Dynasty Warriors 3 Character Guide and FAQ Version 2.8 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. 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: 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 good hands… you’re in MY hands! Ha ha ha ha!” History: A former pirate, he attached bells to himself and surrounded himself with other ruffians. He served under both Liu Biao and Huang Zu, but after being passed over for promotion, took his services to Sun Quan, who at the recommendation of Zhou Yu and Lu Su, welcomed him to Wu. He later fought at Chi Bi and in he campaign against Wei. Unlocking: He Fei stage, Wei scenario, after Gan Ning appearance event, defeat Gan Ning. (Musou mode only) Description: Wears no shirt, has red pants with bells on em (wtf?) and carries a fairly big sword. Stages Played Pirate Attack on the High Seas 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 Seige of He Fei Castle 234 AD (Wei vs Wu) Fourth Weapon: He Fei stage, Wu side. Wait for the Taishi Ci death event. A supply team will appear at the entry point at the northwest of the map and head toward the entry point on the southwest side of the map. Kill the captain to get the item. Attacks Attack 1: A sweeping strike with some good range and frontal clearing ability, but there's a slight delay on the attack. Attack 2: An uppercut punch. Other than being one of the few non weapon strikes in the game, and thus being cool, it's a standard juggling move. Attack 3: A powerful sword slash that dizzies foes that it hits. Can take out a line of enemies, but only those on your right side. Attack 4: A sweeping strike that carries good speed, and will knockback anyone in front of you, but the forward range is rather poor. Attack 5: Upward slash that juggles the enemies high, and can also hit a group of foes at once. Attack 6: He stomps the ground twice, sending out shockwaves each time. The shockwaves do a lot of damage, but are hard to connect with. Musou Attack: He rushes the enemy with his sword, wasting anyone in his path, then strikes at the end. Hard to control against a single enemy, but this is very useful to get him out of danger, take out a group, or rush at enemy archers. Enemies who get hit with this take pretty good damage. Running Attack: A knee strike. Hard to connect with, but it dizzies if it does hit. Overall Assessment: Gan Ning is very fast with both movement and attacks. He’s pretty well balanced overall with fair attacks, although he’s not as effective as some sword wielders. Also his Musou attack takes a lot of getting used to. Advanced Strategy: Gan Ning is a pretty solid character, with an emphasis on speed. He doesn’t have any really phenomenal game breaking moves in his set, but what he has gets the job done. The most difficult part about using Gan Ning lies in getting used to his Musou attack. It’s very hard to score multiple hits with, except for the spinning slashes at the end. Try to set it up so that you’re closest to the powerful enemy that you want to do big damage to when the attack finishes. Also use the move to cut a path through a big crowd and then escape to safety. This move benefits more from having a long Musou bar, because he’ll run farther. Lu Meng “I have nothing against you… but this is war!” History: Already an accomplished warrior, he devoted himself to learning and became a paradigm of wisdom and valor after being admonished by Sun Quan. He was greatly admired by his senor, Lu Su as a great servant of the Wu Kingdom. Together with Lu Xun, they retook the Jing Province, capturing the great Guan Yu in the process Unlocking: Clear the Fan Castle stage with Lu Meng still alive (Musou mode only) Stages Played Description: Dude with a spear. Not much funny to say about him. Pirate Attack on the High Seas The Yellow Turban Rebellion 184 AD (Han vs Turbans) The Battle at Hu Lao Gate 191 AD (Allies vs Dong Zhuo) The Battle at Chi Bi 208 AD (Allies vs Cao Cao) The Battle at Fan Castle 219 AD (Shu vs Allied) The Battle at Yi Ling 222 AD (Shu vs Wu) The Seige of He Fei Castle 234 AD (Wei vs Wu) Fourth Weapon: Fan Castle stage, Allied Side. Kill Guan Ping. The Precious item will appear southeast of the Wei base, on the middle level platform. Grab it and finish the stage. Attacks Attack 1: A sweeping halberd strike. A little slow coming out, but it will hit all the enemies around you. Attack 2: A wide halberd strike. Can hit a number of enemies and will juggle them. Attack 3: A downward swing. Decent forward range, and will dizzy enemies in front of you. Attack 4: A short ranged spinning attack. Will knock back enemies that are right next to you. Attack 5: Upward strike. Standard high juggling move. Attack 6: He shoots out a shockwave, which does a lot of damage and can cut through a group of enemies right in front of you, but is hard to connect with. If he has his fourth weapon, this will charge enemies with lightning when hit. Musou Attack: A rapid fire series of attacks. Can clear out some enemies, but is better suited for doing heavy damage to a single foe. He sounds kinda like Fozzie Bear when he does his true Musou. Running Attack: A forward body attack. Good forward range and knocks back enemies. Overall Assessment: Lu Meng is the official standard spear wielding guy for Wu. As a spear wielding guy, he naturally gets decent crowd control and well rounded abilities. However, he lacks pizzazz and has the curse of the shockwave on him. The basic shockwave attack is very hard to aim, and hampers his effectiveness. He’s overall a pretty good character, but isn’t the best of the spear wielders by a long shot. Advanced strategy: Lu Meng doesn’t have as good of a range as other spear wielding guys, but he can still go through crowds when needed. His biggest weakness is his rather crummy set of special moves. Nothing he has is incredibly effective, so you’ll have to experiment with him and see which of his moves work well with your playing style. Sun Quan “For the glory of our family!” History: The first Emperor of the Wu Kingdom. He is the second son of Sun Jian and the younger brother of Sun Ce. He succeeds the family line, following Sun Ce's sudden death. Of his younger brother, Sun Ce is to have said, "You believe that your offense is strong, but in actuality, it is your defense which is stronger." At the Battle of Chi Bi, Sun Quan met the much larger forces for Cao Cao and managed to emerge victorious Unlocking: He Fei stage, Taishi Ci death, Sun Quan jump event (Musou mode only) See the He Fei stage strategy for a detailed description on unlocking him. Description: He carries a sword, and sounds like a moron. Not much else to say here, now move on. Stages Played 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 Battle at You Ting 228 AD (Wei vs Wu) The Nanman Campaign 225 AD (Wu vs Nanman) The Seige of He Fei Castle 234 AD (Wei vs Wu) Fourth Weapon: He Fei Castle stage, Wu side. Kill Zhang He. The special item will appear to the east of the pond in the center of the castle. Grab it and finish the stage. Attacks Attack 1: A sweeping sword strike. Fast and good for clearing out enemies in front of you. Attack 2: A high upward slash. Standard juggling move. Attack 3: Short dashing strike that dizzies enemies. Fast, and good forward range, but not effective against a large group. Attack 4: A double slash attack that clears out practically anyone in front of you. Good move to use in crowds. Attack 5: Powerful slash attack. Standard high juggling move. Attack 6: He shoots a disc of energy which can take out a group of enemies that are in front of you. More powerful than the standard shockwave attacks that some officers use, because it's easier to hit with, and can hit a group of guys at once. Running Attack: Wide slashing attack. Good range, and will knock back enemies. Overall Assessment: Sun Quan doesn’t have any huge flaws and is pretty well rounded, but he also doesn’t have any really cool attacks that make him stand out from the other characters. He can adapt to nearly any style of play, but he lacks the pizzazz of some other characters. He’s not bad, but for the pain in the ass you have to go through to unlock him, you’d expect him to be better, and the other ruler characters (Cao Cao and Liu Bei) are far superior. Advanced strategies: You can play Sun Quan just like you would play any of the other ruler characters in terms of basic abilities and attacks. However, he doesn’t lack a devastating move like Cao Cao or even Liu Bei do. He’s a little bit faster than his old man (Sun Jian) so he plays more toward a speed game. He also has better crowd clearing moves. Experiment with his moves, and find out what bests suits your style of play. OTHER GENERALS Lu Bu “I battle only for the sake of battle… and fight only for myself!” History: The mighty Lu Bu. Skilled in all the martial arts, especially archery and horse ridding. It was often said, "Among men, Lu Bu... Among horses, Red Hare..." Red Hare, who could run 1000 miles in a single day, and Lu Bu, who burnished his fabled Lunar Spear. Loyal only to himself, he cut down his own stepfather, Ding Yang, and joined Dong Zhuo, only to later betray him as well. Unlocking: Defeat 1000 enemies at the Hu Lao gate stage (Musou or Free mode) Description: HUGE guy with armor and a HUGE spear. Also has a funny looking helmet, but I'm not going to tell HIM that. Fourth Weapon: Hu Lao gate stage, Dong Zhuo's side. Kill Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei. Make sure to kill Liu Bei last, otherwise Guan Yu and Zhang Fei will take off. Once you've killed all these guys, a supply team will appear on the northeast part of the map, and head for the entry point behind Cao Cao's initial position. Kill the captain to get the weapon. Attacks Attack 1: A huge stomp, which causes an earthquake, knocking down everyone around you. Good radius on this move makes it a good crowd stopper. Attack 2: An upward thrust with the back end of your weapon. Standard juggling move. Attack 3: Charges forward, dizzying any foe in his path. Useful to get out of a crowd, but doesn't hit that many enemies, unless they are right in front of you. Gains lightning power with his fourth weapon Attack 4: A huge swipe with your halberd. Great range all around, this one will clear out pretty much everyone around you. Attack 5: A big kick that will knock the enemy high into the air. Standard high juggling move. Attack 6: Two powerful shots, followed by a big stomp like the one in Attack 1. This will do a lot of damage to enemies in front of you, then clear out the other guys around you. Tap T rapidly for more hits. The stomp at the end carries the lightning power when you get his fourth weapon. Musou Attack: A rapid fire series of strikes. Good range and power, makes it a good crowd clearer. Running Attack: Sweeping slash. Good range, knocks back enemies. Overall Assessment: Lu Bu as a playable character isn't as all powerful as the computer controlled Lu Bu at Hu Lao gate, but he's still a formidable force and one of the best characters in the game. He has mad range with his attacks, and can cut through the enemy with little effort. His special attacks are also powerful, and great for clearing out the masses. Once you power him up, he'll be nearly unstoppable. Advanced Strategies: Lu Bu is so dominant, you can pretty much play any way you want. His moves all have huge range, and will hit a wide swath of enemies. Use his Charge 6 whenever possible, because you’ll hit a bunch of guys multiple times, then the big stomp at the end scatters them. If he has his fourth weapon, there is the added bonus of lightning which will hit even MORE enemies. His T, SSST, and Charge 6 are all great crowd clearers, so use them as needed. Diao Chan “You dare to be my enemy?” History: A young songstress unequaled in beauty as well as song and dance. Raised by Wang Yun as his own daughter. For the sake of Wang, who is fearful of Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu, she gets close to both of them, and succeeds in tearing their relationship apart, with Lu Bu later killing Dong. Unlocking: Defeat Diao Chan at the Hu Lao gate stage (Musou or Free mode) Description: Hot chick wearing a white and pink outfit, and carries two weapons that resemble maracas. Fourth Weapon: Gold Globe – Hu Lao Gate Stage, Dong Zhuo's side. Kill Yuan Shu. The special item will then appear on the left side of Fan Shui Gate. Grab it and finish the stage. Attacks Attack 1: A quick spinning strike. Short range, but will clear out those around you fairly well. Attack 2: A quick jumping strike. Standard juggling move. Attack 3: A jumping spin strike that dizzies enemies it hits. Poor range. Attack 4: A strike with your mace, followed by a spin kick. Not much range, but will clear out enemies directly in front of you. Attack 5: A powerful upward strike. Standard high juggling move. Attack 6: She shoots two discs on angles in front of her. Tremendous range, and will take out a lot of enemies. Musou Attack: A rapid fire series of jumping strikes. Not very damaging, but useful to clear out a crowd or get you out of trouble. Running Attack: A cartwheel kick. Decent range, great speed, and it dizzies if it connects. Overall Assessment: Diao Chan has very little going for her, other than speed. Her range is very poor, as is her attacking strength. Once you get her 6 hit weapons, she has a pretty cool special attack with them, but even that doesn't take out the enemies straight in front of you, leaving her open. Advanced Strategies: Hit and run. Diao Chan can be an effective character if you peck away at the enemies and run. Use jumping attacks often, as well as her SSST and Musou attacks. Her fourth weapon gives her a big boost to Musou charge, which will enable her to do her Musou attack often. Toward the end of the move, use a couple of her jumps to escape to a safe distance. Use the knock down and go behind to deal with generals in order to compensate for her lack of power. Dong Zhuo “Kill them all! Ha ha ha ha!” History: He served as the governor of Xi Liang, but at the call of He Jin, decided to come to the capital Luo Yang. Taking advantage of the chaos, he moved to the Imperial Palace, with he pretext of caring for the child Emperor in order to take over the government for himself. Adopting the mighty Lu Bu, he seized the throne from the capital to the city of Chang An. His reign of tyranny came to an end by the hand of Lu Bu, his own adopted son. Unlocking: Defeat both Lu Bu and Diao Chan at Hu Lao gate Stage (Musou or Free mode) Description: Fat guy with a purple outfit and carries a sword. No one likes him Fourth Weapon: Hu Lao gate stage, Dong Zhuo's side. Wait for all of your guys to get killed except for Diao Chan and Lu Bu. Diao Chan will then defect to the enemy. Pay her back for this act of treachery by killing her. The special item will appear by the entry point west of the map. Grab it and finish the stage. Attacks Attack 1: Basic frontal swipe. Fairly useful for clearing out enemies in front of you, but not much range on it. Attack 2: Short jumping strike. Standard juggling attack. Attack 3: A shoulder butt that dizzies enemies. Very bad range, but can still hit a group of foes, if they're grouped together. Attack 4: A powerful thrust attack that knocks the enemy it hits quite a ways away. However, this attack is only effective on enemies directly in front of you. Attack 5: A powerful upward slash. Standard high juggling move. Attack 6: Shoots a beam of energy directly in front of you, blasting anyone it hits. Great range, useful on single enemies. Musou Attack: A series of broad sword strikes, followed by a belly flop, which knocks away anyone in front of you. Decent damage, this attack is best used to escape a large group. Running Attack: Sweeping slash attack. Good range and it knocks back enemies. Overall Assessment: Dong Zhuo isn't that great a character, fortunately you don't really have to use him much. His crowd control ability is poor, but he's got decent power and can do good damage to single enemies. Advanced Strategies: Dong Zhuo plays like the ruler characters for the most part, but he’s not as good, mainly due to lack of speed. His moves don’t give him much crowd control ability and for the most part he has to rely on his Musou attack to take down a large group. Other than that, his basic play is just like the other rulers. Yuan Shao “I accept the position of… GRAND COMMANDER” History: A member of the distinguished Yuan clan, he became the leader of the Allied forces in the movement against Dong Zhuo. Following Dong Zhuo's death, he fought with Cao Cao, who was trying to take control of the central plains. However, despite his large army at the Battle of Guan Du, internal strife and various other troubles such as the attack of his supply depot led to a major defeat. Unlocking: Guan Du stage, Wei scenario, defeat Yian Liang and Wen Chou (Musou or Free mode) Description: Has gold armor and a tall helmet. Carries a sword. Looks like he has an umbrella on his head. Fourth Weapon: Guan Du stage, Yuan Shao's side. Keep Wen Chou alive for 10 minutes. A supply team will appear north of the southeast fort and head toward the southeast entry point. Kill the captain to get the weapon. Attacks Attack 1: A spinning sword strike. This attack is fast, and will take out pretty much everyone around you. Attack 2: Jumping sword slash. Standard juggling attack. Attack 3: Broad sword slash, dizzies anyone it hits. Great width on this attack, will take out everyone in front of you. Attack 4: A downward slash. Poor range, will knock back anyone it hits. Attack 5: Powerful upward slash. Standard high juggling move, but easy to combo after. Attack 6: Sends a shockwave out on a circular motion. Great range, and an excellent crowd clearer. Musou Attack: Rapid fire series of sword slashes. Nothing fancy, but it gets the job done. Overall Assessment: Yuan Shao is a good character with some nice crowd control moves, making him good for big battles. His other attributes are pretty well balanced, making him a solid character overall. Too bad he can't be used in Musou mode. Advanced Strategies: There isn’t anything really major you need to know about Yuan Shao. He plays a lot like Liu Bei, with similar attacks. His Charge 6 attack is very useful, so abuse it whenever possible. Zhang Jiao “GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Ye children of the Yellow Turban!” History: A former government official out of the Ju Lu Territory. He spread his teachings as the founder of the religious sect known as the Way of Peace. He used the turmoil of the land to gather the support of the people. With these supporters, he formed the group known as the Yellow Turbans. Declaring himself the "General of Heaven," he turned against the Han Dynasty, leading the Yellow Rebellion. Unlocking: Yellow Turban stage, defeat Zhang Bao, Zhang Liang, and Zhang Jiao Description: Wacky looking guy who carries a staff and can shoot great balls of fire from it. Could be fearful if he didn't die in the first stage. Fourth Weapon: Yellow Turban stage, Yellow Turban side. Either defeat all of Cao Cao's generals, all of Liu Bei's generals, or all of Sun Jian's generals. The special item report will appear on the southeast side of the river on the north side of the map. Grab it and finish the stage. Attacks Attack 1: He plants his staff on the ground, which then splits in two, with a barrier forming between the two, nailing anyone it hits. Good attack for hitting foes in front of you. Attack 2: Upward Staff strike. Standard juggling move, but it still hits them up pretty high. Attack 3: Throws his staff, which returns to him, and anyone it nails is dizzied. Somewhat of an awkward move, because of its delay of hitting. Attack 4: Shoots flame at a long distance, knocking back anyone it hits. This attack has great range, and is good for clearing out enemies in front of you. Attack 5: A two handed upward strike. Standard high juggling move. Attack 6: Shoots a big fireball that travels in a straight path. Damaging, but hard to connect with at a distance. Attack 3 is more useful. You can rapidly press T to shoot out several fireballs. Musou Attack: Shoots a group of fireballs at nearby foes, ending with a sweeping fire attack that hits everyone around him. Good damage, and a good crowd clearing move at the end. Running Attack: He glides forward with his staff, taking out anyone in front of him. A very useful attack to clear out a group with. Overall Assessment: Zhang Jiao is a fun character to use, although you can’t use him in Musou mode. He can do a lot of damage with his fire attacks, and his 4th attack has great range, and can hit lots of enemies. His physical attacks are kind of weak however. Advanced Strategy: He has two major moves that can be the focus of your offense. His SSST is his best move, and can take out a lot of enemies and inflict multiple hits for some nice damage. His other big move is his charge 6, which launches fireballs at a distance. You can use this move to shoot at a group at a distance before entering the fray yourself. His Musou attack is hard to hit with multiple times, but it can inflict big damage if it does. Meng Huo “I will cleave through your soul!” History: The King of Nanman. He controlled the lands south of Shu, but lead a rebellion against them. He fought with Zhuge Liang, who had come on an expedition, but was no match for Zhuge's wit. He was captured seven times, and Zhuge Liang released him each time. This impressed him so much that he agreed to serve Zhuge Liang and the Shu Kingdom. Unlocking: Nanman stage, defeat Meng Huo all seven times that he appears (Musou mode only) Description: Massive guy with two weird gloves that he lays a beating on people with. Runs with both arms outstretched, looking like an idiot. Fourth Weapon: Nanman stage, Nanman side. Defeat all enemy generals on the East side - Ma Chao, Zhang Yi, and Ma Dai, or all enemy generals on the West side – Zhang Fei, Zhang Bao, and Guan Xing. The special item report will then appear west of the blocking mountain at the center of the map. Grab it and finish the stage. Attacks Attack 1: A spinning lariat attack. Not much forward range, but good for clearing out the crowds. Attack 2: A big uppercut punch. For a regular juggle move, this hits the enemy very high. Attack 3: He throws his gauntlets at the enemy, dizzying anyone they hit. Good forward range, but only hits guys straight in front of you. Attack 4: A big belly flop which knocks everyone down in the area he lands in. Good attack for getting out of trouble for a bit, then good for clearing out the crowd. Attack 5: A double fisted uppercut. This one knocks enemies REALLY high. Attack 6: An earthquake punch that clears the area around you. Very useful and powerful attack. Musou Attack: He pounds the ground multiple times, hitting everyone around him for damage, then the big hit in the end sends everyone flying. Great attack. Running Attack: He slides forward and does a belly flop. This attack dizzies anyone it hits, and covers some good ground. Overall Assessment: This guy is so slow, I only managed to get about 100 KO’s on Hu Lao gate, a stage I easily clear 500 KO’s in with a normal character. He runs with all the speed of a slug, but once he reaches his enemy, he can rip them apart with hugely damaging attacks. He doesn’t have much range, but his crowd control ability is decent, and his moves are fun to use. A good character for the experienced player. Him starting with 8 bodyguards doesn’t hurt matters either. Advanced Strategies: Use your Charge 6 and Musou attack as much as possible, as these moves will shred lots of fools at a time. His basic attacks are fairly slow, but do major damage. His Dizzy attack is another nice move with good range, so use it at a distance on a group of enemies. His jumping attack also covers a nice range, and can be used for a variety of purposes. Finally, to get over his lack of speed, try equipping a speed scroll, or get your hands on a horse. Zhu Rong “I am Zhu Rong, Daughter of Fire!” History: The wife of Meng Huo, King of Naman. She is a descendant of the legendary God of Fire, Zhu Rong. Very strong and skilled in the martial arts, her trademark move is a deadly leaping slash attack. Stepping in for her husband, she managed to capture Zhang Yi and Ma Zhong, but was caught herself by Wei Yan and Ma Dai. A hostage exchange ensued, with both parties returning safely. Unlocking: Nanman stage, defeat Zhu Rong (Musou or Free Mode) Description: Stereotypical Amazon hottie. Wears next to nothing, and carries a boomerang. Fourth Weapon: Nanman stage, Nanman side. Keep Dong Tu Na and Huei Nan alive for 15 minutes at which point, they'll meet and retreat from the battlefield. The precious item will appear near the bridge at the center of the map. Grab it and finish the stage. Attacks Attack 1: A sweeping strike with her boomerang. Decent range, this one will clear out guys in front of you. Attack 2: Upper boomerang slash. Standard juggling move. Attack 3: Throws her boomerang out, dizzying anyone it hits. Good range, can hit a pretty big group of enemies. Attack 4: Throws her boomerang in a wide radius, clearing out anyone it hits. Very good clear out move to get out of a jam. If you get her fourth weapon, this attack gets the fire element, and better range, making it very useful. Attack 5: A big upward slash. Standard high juggling move. Gets fire element if you have her fourth weapon. Attack 6: Throws a group of darts which spread in a wide path in front of her. Good radius on this attack, and can nail a big group of enemies. Musou Attack: Throws a series of darts at foes, then ends with a sweeping slash. Fairly useful attack for clearing out a crowd, but there are better Musou attack from other characters. Overall Assessment: Zhu Rong isn’t a very good character overall, but she’s interesting to play as. Her range is pretty weak, even with a range increasing item or weapon. Her power and speed are fair. She does have a couple good crowd clearing moves, but her Musou attack is pretty bad. She improves quite a bit with her fourth weapon (which at least beefs up her reach somewhat) but that doesn’t save her from the lower tiers. Nu Wa History: Nu Wa is a deity in Chinese legend. Check this link for some more information on her. http://www.sh.com/culture/legend/nuwa.htm This site also mentions some background on Fu Xi below, thanks to Freddy Soewito for pointing this out Unlocking: Clear Musou mode with every female character (Zhen Ji, Sun Shang Xiang, and the Qiao sisters) Description: Chick with a green outfit and carries a rapier that she uses to ventilate her enemies. Fourth Weapon: Nu Wa's Rapier – Wan Castle Stage, Allies side. Defeat Dian Wei. The special item will appear just north of where he started. Grab it and finish the stage. Attacks Attack 1: A basic wide slash. Good for taking out enemies in front of you. Attack 2: Upward slash. Standard juggling move. Attack 3: A forward lunging attack that dizzies anyone it hits. Good forward range, but won't hit enemies around you. Attack 4: A big slash that clears out everyone it hits. Good forward range and will take out a lot of enemies in front of you. Attack 5: A forward thrust followed by an upward slash. Basic high juggling move, but it gets an extra hit. Attack 6: A rapid fire series of stabs, followed by a big lunging attack. Not very good in groups, but will do a lot of damage to a single enemy. Musou Attack: A rapid fire series of stabs, followed by a big slash at the end. The stabs will do mad damage to a single enemy then the ending slash clears out the group. You can also direct this attack to hit enemies around you. Her stab will score two hits for each time you actually strike an enemy, which is great for powering her up, since getting the big combos will result in obtaining better items. Overall Assessment: Her speed is absolutely insane. She attacks her enemies so fast, that you’ll have to change your timing on your attacks just to deal with her mad speed. She’s very good at destroying single enemies, however her crowd control capability is suspect. A fun character to use for the experienced player. Fu Xi History: According to Iawondererl, he was the first emperor of China, and is also a deity in Chinese legend. Unlocking: Clear Musou mode with Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Jian Description: Guy with a gigantic sword. Some have said he looks like a hero from an RPG. Fourth Weapon: Liu Biao assault stage, Liu Biao's side. Kill Huang Gai. Special item will appear at the dead end on the northwest section of the beach. Grab it and finish the stage. Attacks Attack 1: He swings his sword in a wide arc around him. Kinda slow, but will hit a lot of enemies. Attack 2: Upward sword strike. Standard juggling move. Attack 3: A forward sword thrust that dizzies anyone it hits and does nice damage. Good forward range make it useful against a single foe. Attack 4: A wide sword slash. Fairly standard knockback move that is slow but covers a lot of ground in front of you. Attack 5: Big upward sword slash. Standard high juggling move. Attack 6: He impales the enemy on his sword, (you can mash T to inflict multiple hits) then he tosses them away at the end. Very effective against a single enemy, does great damage and looks really cool. Musou Attack: He repeatedly swings his sword in a big arc. Awesome move for clearing crowds. Overall Assessment: Fu Xi is the direct opposite of his deity counterpart, Nu Wa. He’s very slow, but his sword covers a huge range and carries great power. If you build this guy up, he can be a very powerful force indeed. CHARACTER RANKINGS I’ve organized my rankings into 6 tiers. The first 5 tiers have 7 characters, the last one has 6. These rankings assume that the character has access to all of their attacks, and any useful elemental attacks that they possess. Also, don’t take this as law, as everyone has their own opinions. If your opinions differ from mine, that’s great, but don’t email me telling me why you think character X should be higher up on the rankings than character Y because I really don’t care, and I’m not going to waste my time justifying my selections to you. Tier 1 – The best of the best #1 Cao Cao: When given his fourth weapon, he can use his death attack to rip through hordes of enemies. Besides that, he’s probably the most balanced character in the game. Plus he’s a badass. Fear him. He’s also one of the best guys to use on Hard Mode, because his death attack is so effective. #2 Lu Bu: When push comes to shove, there’s no doubt that Lu Bu is a bad man. He’s got great power, decent speed, and crowd clearing abilities, and is the ultimate badass of the 3 Kingdoms. Nuff Said. #3 Guan Yu: With his great power, and crowd clearing moves, Guan Yu is nearly as powerful as Lu Bu. Plus you gotta love the beard. #4 Xiahou Dun: Another super balanced character, with some awesome attacking speed and moves. Can handle any situation you put him in. #5 Zhang He: Awesome crowd clearing, speed, and fair power. Plus I have bias towards anyone who fights with claws #6 Sun Shang Xiang: Probably the best crowd clearer in the game. Plus she’s got awesome speed. #7 Fu Xi: This guy’s a monster, with great power and crowd clearing. His Musou rips through foes left and right, plus you gotta love the big sword. Tier 2 – Super Heavyweights #8 Zhang Liao: Great all around ability, plus some awesome crowd clearing. His Charge 6 attack is incredible. #9 Zhao Yun: If you look up well rounded in the dictionary, you’ll find a picture of Zhao Yun. Another all around great character who can take on anyone, and pummel groups of enemies when needed. #10 Nu Wa: She’s the fastest attacker in the game (too fast for some people) but she can chop up single enemies with the best of em. Could use some more crowd control though. #11 Lu Xun: Good speed and crowd control ability, especially when he gets his fourth weapon. Good all around ability, but lacks distance attacking. #12 Dian Wei: Great power and crowd control capability, although he lacks some range and speed. #13 Zhen Ji: Probably the most effective Musou attack in the game, plus an awesome Charge 6 attack which lets her slaughter groups of enemies. She also has great speed, but her lack of power keeps her from cracking the top ranks. #14 Ma Chao: Awesome attacking speed, and good all around ability. He can rip enemies to shreds and is great at clearing crowds. Tier 3 – Contenders #15 Da Qiao: Super attacking speed, a great jumping attack, and plenty of useful moves make her an excellent fighter against crowds and she can handle single enemies when needed. #16 Liu Bei: Great all around, and some great crowd clearing moves make the ruler of Shu tough to beat. #17 Zhou Yu: Great Speed and some very effective moves, including an awesome running attack. #18 Xu Huang: Another good crowd control and power character, but his moves are a little slow for my tastes. #19 Huang Zhong: Awesome character if you like using a bow, and has some nice moves. #20 Taishi Ci: Great power character, but he doesn’t have much crowd clearing ability. Very good against single enemies though. #21 Huang Gai: A good power man, with the ability to smash single enemies to bits, and his Charge 6 gives him enough crowd control to get by. Good speed for his size. Tier 4 – Mid Carders #22 Sun Ce: A fun character to use, with some good power attacks and is good against single enemies, but his crowd clearing leaves something to be desired. #23 Zhang Fei: His attacks are slow, and he lacks the all around skill of the other spear wielders, but has great power. Gotta love his attitude too. #24 Meng Huo: He’s so slow that it takes forever to reach the enemies, but he’s powerful as hell and has some good attacks, including a very nice Musou attack #25 Gan Ning: I find his Musou hard to use against single enemies which hurts him quite a bit IMO. His other skills are pretty well balanced though making him a decent pick. #26 Diao Chan: She’s got speed and that’s about it. A couple of her moves are decent though, And she is fairly fun to play as. #27 Xiahou Yuan: Pretty Good all around with great bow skills, but his Charge 6 is pretty worthless, making him inferior to Huang Zhong. #28 Sima Yi: He’s got some cool moves, but he lacks range and power that would make him effective in combat. Once he has his fourth though, he becomes quite effective. Tier 5 – Jabronies #29 Wei Yan: He’s a very awkward character and is kinda hard to use, although he does have some decent moves if you can get used to him. #30 Pang Tong: His attacks are weak, and he doesn’t have much speed, but he’s fun to use, and has a couple nice moves to clear out crowds and has a great Musou attack. #31 Zhang Jiao: A fun character to use, with some great crazy fire attacks, but he doesn’t have much power behind his attacks. #32 Sun Quan: He’s almost the same character as other rulers, but he’s just a little weaker, and overall isn’t as exciting to play. #33 Yuan Shao: A good all around character, but you can’t use him in Musou mode which hurts his long term playablity. #34 Sun Jian: Not a bad character, but his crowd control skills are lacking, and he doesn’t have any supreme attacks that can make him dominant over the other rulers. #35 Xiao Qiao: She’s got the great speed of her sister, but her moves aren’t nearly as effective, and she has one of the most useless running moves in existence. Tier 6 – Bottom Feeders #36 Zhu Rong: Horrible range, and not much power make her not a good character, despite her entertainment value as a character. #37 Xu Zhu: The big man is slow, but he has great power and can clear crowds well. His attacks are too slow though, or he’d probably be a lot higher. He gets chopped up by archers. #38 Lu Meng: Not a bad character, but he’s rather boring, and doesn’t have anything to put him over the other spear wielders. #39 Jiang Wei: Horribly boring with absolutely nothing special about him. #40 Dong Zhuo: The worst of the ruler type characters, a couple of his moves leave him wide open, and he’s also pretty slow. #41 Zhuge Liang: Well SOMEONE had to be ranked at the bottom didn’t they? He may be the best tactician, but he stinks in this game. Picking the character that’s right for you All the characters have their own little nuances that make them interesting. But for the beginning player, all of the choices can be overwhelming. If you want to spend the time, try taking each character into Endurance or time attack mode to get a feel for them. If you want to get right into the action, keep this in mind. Characters with swords or spears tend to have well rounded abilities and will get you a good foothold into the game. Xiahou Dun, Guan Yu, and Zhao Yun are all well rounded and excellent choices for the beginner. Characters with other weapons tend to be more varied and interesting, but often have weaknesses in certain areas as well. If you had a favorite from Dynasty Warriors 2, you might want to go with them. ITEMS AND WEAPONS GUIDE Items There are two kinds of items that you can get; pick up items, and equipable items. Pick up items Meat Bun – These restore your life, and come in four sizes. 1 Meat Bun - +50 HP (These are fairly common, and you can get em by beating goons) 2 Meat Buns - +100 HP 3 Meat Buns - +200 HP Big Meat Bun – Restores all HP Arrows – These give you more arrows. You can get them from some boxes, or by killing enemy archers. They give you either 5, 10, 15, or 20 extra arrows. Swords – Permanently increase your attack power. You get them by beating officers. More prestigious officers usually drop better swords. If you finish off an officer with a high hitting combo, they drop better items as well. Bronze Sword - +1 attack Iron Sword - +2 attack Silver Sword - +4 attack Gold Sword - +8 attack Shields – Same rules apply as with the swords, except these improve your defense. Gate captains will drop them as well Common Shield - +1 attack (dropped by gate captains. Though you can get better ones from them by killing them with an 8 or more hit combo) Noble Shield - +2 attack General's Shield - +4 attack Emperor's Shield - +8 attack Dim Sum – Increases your Max HP by 10. These are always in set locations in the stages. Musou Wine – Same as Dim Sum, but this increases the size of your Musou gauge by 10. Chinese Wine (Big Brown Jug) – Fills your Musou gauge instantly. If you see one, and your gauge is already full, try to nail a nearby group with your Musou attack, then grab the wine so it isn't wasted. Healing ointment (Blue Bottle) – Fills up both your Life and Musou gauge. Very useful, and also very rare. Battle Axe – Doubles your attack strength for 30 seconds. When you've got this, try to attack as many guys as possible, to do big damage. Battle Armor – Doubles your defense for 30 seconds. This is very useful in a pinch, as it can keep your from getting killed. Emperor's Seal – Fills your Musou gauge to max, and keeps it full for 10 seconds. You can use this to do a really long Musou attack on a group of guys, but in general, it's not quite as useful as it sounds, mainly because it always seems to appear where there are no enemies around. Weapon Box – Contains a weapon. You'll see its contents at the end of the stage Item Box – Contains an item. You'll see its contents at the end of the stage Equippable Items: These are the items that you can equip at the start of the stage. There are two main kinds, variable items, which raise a stat by a certain amount, and special items, which give you a special power, that is usually very useful, and requires a special method to obtain (much like Fourth Weapons) Variable Items Speed Scroll – Increases Speed (Range = 1-16) Value: This affects your walking speed, not your attacking speed. If you have a really slow guy, like Xu Zhu or Meng Huo, use it, otherwise forget it. Dragon Amulet – Increases Max Musou Gauge (Range = 1-60) Value: Not too useful, unless you really like extending your Musou bar. Tiger Amulet – Increases Attack Power (Range = 1-20) Value: This is best used at the beginning if you have a rather weak character. Once you build this up to a high value it's pretty nice, but once your guy is powered up, this won't make much of a difference since you can only go up to +20 Huang's Bow – Increases Bow Attack Power (Range = 1-40) Value: Pretty decent if you like using your bow to snipe enemies, but there are better items out there. Wind Scroll – Increases Reach (Range = 1-20) Value: This is one of the two super rare items (the other being the elixir) The usefulness of this weapon depends on who is using it, and it has to be at least +10 to notice a considerable difference. Guys who use spears, halberds and polearm type weapons already have long range and don't need it. Characters with small weapons, Fans, Sun Shang Xiang's chakram, etc. probably won't notice a big enough difference for it to be useful, although if you have one with a high bonus, you might want to experiment. I've gotten the best results with this item using it with sword characters, such as Liu Bei and Sun Jian. Their weapons have medium range, which seems to get the best boost by using this. Experiment with your favorite characters to see if the increase in attacking range is to your liking. Peacock Urn - Increases HP Max (Range = 1-60) Value: Definitely useful, especially when you get it into the 30+ range. The extra HP can mean the difference between life and death. Tortoise Amulet - Increases Defense (Range = 1-40) Value: Anything that keeps you in the fight longer is cool by me. Shell Armor - Increases Bow Defense (Range = 1-40) Value: If you find yourself getting pelted to death with arrows, you might consider using this item. Very useful if you know you’re going to be encountering a lot of archers. Horned Helm - Increases Mounted Attack (Range = 1-40) Value: If you find yourself getting murdered by arrows, you may find this item is for you, but I would only bother with it if you have a high point value on it. Cavalry Armor - Increases Mounted Defense (Range = 1-40) Value: Useless. Since you can only take one hit before getting knocked off your horse, who cares if that hit is slightly lessened. Wing Boots - Increases Jump (Range = 1-16) Value: Useless. The only time this might be useful is in getting your guy to be able to jump high enough to take out an elephant rider, and since that only occurs in one stage, and there are other ways to take out riders, so stick this one on the shelf Seven Star Orb - Increases Luck (Range = 1-20) Value: Luck is said to give you better items, which I haven't confirmed, however it does seem to increase the amount of item drops (meatbuns and stuff) from regular enemies. If you find yourself in need of a lot of meatbuns, you may find this useful, but it's better in general to pull out an item that will keep you alive longer. Elixir - Increases Musou Charge speed (Range = 1-20) Value: This is one of the two rarest items (and I should know, I've gotten exactly TWO of them in over 50 hours of game playing) This item increases the speed at which your Musou gauge charges, making it rather useful for those who like to throw out Musou attacks often, and their included invincibility. Very nice in combination with the Way of the Musou item as the True Musou attacks enable you to rip through the enemies. Special Items Red Hare Saddle Effect: Start the stage riding Red Hare Method: Defeat Lu Bu on the Hu Lao gate stage. Once you've done this, a supply team will appear around the middle of the map, on Cao Cao's attack route. The supply team will make its way north after a brief period of time. Defeat the supply captain to get the item. I recommend waiting for Cao Cao's group to get past the Fan Shui gate before knocking off Lu Bu, otherwise, his guys might kill the supply captain. Value: This is a very useful item, since Red Hare is extremely fast and powerful. If you're having problems on certain stages, you can get Red Hare, blow past everyone, and go straight to the boss if you want. It's also helpful in stages such as Nanman, where you have to cover a lot of ground, and is very helpful to get fourth weapons, or other special items where you have to catch up to supply teams to get em. Hex Mark Saddle Effect: Start the stage riding Hex Mark Method: On the Chen Du Stage, defeat every enemy general except Liu Zhang. The precious item will appear in the corner, fairly close to Liu Zhang. Value: If you're having trouble beating Lu Bu, this item is a lot easier to get. Hex Mark isn't as good of a horse, but is almost as fast, and can still get you where you're going in a hurry. Imperial Saddle Effect: Can ride any horse, regardless of rank Method: Yi Ling stage, Shu side. First you must defeat Zhu Ran when he appears to stop the fire attack. Then you must defeat every other enemy general under Sun Quan. Once they're all defeated, the supply team will appear at the entry point north of Sun Quan. Kill the Supply Captain to get the item, then finish the stage. It's best to defeat Lu Xun last, since he is closest to where the supply team will appear. Value: A waste. You only need to get up to rank 11 to ride the dark brown and white horses, which are fast enough to get you where you need to go in most cases. If you really want to use a horse throughout the stage, use the Red Hare or Hex Mark saddles instead. The Art of War Effect: Temporary items last 30% longer (Imperial Seal, Battle Axe, and Armor) Method: He Fei Castle Stage, Wei side. Defeat every general on the opposing side, except Sun Quan. This isn't easy to do, so I recommend taking a buffed up character to do this with. Also, you have to get the kills yourself. Once you've beaten all the enemy generals, wait a while. I recommend biding your time by beating up as many enemy soldiers as you can, to make the eventual fight with Sun Quan easier. After a while, the special item report will appear on Sun Quan's ship (bottom of the map) Go and grab it, then return and take out Sun Quan to finish the stage. Anime Japan says that you can kill four of Sun Quan’s escorts to make the item appear, but I have not tested this. This was confirmed by Eric Brainard, who states that defeating Sun Quan’s four guard captains will also cause the item to appear. Value: Not an item I use personally. The boost in time for your axes and stuff is nice, but I would rather spend the slot on a different item. Bodyguard Manual Effect: Powers up your bodyguards Method: Siege of He Fei Castle stage on the Wu side. You must defeat Xu Zhu, then the precious item will appear behind him. If you're playing the stage just to get this item, I recommend using one of the Saddles to get yourself a fast horse, so you can get to Xu Zhu in a hurry and beat him. Value: This item is pretty useful. The power up in your bodyguards is rather subtle, but it makes a difference, especially if you have a larger number of bodyguards. The Way of the Musou Effect: Allows you to do true Musou attack regardless of how much health you have Method: On Guan Yu's stage, you must defeat Xiahou Dun. After a certain period of time, he will start chasing after you. If you're not playing as Guan Yu, you must backtrack to find and beat him before Guan Yu kills him off (and if you're playing on Normal, Guan Yu WILL kill him off with no help) If you are playing as Guan Yu, simply wait for him to come, then kill him. Once he's dead, he'll drop the item. Value: IMO, this is the most useful item in the game, since I use Musou attacks fairly often. The true Musou attacks do a lot of damage and will make a big difference in your fighting. Survival Guide Effect: When your life is in the critical range, your attack strength doubles Method: Wu Zhang Plains stage, Shu side. Once two of the Tiger General on the stage have been killed (The Tiger Generals are the guys on your side that you can choose as your character, except for Zhuge Liang) you will see a cut scene where shooting stars fall. After the cut scene, the special item will appear north of Zhuge Liang's base, around the middle of the screen. Value: Not very useful, what this actually does is when your life is in the red, and you are knocked down, you will spring back up with a 30 second attack doubling effect. Defender Effect: When your life is in the critical range, your defense strength doubles Method: Wu Zhang Plains, Wei side. Once two of your playable generals are killed (by playable, I am referring to people like Zhang He, and Zhen Ji, that are usable in Musou mode, not guys like Cao Ren) After this has happened, you will see the shooting star event described in the Survival guide's section, and the item will appear at the top right part of the map. Basically, you have to sit around for a loooooooong time, waiting for your people to die, then the item will appear. Once you've got it, you can clear the stage. Value: Not very useful, see survival guide's description for the reason why. This is a little more useful because it can keep you alive while you search for extra energy, but I wouldn't bother Fire Arrows Effect: Lets you shoot fire arrows. These arrows do more damage, and seem to be easier to connect with Method: Chi Bi stage, Wei side. Defeat Zhou Yu before he initiates the fire attack. This item will then appear in the center of the map, north of where you fought Zhou Yu. The best way to get this item is to ignore all the enemies and head straight for Zhou Yu and take him out. Once you've beaten him and gotten the item, then you can retreat and beat the stage however you see fit. Value: This item makes your arrows stronger. When you connect with one, the arrow will do damage, then the fire effect will tack on some additional damage. It also seems to be easier to hit enemies with arrows. Overall, this is one of the more useful special items, especially if you like using bows during the game. Buckler Effect: Won't be overpowered while blocking Method: He Fei stage on the Wu side. Let Taishi Ci get killed in the arrow attack, then retreat with Sun Quan to the lower right corner of the stage. When Zhang Liao comes to attack Sun Quan, defeat Zhang Liao and he will drop the item. Value: Very useful if you block a lot, especially against powerful enemies like Lu Bu, who can normally break your guard down with ease. Power Scroll Effect: Won't lose attack locks Method: He Fei stage, Wei Side. First you must get Zhang Liao to kill Taishi Ci, which is done by having both of them be in the center square, and letting a few minutes pass. Then defeat other officers in the center square, and eventually, Zhang Liao will leave for the next attack, which is a surprise attack on Sun Quan. Right after this attack, Gan Ning will appear near your HQ. Defeat him and he will drop the item. Value: I personally find this item useful, since I tend to lose attack locks all the time. Depending on your button mashing ability, you may or may not find this item useful. One use is that it allows you to cancel an enemy's Musou attack with one of your own, causing a lockup, which you can win easily, then put a beating on the enemy. Golden Harness Effect: Won't be knocked off your horse by arrows Method: Tong Guan Gate stage, Wei side. You must get Han Sui to defect, by defeating Ma Chao's two subordinates, which will allow Han Sui to meet with Cao Cao and eventually defect to him. After that, kill all the other generals, then Ma Chao will retreat into the castle. Enter the castle, and the supply team will show up from the left side. Defeat the Captain to get the item. This item can be fairly tricky to get, especially once you’ve taken everyone out but Ma Chao, and he can’t retreat into the castle because he’s getting pounded on. What I recommend is that you grab a horse, and use the strafe technique to push him through the gate and back in a ways till the supply team appears, then you can take your horse, catch up to the captain, and kill him. Value: Unless you spend a lot of time on horseback (which I don't) this item isn't very useful. Save your slots for something better. Another way to get Ma Chao into the castle is to simply lure him in and get him to chase you (sent in by John C) A guide to equipping items Your milage may vary, but this setup is what works for me, and it’s pretty much universal. I always equip Way of the Musou no matter what. It’s the most useful item because it powers up your musou attack significantly. Then I always take the tortoise amulet and the peacock urn, simply because they will keep me alive longer. Then I recommend the Buckler, so you don’t have to worry about guard breaks. That way you can hold down a block and wait for an opening to attack, which is very useful in my style of play. This may vary from player to player, and you could substitute this one with another item if you really want. The final item is up to you, use something that helps balance out one of your characters weaknesses (like a speed scroll for a slow character) If you’re happy with the way the character fights, use an elixir if you have one because extra musou charge is always useful. Weapons This is a list of every weapon in the game, including who can use it (some basic weapons are used by multiple characters), its stats, and how many hits can be done with it. To obtain the unique weapons, see each character's section. The weapons are listed in the order they are given in the Database section of the game. Also note, that weapons other than the unique weapons may have any number of bonuses to your various stats. Iron Sword Attack +16 Hits: 4 Used By: Zhou Yu, Xiahou Yuan, Huang Zhong, Gan Ning Steel Sword Attack +31 Hits: 5 Used By: Zhou Yu, Xiahou Yuan, Huang Zhong, Gan Ning Broad Sword Attack +17 Hits: 4 Used By: Cao Cao, Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao, Sun Jian, Liu Bei, Sun Quan Long Sword Attack +32 Hits: 5 Used By: Cao Cao, Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao, Sun Jian, Liu Bei, Sun Quan Scimitar Attack +18 Hits: 4 Used By: Xiahou Dun Great Scimitar Attack +33 Hits: 5 Used By: Xiahou Dun Spear Attack +14 Hits: 4 Used By: Zhao Yun, Zhang Fei, Ma Chao, Jiang Wei, Long Spear Attack +29 Hits: 5 Used By: Zhao Yun, Zhang Fei, Ma Chao, Jiang Wei, Halberd Attack +15 Hits: 4 Used By: Guan Yu, Lu Bu, Zhang Liao, Lu Meng Great Halberd Attack +30 Hits: 5 Used By: Guan Yu, Lu Bu, Zhang Liao, Lu Meng Hand Axe Attack +19 Hits: 4 Used By: Dian Wei Strike Axe Attack +34 Hits 5 Used By: Dian Wei Club Attack +19 Hits: 4 Used By: Xu Zhu Spiked Club Attack +34 Hits 5 Used By: Xu Zhu Twin Sabers Attack +17 Hits: 4 Used By: Lu Xun Wing Sabers Attack +32 Hits: 5 Used By: Lu Xun Twin Rods Attack +16 Hits: 4 Used By: Taishi Ci Spiral Rods Attack +31 Hits 5 Used By: Taishi Ci Mace Attack +13 Hits 4 Used By: Diao Chan Great Mace Attack +28 Hits 5 Used By: Diao Chan War Fan Attack +15 Hits: 4 Used By: Sima Yi, Zhuge Liang Warlord Fan Attack +30 Hits: 5 Used By: Sima Yi, Zhuge Liang Chakram Attack +17 Hits: 4 Used By: Sun Shang Xiang Crescent Chakram Attack +32 Hits: 5 Used By: Sun Shang Xiang Battle Axe Attack +18 Hits: 4 Used By: Xu Huang War Axe Attack +33 Hits 5 Used By: Xu Huang Bronze Claw Attack +16 Hits: 4 Used By: Zhang He Steel Claw Attack +31 Hits: 5 Used By: Zhang He Iron Flute Attack +13 Hits: 4 Used By: Zhen Ji Steel Flute Attack +28 Hits: 5 Used By: Zhen Ji Iron Rod Attack +16 Hits: 4 Used By: Huang Gai Steel Rod Attack +31 Hits: 5 Used By: Huang Gai Tonfa Attack +16 Hits: 4 Used By: Sun Ce Studded Tonfa Attack +31 Hits: 5 Used By: Sun Ce Double Voulge Attack +18 Hits: 4 Used By: Wei Yan Strike Voulge Attack +33 Hits: 5 Used By: Wei Yan Staff Attack +13 Hits: 4 Used By: Zhang Jiao, Pang Tong Mirage Staff Attack +28 Hits: 5 Used By: Zhang Jiao, Pang Tong Nanman Gauntlet Attack +19 Hits: 4 Used By: Meng Huo Beast Gauntlet Attack +34 Hits: 5 Used By: Meng Huo Boomerang Attack +15 Hits: 4 Used By: Zhu Rong Hawk Boomerang Attack +30 Hits 5 Used By: Zhu Rong Twin Fans Attack +16 Hits: 4 Used By: Da Qiao, Xiao Qiao Violet Fans Attack +31 Hits: 5 Used By: Da Qiao, Xiao Qiao Bastard Sword Attack +19 Hits: 4 Used By: Fu Xi Great Sword Attack +34 Hits: 5 Used By: Fu Xi Rapier Attack +17 Hits: 4 Used By: Nu Wa Swift Rapier Attack +32 Hits 5 Used By: Nu Wa Dragon Spear Attack +43 Hits: 6 Used By: Zhao Yun Blue Dragon Attack +49 Hits: 6 Used By: Guan Yu Snake Blade Attack +47 Hits: 6 Used By: Zhang Fei Kirin Sword Attack +48 Hits: 6 Used By: Xiahou Dun Bull Attack +49 Hits 6 Used By: Dian Wei Bone Crusher Attack +50 Hits 6 Used By: Xu Zhu Elder Sword Attack +46 Hits: 6 Used By: Zhou Yu Eagle Attack +46 Hits: 6 Used By: Lu Xun Wolf Slayer Attack +45 Hits 6 Used By: Taishi Ci Gold Orb Attack +40 Hits 6 Used By: Diao Chan White Feather Attack + 40 Hits: 6 Used By: Zhuge Liang Sword of Heaven Attack +45 Hits: 6 Used By: Cao Cao Sky Piercer Attack +50 Hits: 6 Used By: Lu Bu Luna Chakram Attack +40 Hits: 6 Used By: Sun Shang Xiang Gold Dragon Attack +40 Hits: 6 Used By: Liu Bei Lone Wolf Attack +43 Hits: 6 Used By: Sun Jian King Wolf Attack +42 Hits 6 Used By: Sun Quan Star Sword Attack +41 Hits 6 Used By: Dong Zhuo Master Sword Attack +44 Hits 6 Used By: Yuan Shao Steel Stallion Attack +42 Hits 6 Used By: Ma Chao Sage Sword Attack +44 Hits 6 Used By: Huang Zhong Demon Sword Attack +45 Hits: 6 Used By: Xiahou Yuan Dragon Blade Attack +48 Hits: 6 Used By: Zhang Liao Black Feather Attack +40 Hits 6 Used By: Sima Yi Tiger Hook Attack +45 Hits 6 Used By: Lu Meng River Master Attack +46 Hits 6 Used By: Gan Ning Vapor Attack +41 Hits 6 Used By: Jiang Wei Staff of Fire Attack +37 Hits: 6 Used By: Zhang Jiao Destroyer Attack +46 Hits: 6 Used By: Xu Huang Peacock Claw Attack +43 Hits: 6 Used By: Zhang He Moon Flute Attack +37 Hits: 6 Used By: Zhen Ji Shadow Rod Attack +44 Hits: 6 Used By: Huang Gai Conqueror Attack +42 Hits: 6 Used By: Sun Ce Double Star Attack +46 Hits: 6 Used By: Wei Yan Staff of Wind Attack +38 Hits: 6 Used By: Pang Tong Beast Master Attack +48 Hits: 6 Used By: Meng Huo Fire Wheel Attack +42 Hits: 6 Used By: Zhu Rong Beauty Attack +37 Hits: 6 Used By: Da Qiao Grace Attack +38 Hits: 6 Used By: Xiao Qiao Holy Avenger Attack +46 Hits 6 Used By: Fu Xi Celstial Blade Attack +39 Hits 6 Used by: Nu Wa Fierce Dragon (Unique) Attack +43 Hits: 6 + Fire Element HP Max +74 Attack: +25 Defense: +52 Musou Max +80 Used By: Zhao Yun Blue Moon Dragon (Unique) Attack +49 Hits: 6 + Lightning Element HP Max +87 Attack: +28 Defense: +59 Musou Max + 25 Used By: Guan Yu Viper Blade (Unique) Attack +47 Hits: 6 Attack +29 Defense +58 Mounted Attack: +56 Mounted Defense: +57 Musou Max +24 Used By: Zhang Fei Kirin Fang (Unique) Attack +48 Hits: 6 + Fire Element Attack: +26 Bow Defense: +60 Mounted Defense: +56 Reach: +24 Used By: Xiahou Dun Mad Bull (Unique) Attack +49 Hits: 6 + Lightning Element HP Max: +84 Attack: +27 Musou Max +28 Used By: Dian Wei Stone Crusher (Unique) Attack +50 Hits: 6 Musou Max +88 HP Max +86 Attack: +28 Defense: +58 Luck: +27 Used By: Xu Zhu Ancient's Sword (Unique) Attack +46 Hits: 6 + Fire Element Attack +23 Defense +50 Reach +25 Musou Charge +27 Used By: Zhou Yu Falcon (Unique) Attack +42 Hits: 6 + Death Element Speed +22 Musou Max +75 Defense +43 Reach +29 Used By: Lu Xun Tiger Slayer (Unique) Attack +45 Hits: 6 + Lightning Element HP Max +81 Attack: +26 Bow Attack: +55 Mounted Attack: +51 Used By: Taishi Ci Gold Globe (Unique) Attack: +40 Hits: 6 Musou: +65 Defense +48 Luck: +30 Reach: +28 Musou Charge: +30 Used By: Diao Chan Peacock Feather (Unique) Attack +40 Hits: 6 + Fire Element Speed +22 Jump +22 Defense +55 Bow Defense +55 Mounted Defense +55 Used By: Zhuge Liang Wrath of Heaven (Unique) Attack +45 Hits: 6 + Death Element Attack +24 Bow Attack +52 Mounted Attack +48 Reach +24 Used By: Cao Cao Sky Scorcher (Unique) Attack: +50 Hits: 6 + Lightning Element Jump: +24 Musou: +90 HP: +90 Attack: +30 Defense: +60 Used By: Lu Bu Sol Chakram (Unique) Attack +40 Hits: 6 Speed: +23 Jump: +22 HP Max +66 Luck +23 Reach +30 Used By: Sun Shang Xiang Gold Moon Dragon (Unique) Attack +40 Hits: 6 Speed +20 Musou Max +70 Mounted Attack +44 Mounted Defense +52 Luck +22 Used By: Liu Bei Savage Wolf (Unique) Attack +43 Hits: 6 + Fire Element Musou Max +76 HP Max +68 Attack +22 Defense +49 Used By: Sun Jian Master Wolf (Unique) Attack +42 Hits: 6 Musou Max +68 Attack: +22 Bow Attack: +49 Bow Defense: +50 Musou Charge +26 Used By: Sun Quan Grand Star (Unique) Attack +41 Hits: 6 + Lightning Element HP Max + 70 Defense +45 Reach +25 Used By: Dong Zhuo Grand Master (Unique) Attack: +44 Hits: 6 Jump: +20 Musou Max: +78 Defense: +54 Bow Attack: +51 Mounted Attack: +46 Used By: Yuan Shao Steel Dragon (Unique) Attack +42 Hits: 6 + Fire Element Jump +21 Mounted Attack: +60 Mounted Defense: +60 Reach: +21 Used By: Ma Chao Oracle Sword (Unique) Attack +44 Hits: 6 Attack +23 Defense +45 Bow Attack: +60 Bow Defense: +58 Reach +26 Used By: Huang Zhong Demon Fang (Unique) Attack +45 Hits: 6 + Fire Element Musou Max +84 HP Max +78 Bow Attack: +58 Bow Defense: +59 Used By: Xiahou Yuan Dragon Breath (Unique) Attack +48 Hits: 6 HP Max +79 Attack: +25 Mounted Attack: +58 Mounted Defense: +58 Reach: +21 Used By: Zhang Liao Dark Feather (Unique) Attack + 40 Hits: 6 + Lightning Element Attack +28 Bow Attack +50 Mounted Attack +55 Reach +29 Musou Charge +26 Used By: Sima Yi White Tiger (Unique) Attack +45 Hits: 6 + Lightning Element Defense: +53 Bow Defense: +54 Mounted Defense: +54 Musou Charge +25 Used By: Lu Meng Sea Master (Unique) Attack +46 Hits: 6 + Blue Element Speed: +22 Jump: +21 Attack: +25 Luck: +26 Musou Charge +28 Used By: Gan Ning Blink (Unique) Attack +41 Hits: 6 + Lightning Element Musou Max +74 Attack: +23 Luck: +25 Used By: Jiang Wei Volcano Staff (Unique) Attack: +37 Hits: 6 + Fire Element Musou Max: +72 Attack: +43 Reach: +27 Used By: Zhang Jiao Marauder (Unique) Attack +46 Hits: 6 Speed: +21 Musou Max +82 Attack +24 Luck +24 Reach +22 Used By: Xu Huang Peacock Talon (Unique) Attack +43 Hits: 6 + Death Element Jump +23 Attack +24 Reach +27 Musou Charge +29 Used By: Zhang He Dark Moon Flute (Unique) Attack +37 Hits: 6 Speed +23 Defense +52 Bow Attack +50 Mounted Attack +50 Reach +25 Used By: Zhen Ji Black Shadow (Unique) Attack +44 Hits: 6 HP Max +82 Defense: +57 Mounted Attack: +52 Reach: +23 Musou Charge +27 Used By: Huang Gai Overlord (Unique) Attack +42 Hits: 6 + Fire Element Speed: +21 Jump: +20 Musou Max +80 HP Max +72 Used By: Sun Ce Double Comet (Unique) Attack +46 Hits: 6 + Death Element Jump: +23 Attack: +24 Defense: +56 Reach: +22 Used By: Wei Yan Tornado Staff (Unique) Attack +38 Hits: 6 HP Max +66 Attack: +22 Bow Attack: +46 Reach: +28 Musou Max +29 Used By: Pang Tong King of Beasts (Unique) Attack: +48 Hits: 6 + Fire Element HP Max: +88 Attack: +27 Mounted Attack: +54 Mounted Defense: +54 Used By: Meng Huo Magma Wheel (Unique) Attack +42 Hits: 6 + Fire Element Musou Max: +72 Defense: +52 Bow Defense: +52 Reach: +26 Used By: Zhu Rong True Beauty (Unique) Attack +37 Hits: 6 Musou Max +64 HP Max +65 Attack +22 Defense +48 Luck +29 Used By: Da Qiao True Grace (Unique) Attack +38 Hits: 6 + Death Element Speed: +24 Defense: +47 Luck: +28 Musou Charge +30 Used By: Xiao Qiao Fu Xi's Sword (Unique) Attack +46 Hits: 6 + Fire Element Attack: +26 Defense: +51 Reach: +23 Musou Charge +24 Used By: Fu Xi Nu Wa's Rapier (Unique) Attack +39 Hits: 6 + Death Element Musou Max +62 HP Max: +62 Attack: +21 Defense: +46 Used By: Nu Wa FOURTH WEAPON STRATEGIES This is a guide to getting each of the fourth weapons in the game. First some basic info on fourth weapons. - You must be playing on Hard mode. Either Musou or Free Mode is fine, though Free mode is usually easier. - When the requirements for getting a weapon involve killing a certain guy, YOU have to be the one that makes the kill. If your bodyguards, or other soldiers on your side get the finishing blow, it won’t work. If you’re using a second player, you can have that player make the kill - Once you’ve fulfilled the conditions for each weapon, there will either be a supply team appearance, or a special item report. If it’s a special item, it will stay put, so just go over to where it is and get it. If it’s a supply team, they will appear at a certain location, then move to another part of the map, then retreat through another entry point. You must kill the supply captain before he leaves to get the item. - For Supply Team weapons, you should consider enlisting the aid of the second player. If you do this, the first player must be the person you are trying to get the weapon for. They will usually hang out in a secluded area near where the supply team will appear, while the second person (preferably someone who’s powered up) goes and does the tasks needed to make the supply team appear. Then the first player can quickly go to where the supply team is, kill the captain, and get the weapon. Even if the second player grabs the weapon, you’ll still get credit for it anyway. This is useful in stages with precious items that stand still. If you want to get a beginning character their fourth weapon early, just have them be player one, while player two is a guy you’ve maxed out, then sit your first player someplace safe while the second player does the tasks, gets the weapon, and clears the stage. - Horses are your friends! Using a horse to get the fourth weapons if highly recommended, as you can accomplish the tasks faster (some have to be done quickly, before something else happens) and also to catch up to the supply team. Getting the Red Hare, or Hex Mark saddles will be highly beneficial to your fourth weapon collecting quest. - Elements: There are 3 types of elemental effects that may be attached to your fourth weapon, along with any bonuses you get from it. These elements are released by one of your special attacks, usually the last one in the chain. Experiment to find yours. The effects are as follows - Don’t forget that you can save partway through a stage and continue as many times as you like from a save point. This way, if you do some things right, you can save, and if you mess up, you can reset then try again. This is helpful for supply team weapons, and others where you have to sit and wait for long periods of time. Red: Fire – The enemy gets caught on fire, taking damage while they are burning. This is pretty useful, because it is usually attached to the character’s high juggle move. If you continue to keep the infinite combo going, they guy will be on fire the whole time and can take a lot of damage. Blue: Lightning – The lightning spreads to hit a group of enemies when an enemy hit with it lands on the ground Purple: Death – Creates a flash of purple light. Lesser enemies who touch this light die in one hit. If you hit a general with a death attack, it will take off 20% of their CURRENT Health. Added Strategies: For some characters, I’ve added extra strategy for getting the fourth weapons. Most of these strategies assume you’re using the two player trick. This trick works two different ways. If the player you want to get the weapon for is weak, make him player one, and make player two someone you’ve maxed out (I use Guan Yu) If the person you’re getting the fourth weapon for is strong, make him player two, and make player one someone who’s starting out. Put the player you’re not using in a safe spot so they don’t get killed while you do the tasks and get the stuff. Now, for the main event, how to get each character’s fourth weapon Shu Kingdom Zhao Yun: 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. Strategy: You might want to use Red Hare saddle here, so that you definitely have a horse. Slaughter Xiahou Dun and Zhang Liao as well as the gate captains on the upper right first. Then get a horse if you don’t have one, and head to the bottom right to take out the guys there. At some point, Cao Cao’s unit will appear, and Liu Bei will say “So you intend to end it here at Chang Ban?” This is your cue to go to him on the horse. Once you’ve got the cutscene, take your time killing the guys by Liu Bei. Once he’s clear, go up by Zhang He and take him out. The supply team should appear right near where he appeared. Benefits: The weapon provides boosts to four stats that are pretty important, including extra attack and lot of extra HP and defense making him tougher to kill. It provides him with two lightning attack, but neither are extremely useful. Guan Yu: 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. Strategy: Nothing too tough here. Once you pass the fourth gate, you should run into the captain along the way, making him an easy mark. Benefits: Guan Yu gets nice bonuses to important stats, making him stronger and tougher, but the lightning attack that comes with this one isn’t all that great. Zhang Fei: 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. Actually, you can do the events in any order. You can kill the Xiahou’s first then get the yell event. Strategy: This one is a pain. I highly recommend using the two player trick. Stick Zhang Fei on the Bridge (it’s the fancy one south of Zhang Fei’s starting point. Once he’s there, have your other player kill the guys at the upper right. Then go along the top path, slaughtering Xu Huang and Zhang He along the way. At some point, Cao Cao’s troop will appear, and start making their way south. On your killing run, take down Xiahou Yuan and anyone else near Liu Bei. Once everyone’s dead, get back to the bridge where Zhang Fei is waiting. Kill all the guys south of the bridge with your powerful guy, then wait for Cao Cao’s unit to get to the bridge. Once any officer reaches the bridge, the yell event will occur. Right after this, you’ll see the supply unit appear. Get Zhang Fei the hell away from the bridge to the south. Kill the supply captain to get the item ASAP. Once you’ve got the weapon, and Zhang Fei is in a safe position, have your powerful character finish off Cao Cao. There may be other methods of getting this weapon that are easier, but this worked for me, and as long as your other guy is strong enough, you should be OK. Benefits: Zhang Fei gets bonuses to attack and defense, as well as Musou charge which enables him to do his Musou attack much more often, making him a lot more effective in combat. Mounted bonuses though are nearly worthless. Ma Chao: Tong Gate stage, Ally’s 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. Strategy: Another pain in the butt weapon to get. Start by killing as many guys as you can, until you get a message where Ma Chao asks Han Sui and some others to help. Then go to Han Sui and cover for him until Cao Cao reaches him, at which point, you’ll get a cutscene. Continue fighting guys until you get a message saying that your team’s morale is decreasing from news of Han Sui’s defection. At this point, run up to the top, and below the northern bridge (by the waterfall) is a small round area, with a few boxes. Go here and wait. Some guys may come up to you, kill them. After a while, Han Sui will defect. A couple minutes later, the supply captain will appear right near where you are standing. Kill the captain, get the weapon, and return to finish off Cao Cao. Benefits: Most of the bonuses he gets from this weapon aren’t very helpful, but the fire attack is good for combos. Extra reach is always nice as well. Wei Yan: 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. Strategy: Kill as many guys as possible while waiting for Ma Su’s act of stupidity. Once you get the message saying he’s in trouble, go save his sorry skin. (you’ll have to kill Zhang He and his troops) Once Ma Su is safe, he’ll go back down. Kill anyone left in the stage, except Sima Yi, then go to his camp, and the item should appear. Get it then kill Sima Yi. Benefits: The increase in range benefits Wei Yan greatly, and makes him a better attacker. Extra attack and defense is always a plus as well. He gets two death attacks, which sounds great on paper, but neither of the attacks are very useful in practice. Zhuge Liang: 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. Strategy: 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. Benefits: The fire attack helps in juggles, which is one of the best ways for Zhuge Liang to do some actual damage. Also all 3 of his defenses improve. Zhuge is very tough to kill once you get his fourth weapon. That doesn’t stop him from sucking though, because it’s still very hard to beat people. Huang Zhong: 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. Strategy: Nothing too tough here, the two player trick is handy though. You’ll get a cutscene when you advance a certain amount of distance. Then you can kill Xiahou Shang, and make the item appear. Grab the item, and finish the stage normally. I think Huang Zhong has to be the one to charge, so if you’re using the two player trick, and he’s the weak one, just go as far as you need to make the cutscene occur, then run back, and let your powerful guy handle it. Benefits: Huang Zhong gets bonuses in the most important categories, making this useful. Also his bow attack improves greatly. If you add this to another bow attack increasing item, he becomes an awesome sniper, able to destroy enemies from afar before actually engaging them. Liu Bei: 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. Strategy: The two player trick is HIGHLY advised here, since this stage is very hard on Shu’s side. Get your weak guy to a safe spot, while your powerful character handles SSX, and the other bad guys. Make sure to stop the fire event when it occurs. Benefits: Extra speed is fairly helpful, as is the luck bonus. Other than that, nothing here really is too awesome. Jiang Wei: 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. Strategy: Nothing too tough here, just make sure you can catch up to the supply team when it appears. The two player trick is handy here, as is Red Hare saddle. Benefits: The lightning attack is nearly useless, the only real benefit here is some extra attack power. Pang Tong: 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. Strategy: If you use the two player trick, get Pang Tong to safety first. Then have your powerful guy butcher everyone in Liu Bei’s vicinity. Then once they’re all gone, have Pang Tong, go down the bottom path (the one farthest south on your map) to trigger the ambush. Then get Pang Tong the hell out of there and back to a safe spot, while your powered up guy kills Zhang Ren, gets the item and finishes the stage. Benefits: The increase in reach is a big help for him. Also, he gets a lot of good bonuses in useful stats. Wei Kingdom Xiahou Dun: 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. Strategy: Since this is a tough stage on Cao Cao’s side, I advise the two player trick, but if you do use it, make sure to kill EVERYONE that you run into. If you leave guys behind, they will go and harass the player who sat way behind at the start of the stage. Other than that, there’s nothing too difficult you have to do here. Benefits: Other than the worthless mounted defense stat, everything he gets from his weapon is helpful, including more bow defense, a reach bonus, and a fire juggle attack. Zhang He: - 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. Strategy: 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 Benefits: The death attack is pretty effective in clearing out crowds. Also getting a bonus to Musou charge is always a plus. Extra strength and reach round out a nice fourth weapon. Dian Wei: Wan Castle Stage, Cao Cao’s side. Defeat Hu Che Er. 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. Strategy: Nothing too difficult, you can use the two player trick if you want, but if you do, make sure your weak guy is safe, and that you keep Cao Cao covered when needed. Benefits: The lightning attack is not all that useful, but the bonuses you get are good, especially a nice hefty increase in your HP. Xu Zhu: 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. Strategy: Nothing too tough here, if you use the two player trick, the strong player can beat the two guys (watch out, they’re pretty tough) but Xu Zhu has to be the one to enter the fort. And watch out that he doesn’t get pegged by arrows on his way there. Benefits: Too bad this doesn’t improve the fact that he’s still too damn slow to do anything of note. However, the big man still gets quite a lot of useful bonuses from this. Zhen Ji: 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. Strategy: Nothing too difficult here, if Zhen Ji’s weak, you can use the two player trick if you so desire. Benefits: The biggest benefit she gets is the increase in range, as well as defense. Other than that, nothing too tremendous (it’s not like she needed more speed or anything) Sima Yi: 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. Strategy: It’s actually the 70 minute mark that the supply team appears, assuming you’ve killed Zhang Bao first. I recommend using the two player trick, since by the time you’ve finished waiting, half your army will be dead, and you’ll need someone powerful to mop up the bad guys. Plus this way, Sima Yi can stay nice and safe in the upper right corner. Kill all the people on the right half of the screen, and if you have time, kill some other guys too. Then go to Zhang Bao and roast him, making sure to do this before the 70 minute mark. Then wait by the bridge that you fought him at. I recommend saving when there’s about 71 minutes or so left, in case you mess up, you don’t have to do the whole thing over again. Once the clock hits 70 minutes, the supply team will appear right by the bridge, to the left of it. Gun the supply captain down, and the special item will appear right by you. Grab it, and mop up the rest of the bad guys. Benefits: The lightning attack you get is very useful, and improves Sima’s fighting capability greatly. He also gets an increase in Musou charge which is a big plus. Most of the other stats he gets are nice. Sima Yi becomes a much better fighter when you’ve got this. Cao Cao: 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. Strategy: 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. Benefits: Cao Cao becomes a whole new man once you’ve got this weapon. His reach becomes much better, and his death attack can shred most anyone. This weapon is what separates Cao Cao from most of the other schmucks. Xu Huang: 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. Strategy: The flood event will occur about 10 minutes into the stage, so you’ll have plenty of time to waste Guan Ping. If you want to use the two player trick, you can. Once Guan Ping is dead, you’ll have to go back down to get the weapon, then go finish off Guan Yu. Watch out though, because he’s tough. Benefits: No element, but a nice array of stat bonuses make this one a big help. Xiahou Yuan: 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. Strategy: Nothing too tough here, Just approach Huang Zhong to get the cutscene to appear, then kill him. Watch out though, he’s got a lot of archer backup. Once he’s gone, you can get the weapon and go from there. Benefits: The fire attack is nice for juggling. Also, much like Huang Zhong, this will give you a nice increase in his already good bow attack stat. Extra HP and bow defense are icing on the cake. Zhang Liao: 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. Strategy: Nothing too tough or difficult here. If you use the two player trick, make sure to get Zhang Liao to a safe spot if he’s your weak guy, because he’ll start right in the middle of the stage, where there’s lots of enemies. Benefits: The mounted bonuses are a waste of space, but the other bonuses you get are nice. Wu Kingdom Zhou Yu: 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. Strategy: This one’s not too bad. If you want, the two player trick works wonders here. Just find out where both enemies are and kill them. Benefits: Zhou Yu gets extra stats where they count the most, as well as a couple juggling fire attacks, and a Musou charge bonus. Huang Gai: 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. Strategy: Nothing too tough here. Use the two player trick if you want. Benefits: Increases in range and musou charge make him a much better fighter. The extra HP and defense make him tough to kill. Overall this one’s a winner. Sun Shang Xiang: 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. Strategy: If you want to use the two player trick, do it. Otherwise, make sure to finish off both towers before you go after Cao Xiu. Once you’ve beaten him, you can get the item and finish off Sima Yi. Benefits: This improves her woeful range, though not by much. The extra HP are nice, but the extra speed is pretty much overkill in her case. Lu Xun: 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. This is one of the tougher fourth weapons to get. Here’s another trick for getting it, sent in by K2: This approach assumes you've got a weak Lu Xun in the P1 slot and a powered-up character in the P2 slot. Have Lu Xun hang out by the gate to the Stone Warrior Formation. P2 should clear out as many Shu generals as possible, preferably starting with Guan Yu/Wei Yan and working north and west so that you end up by the gate by SSX and Huang Zhong's starting positions. Once they're all gone, the gate will open, and Zhuge Liang will appear. P2 should head south to take care of Zhuge Liang, and then enter the SWF from the west. Have P2 go far enough in to trigger the "I'm lost" cutscene, then have Lu Xun enter from the north. Lu Xun will get the "successfully navigated" cutscene, then the item will appear! Have him run in, grab it, and then retreat. P2 can then finish off Liu Bei, and Lu Xun will have a great new toy to play with. Benefits: Without even bringing up the stats he gets (which are pretty nice) the death attack he gets from picking up this bad boy is awesome, and will allow him to shred through the masses with ease. Da Qiao: 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. Strategy: Nothing too tough here. Use the two player trick if you like. Benefits: Extra attack and defense are very helpful for her, and make her an even more effective fighter than before. Xiao Qiao: 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. Strategy: I recommend using the two player trick here. Otherwise, this weapon is a pain to get, since you’ll have to fight through the whole Nanman stage to get to Zhu Rong. If you do it this way, do it the long way, otherwise, you’ll have to fight through a lot of people. Benefits: The musou charge bonus is always a nice touch. The other stats are nice too. Her death attack is OK, but kind of hard to aim. Sun Jian: 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. Strategy: Nothing overly difficult here, use the two player trick if you want. Benefits: Nothing too fancy, but he gets a nice variety of bonuses, plus a fire juggle attack. Sun Ce: 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. Strategy: This one’s not too bad, since you’ll probably want to get Taishi Ci to surrender to you anyway. The two player trick can be used if you want. Benefits: A couple fire attacks for juggling fun (though the second one isn’t too great) Extra speed is nice, as are the extra HP. Taishi Ci: 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. Strategy: The two player trick comes in handy here. Make sure you kill all the enemy generals under either Sun Ce or Zhou Yu before killing them, otherwise they’ll retreat. There are about 8 generals to kill here. You’ll have to pass by Sun Ce along the way in order to get to Huang Gai and a couple others. Benefits: All the extra stats you get are useful, except for the mounted attack. The first lightning attack you get is also rather nice for clearing out bad guys, something Taishi Ci had trouble with prior to getting this weapon. Gan Ning: He Fei stage, Wu side. Wait for the Taishi Ci death event. A supply team will appear at the entry point at the northwest of the map and head toward the entry point on the southwest side of the map. Kill the captain to get the item. Strategy: If you use the two player trick here, get your weak guy to safety. Have the strong guy use Red Hare, and ride up to the top right near the gates there, past Cao Cao. If you can, kill a couple of the bad guys who get in your way, but concentrate on reaching the gate. Once Taishi Ci gets axed, the supply team will appear. Kill the captain to get the item, then waste Cao Cao. Benefits: The lightning attack is pretty useless, but most of the stats that you get are good, including the ever important Musou Charge bonus. Lu Meng: Fan Castle stage, Allied Side. Kill Guan Ping. The Precious item will appear southeast of the Wei base, on the middle level platform. Grab it and finish the stage. Strategy: Nothing too special here, you can use the two player trick if you want. Benefits: You get a not very effective lightning attack, but nice bonuses in all your defense categories, plus an increase in Musou charge. Sun Quan: He Fei Castle stage, Wu side. Kill Zhang He. The special item will appear to the east of the pond in the center of the castle. Grab it and finish the stage. Strategy: Nothing too tough here, if you use the two player trick, give the strong guy Red Hare, and charge to get to Zhang He as quick as possible. Benefits: A nice array of bonuses, including the all important Musou charge bonus. Other Generals Lu Bu: Hu Lao gate stage, Dong Zhuo’s side. Kill Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei. Make sure to kill Liu Bei last, otherwise Guan Yu and Zhang Fei will take off. Once you’ve killed all these guys, a supply team will appear on the northeast part of the map, and head for the entry point behind Cao Cao’s initial position. Kill the captain to get the weapon. Strategy: Nothing too tough here, using Red Hare helps so that you can catch up to the captain once he appears. Benefits: As if he wasn’t a monster before, he becomes even more dangerous with this bad boy. Three lightning attacks, all of which have at least some use, and big time bonuses in some very important stats. Diao Chan: Gold Globe – Hu Lao Gate Stage, Dong Zhuo’s side. Kill Yuan Shu. The special item will then appear on the left side of Fan Shui Gate. Grab it and finish the stage. Strategy: Nothing tough here, use the two player trick if you want. Benefits: She gets a much needed increase in range, and a musou charge bonus. She also gets a bonus in defense, making her tougher to kill. Dong Zhuo: Hu Lao gate stage, Dong Zhuo’s side. Wait for all of your guys to get killed except for Diao Chan and Lu Bu. Diao Chan will then defect to the enemy. Pay her back for this act of treachery by killing her. The special item will appear by the entry point west of the map. Grab it and finish the stage. Strategy: This one’s a pain in the butt. Using the two player trick helps here, so that Dong Zhuo is safe. Have the second player get to Diao Chan so they can cover for her once she moves. Then just keep her alive while the rest of your people get killed, which takes forever. Once they’re all gone, Diao Chan will defect. Mow her down to get the item to appear. Grab it, then go beat up Yuan Shao and whoever else is in your way. There’s a glitch that might occur here that makes Diao Chan invisible. If this occurs, try to kill a couple guys to get her to appear, and cover for her as best you can, killing anyone in her general vicinity. Try not to kill too many guys though, cuz you need them to take out your own allies. You might have to kill Liu Bei and his gang here since they’ll attack Diao Chan by where she winds up. Benefits: Dong gets very few stat bonuses, but the ones he does get are helpful. The lightning attack is nothing special. Yuan Shao: Guan Du stage, Yuan Shao’s side. Keep Wen Chou alive for 10 minutes. A supply team will appear north of the southeast fort and head toward the southeast entry point. Kill the captain to get the weapon. Strategy: Another annoying one. If you use a powered up second player, it’s helpful. I made Yuan Shao my first player, so he could sit safe in his starting spot, and I made the second player Guan Yu. Make sure to kill the enemy’s Guan Yu, since he’ll kill Wen Chou automatically if he gets close. Basically, I mowed down everyone within a 5 mile radius of Wen Chou, leaving no one alive but Cao Cao and his cronies. Then I sat near the entrance of the fort on the bottom of the screen and waited. After 10 minutes, a few piddly reinforcements for the enemy will appear, followed by the supply captain. Mow down the captain, get the weapon, and finish the stage. Benefits: Yuan Shao gets some decent stat upgrades, but nothing to really write home about, Zhang Jiao: Yellow Turban stage, Yellow Turban side. Either defeat all of Cao Cao’s generals, all of Liu Bei’s generals, or all of Sun Jian’s generals. The special item report will appear on the southeast side of the river on the north side of the map. Grab it and finish the stage. Strategy: This two player trick works well here as well. If you use Guan Yu as your second player, you start right near Liu Bei and his gang, making them easy targets. Kill them, making sure to leave Liu Bei for last, then the weapon will appear right near where you are. Grab it, then mop up the rest of the enemies. Benefits: The reach increase is nice, and he gets a fire juggle attack. Other than that, nothing tremendous. Meng Huo: Nanman stage, Nanman side. Defeat all enemy generals on the East side - Ma Chao, Zhang Yi, and Ma Dai, or all enemy generals on the West side - Zhang Fei, Zhang Bao, and Guan Xing. The special item report will then appear west of the blocking mountain at the center of the map. Grab it and finish the stage. Strategy: Another great stage for using the two player trick. That way, Meng Huo remains safe, while your second player mops up the required generals and gets the weapon for you. Benefits: He could have used more range, but this will make him stronger, more durable, and better on a horse (yay) Zhu Rong: Nanman stage, Nanman side. Keep Dong Tu Na and Ahui Nan alive for 15 minutes at which point, they’ll meet and retreat from the battlefield. The precious item will appear near the bridge at the center of the map. Grab it and finish the stage. Strategy: If you want, use the two player trick. Red Hare is very useful as well. Go to the far right first, and whip Ma Chao and everyone else near him, since they’re going to attack Ahui Nan. Once they’re all gone, start making your way to the left, taking out everyone in your path, including enemies that get near Ahui Nan. Once everyone in his vicinity is dead, head over to Dong Tu Ne. He can take care of himself for a while, but eventually, you can make your way to him, and mop up his attackers. Once they’re all gone, start killing anyone else who’s left, until the 15 minute mark hits. Once it does, The two guys whose butts you saved will decide to leave, and you’ll get the item report. Grab the item and finish off Zhuge Liang. Benefits: You get two fire attacks, which make her more effective when attacking. The extra defenses make her tougher to kill, and the increase in range is very useful since hers is terrible. Nu Wa: Nu Wa’s Rapier – Wan Castle Stage, Allies side. Defeat Dian Wei. The special item will appear just north of where he started. Grab it and finish the stage. Strategy: Nothing difficult here, but this stage is pretty tough on the allied side, so using the two player trick is a good idea here. Benefits: Nothing too fancy. She gets bonuses to very useful stats, and a death attack, although this one isn’t too useful. Fu Xi: Liu Biao assault stage, Liu Biao’s side. Kill Huang Gai. Special item will appear at the dead end on the northwest section of the beach. Grab it and finish the stage. Strategy: Nothing too complicated. If you use the two player trick, charge Huang Gai and try to take him out, just watch out for all his archers. Once he’s gone, the item will appear. Get it and finish normally. Benefits: You get some nice bonuses here including Musou charge and range, making you an even badder attacker than before. Fourth weapon combos This is a list of each characters’ command to do their elemental attacks if they have them. Where (T..) is listed, it means you can rapidly hit T to prolong the attack. Zhao Yun: SSSST, SSSSST(T..) Guan Yu: SSSSTT Ma Chao: SSSSST Wei Yan: SSSSTT, SSSSST(T..) Jiang Wei: SSSSST Zhuge Liang: SSSST Xiahou Dun: ST Dian Wei: SSSSST(T..), SSSSTT Zhang He: SSSSST(T..) Xiahou Yuan: SSSST Sima Yi: SSST Cao Cao: SSSSST(T..) Zhou Yu: ST, SSSST Taishi Ci: SSST, SSSSTT Gan Ning: SSSSST(T) Lu Xun: SSST Lu Meng: SSSSST Xiao Qiao: SSSSST(T..) Sun Jian: SSSST Sun Ce: SSSST, SSSSST Zhang Jiao: SSSST Lu Bu: SSST, SSSSTT, SSSSST Dong Zhou: SSSSTT Meng Huo: SSSSST Zhu Rong: SSST, SSSST Fu Xi: SSSST, SSSSST Nu Wa: SSSSST STRATEGIES AND MISC INFO The Super Sneaky Officer Killing Trick: Use this trick at your own risk, as it does take some of the fun out of battling generals. The trick is simply this. Most high ranking enemy officers (bosses, and other characters you can play as generally) have a fixed "zone" that they will attack you in. They will chase you up until you exit their zone, then retreat back to their starting point. The trick is to simply stand outside enough of their zone where they won't attack you, then pull your bow and shoot them. Even though you can hit them, they will usually run back and forth like an idiot, not bothering to attack the guy who's standing 50 feet away filling them full of holes until they've been reduced to a human pin cushion. This glaring flaw in the enemy's AI will allow you to take down many level bosses and other dangerous opponents with ease. WARNING: This trick does NOT seem to work on Lu Bu in Hu Lao gate, he WILL give pursuit, and probably slaughter you if you try it. An update to this trick was sent by Anime Japan as follows: You are right, Lu Bu will give chase, but if you make sure you can still move backwards with no other enemy on the board, just back paddle while shooting regular arrows. Musou arrows are ok, but make sure you still have plenty of arrows left. With flame arrow equipped you can simply knock him down with a regular arrow, then use a dizzy arrow, run up and do a combo or knock him down and dizzy him again. Here’s a way to kill Lu Bu using a variation on the above tactic, sent in by Bob is Bob: You can't use the super sneaky officer killing trick, but something close to it. Take out your bow, stun arrow him, then lay a combo on him. Repeat. Works best if you have the way of the musuo item. Ta- da! Easy red hare saddle. Getting Better Items: According to Adios, the best stages for getting special items are You Ting and Jie Ting on hard. He also mentions that he was able to max out almost all of his items on these stages, including the elixir. Getting Enemies to drop better power ups and items (sent by Anime Japan): In order for officer to drop double value weapon or buns, unleash 8 hits if they are gonna drop a +1, 16 hit for a +2 and 24 hit for a +4. Some generals are fixed +8 and u don’t have to waste any effort to try tag on combo on his dead body should you be victorious. Random fools (those who don’t drop stuff) can give a +50 bun or +5 arrow if they are killed by a 16+ combo. If you have ever used a 10 second musou fill super and mow down lots of people, chances are you will get 16+ hits and a ground full of powerups. Reverse Block Tactic (Sent in by KenChn3) - When an enemy boss defends all of your attacks thus far, refrain from attacking and block, in about 0.4 to 1 seconds, the general will attack, and when he/she is finished, attack back! this trick doesn't work that well if you have and officer with a lot of friends that have surrounded you, and the fact that the whole idea of "blocking" no longer seem to be effective on hard mode. Another addition about this tactic, besides blocking till they attack, you can also block until they start strafing; and blocking works in hard mode, I was just fighting Lu Bu in Hard at the time. Getting Second and Third Weapons (Sent in by Boromir) Getting 2nd Weapon - go to the battle of yi ling on easy mode. Kill Gan Ning and all of his officers. The officers will both drop weapons, and one of them will be your 2nd. You should do this with Zhou Yu or any other officer who uses an iron sword, because many of the characters use an iron sword as a first weapon giving you a 2nd weapon for 6 or 7 people. Getting 3rd Weapons - Go to the battle at you ting in easy or normal mode, kill every officer but Sima Yi, pick up all of the weapon boxes, then you will have your 3rd weapon. Another way to get Second and Third Weapons (Sent in by Matt Carr) To get much easier third and second weapons play tong gate on hard difficulty setting, use the allied forces. Your first player is the one to recieve the weapon so make sure he is very weak when you play, so take of a second weapon and use your first,also take off all items. Your second character must be a very strong warrior such as Lu Bu or Guan yu. Begin the level and have your first player move all the way left until he sees the box, break open the box and take the weapon. Have your first player hide behind tong gate. Use you second player to finish the level. And if your character is really strong cao cao can be killed in three hits. It is also a good way to build characters. Stage Specific Strategies This will be a guide to beating each stage. I'll also try to incorporate ways to get secret characters and items when applicable. Also, don't take my guide as absolute, since every battle will play out slightly differently each time you play. Also note that when you beat the game with the ruler characters, they will take the place as bosses in some of the later levels. (i.e. before you beat the game with Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang will be the boss of later battle against Shu) So if I mention one guy as the boss, and it’s really someone else, don’t be surprised. Basically this holds true for all the characters. When you beat the game with them, they show up in the later stages, even after they historically died. At the beginning (when you first start playing) each character has a set period where they died according to history. If you beat the game with them, they apparently “survive” the time they died, and can show up later in the game. These walkthroughs are intended to give you the basic flow of each stage and warn you about important events and enemies. If you really want some detailed blow by blow descriptions of the battles, I recommend checking out Bnii’s FAQ, as he has very detailed walkthroughs of each stage. 184 AD: Yellow Turban Rebellion – Han vs Turbans Played By SHU: Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Huang Zhong, Wei Yan WEI: Cao Cao, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Xu Huang WU: Sun Jian, Huang Gai, Lu Meng, Da Qiao Han Side: This is an easy stage, which is why it's a beginning stage for so many characters. There are 3 main enemies to worry about, each one will do something annoying to try to tip the battle in their favor. Zhang Liang starts out on the west side of the stage, and will eventually freeze the river to the north, allowing the troops in the north to storm the castle. He will also do this upon his death, so killing him won’t stop the freezing. If this happens, you might have to run in and protect HQ. On the east side, Zhang Bao will drop boulders on your troops. This lowers morale, and when you go up to take him out, you'll have to avoid the boulders, which do quite a bit of damage if they squash you. Take both of these guys out first, depending on which side you start on. Zhang Jiao is the boss, and he must be killed twice to beat the stage. If you leave him alone, your allied troops will probably take care of them on their own. If left alone long enough, he will teleport inside the castle, but don't worry, again your allies will take care of him. Or you can go beat him up yourself and get whatever power up he drops. Any way you slice it, after he goes down the first time, he will teleport off the battlefield, only to reemerge a few minutes later at the north end of the stage. Go and beat him up again to finish the stage, but be careful of his fire attacks. Yellow Turban Side: Basically this is the reverse of what you were trying to do with the Han side, you'll be taking out the enemies around the castle, then busting your way in. Of course, the enemies you have to deal with are tougher, which include Liu Bei and his brothers, along with Cao Cao, and Sun Jian and their respective troops. When you enter the castle, an ambush party will appear, so be ready. The final battle with He Jin is pretty easy, but he does have decent stamina, so use your big moves to take him out quickly. Snacks and Wines Snack: in a pot near the river at the North side of the outer fortress wall Snack: at the second protrusion from the North of the East castle wall Wine: map left, in a pot slightly below center Wine: at the second protrusion from South of the West castle wall 191 AD: Battle of Hu Lao Gate – Allies vs Dong Zhuo Played By SHU: Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Huang Zhong, Wei Yan, Pang Tong WEI: Cao Cao, Dian Wei, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, Zhen Ji WU: Sun Jian, Sun Ce, Zhou Yu, Taishi Ci, Huang Gai, Lu Meng, Da Qiao, Xiao Qiao This is a pretty easy stage if you know what you're doing. It is imperative in this stage that you take out every gate guard so that extra troops don't come running out at you. There are also a good number of lesser officers you can beat up, so this is a good stage to build up some power for weak characters. Make your way up to the Gate in the middle of the map (Fan Shui). Climb the stairs to the top, so you can get the Musou Max up that's there. Then make your way to the right, and down. Early in the stage, Lu Bu will appear. Avoid messing with him if your power is low, as he will probably destroy you. Let the other guys deal with him, and continue making your way over to the boss area. Along the way, beat up any gate guards and officers that get in your way. When you reach the curved point at the bottom of the map, one of Dong Zhuo's men will stage an ambush, featuring several groups of archers in the hills. Stay back, and take these guys out from a distance before they waste you. If you rush in, you will probably lose LOTS of health. Take your time and pick them off. Once you reach Hu Lao gate, an assault unit will appear. Protect your assault captain, until the gate falls. If the assault captain gets killed, you will be delayed, and you’ll have to fight Li Ru’s unit before the gate falls. (He appears either way, but if you take down the gate early, you don’t have to fight him. There are some archers in the watchtowers above you so watch out. Once you're through the gate, you'll meet up with Diao Chan. She's pretty weak, and killing her should be pretty easy. Once she's gone, climb up the stairs, and take out the archers, and grab the Max Life power up that's up there. Then drop back down, and hug the walls, and take out the 3 gate captains, so that no more enemies can back up Dong Zhuo. Try to stay near the walls so that you don't bring Dong Zhuo into the fight just yet. Once you've taken out the captains, you can fight the boss enemy. If you've done everything right, you should have plenty of backup, and Dong Zhuo will be fairly easy to defeat, just watch out for his big combos. During this stage, you will also see a couple officers join the fight near the top of the map, who will make their way down. You shouldn't have to worry about these guys, Yuan Shao's army should be able to hold them off long enough for you to clear the stage, especially if your morale is high. Dong Zhuo's Side: This side can only be played in Free mode, but it's fun to try, since you get to have Lu Bu on your side in this war. There's no really special strategy, since Dong Zhuo is pretty well fortified, you can simply cut your way through the ranks, and make your way up to Yuan Shao and beat him down. One other thing to watch out for is that Dong Zhuo will order Diao Chan to the front lines to fight. Be very careful at this point, because if she dies, Lu Bu will turn on you. This is not a bad thing… it’s a VERY bad thing, so try your best to protect her. Also Diao Chan will defect to the enemy if all of your generals besides her and Lu Bu are beaten. Of course, she’s weak, and you should have little trouble beating her up (this event is a requirement to unlock Dong Zhuo’s fourth weapon btw) Here’s an added tip in case Lu Bu happens to defect during the battle. Although your captain doesn’t change to the enemy’s side, enemy soldiers will still come out of it. Since you can’t reclaim the gate, you can sit and rack up kills, which will waste Lu Bu’s morale. Snacks and Wines Snack: pot near the stairs up the Hu Lao Gate Wine: pot near the stairs up the Fan Shui Gate 192 AD: Surprise Attack on Liu Biao – Sun Jian vs Liu Biao Played By WU: Sun Jian, Taishi Ci, Huang Gai, Da Qiao This is a pretty straight forward level. If you are playing Sun Jian, you become the target of attack, otherwise, it's Sun Ce. Also, if you are not playing Sun Jian, there will be a cut scene where he gets crushed by rocks and killed. Early on in the stage, sweep all the way across the front and take out both gate captains and whoever else gets in your way, but beware of the archers. There are a couple routes you can take here to get to the boss, each having a couple enemy officers to knock off. Beat them down quickly, and get to the boss. Liu Biao isn't that tough a boss so take him out quickly. Liu Biao's Side: For this side, Sun Jian is the target. There's not a whole lot of strategy to this stage, simply find Sun Jian and take him out. You may also have to fight Sun Ce and Huang Gai, so be ready for these guys. Snacks and Wines Snack: center of map, area of Zhang Hu's initial position where 3 pots stand next to each other Wine: tents lined up by the beach, in a pot by the farthest left tent 197 AD: Battle at Wan Castle – Cao Cao vs Zhang Xiu Played By WEI: Cao Cao, Dian Wei, Xu Huang Wei's Side: This is a basic short stage. You will get to fight a lot of enemy generals here, mostly no name officers, thus you can find a fair number of power ups here. The final boss, Zhang Xiu is relatively easy and you should be able to take him down with little problem. If you manage to clear a path for Cao Cao, he can escape and you'll win the stage that way. Later on in the stage, some reinforcements will appear for you. Due to the number of enemy generals, this is a good stage for powering up lower level characters. Zhang Xiu's Side: This side is tougher to play, because you have to go through two of Cao Cao's top officers, ending with the man himself. However, Cao Cao does not have any gates to bring out more soldiers, although he will get a reinforcement troop at some point. Dian Wei is the first guy you'll have to fight through, watch out for his power. You'll have to beat him to clear the first gate. As you get closer, the reinforcements will appear in the form of Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan. If you want, you can go deal with them or continue to get to Cao Cao. The man is backed up by Xu Huang, Xu Zhu, and a bunch of other guys though, so watch out. If you continue north, you will be assaulted by a couple of ambush parties. You have to take these guys out fast, Cao Cao will escape if you give him a clear path to do so. Snacks and Wines Snack: from the gate of Hu Che Er's castle, go right along the castle wall until you reach the pot Wine: from the castle gate at the bottom right of map, go left up, in the shadow of the house there 197 AD: Assault on the Wu Territory – Sun Ce vs Allies Played By WU: Sun Jian, Sun Ce, Zhou Yu, Da Qiao This stage is pretty easy. There are 3 generals you have to defeat to clear the stage, but none of them are very tough. The only powerful enemy that you will fight is Taishi Ci. However, if you defeat Liu Yong, on the bottom left first, Taishi Ci will defect to your side and you won't have to fight him (you will also unlock him as a character). If you fight and defeat him, he leaves a nice power up usually. Be careful if you go this route, as Taishi Ci is very strong. Go to the right at the start of the stage and fight your way through, taking out the gate captain. From there, you can pretty much choose your path through the stage, but make sure to take out the gate captains as you go. Also on the right side, especially as you near Wang Lang, there are a lot of watchtowers with archers. All in all though, this is an easy stage, and you should blow through it with no serious trouble. Allies Side: This is just a basic "Kill all the enemy generals" type level. Basically you have to defend your 3 leaders, while beating up all the enemy generals (Both Sun Ce and Zhou Yu have about 4 subordinates each) Once you've cleaned out the rabble, you can make your way to Sun Ce and finish him off. Along with Zhou Yu and Sun Ce, you also will get to deal with the Qiao sisters (one for each main general) and Huang Gai on this stage. Watch out for the archer towers when you fight Zhou Yu. Snacks and Wines Snack: at the corner of the troop entry point just past the first gate Wine: North of Yian Bai Hu's position, behind the left of the 2 towers 200 AD: Battle at Guan Du – Cao Cao vs Yuan Shao Played By WEI: Cao Cao, Xu Zhu, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Xu Huang, Zhang He, Sima Yi Cao Cao's Side: This stage is fairly tough but not too bad once you get the hang of things. There are four forts at the beginning, one of which hosts the enemy's depot. Go to each of them, kill the officers guarding it and enter. If it's the depot, you will see a cutscene, after which you must kill the officer inside to destroy the depot. Once you've done this, Cao Cao's troops will mount their attack. Also towards the beginning of the stage, an enemy unit will appear in front of the castle. These come along with some archer towers, so prepare for fun there. You might want to take these guys on before going after the supply depots (unless you are trying to get Zhang He's fourth weapon, see his section in the character strategies for more on that) Also, at some point later on, Guan Yu and Liu Bei will meet up on opposing sides. This will make Liu Bei leave the battle which is good because he's tough and you don't want to fight him if you don't have to. Yuan Shao is a fairly tough enemy, but if you brought plenty of backups to deal with him, you should be able to defeat him. Remember to take out his gate captains so he can't get backup. Also watch out for Zhang He, who’s floating around somewhere in Yuan Shao’s vicinity. Yuan Shao's Side: Start the stage out by taking out the enemies north of the castle. Cao Cao's forces are basically all grouped into this one area, so if you fight quickly, you can keep them stuck there. Crossing the bridge to the castle area, your first enemies will be Xiahou Dun and Xu Huang, complete with their subordinates, so get these guys before they do major damage. Eventually, Yan Liang will be slaughtered by Guan Yu, so the guy you're supposed to follow becomes Wen Chou. Once the first two officers are down, make your way west across the north side of the castle. All the way to the left, you'll face Xiahou Yuan and a gate guard. Some reinforcements will attack you from the south east side, but they shouldn't be too much of a bother. If you leave a path open, your troops will break down the north wall, allowing for your army to attack. Inside the outer part of the castle await Guan Yu and Zhang Liao along with several subordinate officers. Kill these guys and take out the two gates before heading in for the final showdown with Cao Cao. Also during this stage, Wen Chou may be attacked by an ambush group, so go to his aid if need be. Snacks and Wines Snack: map center, slightly to the top, pot at where the rivers join Wine: in the center of Cao Cao troop's fort, slightly to the top, in a pot along the water passage 201 AD: Guan Yu's Escape – Guan Yu vs Cao Cao Played By SHU: Guan Yu WEI: Xiahou Dun Guan Yu's Side: This stage is basically a gauntlet. You'll have to protect the carriage, and yourself from 5 of Cao Cao's top officers and their flunkies. The trick with protecting the carriage is to stay with it when it's moving. If you're around, the enemies will attack you, not the carriage. In order, you'll have to fight Zhang He, Zhen Ji, Xiahou Yuan, Xu Huang, and Xu Zhu. Each of these enemies will also have a lesser officer with them. Basically, this stage is just plow through, kill the bad guys, and go. Also, partway through the stage, Xiahou Dun will begin pursuing you from the starting point. Once he catches up, you'll have to deal with him as well. Once you kill him, he'll drop the Way of the Musou special item, so make sure to get it. Make sure to grab the life max up near the wagons in the first area, and after you pass the second gate, there will be a Musou gauge power up directly to the right of the exit. This is a good stage for powering up characters because it's short, has life and Musou power ups, and has a lot of officers to give you items. Don’t worry too much about the carriage. It will take damage if it gets near some enemies and you aren’t there, so follow it reasonably close, and you shouldn’t have much of a problem. Wei Side: This is similar format to Guan Yu's side, however he'll be clearing the gates for you, while you play catchup. Guan Yu will leave some troops in each fort for you to deal with, usually these are lead by a no name general, however the last fort will have you facing Zhao Yun. The final battle with Guan Yu himself can be tough so watch out. Also, you have to finish the stage before the carriage clears the 5th gate. The Carriage moves pretty slow, so you should be able to stay in front of it as long as you're fast. Snacks and Wines Snack: in the storage room in front of the first gate Wine: on the other side of the door of the second gate 208 AD: Battle of Chang Ban – Liu Bei vs Cao Cao Played By SHU: Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, Huang Zhong, Wei Yan, Jiang Wei, Pang Tong, Zhuge Liang WEI: Cao Cao, Dian Wei, Xu Zhu, Zhang Liao, Zhang He, Sima Yi, Zhen Ji Liu Bei's Side: You will probably begin the stage on the upper right area of the map, Towards the top of the screen lurk Zhang Liao and Xiahou Dun, along with two gate captains. Try to take out these enemies quickly. Once you've dealt with these threats, it's recommended to escape from this area, as Cao Cao will eventually show up here, about 5 minutes into the battle. If you want, you can defeat the stage quickly by beating Cao Cao, or you can join up with Liu Bei's troops. By this point, Liu Bei will probably be getting attacked by Xiahou Yuan. Eventually, Liu Bei's rescue ships will appear. You can clear the stage by beating all the enemy generals between Liu Bei and his ships and letting him escape. You also have to protect the peasants that the various generals are protecting, so take out the enemies in the lower right corner if you wish to win this way. Otherwise, Liu Bei won't retreat. You can also lead Cao Cao off to the west away from Liu Bei, but this will force you to fight him, and whoever happens to be in the area, with little or no backup. Personally, I’ve never actually seen Liu Bei retreat, though since it’s listed as a victory condition it must be possible somehow. If you beat all the enemy officers, Cao Cao will be left all by his lonesome in the upper right and you can go kick his butt along with Zhang Fei and whoever else is up there, Cao Cao's Side: On this stage, Liu Bei will slowly advance to the southwest, eventually retreating from battle, which will cause you to lose. Depending on your start position, take out whatever enemy generals are closest to you. If possible, grab a horse, and make your way around, so that you can cut off his retreat and defeat him, taking out whoever else gets in your way. Shortly into the battle, Cao Cao will arrive as backup and the pursuit will begin. Zhang Fei will hold off your guys at the bridge, so take him out yourself, so that your guys can continue to pursue. Since Liu Bei is basically pinned between your two units, you should have no trouble taking him out, just make sure to waste any of his officers that get in your way. Snacks and Wines Snack: direct South of Zhang He's initial position Wine: along the shore of Liu Bei's escape route 208 AD: Battle at Chi Bi – Allies vs Cao Cao Played By SHU: Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, Jiang Wei, Pang Tong, Zhuge Liang WEI: Cao Cao, Dian Wei, Xu Zhu, Zhang Liao, Zhang He, Sima Yi, Zhen Ji WU: Sun Jian, Sun Ce, Sun Quan, Sun Shang Xiang, Zhou Yu, Lu Xun, Taishi Ci, Gan Ning, Huang Gai, Lu Meng, Da Qiao, Xiao Qiao Wu Side: This stage isn't too bad if you take your time. If you rush through it, you'll have problems. First, make your way up to the center of the screen, where Xiahou Dun is waiting. Take him out of commission. (If you want, you can use the Super Sneaky Officer Killing Trick, which is usually preferred) After a while, Zhuge Liang will finish his spell to change the direction of the wind. This will set Huang Gai into motion towards the center. All units are supposed to cover him, but if you took Xiahou Dun out of the way, he'll have no problems getting there. This will set up the fire attack later on, that will lower Cao Cao's morale, as well as drive all his troops together. If Huang Gai or Zhou Yu are beaten before the fire attack goes off, this stage becomes very tough, since enemy morale will stay high, and you’ll get no reinforcements from Shu later on. There will also be two groups of reinforcements that show up during the stage, one for Cao Cao, and other by some of Shu's troops, this is often led by Zhang Fei, but may be led by someone else. You can pick and choose which route you want to take to get to Cao Cao from here, the side paths usually offer less resistance, and less power ups, or you can go straight down the center, and fight more enemies. The end fight with Cao Cao can be pretty tough, especially if he makes it to the very back of the stage, where he has arrow troopers in the watch towers, and several gates where more enemies can come from. Hopefully you've got backup, as he'll have a lot of guys waiting for you, including a lot of arrow troopers, making it a rough fight. Huang Gai might get killed in a cutscene by Zhang Liao, but don’t worry too much about it. Shu Side: This is pretty similar to the Wu side, except Xiahou Dun isn't in the middle of the screen from the start. This will make it easier for you to get the fire attack going as you shouldn't need to worry about saving Huang Gai as long as the center area is clear. Other than that, this stage will play pretty much the same as it did with Wu's side, with the addition of a bonus cutscene where your character shows amazement at Zhuge Liang’s fearsome wind calling prowess. Wei Side: This stage is basically the reverse of playing it on the allies side. You can stop the fire attack by defeating Zhou Yu or Huang Gai. If the fire attack goes off, your morale will take a big hit. Once you've stopped the fire attack, just take out the enemies that get in your way. Most of Wu's super heavyweights will be on hand, but for the final showdown with Sun Quan, you can try to snipe him if you want, or fight him directly. Snacks and Wines Snack: in between the two troop entry points at the top left of screen Wine: from the entry point at the bottom right of the map, direct north is a boat, in a pot on the boat 211 AD: Battle at Tong Gate – Allies vs Cao Cao Played By SHU: Ma Chao WEI: Cao Cao, Xu Zhu, Zhang Liao, Xu Huang Wei Side: This stage really just boils down to a battle royal. If you can defeat Ma Chao's two subgenerals, you can clear the way for Han Sui to meet with Cao Cao, which will lower their morale, and eventually, Han Sui will defect to your side. Other than that, it's a basic, kill everyone on the opposing side, then finish off Ma Chao type of battle. I recommend taking out all the enemies on the inside of the gate before finishing off Ma Chao. Allies Side: Like before, this is a battle royal, you'll have the numbers advantage, but Cao Cao has actual usable characters, and therefore will be a force to be reckoned with. In no particular order, you'll have to face off with Xu Zhu, Xu Huang, Xiahou Yuan, and of course, Cao Cao himself. You may want to try a sneak attack here, going around the long way and attacking from the side. Snacks and Wines Snack: top left of map, at the end of a narrow path Wine: top right of map, area before entering a narrow path, around a Cao Cao troop entry point 214 AD: Assault on Cheng Du – Liu Bei vs Liu Zhang Played By SHU: Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, Pang Tong This is a pretty easy stage. The only annoying part comes from the beginning when you are in the forest. There's no map on the upper right side to show where you are going, but you can always press start to get your bearings. Basically this stage just boils down to find each officer and kill them off. The only event of notice is when Pang Tong shows up and remarks what a strange place he's in. Right after this, Zhang Ren will ambush him, and kill him fairly quickly, which is a bummer if you're trying to unlock Pang Tong, since you must clear the stage with him alive to unlock him. Thus, you should try to kill Zhang Ren fairly quickly. Once you've gotten him out of the way, finish off the rest of the officers one by one. Once you've beaten all the enemy generals, the Hex Mark saddle will appear in the lower left corner of the map, so go get that. Also, when you've killed everyone else, the Liu Zhang will surrender to you, thus clearing the stage. Of course, if you want, you can kill Liu Zhang instead if you prefer, he's not particularly difficult. Liu Zhang's Side: Pretty much just the opposite of what Liu Bei is trying to do. Protect your leader, find the enemies, and clean them out. Zhao Yun and Pang Tong are the most dangerous foes you'll face, along with Liu Bei himself. Snacks and Wines Snack: bottom left of Zhao Yun's position Wine: to the side of the deep forest command base 215 AD: Battle at He Fei – Wei vs Wu WEI: Cao Cao, Dian Wei, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Zhang Liao, Xu Huang. Zhen Ji WU: Sun Jian, Sun Ce, Sun Quan, Sun Shang Xiang, Zhou Yu, Lu Xun, Taishi Ci, Gan Ning, Xiao Qiao Wu Side: Unless you're playing as Lu Xun, you'll probably be dropped into the middle of the map here, which is a good place to start, as you can take a couple different paths. Zhang Liao is hanging around somewhere near the middle of the map, so deal with him first. (unless you're trying to unlock Sun Quan, see below for more details) If Zhang Liao is allowed to live for too long, he’ll waste Taishi Ci in a cutscene, which is bad. Once he's out of the way, you can advance any way you want, taking down whatever generals are in your path. Once you get to Cao Cao, you'll have to defeat him. I recommend taking your time on this board, taking out the other generals so that you can get some extra power ups for later stages. Also, watch out for Xu Zhu who's hanging out by Cao Cao on the upper left. Unlocking Sun Quan: There are a lot of posts on the GameFAQs board asking about this, so I will outlay how I unlocked Sun Quan here. You must be playing in Musou mode for this to work. First off, don't kill Zhang Liao right away, instead just bide your time for a while. Eventually, you will see a cut scene, where Zhang Liao leads a group of archers to pelt Taishi Ci to death with arrows. After this, Sun Quan will begin to retreat to the southeast. Go with him. When you get to a broken bridge, you will see a cut scene where your character and Sun Quan both jump over the bridge. Once Sun Quan is positioned and stopped, sit and wait. Eventually, Zhang Liao will appear near Sun Quan and attack. Take out Zhang Liao, and whatever other suckers are with him. After this, Sun Quan will initiate a counterstrike. This is where it gets tough, as you'll now have to take on pretty much Cao Cao's entire army with you, Sun Quan, and whoever is left on your side, since probably everyone else will be dead on your side. If you have trouble defeating all of these guys (and their 6000 archers) then you might want to try running to one of the corners of the stage at the beginning and wiping out everyone there, thus lessening the amount of guys you'll have to fight later. Also, Zhang Liao will drop the Buckler special item as an added bonus once defeated. Cao Cao will also get some reinforcements during the battle, but Gan Ning will also appear to fight for your side. If you can get Sun Quan to reach the enemy HQ, you will win the battle, and add Sun Quan to your roster. You can also defeat Cao Cao, if that suits your fancy better. One final note, if you make your final advance correctly, you can fight all the enemies near the river bridges making the fight much easier, as you can take on enemy generals one at a time. If you do it wrong, you and Sun Quan will wind up smack dab in the middle of the fort, with every enemy surrounding you, and you'll probably die. Another tip for unlocking him. DJ Illusion states that the Taishi Ci death event is not necessary to unlock him, as long as Sun Quan retreats and you get the jump event, it will unlock him in the end. Another method to Unlock Sun Quan (sent in by James O’Donnell: All you have to do is go to The Battle Of He Fei in Musuo Mode (I was using Sun Shang Xiang, this would be her third mission) and trigger the Sun Quan bridge jump event. Then simply beat the level, and he is in your roster. My character was fairly powered up, and it was on easy but the stratagey basically holds true for all cases. Stick around by the bridge and wait for the Taishi Ci death event (wait by the bridge to prevent a long trek around the map). When Sun Quan approaches, you will see the bridge jump cutscene. Then head all the way over to Cao Cao and beat him. After this, Sun Quan will be unlocked. You do not need to beat Zhang Liao when he does a surprise attack on Sun Quan, unless you either want the item/upgrade drop, or you are playing on a high difficulty and Sun Quan might actually die. Since I was on easy mode, I wasn't worried about Sun Quan's safety, so I just rushed Cao Cao for the win. *****NOTE: Depending on your character going through Musou mode, you may have a different commander for this stage, either Sun Jian or Sun Ce. This won't matter, just follow the same directions and you'll be fine. For the record, I used Xiao Qiao when I did this stage.***** Wei Side: During this stage, if you can keep Zhang Liao long enough, he will wipe out Taishi Ci for you, which helps, since he's tough. If you defeat the other generals in the main square, Zhang Liao will leave the center, and pull a sneak attack on the commander. There are a lot of generals and archers in this area, so watch out. Eventually, Gan Ning will pull an ambush near your HQ, so try to take him out if need be (watch out, he's very tough, and brings a lot of soldiers and archers with him) Once he's gone, go find Sun Quan (or whoever is the commander in your case) and finish him off. Snacks and Wines Snack: very top left of the map Wine: very top right of the map 219 AD: Battle at Fan Castle – Shu vs Allies Played By SHU: Guan Yu WEI: Sima Yi WU: Sun Ce, Lu Xun, Gan Ning, Lu Meng Shu Side: This stage is pretty tough. There is a brute force way of getting through it, and an easier way. For the tougher way you have to fight through the majority of the guys yourself, including Xu Huang, and one lesser general. There are also a lot of archers you'll have to deal with. To my knowledge, you can't get drowned by the water attack, even when it says the water is about to rise. Once you get to higher ground, the water will rise, killing anyone on the lower level. At this point, a bunch of Wu troops will show up and attack. You can go back and save your allies if you want some backup, or plow through the guys and get to the boss. The choice is yours, but watch out for Lu Xun, he's very tough. Any way you slice it, you'll have to slice your way through the bad guys on your way to a battle with Sima Yi at the end. For the easier way, sit near the start at the beginning of the board and wait for the water to rise. Once this is done, start making your way toward Sima Yi. After a while, the Wu reinforcements will show up. Go back to your starting position, find Lu Meng, and beat him. This will cause the other Wu generals to retreat, leaving you to only have to fight Sima Yi. This method takes longer, but the fights themselves won’t be as difficult. Allies Side: This one is pretty straight forward. Head to the upper level of the castle and take out the enemies. Guan Ping on the bottom right should be your first target. Eventually, the water attack will hit, which will kill some of your guys, but reinforcements will also appear. Once Guan Ping is gone, go after Guan Yu, but pass by him at first so you can take out his gate captain, then return and finish him off. Just be careful, as Guan Yu is pretty powerful. NOTE: For either side, you don’t have to worry about dying in the midst of the water when it rises, the water will not rise until you are on a higher level. However, if you have bodyguards on you, they can die if they’re still underwater, so try to get them to higher ground. You can actually push guards if they won’t move. This will come in handy especially if you’re playing this with a general as your bodyguard in Xtreme Legends (I had to push Lu Bu up the stairs so he wouldn’t drown :P ) Snacks and Wines Snack: Southern edge from the high tower where Sima Yi is positioned Wine: top left of map, to the Northern corner of the Shu troop entry point 219 AD: Battle of Mt. Ding Jun – Shu vs Wei Played By SHU: Liu Bei, Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong WEI: Cao Cao, Xiahou Yuan, Zhang He Wei Side: This is pretty much a basic short stage. There's not much to do here except kill the enemy generals along the way en route to a bout with Liu Bei. Just be careful of the archers that like to hang out in the watch towers. Also, watch out for all the spiked traps that are on the mountain, if you touch the spikes you get hurt a lot. However, since Wei's side is going uphill and the spikes are pointing the opposite way, they’re not that much of a danger to Wei's side. Going uphill will slow your guy down, but you can hold down L1 to do a strafe walk, which makes you faster. You can also get a horse if that’s your bag. You'll see a cutscene where Huang Zhong fires an arrow towards Xiahou Yuan's unit that will lower morale, but there's not a whole lot you can do against it other than kill Huang Zhong really fast. On this board it won't make much of a difference. One road goes through him, the other goes through Zhang Fei, but if you want to power up, you can backtrack and take them both out. When you get close to Liu Bei, an ambush party led by Zhao Yun appears, so watch out for him. He starts a ways away though, so if you can finish Liu Bei quickly, you don't have to worry about him. The fight with Liu Bei is pretty standard, he's only got one gate captain backing him up, so take that out ASAP. Shu Side: Basically this is the same as the Wei side, except you'll be taking on Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He. The main thing to be careful of here is that on Shu's side, you are going downhill, and you run the risk of running into the spikes, which do quite a bit of damage. Avoid these, and finish off your enemies en route to a battle with Cao Cao at the end. Snacks and Wines Snack: far left from where Cao Cao is positioned Wine: the path to the right of the high tower where archers shoot at a downhill 222 AD: Battle at Yi Ling – Shu vs Wu Played By SHU: Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, Huang Zhong, Wei Yan, Jiang Wei, Pang Tong, Zhuge Liang WU: Sun Jian, Sun Ce, Sun Quan, Sun Shang Xiang, Zhou Yu, Lu Xun, Taishi Ci, Gan Ning, Huang Gai, Lu Meng, Da Qiao, Xiao Qiao Shu Side: This is a TOUGH stage. Early on Lu Xun will survey your camp and order a fire attack. You must act quickly to stop this. Sometimes you will just get a message saying that Zhu Ran's unit is preparing their fire attack, with no cut scene (This happened when I played as Zhuge Liang, don't know about other characters) You must get to Zhu Ran and kill him, he's in the valley slightly to the northeast of Liu Bei's starting point. He will progress towards the right and launch the attack when he reaches the far right exit of the valley, near the center of the map. If he is successful with the fire attack, your side's morale will be pretty much flushed down the toilet and the stage becomes VERY hard from there. Not to mention Lu Xun will enter the fray probably before you want him to be. Also watch out, as a raiding party may appear near Liu Bei's camp, which may be dangerous if the fire attack got off. Once you've managed to take out the fire attack, you can begin the business of taking out Sun Quan's other minions. Watch out for Lu Xun, as he's stronger than normal in this stage. Lu Meng and Gan Ning (if he’s here) also get super powers in this stage. Most of the other generals are pretty tough too, but you'll have to go through Lu Xun to get to the final battle with the leader. If you take out the other generals, you'll have more troops pushing through to aid you in the final battles, so it is to your benefit to aid your allies. Also watch out for the buttload of archers hanging around in the boss’s camp. Wu Side: On the Wu side, this stage is still tough, but not nearly as hard as it is when playing Shu. I recommend starting the stage by knocking off whoever is the closest general to you. What you're after early on is a horse, preferably a white one due to its speed. Then your next goal is to attack and eliminate each enemy general on the map (I know, this sounds obvious, but on this stage, it's especially to your benefit to take them all out) Once they're all gone, head to the southwest where Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang are waiting. There are several watchtowers with archers, so be careful of them. I recommend passing by Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei for the time being, and taking out all of the Gate Captains in the boss's area, although Zhuge Liang might give chase. Once all these enemies are gone, you can take on Liu Bei. By the time you've eliminated everyone else, there should be plenty of your own guys in the camp to help you finish him off. As far as the fire attack I mentioned so heavily in Shu’s section, it’ll still take place here in the same manner. If you have time in between your general murdering, you can go help Zhu Ran reach the right end of the valley so he can let loose with the fire attack. It’s not as critical for you to get the attack off as it is for you to stop it when playing as Shu, but it will weaken the enemy’s morale, and get Lu Xun into the fight (otherwise he’ll sit there for the entire battle and take credit for your brilliant fighting) Snacks and Wines Snack: lower center of map, in a pot to the right of the stone maze Wine: lower center of map, in a pot to the bottom left of the stone maze 225 AD: Nanman Campaign – Shu vs Nanman Played By SHU: Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, Jiang Wei, Pang Tong, Zhuge Liang WU: Sun Jian, Sun Ce, Sun Quan, Sun Shang Xiang, Zhou Yu, Lu Xun, Taishi Ci, Gan Ning, Xiao Qiao Shu or Wu Side: This is a long stage if you do it the long way. You will have to fight Meng Huo up to seven times. However, if you move down towards the bottom left area of the map, he will show up in the fort, and you'll only have to fight him the one time. However, if you fight him all seven times, you'll be able to get some nice power ups from him. Also, there are a lot of other enemy generals for you to take on, so I recommend taking them on while you're after Meng Huo each time. By doing this, you will aid your allies, and this will later free them up for the big battle at the end. Watch out for the guys with wooden hats, they can't be shot with arrows. Also, you must be very wary of the elephant troops. Since they are so high, it's hard to take them off their mounts. Basically there are 3 ways to do it; 1) With an arrow 2) With another elephant (best to use the T attack) or 3) With a character with very high jump rating, jump up and knock them off. You can also try using a horse and knocking them off from there, or a few Musou attacks can knock them off. (Pang Tong is an example) There are also certain barriers you'll need to break with the elephants to get to Meng Huo on one or two occasions. Once you get near Meng Huo's base for the final battle, you'll have to deal with his wife, Zhu Rong. She's pretty tough and fast, so try to deal with her in the quickest way possible. Once she's out of the way, you can go through the gate to face Meng Huo the final time. Be very careful of the myriad of watch towers containing archers that can shoot at you while you're fighting Meng Huo. The best way to fight him is to draw him out and fight him under the big arch. That way you’re protected from a lot of archer fire. Nanman Side: This stage is pretty tough, but fun to play. Both side have a lot of units at their disposal, so this is a real battle royal. Most of Shu's top guys will have to be fought, so deal with them accordingly, and don't be afraid to fall back to protect HQ if necessary. About 15 minutes into the fight, two of your guys will meet and retreat from the battle, which will kill morale, so you'll have to kill a lot of officers to build it back up. Once you've beaten everyone else, head to enemy HQ for a showdown with Zhuge Liang. Kill the gate captains to the right and left of their HQ. When you enter the gates, there will be an event where the enemy shoots fire arrows at you in some half baked attempt to ruffle your feathers. This will lower morale, but if you've got plenty of backup troops, beating Zhuge Liang at this point shouldn't be too tough. Take out the archers in HQ first though just to be safe. Snacks and Wines Snack: center of map, slightly to the bottom, in pot beside the river (not accessible unless a wall is broken with an elephant) – Here’s how to get the snack without an elephant: Go up the path where Wu Tugu starts. If you go all the way back there is a path that runs along the river and leads to the area where the power up is. I usually do it the old fashioned way, with an elephant after Meng Huo shows up in that area. However, this is very useful if you want to get the Life increase earlier in the level or if your allies kill Yon Kai and King Mulu without you and you get stuck sans pacadirm. Wine: from the upper fort, cross bridge to the left and go up, in the pot there. Thanks to Allomoday and Dwimmerlake for the info on getting it. 228 AD: Battle of Jie Ting – Shu vs Wei Played By SHU: Liu Bei, Wei Yan, Jiang Wei, Zhuge Liang WEI: Xiahou Dun, Zhang He, Sima Yi Shu Side: This stage is basically a battle royal between your troop and Cao Cao's troop. During the fight, Ma Su will disobey your orders, climb to the mountain's summit and risk getting himself wasted unless you go aid him. During this fight you'll encounter Zhen Ji, Zhang He, and a couple lesser guys under their command. Waste these fools and go take down Cao Cao ASAP. Zhao Yun will also appear during this stage to back you up. There are a lot of archers towards the end too so beware. Sima Yi is also waiting at the end to make your life a living hell along with Cao Cao, in addition to 3 gate captains. Wei Side: Basically the same strategies for Shu's side can be reversed for Wei's side. This stage does include probably the funniest intro in the game, involving Zhang He. Once his unit gets clear, they will do the dreaded "Falling Blossom Charge" Defeat all the enemy generals here, and make your way down. Zhuge Liang has 3 gate guards to back him up, so get rid of them quickly. Zhuge Liang isn't too dangerous here, but if you delay, Zhao Yun will appear to back him up and you'll have to deal with him as well. Snacks and Wines Snack: atop the mountain where Ma Su set up base Wine: to the Northwest of Wei Yan's initial position is a house, in a pot there 228 AD: Battle at You Ting – Wei vs Wu Played By WEI: Dian Wei, Zhen Ji WU: Sun Jian, Sun Quan, Lu Xun, Huang Gai Wu Side: The key to this stage is to take out the main generals on each side, along with those in the middle. In this case, it's better to go after the west base first, because it's guarded by a no name general, while the east side is guarded by Zhang He. Zhen Ji is also on the west side, so you can pick your poison here as to who you want to take out first. Both sides also have plenty of archers in watch towers for your enjoyment. Once you've taken out one fort, head across the map to take out the other. You must do this quickly to gain the advantage, otherwise Sima Yi will see through Zhou Fang's double cross. When you take out both towers, Zhou Fang will defect to your side. Take out the guys in the center of the map next, so that the rest of your allies can make their way up. The enemy will get a reinforcement unit as well, but it's nothing to worry too much about. Once you've taken care of all the enemies, you can proceed to the enemies fort to take out Sima Yi. You'll meet Xu Zhu along the way, so get rid of him too. Sima Yi has 3 gate guards, but unless you're after power ups, you really only need to worry about the middle one. Also, watch out for archers in the towers. Wei Side: This stage can be really tough if you don't do it right. At all costs, you must keep the east and west forts from being taken over. Since your teammates seem to be incompetent, and will eventually get themselves killed, you must do the task of defending the bases yourself. Go to one side or the other, and defeat the generals there. Watch out for the Qiao sisters, as they're really fast and they'll chop you to bits if you're not careful. Eventually, Zhou Fang will defect to the enemy's side. If you've protected the bases, you'll be OK, just go take him out. If both bases fell, he will defect, and you'll have REAL trouble. You'll be surrounded by the enemy with almost no chance to get out, and will have to deal with both the Qiao sisters, Sun Shang Xiang, Sun Quan, and whatever else they can throw at you. If you've protected the base, take out Zhou Fang quickly, then go around the map, and take out the gate captain in the far back, to protect any additional troops from coming in. Then come back to the middle to take out Sun Quan. Snacks and Wines Snack: center of map, slightly to the bottom Wine: fort in the center of map, in the pot at the right corner of the wooden shelter 234 AD: Siege of He Fei Castle – Wei vs Wu Played By WEI: Cao Cao, Dian Wei, Xu Zhu, Zhang Liao, Zhang He, Sima Yi, Zhen Ji WU: Sun Jian, Sun Quan, Sun Shang Xiang, Lu Xun, Gan Ning, Huang Gai, Lu Meng, Da Qiao Wei Side: This is another tough stage. You'll have to take on basically Wu's entire army, which is by no means an easy task. To make matters worse, you have two people named Zhen Ji participating in the battle (fortunately for you, the one on your side is a hot chick who can kick ass, the other is a relative no name general, but he'll probably be the first one you encounter, so take him out) If you're playing Cao Cao himself on this board, he becomes the target instead of Sima Yi. The good thing about this, is you don't have to worry about protecting another person, the bad news is that everyone will come gunning for you. Whatever you do, DO NOT enter the courtyard area near the pond (it's on the map just south of where Sima Yi starts, you have to cross a stone bridge to enter it. Doing this will trigger a bunch of enemy archers which is the last thing you need on this stage. I recommend beginning by targeting Zhen Ji and Sun Shang Xiang, since they're the two enemies closest to you. Lu Xun and Lu Meng will stay put at the gate till you come after them, so take them out next. While you're fighting these guys, a reinforcement troop will appear, led by Zhuge Jin and Sun Shao. These guys will take a while to get to you, so continue taking out the foes in the castle. Your side will get some reinforcements too, but their troop is pretty small and will probably impact the battle very little. If all else fails, grab a horse from someone, and make a beeline to Sun Quan, and try to take him out. Wu Side: This stage is somewhat easier than it is in Wei's scenario. Start the battle off by making your way to the left side, taking out whoever gets in your way. If you enter the center gates, there will be an ambush party there, so avoid this. Enter through the west gate, and make your way up to take out the gate captain. Enemy resistance will increase once you enter the castle. After you get to a second gate, you will enter the dreaded HALL OF ARRROWS, where arrows shoot out the side walls. Try to fight your way through this as quickly as possible, since the arrows are annoying and can wear you out. Once you pass this, a large group of enemy reinforcements will attack you from behind. They will make a beeline for Sun Quan if he's on the ship, so you will probably have to go back and save him. While you're clearing these guys out, some of your attacking officers may get killed, but at least a few will stand by and wait for you to return. Past the Hall of Arrows is the even more dangerous WIND CORRIDOR trap, which is avoided by simply hugging the walls and running around it. If you stumble into the trap though, it does a lot of damage, and you won't be able to see it till the cutscene appears (of course, this is why I write walkthroughs, so you know about these things : ) ) Once you've gotten past the two traps, the battle royale begins. Head to the lower side of the courtyard by the gates, where you'll find Zhang He and Xu Huang waiting for you with their personal armies. If you beat these guys, all the gates will open, which is useful if you need to get back to HQ to take on the enemy reinforcements. Be careful of the archers who like to hide amongst the real fighters and shoot at you. Once you've beaten the two generals by the gate, make your way to the top, taking care to avoid the stone bridge area which calls out a crapload of archers to make your life miserable. If you start on the left side of the HQ, you will have to fight Zhen Ji, if you start on the top right, you'll meet Zhang Liao. Both of them are a pain, so pick your poison. Your troops will also split up at this point, so go with the one that has more troops going that direction. Once you've taken out your officer of choice, not much stands between you and the final clash with Sima Yi. If you've made it this far, he shouldn't be too big of a deal to finish off. Another strategy for this stage sent in by OmniX: On The Siege of He Fei Castle there is another way to get into the castle on Wu side. On the right side where Xu Zhu there is an opening. On the left side going past Xu Zhu there is an opening. Take a left and keep following it. If you get lost just check the map. You end up in the castle faster and easier than the normal left side. You can than head directly for Zhange He and everyone else up at the gate. If you are fast enough you will be there way before anyone gets past the Wind Corridor so you are alone. But don't enter the pond area since that will activate the Archers which complicates it all. All in all, if you do it right you can take out all the generals except for 1 and Sima Yi (or Cao Cao) before all the gates are opened without your side interference so you get more power ups. Snacks and Wines Snack: in the pot to the top of the Wind Room Wine: in pot to the top of the destroyed bridge room on the top right path 234 AD: Battle at Wu Zhang Plains – Shu vs Wei Played By SHU: Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, Huang Zhong, Wei Yan, Jiang Wei, Zhuge Liang WEI: Cao Cao, Xu Zhu, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Xu Huang, Zhang He, Sima Yi Wei: If you're playing Cao Cao here, you are the target, other wise it's Sima Yi. One thing going for you on this stage is that Zhuge Liang is the boss, not one of the 3 main generals, and he's a little easier to beat. Otherwise, this is a rather tough stage. Take your time through it and take out the enemy generals as quickly as possible. On Wei's side, you have the catapults on your side, which can strike the enemy at various intervals, lowering their morale. Since this is the climactic battle with Shu, basically all of the big Shu generals will be there to oppose you. Both sides can also get reinforcements at various points in the battle. Watch out when you get up to Zhuge Liang's fort, as there will be an ambush party to attack you. If enemy troops get close to HQ, you may have to do a big save to prevent Sima Yi from getting killed. Once you reach him, Zhuge Liang isn't particularly tough, just make sure to kill the gate guards to prevent reinforcements. Shu Side: Basically the strategies for Wei's side will apply here, but you're fighting different people. Either Sima Yi or Cao Cao will be the target, depending on who you are using. If you have Liu Bei, Cao Cao will appear, and along with Sima Yi, that makes the fight even tougher. Like with Wei's side, take your time, fight through each general so that you have more allies to help you in the final battle. Unlike Wei's side however, Shu's fort is relatively well protected, so you shouldn't have to worry about your leader getting bumped off. You also have the benefit of the Wood Ox which will appear in a few places, such as the bottom right corner. Items are hidden in the Wood Ox if you need em. The enemy will also get reinforcements a couple of times, so deal with them accordingly. Snacks and Wines Snack: in pot near the troop entry point to the bottom of Sima Yi's position Wine: at the end of the dead-end path to the left of the high tower where Zhuge Liang is Mountain Bandit Campaign: This is a VERY easy stage. Basically, all you have to do is keep the peasants from dying (and you’d have to try very hard for them to get killed, since they’re pretty good at defending themselves) and keep from dying yourself. Make sure to break as many of the containers as possible, since there are a couple weapons and items to find, especially along the north end. It’s a good idea to take the gate captain on top of the map out first. From there, all you have to do is defeat 3 Lieutenant Commanders, all of which are pretty weak. Once they’re gone, the Commander himself will come out. He puts up a little better of a fight than his subordinates, but should go down with little trouble. Snacks and Wines Snack - center, slightly to the right, in a pot to the side of the resident house Wine - left center, slightly downward, in a pot around a resident house Pirate Attack on the High Seas: This battle is barely worth mentioning, since only 3 characters ever get to play it, however for the sake of completeness, I will discuss strategy. The captain who you must protect is fairly tough, and keeping him from dying shouldn’t be much of a problem. You can go right to the leader and kill him to get a quick win, or go around and take out the lesser officers and go after powerups. Either way, this is an easy stage, and you should have no trouble clearing it. Snacks and Wines Snack - pot in the boat at the very bottom left Wine - pot around the troop entry point on the right Raid on the Rogue Fortress: Of the 3 Musou exclusive stages, this is the toughest one, but it’s still not too bad. Basically, you just go around and whack all the enemies, clearing your way through the gates. There are a few Lieutenant Commanders you’ll have to beat, but they’ll provide little resistance. The main danger on this stage is that there are quite a few archers in watch towers that you’ll have to knock off. To get to the final Lieutenant, you’ll have to climb up the stairs, over the wall and drop down to where he is. Once that guy’s gone, the gate will open to the final area, where the commander will be waiting. In a couple scenarios, this might be Zhang Fei or Xu Zhu, otherwise it’ll just be a generic guy. Snacks and Wines Snack - fort first level, top left of area only reachable from castle wall Wine - fort second level, center to the right Misc Info Mount Guide There are five different horses you can ride during the game. Each has increased speed and knockdown ability. Here's a guide to the different horses (provided by Muni Shinobu) Light Brown Horse Rank Allowed: Any Speed: Lowest Knockdown Ability: None Comments: The worst horse, ridden by low level enemies. Unless your guy is really slow, you're better off walking. Will stop if it runs into anyone. Dark Brown Horse Rank Allowed: 13 Speed: Moderate Knockdown Ability: Can knock down enemy soldiers Comments: Ridden by lesser enemy generals. Useful to get where you want to go. Can run over low level enemies. White Horse Rank Allowed: 11 Speed: Moderate Knockdown Ability: Can knock down enemy soldiers Comments: Ridden by major generals. Slightly faster than the dark brown horse, and can knock over any enemy except generals. Hex Mark (Black Horse) Rank Allowed: 6 (or Hex Mark Saddle) Speed: Fast Knockdown Ability: Can knock down generals Comments: Ridden by Liu Bei. Gives you a bonus to your luck. Second fastest horse, and can knock over lots of different foes. Red Hare (Red Horse) Rank Allowed: 1 (or Red Hare Saddle) Speed: Fastest Knockdown Ability: Can knock down anyone except your bodyguards. Comments: Ridden by Lu Bu during Hu Lao gate stage, and Guan Yu in later stages. It's the biggest, baddest, and best horse. Nuff Said. Can knock over anyone except your own guards. Royal Elephants (These are the special elephants on the Nanman stage. Meng Huo rides them, they have a tapestry or something on the side, allowing you to tell the difference) You have to be at MAX level to ride them. These elephants have the following advantages - They are faster than regular elephants - They do twice as much damage with attacks as other elephants Scoring System (provided by Muni Shinobu) 90 minute stages: Boss General = 500 points Enemy Generals = 300 points each Enemy Sub-generals = 200 points each Total Time = 2000 points after 6 minutes, -40 points every minute 30 minute stages: Boss General = 600 points Enemy Generals = 350 points each Enemy Sub-generals = 200 points each Total Time = 1000 points after 6 minutes, -40 points every minute Both stages: Bodyguards = +250 points each survivor, -250 points each dead Entry Point Captains = 100 points each Finding Items (Provided by Mr. Tango) This is a list of each of the items, and which stages to find them in the easiest speed scroll the yellow turban rebellion assault on the wu territory the battle at you ting wing boots the battle at chi bi the battle at yon ting dragon amulet the yellow turban rebellion the battle at you ting the battle at yi ling peacock urn the yellow turban rebellion the battle at you ting tiger amulet the battle at you ting the battle at chang ban tortoise amulet the battle at hu lao gate the battle at chi bi the battle at you ting the siege of he fei castle huang's bow the seige of the he fei castle assault on the wu territory the battle at you ting shell armor, horned helm, cavalry armor, seven star orb the battle at you ting wind scroll the seige of he fei castle elixir the battle at wu zhang plains the seige of he fei castle assault on the wu terrirtory Codes and Tricks Activate Opening Edit – Clear Musou mode with one character from the Wu, Shu, and Wei sides. This will allow you to mess around with the game's opening cinema, putting whoever you want in each of the scenes. Secret Ending – Once you've activated Opening Edit, highlight the Replay option, hold down all four shoulder buttons, and press X. According to Mark Sachs, you need to unlock a certain number of characters before this will work. I personally had it working the first time I used it, but I had quite a few characters unlocked by then. Anyone else have more info on this? Brad Flickinger sends in a possible explanation that you need to unlock Yuan Shao and possibly Meng Huo before this is unlocked. A weird trick - Before a cutscene, (such as a general's death) try to go to first-person view (holding down the R1 button). After the cutscene ended, you will see a funny look of the character that you are using appear on your screen for a split second. (Sent in by Tan Sri Dr. Kum Chun Wai) Trick for obtaining 4th weapons – Start the game in hard mode, then save and quit immediately. Then set the level to easy and play through the stage until you’re about to beat the enemy that you need to get the 4th weapon to appear. Then save again and go into hard mode, then finish things off. (Sent in by Amer Khaznadar) WARNING: The following codes are to unlock characters and other things within the game. They are to be inputted at the main menu, when you are selecting your mode. You will hear a cheer when the code is done correctly. Use them at your own risk, as in my opinion, they take some of the enjoyment out of the game. With that out of the way, here you go. Please note that these codes are for the U.S. version of the game. I do not know what the codes are for the Japan or UK versions of the game. Unlock all free mode stages- R1 R2 L2 L1 Square L1 L2 R2 R1 triangle Unlock all movies in gallery- Triangle L1 Triangle R1 Triangle Square L2 Square R2 Square Unlock "Opening" item in options- R1 Square R1 Triangle R1 L1 Square L1 Triangle L1 Unlock all sound test BGMs- L1 L1 R1 R1 L2 L2 R2 R2 Square Triangle Unlock all Shu Chars- L1 Square Triangle R2 L1 L2 L2 R1 square L1 Unlock all Wu Chars- Triangle Triangle L1 square R1 R2 L1 L2 L2 L2 Unlock all Wei Chars- L2 L1 Square Triangle L1 L2 R1 R2 L1 L2 Unlock all Characters- R2 R2 R2 L1 Triangle L2 L2 L2 R1 Square Dynasty Warriors 3 vs State Of Emergency, Which is better? Well, I’m sure by now you can guess that I’m going to say Dynasty Warriors 3, but let’s take a look at some of the ways DW3 is better. If you have more to add, let me know. DW3 State of Emergency 41 Selectable Characters 5 Selectable characters Each character has their own style of fighting Each character fights basically the same And weapons 20+ Stages 4 Stages Stages and HUGE Stages are pretty small in comparison Characters on the screen actually fight Can put more characters on the screen at Once, but the characters all run around like Idiots, and don’t really do anything Can get four weapons for each guy, and lots of All characters get the same weapons, which Special items are mostly different types of guns Horses and Elephants to ride Nothing to ride XTREME LEGENDS Xtreme Legends is the expansion set for Dynasty Warriors 3. It adds the following new features 1) Diao Chan, Dong Zhuo, Lu Bu, Meng Huo, Yuan Shao, Zhang Jiao, and Zhu Rong are now playable characters in Musou Mode. 2) Officers can now get a 5th weapon in addition to all the previously available weapons. 3) 15 new equippable items have been added to the previous collection. 4) A new difficulty level above hard is now available for experts. (As if Wu Zhang Plains on Hard isn’t bad enough) 5) 4 new challenge modes have been added to the game. They are as follows 6) Bodyguards: You can now name them, change their appearance (male/female/uniform), and set their weapons individually. You can also exchange your 8 normal bodyguards for one of the playable officers (who will serve as your bodyguard). With the general, you can execute a double musou attack. 7) There are new events and new video sequences. 8) There are many new songs in the game. 9) You can import your Dynasty Warriors 3 game (So you don’t have to unlock everything over again). Importing your DW3 info will be required in order to get the “Full” DW3 experience. Please Note: For this section, I’m assuming that you already have Dynasty Warriors 3 original, and have imported your data over to the expansion. For help on character strategies, please refer to the original section for those characters. NEW COMBO POINTS SYSTEM This is a little confusing, it took me a while to figure out what the hell I had to do to increase the combo points. Hitting one enemy with a 100 hit juggle combo will do nothing to increase the combo point total. What you have to do, is hit a variety of different types of attacks, and they don’t all necessarily have to be against the same enemy. By different attacks, I am talking about the different charge attacks (Charge 1, Charge 2, etc.) along with regular attacks. Each different type of attack you land will add to the combo score, but you have to hit the next move before the combo score shown on the screen disappears. It sort of works like the combo system in Dino Crisis 2, where blasting another enemy before the combo counter disappears allows you to keep the chain going. This may be confusing, so here is an example. Let’s say each different type of attack is worth 10 points. For the sake of the example, I will use Zhen Ji. I hit a single enemy with a regular attack, followed by her dizzying strike. This is two different attacks, which is worth 20 points. Now while this guy is dizzy, I hit him with a juggle hit (another 10 points) then juggle him again, with a high juggle move (another 10 points) then hit him out of the air while he’s being juggled with a follow up strike (Triangle while he’s in the air from a high juggle, another 10 points) So far, the combo would be 50 points. Now while that 50 is still on the screen, I strike another group of enemies, which keeps the chain going, then hit them with my charge 6, then immediately hit Circle for a Musou attack. The last two types of attacks would make the combo worth 70 points overall. Other factors taken into account include the types of attacks you did. (Charges and Musou attacks are worth more) and the type of opponent you comboed (generals would be worth more than ham n egger soliders) If you get high combo points, you have a better chance of getting good items at the end of a stage. If anyone has any corrections or other hints on the combo system, let me know, I tried to explain this as best I could, and I may not be 100% correct on how it works. Here’s more on the combo system, from Zen Thirteen: In order for you to get a perfect rating (100 pts) You must manage to deliver combos to at least four different individuals without the usage of the seven star sword. Thus far, I managed to achieved on a semi-regular basis with Zhou Yu and a couple other characters as well. My assumption is that it actually may take different strategies to max out each of the character's combo chains since each character have different numbers of attack. But in general, 4~5 charges on 4 different individuals should net you the perfect rating. Using Zhou Yu as an example. I often always start with a stun then finished with the SSSSTTTT juggle, that should net 46~48 combo points. Then you are going to time your jump attack while landing and hit one more guy, that should put your points near 60, then do his SSSTT (do not finish the last hit, you will not have enough recovery time). Your points should be around 75~80 now, then hit ST or SSSSST (I prefer ST as I get poked out for the other one) for the forth charge and end with his musou. You will gain the 100 points as soon as the musou start and every hit afterwards will end in a waste. I think Huang Gai's can be approached in a similar manner since he also hit 3 times in air and has a decent weapon with his 4th though I have yet the time to try it. Here is Lu Bu's though it is kind of tricky the first time I did it. I charged in with his SST, then start his juggle, finish and hit enemy before landing. Then his SSSSST(T..) but manage to miss one guy after the finishing blow, I then did musou cancel and get the perfect rating. Afterwards, I've been getting stable 90 pts due to the fact that lighting attack often knock away new enemies. Maybe adding a ST before his SSSSST(T...) will net you the perfect, but I have yet to try it. BODYGUARD STRATEGIES You can now customize your bodyguards much more than in original DW3. In the options screen, you have a bodyguard editor that allows you to create four units of bodyguards. Bodyguards gain their own experience points if they get through the stage. This enables them to power up, and you can choose how you want them to grow. At every 25000 points, two more bodyguards will join the group. You also have four orders you can give your bodyguards. Attack and Defend are the same as before, but there are now two new ones. Support: Bodyguards will take out archers first. As you can imagine, this is very useful, if your guards are strong enough to handle fighting. Shield: Guards don’t attack at all, and maneuver in a circle around you. They will block all incoming attacks when possible. This is more useful than it sounds, for two reasons. 1) It gives the guards a defensive boost. 2) Soldiers often circle around the guards without attacking them, which can provide a useful distraction. Fast Ways to build bodyguard points. Most of these involve equipping Red Hare, heading straight for a boss, and taking him out in the fastest way possible. Attack on Liu Biao’s Stage, Liu Biao’s side. Pick your strongest guy, equip Red Hare Saddle, and run straight down the right path until you run into Sun Jian. Then waste him quickly. Earns about 1500 points. Yellow Turban Stage, Yellow Turban Side. Same as above, go and waste He Jin. Bodyguard Weapons Iron Sword – Attack +8 Long Sword – Attack +15 Elder Sword – Attack +20 Spear – Attack +7 Dragon Spear – Attack +15 Crescent Blade – Attack +20 Long Pike – Attack +7 Heavenly Spear – Attack +15 Tiger’s Chin – Attack +20 Iron Bow – Attack +7 Steel Bow – Attack +15 Gale Bow – Attack +20 Iron Crossbow – Attack +8 Steel Crossbow – Attack +15 Wind Crossbow – Attack +20 Also note that these items can give other bonuses (like increased HP and stuff) just like your own extra weapons can. Bodyguard Items BG Speed Scroll BG Tiger Amulet BG Huang’s Bow BG Wind Scroll BG Peacock Urn BG Dragon Amulet BG Shell Armor BG Elixir These items all have the same effect they would have for the regular version, they just apply to bodyguards instead. For more detailed info on XL bodyguards, I recommend Ultrace’s bodyguard FAQ on gamefaqs. NEW MUSOU MODE WALKTHROUGHS Battle of Ru Nan – Yellow Turbans vs Han Forces Played by: Zhang Jiao, ??? Yellow Turban Side You’ll have numerous generals to beat to complete this stage, including Cao Cao, Liu Bei and Sun Jian, along with their assortment of underlings. This is an easy stage, with no real strategy involved. I recommend going out on the right side of the castle, taking down Liu Bei, then sweeping around the castle clockwise, taking out everyone that gets in your path. Nothing too complicated on this one. Hu Lao Gate II – Dong Zhuo’s Forces vs Allied Forces OR Nanman Forces vs Dong Zhuo’s Force Played By: Lu Bu, Zhu Rong, Yuan Shao Dong Zhuo’s Side Unlike the original DW3, you now not only have to kill Yuan Shao, but Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Jian as well. Sun Jian will be knocking on Dong Zhuo’s door from the start. Depending where you start on the map, eliminate the nearest enemy general. (When I played as Lu Bu, I started in the middle, so the nearest enemy was Yuan Shu on the left. Cao Cao will be on the middle of the map, in the winding road right above the Fan Shui Gate. If Guan Yu is left alive, there will be a cutscene in which he lays waste to Hua Xiong, who is stupid enough to not even bother putting up a fight. Make your way around the map and waste the various bad guys that appear. Depending on how built up your characters are from DW3, this may or may not be difficult. Yuan Shao is at the top of the map, he has a couple pockets of archers, and Wen Chou for backup, none of which are too serious of threats. Yuan Shao himself can put up a decent fight though. Liu Bei and his brothers will hang around the east side of the map, along with Gongsun Zan. These guys can gang up on you so watch out. If you beat Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei will bail, so take advantage of that if you need to. Sun Jian is on the bottom of the map, near Dong Zhuo’s camp, but you can save him for last if you want. Dong Zhuo’s forces are more than capable of holding them back till you arrive. Basically this stage isn’t too tough, just fight through the various foes on the stage and you shouldn’t have much trouble. Allied Side Make your way to the bottom of the map, where Dong Zhuo is, fighting the enemies along the way. Along the way, you’ll encounter Diao Chan. Defeating her will piss off Lu Bu and make him come after you. There will also be an ambush group that will appear in the northeast and head for Yuan Shao in the middle of the map (unless of course you are Yuan Shao, in which case you really don’t need to worry about it.) If you defeat Lu Bu, you will increase morale on your side, and Cao Cao will begin to launch a counterattack. This will piss Yuan Shao off, since Cao Cao is going against his orders. It shouldn’t be that big of a deal either way. Once you’ve done all this, make your way to Dong Zhuo’s base and put him out of commission. Nanman Side Zhu Rong must defeat both Dong Zhuo and Diao Chan to clear this stage. Early on in the stage, Meng Huo will get pissed at his guys for not being able to break down the gates, and they’ll change course. His Forces will eventually collide with Dong Zhuo’s, so you may as well head down and deal with Diao Chan first. Make your way down to Hu Lao gate, thrashing whatever morons get in your way. You must defeat Li Ru to get into the gate, so do so. Inside, face Diao Chan. Watch out for the reasonably large number of archers she’s got. Take out the 3 gate captains as well to stem the tide of enemies backing up Diao Chan. Beating Diao Chan will piss off Lu Bu, increasing his morale (assuming he’s still alive) If you want, you can maneuver your way around him, or take your chances in combat. Either way, you can meet up with Meng Huo and waste Dong Zhuo to finish off this board. Surprise Attack on Liu Biao II – Yellow Turbans vs Han Forces Yellow Turban Side That dirty stinker Liu Biao, who crushed Sun Jian to death in the original is now teaming with him to make the Yellow Turbans’ lives a living hell. This is a fairly simple stage. At the start, both sides will drop some rockslides on each other, which isn’t a big deal. Go out the right side of the castle, and go down the path until you reach Liu Biao. Waste him and continue on the path to the south beach. 3 major foes await you on the bridge, Da Qiao, Sun Ce and Sun Jian. Sun Jian is the main boss, but you can kill the others to make sure they don’t get in your hair, and to collect power ups. Taking out their gate captains is also a good idea. Battle at Wan Castle II – Dong Zhuo’s Forces vs Allied Forces Played By: Lu Bu, ??? Dong Zhuo’s Side This stage has similar conditions to Cao Cao’s battle at Wan Castle, except now you have to also kill Liu Bei, in addition to Zhang Xiu. Also, enemies will start right near Dong Zhuo, so get to him fast if you’re not already near him. He’ll be getting attacked by one of the enemy units, and only Diao Chan is there to back him up. Once you’ve disposed of Hu Che Er, who is the first enemy attacking Dong Zhuo, you’ll have a bit of breathing room. From here, you can go on to waste any of the enemies you want, although I would go to the bottom left and fry Zhang Xiu first, since he’s not that dangerous. Along the way, Dong Zhuo might get into trouble again, so you’ll probably have to get his fat carcass out of the frying pan, especially if he runs into Zhao Yun, who can be a tough foe. Then you can go up to the top and smoke Liu Bei, unless you want the power ups that you’d gain from beating any foes that are left, which may include Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. Liu Bei has a lot of stamina, and he may give you a tough fight, so watch out for him. Snack and Wine Locations: Snack: Top Center of the map, near Liu Bei’s starting position Battle at Guan Du II – Dong Zhuo’s Forces vs Cao Cao’s Forces OR Yuan Shao’s Forces vs Cao Cao’s Forces Played By: Lu Bu, Yuan Shao, Diao Chan Dong Zhuo’s Side Dong Zhuo is hiding in one of the outposts (which I would assume they are referring to the supply depots in the original Guan Du Stage. Lu Bu states that they want to trick the enemy into thinking Dong Zhuo is in the castle (where Cao Cao hung out before). You also have to keep the enemy from reaching the castle and find that Dong Zhuo is not there. If you’re not playing as Lu Bu on this stage, there will be a couple cutscenes showing him ripping guys to shreds. This will automatically take Cao Ren out of the picture for you. Xu Zhu will be pressing to get into the castle, other formidable foes you will face include Zhang He, and Xiahou Dun. Fight through the enemies until you reach the front gate. After a little while, archer towers will appear in front of the castle gate, mostly to annoy you. The fighters in front of the gate won’t be able to hold out for long, so try to get to their aid as soon as you can. Xu Huang will also join the fight on Cao Cao’s side, so watch out for him. There will be quite a few enemy archers around the front gate of the castle, which can either be a minor nuisance, or a major threat depending on how strong you are. Once you’ve cleared out the rabble around the castle, you can make your way up to fight Cao Cao, slaughtering any enemy general that gets in your path. Cao Cao has a lot of backup in his area, but you should be able to take him out. I’m not sure yet what happens if the enemies enter the castle, but I would guess that it makes Dong Zhuo appear in one of the forts, and is thus susceptible to being killed, thus losing the battle for you. Yuan Shao’s Side You’ll begin the stage right near Cao Cao’s castle. Fight your way through the bad guys, and make your way in. Along the way, several cutscenes will occur. One will have the archers tower appearing for your side, which is good. The second will have the wall crumbling down, which according to Yuan Shao’s comments, is a trick by Cao Cao. Finally, Wen Chou will be ambushed by the enemy. If his morale is high enough, this shouldn’t be a problem. Once you defeat all of the enemies and enter Cao Cao’s domain, you’ll find out HE’S NOT THERE! He’s hiding in one of the forts on the outskirts of the map. This cutscene will also make a special item report appear so make sure you grab it. You’ll have to go to each of the forts and beat the guard to get in (the guards include the likes of Xiahou Dun and guys like that, so they’re no slouches) Once you’ve found Cao Cao, defeat him to clear this stage. Assault on Wu Territory II – Nanman Forces vs Allied Forces Played By: Meng Huo Nanman Side The pathetic fools that oppose you will close the gates to start the battle, forcing you to head towards Lu Meng first. Take him down, then head up to face Lu Xun, his crummy subordinate, and his wandering troupe of archers. Taking him down opens the northern gate, so you’ll have to backtrack to the start. Fortunately, Lu Xun leaves you a horse, otherwise walking back would take forever (with Meng Huo) Once through the northern gate, Gan Ning of the Bells will want to play with you. Thrash him and his subordinates, then grab your horse, and head down to face your ol’ pal Zhuge Liang. Along the way, Taishi Ci will appear with an ambush troop! Once Taishi Ci is done for, head up to meet Zhuge, and about 20000 archers. Beat him to end this stage. Diao Chan’s Escape – Lu Bu’s Forces vs Diao Chan’s Forces Played By: Lu Bu, ??? Lu Bu’s Side This stage is very similar to playing Xiahou Dun’s side on Guan Yu’s escape. You’ll have to play catch up to Diao Chan while she goes through the five gates. Enemies will appear at each gate. The first gate will have a couple of no name enemies, the second will have Huang Gai and Gan Ning. If you have to fight these guys, try to do it quickly, otherwise run past them. The third gate will have Dian Wei and Xu Zhu. The fourth gate will feature Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. Diao Chan herself can take quite a few hits, and if you ran past some of the other enemies, they may meet up with you here, so be very careful. Diao Chan is a tough foe here, she’s come a long way since dying in 5 seconds in the original Hu Lao gate stage. This is especially true if you’re fighting like 5 other major generals. She’ll try to make a break for it if she can. If all else fails, use Red Hare saddle and get to her quickly. If she does make a break for it, get back on the horse and catch up again. The farther along the path she gets, the more enemies you’ll have to fight through. Diao Chan’s Side This one plays like Guan Yu’s side on Guan Yu’s escape. It is a tough stage, given that it’s Diao Chan’s final level. Basically, you will go through the five gates and take on 2 generals at each one. The first gate features two generic officers. The second features Taishi Ci and Lu Meng. The third features Xiahou Dun and Zhang He, who will attempt to hit on Diao Chan. The fourth features Zhao Yun and Huang Zhong. Once you pass this gate, Lu Bu will begin to come after you. The fifth gate features a generic general and Zhang Liao, as well as a bunch of archers. Try to take out as many enemies as you can, especially the two generals, before Lu Bu gets there. Beating Lu Bu will open the final gate and allow you to finish the stage. Battle at Chang Ban II – Dong Zhuo’s Forces vs Liu Bei Forces OR Yuan Shao’s Forces vs Liu Bei’s Force OR Yellow Turbans vs Han Forces OR Nanman Forces vs Shu Forces Played By: Lu Bu, Yuan Shao Dong Zhuo’s Side This one is basically a race to get to Liu Bei and off him before he escapes, much like the original Chang Ban stage. Head south to the bridge and face off with Zhang Fei (I shall make you fear death!) Lu Bu has his own little cut scene here if you’re using him. Once you beat Zhang Fei, Liu Bei’s army will begin to move. Guan Yu will also arrive on the southeast corner of the map. Try to take out the guys along the path to Liu Bei as quickly as possible. Most of your forces will be tied up fighting Zhao Yun on the top of the map. You have to get to Liu Bei fast once his ships arrive. Also, Liu Bei himself is a formidable opponent on this stage, and he’ll give you a workout once you do reach him. If you’re having trouble catching up with him, try getting a horse, or using the Hex Mark or Red Hare saddles for this level. Liu Bei does move pretty quick once his ships arrive. Yuan Shao’s Side This is the same as Dong Zhuo’s side, so just refer to that section for strategy. Yellow Turban Side This stage plays out like Liu Bei’s Chang Ban stage, so refer to that section for detailed strategy. The only other interesting thing is that meeting up with Liu Bei will bring up a cutscene where Zhang Jiao begs him for mercy on his people. Liu Bei will then decide to pull back. The fun thing is, while he’s retreating, you can kill him off and he won’t counterattack you. (You get a +4 defense item for waxing him) Yuan Shao is your final opponent on this stage, so be careful of him. Nanman Side North of Meng Huo’s starting position is Zhuge Liang, who you have to beat along with Liu Bei to clear the stage. On your way up, Zhang Fei of Yan will be at the bridge to make you fear death, so beat him up to help out your troops. Beating Zhang Fei will cause Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang to begin to move. Fortunately, Liu Bei won’t head toward the bottom left where he escapes in the other scenarios. A rather large contingency of enemies will appear while you’re fighting Zhuge Liang, but most of them will panic once you beat him. Once Zhuge is gone, grab his horse, and go head after Liu Bei to finish off the round. A few more officers will appear in the northeast after Zhuge Liang is beaten (there will also be a cutscene of him running like a pansy from you.) Feel free to smash these idiots or ignore them as you see fit. Liu Bei isn’t going anywhere in a hurry here. Snack and Wine Locations Wine: Around the center of the map, on the winding road where most of Liu Bei’s generals hang out. (It’s near Ma Su’s starting point) Assault on Cheng Du: Nanman Forces vs Liu Bei’s Forces Played By: Meng Huo Nanman Side: There really isn’t too much strategy here. Basically just go and thrash Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei. Early on in the stage, some ambush troops will appear behind you and begin to attack your guys. You can backtrack to beat them down, but since Meng Huo moves so slowly, it’s almost better to just forge on ahead and beat the bosses up. Battle at Chi Bi II – Lu Bu’s Forces vs Dong Zhuo’s Forces OR Nanman Forces vs Wei Forces OR Yellow Turbans vs Han Forces Played By: Lu Bu, Zhu Rong, Zhang Jiao, ??? Lu Bu’s Side Most of Lu Bu’s men will advance down the east side of the map. Lu Bu, being the stalwart hero that he is, will advance along the west, and this will be your objective. Take your time along the east side, taking care of enemies as they come. Dong Zhuo will get some reinforcements along the way. The first set of reinforcements isn’t too bad, BUT if you dilly dally for too long, another set of reinforcements appear that includes Taishi Ci, Lu Meng, Gan Ning, and Huang Gai. This is a bad thing, because these guys will appear in the base camp, near where Diao Chan is (you lose the stage if she dies) If you need to, backtrack to beat them up, then go take down Dong Zhuo in a fight to the finish. An alternate way to win is, once you’ve mopped up the generals on the west side, head back to the main camp to back Diao Chan up. Once the main force of Dong Zhuo is defeated, he’ll whine to Li Ru to do something. Li Ru will break off the boats on the east side, which will force you to go back around to the west. It might also leave one of your guys stranded. It shouldn’t bother you too much though. Nanman Side Again, two bosses here, Cao Cao and Zhen Ji. There will be a bunch of Wei forces in your general vicinity when you start, so take em out. Zhen Ji is on the north, Cao Cao is to the south. At one point, the Wei forces will collide in the center. I haven’t figured out exactly what effect this has on the battle, but it occurs in a cutscene. Watch out when you face Zhen Ji, as she has Xiahou Yuan backing her up. Both are formidable opponents, who can both take and dish out a beating in this battle. If Cao Pi is still around when you beat Zhen Ji, he will whine that you killed his wife (even though on the battle I played, she only retreated) Feel free to laugh at the idiot if you wish. If you dilly dally on this board, Meng Huo will get himself into a pickle with a lot of Cao Cao’s forces surrounding him. Bail him out if necessary. Most of Cao Cao’s forces will make a beeline for his area, forces which include the likes of Xu Huang and Xiahou Dun. Once you’ve got Meng Huo out of the fire, feel free to go finish off Cao Cao to end this fight, taking time to laugh at Cao Pi, who will stay put around the area Zhen Ji was to mourn his beloved wife. Yellow Turban Side This one can get crazy. The first target on the stage is Sun Jian, who is hanging out at the top of the map near your area. Go through whatever other guys you need to get through to get to him. Along the way, a couple events will happen. There will be a wind summoning event, just like in the original Chi Bi Stage. Also, some backup troops will appear, which include Liu Bei and Zhao Yun, each have one subordinate guy. Kill these fools (or ignore them if they’re not bothering you) Eventually, ANOTHER backup troop will appear, this one led by Yuan Shao. He appears way on the right side of the map, so you can probably ignore him, unless you REALLY want the power up. Finally, Cao Cao will lead some back up troops into the fray. Cao Cao is the real boss of this stage, so killing him wins you the battle. Battle at Tong Gate II Coming Soon! Battle at He Fei II – Nanman Forces vs Wu Forces OR Yuan Shao’s Forces vs Wu Forces OR Dong Zhuo’s Forces vs Wu Forces Played By: Zhu Rong, Yuan Shao, Diao Chan Nanman Side Over the course of this battle, you will have 3 groups of ambush troops that will appear. The first one has Lu Meng, and will appear on the upper left corner. The second one will be led by Sun Shang Xiang and will appear near the center of the map. The final group is led by Da Qiao. Killing her is a requirement for the stage, but the other two aren’t necessary to fight, although you will probably want to, since they may go after Meng Huo. The final battle here is with Sun Ce. He has a fair number of archers in his area so watch out. Other than this, no elaborate strategies are required to win this one. Yuan Shao’s side Pretty much the same strategy in the Nanman side will work here, including the same ambush group appearances, although they will be led by different people. The only thing to watch for is the cutscene that will occur between Zhang He and Lu Meng, which is arguably one of the funniest damn things in the game (it ranks right up there with “Was the enemy camp pretty?”) This will cause Zhang He to blindly engage with Lu Meng, so you’ll have to go bail his ass out of the fire. Dong Zhuo’s Side Again, most of the same strategies will apply as with the other two stages. The main difference is that Dong Zhuo might get himself in trouble early on, so you’ll probably have to bail him out of trouble at least once, when Taishi Ci appears. Other than that, use the same basic strategy as you did on the other sides. Snack and Wine Locations Snack: On the northwest corner of the camp in the middle of the map Fan Castle II – Yuan Shao’s Forces vs Allied Forces Played By: Yuan Shao, ??? Yuan Shao’s Side This level isn’t too bad. You’ll have two enemies to beat, Sun Quan and Guan Yu. You’ll start on the bottom right of the screen (assuming you are Yuan Shao) Make your way all the way to the left and kill off Gan Ning. Once he’s out of the way, drop to the lower level. Along the way, a cutscene will occur and an ambush party will appear, led by Lu Xun and Lu Meng. Waste these guys, then go around to the left side on the upper level where Sun Quan is waiting. He brings a lot of archers with him, so beware. After he’s gone, head back down to the lower level. Don’t worry about the castle flooding messages, it won’t actually flood until you are safely on higher ground. Make your way up to the top and take down Guan Yu in a fight to the finish. Battle of Mt. Ding Jun II – Dong Zhuo’s Forces vs Shu Forces Played By: Diao Chan Dong Zhuo’s Side This one is pretty basic, except for the two generals that show up as an ambush and attack your main camp. Once they appear, head back up and fight them off in order to protect Dong Zhuo from getting pasted. The backup troops are led by Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei, so they’re formidable. The other major enemy on this stage is Huang Zhong. Beating him will cause a special item drop (Scroll of Accuracy) so make sure you get him. Other than that, beat the other remaining enemies then finish off Liu Bei at the bottom. Battle at Yi Ling II – Yellow Turbans vs Shu Forces OR Dong Zhuo’s Forces vs Shu Forces OR Nanman Forces vs Wu Forces Yellow Turban Side If you really want, you can go straight down and take on Liu Bei, but that’s no fun :) Play this stage like you played the original, get a horse and take out as many generals as you can. A lot of backup generals appear in this stage, the only one who’s really worth consideration is Zhuge Liang, who appears in the bottom left. Make your way across and cut him down, this opens up a path to get your people out of Dodge. Then go take on Liu Bei, and whatever other fools are left. Dong Zhuo’s Forces This one features your camp doing a fire attack, but since it failed on me, I don’t know how to save it yet, or what effect it will have on the battle. I do know that a lot of your soldiers and generals will get pasted on this board. Lu Bu will chastise his men a couple times, finally this will cause two of your generals to retreat in a cutscene which adds to your headache. Try to get a horse early and go to each enemy general and take them out in order to keep your remaining soldiers’ moral up. After you take out the majority of the enemies on the field, head toward the gate on the lower left, beat the generals there to open the way to the fort. It is there you will take on Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei in a battle to the death. Nanman Side For this one, you must vanquish Sun Quan, and his brand new advisor, Zhuge Liang. Ol’ Zhuge doesn’t appear at the start of the fight. Two fools will be in Meng Huo’s general vicinity so take them out. After a while, a couple enemy units will appear on the upper left corner. Grab a horse and take these fools out. Lu Xun will appear in the upper right corner, so go take him out afterward. Lu Xun will make some suspicious movements, and eventually initiate a fire attack, which will burn up the field. This either comes as a result of running into him on the stage, or a certain amount of time passing after his suspicious movements. After this, Zhuge Liang and his troop will appear! Shortly after this, a cutscene will occur with one of your guys meeting Zhuge Liang in the Stone Warrior maze. After beating Lu Xun, go waste Zhuge Liang once again. Once he’s gone, go and finish off Sun Quan. Along the way to him, you’ll take on Gan Ning, and a couple of lesser schmoes. Sun Quan himself has a lot of stamina, but isn’t particularly dangerous. Nanman Campaign II – Nanman Forces vs Shu Forces OR Yellow Turbans vs Nanman Forces Played By: Zhu Rong, Zhang Jiao Nanman Side For this variation of the stage, you must defeat the husband and wife duo of Liu Bei and Sun Shang Xiang. Ma Chao is camped near Meng Huo’s base, so you may want to head south and take him out first. Once he’s out of the way, and your base is in the clear, mop up the rest of the generals floating around as you make your way up to the top to face SSX and Liu Bei. Zhu Rong will talk some smack to SSX if you’re using her. This stage is pretty easy, so it shouldn’t give you any serious problems. If you’re playing as Meng Huo, the battle is the same, except instead of Sun Shang Xiang, Zhuge Liang becomes one of the enemies you must defeat. (SSX is still near Liu Bei though, so you might as well kill her for a power up) Yellow Turban Side There’s really not a lot of epic strategy here, although the enemies here are tough, seeing as this is the last stage for Zhang Jiao’s Musou mode. The only real thing you’ll need to worry about is a surprise attack from Zhuge Liang in the early portions of the stage. Defeating him will make a precious item (Marching Drum) appear. Other than that, it’s basically you against the usual assortment of Nanman goons. Just remember to watch out for the elephants that some of the bigger generals are riding. Snack and Wine Locations Wine: In a pot around the middle of the map, on the right of the two pathways that separate the two middle areas. Battle at Jie Ting II – Yuan Shao’s Forces vs Wei Forces Played By: Yuan Shao, ??? Yuan Shao’s Side This one is a fun free for all. At the start of this stage, Zhang He will be getting his brains smashed on the left side of the map. Make your way over to him, fighting all the generals that get in your way. When you go to meet Zhang He, Zhang Liao will show up above you in an ambush. Once you defeat him, and the general to the south, Zhang He will be clear. He’ll say some ridiculous stuff, then fight harder for the rest of the stage. From here, it’s a simple jaunt to the south, along the way you’ll burn Wei’s supply depot down, which lowers their morale. Go to the bottom and take out Sima Yi, but watch out for his archers and the 3 gate captains. Battle at You Ting II – Nanman Forces vs Wu Forces Nanman Side – Here you must fight Sun Ce and Da Qiao to advance. From Zhu Rong’s starting position, Da Qiao is just a short trip south. A couple of ambush groups will appear as you approach her. Two more ambush groups will start to invade the east and west forts, these are led by Sun Shang Xiang and Gan Ning. If one of them defeats the guardians of the outpost, the Wu army will begin an attack on your forces, mainly Meng Huo in the center. A cutscene will occur when Meng Huo and Zhu Rong meet up on the map. From this point, you can pretty much just mop up whatever’s left of the enemy forces, but beware of the large amount of generals up top where Sun Ce is. Try to take out the gate captain nearest to Sun Ce, this will keep more guys from backing him up, making the battle easier. Siege of Hei Fei Castle II – Dong Zhuo’s Forces vs Wu Forces OR Nanman Forces vs Allied Forces Played By: Lu Bu, Zhu Rong, ??? Dong Zhuo’s Side In this level, you must defeat Sun Ce while keeping Diao Chan alive. If you’re Lu Bu, you’ll begin outside of the castle, and several enemies are inside. A couple low levels fools will be at the south end, so take them out quickly, and grab a horse. Head straight to the top of the map so that you can bail out Diao Chan, who will be stuck in a brawl most likely by this point. The arrow and wind traps from the original He Fei castle stage will be here as well. Near the top, you may run into Sun Shang Xiang, watch out for her, she can be rather tough. Once you’ve gotten up to Diao Chan, there will be a cutscene, and Diao Chan’s morale will improve. Once you’ve saved your beloved from the bad guys, go ahead and mop up the remaining enemy generals. If you don’t kill Sun Ce fast enough, the east and west gates will open, bringing Lu Meng and Gan Ning into the fray, which could make this fight ugly though. When you mop up the other subordinates, Sun Ce will begin to move. Beware though, you have to engage him in the center square, and as you know from my original He Fei Castle walkthrough, going here brings about a bunch of archers, which will make the final battle interesting to say the least. Once you actually reach Sun Ce, he’s not terribly dangerous, although he has good stamina. If you got through this stage, taking him out shouldn’t be a big problem. Nanman Forces In this battle, all the female enemies you’ve beaten before will fight you, along with their husbands, boyfriends, whatever. They are led by none other than the mighty LU BU, along with Diao Chan. There’s nothing overly complicated about this board, fight your way through the various enemies and destroy them. The 3 duos you will face are Zhou Yu/Xiao Qiao, Cao Pi/Zhen Ji, and of course, Lu Bu/Diao Chan. Defeating one of the characters in a couple will lower the other one’s morale. If you defeat all 5 of the other enemies yourself, before fighting Lu Bu, there will be some banter between Zhu Rong and Meng Huo, about how no other couple is stronger than them (this is a requirement for getting Zhu Rong’s 5th weapon btw) Any way it goes, you will eventually take on Lu Bu himself in the final showdown. Battle at Wu Zhang Plains II – Yuan Shao’s Forces vs Wei Forces Played By: Yuan Shao, ??? Yuan Shao’s Side This one is a huge skirmish between yourself and Cao Cao’s forces. The enemies are tough here, but there isn’t any really major strategy or special events to worry about. If you keep the troop in the upper right alive long enough, they will bombard Cao Cao’s unit with rocks, weakening them. The only other thing of note here is that killing Xiahou Yuan, who is standing in front of the fort entrance (where Zhuge Liang was in the original) will open that fort so that your side can get some reinforcements. Wu Navy Skirmish – Nanman Forces vs Wu Forces Played By: Zhu Rong, ??? This one is identical in layout to the original attack on the high seas stage. This one is a fun little brawl, it’s just you against the entire Wu army pretty much. It’s not really tough, if you’re reasonably built up, and there’s no real strategy other than to take out everyone in your path. The Wu army will get a couple reinforcements along the way, but nothing to really worry about. Xiao Qiao and Zhou Yu are the bosses here, but they’re on opposite sides of the map. Xiao Qiao can give you a tough fight if you let your guard down, so be careful. NEW ITEMS DATABASE Bronze Flask – Increases Charge (power of charge attacks) Value: Haven’t tried it yet, dunno how big of a difference it will make Method: Normal item dropped by officers or boxes Mountain Pouch – Increases effect of Meat Buns Value: Unless you are constantly in need of energy, I can’t see the need for this one. Method: Normal item dropped by officers or boxes Mountain Quiver – Increases the number of arrows you start with in a stage Value: Unless you’re playing as a good arrow character like Huang Zhong, I can’t see the point of this one. Even if you do use a lot of arrows, they’re usually easy enough to find in a stage. Method: Normal item dropped by officers or boxes Beast Harness – Displays the position of the last animal you rode during the stage Value: Not very useful, since horses are usually plentiful. Only time you might want to use it is if you have Red Hare or Hex Mark, and you don’t want to lose them Method: Clear the record score on Speed Demon Mode (1 minute and 30 seconds) Scroll of Accuracy – After you are knocked down, your attack strength doubles, but your defense goes down. This effect lasts for 10 seconds. Value: This item is quite useful. After you get knocked down, you can get back up and inflict some major damage, to a group of foes, or to a general. Equipping the tortoise amulet will help negate the hit you take in defense, which isn’t that major, unless you really start taking some big hits. Method: Mt. Ding Jun Stage, Dong Zhuo’s Side. Defeat Huang Zhong. He’ll drop a red item bag containing the item. Imperial Harness – Increases horse’s strength (i.e. ability to knock people down) Value: Might be good at low levels, when all you can ride is the crappy horses. Method: You Ting stage, Nanman side. Keep Meng Jie alive, defeat both Sun Shang Xiang and Gan Ning. Master’s Cloak – Automatically performs the mid-air evade Value: Personally, I like to have control over exactly when I do the evade, but you may want to see if this item comes in handy for you. Method: Clear the record score on Balancing Act (100 KO’s) Seven Stars Blade – Makes racking up combo points easier Value: Useful to try to get enough combo points to get some of the other special items. Method: Get 1000 points or more on Combo Mania Seal of Darkness – Imperial Seal has twice the effect (Lasts for 20 seconds instead of 10) Value: Kind of questionable, unless maybe you are using Nu Wa, and want twice the amount of time to execute an insane Musou combo. Personally, it seems whenever I find an Imperial Seal, there is never anyone around to use the 10 second Musou combo on. Method: Guan Du stage, Yuan Shao side. After entering the castle, and finding that Cao Cao is not there, the special item report will appear near the top of the map. Marching Drum – Helps your unit gain morale more quickly Value: If your character is commanding a decent amount of troops and/or subordinate generals, it can be extremely powerful! Assuming the battle starts off well (thanks to your playing) your units morale will take off extremely fast. This ends up having a wonderful snowball effect on the entire army. With your unit pumped up it will roll over its own objectives quickly, and then move on to help a different unit with their objectives. With your force joining them (usually early on) the assisted force will then start to do very well, causing their morale to shoot up the natural way. By this point, your own unit is often at max morale. And obviously, it usually keeps snowballing from there. If your character is alone, it’s not too useful. Method: Nanman Stage, Yellow Turban Side. When Zhuge Liang appears with back up troops, defeat him. This will cause the special item report to appear. It’ll be south of the bridge which leads to Meng Huo’s area, on a ledge. Divine Gauntlet – Get the Attack x2 item and even blocking enemies take damage Value: Method: Wu Zhang Plains, Dong Zhuo side. Defeat Zhao Yun, Wei Yan and Jiang Wei. This will initiate a falling star event. After Fan Chou is defeated, reinforcement troops will appear, led by Zhang Fei, Guan Yu and Ma Chao. Beat them to get the supply team to show up near Liu Bei’s initial position and move toward the lower left entry point. Divine Helm – Prevents you from being dizzied Value: Not one I’d use particularly. Getting dizzied is usually more of an annoyance than anything else. 5TH WEAPONS STRATEGIES Getting 5th weapons requires you to be playing in VERY HARD mode. Keep in mind, that Very Hard Mode is just like it says… VERY HARD. As such, using the two player method won’t help much as it did for the fourth weapons, because even maxed out characters will have a rough time here. Remember to SAVE FREQUENTLY, using the quit option, otherwise you’ll have to go all the way back each time you die, which can be a royal pain when you’ve got the weapon in hand and are about to fight the boss, and you die. For the purposes of simplicity, I’m just going to list the stats, any elemental attacks that come with the weapon, and how to get it. For more detailed strategy on obtaining the weapon, as well as detailed synopsis of the weapon itself, I recommend checking out Rampidzier’s excellent 5th weapon FAQ that is available at GameFAQs Shu Generals Liu Bei – Dragon Star Stats Attack +40 Hits: 6 + Lightning Speed +24 Musou +65 Defense +40 Mounted Attack +44 Arrows +27 Stage: Jie Ting, Shu Side Method: Once Ma Su gets surrounded by the enemies, you must defeat Xing Pi and rescue him. The precious item will then appear near Cao Zhen’s original position. Zhuge Liang – Griffin Feather Stats Attack +40 Hits: 6 + Wind Speed +22 HP + 80 Attack +30 Luck +22 Range +25 Stage: Chi Bi, Shu Side Method: Get 1000 kills during the stage. The item will then appear near Cao Pi’s initial position. Guan Yu – Divine Dragon Stats Attack +49 Hits: 6 Speed +21 Musou Max +82 Defense +60 Musou Charge +25 Start with Red Hare Saddle Stage: Fan Castle, Shu Side Method: Defeat the following generals in order: Pang De, Lu Xun, Gan Ning, and Lu Meng. The special item will then appear at the upper right corner of the map. Zhang Fei – Serpent Blade Stats Attack +47 Hits: 6 + Fire Musou Max +83 HP Max +81 Bow Defense +58 Musou Charge +24 Stage: Mt. Ding Jun, Shu side. Method: Start at Huang Zhong’s position, then grab a horse and run down the center of the map. You will get a message saying that the run down hill was successful. Defeat Cao Hong. Ma Chao – Lightning Spear Stats Attack +42 Hits: 6 + Lightning Jump +21 Musou Max +87 Luck +15 Reach +21 Charge +8 Stage: Cheng Du, Shu Side Method: Defeat either Liu Han or Liu Xun before Pang Tong is killed Huang Zhong – Mystic Blade Stats Attack +44 Hits: 6 + Wind Defense +52 Bow Attack +60 Reach +28 Arrow Count +47 Meat Bun Recovery +10 Elemental Attacks: SSSSST Stage: Yi Ling Stage, Shu Side Method: Defeat Zhu Ran before he burns down your camp, then defeat Lu Xun. Zhao Yun – War Dragon Stats Attack +43 Hits: 6 + Lightning Musou Max +78 HP Max +75 Reach +25 Musou Charge +20 Elemental Attacks: SSSST, SSSSST Stage: Nanman, Shu Side Method: Defeat all the enemy generals. You do not have to beat Meng Huo six times. Pang Tong – Lightning Staff Stats Attack +38 Hits: 6 + Lightning Musou Max +80 Defense +56 Bow Defense +50 Musou Charge +30 Charge +5 Elemental Attacks: SSSSTT Stage: Chi Bi, Wei Side Method: Allow the fire attack to succeed. This will cause Xiahou Dun to appear. Defeat him. Jiang Wei – Starlight Pike Stats Attack +41 Hits: 6 Musou Max +79 Attack +21 Defense +58 Musou Charge +20 Equip Defender Stage: Yi Ling, Shu Side Method: Defeat all enemy generals and their subordinate generals. Wei Yan – Twin Stars Stats Attack +46 Hits: 6 Musou Max +82 HP Max +82 Reach +22 Musou Charge +20 Equip Way of the Musou Stage: Yi Ling, Shu Side Method: Defeat every enemy general and gate captain. Wei Generals Cao Cao – Blue Steel Stats Attack +45 Hits: 6 HP Max +86 Defense +51 Bow Defense +58 Reach +24 Musou Armor (not sure what that does yet) Stage: Mt. Ding Jun, Wei Side Method: Kill Huang Zhong. A precious item report will appear to the south of the center of the stage, on one of the winding paths Xiahou Dun – Tempest Sword Stats Attack +48 Hits: 6 + Wind HP Max +82 Attack +28 Mounted Attack +55 Reach +25 Elemental Attacks: SSSSST Stage: Jie Ting, Wei Side Method: Defeat Wei Yan, Jiang Wei, and Ma Chao before Ma Su begins to break through your defenses. Xiahou Yuan – Mystic Fang Stats Attack: 45 Hits: 6 + Death Attack +24 Bow Attack +58 Mounted Attack +58 Reach +21 Elemental Attacks: SSSSST Stage: Tong Gate, Wei Side Method: Defeat Ma Dai, Pang De and Chen Ying, so that Han Sui can meet Cao Cao. Then wait for him to defect. Dian Wei – Beast Axe Stats Attack +49 Hits: 6 HP Max +90 Attack +28 Defense +52 Bow Defense +50 Equip Hex Mark Saddle Stage: He Fei, Wei side Method: Wait for the Taishi Ci death event. Defeat Lu Xun. Gan Ning and his backup army will appear. Defeat Gan Ning Zhang Liao – Dragon God Stats Attack +48 Hits: 6 + Fire Attack +27 Bow Defense +53 Reach +25 Musou Charge +23 Elemental Attacks: SSSST Stage: Guan Du XTREME VERSION, Dong Zhuo’s side Method: Wait for the event where archer towers rise up. Defeat all of the archers in the towers. Zhang He – Pheonix Talon Stats Attack +43 Hits: 6 HP Max +73 Bow Defense +58 Reach +25 Musou Charge +30 Equip Survival Guide Stage: Jie Ting XTREME VERSION, Yuan Shao side Method: Defeat Xu Zhu, Xiahou Yuan, Zhang Liao, Cao Zhen, Dian Wei, and Xu Huang in that order. Zhen Ji – Half Moon Flute Stats Attack +37 Hits: 6 + Fire Elemental Attacks: SSSSST Speed +21 Musou Max +68 Attack +22 Reach +28 Stage: Guan Du Method: You must burn down Yuan Shao’s supply depot, however, it must be the fourth one you investigate. In other words, you must find the 3 fake depots first, then burn down the real depot. A special item report will show up to the north of the main castle gate. Grab it and finish the stage. Xu Zhu – Earthly Mace Stats Attack +50 Hits: 6 + Fire Speed +24 HP Max +82 Defense +55 Bow Defense +50 Meat Bun Recovery +14 Stage: He Fei Castle, Wei Side Method: Defeat all the enemy generals that are playable characters. Xu Huang – Tiger Fang Stats Attack +46 Hits: 6 + Fire Speed +23 HP Max +81 Defense +41 Reach +28 Stage: Tong Gate, Wei Side Method: Defeat all enemy generals except Han Sui and Ma Chao. Wait for the Han Sui defection. Sima Yi – Raven Feather Stats Attack +40 Hits: 6 HP Max +71 Bow Defense +55 Reach +30 Musou Charge +25 Equip Defender Stage: He Fei Castle, Wei Side Method: Defeat Lu Xun, Lu Meng, Sun Shang Xiang, and Gan Ning in that order. It must be before both sides unleash their full attack, which occurs 9 minutes into the stage. Wu Generals Sun Jian – Wolf Blade Stats Attack +43 Hits: 6 Musou Max +82 Defense +42 Bow Attack +55 Reach +26 Equip Buckler Stage: He Fei Castle, Wu Side Method: Get your troops past the Arrow and Wind corridors, then defeat Zhang He and Xu Huang. Wait for your troops to get there, and the gates to open. Sun Quan – Heavenly Wolf Stats Attack +42 Hits: 6 + Death Musou Max +68 HP Max +70 Bow Attack +52 Mounted Attack +55 Stage: He Fei, Wu Side Method: Defeat Zhang Liao, then defeat Xu Zhu before Taishi Ci’s death event occurs Sun Ce – God of War Stats Attack + 42 Hits: 6 + Lightning Speed +22 Bow Defense +50 Reach +30 Musou Charge +23 Stage: Attack on Liu Biao, Wu Side Method: Defeat Cai Mao after Sun Jian has rocks dropped on his head and dies. Sun Shang Xiang – Dragon Chakram Stats Attack +40 Hits: 6 + Fire Elemental Attacks: SSSSST(hit T rapidly to do fire attack) HP Max +75 Attack +20 Luck +28 Reach +30 Arrows +30 Stage: Fan Castle, Wu Side Method: Defeat Guan Ping before the Castle is flooded. The precious item will appear on the south side, on one of the elevated platforms. Climb up to the top to grab the item, then finish the stage. Lu Xun – Flash Blade Stats Attack +42 Hits: 6 + Wind HP Max +80 Attack +24 Bow Defense +55 Reach +30 Elemental Attacks: SSSSST Stage: You Ting, Wu Side Method: Wait for Sima Yi to detect Zhou Fang’s fake defection. Cao Xiu must still be alive, along with either Zhang He or Zhang Pu. Lu Meng – Fighting Tiger Stats Attack +45 Hits: 6 HP Max +82 Attack +25 Mounted Attack +50 Reach +25 Equip Musou Armor Stage: He Fei Castle Method: Defeat Xu Huang and Zhang He. Then enter the center square to bring about the archer ambush. Then defeat Xu Zhu and Man Chong Zhou Yu – Elder Moon Stats Attack +46 Hits: 6 + Wind Speed +23 HP Max +82 Attack +25 Reach +28 Elemental Attacks: SSSSST Stage: Assault on Wu territory, Wu side Method: Defeat Liu Yo before your forces split up. This will cause Taishi Ci to defect and the item to appear. Da Qiao – Yellow Beauty Stats Attack +37 Hits: 6 + Fire HP Max +65 Attack +26 Reach +22 Meat Bun Recovery +10 Elemental Attacks: SSST Stage: After Sun Jian gets killed, defeat Liu Biao’s Sub Generals. Method Xiao Qiao – Blue Grace Stats Attack +38 Hits: 6 Musou Max +85 Attack +28 Bow Defense +54 Reach +22 Equip Survival Guide Stage: Assault on Wu Territory, Wu Side Method: Defeat Yen Bai Hu and Wang Lang. Comments Better than Fourth Weapon? Taishi Ci – Tiger Wolf Stats Attack +45 Hits: 6 Speed +22 Defense +46 Bow Defense +55 Reach +26 Equip Divine Helmet Stage: He Fei, Wu Side Method: Get Sun Quan to jump the bridge, then wait for Zhang Liao to attack him. Defeat Zhang Liao. Huang Gai – Spiked Mace Stats Attack +44 Hits: 6 + Lightning Musou Max +85 Attack +26 Mounted Attack +50 Reach +28 Elemental Attacks: SSST Stage: Yellow Turban, Allied Side Method: Defeat He Yi, then Zhang Bao, without killing any other enemies. Gan Ning – Seven Seas Blade Stats Attack +46 Hits: 6 + Wind Speed +24 Defense +45 Reach +28 Meat Bun Recovery +12 Elemental Attacks: SSSSST Stage: Yi Ling, Wu Side Method: Navigate the Stone Warrior maze, then defeat Zhuge Liang. Free Mode Generals (NOTE: Free mode generals must be playing the Xtreme version of the stage in order to get their weapon, unless noted otherwise) Lu Bu – Demon Slayer Stats Attack +50 Hits: 6 + Fire Musou Max +90 HP Max +90 Attack +30 Reach +30 Equip Red Hare Saddle Elemental Attacks: ST, SSST, SSSSST Stage: Chi Bi, Lu Bu side Method: Wait for the four Wu generals to appear as reinforcements, then defeat all four of them. Diao Chan – Imperial Mace Stats Attack +40 Hits: 6 + Fire Jump +21 HP Max +72 Attack +25 Reach +30 Musou Charge +10 Elemental Attacks: SSST Stage: Diao Chan’s Escape, Diao Chan’s Side Method: Defeat Lu Bu once he appears Dong Zhuo – Black Steel Stats Attack +41 Hits: 6 + Death Musou Max +74 Defense +45 Mounted Defense +53 Reach +29 Arrows +30 Elemental Attacks: SSST Stage: Wu Zhang Plains, Dong Zhuo’s side Method: Defeat Pang Tong before he initiates the rock drop event. Fan Chou must also still be alive, until reinforcement troops arrive Yuan Shao – Imperial Saber Stats Attack + 44 Hits: 6 + Fire Speed +21 Attack +27 Defense +54 Bow Defense +49 Elemental Attack: SSSST, SSSSST Stage: Hu Lao Gate, Allied Side Method: Lu Bu, Cao Cao, Sun Jian and Liu Bei must all be alive. Defeat Diao Chan before Dong Zhuo’s backup forces arrive. The special item report will appear in the upper left hand corner, by the gates. Grab it and finish the stage. Meng Huo – Shadow Beast Stats Attack +48 Hits: 6 + Lightning Speed +24 Attack +30 Mounted Attack +54 Luck +13 Charge +8 Elemental Attack: SSST Stage: Wu County, Nanman side Method: Defeat Lu Xun, Taishi Ci, Gan Ning, and Lu Meng in that order. Zhu Rong – Tri Blade Stats Attack +42 Hits: 6 + Wind HP Max +78 Attack +25 Reach +26 Arrows +47 Elemental Attack: SSSSST Stage: He Fei Castle, Nanman side Method: Defeat Zhou Yu, Xiao Qiao, Cao Pi, Zhen Ji and Diao Chan. Zhang Jiao – Thunder Staff Stats Attack +37 Hits: 6 + Lightning HP Max +68 Defense +43 Mounted Defense +55 Luck +18 Meat Bun Recovery +13 Elemental Attacks: SSST, SSSSST, Musou Attack Stage: Nanman, Yellow Turban Side Method: Get all of the civilians to safety. Fu Xi – Dragon Slayer Stats Attack +46 Hits: 6 Musou Max +86 HP Max +80 Reach +28 Charge +8 Equip Art of War Stage: Wan Castle ORIGINAL VERSION, Zhang Xiu’s side Method: Defeat Dian Wei, Xu Huang and Xu Zhu. Nu Wa – Dragon Rapier Stats Attack +39 Hits: 6 Attack +23 Defense +41 Reach +30 Musou Charge +20 Equip Defender Stage: Yellow Turban Stage ORIGINAL VERSION. Yellow Turban Side Method: With Zhang Bao still alive, defeat Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei so that Zhang Bao can begin his attack. CHALLENGE MODES Balancing Act The idea of this mode is to knock as many enemies off the bridge as you can without being knocked off yourself. You have 10 minutes to do this. The best strategies I’ve come up with so far is to use a character who has a good reaching jumping attack. Since you don’t have to actually KO the enemies, the jumping attack is your best bet. Just be careful not to jump off the bridge yourself. Also, try to stay in the middle of the stage whenever possible. The enemies come at you in a set pattern. 1. One enemy General – Use a jumping attack to take him/her down quick 2. Two Archers – Try to get near them and take them out with one or two jumping attacks. 3. One enemy General – See Above 4. Two Archers and one General – Try to take out the archers fast before they can annoy you, then focus on the general 5. Two Generals – These will be warriors of a set team, such as the Qiao sisters or Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. Try to use a fast jumping attack and get them out ASAP. 6. Six Archers (two groups of three) and a General – Stay cool, and don’t move around much, try to dump a couple archers at one time with a jump attack. When most of them are gone, take out the general. 7. A large group including some archers, some soldiers and two generals. This one is tough. Again, stay calm, try to use your jump attack to take out a couple at a time. After beating this group, the pattern starts over again at 1. Other hints: Don’t be afraid to stay down after getting hit. This will lower your chances of getting knocked around and out of the ring. A good way to beat this level is to use Lu Bu. His stomp attack (T) covers a wide range, and sends people flying, making it effective here. Another strategy, sent in by jroosevelt. Use Zhen Ji. Her SSST attack is very good for blasting off single characters if you take the right angle. Her Musou attack is also good for this level because it can hit anyone around her, even if she isn't facing them. Also, she doesn't move during her Musou attack which helps to keep you from falling off. Not to mention that the last hit of that attack blasts people away, and is good for knocking 'em off the edge. Speed Demon This is a race to the finish line on the other side of the map. The first and most obvious strategy is to pick a character with good foot speed, such as Zhen Ji or Sun Shang Xiang. There are two routes you can take through the course, one of which is more direct, and has Lu Bu on the path. Knocking him off will get you the Red Hare, which can be a benefit. The straight route has more archers to deal with, so be careful. The twisting route doesn’t have as many archers on the path, but you have to watch out for the spiked barriers (This stage is a remix of Mt. Ding Jun) Try to avoid fighting the soldiers unless you have to. Other tips (from Lodren Yang): It's wise to choose the left path, and you will have to use L1 alot since you can't go too fast else you will fall off horse if you get too close to those spikes(not necessarily have to touch those, if you get too close, you will fall off horse too). Combo Mania This stage has you nailing as many enemies with combos as you can, to rack up combo points. One good way to rack up points is with Diao Chan. Keep doing different charge attacks on various enemies. She can rack up nice points with her follow up to the high juggling attack (SSSSTT) because she hits enemies a couple times while in the air, which racks up points for each hit. Another strategy, sent in by jroosevelt. I've done best here with Zhou Yu. Try to focus on a single enemy with these combos for Zhou Yu, 1 immdediately after another: SSST SST SSSSTTT (Musou--see below) When you land after this attack, you should have around 50 points and your Musou guage should be full. Ideally, you will be near another standing enemy. Bust your Musou attack immediately on the standing enemy, and you should get to about 75 points. Let the point meter disappear, and repeat. The trick here is to push the character you're attacking towards other enemies without knocking the other enemies down. This can be tricky. Also, be sure to let the point meter expire after either the 50 or 75 point range is reached. If you don't let the meter expire and start going through the same round of combos, your point meter won't increase at all. Here’s another one, submitted by AmaDono: For Combo Mania, I found that the best character to use so far may be Xiahou Yuan. Use Charge 3, Charge 2, Charge 5, Charge 6 (But only allow about two hits) then Musou. It's an easy 84/86 (unsure of actual value) points. Just rinse and repeat with the next soldier. Ironman This is a combination of all 3 events. You get points according to how well you do in them. CONTRIBUTORS AND RESOURCES Contributors: Those who have helped in the FAQ's creation in one way or another Muni Shinobu – Some of the information that you find here is from his FAQ's. He is DA MAN as far as finding out a lot of the early info such as fourth weapons and the like. Mashu – Use of his stage reference FAQ listing the stages each character goes through. Kepella – Posted the US version cheat codes on the Gamefaqs message board. Brandon Swetz – Sent in stats for some weapons. Tim George – Sent in stats for weapons. Klarc and Raymond Ellis – The former posted the list of elemental combos on the GameFAQs board, and the latter brought it to my attention Bugg Godd – Sent in stats for weapons. Adios – Sent a tip on getting better items. Anime Japan – Sent in a number of strategies and corrections. Mr Tango – Pointed out a couple typos in the FAQ. Added in a bit of info on playing Hu Lao gate on Dong Zhuo’s side. Philippe Mercure – Notified me of an error I had made in unlocking Gan Ning. Ade – Notified me of a correction in getting Gan Ning’s fourth weapon. Allomoday – Sent in advice about getting the +10 life on the Nanman stage Danoh1989 – Confirmed that you do not need to kill Gonsung Zan to get Lu Bu’s fourth weapon Iawondererl – Sent background info on Fu Xi Mark Sachs – Sent in info on the secret ending Omni X – Sent in tips on beating generals and a tip for He Fei Castle, Wu Side John Diedrich – Sent in stats for several weapons Brad Flickinger – Sent in a possible theory on what is required to unlock the secret ending KenChn3 – Sent in the Reverse Guard Trick. Sent in an addition for Fan Castle Strategy. Sir Salty – Sent in several corrections and additions. Boromir – Sent in an easy method for getting second and third weapons. James O’Donnell – Sent in a second method to unlock Sun Quan Justin Herrington – Sent in a couple of corrections Lee David – Sent in a good description on infinite combo attacks Matt Carr – Sent in another method to get second and third weapons Bob is Bob – Sent in a trick for killing Lu Bu, and informed me about the two player Team Musou attack (which I had forgotten to put in since I never play the game 2 player ;) ) The Panting Dog – Let me know that the T attack by itself acts as a guard break. Danath2 – Sent in some strategies for powering up your health fast. John C – Added another strategy for getting the Golden Harness K2 – Sent in a trick for getting Lu Xun’s fourth weapon. Tan Sri Dr. Kum Chun Wai – Sent in a strange trick in the Misc info section Dwimmerlake – Information on the royal elephants on Nanman stage (the ones Meng Huo rides) Hints on dealing with groups of archers and getting the snack on Nanman without an elephant. Johnson Tan – Corrections a few typos, and factual errors James Blessing – Info on the Guard 3rd weapons and a couple of 5th weapons. Amer Khaznadar – Sent in a trick for getting fourth weapons. DJ Illusion – Sent in a piece of info on obtaining Sun Quan Eric Brainard – Confirmed Anime Japan’s method of getting the Art of War item. Pat Krasean – Sent in an extra tip for Hu Lao Gate, Dong Zhou’s side Thimu – Sent in a note on Nu Wa’s Musou attack. Vinnie Mondaro – Sent in some tips on the new challenge modes. Jroosevelt – Sent in tips on the XL challenge modes. Ben Margevicius – Sent in info on Taishi Ci’s 5th weapon The Melancholy Paladin – Sent in info on the Marching Drum Special Item Lodren Yang – Sent in tips on Speed Demon Mode DynastyROTK – Info on 5th weapons Zen Thirteen – Sent in more detailed info on the combo system, with examples. X20F1STUNTMAN – Sent in several 5th weapon stats. Nathan Kleban – Sent in info on the Divine Gauntlet Kevin Cherek – Sent in info on 5th weapons Amadono – Sent in a strategy for combo mania Chris Van Dam/Jack – Sent in info on the Imperial Harness (both of them sent in the info, so I’ll mention them both here) Resources: Places to go to find more information about DW3, and the Three Kingdoms era. Kong Ming’s Archives: www.kongming.net - Site with info on all the 3 Kingdoms and Dynasty Warriors games. Also has forums to talk to other 3 Kingdoms enthusiasts. KOEI Official Website: www.koeigames.com - Makers of Dynasty Warriors 3, and several other awesome games. Also, they have a site to track the records for Endurance and Time Attack modes, which is done through the passwords that you can obtain. http://www.threekingdoms.com/ - A site devoted to the 3 Kingdoms era. You can read the entire novel here online, and it also has links to order the book version. Romance of the Three Kingdoms Frontier: http://3kingdoms.net/ - Another awesome resource about the 3 Kingdoms era. http://3kingdoms.proboards5.com/ - An RPG based on the 3 kingdoms era, played out via a message board.