Are you eager to get started with Total War: Three Kingdoms? As the fortunes of the Han Dynasty wane, numerous generals and strategists circle the crumbling empire, all waiting for an opportune moment to strike. Will you carve a path to claim dominion over new lands or will you falter and be forgotten in the annals of history?

Our Total War: Three Kingdoms guide focuses on the best factions and leaders that you can choose to play as from its lengthy roster. We take a look at the ideal options for the base game’s campaign, as well as our preferred picks for each DLC. Do take note that certain scenario DLCs not only add new playable lords, but also reflect how factions grew (or collapsed) historically.

 

Rise of the Warlords (190 CE)

Rise of the Warlords is the original Total War: Three Kingdoms grand campaign. By default, it features over a dozen playable legendary leaders who command their respective fiefdoms. The main conflict of this era pits the Coalition of Han loyalists against a faction led by the tyrant Dong Zhuo.

Sun Jian

We recommend Sun Jian for players who are relatively new to the Total War series. He has a cadre of reliable generals, and soon enough his children will become formidable officers in their own right. Unlike most Coalition members, Sun Jian’s starting position in Jing Province is relatively safe and far from the chaos to the north. This gives him ample room to expand to the east and south where there are fewer rivals to contend with.

Cao Cao

The cunning Cao Cao is one of the best Total War: Three Kingdoms leaders in almost every scenario in which he’s available. That said, Rise of the Warlords is where he truly shines given his Credibility mechanic. With it, you can manipulate other factions—including your fellow Coalition members—with ease. From depleting their supplies and hampering their army’s movement, to ruining the satisfaction of officers, lowering public order in cities, and instigating proxy wars, Cao Cao's wiles allow him to stymy the progress of his neighbors every step of the way.

Dong Zhuo

Those who are able to defeat Dong Zhuo in battle or reach the King/Emperor rank in the campaign will be able to unlock the cruel tyrant permanently for use in the 182 CE and 190 CE start dates.

Try your best to survive countless Coalition offensives with the help of exemplary fighters such as Lü Bu and Zhang Liao, as well as conniving strategists like Jia Xu and Li Ru. You may also use the Intimidation resource you’ve amassed to forcibly Coerce others into accepting diplomatic deals.

 

Mandate of Heaven (182 CE)

Mandate of Heaven is a Total War: Three Kingdoms DLC that unlocks the 182 CE start date. This tumultuous period, the Yellow Turban Rebellion, was a precursor to the fall of the Han Dynasty. The conflict of the age, the Mandate War, revolves around the Han forces attempting to stem the tide of the uprising led by the Zhang brothers. Several leaders, such as Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Sun Jian, Dong Zhuo, and others are still playable, albeit at earlier stages in their careers.

[Note that the separate Yellow Turban Rebellion DLC adds He Yi, Gong Du, and Huang Shao. These leaders command the Yellow Turban Remnants and—despite the DLC name—are primarily important in the 190 CE scenario, not 182 CE.]

Zhang Jue

The General of Heaven, Zhang Jue, is one of the best Total War: Three Kingdoms leaders for the 182 CE campaign. The figurehead of the rebellion can swiftly eliminate his enemies in the northeastern edge of the map. Moreover, once you acquire additional generals, you can make use of powerful restorative effects, such as the Healer’s Knowledge of the Body and Scholar’s Tranquility skills. Combined with Zhang Jue’s bonuses to replenishment from the Zeal resource, you’ll have an army that can keep marching onward without worrying too much about losses.

Liu Chong

Liu Chong, the Prince of Chen, is another viable contender for the 182 CE scenario. His Fortitude resource offers extra morale and experience points, while the Trophy Cabinet mechanic lets you equip unique accessories that grant potent boons. Perhaps most notably, Liu Chong’s faction has increased crossbow damage and higher recruitment ranks for ranged units, complementing a playstyle where you mow down enemy troops from afar.

 

A World Betrayed (194 CE)

A World Betrayed is another Total War: Three Kingdoms scenario DLC, adding the 194 CE start date. Cao Cao has the Han Emperor under his thumb, but more warlords have risen up to vie for supremacy. These include Sun Ce, son of Sun Jian, who would eventually become the Little Conqueror, and the aforementioned Lü Bu, who has just assassinated Dong Zhuo.

Lü Bu

As the old saying goes, “Among men, Lü Bu; among steeds, Red Hare.” Now that this warrior without equal finds himself at the crossroads, you must master his unique mechanics: Momentum and Greatest Warriors.

Momentum is gained by defeating characters with Lü Bu in your army. While it decays over time, higher tiers provide immense boosts to officer satisfaction, movement range, morale, and replenishment. It’s even possible to maintain your momentum after winning a battle, so you can march ahead and annihilate more troops. Greatest Warriors, meanwhile, is a victory tally consisting of legendary generals that Lü Bu has vanquished. This includes the Xiahous (Dun and Yuan), the Tiger Generals (Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, and Huang Zhong), and many more. Completing these tallies nets you permanent benefits to your campaign.

 

Fates Divided (200 CE)

The Fates Divided DLC for Total War: Three Kingdoms jumps ahead to 200 CE, a time when two major powers—Cao Cao and Yuan Shao—are set to do battle to gain control of the Central Plains. While you can play as either of the two (along with other options of course), there’s one more character that might pique your interest.

Liu Bei

We recommend playing as Liu Bei in Fates Divided if you want to experience how he fared historically, as well as in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel. From 204 CE onward, and assuming you’ve lost some settlements to Cao Cao, you’ll receive a mission called Solace in Jing. The goal is to move any character to Liu Biao’s capital in Jiangling. From there, multiple dilemmas will trigger, whereupon you’ll be able to recruit unique legendary officers:

• Xu Shu is the first to join. However, he’ll have to leave a couple of turns later. You can accede to his request, or refuse to have him stick around.
• Zhuge Liang automatically joins if you follow the Three Visits event chain.
• Pang Tong joins a few turns after Zhuge Liang.

Soon, you’ll also receive a mission to move any character to Chengdu in the Riverlands. This gives you the option to declare war on Liu Zhang, mirroring Liu Bei’s historical journey where he made the Kingdom of Shu-Han his power base.

 

The Furious Wild (190, 194, and 200 CE)

The Furious Wild is a Total War: Three Kingdoms DLC that adds unique Nanman officers, expands the map further to the southwest, and adds animal units like tigers and elephants. While there’s no scenario that recreates Zhuge Liang’s Southern Campaigns, the Nanman are still playable in the 190, 194, and 200 CE start dates.

Of course, the best Total War: Three Kingdoms general from the culture group is none other than Meng Huo. While Nanman progression is based on crushing opposing tribal leaders to obtain their Fealty, Meng Huo does gain temporary bonuses that also stack. Moreover, if you pick Meng Huo for your 200 CE run, he’ll already be married to his fierce wife, Lady Zhurong. How’s that for a new power couple?

 

Eight Princes (291 CE)

Think of Eight Princes as akin to a “time skip,” to a period where the kingdoms of Wei, Shu, and Wu have been obliterated and the Jin Dynasty rules the realm. But the victory of the Jin is short-lived, as conspiracies, assassinations, and civil war continuously erupt while the nobles of the Sima clan contend over the regency for the emperor.

Sima Yong

Sima Yong is a leader we highly recommend given his innate trait that increases campaign movement range for the entirety of his faction. This allows his armies to cover more ground on the campaign map. Even better, armies that you garrison lower construction costs, while also increasing reserves and faction support.

Sima Ai

Sima Ai is another one of our favorites mainly due to his starting location, which is similar to Sun Jian’s in the 190 CE scenario. This is further complemented by the Reformation mechanic, which encourages you to plan the types of buildings you’d construct. A slow and steady pace might help you in the long run against his wicked relatives.

That does it for our Total War: Three Kingdoms guide. We hope these tips help you decide on which faction and general you ought to choose for your successive campaigns. 

Total War: Three Kingdoms is available now on the Epic Games Store—and don’t forget to pick up the various campaign and faction DLCs, such as Mandate of Heaven, Yellow Turban Rebellion, A World Betrayed, Fates Divided, The Furious Wild, and Eight Princes.