Total War: Three Kingdoms Heroes – Yuan Shu, Ambitious Powermonger
When Total War: Three Kingdoms launches on the 7th of March, gamers will have the ability to play as one of eleven different heroes in the game’s campaign. The figures chosen by Creative Assembly to be playable are an interesting selection. Well-known historical figures like Cao Cao and Liu Bei feature, of course, but so do lesser-known figures from the era. Gamers will be able to play factions led by Kong Rong and Ma Teng, for example. One member of the Total War: Three Kingdoms playable heroes list is Yuan Shu; half-brother to coalition leader Yuan Shao.
The Eleven Starting Total War: Three Kingdoms Heroes – Yuan Shu
Yuan Shu is a hero of the Commander class, one of the five character classes in Total War: Three Kingdoms. Commander is the most common class among the eleven playable faction leaders, shared by Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Liu Biao, and Yuan Shao. In the game, Yuan Shu is known as ‘The Ambitious Powermonger,’ and is something of a decadent figure. Although he fiercely opposes the corruption and tyranny of Dong Zhuo, he relies on Sun Jian and other commanders to actually wage war against him; “After he conquered Nanyang,” explains Creative Assembly; “Yuan Shu placed Sun Jian in charge of his army, who then proceeded to repeatedly crush Dong Zhuo’s forces. Yuan Shu, meanwhile, continued to act as hegemon of Nanyang, cementing his reputation as a decadent and extravagant ruler.”
In the campaign, Yuan Shu begins play in Nanyang Commandery, in a starting position which Creative Assembly says is one of the most difficult in the game; he begins in-between the powerful realms of Liu Biao, Dong Zhuo, and Cao Cao. His initial dilemma concerns whether he will aid Sun Jian against Liu Biao or not. One of Yuan Shu’s unique ability is the ability to demand support from other factions due to his legitimate claim to the position of emperor of the Han Empire. The more legitimacy he amasses from other factions, the more he can progress speed his own progression through the ranks. He can also spend legitimacy to recruit new heroes. Yuan Shu also focuses on industry and commerce, with bonuses to both types of income.
Hubris and Ambition: Yuan Shu, the Emperor of Zong
Historically, Yuan Shu saw his popularity wane following the defeat of Sun Jian. After he lost several battles against both Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, he fled to Shouchun and set up a new state. He claimed the title of ‘Lord of Xu Province,’ and reaffirmed his alliance with the Sun family under Sun Ce, Sun Jian’s son. Thanks to Sun Ce, his influence expanded through Xu Province, and also gained possession of the Imperial Seal, which had been recovered by Sun Jian years before.
Several years later, Yuan Shu made the audacious move of declaring himself emperor of a new Zhong dynasty. This decision made him an immediate target of other warlords, while his personally decadent lifestyle caused his followers to abandon him, including Sun Ce. Together, Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Lu Bu defeated his armies several times; prompting Yuan Shu to flee and attempt to reconcile with Yuan Shao. Sadly, the two half-brothers were never able to make amends; Yuan Shao sent his son Yuan Tan to aid his brother, but he didn’t arrive in time. The self-proclaimed Emperor of Zhong died of sickness not long after the defeat of his army at the hands of Liu Bei.
Yuan Shu’s Four Special Abilities
Creative Assembly hasn’t given details of Yuan Shu’s special abilities, but they have named some of them. Interestingly, some of these are shared with other characters, suggesting that some of these are generic abilities of the Commander class.
- Ambitious Powermonger: “Ambitious and overconfident, Yuan Shu aims to unite China under his lineage.”
- Stone Bulwark: “With skin of earth, arrows rebound, harmless.”
- Nature’s Ally: “The forest provides a path, and surer footing, for the respectful.”
- Unyielding Earth: “Nature itself provides a shield for its warriors.”