near Xu Zhu, and head toward the northeast entry point. Kill the captain to get the item. Attacks Attack 1: A spinning attack. Clears out enemies all around you. Attack 2: Whack the enemy with the back end of your spear. Standard juggling attack. Attack 3: A downward strike, dizzies anyone it hits. Effective against enemies that are in front of you, but not against a large group. Attack 4: A thrusting attack that knocks back enemies it hits very far. However, it's only good against a few enemies at once, and won't help much in a crowd. Attack 5: High swing with his spear. Standard high juggling move. Attack 6: A stomping attack that creates an earthquake, and knocks back everyone around you. Very useful for clearing a crowd. Musou Attack: A rapid fire series of attacks. Fairly good for clearing out a group or doing damage to a few big enemies. Running Attack: Dashing Headbutt. It’s got good forward range, and will knock down enemies. Good for clearing a path through a mob. Overall Assessment: Zhang Fei has slow attacks, which hamper his effectiveness. However, his hits can do a lot of damage, and his crowd control is pretty good. He can be a powerful force in the right hands, you have to learn to anticipate your enemies and beat them down. Advanced Strategies: Zhang Fei is a little hard to get used to, and until you get his third weapon, doesn’t have great crowd control. He’s also not very fast. The best thing to do with him, is to pummel enemies fast and hard, and never let up. If you get his fourth weapon, which increases his Musou charge, he becomes a much more effective force. He can repeatedly do his Musou attack and rip through hordes quickly. Ma Chao “Justice is with us! We will prevail!” History: The eldest son of Ma Teng, he received the nickname "Ma Chao of Splendid" due to his attempt to avenge his father, he commanded an army of troops from Xi Liang to attack Cao Cao at Chang An, but lost. He later went on to serve Liu Bei. He proposed numerous strategies, such as the capture of Han Zhong. He is counted among Shu's Five Tigers. Unlocking: Clear Musou mode with a Shu general or he is unlocked at the start if you have a DW2 save on your memory card. Description: Wears a gold suit of armor that covers his entire body and carries a spear. Can't think of a funny thing to say here. Stages Played The Battle at Chang Ban 208 AD (Liu Bei vs Cao Cao) The Battle at Chi Bi 208 AD (Allies vs Cao Cao) Raid on the Rogue Fortress The Battle at Tong Gate 211 AD (Allies vs Cao Cao) The Battle at Yi Ling 222 AD (Shu vs Wu) The Nanman Campaign 225 AD (Shu vs Nanman) The Battle at Wu Zhang Plains 234 AD (Shu vs Wei) Fourth Weapon: Tong Gate stage, allies side. Wait for Han Sui to meet with Cao Cao, and defect to him. After a while, the supply team will appear on the right side of the bridge, north side of the map and head toward the northeast entry point. Kill the captain to get the weapon. Attacks Attack 1: A spinning slash that is slow to come out, but will whack pretty much everyone who is around you. Attack 2: A wide upper slash. This attack can juggle a lot of enemies at once, and take them out of your hair. Attack 3: A downward attack that dizzies those it hits. Fair range on this one, you can stun a group of guys at once. Attack 4: A wide sweeping slash that will knock back enemies in front of you. Attack 5: A powerful upward strike. Standard high juggling move, hits a good number of guys. Attack 6: A spinning attack that sends out a shockwave and blasts a group of foes all at once. An awesome attack to take out a group of enemies. Musou Attack: A series of strikes, followed by a big attack where he flips up on his spear and sends out a shockwave. Great attack for escaping enemies and doing some damage at the same time. Running Attack: Sweeping Slash that has good range and knocks down enemies. Overall Assessment: Ma Chao is a pretty good all around character, much like most of the tiger generals are. His best attribute is his attacking speed, he's quite fast with his strikes, and can damage a group of enemies quickly. Most of his moves are also very useful for crowd control, making him able to go into a group of foes and take them out quickly. Advanced Strategies: Ma Chao is one of those well balanced guys that doesn’t really need any epic strategies. His Musou attack is somewhat unpredictable, try to aim it in the direction of the enemy group, so you can take them out. It’s a great crowd clearing attack, but is somewhat difficult to get used to. He attacks very fast, and that combined with his powerful charge 6 attack makes him good at fighting crowds. Wei Yan “I… you…. DESTROY!” History: He served under Liu Biao until his death, at which point he joined Liu Bei. At the time, despite his rebellious spirit, and the disapproval of Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei took him in as one of his own, eventually promoting him. He later went on to continue the line of the Five Tigers with his bravery and was a major force in the Shu efforts to take the North. Unlocking: Clear Musou mode with a Shu general or he is unlocked at the start if you have a DW2 save on your memory card. Description: Carries a double headed spear, wears a crazy looking mask. Looks like he could be a pro wrassler. Also talks really funny. Stages Played The Yellow Turban Rebellion 184 AD (Han vs Turbans) Raid on the Rogue Fortress The Battle at Hu Lao Gate 191 AD (Allies vs Dong Zhuo) The Battle at Chang Ban 208 AD (Liu Bei vs Cao Cao) The Battle at Yi Ling 222 AD (Shu vs Wu) The Battle of Jie Ting 228 A.D. (Shu vs Wei) The Battle at Wu Zhang Plains 234 AD (Shu vs Wei) Fourth Weapon: Jie Ting stage, Shu side. Wait for Ma Su to climb up to the summit and get ambushed. Save his worthless hide by killing the general attacking him. Defeat all the enemy generals except Sima Yi, then enter his camp. The special item will appear on top of the hill where Ma Su made camp. Grab it and finish the stage. Attacks Attack 1: A flipping strike. It will take out enemies in front of you and has decent speed. Attack 2: Upward attack. Can juggle a small group of enemies at the same time. Attack 3: A wide strike. It will dizzy enemies it hits. Poor forward range, but good width, so it can stun a group of foes that are directly in front of you. Attack 4: A powerful wide slash. Will knock back a large group of enemies at the same time. Very effective crowd clearer. Attack 5: Upward Slash. Standard high juggling attack. Can hit a couple of foes at the same time. Attack 6: Press the triangle button rapidly to perform a series of strikes. He twirls his weapon above his head. This can take out a group of enemies, and can also get some nice combos if you do it right (about 12 hits) Musou Attack: A couple of big low spinning slashes. These don't do much singular damage, but cover a wider range and are useful crowd control attacks. Running Attack: Spinning Double strike. Decent range, and will knockback the enemy. Fairly useful. Overall Assessment: Besides his funny walk, Wei Yan is a somewhat awkward character to use. His attacks don't have that much range, although his special moves have a good area of effect and can take out a lot of enemies. If you can equip him with a range enhancing weapon or item though, he becomes quite effective. Advanced Strategy: Wei Yan is the only character who gets two death element attacks with his fourth weapon, and neither of them are very good, so don’t rely on them. He is pretty good at clearing out crowds however, and has a decent set of normal moves. Use his regular attacks to rip through the crowds. His charge 6 attack is useful for doing damage to a single enemy. His Musou attack is somewhat akward, but it is useful for hitting a large group of enemies, or getting yourself out of a jam. Zhuge Liang “To win without fighting is the ultimate plan” History: The Shu strategist and advisor. He is often referred to as the "Sleeping Dragon." He decided to serve Lui Bei after being honored by three visits from the young Shu leader. Liu Bei's trust in Zhuge Liang was so strong, it could be compared to that of a fish and the sea. A genius of both domestic and foreign affairs, he was a major contributor to the founding of the Shu Kingdom. He attempted to conquer the Northern territories on five different occasions, but halfway to realizing his dream, he was defeated at the Wu Zhang Plains. Unlocking: Clear Musou mode with any Shu general except Pang Tong or Zhang Fei Stages Played Description: Guy in white and green who carries a fan. You can imagine how much damage a fan does in combat. Raid on the Rogue Fortress The Battle at Chang Ban 208 AD (Liu Bei vs Cao Cao) The Battle at Chi Bi 208 AD (Allies vs Cao Cao) The Battle at Yi Ling 222 AD (Shu vs Wu) The Nanman Campaign 225 AD (Shu vs Nanman) The Battle of Jie Ting 228 A.D. (Shu vs Wei) The Battle at Wu Zhang Plains 234 AD (Shu vs Wei) Fourth Weapon: Peacock Feather: Wu Zhang Plains stage, Shu side. Wait for the reinforcement troops to come for the enemy. Cao Xiu will be one of the generals for the reinforcement group. Kill him. The precious item will then appear near where Zhuge Liang started. I recommend using two players to get this item. Zhuge will be totally protected as the first player, then once you kill Cao Xiu, he can easily grab the item. Then switch to your powerful second player to kill Sima Yi and finish the stage. The reinforcements generally come between 10 and 15 minutes into the stage. In the meantime, beat as many enemy generals as you can. Attacks Attack 1: Your fan floats in a circle around you. Good attack for clearing out enemies directly around you. Attack 2: Quick upward toss of your fan. Standard juggling move. Attack 3: Shoots a beam of light in a straight path, dizzying anyone it hits. Great forward range, but hard to hit a large group of foes with. Attack 4: Spin around, creating a beam of light and a small energy blast below you. Great move for clearing out a crowd of enemies, and will knock them back. Attack 5: Upward strike with your fans. Standard juggling attack, however, if you get his fourth weapon, this attack will be enhanced by the fire. Attack 6: Shoots laser beams in up to three different directions, depending on how many times you hit the T button. The beams stun enemies they hit and have great forward range, but are very difficult to hit with. Musou Attack: Shoots a barrage of beams in front of him. Great at taking out enemies in front of you, will hit lots of foes and do fair damage. Running Attack: He throws his fan a short distance, and it will knockback any enemy it hits. This move can be controlled somewhat, by rotating the stick while the fan is in the air. Overall Assessment: Zhuge Liang has terrible range with his regular attacks, and not very good strength either. Also, several of his moves are hard to hit with, although they have good range. His attack speed is mediocre, and he tends to get interrupted a lot. He's best left as an expert's character, to be played when you master the others. Advanced Strategy: Let’s face facts… Zhuge Liang is a terrible character, to win with him you’ll need a vast amount of skill. He has two strengths that must be exploited when playing as him. 1) His S, S, S, T move is a very good move for clearing out crowds. 2) If you get his fourth weapon, he can take an incredible beating due to the high defense bonuses he gets. You have to be extremely patient when using him, because his hits are very weak, and because of his low strength, it’s easy for other enemies to interrupt him before he can hit his S, S, S, T. Against strong generals, the best thing to do is to try and get them up in the air with his flaming juggle attack, then keep them in the air as long as possible so the fire can eat away at their life. Huang Zhong “Who says I’m too old for this?” History: Masterful with a bow, he was capable of hitting a target 100 out of 100 tries. He served both Liu Biao and Han Xuan. While under Han Xuan, he had a fierce battle with Guan Yu. He later served Liu Bei and served in the Yi Province and in the Battle of Mt. Ding Jun. He accompanied Liu Bei during his ascension to the throne of Han Zhong, and was appointed to the Five Tigers. Unlocking: Clear Musou mode with two Shu generals Description: Every fighting game needs an old guy, and here's DW3's. He carries a bow, and has some armor. Stages Played The Yellow Turban Rebellion 184 AD (Han vs Turbans) The Battle at Hu Lao Gate 191 AD (Allies vs Dong Zhuo) The Battle at Chang Ban 208 AD (Liu Bei vs Cao Cao) The Assault on Cheng Du 214 AD (Liu Bei vs Liu Zhang) The Battle of Mt Ding Jun 219 AD (Shu vs Wei) The Battle at Yi Ling 222 AD (Shu vs Wu) The Battle at Wu Zhang Plains 234 AD (Shu vs Wei) Fourth Weapon: Mount Ding Jun stage, Shu Side. Head down the center route and defeat Xiahou Shang. The special item report will then appear west of Cao Cao's original position. Grab it and finish the stage. Attacks Attack 1: A wide sword swing. Somewhat slow, but will clear out the enemies in front of you and to your sides. Attack 2: An upward slash. Juggles the enemy and can hit multiple foes at the same time. Attack 3: A flipping slash that dizzies enemies. Pretty good range, and can hit a small group of foes. Attack 4: A wide sweeping slash that will hit a lot of enemies and is a powerful crowd control move. One of his staple attacks. Attack 5: Upward slash. Standard high juggling move. Attack 6: A double spinning slash that releases two bolts of energy. The double swings take out enemies near and around you, while the energy bolts do some nice damage. Musou Attack: Rapid fire swinging slashes. Nice move to escape and cut through crowds with. Running Attack: A dashing strike. It’s fast and has good forward range, and also dizzies the enemy. Overall Assessment: This old guy is pretty damn good. His fighting style is somewhat similar to the Xiahou brothers, and can be played as such. This in itself makes him a solid well balanced character. But wait there’s more! Huang Zhong is the best character in the game at fighting with a bow. He rarely misses his shots, and his arrows do much more damage than most characters. If you can equip him with some bow attack boosting items or weapons (especially his fourth weapon) he becomes very fearsome indeed and can snipe most enemies dead before you engage them. For even more fun, try equipping him with fire arrows. Also, his 6th charge attack is very powerful and good for clearing out a crowd. Advanced Strategy: Use your bow as much as possible. If you see a single powerful enemy running at you, use your bow and plug him full of arrows, and you can often do heavy damage or kill him before he even gets to you. Also, since he never misses, he doesn’t have much to fear from archers in watchtowers, he can often knock them out with a single shot, whereas it might take a different character several shots, during which time they can get nailed by other enemies. Up close, Huang Zhong has a good set of regular and special moves to handle almost any situation. His Charge 6 is nice if you set it up in advance to take out a group of bad guys. Liu Bei “Ah… my people! The People are the foundation of the country… I can’t seem to protect them!” History: The first Emperor of the Shu Kingdom. Along with his sworn brothers, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, he participates in the campaign against the Yellow Turbans. After fighting in various battles, he establishes the Shu Kingdom, signifying the beginning of the Three Kingdom era. His aim is to restore the Han Dynasty, thereby bringing peace to the troubled land. Unlocking: Clear Musou mode with two Shu generals Description: He's the heroic looking hero of the Shu army. He carries a sword… and uhm… is heroic looking. Did I mention he's the hero? Stages Played The Yellow Turban Rebellion 184 AD (Han vs Turbans) The Battle at Hu Lao Gate 191 AD (Allies vs Dong Zhuo) The Battle at Chang Ban 208 AD (Liu Bei vs Cao Cao) The Battle at Chi Bi 208 AD (Allies vs Cao Cao) The Assault on Cheng Du 214 AD (Liu Bei vs Liu Zhang) The Battle of Mt Ding Jun 219 AD (Shu vs Wei) The Battle at Yi Ling 222 AD (Shu vs Wu) The Nanman Campaign 225 AD (Shu vs Nanman) The Battle of Jie Ting 228 A.D. (Shu vs Wei) The Battle at Wu Zhang Plains 234 AD (Shu vs Wei) Fourth Weapon: Gold Moon Dragon – Yi Ling stage, Shu side. Defeat Sun Shang Xiang. The precious item will appear in Sun Quan's camp on the northeast side. Grab it, then defeat Sun Quan to complete the stage. Attacks Attack 1: Spinning slash attack. Fast, and will take out a lot of enemies. Attack 2: High upward slash. Standard juggling attack. Attack 3: Wide slash attack. Will hit a lot of enemies in front of you and dizzy them. Attack 4: Downward slash. Poor area of effect, but will knock back any foe in front of you. Attack 5: Upward slash. Standard high juggling attack. Attack 6: A spinning attack that will send a shockwave all around you and blast anyone it hits. Awesome attack for clearing crowds, although the damage is fairly low. Musou Attack: Rapid series of sword slashes. Nothing fancy, but will damage the enemies and get you out of a crowd if you need to. Running Attack: Sweeping Slash attack. This move has nice range and knocks back enemies. Overall Assessment: Liu Bei is a pretty well balanced character. Compared to the other leaders, Cao Cao and Sun Jian, he's not as strong, but he's a bit faster, and has better crowd clearing moves, making him effective in large battlegrounds. Advanced Strategy: Liu Bei is one of those characters who can handle pretty much any situation you put him in. His Dizzy move is good for setting up a big combo against a group of guys. One thing to be careful of is that his Charge 6 is a great clear out move, but since he has to do 5 regular attacks to get it off, he has to be careful about getting nailed during the slashes, where as a character with a clear out move that comes out earlier has less of a chance of getting knocked out. Jiang Wei “My lord… I shall honor you!” History: He once belonged to Wei, but was caught in a plot by Zhuge Liang, who had come to conquer the North, and joined Shu. Filled with admiration for Zhuge Liang, he was treated as a successor and was even entrusted with Zhuge Liang's strategy books. After his mentor's death, he vowed to fulfill Zhuge Liang's ambition, and continued the attack against the North. Unlocking: Clear Musou mode with Zhuge Liang Description: Young looking guy with a green outfit, no armor, and carries a spear. Looks like he'd get ripped apart by most of the other generals in the game, including the Qiao sisters :P Stages Played The Battle at Chang Ban 208 AD (Liu Bei vs Cao Cao) The Battle at Chi Bi 208 AD (Allies vs Cao Cao) The Battle at Yi Ling 222 AD (Shu vs Wu) The Mountain Bandit Campaign The Nanman Campaign 225 AD (Shu vs Nanman) The Battle of Jie Ting 228 A.D. (Shu vs Wei) The Battle at Wu Zhang Plains 234 AD (Shu vs Wei) Fourth Weapon: Jie Ting stage, Shu side. Defeat Zhen Ji and Cao Zhen. The supply team will come in at the entry point northeast of Sima Yi and head toward the northwest entry point. Kill the captain to get the item. Attacks Attack 1: A sweeping strike that takes out practically everyone around you, however there is a slight delay on the attack. Attack 2: An upward swing. Standard juggling move, but can hit multiple foes. Attack 3: A spear thrust. It dizzies anyone it hits, and has good forward range, however, there is a delay on the attack, that the enemy can counter. Attack 4: He strikes out with the side of his pole, knocking back anyone in front of him. Average clear out ability. Attack 5: Upward spear strike. Standard high juggling move. Attack 6: He shoots a shockwave from his spear. Hard to aim, but if it hits a guy, it does good damage, can also cut through a group of guys in front of you. If you have your 4th weapon, anyone hit with the shockwave will release lighting upon hitting the ground. Musou Attack: Rapid spear swings. Nice move for cutting out of a crowd. Running Attack: Sweeping slash that has good range and knocks down enemies. Overall Assessment: Jiang Wei isn’t a bad character, but he suffers from lack of anything exciting to set him apart from other spear wielding characters. He’s pretty fast with his attacks though, so that’s a point in his favor. Overall, he’s not terrible, but certainly isn’t up to snuff with the likes of Guan Yu or Ma Chao in the spear fighter department. Advanced Strategy: He doesn’t have a lot of special moves that can clear out a crowd which is a hit against him. However, he can wade through crowds rather nicely with his set of regular moves, which are very fast, and he can hit them repeatedly. Use this speed advantage to cut through crowds and enemy generals. Pang Tong “I guess I have some time to play…” History: A classmate of Zhuge Liang, he was often compared to the Sleeping Dragon as an accomplished strategist. At the Battle of Chi Bi, he helped carry out the "Linked Ship" plot, ensuring victory for the Allied forces. After joining Liu Bei, he suggested the capture of the Shu lands and led the campaign himself. Unlocking: Clear the Chen Du stage with Pang Tong alive. (Either Musou or Free mode) Description: Looks like a bum wearing green robes, is hunched over, and carries a staff. Stages Played The Battle at Hu Lao Gate 191 AD (Allies vs Dong Zhuo) The Battle at Chang Ban 208 AD (Liu Bei vs Cao Cao) The Battle at Chi Bi 208 AD (Allies vs Cao Cao) The Assault on Cheng Du 214 AD (Liu Bei vs Liu Zhang) The Battle at Yi Ling 222 AD (Shu vs Wu) Raid on the Rogue Fortress The Nanman Campaign 225 AD (Shu vs Nanman) Fourth Weapon: Assault on Cheng Du stage, Liu Bei's side. You will get a message and be surrounded by Zhang Ren's troops. Kill Zhang Ren. The special item will appear on the northwest side of the map. Get it and finish the stage. Attacks Attack 1: He whips out his staff which splits and creates a barrier which knocks out any for in front of him. Good speed, and frontal clearance ability. Attack 2: He tosses out his staff which knocks the enemy upward. Good range, otherwise a standard juggle move. Attack 3: He uses his staff as a pole vault of sorts and does a sweeping kick. Cool looking move that has decent range, and dizzies foes that it hits. Attack 4: He does a spiral kick straight upwards. His staff flies around him, knocking back anyone it hits. A solid move for clearing out a group of foes. Attack 5: He tosses his spear high into the air. Standard high juggling move. Attack 6: He creates a tornado around him, blasting anyone nearby. Excellent clear out attack. Musou Attack: He creates a tornado like blast and spins in place. This move doesn't have much range, but it will devastate enemies close to you, making it awesome against a single enemy such as a powerful officer. Running Attack: A dashing upward strike. It’s got some good forward range, and will knock down anyone it hits. Overall Assessment: Pang Tong is definitely a character for the more experienced player. He’s not very strong, and his attack range is poor, but he has some fun moves to deal with crowds. His attacking speed is decent however. When he gets his third weapon, he gains a very effective crowd clearing move. Also he has a very good Musou attack to use against a cluster of enemies. Overall, he’s fun to play as, but it’s hard to get used to him. Advanced Strategy: Pang Tong has horrible strength like his classmate, Zhuge Liang, but unlike Zhuge, he’s got some decent range, and great clear out moves. Hit and run with him against powerful enemies, but against a group of lesser foes, don’t worry about going in there, and using one of your powerful clear out moves to get out of a jam. He becomes a pretty good character once you get a third weapon. His Musou attack should also be used often. WEI KINGDOM Wei has a lot of interesting characters in it. There are a few sword and spear guys, and some guys that use more exotic and interesting weapons. They are also packed with offensive power. Xiahou Dun “I am Xiahou Dun. Come fight me!” History: He is related to Cao Cao. It is said that he lost his eye to an arrow in a battlewith Lu Bu, but since it was given to him at birth, he removed it from the arrow and ate it. Later, he commanded numerous troops and fought in various places, serving as CaoCao's right-hand man. Unlocking: Starting Character Description: Badass looking guy with a blue and yellow outfit. Has a blue cape and an eyepatch, which certifies his badassness. Carries a scimitar Stages Played The Yellow Turban Rebellion 184 AD (Han vs Turbans) The Battle at Hu Lao Gate 191 AD (Allies vs Dong Zhuo) The Battle at Guan Du 200 (Cao Cao vs Yuan Shao) Guan Yu's Escape 201 AD (Guan Yu vs Cao Cao) The Battle at He Fei 215 AD (Wei vs Wu) The Battle of Jie Ting 228 A.D. (Shu vs Wei) The Battle at Wu Zhang Plains 234 AD (Shu vs Wei) Fourth Weapon: Guan Yu's Escape Stage, Cao Cao's side. Defeat Zhou Can, Chen Zen, and Guan Ping. The special item will appear on the northeast side of the fort Guan Ping is in (basically right next to you) Grab it and finish the stage. A key here is to work as fast as possible, so you have a lot of time to take out the 3 officers you must kill. You don't want to let the carriage get too far ahead of you or you're screwed. Attacks Attack 1: A wide slash. Somewhat slow, but will clear out the enemies in front of you. Attack 2: Upward Slash. Standard juggling attack. Attack 3: A powerful downward Slash. Dizzies anyone it hits. Not that much range or area of attack. Attack 4: A big spinning slash. Clears out just about everyone around you, making this a staple attack. Attack 5: A high slash. Standard high juggling attack. Attack 6: Shoots a shockwave from his sword. Blasts enemies in front of you, however, it's hard to aim this move at a single enemy you're trying to hit. Musou Attack: Rapid fire series of slashes. Good for doing damage or smashing up a group of enemies. Wide slash at the end is also a good enemy clearer. Running Attack: A jumping slash. It doesn’t have much range, but it’s the only running attack that can juggle the enemy into the air, which you can follow up with a combo. Overall Assessment: Xiahou Dun is a good all around character with good speed and power. He can clear out crowds when he needs to, and can take down single enemies pretty well. A powerful character with no glaring flaws. Advanced Strategy: This guy can do it all. His set of regular moves is very fast, and can cut through crowds when you need to. He also has some good special moves, and decent power to take on tough enemies. He also has a great running attack, which can be used to set up stylish combos. The only thing he has against him is a rather crappy Charge 6 attack. It’s hard to aim and won’t affect a lot of enemies. If he had a better charge 6, he’d probably be one of the top 3 characters in the game. Another slightly awkward thing about him is that his fire attack comes off of ST, instead of SSSST like most other characters with fire attacks. This makes is a little hard to do big juggling combos with fire, although he can still do them. Zhang He “So… was the enemy camp pretty?” History: Once under the command of Yuan Shao, he was forced into a tight corner due to false charges brought against him by Guo Tu. He then went on to serve Cao Cao and fought mainly against the Shu forces, where his abilities were acknowledged by Zhuge Liang. At the Battle of Jie Ting, he surrounded Ma Su and defeated him. He is counted among the Five Generals of Wei. Unlocking: Starting Character Description: He's the only guy in the game who carries a claw so you can't miss him. Is the spitting image of Vega from the Street Fighter series. Stages Played The Battle at Guan Du 200 (Cao Cao vs Yuan Shao) The Battle at Chang Ban 208 AD (Liu Bei vs Cao Cao) The Battle at Chi Bi 208 AD (Allies vs Cao Cao) The Battle of Mt Ding Jun 219 AD (Shu vs Wei) The Battle of Jie Ting 228 A.D. (Shu vs Wei) The Seige of He Fei Castle 234 AD (Wei vs Wu) The Battle at Wu Zhang Plains 234 AD (Shu vs Wei) Fourth Weapon: - Guan Du Stage, Cao Cao's side. With Wen Chou and Yan Liang still alive, you must find and burn the enemy's supply depot. On the map, you will see there are four small forts. Randomly, one of these will be the enemy's supply depot. I recommend using the Red Hare saddle if you have it. Go to each of the forts, and there will be one or two officers there. Kill them to open the gate. Once you pass through the gates, you will be told if it is or is not the supply depot. If it's not, get back on your horse and get to the next one. If it is, you will see a cutscene. Once you've found the supply depot, you will find an enemy officer inside. Kill him, and you will see a cutscene where the depot is burned. After this, the special item report will appear around the center of the map where the 3 rivers meet. Grab the item and finish the stage normally. Attacks: Attack 1: A forward strike with both claws. Good to clear out a few enemies in front of you. Attack 2: A High kick. Basic Juggling move. Attack 3: A strike similar to Attack 1, but with better range and dizzying power. This is a good attack to use often to beat down a group of enemies. Attack 4: He flies across the field with a claw extended, nailing anyone in his way. This is an awesome attack for getting you away from a large group and doing some damage at the same time. Use it often. Attack 5: A backflip kick. Basic High Juggling move. Attack 6: He takes a backstep and does a hard strike. Not very impressive, but useful when he gets his fourth weapon due to the instant kill power. You can double tap T for a double strike which makes it even more effective. Musou Attack: A rapid fire series of sliding claw strikes. This will decimate anyone in his path, and can clear out a group and get you to safety all at once. Running Attack: A sliding kick. Great forward range, can be controlled somewhat, and knocks down enemies it hits. Overall Assessment: One of my favorite characters, Zhang He is very fast, has decent power, and has some excellent moves, which can allow him to take out large groups of enemies with relative ease. Advanced Strategy: Zhang He has decent enough strength to slug it out with enemies, but he’s better off using his SSST torpedo move to wear down a group of enemies then blast his way out of them to safety. With his fourth weapon, he gets a death attack, although its poor range probably won’t let him cut down more than a few enemies. His Musou attack is also great for cutting down enemies, then escaping. Learn to count the number of strikes he will do, then with your last hit, aim it away from the bad guys so that you’ll be safe. Dian Wei “Idiot! Why do you rush to die?” History: A giant of a man often referred to as pure evil. Served as Cao Cao's personal bodyguard and was constantly by his side. After Zhang Xiu's night attack on Wan Castle, he alone stood before the enemy troops, giving his life so that Cao Cao could escape. Unlocking: Starting Character Description: He's big, he's bald, he has a big ol' axe. Fear him. Stages Played The Battle at Hu Lao Gate 191 AD (Allies vs Dong Zhuo) The Battle at Wan Castle 197 AD (Cao Cao vs Zhang Xiu) The Battle at Chang Ban 208 AD (Liu Bei vs Cao Cao) The Battle at Chi Bi 208 AD (Allies vs Cao Cao) The Battle at He Fei 215 AD (Wei vs Wu) The Battle at You Ting 228 AD (Wei vs Wu) The Seige of He Fei Castle 234 AD (Wei vs Wu) Fourth Weapon: Wan Castle Stage, Cao Cao's side. Defeat Hu Che. The supply troop will appear to the east of Hu Che's position and head toward the entry point guarded by Jia Xu. Kill the captain to get the item. Attacks Attack 1: A spinning axe attack that will clear out enemies close to you. Short range on this one, but still a fairly useful crowd clearer. Attack 2: A big upward slash that juggles the enemy pretty high. It can also hit a group of enemies at the same time. Attack 3: A stomping attack. Will dizzy enemies it hits. Short range on this attack. Attack 4: Throws his axe, which returns to him like a boomerang. Knocks back anyone it hits. Good range makes this a useful crowd clearer. Attack 5: An upward Axe swing. Juggles the enemy very high, and makes it easy to combo them. Attack 6: Shoots out a shockwave. Will nail any foe it hits, but it's hard to connect it on a single enemy. Musou Attack: A rapid fire series of axe strikes, followed by a spinning attack. Pretty good move to use as a crowd clearer. Running Attack: A dashing headbutt. Good Forward range and knocks back enemies it hits. Overall Assessment: Dian Wei is pretty slow, but has great strength. His axe attacks also cover a wide range, so he can hit a lot of enemies at the same time with his normal attacks. His special attacks are also pretty useful as crowd control, making him a solid choice if you can get by his lack of speed. Advanced Strategy: Dian Wei has power to spare, that’s for certain. He can cut through crowds very well using his standard attacks, so use them to your advantage. Use his Axe throw move often to cut through advancing hordes. Dian Wei is best played as a straight ahead attacker, don’t try using defensive tactics with him, just bash away. He’s a little faster than other big attackers, so use that to your advantage. Xu Zhu “Food has been prepared! You can’t fight on an empty stomach!” History: An extremely large man possibly as big around as he is tall. As capable in battle as the great Dian Wei, he also served as Cao Cao's personal bodyguard. Normally an average and absent- minded man, he transformed on the battlefield, fighting with the fierceness of a tiger, earning him the nickname Crazy Tiger. Unlocking: Clear Musou mode with a Wei general or he is unlocked if you have a DW2 save on your memory card. Description: Fat guy with a big club with a rock on the end of it. Acts like a complete idiot in most cut scenes he's included in. Stages Played The Mountain Bandit Campaign The Battle at Guan Du 200 (Cao Cao vs Yuan Shao) The Battle at Chang Ban 208 AD (Liu Bei vs Cao Cao) The Battle at Chi Bi 208 AD (Allies vs Cao Cao) The Battle at Tong Gate 211 AD (Allies vs Cao Cao) The Seige of He Fei Castle 234 AD (Wei vs Wu) The Battle at Wu Zhang Plains 234 AD (Shu vs Wei) Fourth Weapon: Tong Gate stage, Cao Cao's side. Kill Ma Dai and Pang De. Then enter the fort and get to the southeast corner of the fort. The special item will appear there. Attacks Attack 1: A spinning club strike. Very slow (as are most of his attacks), but will clear out a lot of enemies. Attack 2: Upward club swing. Standard juggling attack, but it can hit a group of foes if you aim at them. Attack 3: A powerful swing that is EXTREMELY slow, but will hit a lot of guys and dizzy them. Attack 4: Swings his club in a wide range. It will clear out most of the guys around you but is (you guessed it) slow. Attack 5: Upward club swing. Standard high juggling attack. Attack 6: Press the T button rapidly here. He does a series of belly bops that knock the enemies back, but there's a big payoff in the end, a massive butt drop that causes an earthquake and hits practically everyone around you in a wide range and knocks them back. Musou Attack: He swings his club in a broad range, which hits a lot of guys and does nice damage. After this move, he tires himself out and lays down for a split second which may leave him open to attack. Running Attack: He’ll curl up into a ball and roll at enemies, knocking over anyone who gets hit. Good forward range. Overall Assessment: As you probably guessed by my descriptions of his attacks, this guy is slow with a capital S. Almost all of his attacks have a delay of some sort, leaving him wide open to be countered. However, his power is immense, and he can hit a lot of enemies, making him good at fighting crowds. If you can get his 3rd weapon, his Last special attack is both powerful and useful for hitting a group of characters at the same time. If you use him though, I highly advise you to equip Shell Armor or SOMETHING that enhances his bow defense, as he’s likely to get chopped up by archers, especially when his swings are slow, and sometimes archers run away before he connects. Advanced Strategy: Xu Zhu hits harder than ANYONE in the game, but his hits are so slow, that it’s hard to connect. Try to anticipate your enemies and swing so that you will connect as they get to you. Be careful of crowds, because although his regular attacks hit a wide range, some guy standing behind you can easily interrupt your attack. The main threat against Xu Zhu is archers. He’s slow and easy to hit, and he has a hard time hitting them. There are only really two reliable ways he has at hitting archers. Either use your running attack or your Musou move. Then if you don’t kill them, get out of dodge and set up another attack. If he’s almost dead to the point where his Musou is building up automatically, try to lay down for a while after using a Musou so that you are getting charged up for another one. Zhen Ji “I am as good as you my lords!” History: A woman of peerless beauty. She was married to Yuan Shao's second son, Yuan Xi. However, when Cao Cao captured the Ji Province, his son, Cao Pi, fell in love with her at first sight and immediately made her his wife. Unlocking: Clear Musou mode with a Wei general or she is unlocked if you have a DW2 save on your memory card. Description: Hot chick in a blue dress. Carries a flute, which she beats the crap out of people with. Her husband is a no name general in this game. She also appears for about 2 pages in the book. Stages Played The Mountain Bandit Campaign The Battle at Hu Lao Gate 191 AD (Allies vs Dong Zhuo) The Battle at Chang Ban 208 AD (Liu Bei vs Cao Cao) The Battle at Chi Bi 208 AD (Allies vs Cao Cao) The Battle at He Fei 215 AD (Wei vs Wu) The Battle at You Ting 228 AD (Wei vs Wu) The Siege of He Fei Castle 234 AD (Wei vs Wu) Fourth Weapon: Dark Moon Flute – On the Jie Ting stage, defeat Jiang Wei. After that, you will see a precious item report near Zhuge Liang's camp. Grab the weapon then clear the stage. Attacks Attack 1: A spinning kick that clears out anyone it hits. Good forward range makes this a useful clear out move. Attack 2: A reverse upward kick. Standard juggling move. Attack 3: A spinning pirouette style kick. Dizzies anyone it hits, forward range isn't too good, but it will clear out anyone around you. Attack 4: A powerful kick. Sends enemies it hits flying back a good distance, but the attack range is pretty poor. Attack 5: A double flip kick. Standard high juggling move. Attack 6: Plays her flute creating an energy blast that dizzies anyone it hits. This move hits everyone around her with great area of effect. An awesome attack. Musou Attack: She plays her flute, creating an energy field that blasts anyone around her for several hits. Very useful to get her out of a tight group of enemies, but it's easy for a powerful enemy to block, making it risky in that situation unless you are using it to counter attack. Running Attack: Jumps into the air and kicks twice. This move has good forward range, and knocks back enemies. Useful to cut through an oncoming horde. Overall Assessment: Zhen Ji is a good character because of two things. Her Musou attack, and her Attack 6 (see above) these allow her to take out a large group of enemies at once. Along with this, she boasts good speed, but doesn't have great power or range. Advanced Strategy: Since she’s fast, she can usually get her Charge 6 attack without being interrupted. Use this move often to dizzy a big crowd, then beat them up with anything you’ve got. Her power disadvantage can be negated if you hit and run. Her best asset is her Musou attack which can do a lot of damage to everyone around you, so use it often. Sima Yi “My dynasty will be built on your death!” History: A Wei vassal. He was promoted after Cao Cao recognized his talent and ability. In the battle with Shu, he refused to be lured out by Zhuge Liang, putting his heart and soul into a strong defensive effort, which resulted in victory. After serving four generations of the Cao family, he won a battle with Cao Shuang to seize control of Wei Empire, laying the foundation for what would eventually become the Jin Dynasty. Unlocking: Clear Musou mode with a Wei General other than Dian Wei, Zhen Ji, or Zhang Liao Description: Similar outfit to Zhuge Liang, except he's blue and purple, and carries a fan. Stages Played The Battle at Guan Du 200 (Cao Cao vs Yuan Shao) The Battle at Chang Ban 208 AD (Liu Bei vs Cao Cao) The Battle at Chi Bi 208 AD (Allies vs Cao Cao) The Battle at Fan Castle 219 AD (Shu vs Allied) The Battle of Jie Ting 228 A.D. (Shu vs Wei) The Siege of He Fei Castle 234 AD (Wei vs Wu) The Battle at Wu Zhang Plains 234 AD (Shu vs Wei) Fourth Weapon: Wu Zhang Plains, Wei side. Kill Zhang Bao, then wait about 20 minutes (!) At around the initial point of Zhang Bao's area, a supply team will appear. Kill the captain to get… Nothing! (What the hell…?) But fear not, a special item report will appear at the entry point southeast of Shu's base. Attacks Attack 1: His fan floats around him in a circle. This attack is slow, but will hit all the enemies around him Attack 2: His fan flies straight up to juggle the enemy. Cool looking, but kind of slow. Attack 3: He creates a barrier in front of him and shoots a laser beam out, both of which can dizzy the enemy. This is a useful dizzy attack that hits guys both in front of him directly, and a long way off. Attack 4: He creates a wave of energy that blasts and knocks back any foe it hits. Great forward range makes this a useful clear out move. Attack 5: His fan flies up to juggle the enemy. Same as the other move, but juggles people higher. Attack 6: He shoots a series of laser beams. You can tap T to continue this attack. The beams are hard to connect with, but do a lot of damage if they hit. Musou Attack: He shoots an array of laser beams which blast anyone in front of you. Great against Archer groups and marauding attackers. Running Attack: He glides forward with his fan out, knocking back anyone it hits. Great range, and a cool laugh accompany this move. Very effective. Overall Assessment: Sima Yi is better than his fan wielding counterpart, Zhuge Liang, however that’s not saying much. He suffers from the same lack of range and power, but has some nicer moves, including a great running attack. He tends to do pretty well on early stages, but gets stomped on the higher ones when his weaknesses tend to be exploited more. Advanced Strategies: Theoretically, Sima Yi has some of the same weaknesses as Zhuge Liang, but he has a much better moveset to work with. Use his SSST attack often, especially when he gets his fourth weapon, the lightning element improves the range of the attack, and will hit a lot of enemies. His Musou attack is also a lot more useful because he stands still and it’s easier to aim. It can also be effective against a single enemy if you do it right in their face. Be careful though as he’s still not very strong and doesn’t have very good range. Cao Cao “I will show you the path to the spirit world” History: The Wei ruler. He was labeled the "hero of a troubled land." Skilled in the arts and in warfare, he wrote numerous books on strategy and tactics. During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, he joined the Imperial army, distinguishing himself on the field of battle. Following the death of Dong Zhuo, he strengthened his foothold in the troubled central plains, there by establishing the foundation for what would become the giant Wei Empire. Unlocking: Clear Musou mode with two Wei generals Description: Wears bluish purple robes, carries a sword, and is the ultimate badass of the 3 Kingdoms. Fear him Stages Played The Yellow Turban Rebellion 184 AD (Han vs Turbans) The Battle at Hu Lao Gate 191 AD (Allies vs Dong Zhuo) The Battle at Wan Castle 197 AD (Cao Cao vs Zhang Xiu) The Battle at Guan Du 200 (Cao Cao vs Yuan Shao) The Battle at Chi Bi 208 AD (Allies vs Cao Cao) The Battle at Tong Gate 211 AD (Allies vs Cao Cao) The Battle at He Fei 215 AD (Wei vs Wu) The Battle of Mt Ding Jun 219 AD (Shu vs Wei) The Siege of He Fei Castle 234 AD (Wei vs Wu) The Battle at Wu Zhang Plains 234 AD (Shu vs Wei) Fourth Weapon: Wrath of Heaven – Yellow Turban Stage, Han side. You must defeat Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang without any gates being lost on either side. Once you've done this, a supply team will appear on the northwest enemy entry point, and will make its way to the entry point on the top center of the screen. Kill the supply captain to get the weapon. To get this, I recommend having two players, the first player must be using Cao Cao, and the second one can be anybody, preferably someone you have powered up. Also both players should equip the Red Hare Saddle. Take the second player to the east end where the boulders are dropping, and kill the general there. Have Cao Cao be hiding in a safe place. Once the first enemy is gone, put your second player in a safe place, and take Cao Cao to the west end and kill the enemy there. Several morale messages will appear, followed by the appearance of the supply captain. Once you kill the general, get back on Red Hare and make your way to the northwest gate, then move toward the central gate, catch up to and kill the supply captain. Then take out the boss to clear the stage. This weapon is a pain to get, but it's well worth it. Attacks: Attack 1: Basic frontal slash. Useful for taking out a group of guys who are in front of you. Attack 2: Standard upward slash that juggles the enemy. Attack 3: A forward slash that will dizzy anyone it connects with. Not a very wide range, but useful for taking out enemies in front of you. Attack 4: Wide sweeping sword hit. Will knock back anyone who it hits, and will knock them quite a ways away. However, this attack will only hit those in front of you, so be careful. Attack 5: High upward slash. Standard high juggling move. Attack 6: This attack is just a big wide slash. What makes it special is you can continue to hit T after the initial slash for a rapid-fire series of attacks. This attack lets you plow through a bunch of guys in a hurry, and is devastating in combination with Cao Cao's fourth weapon. Musou Attack: A rapid fire Series of Sword Strikes. Nothing fancy, but if you connect with a lot of them, you can do high damage, or work your way through a crowd. Running Attack: Lunging strike. Dizzies anyone it hits. Not good sideways range, but good forward range. Overall Assessment: Cao Cao isn't as good at crowd control as some of the other generals, but he's pretty powerful, and is very good at direct attacks. He's also well balanced between power and speed. His biggest weakness is his lack of versatile special moves; most of his stuff is pretty basic. He becomes a lot more dangerous once you get him a 6 hit weapon though, then he can plow through the ranks quickly, and becomes an absolute monster if you get his fourth weapon. Advanced Strategy: Cao Cao is arguably the most powerful fighter in the game if he’s got his fourth weapon. Even without it, he’s still a solid fighter, his SSST is a good crowd clearer, and his Musou can be used in a pinch to clear out enemies. When using his charge 6, try to do it before the enemies reach you, so that you can hit as many of them as possible, and blow through them all. Also use this attack against enemy generals. If you can connect with all 6 hits, you can usually take off about 70% from their life bar, no matter who the enemy is. This is a great way to cut down Lu Bu, or any other powerful enemy. Xu Huang “Come! Won’t you cross swords with me?” History: A servant of Yang Feng, he joined Cao Cao after being persuaded by Man Chong. He served as an important part of the Wei forces. A wise and valiant general, Cao Cao labeled him "A match for Sun Tzu!" after his victory over the army of Guan Yu at Fan Castle. He is counted among the Five Generals of Wei. Unlocking: Clear Musou mode with two Wei generals Description: Wears a turban with his blue and white outfit, and has a battle axe. Stages Played The Yellow Turban Rebellion 184 AD (Han vs Turbans) The Battle at Hu Lao Gate 191 AD (Allies vs Dong Zhuo) The Battle at Wan Castle 197 AD (Cao Cao vs Zhang Xiu) The Battle at Guan Du 200 (Cao Cao vs Yuan Shao) The Battle at Tong Gate 211 AD (Allies vs Cao Cao) The Battle at He Fei 215 AD (Wei vs Wu) The Battle at Wu Zhang Plains 234 AD (Shu vs Wei) Fourth Weapon: Fan Castle Stage, Wei side. Kill Guan Ping before the flood event. The precious item will then appear around the northeast edge of the ground level. Grab it and finish the stage. Attacks Attack 1: A big halberd swing. A little slow, but very effective at clearing out enemies. Attack 2: Upward Swing. Standard juggling move. Attack 3: A downward strike, that dizzies anyone it hits. Good range, but only against enemies right in front of you. Attack 4: A HUGE swinging attack. A little slow, but very nice to clear out a crowd. Attack 5: Powerful upward strike. Standard high juggling move. Attack 6: He stomps with his halberd and his foot, which creates an earthquake, blasting everyone around him. Very useful as a clear out move. Musou Attack: A rapid-fire series of one-handed swings. Very cool for cutting through a big crowd. Running Attack: He glides forward a bit before doing an upward slash. The actual hit is slow to come out, but it has good forward range and will knockback. Overall Assessment: Turban Boy is a pretty well balanced character, leaning more toward power than speed. His attacks are pretty slow, but they do good damage, and cover a wide range, making him a pretty good character, especially when he gets his 3rd weapon and can do his stomp attack. Not the best, but far from the worst. Advanced Strategy: Xu Huang plays a bit like Guan Yu, except he’s slower and a bit stronger. His normal move set is very good for attacking a group of enemies, so use it often. If you’ve got his third weapon, his Charge 6 is a nice finishing hit that will clear the crowds, just be careful because the move is a bit slow, and you can be hit out of it. His Musou attack is also good for clearing out crowds, so use it whenever possible. Xiahou Yuan “I eat people like that for lunch!” History: A Wei officer and brother to Xiahou Dun. He worked with Cao Cao from the beginning, bearing one wing of Cao Cao's newly formed army. Famous for his lightning quick attacks, he had a long list of accomplishments, including defeating Ma Chao. However, at the Battle of Mt. Ding Jun, he was drawn out by a Shu general, and killed by Huang Zhong Unlocking: During the Mt. Ding Jun stage, in the Shu scenario, defeat Xiahou Yuan. Description: Fat guy in blue armor, has a big sword, and wishes he could be half as cool as his brother Dun. Fourth Weapon: Mt. Ding Jun stage, Wei scenario. After Huang Zhong runs down the mountain, kill him. The special item will then appear in an alcove to the west of Huang Zhong's initial position. Grab it and finish the stage. Stages Played The Yellow Turban Rebellion 184 AD (Han vs Turbans) The Mountain Bandit Campaign The Battle at Hu Lao Gate 191 AD (Allies vs Dong Zhuo) The Battle at Guan Du 200 (Cao Cao vs Yuan Shao) The Battle at He Fei 215 AD (Wei vs Wu) The Battle of Mt Ding Jun 219 AD (Shu vs Wei) The Battle at Wu Zhang Plains 234 AD (Shu vs Wei) Attacks Attack 1: Spinning sword strike. Decent speed, and a good crowd clearer. Attack 2: Upward slash that juggles enemies, and can hit a lot of guys at once. Attack 3: A wide sword slash that can dizzy a large group of foes at once, and is a good move to use in crowds. Attack 4: A downward slash that knocks back enemies. Good forward range, but not that good in a group. Attack 5: Upward slash. Standard high juggling move. Attack 6: A rapid-fire series of slashes, similar to Cao Cao's. Rapidly press T to extend the attack. Musou Attack: Rapid-fire sword swings. Nice move to thin out and escape from crowds. Running Attack: A knee strike. Poor range and is hard to hit with but it will dizzy an enemy if it connects. Overall Assessment: Much like Brother Dun, Xiahou Yuan is a pretty good character overall. His fighting style is somewhat similar to Xiahou Dun, but he’s a little slower and stronger. He’s also good with a bow if you like fighting from afar. Overall, he’s a solid character that you can’t go wrong with, but his brother is cooler so given the choice, I’d go with him. Advanced Strategy: A lot of the tricks that will work with Huang Zhong will work with Xiahou Yuan as well. Just be careful because he’s a bit slower, although he’s a little stronger. His Charge 6 attack is a little bit better for attacking a single general than Huang Zhong, but he’s not as good as fighting a large group. He is almost as effective with a bow though, so feel free to plug enemies full of holes when you feel the need. Zhang Liao “Remember Zhang Liao’s name… when you reach HELL!” (Note: this quote is actually from Dynasty Tactics, but I like it so much, I’m including it here.) History: In the beginning, he fought in various battles under Lu Bu. After Lu Bu's death, he served under Cao Cao. During his defense of He Fei, he managed to repel over 100,000 Wu troops with just 800 men. He was so feared that it was said that even crying children stopped their tears when he appeared. He was promoted to the head of the Five Wei Generals. Unlocking: At the He Fei stage, in the Wu scenario, defeat Zhang Liao Description: Wears turquoise armor, and has a big spear. Can't think of a funny comment here. Stages Played The Battle at Hu Lao Gate 191 AD (Allies vs Dong Zhuo) The Battle at Chang Ban 208 AD (Liu Bei vs Cao Cao) The Battle at Chi Bi 208 AD (Allies vs Cao Cao) Raid on the Rogue Fortress The Battle at Tong Gate 211 AD (Allies vs Cao Cao) The Battle at He Fei 215 AD (Wei vs Wu) The Siege of He Fei Castle 234 AD (Wei vs Wu) Fourth Weapon: He Fei stage, Wei side. Kill Zhou Tai. The special item will appear to the north of the broken bridge. Grab it and finish the stage. Attacks Attack 1: A sweeping strike. Can clear out a crowd, but it's slow and can be countered. Attack 2: Upward slash. Standard juggling attack Attack 3: Jumping downward slash. Useful against a small group of enemies to get them dizzy. Attack 4: A spinning kick. Somewhat of a delay, but good to knock back enemies in front of you. Attack 5: Upward slash. Standard high juggling attack, but can hit a lot of enemies at once. Attack 6: Creates a wind barrier around him that blasts any foe near him. Nice move to clear out a group Musou Attack: Rapid fire slashes. Can be used to do big damage to one foe, or to cut your way through a group. Running Attack: Sweeping slash attack. Good range and it knocks down the enemy. Overall Assessment: Zhang Liao is a very powerful all around character with no glaring weaknesses. His spear gives him good crowd control ability, and his other skills including speed, and power are solid all around. His Charge 6 attack is an awesome move that is great for clearing out a big group of enemies. All around, he ranks among the top fighters in the game and is a great choice. Advanced Strategy: Make good use of his charge 6 attack, it’s reasonably fast and very good for clearing out the masses. His regular move set is also solid against any foe. He doesn’t have a super dangerous move to use against generals, so stick to the basics to take them down. Zhang Liao as mentioned above doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses, so you can play him to basically any style of play you like. WU KINGDOM Wu guys usually have good speed and defense. Also, there are a lot of guys here with interesting weapons and fighting styles to give some variety to your play. Zhou Yu “This victory shall belong to Wuuuuuuuuuuu!” History: Is the sworn brother of his Lord, Sun Ce. According the Sun Ce's will, he became chief lieutenant to the young Sun Quan. At the Battle of Chi Bi, he served as the commander, leading his fleet to victory over the much larger forces of Cao Cao. He was often complemented on his good looks. Unlocking: Starting Character Description: Handsome man in a red robe and has a slender sword. The term "Pretty Boy" comes to mind. Stages Played The Mountain Bandit Campaign The Battle at Hu Lao Gate 191 AD (Allies vs Dong Zhuo) Assault on Wu Territory 197 AD (Sun Ce vs Allies) The Battle at Chi Bi 208 AD (Allies vs Cao Cao) The Battle at He Fei 215 AD (Wei vs Wu) The Battle at Yi Ling 222 AD (Shu vs Wu) The Nanman Campaign 225 AD (Shu vs Nanman) Fourth Weapon: Ancient's Sword – Chi Bi Stage, Sun Quan's side. Defeat Xiahou Dun and Zhang He, and the special item will appear south of where Cao Cao starts. Get the item and clear the stage. Attacks Attack 1: A wide slash. Pretty fast, and it takes out enemies in a wide path in front of you. Attack 2: Upward slash. Standard juggling attack, but it can take out a couple guys at once. Attack 3: A forward stabbing attack that dizzies anyone it hits. However, this attack's range is so poor, it will probably only hit one or two guys at once. Attack 4: A jumping attack that knocks down anyone it hits. However, it doesn't do a very good job at getting you out of a group by itself. You can repeatedly press T to extend the range on this attack. Attack 5: High upward slash. Standard high juggling attack. Attack 6: Shoots a disc shaped energy blast in front of him. A pretty good attack that has range, and can hit a group of enemies. Musou Attack: A rapid-fire series of slashes. Pretty basic stuff, but it can hit a lot of enemies and get you out of a bind. Running Attack: You can dash forward and mash the Square button for up to 6 slashes. This move is very effective for cutting down an oncoming horde. After the 6th slash, continues mashing the Square button and after a brief delay, he’ll begin his normal string of attacks. Overall Assessment: Zhou Yu is a fairly well balanced character, with good speed, although he's a little short on the power department. His running attack is excellent for cutting through crowds, and you can rapidly hit the button for up to 6 slashes. A choice for the more experienced player. Advanced Strategy: Run as much as possible so that you’re always ready to execute your running combo. His SSST isn’t a very good move for crowd control, so you’ll have to rely of your Musou attack or other moves to get out of a bind. His basic moveset is pretty solid, so use it often. He’s a hard character to get used to, but he’s quite effective once you master his nuances. Huang Gai “It takes guts to stand before me!” History: An officer with Wu since the days of Sun Jian. A master of the iron staff. At the Battle of Chi Bi, together with Zhou Yu, he hatched the "Last Resort" plan. After being "punished" by Zhou Yu, Huang Gai surrendered to Cao Cao, where he then set fire to the Wei fleet, leading to a great victory for Wu. Unlocking: Starting Character Description: Big bald dude with a big club. Unlike Xu Zhu and other big guys, is able to move slightly faster than a slug. Stages Played The Yellow Turban Rebellion 184 AD (Han vs Turbans) The Battle at Hu Lao Gate 191 AD (Allies vs Dong Zhuo) Surprise Attack on Liu Biao 192 AD (Sun Jian vs Liu Biao) The Battle at Chi Bi 208 AD (Allies vs Cao Cao) The Battle at Yi Ling 222 AD (Shu vs Wu) The Battle at You Ting 228 AD (Wei vs Wu) The Siege of He Fei Castle 234 AD (Wei vs Wu) Fourth Weapon: Black Shadow – Chi Bi Stage, Wu Side. Defeat Zhang Liao. The special item will then appear near Zhuge Liang's place of prayer. Grab it then finish off the stage. Attacks Attack 1: A wide club swing. Takes out foes in front of you and is reasonably fast. Attack 2: A powerful swing that juggles a group of enemies at once. Attack 3: A high kick. Dizzies enemies that it hits, but has poor range and will only hit guys directly in front of you. Attack 4: A big forward smash. It will knock an enemy that it hits VERY far back, but the area of effect is poor, and it won't hit many foes. Attack 5: A upward swing. Standard high juggling move. Attack 6: A stomp attack that will clear out all the enemies around you. Very nice as a crowd control move. Musou Attack: A rapid fire series of swings. Can do some good damage, and also has good ability to clear out a group. Running Attack: Dashing Headbutt. Good forwardd range and it knocks back enemies. Overall Assessment: As you might expect from a big guy wielding a club, Huang Gai is very powerful, although somewhat slow. He's still fast enough to do his damage though, unlike some other big characters in the game. His special attacks don't give him much crowd clearing ability, till you get a 6 hit weapon, but his regular attacks still cover a good range, making him decent at crowd control. Advanced Strategy: Huang Gai’s regular moveset doesn’t hit tons of enemies at once, but he’s still a good crowd control character if you get his third weapon and can do his stomp attack. This move comes out slow though so be careful. He’s better suited to beating down enemy generals though, so focus a lot of your energy on getting rid of them, then you can mop up the stragglers. He’s pretty quick for a big man, so use that to your advantage. Sun Shang Xiang “Don’t underestimate be just because I am a woman” History: The daughter of the Sun clan. She is the younger sister of both Sun Ce and Sun Quan. A somewhat manly woman, she took interest in the martial arts form a young age. She later became Liu Bei's wife, but it is said that her ladies-in-waiting were constantly outside her room, dressed in full armor. Description: Hot chick in red, carries a pair of chakram (bladed rings) Unlocking: Starting Character Stages Played The Mountain Bandit Campaign The Battle at Chi BI 208 AD (Allies vs Cao Cao) The Battle at He Fei 215 AD (Wei vs Wu) The Battle at Yi Ling 222 AD (Shu vs Wu) The Nanman Campaign 225 AD (Wu vs Nanman) Raid on the Rogue Fortress (vs Zhang Fei) The Seige of He Fei Castle 234 AD (Wei vs Wu) Fourth Weapon: You Ting Stage, Wu side. Kill Cao Xiu. The special item will appear next to Cao Xiu's initial position. Grab it and finish the stage. Attacks Attack 1: A twirling upside down kick. This move is fast, and will knock back enemies close to you. Attack 2: Upward strike with one chakram. Standard juggling attack. Attack 3: Throws her chakram out which hits practically every enemy close to you and dizzies them. A very useful attack. Good speed too. Attack 4: She throws out both chakram, which travel in a circular motion and knock back practically everyone around you. Great crowd control move. Attack 5: Upward slash with both chakram. Standard high juggling move. Attack 6: Throws out both her chakram which travel in a very wide range, and hit the enemies multiple times. Very good move for damage and clearing out a crowd. You can also rapidly press T to rack up more hits. Musou Attack: She tosses her chakram multiple times to nail anyone it hits for decent damage. She ends with a spinning attack that hits enemies all around you. Good move for doing damage to a large group of foes. Running Attack: A double strike with both chakram. Not very good range, but it does dizzy if It hits. Overall Assessment: SSX doesn't have much range or power, but she has great speed and amazing clear out capability. Many of her attacks hit a wide range of enemies and hit everyone around you. This makes her great for going into a thick group of enemies and clearing her way out of them. Advanced Strategy: SSX is the epitome of a hit and run character. Use her SSST often to keep the bad guys away from you. She doesn’t have enough strength to go toe to toe with powerful enemies, so hit them a couple times and back off. Almost all of her special moves are designed to hit a group of enemies so use that to her advantage. In a big group, if you’re willing to gamble, her Charge 6 can do a good amount of damage, but she might get hit out of it, especially by archers. Use the knockdown, go behind strategy against generals. Lu Xun “Do you think you can evade my swords?” History: A Wu officer and married to Sun Ce's daughter. A very thoughtful young man whose distinguished service was rewarded with a promotion from Sun Quan. In cooperation with Lu Meng, he managed to defeat Guan Yu and succeeded in recapturing the Jing Province. Also, at the Battle of Yi Ling, he served as Supreme Commander, leading Wu to a carefully planned victory over Liu Bei and the massive Shu army. Unlocking: Clear Musou mode with one Wu general, or he is unlocked if you have a DW2 save on your memory card. Description: Pretty boy character with two swords, and a funny hat. Stages Played The Battle at Chi Bi 208 AD (Allies vs Cao Cao) The Battle at He Fei 215 AD (Wei vs Wu) The Battle at Fan Castle 219 AD (Shu vs Allied) The Battle at Yi Ling 222 AD (Shu vs Wu) The Nanman Campaign 225 AD (Shu vs Nanman) The Battle at You Ting 228 AD (Wei vs Wu) The Siege of He Fei Castle 234 AD (Wei vs Wu) Fourth Weapon: Falcon - Yi Ling stage, Wu Side. Either Lu Meng or Gan Ning must stay alive while you do this. First you must break though the stone warrior formation which is the square area on the south area of the map. You won't see a map on the main screen, but you can pause to see where you are. Enter through the top, then make your way around clockwise till you reach the exit on the west side. Head towards Liu Bei. On the way there, Zhuge Liang's unit will appear. Defeat Zhuge Liang. The precious item will then appear in the northeast side of the maze. Grab it, then make your way back and defeat Liu Bei to finish the stage. Attacks Attack 1: A spinning attack with both swords. Rather fast, and good for clearing crowds. Attack 2: Double upward sword attack. Standard juggling move, but with good width. Attack 3: A quick jumping strike. Fast and covers a good distance, dizzying anyone it hits. Attack 4: A double flipping attack that clears out anyone it hits. Short range, but it carries the death element once you get his fourth weapon. Attack 5: A spinning upward sword strike. Standard high juggling move. Attack 6: Sends shockwaves out in two directions in front of him. Good range, and can hit a large group of foes, but won't always hit guys directly in front of you. Musou Attack: Rapid fire series of strikes. Very fast, and good for clearing out a crowd or damaging a single tough foe. Running Attack: Outward slash with both swords. It has decent horizontal range, and dizzies if it hits. Overall Assessment: Lu Xun is a good character with well rounded abilities, emphasis is on speed. He's good at clearing out attackers, and becomes an absolute monster with his fourth weapon. His biggest weakness is lack of range, but you can equip items (or his fourth weapon) to improve on that. Advanced Strategy: Without his fourth weapon, Lu Xun is best played as a hit and run type character. His SSST is pretty well suited for this, although he can get hit by enemies that aren’t knocked down by it. Once you get his fourth weapon though, he becomes extremely dangerous, and can now wade right into the enemy hordes. Using his SSST, he will mow down lots of bad guys at once. He can also take a solid bite out of an enemy general if he connects with this. He’s also got the fastest running speed in the game, which is a useful asset. Da Qiao “I am not afraid of anything!” History: The daughter of Qiao Xuan. She later married Sun Ce of the Wu Kingdom. Together with he younger sister, Xiao Qiao, they were known as two of the world's great beauties and referred to as the "Two Qiaos." It is said that their beauty shone brighter than any moon or star and put the most beautiful flower to shame. Unlocking: Either beat Musou mode with one Wu general, or she is unlocked at the beginning if you have a DW 2 save on your card Description: 12 year old girl with fans, black hair and a pink outfit. Stages Played The Yellow Turban Rebellion 184 AD (Han vs Turbans) The Battle at Hu Lao Gate 191 AD (Allies vs Dong Zhuo) Surprise Attack on Liu Biao 192 AD (Sun Jian vs Liu Biao) Assault on Wu Territory 197 AD (Sun Ce vs Allies) The Battle at Chi Bi 208 AD (Allies vs Cao Cao) The Battle at Yi Ling 222 AD (Shu vs Wu) The Siege of He Fei Castle 234 AD (Wei vs Wu) Fourth Weapon: You Ting stage, Wu Side. Kill Zhang He. The special item will appear at the dead end to the west of the northwest entry point. Grab it and finish the stage. Attacks Attack 1: She hops in the air and throws both her fans around her. This is a good attack to clear out enemies close to you. Attack 2: Uppercut with one fan. Basic juggling move. Attack 3: Throws her fans a short distance in front of her, dizzying any enemy they hit. Fairly useful as a crowd control move, but the range is overall poor. Attack 4: A swooping attack with both fans outstretched. This is a VERY useful attack, that is both fast, and can clear out a crowd and get you out of a jam in a hurry. Attack 5: She tosses both fans into the air, juggling anyone they hit. This can knock several enemies into the air at once, however, it's very difficult to do follow up hits afterward. Attack 6: She tosses both fans out in front of her. Useful when taking on a single enemy, it can inflict multiple hits, but is hard to connect with. Musou Attack: The first part has her twirling her fans in front of her, you can rotate this move with the analog stick, to take out enemies around you. She ends it with a fan throw that extends all the way around her several times, clearing out enemies all around. The first part of this attack is useful to rack up combo hits if you're just facing one enemy. Running Attack: A double fan strike. Good forward range, and knocks back enemies. Overall Assessment: Da Qiao has some of the fastest attacks in the game, and is an excellent hit and run character. She lacks strength, and her higher weapons don't improve that much, but she can cut through a group of attackers quickly. Her jumping attack is very useful, as is her non Musou 6 hit combo, which is excellent for clearing crowds. Advanced Strategy: If you can get by her lack of strength, Da Qiao is an excellent character. Her regular move set is great, because her last hit propels her away from the enemy, so you can hit them all at once, then escape. Use this move often. Her SSST move is also good for this effect, if you haven’t yet gotten her third weapon. These two staple moves allow her to tick away at the masses without taking much damage herself. Her jumping attack is also nice for a quick knockdown and escape. Her Musou attack can serve two purposes. Either spin it around to hit a group of enemies, or keep it focused on a general to rack up a lot of damage and hits. Xiao Qiao “I don’t lose to anyone!” History: The daughter of Qiao Xuan. She later married Zhou Yu of Wu. Together with her older sister, Da Qiao, they were referred to as the "Two Qiaos." Upon hearing a rumor by Zhuge Liang that Cao Cao was after the Qiao sisters, Zhou Yu proposed war to Sun Quan, effectively drawing the Wu Kingdom into the Battle of Chi Bi. Unlocking: Clear Musou mode with either Zhou Yu or Da Qiao Description: 12 year old girl with brown hair, fans, and a greenish outfit. Stages Played Pirate Attack on the High Seas The Battle at Hu Lao Gate 191 AD (Allies vs Dong Zhuo) The Battle at Chi Bi 208 AD (Allies vs Cao Cao) Raid on the Rogue Fortress The Battle at He Fei 215 AD (Wei vs Wu) The Battle at Yi Ling 222 AD (Shu vs Wu) The Nanman Campaign 225 AD (Shu vs Nanman) Fourth Weapon: Nanman stage, Wu side. Kill Zhu Rong. The special item will appear to the east of the bridge on the northwest side of the map. Grab it and finish the stage. Attacks Attack 1: Throws both fans in a circle around her. This attack can clear out enemies on both sides. Attack 2: A short upward slash with her fan. Standard juggling attack. Attack 3: Throws her fan in a circle, dizzying those it hits. Good radius of effect on this attack. Attack 4: Throws her fans, one in front of her, the other straight behind her. This attack knocks back anyone it hits, and has good range, though it won't hit enemies to your sides, making it somewhat risky in a big crowd. Attack 5: A big upward fan strike, lifts the enemy high up for a juggle. Much easier to combo with than her sister's high juggle attack. Attack 6: Press T rapidly here, she rolls repeatedly, and hits enemies around her. Fairly useful as a clear out move. Musou Attack: Goes into a rolling spin, nailing any foes around her. This attack is fairly useful for getting out of a crowd, but is somewhat hard to control. The double fan throw at the end is nice for clearing crowds. Running Attack: Dives at the enemy. It knocks down the enemy if it connects, but either way, she falls flat on her face and is left wide open as she gets up. Avoid this move. Overall Assessment: Xiao Qiao isn't as good as her sister by any stretch of the imagination. Her attacks are still very fast, but her special moves aren't as useful for getting her out of a sticky situation. She does get a fourth weapon with a death element though, which is a plus in her favor. Also, her running in attack is just plain horrible. She jumps at the enemy, then falls on her face, while she's getting up, she's WIDE open to get attacked. Advanced Strategy: She’s not NEARLY as good as her sister. She does gain the advantage of a death element attack, but it’s very hard to connect with. Her special moves are generally not nearly as good. She doesn’t have the escape move at the end of her normal string, although her hits are fast enough to do some damage then get the hell out of dodge. Her Musou attack is best used as an escape move, although it can do some good damage to a group or a general if you land it right. Sun Jian “Mmmm… Great!” History: A great hero who is descended from the legendary Sun Tzu. He made a name for himself by defeating a band of pirates. After distinguishing himselft in battle against the Yellow Turbans, he became the governor of Chang Sha. He served as the vanguard for the Allied forces aginst Dong Zhuo, being the first to reach the city Luo Yang. Following the battle, he found the Imperial Seal hidden within a well and took it back home with him. Unlocking: Clear Musou mode with two Wu generals Description: Has gold armor, and carries a sword. He's the big boss of Wu, unless he happens to get slaughtered during your campaign. Stages Played The Yellow Turban Rebellion 184 AD (Han vs Turbans) The Battle at Hu Lao Gate 191 AD (Allies vs Dong Zhuo) Suprise Attack on Liu Biao 192 AD (Sun Jian vs Liu Biao) Assault on Wu Territory 197 AD (Sun Ce vs Allies) The Battle at Chi Bi 208 AD (Allies vs Cao Cao) The Battle at He Fei 215 AD (Wei vs Wu) The Battle at Yi Ling 222 AD (Shu vs Wu) The Nanman Campaign 225 AD (Shu vs Nanman) The Battle at You Ting 228 AD (Wei vs Wu) The Seige of He Fei Castle 234 AD (Wei vs Wu) Fourth Weapon: Savage Wolf – Liu Biao Stage, Sun Jian's side. Kill Lu Gong. Once he's dead, the special item will appear at the entrance to the path that led to Lu Gong. Backtrack to the item and grab it. Then finish the stage as normal. Attacks Attack 1: Broad slash with the sword. Will hit pretty much every enemy in front of you. Attack 2: Jumping upper slash. Standard juggling attack Attack 3: A quick charging slash that dizzies enemies hit by it. Fast, but not much range, or area of effect. Attack 4: A reverse thrusting attack, knocks back anyone it hits. Poor width, not very useful for clearing crowds. Attack 5: Powerful upward slash. Standard High Juggling Attack. This attack gains a fire element for extra damage once you get his fourth weapon Attack 6: Shoots a shockwave from his sword. Good range, and it will rip through enemies in front of you. Running Attack: Dashing sword strike. Good range, and it knocks back enemies. Musou Attack: A rapid fire series of sword strikes. This is a pretty good attack, capable of clearing out crowds, and doing damage to a big enemy if you want. Overall Assessment: Sun Jian is a very direct attacker. He's got fair attacking speed and good power. However his crowd control capabilities are not very good. He becomes much better at fighting his enemies, if you equip him with a Wind Scroll to improve his reach. He can hit more enemies this way, making him more effective in crowds. Advanced Strategy: Sun Jian is a decent all around character, and can play to pretty much any style you want, although he’s better at attacking single enemies than groups. His Musou attack can do great damage to a general as well. Sun Jian’s biggest weakness is the lack of any really effective move that he can base his game around. Play around with his different attacks to see what works best for your style of play. Sun Ce “This is war! Mercy is for the weak!” History: The oldest son of Sun Jian. After his father's death, Sun Ce went to serve Yang Shu. Later, borrowing 3000 troops in exchange for the Imperial Seal, he went on to raise his own army. In a short while, he had already stabilized the land of Jian Dong, leading to his nickname of the "Little King." Starting with his old friend Zhou Yu, he went on to gather many talented officers. thereby laying the foundation for the Wu Kingdom. Unlocking: Clear Musou mode with two Wu generals Description: Carries tonfa (nightsticks) and is a badass because he uses them. Stages Played The Battle at Hu Lao Gate 191 AD (Allies vs Dong Zhuo) Assault on Wu Territory 197 AD (Sun Ce vs Allies) The Battle at Chi Bi 208 AD (Allies vs Cao Cao) The Battle at He Fei 215 AD (Wei vs Wu) The Battle at Fan Castle 219 AD (Shu vs Allied) The Battle at Yi Ling 222 AD (Shu vs Wu) The Nanman Campaign 225 AD (Shu vs Nanman) Fourth Weapon: Overlord – Wu Territory Stage, Wu Side. Make Taishi Ci surrender to you by defeating the enemy in the lower right. The special item will appear in the area where Taishi Ci starts. Grab it then finish the stage. Attacks Attack 1 Rolls forward and does a short sweeping attack with both tonfas. Fairly useful to clear out those in front of you. Attack 2: Backflip kick. Standard juggling move. Attack 3: A short charging attack that dizzies those it hits. Good range, and fast. Useful to get out of trouble with. Attack 4: A spinning attack with both tonfas. Good frontal clear out ability. Attack 5: A stronger backflip kick. Basic high juggling move, but is does have better combo power than some others. Attack 6: Rapid fire tonfa assault. Rapidly press T here for more hits. Extremely useful to rack up a big combo on a single enemy. The ending strike can hit enemies all around you. Don't use this one in a group though because range is pretty poor. Musou Attack: A repeated series of forward dashing strikes, ending with a big jumping attack. Fairly standard Musou attack, but it does decent damage. Running Attack: A double spinning kick. Kknocks back enemies. Doesn’t have much range, but it looks pretty cool. Overall Assessment: Sun Ce has some great straight forward attacks and can often do heavy damage to single enemies. His speed is also pretty good. His major weakness comes in fighting a large group of enemies, he doesn’t have too many attacks to get him out of a group. Still, he has decent all around capability and can do some big damage in the right hands. Advanced Strategy: Sun Ce plays quite a bit like Taishi Ci, but he’s faster (and not as strong) He’s not really good at crows control, although he’s fast enough to do his regular move set on a group then get away. Against a general, use his charge 6 for a lot of hits and damage. Taishi Ci “I’ll crush anyone who stands in my way!” History: With his strong sense of duty and a feeling of obligation to his mother, he saved Kong Rong, the viceroy of Bei Hai, from danger. Later, he serves Liu Yong and fights Sun Ce to a draw. Liu Yong eventually loses to Sun Ce, forcing Taishi Ci to submit to Sun Ce, serving him from there on. Unlocking: During the Wu scenario, Assault on Wu Territory Stage. Defeat Liu Yiu with Taishi Ci still alive (Musou mode only) Description: Big dude with armor and two massive sticks that he uses to pound his enemies into slush Stages Played The Battle at Hu Lao Gate 191 AD (Allies vs Dong Zhuo) Suprise Attack on Liu Biao 192 AD (Sun Jian vs Liu Biao) The Battle at Chi BI 208 AD (Allies vs Cao Cao) The Battle at He Fei 215 AD (Wei vs Wu) Raid on the Rogue Fortress The Battle at Yi Ling 222 AD (Shu vs Wu) The Nanman Campaign 225 AD (Wu vs Nanman) Fourth Weapon: Assault on Wu Territory, Allied side. Kill all the enemy generals except Sun Ce. The Special item report will then appear in the area in front of the center north entry point. Grab it and finish the stage. Attacks Attack 1: A sweeping swing with both rods. Kinda slow, but damaging and will clear out enemies in front of you. Attack 2: A fast sweeping strike. Standard juggling move, but can hit multiple enemies. Attack 3: A downward swipe. Will dizzy any enemy it hits, but will only hit guys right in front of you, limiting its effectiveness. Attack 4: A straight strike with both rods. Will knock enemies right in front of you way back. Not useful as a crowd clearer. If you get his fourth weapon, lightning will affect the guy you hit. Attack 5: High upward strike. Standard high juggling move, but it can hit a group of enemies. If you do a follow up hit to the enemy, they will be charged with lightning when they hit the ground. Attack 6: Mash T here for rapid fire rod strikes. This will do a lot of damage to single enemies, but don't use it in a crowd, even though the hit at the end can clear out some foes around you. Musou Attack: A rapid fire series of rod strikes. Pretty basic stuff, yet it does the job it needs to do. Running Attack: A forward thrusting attack. Not much range, but it will knock back enemies. Overall Assessment: Taishi Ci is pretty slow, and his attacks don’t affect a wide variety of enemies. However, he’s got great strength, and is very good at attacking single enemies. He’s fun to play as overall, but is probably best suited for a more experienced player. His lack of crowd control ability is improved somewhat if you get his fourth weapon. Advanced Strategies: Play him like you would Sun Ce for the most part, although he’s not as fast, he’s a lot stronger. When you get his fourth weapon, he becomes a little better at dealing with crowds, because of the lightning element on his SSST move. Use his charge 6 on enemy generals, and his regular attacks to smash through crowds. Gan Ning “You’re in