Destiny of an Emperor 2: Wu’s Three Generation Guide By: Samuel Chapter1: Dong Zhuo and the Rise of the Sun Clan Sun Jian stands in front of the Han Emperor, who commands him to conquer rebel lord Dong Zhuo’s general Hua Xiong. Cao Cao is beside the emperor. Sun Jian speaks to him but Cao Cao says that he is too busy. He cannot fight Dong Zhuo and does not even lend his two generals. Sun Jian cannot do anything other than going on his own. His eldest son, Sun Ce, joins at the gate of the palace. Cheng Pu, one of Sun Jian’s most trusted officers, joins outside the palace. Sun Jian and Cheng Pu equip swords while Sun Ce equips spears. Name Cheng Pu to be the tactician because he has the highest intelligence. Sun Jian has a “Speed Walk Tablet” (same effect as the red hare horse) right at the beginning so equip it. This first castle looks the same as Xü Zhou but it is renamed Liang Xian in this mod. Since Sun Jian has only three generals instead of five in the original game and the Wei mod, raising levels become much more crucial. When Sun Jian’s army accumulates enough levels, the group travels to a cave (the one closer to the hut) located northeast of Liang Xian. Obtain gold pieces, the map, a copper spear, leather armour, and a leather shield. Equip Sun Ce with the copper spear and everyone should wear leather armours and shields (they begin with leather helmet). I am lucky to pick up a copper sword in a battle against some tigers (yes, this mod features tigers and bandits. No wonder why tigers are endangered species today). I arm Sun Jian and Cheng Pu with copper swords too. Even if you cannot pick one up during battles, you can buy them at the castle (sells both copper swords and spears, compensating for not having five generals). The map has changed. Mountains cut off the southern part and Sun Jian does not need to fight two groups of Dong Zhuo’s army. Sun Jian, Sun Ce, and Cheng Pu head to the other cave northeast of Liang Xian. Sun Jian, Sun Ce, and Cheng Pu encounter Hua Xiong (400 soldiers), Xü Rong (350 soldiers), Li Ru (300 soldiers), Zhang Ji (270 soldiers), and Fan Chou (280 soldiers) at the end of the cave. All of them follow Dong Zhuo. Hua Xiong’s strength of 220 and Li Ru’s intelligence of 220 stand out as being the most dangerous officers. Focus on them first. Then, take down Xü Rong, Zhang Ji, and Fan Chou one by one. Sun Jian defeats Hua Xiong for the time being. Sun Jian, Sun Ce, and Cheng Pu return to Liang Xian; however, the Han Emperor has left. Cao Cao said something to Sun Jian but I cannot understand. No one leaves Sun Jian’s party upon the return because Cao Cao does not lend any generals to Sun Jian in the first place. Talk to Zhu Zhi, who stands at the castle’s gate. He reveals that Hua Xiong has sneaked into the castle. Hua Xiong wants to kill Sun Jian. After a rest, Sun Jian and his troops battle Hua Xiong (700 soldiers). Hua Xiong stands on the central part of Liang Xian. Zhu Zhi joins after Sun Jian kills Hua Xiong. He advises Sun Jian to find Yuan Shu at Ru Nan. Zhu Zhi’s statistics are mediocre (167 strength and 174 intelligence, equips spear); however, he is better than having nobody. Sun Jian desperately needs more officers. Four is better than three. Dong Zhuo himself charges Sun Jian, as soon as Sun Jian leaves Liang Xian. Dong Zhuo (9999 soldiers) leads Lü Bu (9800), Li Ru (9600), and Jia Xu (9400) to avenge Hua Xiong’s death. Sun Jian has no choice but to escape. Sadly, Sun Ce and Cheng Pu disappear. He and Zhu Zhi must travel to Ru Nan together. Assign Sun Jian to be the tactician on account of higher intelligence. Go to the hut in the northeast and obtain the Zheng’s Letter (I cannot duplicate it even after implementing the procedure). Then, Sun Jian and Zhu Zhi pass the cave where Sun Jian defeats Hua Xiong. They take the ferry and meet Yuan Shu at Ru Nan (Ji Zhou in the original game and the Wei mod). Remember to upgrade shields at Ru Nan’s weaponry. Sun Jian shows Zheng’s Letter to Yuan Shu. He dispatches a very poor general named Fang Yue (strength: 177; intelligence: 60) for assistance. Bai Ma consists of one citadel instead of three. Lü Bu guards the citadel with 3,000 soldiers. He kills Fang Yue with one blow (obviously!!!). Sun Jian and Zhu Zhi escape to Ru Nan (automatic screen). In the palace, Sun Jian meets Fang Yue’s friend – Wang Kang. Wang Kang is exasperated that Lü Bu has killed Fang Yue. He joins Sun Jian in order to avenge Fang Yue’s death. Wang Kang’s abilities are not much better. His strength reaches only 150 while he has an intelligence index of 161. Surely he will die in the hands of Lü Bu. Sun Jian and Zhu Zhi return to Ru Nan after Wang Kang’s death. Sun Jian talks to Yuan Shu. Sun Jian then hears that Sun Ce is in Dong Zhuo’s hands. He sends him a message. The screen turns to Sun Ce, who receives a letter from a messenger. Sun Ce finds his beloved Da Qiao (but her avatar looks so scary like a female ghost), who has a “Speed Walk Tablet.” Sun Ce equips it and names himself tactician. He begins a journey of reuniting his father. Da Qiao ends up being Sun Ce’s wife in ROTK. Sun Ce leaves the vacant Yuan castle and stays for a free night at the nearby hut. He receives a letter from the old man in the hut. Sun Ce now has three missions: protect Da Qiao from being abducted, pass five citadels, reunites Sun Jian. The first one is south of the hut. Chen Heng (320 soldiers) guards it. Sun Ce kills him easily. Da Qiao has 100 soldiers. She fights in battles but she is unarmed. I always use the “defend” command on her. She cannot die because Sun Ce loves her too much. March south to the second citadel and kills Zhang Ying (350) very quickly. Sun Ce and Da Qiao follow the pathway and arrive at the third citadel. A general named Yu Mi (380) serves Sun Ce wine. But Sun Ce does not fall into the trap (or he loses soldiers). Yu Mi challenges Sun Ce and Da Qiao and Sun Ce slaughters him. He does not allow anyone to touch Da Qiao at all! Sun Ce rests in the temple where he kills Yu Mi. Then, he heads north to the fourth citadel. A woman greets Sun Ce and offers her free overnight stay. Sun Ce then shows her the letter that he received at the hut. The woman unveils the fire plot. Sun Ce and Da Qiao go to Luo Yang (or is it actually Qü A?). Sun Ce upgrades his shield to scale shield. He purchases an armour, a helmet, and a shield for Da Qiao as well. But Da Qiao cannot arm any weapons. Liu Yao guards the final citadel and the boat. But he cannot stop Sun Ce and he dies under Sun Ce’s spear. Sun Ce and Da Qiao travel by boat to Ji Zhou’s ferry dock. While they are on their way to a small village, Tai Shi Ci suddenly ambushes. Tai Shi Ci wants to take revenge for Liu Yao. Tai Shi Ci discovers Sun Ce strength and he escapes after two rounds. Sun Ce and Da Qiao talk to the villagers, who ask them to defeat the bandit in the northern gate. Sun Ce fights Tai Shi Ci again. Be very careful because Sun Ce inflicts serious damage with his attacks. We cannot kill Tai Shi Ci in this battle. Tai Shi Ci finally submits to Sun Ce after two rounds. He joins the Sun family now. Sun Jian has his first powerful general. Tai Shi Ci uses a spear with a strength value of 236 (intelligence is 123). They head east to an abandoned city. Cheng Pu is there but he rejects them, thinking that Sun Ce has become Dong Zhuo’s spy. Sun Ce proves his innocence by killing Xue Li, who hopes to avenge for Liu Yao’s death. Cheng Pu then embraces Sun Ce and Tai Shi Ci with open arms. A new general, Han Dang, joins the group too. He is not very good (strength value of 188; intelligence value of 117) statistically but one person is better than none. He equips bows so Tai Shi Ci needs to pass his bow to him. All of them visit the hut outside Ru Nan. A man tells Sun Ce that he will send a person named Huang Gai to Ru Nan. Huang Gai tells Sun Jian that Sun Ce stays in a hut outside Ru Nan. Huang Gai (strength: 204; intelligence: 164) joins Sun Jian. Remember to equip a copper spear and purchase a scale shield for Huang Gai. Talk to Yuan Shu and he allows Sun Jian to go to Jiang Dong. Sun Jian would build his base there. Suddenly, Yuan Shu’s generals Chen Ji (780) and Zhang Xun (800) ambush. They think that Sun Jian poses a threat to Yuan Shu. They decide to kill Sun Jian. Both enemies have low abilities so an armed Huang Gai takes care of them. Sun Jian arrives at the hut and finds Cheng Pu and Sun Ce at the second floor. The Sun family finally establishes his core generals (not including Sun Ce): Cheng Pu, Han Dang, Huang Gai, Tai Shi Ci, and Zhu Zhi. They now go to Jiang Dong. Note: the map is slightly different but I easily adapt into it. I have to mention that the tactician does not automatically fall into the last position during battles. Therefore, tacticians can fight. But if he dies during battle, the whole army cannot use tactics. You decide whether you want to put your tactician in the line of fire. By the way, I make up the titles for each chapter based on its flow and the original ROTK plot. Chapter 2: A Bright Star Rises in Jiang Dong Sun Jian is now in Wu Cheng Castle (formerly Jing Zhou in the original). Time flies. Dong Zhuo has defeated Yuan Shu (still has to die although not in an explicit battle) while Cao Cao has routed Yuan Shao. The map has changed quite dramatically although the core remains the same. Seas and hills replace high mountains. I really feel like Sun Jian is at home in Jiang Dong, since this land is known for its vast land mass and low population (according to Chinese history). Wu Jing, the owner of Wu Cheng, asks Sun Jian to settle the rebels located at three castles southeast of Wu Cheng. An iron sword is available. Pick it up and equip it in Sun Jian and Cheng Pu. The group enters the first castle (all three castles appear strange in comparison with the normal ones). Ou Xing (1350 soldiers) confronts Sun Jian’s troops. Sun Jian and his comrades defeat him quickly. The second castle is southeast of the first. Xü Gong challenges Sun Jian as soon as Sun Jian enters. But Sun Jian’s troops conquer him very easily. The third and final castle includes two generals: Wang Lang (1500 soldiers) and Yan Bai Hu (1400 soldiers). In ROTK, Yan Bai Hu battled Sun Ce when Sun Ce expanded his territory in Jiang Dong. Having Wang Lang and Yan Bai Hu in this final showdown matches ROTK. Sun Jian returns to Wu Cheng and report the victory to Wu Jing. Wu Jing is very happy and bestows a castle as a tribute. Sun Jian goes north (pass a bridge) and arrives at the castle named Mo Ling (also known as Jian Ye). The castle is ruined but people dream to build it as big as Luo Yang. In fact, Jian Ye would become the perennial capital for Wu and several subsequent dynasties in China. Sun Jian finds an iron armour and everyone equips it (duplication needed). When Sun Jian leaves Jian Ye, a man reports that Wu Jing is very sick. Sun Jian returns to Wu Cheng and talks to the bedridden Wu Jing. He wishes Sun Jian to take over Jiang Dong. Meanwhile, Cai Mao threatens to murder Sun Jian. Fortunately, Lü Meng unveils the plot and Sun Jian escapes to an underground pathway at the northwest corner of the palace. Sun Jian visits a hut (a bridge connects it) west of Wu Cheng after exiting the underground pathway. Lu Su lives there. He advises Sun Jian to obtain a tactician because the likes of Cheng Pu, Zhu Zhi, and Han Dang are not good enough. Sun Jian asks, “Who should I seek?” Lu Su says, “It is getting late. We will talk tomorrow.” Sun Jian sleeps through the night at Lu Su’s home. While Sun Jian and his officers were sleeping, they hear a visitor talking to Lu Su. Sun Jian asks Lu Su about the visitor the next morning. Lu Su replies that his name is Zhou Yü, who lives in a hut northeast of Wu Cheng. Lu Su suggests Sun Jian to visit him, since he is the best tactician in the land of Jiang Dong. Sun Jian heads to Zhou Yu’s hut. A lady greets him. Sun Jian asks her for Zhou Yu. The lady replies that she is his wife Xiao Qiao (Da Qiao’s younger sister). Zhou Yu is out. Once he returns, Xiao Qiao will go to Jian Ye and let Sun Jian know. Sun Jian returns to Jian Ye. He finds Lü Meng in the palace. Lü Meng tells him that Liu Biao has invaded Jiang Dong. Liu Biao leads an army of 10,000 soldiers and they settle in the Bo Wang Pass. Sun Jian and his officers head southwest to the Bo Wang Pass. Huang Zu (1800) and Gan Ning (1650) attack them. Gan Ning is much stronger than Huang Zu in terms of strength. Concentrate on him more than Huang Zu. Fortunately, none of them casts tactics. Sun Jian wins the battle. He marvels Gan Ning although Gan Ning does not join right away. Sun Jian returns to Jian Ye and finds Xiao Qiao. She says that Zhou Yü has come back. Sun Jian, Sun Ce, and his officers visit Zhou Yu immediately. Zhou Yü and Xiao Qiao are there (Zhou Yü looks the same as Liu Bei). After a conversation, Zhou Yü joins (strength: 195; intelligence: 230; equips swords). The bright star of Jiang Dong is ready to shine. Note: this chapter is very straight forward. The difference in the world map is drastic but easy to adapt. Since bandits and soldiers are very weak, I suggest taking the advantage and raise several levels. You need higher levels for the next chapter. Chapter three: Chi Bi Liu Biao invades Jiang Dong again. He brings an army of 100,000 soldiers with him, settling at Bo Wang Pass. Sun Jian leaves the group and assigns Zhou Yü to lead the Wu army. Jian Ye’s construction has made progress. Zhu Zhi leaves the group and leads the building process. When Zhou Yu and the rest arrive at Bo Wang, they battle Liu Biao (2000, has the same avatar as Liu Zhang), Kuai Liang (1450), and Wang Wei (1300). Zhou Yu launches a fire attack so the fire burns Liu Biao’s troops every round. Therefore, Zhou Yu easily wins. Everyone returns to Jian Ye afterwards. While they celebrate, a messenger reports that Wu Jing is dying in Wu Cheng. Wu Jing wants Sun Jian to visit him immediately. Sun Jian joins the group. Zhou Yu temporary departs in order to defend Jian Ye. When Sun Jian meets Wu Jing, Wu Jing asks Sun Jian to succeed him in ruling Jiang Dong. Wu Jing then dies. Cai Mao rushes in and reports that Cao Cao launches an invasion with 1,000,000 troops. Cai Mao has to run to Jiang Xia and defend Cao Cao. Sun Jian doubts Cai Mao’s motivation. He decides to consult with Zhou Yü in Jian Ye. Zhou Yü advises Sun Jian to take over as the ruler of Jiang Dong immediately. But Sun Jian hesitates. Zhou Yü therefore joins the group and they head to Fu Chun, located south of Wu Cheng. Sun Jian and Zhou Yü enter the palace, where soldiers strong advocate an alliance with Liu Bei. They speak to Sun Yi, who stands beside the throne. Sun Yi says that an ambassador of Liu Bei, Zhu Ge Liang, is missing. Sun Jian then takes over the throne, asking Sun Ce and Zhou Yu to save Zhu Ge Liang. By the way, Fu Chun sells an iron bow and a copper shield. Han Dang should equip the iron bow while everyone upgrades his shield to copper. Sun Ce, Zhou Yü, and others travel to Jian Ye first. They encounter Cao Cao’s generals, including Cao Hong (2200), Liu Xün (2100), Cao Xiu (1800), and Zhang Xi (1700). None of them is very strong although their soldier counts are high. Besides, none of them casts tactics. Yi Xin (costs 6 SP like the original game, not 32 in the Wei mod) is very useful in this battle. Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu can lock one or two generals while others focus on Cao Hong and Zhang Xi. Sun Ce, Zhou Yü, and others recapture Jian Ye. They talk to a person in the palace. He actually hides Zhu Ge Liang. He promises to free him. After the conversation, he leaves. The Wu troops return to Fu Chun. Zhu Ge Liang stands beside Sun Jian. But he does not join at this point. Instead, he asks Sun Ce and Zhou Yü to find a boat so they can head to Chai Sang. Cao Cao’s troops hold the boats in Wu Cheng. Sun Ce and Zhou Yü then attack the Cao forces at Wu Cheng. Cao’s generals are Yue Jin (2300), Li Dian (2200), Yü Jin (2100), and Lü Qian (1900). This is a very good opportunity to use Yan Re (level 20). Zhou Yü and Cheng Pu control Yue Jin and Yü Jin via Yan Re. Sun Ce, Tai Shi Ci, and Han Dang concentrate on Li Dian. After killing those three, Lü Qian is very easy. Sun Ce and Zhou Yü seize a small boat although Yue Jin burns the rest. They return to Fu Chun. Zhu Ge Liang (strength: 122; intelligence: 255; equips swords) joins them and they go to Chai Sang. Sun Jian’s younger son, Sun Qüan, sits on the throne. He and three generals pose three questions for Zhu Ge Liang to solve: southeasterly wind, Arrow Storm, and Cai Mao. Zhu Ge Liang and the rest go to a village east of Chai Sang. An old man tells them that a place far in the northeast (Japan) has methods to control wind directions. Before boarding the boat for Japan, train up several levels patiently (at least up to 21 with the Yü Lin array). You need them a lot. When Sun Ce’s troops train enough levels, they board the boat and head to Mount Fuji. They encounter an old man instead of Himiko on top of Fuji, in the middle of a lake. This man is Yü Ji. He leads Ge Xüan (3000), Ji Zi Xün (3000), Jie Tan (3000), and Liu Gen. All of them challenge Sun Ce to a battle. Since each of them has an intelligence of 255, tactics do not succeed. Try the Yü Lin array and focus on one after the other. Zhou Yü’s Yü Lin array reduces the enemy’s success in tactics. Meanwhile, Sun Ce, Tai Shi Ci, and Han Dang defeat the five “mystics” one by one. After the victory, Yü Ji gives Zhou Yü the Wind Scroll. Zhu Ge Liang carries it because only he can pray to the wind with the scroll. Everyone returns to Chai Sang immediately. Overall, this Fuji battle is the most difficult by far. We must have the Yü Lin array in order to win. If you have time to train up to level 23 with Ce Fan, you are in an even better position. The remaining questions are Cai Mao and the Arrow Storm. Cai Mao is in Jiang Xia but rocks block the pathway to it. Zhu Ge Liang then heads northeast from Chai Sang to a cave. He finds the Saltpeter. An old man in Chai Sang agrees to synthesize Gun Powder for him if he obtains a piece of deadwood. This is easy. Zhu Ge Liang uses the “check” command on the tree behind the old man. He finds the deadwood. He talks to the old man and receives the Gun Powder. Zhu Ge Liang, Zhou Yü, and Sun Ce board the boat and head to Jiang Xia. They pass Bo Wang and blow the rocks apart by using the Gun Powder. Before they attack Jiang Xia, they head northwest to a cave. They pick up a flame armour and equip it. Subsequently, they head back and attack Cai Mao at Jiang Xia. Since it is located beside a lake, fire tactics are not available. Enemy troops in Jiang Xia include Cai Mao (2300), Zhang Yün (1750), Wen Ping (1800), Kuai Yue (1650), Wang Can (1600). Generals with higher strength (Sun Ce, Tai Shi Ci, Han Dang) kill Kuai Yue (intelligence: 212) first. Meanwhile, Zhou Yü and Cheng Pu weaken Cai Mao and Wen Ping by casting Shui Lei. Zhu Ge Liang and others go to the second floor of Jiang Xia’s palace. They find the Arrow Storm, iron weapons, shields, helmets, and armours. This is a wonderful to upgrade all weapons, shields, and helmets. They return to Chai Sang and report to Sun Qüan. All three problems are solved. The battle against Cao Cao should be ready; however, another problem occurs. How can they chain Cao Cao’s ships together in order for the fire tactic to maximize the damage? They must find someone to convince Cao Cao so he would chain the ships together. Zhu Ge Liang suggests “Little Phoenix” Pang Tong to coax Cao Cao into tying the ships into chains. They head to Lu Su’s hut. Lu Su tells them that Pang Tong resides in a hut south of Chai Sang. Everyone returns to Chai Sang and head south. Instead of boarding a boat and navigating a water pathway, they walk through a strip of land between two lakes. Pang Tong’s hut is located west of the land strip. They meet Pang Tong, asking him for help. Pang Tong immediately agrees and he leaves for Cao Cao. The Chi Bi war is now set. Zhu Ge Liang carries the wind scroll in the lineup and hands the tactician duty to Cheng Pu. As soon as they encounter Cao Cao’s forces (Cao Cao: 10,000; Xü Zhu: 9800, Dian Wei: 9600; Zhang Liao: 9400; Xü Huang: 9200), Zhu Ge Liang prays for southeasterly wind according to the scroll. The rest of the story develops on its own. Cao Cao’s force suffered a major defeat, losing many soldiers. Cao Cao runs for his life in Jing Zhou, under intense pursuit from the forces of Sun Jian and Liu Bei. But Guan Yü releases Cao Cao so Cao Cao survives the pursuit. Note: The Fuji battle is the most difficult of all battles in this chapter. Wu troops must train as many levels as they can. In ROTK, Sun Ce killed Yü Ji because Sun Ce thought that Yü Ji’s mystical beliefs misled people. But Yü Ji’s ghost haunted Sun Ce subsequently. Sun Ce gradually died and Sun Qüan succeeded him. Chapter 4: The Battle for the Lord of Jing Zhou Cao Cao has not given up Jing Zhou and Jiang Dong. He has seized Jian Ye, Jiang Xia, Yi Ling, and Jiang Ling. Sun Jian asks Zhou Yü to drive out Cao Cao’s troops and control Jing Zhou. Sun Ce begins at Fu Chun, paying 500 gold pieces to a man in the northeast of Fu Chun. Sun Ce and comrades learn that Cao Cao hides a Tally Order in front of the throne at Wu Cheng’s palace. They pick it up and head for Jian Ye. Zhang Liao guards Jian Ye and he does not fall into the Tally Order. He himself battles Wu troops. Zhang Liao is a formidable opponent (3000 soldiers) although he is alone. Attacks inflict little damages and tactics succeed occasionally. But Wu troops must be patient and reduce Zhang Liao’s soldier counts little by little. Eventually Zhang Liao succumbs to defeat. Wu troops recapture Jian Ye. Lü Meng (strength: 216; intelligence: 227; equips swords) welcomes them in the castle. He joins the group after helping Sun Ce and company several times in the past. Sun Ce continues the quest by heading southwest towards Jiang Xia. Instead of the Bo Wang Pass, the group can take a short cut via Wu Cheng and Lu Su’s hut. They enter Jiang Xia via the Tally Order. However, Cao Cao’s general Li Tong (3600) confiscates the plan. He challenges Sun Ce and the group. Li Tong is much weaker than Zhang Liao in terms of abilities. The battle should be easy if we have Luo Shi (level 24). We can decide who will be our tactician. Most people go with Zhou Yü because his intelligence value is the highest among all available Wu officers. But I make a strong case for Lü Meng, whose intelligence value is only three points less than Zhou Yü. Lü Meng is the only Wu general among the current ones that learns Ce Fan at level 23. Neither Zhou Yü nor Cheng Pu knows it. Even though Wu troops lose only 1 SP with Lü Meng being the tactician, it is worth to have Ce Fan during battles. Besides, the tactician does not automatically fall into the end of the order during battles. We can utilize Lü Meng’s strength and intelligence in any fights. Ce Fan really strengthens the protection (especially among generals with low intelligence) from enemies’ tactics. The battle for Jing Zhou really starts now. Sun Ce and his comrades board a ferry southwest of Jiang Xia. They head south to Yi Ling. Two of Cao Cao’s generals, Xü Huang (2700) and Man Chong (2500), attack. Xü Huang is a difficult opponent because his strength value is 227. His attacks create severe damage so the Wu troops must reduce his soldier counts fast. Meanwhile, Man Chong’s intelligence index is 203. Wu troops cannot ignore his tactics. The key is to defeat Man Chong while controlling Xü Huang’s attacks. Wu troops enter Yi Ling after the victory. In Yi Ling (pick up an iron shield), they hear that Cao Ren leads the final group of Cao Cao’s forces. Cao Ren settles in Jiang Ling (guess from the Katakana). The story, however, twists from the original at this point. A lake blocks the eastward path so Wu troops can only go south via a mountain path. Interestingly, a general blocks the path. He is Guan Yü and he challenges a Wu general to a duel. The first general in the lineup fights him so place Sun Ce in the front. Sun Ce’s 100 soldiers fight Guan Yü’s 100 soldiers. Guan Yü retreats after one round, probably because he senses Wu troops’ strength. The path is cleared. Sun Ce and comrades go through it and head east. They pass a lake and see Jiang Ling southeast of the lake. Wu troops need to train levels before attacking Jiang Ling, since subsequent battles will be very difficult. I notice some generals’ soldier counts are over 4000. Some of them are even over 5000. I recommend to train up to 26 in order to use Li Jian. In Jiang Ling, Wu troops fight Cao Ren (2800) and Niu Jin (2600). They are much easier than Xü Huang and Man Chong. Neither Cao Ren nor Niu Jin can cast tactics. Their intelligence values are very low. Li Jian and Luo Shi are very useful. Cao Ren and Niu Jin escape to a castle after the defeat. But Guan Yü and his troops (Guan Ping, Zhou Cang, Yi Ji, Fu Shi Ren) have seized it. They killed Cao Ren and Niu Jin. The battle of Jing Zhou is now between Sun Jian and Liu Bei, as Guan Yü controls the unidentified Castle. Wu troops enter Jiang Ling, discovering that the castle’s outlook is the same as Chang Sha from the original DOAE2. In this mod, Wu troops attack the four southern Jing castles in reverse order. The castles’ names have changed too. I can only guess them because I cannot read Japanese. Jiang Qin stands at the gate of Jiang Ling and he joins (strength: 217; intelligence: 132; equips bows). Sun Ce and company enter a house in the northwest. They talk to a man and he disappears. Then, they go to the house in the southeast and talk to Zhou Tai. He runs away, offering a funeral to his former lord. Then, he joins (strength: 226; intelligence: 89, equips axes). Sun Ce and others do not need to obtain the Yang You Bow in this mod. The cave northwest of Jiang Ling is cut off too. Jiang Ling’s weapon shop sells both steel axes and steel bows. Buy a steel ax for Zhou Tai and a steel bow for Jiang Qin. I replace Han Dang with Jiang Qin, as well as Huang Gai with Zhou Tai. The abilities of Han Dang and Huang Gai are a lower than Jiang Qin and Zhou Tai. Besides, Jiang Qin and Zhou Tai can take advantage on the steel bow and ax. Wu troops head east and they see a village. A castle is located southwest of the village. The castle is the Nan Castle (Wu Ling in the original DOAE2) for this mod. People in the village tell Sun Ce that Nan citizens hope to surrender to Sun Jian. But a moat surrounds Nan so Sun Ce cannot attack. How to seize Nan without hurting citizens? Sun Ce heads to Nan and picks up a steel spear (equip it for Sun Ce and Tai Shi Ci by duplicating one) outside Nan. Then, they head southwest to the cape. They encounter a man (Han Zhong???), who promises to coax Nan’s guarding general leaving the castle. Han Zhong wants to serve Sun Jian and he agrees to coax Nan’s general out of the castle. Make sure to pick up a tactic potion and a steel shield in the cape. Equip the steel shield for everyone by making six duplicates. Go to Nan and talk to the general, whose name is Mi Fang (4500). Mi Fang discovers the plot and he desperately battles Wu troops. Despite the fact that his soldier counts are high, his abilities are very weak. He does not even know any tactics. Wu troops should have no trouble taking him out. Subsequently, Mi Fang receives the Jin Xuan treatment. Wu troops enter Nan and upgrade their weapons. I anticipate the upcoming battles to be very difficult. Some of Liu Bei’s generals have soldier counts above 5000. Therefore, I train up several levels. The castle northeast of Nan is apparently called Gong An (guess from Katakana and Chinese geography). Sun Ce, Zhou Yü, and others enter without a battle. An officer, Wang Fu, greets Wu troops and invites Zhou Yü for tea. In the palace, Wang Fu unveils his plan by attempting to murder Zhou Yü. But a man enters at this moment. His name is Fu Shi Ren, who kills Wang Fu with one blow. Sun Ce and everyone else rush in the palace, thinking that Fu Shi Ren tries to murder Zhou Yü. Fu Shi Ren surrenders to Wu and becomes Wu troops’ backup. He sits on the throne and guards Gong An. But people in Gong An are worried. They tell Zhou Yü not to trust Fu Shi Ren entirely. An iron helmet is available in Gong An. Wu troops encounters a general blocking the mountain pass north of Gong An. He is Zhou Cang (3000). Talk to him and he leads Liao Hua (2900) to fight Wu troops. They are not difficult because they cannot cast tactics. Luo Shi can easily beat them. The mountain pass is cleared. Everyone heads to the village north of the pass (pick up a tactic potion). They hear news that Guan Yü leads Liu Bei’s army in Jing Zhou. Sun Ce and Zhou Yü will engage in intrigue battles for the rest of the way. I like the setup of this chapter so far. This mod vividly portrays the heated battle for Jing Zhou among Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and the Sun clan after Chi Bi. I enjoy this chapter very much, especially playing without knowing the story flow in advance. Back to the Wu mod, a gate is located north of the village and Wu troops attack it. Liu Bei’s generals are Yi Ji (2600) and Zhao Lei (3300). The battle is more difficult than it appears. Yi Ji and Zhao Lei can cast Li Jian with high probability of success. Wu troops should play generals with high intelligence in order to reduce Li Jian’s damage. After the triumph, they head north and find a hut. Lü Meng must be in the lineup so that the two guardians move away. They meet two people: Zhang Zhao and Zhang Hong. Both of them encourage Wu to take control of Jing Zhou. The quest continues with an assault on Ba Qiu (another guess from the Katakana and Chinese geography). A gate is in front of it, southeast of Zhang Zhao’s hut. Zhao Lei (3300), Yi Ji (2600), and Guan Suo (2300) guard the gate. Make sure to play the intelligent generals (Zhou Yü, Lü Meng, and Cheng Pu). Sun Ce and comrades charge the Ba Qiu Castle. They encounter Guan Yü (3600), Guan Ping (3400), Zhou Cang (3000), Wang Fu (3100), and Ma Liang (3300). Attacks from the Guans and Zhou Cang seriously hurt Wu troops. Zhou Yü and Lü Meng respectively cast Ce Fan on Sun Ce and Tai Shi Ci. Wu troops therefore completely shut down tactics from Wang Fu and Ma Liang. Focus on Guan Yü while intelligent generals defeat Guan Ping and Zhou Cang via Luo Shi, Fu Sha (level 29), and Li Jian. Wu troops eventually win Ba Qiu and find a steel shield. Wu troops visit Zhang Zhao again, hoping that he and Zhang Hong join. But a soldier reports that Guan Yü has seized Gong An. He leads 700,000 Liu Bei troops in defense. Zhang Zhao tells Sun Ce and comrades to recapture Gong An first. When they arrive at Gong An, Guan Yü is not present. Instead, Zhang Fei (6000) and Feng Xi (4600) lead reinforcements. Even though they cannot cast tactics, their soldier counts and attack powers pose threats to Wu troops. Focus on Zhang Fei. Throw Li Jian or Fu Sha at him. If Wu troops manage to control Zhang Fei, they can pay attention to Feng Xi. This battle is easier than it appears. Wu troops defeat Zhang Fei, who flees to Yi Ling. While Wu troops are on the way to Yi Ling, they find out that Liu Bei’s troops have taken over Jiang Ling as well. Sha Mo Ke (5800) and Ma Liang (3300) guard Jiang Ling. Use Li Jian on Sha Mo Ke and focus on Ma Liang. The battle should not be too difficult, since Sha Mo Ke easily falls into tactics. Sha Mo Ke flees to Yi Ling after the defeat. Wu troops head to Yi Ling. They receive a big surprise: Liu Bei (7000) leads the battle and he launches a fire attack! Zhang Fei (6000), Feng Xi (4600), Sha Mo Ke (5800), and Huang Quan (5200) fight along. Even though the fire does not burn Wu troops every round, the battle is still more difficult than Fuji. Liu Bei and Huang Quan can cast Li Jian on Sun Ce and Tai Shi Ci. Their soldier counts are so high that Wu troops require a long time to reduce. The key is to cast Li Jian and Fu Sha on Zhang Fei, Feng Xi, and Sha Mo Ke. These three generals have low intelligence. They help Wu troops by striking one another. Fu Sha is powerful. It ties up a potent general for the rest of the battle as long as an enemy tactician does not use Jie Ce. I recommend Wu troops to reach level 31. Wu troops can restrict enemy’s Li Jian via Jie Ce. After a hard earned victory, Sun Jian drives out Liu Bei and becomes the undisputed ruler of Jing Zhou. Wu troops return to Zhang Zhao’s hut. But his followers tell Sun Ce that they have gone to Jian Ye. Everyone then returns to Jian Ye triumphantly. As soon as they return, they discover that people have built Jian Ye into the biggest castle of Jiang Dong (Rebuilt Jian Ye has a steel armour and a dragon sword). The grandeur can compare Luo Yang. Zhu Zhi rejoins the group and he can enjoy his rewards in the billet. The group talks to Zhang Zhao (strength: 120; intelligence: 240; equips swords) and Zhang Hong (strength: 97; intelligence: 233; equips swords) at the palace. As promise, they join Sun Jian. If you enjoy generals with high intelligence, this is a marvelous opportunity. You have Cheng Pu, Zhang Zhao, Zhang Hong, and Lü Meng at your disposal. But one mystery remains: why do Wu troops not need to take the Fan and Xiang Yang Castle? If they do not exist in the Wu mod, why does the map show them? In spite of the questions about Fan and Xiang Yang, this chapter is the most thrilling thus far. Wu troops fight many tense battles (Zhang Liao at Jian Ye, Guan Yü at Ba Qiu, Liu Bei and Zhang Fei at Yi Ling) and seize Jing Zhou in a very strenuous way. Once again, the layout beautifully reflects the intense rivalry among Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan when they battled for Jing Zhou after Chi Bi. Chapter 5: Defeat Liu Bei and Shu A messenger visits Sun Jian, saying Lu Su asks for a visit. Zhou Yü leaves the group in order to rebuild Jing Zhou, which has been torn by wars. Sun Jian asks Sun Ce and others to visit. Since Zhou Yü leaves, Wu needs to find a tactician to replace him (but they have already had two great ones: Zhang Zhao and Zhang Hong). Sun Ce and comrades go to Lu Su’s hut but a girl says that he has gone to Jiang Xia. But Wu generals cannot find Lu Su there. Instead, they encounter a drunkard. He promises to give them something if they defeat the bandits. Jiang Xia people cry for the same help. The bandits capture many women. Sun Ce then heads northwest to a quadrilateral forest. After they pass the forest, they meet the bandit leader. He is Gan Ning (4600), who used to serve Liu Biao. Sadly, he has fallen into a bandit. Sun Ce and comrades easily defeat him. Gan Ning (strength: 229; intelligence: 148, equips swords) finally joins Wu and he frees all women. A flame bow is available behind the gate. Gan Ning’s strength and decent intelligence make him a prominent feature in battles. Wu troops return to Jiang Xia and meet the drunkard again. Who is he actually? He is Lu Su (strength: 165; intelligence: 229; equips bows). After he had recommended Zhou Yü, he himself joins. Sun Ce and others return to Jian Ye via an automatic screen. A soldier reports a visit from an injured general (I do not know his name). Sun Jian receives him. He says that Liu Bei has seized Shu after the Jing Zhou defeat. He has hidden a Shu map in a cave northwest of Jiang Xia. He passes a letter to Sun Jian, who then hands it to Sun Ce. Wu troops must show the letter to Xü Sheng, who guards the Shu map. Sun Ce uses the letter in front of Xü Sheng in the cave. He moves away and they find the Shu map. Sun Ce talks to him again and he joins (strength: 193; intelligence: 181; equips axes). Everyone returns to Jian Ye and speak to Sun Jian. At this moment, a soldier reports a general requesting a visit. Sun Jian receives him. The general is Zhu Ran. He will be the spy for Wu. Everything is then set for the Shu conquest. Sun Jian leaves Sun Ce and Han Dang behind. They and Zhou Yü defend Jing Zhou. Lu Su and Cheng Pu lead the Wu force. They choose three more generals in the billet. Wu carries only five generals. I choose Gan Ning, Zhang Zhao, and Lü Meng at this point. The sure candidate is Lü Meng because his strength, intelligence, and speed are over 200. I use Zhang Zhao because of his intelligence of 240. He is my tactician instead of Lu Su. I prefer Gan Ning over Tai Shi Ci because Gan Ning is more intelligent. His strength is 7 points less than Tai Shi Ci but this is not a big deal. Unfortunately, I cannot drop Lu Su and Cheng Pu into the billet. Otherwise, I would replace Lu Su with Zhang Hong and Cheng Pu with Tai Shi Ci. By the way, Lu Su does not know Ce Fan but Zhang Zhao and Zhang Hong do. I name Zhang Zhao as the tactician for now (240 intelligence and knows all special tactics up to this point). Zhu Ran (strength: 212; intelligence: 178; equips swords) joins at the dock and heads to the billet. Wu troops encounter the Bai Di Castle (not sure about the name’s accuracy) once they get off the ferry. A battle starts immediately. Li Yan (5500) and Fu Tong (4900) defend it. Zhang Zhao’s tactics absolutely devastate them so the battle is easy. Wu troops enter Bai Di and hear news about Zhang Fei in Han Zhong. Go to the palace and speak to Liu Chan (I guess), who says that Liu Bei is in Cheng Du. A flame armour is available. Wu troops invade Han Zhong first so they head northeast. The hut and Emperor Jing’s tomb are absent. This mod deletes them so Wu troops do not need to find the Blood Seal. They visit a small and weird castle northwest of where the hut would be. This is the Jia Meng Citadel. Wu troops enter without a fight. Two generals stand at the gate. The man dressing in white is Ling Cao. The one in blue is his son Ling Tong. Ling Cao (strength: 216; intelligence: 116; equips sabres) joins after a conversation but Ling Tong does not. He would like to test Wu troops’ strength by asking them to invade the Yang Ping Citadel in the north. A revival potion is available. Wu troops march north and attack the Yang Ping Citadel, where they fight Wu Lan (4500) and Lei Tong (4600). Neither of them can cast tactics. Wu troops easily conquer the Yang Ping Citadel with devastating strikes and tactics. A tactic potion is available. Meanwhile, they hear news about Zhang Fei and Guan Yü guarding Han Zhong. When they return to Jia Meng, they speak to Ling Tong (strength: 222; intelligence: 102; equips sabres) again. He joins the group. Ling Cao and Ling Tong are the first two Wu generals that equip sabres; however, I do not use them. Their intelligence values are low. Their strengths are good but Gan Ning, Tai Shi Ci, and Zhou Tai are stronger. Lu Su, Cheng Pu, and others pass the old Shu mountain pathway east of Yang Ping Citadel. They then continue north and invade the Nan Zheng Citadel. This battle is significantly more difficult than Yang Ping. Liu Bei’s generals are Huang Zhong (5200), Yan Yan (4800), Wei Yan (5100), and Chen Shi (4600). None of them is intelligent enough to cast tactics but Huang Zhong, Yan Yan, and Wei Yan each has strength over 200. Their attacks can severely damage Wu generals. Focus on Huang Zhong and Wei Yan first, by employing regular attacks and boulder tactics. If it becomes absolutely necessary, Lu Su or Zhang Zhao can cast Fu Sha on one of them. In the meantime, throw a Tou Shi on Yan Yan occasionally. If Wu troops revive their soldier counts early (tactics or silver potions), they can win this fight without many difficulties. A tent is hidden in Nan Zheng. Wu troops pick it up and head to the northernmost hut. A man stands there and his name appears to be Zhang Da. He promises to bribe a man named Fan Jiang in Han Zhong if Wu troops agree to pay him 10,000 gold pieces. Wu generals pay him and he did his work. Han Zhong Castle has been opened. I train the Wu troops up to level 40 but Zhang Zhao does not learn Huo Shen. Lü Meng, Cheng Pu, and Lu Su do. I therefore name Lu Su as tactician. I also drop Zhang Zhao to the billet and add Tai Shi Ci. Besides, Zhang Hong does not learn Huo Shen. Zhang Zhao and Zhang Hong are not as good as I initially think. Their intelligence values, however, are still worth considering for the Wei chapter. They cannot function as tacticians but they may be great for combats. Wu troops arrive at Han Zhong. Fan Jiang emerges and asks for the tribute. Suddenly, Zhang Fei discovers the plot and he kills Fan Jiang. Zhang Fei’s generals emerge and a hard battle commences. Zhang Fei (5600) leads Ma Chao (5400), Ma Dai (4700), Wu Yi (5000), and Fa Zheng (4800). Huo Shen is very helpful because it severely devastate Zhang Fei, Ma Chao, and Ma Dai. Meanwhile, be very careful with Fa Zheng. His intelligence is as high as 235 and his tactics can be lethal. But with Huo Shen, Wu troops kill Zhang Fei and Ma Chao in two rounds. Wu troops enter Han Zhong and find a white tiger ax. It is worth to replace Tai Shi Ci with Zhou Tai. Their strengths differ by only 10 points (Tai Shi Ci: 236; Zhou Tai: 226). Zhou Tai can equip the white tiger ax which has an attack value of 150. Since their strengths are very close, weapons become a priority in my lineup decisions. When Wu troops leave Han Zhong, Pang Tong arrives. Liu Bei would like to meet Wu troops at Bai Di, according to him. Lu Su and others know that this is a trap; however, they have no choice but going. They talk to Pang Tong (stands at Bai Di’s gate) when they arrive. Pang Tong reveals the plot of killing Wu troops and challenges them. Pang Tong (6000) fights along with Wu Lan (4500) and Lei Tong (4600). Pang Tong is the most dangerous threat because his intelligence is 245. Focus on him while reducing the soldier counts of Wu Lan and Lei Tong by casting tactics (not Huo Shen but Hong Shui because Bai Di is near a river). Wu troops defeat Pang Tong and recapture Bai Di. Liu Chan has left. A general stands near the entrance. His name is Quan Cong (strength: 208; intelligence: 142; equips spears). He joins when Wu troops talk to him. I put him in the billet immediately. Wu poses a serious problem for Liu Bei. People in Bai Di tell Wu troops about the water gate north of Bai Di. If Wu troops can get rid of the water, they can access a clear path towards Cheng Du. They head north to a hut, where they find a man. He looks like Zhu Ge Liang but dresses differently. Talk to him and he moves away, yielding a stair to a basement. Wu troops pick up a bronze key there. They then attack the gate north of the hut. Liu Bei’s generals Wu Yi (5000), Wu Ban (5400), and Chen Shi (4600) guard the gate. Wu troops have access to Huo Shen so this battle is very easy (I have reached level 41 with Ji Mian). Lu Su and others enter the gate and find a locked hut. They open the door with the bronze key. They turn the handle in the hut and get rid of all the water. A dry land appears so they can attack Cheng Du via the Luo Feng Pass. But people at the gate say some bad fortunes about Luo Feng. . . Wu troops can pick up a Qing Long sabre and a steel helmet on the dry land, which appears after all the water disappear. What bad fortunes lie in Luo Feng? Wu troops do not know so they proceed. But let Lü Meng handle the tactician role for precautionary measures. Liu Bei troops ambushes at Luo Feng. It is Pang Tong (6000) leading the charge. Ma Chao (5400), Huang Zhong (5200), and Wei Yan (5100) follow. In the original game, Pang Tong dies here. He tries to turn the fortune in this mod. Wu troops can only inflict very weak damages while Pang Tong’s troops hurt everyone significantly. Suddenly, an arrow shoots Lu Su in the heart. Lu Su sadly dies. I do not think that Lu Su deserves to die so early. Zhou Yü is the one dying young. The mod can have Zhou Yü leading the force, dies at Luo Feng. Lu Su then succeeds him by rescuing from Jing Zhou. Anyway, Wu troops can only retreat (automatic screens) to Bai Di. But Zhu Ge Liang (6100) is already there. He leads Ma Su (5400), Wang Ping (5500), Gao Xiang (5100), and Fa Zheng (4800). If Lü Meng is the tactician, Wu troops can use strategies. But they are still much weaker than Zhu Ge Liang. Furthermore, Zhu Ge Liang knows Ce Mian. Fire burns Zhu Ge Liang’s troops (and every round) just as Wu troops are close to annihilation. Zhou Yü leads reinforcements from Jing Zhou. Wu troops escape a scare and win the battle; however, I need to revive Gan Ning and Zhou Tai with revival potions. Zhu Ge Liang escapes but Wu can now regroup at Bai Di. The screen switches to the palace of Bai Di. Zhou Yü, Sun Ce, and Han Dang rejoin. Wu troops return to a seven men lineup. They lament Lu Su’s death. But Lu Su is actually alive in the billet! What happens? Lu Su miraculously survives the shot at Luo Feng (I do not use any special tricks such as the Zheng’s Letter and the 64 items. Lu Su just appears in the billet). Han Dang’s abilities are too low so I get rid of him. If you insert Lu Su into the lineup, be aware that you cannot take him out. The game considers him at Sun Jian’s tactician so he must stay in the lineup. Zhou Yü, Sun Ce, and Cheng Pu cannot be taken out either. Pang Tong has blocked the Luo Feng Pass. Wu troops must take a long road by ferry. They head south, attack the Ba Castle after getting off the ferry. I assign Zhou Yü to be the tactician. Zhang Zhao reenters into the lineup because of his intelligence of 240. I use him during combats, enabling me to cast tactics and defend from enemies’. Chen Dao (5600), Zhang Yi (5100), and Fu Qian (4800) guard the Ba Castle. None of them casts tactics. Take out Chen Dao first. His soldier count and strength are the highest among the three. Wu troops enter Ba Castle after the victory. They pick up a tent. A man named Zhu Huan (strength: 209; intelligence: 158; equips spears) joins after talking to Wu troops. People in Ba remind Wu troops to be very careful at the Ba Citadel, located west of the Ba Castle. They advise Sun Ce and others not to pursue, when enemies retreat from the Ba Citadel. Wu generals head west and attack the Ba Citadel. They encounter Zhu Ge Liang (6100), Xiang Chong (5000), and Ning Sui (4700). Zhu Ge Liang is obviously the most dangerous. He can cast Ce Mian and form the Ba Gua array. But they retreat after one round. Wu troops must wait for a woman entering from the opposite side before going in. They talk the woman, who reveals Zhu Ge Liang’s fire attack. They pick up an ice spear. When they exit, they fight Zhu Ge Liang again. If Wu troops do not wait for the woman, they will fall into the fire attack and lose soldiers every round. Regardless, this first battle against Zhu Ge Liang is quite difficult. Wu troops march westward from the Ba Citadel. They arrive at a village called Chen Village. Everyone’s surname is Chen. They say that Jian Ning has been surrounded with arrows. Wu troops cannot enter. They march north to a mountain, picking up items (particularly the flame shield) and attack a gate north of the mountain. Liu Bei’s troops store Jian Ning’s food supplies here. If Wu generals conquer the gate, Jian Ning is forced to open its defense. Wu troops face Ma Su (4600) and Xiang Lang (4500). After the victory, Sun Ce and others enter the gate. They talk to Ma Su and he angrily vows revenge. He runs away immediately. A silver stone is available in this gate. Five generals guard Jian Ning: Wang Ping (5500), Zhang Yi (5300), Zhang Yi (5100), Hu Du (5200), and Xiang Chong (5000). Two generals named Zhang Yi but they are two different people. The two “Yi” are written differently in Chinese. None of them can cast tactics so Wu troops can concentrate on one general at a time. They can start with Wang Ping and move based on the strength indices of enemy generals. Tactics do not succeed for whatever reasons. But Wu troops should win if they revive their soldiers on time. People in Jian Ning tell Wu troops news about the next castle, Yue Jin. In Shu, Yue Jin has the most solid defense. A general named Ding Feng (strength: 213; intelligence: 188; equips axes) joins in Jian Ning. Wu troops can pick up a flame armour. They head north to Yue Jin but simply cannot conquer it. They therefore retreat to a village southwest of Yue Jin. It is called the Zhu Ge village because everyone has the surname Zhu Ge. Pick up a barrage sword and equip it for all swords users. Sun Ce talks to a man in the hut located in between a billet and an inn. His name is Zhu Ge Jin. He wishes to serve Sun Jian but Liu Bei has taken his mother as hostage (this scene inappropriately portray a dirty picture of Liu Bei. He would have never done this in real history). Sun Ce and others have to pass the cave west of the Jiang village and rescue Zhu Ge Jin’s mother. Ma Su (4600) stands in front of the hut. Pick up a white tiger ax before talking to him. He is shock that Wu troops find this place. He desperately challenges them but Wu generals easily take him out and rescue the man’s mother. The screen automatically returns to Zhu Ge Jin’s (strength: 130; intelligence: 225; equips spears) house. He says that Yue Jin generals will open the castle if Wu troops place him at the front of the line. Sun Ce does so at the billet. But this whole Zhu Ge Jin episode is ridiculous. In fact, Zhu Ge Jin is Zhu Ge Liang’s older brother. Zhu Ge Jin served Wu much earlier than Liu Bei found Zhu Ge Liang If Liu Bei seizes the mother of Zhu Ge Jin and Zhu Ge Liang, why would Zhu Ge Liang remain deeply loyal to him? Game makers cannot generate a sibling rivalry in such an atrocious manner. Logically, both Zhu Ge Jin and Zhu Ge Liang should join Wu if Liu Bei commits such atrocity. Zhu Ge Liang will be very helpful because Wu tacticians are rather weak. Even though I train them to level 42, no one (including Zhou Yü and Lu Su) learns Shui Long. Well, I have vented my frustration on the story. I hereby return to the mod. Zhu Ge Jin lines up as the front man. Guards at Yue Jin open the gate. But Liu Bei’s troops quickly discover it and they fight. Enemy generals include Wu Yi (5000), Zhang Yi (5100, the second Zhang Yi from Jian Ning), Gao Xiang (4900), Fu Qian (4800), and Ning Sui (4700). Even with five generals, none of them can cast tactics. Wu generals can inflict severe damages with barrage swords (Gan Ning and Lü Meng equip) and Huo Shen (Zhu Ge Jin and Lu Su cast). A man named Lu Xun (strength: 215; intelligence: 240, equips swords) joins upon talking to him. He appears earlier than I expect. Regardless, he is so strong that Wu troops must start him. He may be very useful all the way to the end of the game. I replace Zhang Zhao for him. A steel helmet and a tactic scroll are available in Yue Jin. The Mian Zhu Citadel is north of Yue Jin but Wu troops can only enter from the back. They talk to an old man in a cave. He hides a TNT and Sun Ce finds it in the underground level. Wu generals agree to seize Mian Zhu by launching a fire attack using the TNT. They exit the cave and enter Mian Zhu from the back. Pick up a dragon armour first. Then, they use the TNT at the haystacks. A fire starts and generals appear. This mod does not allow us to train levels here. Instead of soldiers, women stand in the citadel begging Sun Ce for help. Liu Bei never does inhumane things like this (sigh!). Women do not fight when Wu troops talk to them. If we want to raise levels, we must do it in a hard way, spending tones of time. Pang Tong (6000) leads Chen Dao (5600), Wei Yan (5100), Xiang Chong (5000), and Gao Xiang (4900) in defense. Focus on Pang Tong first. His intelligence is an enormous threat. Meanwhile, control Wei Yan with Huo Shen. His strength is dangerous. Fire burns Pang Tong’s generals every round so this battle is not too difficult. Wu troops pursue Liu Bei’s generals to the Luo Castle, north of Mian Zhu. Pang Tong (6000) fights with Wang Ping (5500), Zhang Yi (5300, the first Zhang Yi from Jian Ning), Hu Du (5200), and Ning Sui (4700). Wu troops should focus on Pang Tong again. Other generals are not very strong so Wu generals can take a few hits from them. In Luo Castle, people report on Zhang Fei’s presence. Wu troops can find a water scroll, a fire scroll, and a boulder scroll. The march towards Cheng Du continues. They head southwest from Luo and arrive at Jin Yan Bridge. Zhang Fei (6900) stands at the end of the bridge and challenges the leading Wu general to a duel. I use Sun Ce (no chance of victory in real history). Since tactics are unavailable, remember to carry a lot of potions. Sun Ce kills Zhang Fei in this duel. Zhang Fei is dead along with Guan Yü Finally, they meet Liu Bei (7000) himself at Cheng Du. Liu Bei vows to destroy Wu because it has killed his brothers Guan Yü and Zhang Fei. This is a difficult battle because Liu Bei leads a star studded force in defense. His generals include Ma Chao (6500), Huang Zhong (6400), Zhao Yun (6300), and Zhu Ge Liang (6100). Assuming that you know DOAE2, you should understand how strong these five people are. I start Sun Ce, Gan Ning, Lu Xun, Lü Meng, and Zhou Yü for this final Shu showdown. Lu Xun can attempt a Huo Shen on Ma Chao but the biggest threat is Zhu Ge Liang. His Ba Gua array and Ce Mian are devastating. Liu Bei’s Ji Mian is tough too. In this battle, I use Lu Xun as the tactician. I put him in the fight and he dies. I then cannot use any tactics. No one carries a revival potion so I cannot resurrect him. I say this because this mod allows tactician to fight during battles. But you run an enormous risk of losing your tactician and your tactics. If this happens late in the game, you are in big trouble. Cheng Du has a flame bow. Sun Ce and others rest in the inn because Sun Jian does not arrive until the next day. They talk to Sun Jian in the palace and Sun Jian sends them back to the inn. When they wake up, they talk to Sun Jian again. Wu has conquered Liu Bei and Shu but Cao Cao is the threat. He has conquered Han Zhong. Who will unify China, Sun Jian or Cao Cao? Chapter 6: Unify China by Defeating Wei Soldiers have cleared the rocks at Luo Feng Pass. Wu troops can attack Han Zhong via Luo Feng. Cao Cao’s troops have occupied the Yang Ping and Nan Zheng Citadels, as well as Han Zhong. Wu generals battle Wei forces first at Yang Ping. Cao Cao’s generals include Cao Hong (7200), Cao Xiu (7100), and Xü Huang (8200). All three of them appear in previous chapters. Xü Huang is the most dangerous on account of his strength (227) and his attack power (200). I take him out with Ji Shi first. Then, Cao Hong and Cao Xiu are easy. Wu troops continue the Han Zhong battles at Nan Zheng. Cao Cao’s forces strengthen as they have Cao Zhang (7800), Han Hao (7500), Zhang He (8000), and Guo Huai (7600). Cao Zhang (strength: 242, Cao Cao’s third son) and Zhang He (strength: 225) are very dangerous because of their strengths. Guo Huai is good at both attacks and tactics (strength: 187, intelligence: 200). If Wu troops can quickly take out Cao Zhang with Ji Shi, they have an easier time. Han Hao can be left until Cao Zhang, Zhang He, and Guo Huai are defeated. Han Zhong is the final showdown for this part of the story. The battle is obviously more challenging than Nan Zheng. Xia Hou Yuan (8400) leads Xü Huang (8200), Zhang He (8000), Cao Zhang (7800), and Xia Hou Shang (7300). Every Wei generals except Xia Hou Shang has strength over 200. You are in big trouble if they ambush you. They do it against me. I lose Sun Ce before I plan my attacks. Wu troops must carry lots of silver and revival potions. Ji Shi is not available because Han Zhong is not close to mountains. Huo Shen becomes crucial for victory although it does not always succeed. I win in my second attempt (Gan Ning dies in my second try). The generals’ attacks are really devastating. Wu troops rest one night and talk to Sun Jian, who arrives from Cheng Du on the next day. A soldier reports Cao Cao’s usurp on the Han throne. Zhou Yü suggests Sun Jian to become the king of Wu. Sun Jian agrees and he is anointed king. He then decides to invade and conquer Cao Cao so he can restore the Han Empire. He assigns Sun Ce to defend Jian Ye and Cheng Pu to defend Cheng Du. Sun Ce and Cheng Pu leave the party permanently. Sun Jian delegates Zhou Yü to lead Wu troops for the war against Cao Cao and Wei. Zhou Yü and others leave the palace. Sun Quan (strength: 228; intelligence: 207; equips swords) stands at the door. He succeeds his older brother, Sun Ce, and his father, Sun Jian, as a combat general. Zhu Ge Jin’s son, Zhu Ge Ke (strength: 116; intelligence: 218; equips spears) joins too. I pick up Tai Shi Ci at the billet before I talk to Zhu Ge Ke. In doing so, I prevent the possibility of not being able to take him out. Zhu Ge Ke turns out to be relatively weak. Sun Quan is decent so I am happy to keep him. If you are uncomfortable with Sun Quan’s intelligence, you can replace him with Zhang Zhao. Wu troops enter Wei territory from Han Zhong. They head southeast (soldiers have removed rocks blocking the path east of Han Zhong) and pass the Feng Ming gate without a fight. The Nan An Castle is southeast of Feng Ming. This is the first of a lengthy war against Cao Cao and Wei. Wei defenders include Qin Liang (8200), Han Ji (7600), and Cen Wei (7800). None of them is particularly strong. Wu troops easily seize Nan An. A famous doctor named Hua Tuo lives there. He offers Wu generals a free rest. People in Nan An tell Sun Quan the three castles in the nearby area: Nan An, An Ding, and Tian Shui. Cao Zhen guards Tian Shui. A Void Spear is available. I give it to Tai Shi Ci. An Ding is east of Nan An so Sun Quan leads Wu generals to attack it. Qin Lang (8200), Zai Ling (8000), Zheng Wen (7300), and Fei Yao (7800) guard it. The four generals are weak although they have many soldiers. Besides, they are not mentioned in history. Wu troops should have another easy battle. An Ding has an Emperor Sabre and a Gold Stone. No capable Wu general equips the Emperor Sabre so Sun Quan sells it. They also meet an old lady but she is too ill to talk. Sun Quan attacks Tian Shui and Wu troops encounter Cao Zhen (9000), Wang Shuang (8800), Zhang Hu (8400), Yue Lin (8600), and Xin Pi (8400). Cao Zhen and Wang Shuang are the dangerous enemies. Wu forces get rid of Wang Shuang by casting Ji Shi. Cao Zhen can form a Ji Mo array so take him out next. Then, focus on Xin Pi. Tian Shui has a Great Armour and a Barrage Sword. The armoury shop sells a Nu Long Sword. Sword users can upgrade their weapons. Rocks block the mountain pass northeast of Tian Shui. Otherwise, people can reach Chen Cang and Chang An directly. Wu troops must take the long road. They move north and the terrain has changed from the original DOAE2. A cave is northeast of Tian Shui. Sun Quan goes there. Wu troops find the Gauntlet, the Cloud Burst Scroll, and a few more items. This cave is the same as the one southeast of Bei Yuan in the original game. A mountain pass is located further north. When they go there, Deng Ai (9400) ambushes via a fire attack! His generals include Wen Qin (8600), Wen Yang (8400), Guo Huai (7600), and Chen Tai (8600). Their powerful attacks and fire defeat Wu troops easily. Fortunately, Ji Ping rescues them and brings them back to An Ding. He says that Wen Qin and Wen Yang are forced to serve Deng Ai because of their ailing mother. He bestows Sun Quan a reference letter. He takes to Hua Tuo at Nan An so Hua Tuo will heal the Wens’ mother. However, a general guards Hua Tuo’s house in Nan An. Talk to him and choose “no”. A fight begins. In fact, two generals guard Hua Tuo’s house. They are Wei Guan (7100) and Tian Xü (7000). Tian Xü is very weak but Wei Guan can cast tactics. Kill Wei Guan first. Sun Quan show Ji Ping’s reference letter to Hua Tuo, who runs to An Ding and heal the mother of Wen Qin and Wen Yang. When Sun Quan and the rest arrive at An Ding, Hua Tuo and Ji Ping have healed the Wens’ mother. Sun Quan leaves An Ding in order to explain to the Wen brother. But they come and attack Wu troops. Since they are on their own, Wu generals defeat them quickly. They try to escape but Sun Quan and others catch them up. Zhou Yü explains everything. Wen Qin and Wen Yang then leave Cao Cao. They vanish and I cannot find them in the billet. But they are not very useful so I am not too concerned. Zhou Yü leaves the team. He needs to invent a new weapon. Wu troops continue their conquest with Lu Xun being their tactician. I insert Zhang Zhao in the lineup for now. Sun Quan goes back to Tian Shui from An Ding. He and others find Zhou Yü in the palace. Zhou Yü commands them to seize Chen Cang. Sun Quan and others travel north from Tian Shui. They reach the Yi Shui citadel (not sure about the name’s accuracy) after passing the mountain pass where Deng Ai ambushed. Cao Zhen (9000), Wang Shuang (8800), Zhang Hu (8400), Yue Lin (8600), and Sun Li (8600) guard it. Four of the five enemy generals are the same as Tian Shui. But Wu troops need to be more careful with Sun Li while focusing on Cao Zhen and Wang Shuang. In Yi Shui, people tell Sun Quan that the Xie Gu Citadel is in the west. A Gold Stone is available at Yi Shui, whose layout is the same as Si Li of the original DOAE2. I reach level 48 and Lu Xun learns the Ba Gua array; however, I do not have Shui Long. Moreover, Wu troops are heavily outnumbered (2:1 ratio). We need to train many levels in order to strengthen Wu generals’ power. If you feel comfortable with your levels, proceed from Yi Shui along the mountains. Wu troops reach the Xie Gu citadel (equivalent to the Bei Yuan Citadel in the original game). Hao Zhao (8800), Wang Shuang (8800), Chen Tai (8600), and Sun Li (8600) battle Sun Quan and others. All of them are talented so Sun Quan and others have a difficult fight. Strategically take out Wang Shuang by casting Ji Shi. Then, Wu troops focus on Hao Zhao. Sun Li and Chen Tai should not be too difficult after Wang Shuang and Hao Zhao are dead. But if the enemy casts Ji Mian successfully, Wu troops are going to have a tough battle. For this reason, I put a few highly intelligent generals in the lineup (Sun Quan, Lü Meng, Lu Su, and if you want, Zhang Zhao). In Xie Gu, people tell Sun Quan that Cao Cao heavily defends Jie Ting. Sun Quan and others head west from the Xie Gu Citadel. They must pass the Xie Gu Mountains (a Wind Helmet is in one of the chests) before reaching Jie Ting. The Xie Gu Mountains is identical to the mountain pass east of Bei Di in the original game. But Wu troops travel in the reverse direction. They reach the Gao Lao Village (translated as Xia Luo in the original game). Most people are old men. A Silver Stone and a pair of Speed Shoes are available. Sun Quan and Lü Meng can equip them because their agilities are high (duplication needed). An old man offers Sun Quan water but he does not have a flask to store it. The water in the Gao Lao Village is the best in China. How does the water relate to Wu’s conquest? Wu troops arrive at Jie Ting after they leave Xia Luo Village. Indeed, five generals guard it so the defense is heavy. But apart from Huan Fan (8000), they are very weak. Cao Shuang (9000), Cao Xun (8800), Cao Yan (8600), Cao Xi (8400) are easy to defeat. Concentrate on Huan Fan (intelligence: 206) first and the Cao generals fall quickly. But they find neither Cao Cao nor Si Ma Yi inside Jia Ting. Where are they? Sun Quan also hears reports that Zhou Yü has invented a new weapon. Everyone decides to meet Zhou Yü at Tian Shui. However, Cao Cao’s forces ambushes at the mountain pass outside Jia Ting! Wu forces cannot fight them but they must retreat. Deng Ai (9400) launches the first assault. He and his son Deng Zhong (8200) attack Wu forces at the end of the pass. But this mod does not have Si Ma Yi striking every step at the pass. As they retreat, Wu troops discover that Deng Ai has conquered Yi Shui. He, Deng Zhong, and Hu Lie (8200) launch another surprise attack. Wu troops have no choice but retreat. But Deng Ai ambushes for the fourth time at the beginning of the mountain pass south of Yi Shui! Hu Yuan (8000) joins Wei’s ambush. Again, Wu has to retreat. Deng Ai attacks for the fifth time in the pass. Huang Fu Kai (7500) joins as Wei’s fifth general. They meet Zhou Yü when they finally arrive at Tian Shui. He has already invented a new item. He rejoins and brings it with him. But I have no clue with this new item’s function. I cannot use it during battles. I can equip it in a general but his statistics, attack, and defense remain the same. Anyhow, Wu troops need to recapture Yi Shui and Xie Gu before launching a second attack on Jia Ting. Hu Lie and Hu Yuan guard Yi Shui. They are not very talented generals so this battle is very easy. Wei troops also seized Xie Gu. Wu Qiu Jian (8600) and Zhu Ge Dan (8800, not related to Zhu Ge Liang and Zhu Ge Jin) guard it. This Xie Gu battle is a little harder than Yi Shui but should not be very difficult. Sun Quan and others reach Jie Ting for the second time. Surprisingly, they enter without a fight. A man says that Deng Ai gathers the troops and retreats from Sun Quan. What is Deng Ai’s strategy? Regardless, everyone heads northeast and invades the Lu Castle. Deng Ai’s comrade, Zhong Hui (9200), leads Xü Zhi (8400), Xü Yi (8600), Xun Kai (7800), and Qiu Jian (7300) in defense. Zhong Hui’s intelligence is 240 so he is the dangerous man. Xun Kai and Qiu Jian do not have high intelligence values but their Ji Mian can give Wu troops a tough time. Try to control Xü Zhi and Xü Yi in order to focus on the other three. Fu Sha or Li Fan is good if successful. Zhong Hui escapes from death after Wu troops seize Lu. In Lu, Sun Quan and comrades find a Half Moon Bow and a Gold Stone. Two storage huts are located in the northeast of Lu. They enter and pick up many valuable weapons, armours, helmets, and shields. Some of them include the Heaven Sword (220 attack), Dragon Spear (220 attack), the Sky Helmet (NOT the best helmet in this mod), the Thunder Shield (80 defense), and the Great Armour (best armour in the game). Wu troops also find a Treatise for Lu Xun. I duplicate one for Zhou Yü, two for Lu Su. People report that Deng Ai gathers much fire powder. When and where will he launch a fire attack? A woman tells Sun Quan the function of the Cloud Burst. Heavy rain falls when a person prays with it. Sun Quan remembers these news and attack the Qi Shan Citadel, located north of Lu. Pang De (9400) and Pang Hui (7300) guard it. Their strengths are high but they are not very intelligent. Tactics should be very successful and the battle is easy. According to Sun Quan’s conversations with people in Qi Shan, the Shang Fang Valley is in front of Qi Shan. A woman says that Deng Ai and his troops are in Shang Fang Valley. Wu troops head north from Qi Shan. A man stands at the gate. Sun Quan talks to him and he seems to demand something from the Han Emperor. He does not move away and does not fight. Sun Quan and others leave him (we will deal with him later), taking the eastern path from Qi Shan and they arrive at the Shang Fang Valley. Deng Ai (9400), Zhong Hui (9200), and Deng Zhong (8200) are there. Deng Ai burns the valley and besieges the Wu forces in a sea of fire. Hu Lie (8200) and Hu Yuan (8000) join them. But Zhou Yü remembers the word from a woman at Lu. He prays to the heavens with the Cloud Burst (only Zhou Yü can use it). Suddenly, large drops of rain fall in Shang Fang. The rain is so heavy that it puts out the fire. Deng Ai is angry and shocked. He challenges Sun Quan’s troops in desperation. The battle remains very difficult if Wu troops’ level is too low. Take out Deng Ai and Zhong Hui first. Meanwhile, control Deng Zhong with tactics. Deng Ai, Zhong Hui, and Deng Zhong die in this battle. Wei loses its three most talented young generals. What fate will Wei face? A soldier reports to Sun Quan. Sun Jian has arrived at Lu. Sun Quan and others then return to Lu. While Sun Jian and Sun Quan celebrate their victory, soldiers report that Cao Cao’s main army is in Luo Yang. Sun Jian then orders Sun Quan to seize Chang An and Luo Yang. As they leave the Lu palace. Lu Kang (strength: 197; intelligence: 226; equips swords) rushes in and joins the group. He is the son of Lu Xun. The path beyond Shang Fang Valley has been cleared. Everyone moves on. Wei troops suddenly ambush them at the end of Shang Fang. Du Yü (9000) leads Wang Xun (9200) and Zhou Zhi (8600) in the fight. All of them are decent in abilities so Wu troops must be careful. Du Yü can form Jing Mo and cast An Sha. He kills my Gan Ning so we have to bring some revival potions to the battle. They will be handy if one of Wu generals dies of an An Sha. Wu troops march on. They see a hut in the north but no one is there (we will visit this hut shortly). They head south and reach the Wu Zhang Citadel. Yang Gu (9200), Wang Xun (9200), Zhou Zhi (8600), and Huang Fu Kai (7500) defend it. Wu troops must first defeat Yang Gu and Wang Xun. Meanwhile, intelligent generals cast tactics on Zhou Zhi. In doing so, Wu troops conquer the Wu Zhang Citadel. They pick up a Thunder Ax. They talk to a man, who sells them a Heaven Elixir for 1000 gold pieces. Sun Quan buys it and the man runs away. Wu generals also hear the Ba Gua array from an old man. In this mod, the Ba Gua array costs only 48 SP (instead of 200 in the Wei mod). Even though it prevents enemies from hitting four of our five generals, the array heavily reduces our attack powers. Each strike can only kill approximately 100 to 200 soldiers when we implement the Ba Gua. You can decide whether it is worth using. Surprisingly, Si Ma Yi does not participate in the Wu Zhang battle. Where is he? Wu troops head south with this question in mind. They encounter a stone maze and they cannot find an exit. They leave the maze and find a hut northeast of it. An old man lives there. He loses a valuable item called Heaven Elixir. Sun Quan purchases it at Wu Zhang and he uses it. Then, the old man tells Sun Quan that Si Ma Yi sets up the stone maze. He intends to slow down Wu troops’ advance. Wu troops go south 20 steps, followed by east 20 steps. They find the exit. Two castles lie ahead of them. Chang An is east of the stone maze. Chen Cang is southwest of Chang An. But Wu troops first enter the Tie Men Mountains, located east of Chang An. They pick up some weapons, armours, and items. Since I am stuck with Lu Su, the Yang You Bow is helpful. Wu troops leave the Tie Men Mountains and store some items in the safe. I keep training levels before I attack Chang An and Chen Cang. I discover that Wu troops learn Shui Long (30 SP in this mod) at level 58. Zhang Zhao and Zhang Hong know Jin Xian at level 46. Sun Quan, Lü Meng, Lu Su, Zhou Yü, Lu Xun, Lu Kang, Zhang Zhao, and Zhang Hong learn Shui Long. Lu Xun is the only general that knows the Ba Gua array. Wu troops attack Chang An and Si Ma Yi is there. Suddenly, everything turns into a white blank in front of Wu generals. When they wake up, they lie in a hut instead of fighting Si Ma Yi at Chang An. Sun Quan wonders what has happened. He says “aren’t we battling Si Ma Yi? Where is this? Why do we end up lying in this small house? They find an old man named Huang Cheng Yan, who rescue them and settle them there (his home). Zhou Yü asks him “what tactic is Si Ma Yi using?” Huang Cheng Yan replies, “Si Ma Yi’s tactic is called Luo Lei (thunder tactic), which he learns from Wu Qi (a famous tactician in ancient China).” Zhou Yü says “is there a solution for this thunder tactic?” Huang Cheng Yan giggles, “yes, but I won’t teach you unless you bring me tea.” An unexpected episode begins, as this hut is involved in the game. Wu troops must find tea for Huang Cheng Yan. When they leave Huang’s hut, they find themselves north of Wu Zhang and northeast of Shang Fang. They go to Wu Zhang and enter the house at the right of the inn. A tea merchant is there. He gives Sun Quan tea immediately (good that the game makers do not make Wu troops travel to Tian Shui). Everyone returns to Huang Cheng Yan’s hut and bestows him tea. He is very happy but he demands water. He gives Sun Quan a water bucket, asking him to grab a bucket of pure water at the Gao Lao Village. Now Sun Quan understands how water relates to Wu’s conquest. They head to the Gao Lao Village right away. The old man near the well happily gives them a bucket of clean water. They return and provide a full bucket of Gao Lao’s clean water to Huang Cheng Yan. But he does not teach them the solution for Si Ma Yi’s thunder tactic. Instead, he asks for a tea set. Wu generals then go to the Lu Castle. The tea set merchant has returned and he lives in the house at the right of the item shop. He gives the best crafted tea set to Sun Quan upon Sun Quan’s request. Sun Quan and his comrades happily return to Huang Cheng Yan’s house, thinking that he will finally tell them the solution for the thunder attack. Huang Cheng Yan receives the tea set and enjoys his delicious tea. Meanwhile, he tells Sun Quan the solution. When Si Ma Yi utters his lines, players must key “up, down, down, left, right, left, down, up” immediately after he finishes. This will nullify Si Ma Yi’s thunder tactic. But Zhou Yü wishes an insurance strategy. They come up with a plan, spreading rumours that Zhou Yü is dead. When Si Ma Yi leaves Chang An, Wu troops seize it immediately. Wu troops march to Chang An confidently. Si Ma Yi tries to launch the thunder attack again (key “up, down, down, left, right, left, down, up” as soon as he finishes the second part of his line). But he does not realize that Wu troops have nullified it. Sun Quan announces that Zhou Yü has died. Wu troops retreat and Si Ma Yi pursues them. Suddenly, Zhou Yü and Sun Quan emerge. Zhou Yü says that Si Ma Yi has fallen into his trick. Sun Quan tells Si Ma Yi (9999) that his thunder tactic has failed. Zhou Yü then besieges Si Ma Yi’s troops in a widespread fire. Si Ma Yi’s generals include Xia Hou Ba (9400), Xia Hou Wei (8800), Wu Qiu Jian (8600), and Zhu Ge Dan (8800). Si Ma Yi is obviously the most dangerous so take him out first. With the help of the fire, Wu troops easily win. However, Si Ma Yi escapes and runs to Luo Yang. People in Chang An say that Si Ma Yi has gathered one million troops in Luo Yang. While Wu troops pick up a Fortune Shield and a Power Stone, a man says that the Emperor’s Seal is in the Chen Cang Castle. Sun Quan talks to an old man in the northwestern part of Chang An. He bestows a Snake Spear to him. Chen Cang is southwest of Chang An. Si Ma Yi’s grandson, Si Ma Yan (9800), defends it. Jia Chong (8400), Cheng Ji (8800), and Cheng Cui (8600) follow him. Lü Meng and Zhou Yü can kill Cheng Ji and Cheng Cui by casting Shui Long. This is important because the Chengs’ strengths are over 210. The rest can take out Jia Chong. Si Ma Yan is then easy. Sun Quan enters Cheng Cang after the victory. Wu troops visit the hut at the northwest corner. They pick up many treasures, including the Emperor’s Seal (ぎよくじ). A Sky Helmet is available in Chen Cang. Before Wu troops head to Luo Yang, they recall the man standing at a gate north of Qi Shan (we deal with him now). Sun Quan and others return there. They use the Emperor’s Seal in front of him. He is in fact Dong Zhuo (9999). He demands the seal because he wishes to become the emperor. He leads Lü Bu (9800) and Li Ru (9600), challenging Wu troops to a battle in a sea of fire. The battle ends quickly if Wu troops successfully cast Shui Long on Dong Zhuo and Lü Bu. Dong Zhuo is finally dead. A cave is located northeast of the gate. Wu troops enter it and discover that it is a water pathway. They navigate it by boarding a boat (this pathway is initially the one southeast of Chai Sang in the original game). When they exit the pathway, they arrive at a castle (the Han Castle of the original DOAE2). They find many women but no men. They cannot get out because two women block the gate. They enter the palace. It turns out to be a secret entrance to another cave (originally in between the Han Castle and Ma Liang’s hut in Jing Zhou). When they exit the cave, they enter another one (the same as the one north of Chang Sha, where Yang You Bow is found). They find the Snake Spear. A staircase in the lower floor connects them to the original DOAE2’s Nan Castle. Wu troops enter the palace and they find themselves in Emperor Jing’s tomb. Yes, the dreaded tomb is back. But the good news is that game makers take away its tricks. Wu troops find the ultimate helmet – Huo Shen Helmet (かしんのかぶと, defense point: 70) in the chest where the Blood Seal is supposed to be placed (Huo Shen Helmet only exists in the Wu Mod). This sequence of caves has many glitches. The screen sometimes turns into complete darkness and I have been stuck several times. My level decreases from 60 to 27 at one point. I regain 15 of them back during a battle. I end up cheating by modifying the emulator in order to have my levels back (hey, if the computer plays dirty, I will do the same). I therefore advise players to use Suo Di once we pick up the Huo Shen Helmet. Wu troops immediately return to the cave’s very initial entrance, northeast of the gate where they defeat Dong Zhuo. The Dong Zhuo and cave episodes are weird but the caves hide all the top weapons (Li Guang Bow, Zeng Zong Sabre, Qing Gang Sword, Thunder Ax, and Snake Spear). Wu troops can sell redundant weapons at the “Han Castle”. The Heaven Sword, the Thin Axe, the Moon Sabre, the Yang You Bow, the Dragon Spear, and the Thunder Shield are available. Each costs 60000 gold pieces for purchase. Wu troops can buy the Great Armour for 65535 gold pieces. The Wind Helmet costs 50000 gold pieces. The item shop in the “Han Castle” sells the fire, water, boulder, and tactic scrolls. The fire and boulder scroll costs 50000 gold pieces each. The water scroll costs 65535 gold pieces while the tactic scroll costs 60000 gold pieces. I unload many scrolls (not very useful during fights) and unnecessary items in the armoury and the item shop. The fire and boulder scrolls inflict very little damage. Secret tactics from the tactic scroll rarely succeeds. The water scroll is the only valuable item because Shui Long is extremely powerful in this mod. With available spaces, I load up on gauntlets (duplication), strengthening everyone’s attack to 255. The original game’s Nan Castle has an item shop that sells Silver Stone, Gold Stone, Power Stone (60000 gold pieces, I believe), and the item invented by Zhou Yü (65535 gold pieces). Of course, I sell Zhou Yü’s invention because it does not have any function. The Nan and Han Castles come back and become underground cities in this mod. This is kind of like the legendary Atlantis under the ocean. Wu troops go to the billet in the “Han Castle” and discover a secret comrade. His name is Wang Meng (strength: 130; intelligence: 250; equips sword, he has Pang Tong’s avatar) and he knows all the special tactics and arrays. He knows Huo Shen, Shui Long, Ji Shi, and Jin Xian too. I insert him and name him as the tactician (equip Treatise). I dump Gan Ning and put Lu Xun in battles because Gan Ning’s intelligence is too low late in the game. Once Wu troops pick up the Huo Shen helmet from the chest where we are supposed to get the Blood Seal, a man stands at the entrance of the third cave. If you use Suo Di to get out, go back in. The man is not present when we first enter. Sun Quan talks to him and this battle starts. The first man is Zhao Kang Yin (20456), followed by Zhao Pu (19189), Cao Bin (18045), Di Qing (16997), and Yue Fei (15805). Zhao Kang Yin established the Song Dynasty. Zhao Pu was one of his minsters. Cao Bin and Di Qing were famous generals in early Song. Yue Fei is a very famous general in the early Southern Song Dynasty. I breezed through this battle because my level reaches 99. Cast a Ba Gua and kill their soldiers little by little. Victory eventually belongs to Sun Quan and his comrades. After these episodes of Dong Zhuo and caves, Wu troops are loaded with top weapons, helmets, shields, and armours. Gauntlets, Speed Shoes, and Treatise should lead to excellent generals. Some of them have 255 intelligence (Zhou Yü, Lu Su, Wang Meng, Lu Xun). Some of them have 255 agility (Sun Quan, Zhou Yü, Lu Xun). We are now ready for the final showdown against Wei. They go to Chen Cang again. Jia Chong, Cheng Ji, and Cheng Cui have taken control of it. Wu troops defeat them and recapture it. After a rest at the inn, they pass the Tie Men Mountains and reach a ferry dock. They board the ferry to Luo Yang (no battle at the pier). Remember to stock up Gold and Tactic Potions. Wu troops will need a lot of them in Luo Yang. The conquest has reached its climax! Wu troops get off the ferry. Shops at the Yuan Castle are still vacant. No one is there except a “Wang Meng”. They go to the small hut east of Yuan. Hu Hua offers them a free rest. They pass three citadels without a fight. They then reach Luo Yang, Wei’s final stronghold. Wu troops must fight five battles in a row. In the first battle, Zhang Hu (8400) leads Yue Lin (8600), Xü Yi (8600), Dian Man (8800), and Xü Zhi (8400). None of them knows tactics and Wu troops easily win. Remember not to use any tactics and potions. Even though Wu troops do not have any chance to rest and replenish between battles, this is not a good time to spend them. This Luo Yang war is far from over. Si Ma Yi (9999) leads the second fight. Zhang He (9200), Xü Huang (9400), Xia Hou Wei (8800), and Xia Hou Ba (9400) loyally fight along with him. This is a much more difficult battle. Even though the attacks of Zhang He and Xü Huang are potent, Si Ma Yi remains to be the most dangerous. Wu troops should concentrate on him first. Do not use any tactics and pills. Wu generals must save them for subsequent fights. Sun Quan, Zhou Yü, and others finally defeat Si Ma Yi. But the war is not over. Xia Hou Dun (9800) launches a third battle. Four excellent Wei officers follow him. They are Zhang Liao (9600), Pang De (9000), Guo Jia (9400), and Xun You (9200). Wu troops defeat them after a tough fight (take out Guo Jia and Xun You first in spite of punishing hits from the other three), thinking that they successfully conquer Wei. But Cao Cao himself emerges and leads the fourth consecutive battle. He (10000) leads Xü Zhu (9800), Dian Wei (9600), Xun Yü (9600), and Si Ma Yi (9999). This is an extremely difficult fight. Si Ma Yi may form a Ba Gua. The worst matter is that Cao Cao launches arrow storms once every two rounds. Each Wu general loses approximately 4000 to 5000 soldiers. The arrow storms change to every round when three of Cao Cao’s generals (including Cao Cao himself) die! I win on my third attempt. The key for a quick win in this fourth battle is to kill Xü Zhu and Dian Wei with An Sha right at the beginning (Lu Xun and Zhou Yü cast them). Wu troops can then focus on Cao Cao and Si Ma Yi although the fight remains very difficult. We save SP and potions for this particular battle. Use An Sha, Ce Mian, revival tactics, and potions. Wu troops kill Cao Cao and Si Ma Yi in the midst of Cao Cao’s arrow storms; however, Wei has a final breath. Cao Cao’s son, Cao Pi (9999), leads the fifth consecutive battle. His generals Jia Xü (9400), Cheng Yü (9000), Jiang Ji (8800), and Liu Ye (8600) launch an all-out effort in this fight. They are much easier than the previously battle, especially without the arrow storm. Since they have high intelligence, Wu troops need to successfully cast Ce Mian. Cao Pi eventually dies. Luo Yang finally belongs to Sun Jian after Wu generals fight hard. I cannot imagine what this final showdown is like in real life. Wu generals enter Luo Yang. Save the game immediately, unless you want to fight these five battles again. Sun Quan and others rest at the inn because Sun Jian will not arrive until the next day. When they wake up from the inn, people tell Sun Quan that Sun Jian, Sun Ce, and Cheng Pu have arrived at the palace. Music of peace and unification sounds. Sun Quan, Zhou Yü, Lu Xun, Lü Meng, Lu Su, Tai Shi Ci, and Wang Meng meet Sun Jian, Sun Ce, and Cheng Pu. Sun Jian thanks their hard fought conquest, especially at Luo Yang. The Sun family finally unifies China. After years of chaos, China can now have peace under Sun Jian and his family. Sun Jian leads us to tour China at the end. Before I end this guide, I want to mention some secret generals in the Wei chapter. I do not find all of them. But I at least encounter two: Wang Yan Zhang, Han Qin Hu. Another person encounters Ye Lü Chu Cai. Anyway, these secret people have approximately 30000 soldier counts. If our levels are lower than 60, these secret generals kill one Wu general in one strike. I defeat them by using Fu Sha and Xian Jing. When I reach higher levels, I can defeat them via regular attacks. Wu troops earn more than 10000 gold pieces after each victory; yet, they earn merely 3000 experience. In Chinese history, these generals actually live at least 600 years after the Three Kingdom Period. One more point, this mod does not have any secret bosses (unlike the Wei Mod). I want to compliment the game makers for creating two new tunes. They make one for important battles (gates, citadels, castles, and the Shang Fang Valley) and they create a distinct tune for the final two Luo Yang fights. I enjoy the two new tunes a lot, drawing me into the fights much more than the original game and the Wei Mod. Since I spend a lot of time and energy in this game, particularly the final war, I hereby go off and have some rest at my “inn.” Good luck in your game, especially the Luo Yang showdown. Please feel free to post your questions on the Lord Yuan Shu forum, especially if you are stuck. I shall try my best to answer. End of the guide