The Total War: Three Kingdoms Eight Princes DLC is due to launch in the first week of August, bringing with it a whole new campaign based on the War of the Eight Princes. In the upcoming DLC, players will be able to play as all eight of the namesake princes. Sima Lun, the Usurper Prince, was the second to serve as regent for Emperor Hui… but the first to seize the emperor’s throne for himself.
Sima Lun in the Total War: Three Kingdoms Eight Princes DLC
In the Total War: Three Kingdoms Eight Princes DLC, Sima Lun will be a Commander character and one of the eight playable faction leaders. Interestingly his play-style is very different to any of the characters from the main game. He focuses heavily on spies and enjoys unique faction mechanics themed around spying. Indeed, he has access to a unique resource called Subterfuge. He generates this resource through the undercover actions of his spies. He can spend it on increasing the effectiveness of his spies, diplomatic actions, and inciting proxy wars like Cao Cao. As a unique trait to help him gain Subterfuge from the start, Sima Lun starts the game with a spy slot open immediately.
Additionally, Sima Lun has access to two unique cavalry units. First is the Xiongnu Cavalry, a shock cavalry unit with powerful charge bonuses. The second is Xiongnu Cataphracts, an assault cavalry unit with much heavier armour. Indeed, Cataphracts and Heavy Cataphracts are new cavalry units with heavy armour that will be available in Eight Princes. Sima Lun’s unique building chain is the administration Judiciary chain, which will improve family estates income.
Sima Lun starts in the northern centre of the map, in Shangdang and Ye. His position is due north of the rebuilt capital Luoyang, across the Yellow River. He only starts with a single noteworthy character; his chief strategist and close advisor Sun Xiu. However, he does have some rather noteworthy character traits. Namely, that he enables Stalk on all units in his retinue, and Guerrilla Deployment on all units in his army. This could make him a very aggressive and unpredictable attacker in battle. However, Sima Lun does suffer a -10 diplomatic attitude penalty with most other factions.
The Tyrannical Empress and the Usurper Prince
“Sima Lun, Prince of Zhao and Sima Yi’s youngest son, was an egomaniac who was willing to go any length to secure power,” writes Creative Assembly; “Historically, it was through his actions that the War of the Eight Princes started in earnest; having convinced Empress Jia to assassinate the crown prince, he then accused her of treachery and had her and her family killed. Although acting as regent to Emperor Hui at first, it was not long before he declared himself emperor, drawing the ire of the other princes and starting a cycle of war and betrayal that would shake the Jin dynasty for years to come.”
Traditionally, Sima Lun is the third of the eight princes in the War of the Eight Princes. He was the ninth son of Sima Yi, brother to Sima Shi and Sima Zhao. After his nephew Sima Yan established the Jin dynasty and became Emperor Wu, Sima Lun became a prince. However, for years, he proved a poor governor and failed to distinguish himself as a general. He was even accused of crimes on several occasions, though the emperor always pardoned him.
Following Empress Jia Nanfeng’s coup against Empress Yang Zhi together with Sima Liang, the latter was betrayed by the former. Empress Jia turned on him and had the emperor sign an edict accusing him of treason. Sima Wei took this edict and had his soldiers arrest the then-regent… before promptly executing him. However, just days later, Empress Jia turned on him as well. Sima Wei was accused of forging the edict and summarily executed. For several years, Empress Jia ruled over the court herself in the name of Emperor Hui.
The Rise and Fall of Emperor Sima Lun
In the year 299, the increasingly tyrannical empress arrested Sima Yu, the heir to the throne. At the time, Sima Lun was the crown prince’s tutor and had influence with the empress. However, in private many believed that his advisor Sun Xiu was the true power behind him, and that Sima Lun himself was “simple and stupid”. Lun encouraged the empress to have Sima Yu killed, but then revealed an edict from the emperor to arrest her. Under house arrest, he forced Empress Jia to drink wine laced with gold powder, causing her suicide. He subsequently forged an imperial edict which named him Grand Vizier. In 301, he even went so far as to name himself emperor, placing Emperor Hui under house arrest.
Sima Lun’s actions were deeply unpopular. Shortly after the prince declared himself emperor, three other princes formed an alliance against him; Sima Jiong, Sima Yong, and Sima Ying. Their armies also included some 200,000 soldiers sent by Sima Ai. Although Sima Lun’s forces won a few early victories against Sima Jiong, the tides turned quickly against the Usurper Prince. Just three months after becoming emperor, Sima Lun was captured and executed. In the wake of his death, Emperor Hui was reinstated, while Sima Jiong took over the position of regent.