Seven Star Dagger 七宝刀 (qī bǎo dāo)

Description:
Call it fate. This dagger could have prevented the Three Kingdoms Era from happening altogether had it accomplished its most famous task.

In the time when Dong Zhuo 董卓 the tyrant took control of the Han dynasty, various warriors and ministers loyal to the Han empire plotted to murder Dong Zhuo and rescue the world from descending further into hell. One of them was none other than Cao Cao 曹操. At that time a mere minister with little repute and no army, Cao Cao wanted to do his part to save the Han dynasty. He approached Si Tu Wang Yung 司徒王允, one of the ministers of the court also planning on murdering Dong Zhuo, and told him of his intentions. Wang Yun suggested that Cao Cao utilize Dong Zhuo's greed for treasures, then lent to Cao Cao the Seven Star Dagger for this very purpose.

As Cao Cao approached Dong Zhuo, he came very close to putting an end to the tyrant when Dong Zhuo sends his bodyguard, Lu Bu 吕布, away to fetch Cao Cao a horse. Dong Zhuo lies down and back faces Cao Cao, the perfect opportunity for the attack! As Cao Cao pulls out the dagger from its sheath, Dong Zhuo suddenly sees what is happening via a mirror on the wall. Dong Zhuo turns round and confronts Cao Cao, just as Lu Bu returns. Panicking, Cao Cao knelt down and pretended that he was there to present this beautiful dagger as a gift. Dong Zhuo accepted, but found Cao Cao's behaviour unsettling. Cao Cao then quickly left and never came back for fear of his life.

Robotic Ox 木牛流马 (mù niú liú mǎ)

Description:
To the uninitiated, this item would make absolutely no sense whatsoever. A robot shaped like an ox in the Three Kingdoms period?! If you thought Leonardo Da Vinci's inventions were ingenius for his time, well this came 1200 years before he was even born!

Literally translated as "Wooden Ox, Flowing Horse", this ancient invention is the brainchild of (you guessed it) Zhu Ge Liang 诸葛亮. In his final campaigns against Si Ma Yi 司马懿, the troops of Shu Kingdom 蜀国 needed to traverse narrow mountain paths between camps. Since supplies are the lifeline of any army and transporting supplies along those mountain paths were a drag-ass affair, Zhu Ge Liang's "Robotic Ox" invention revolutionized logistics!

The Robotic Ox was said to look like a cross between a wheel-barrow and a shopping trolley. The "Ox" and "Horse" was thrown into the name since those animals were the prevailing mode of logistic transport in those days. Made purely out of wood, this gem of an invention was a vital part of the Shu army's campaign in the north. So revolutionary was this tool, that Si Ma Yi wanted to steal one and reverse engineer it for the army of the Wei Kingdom 魏国!

Collector's Edition (Black): Sold out... again.

Dear Readers,

Thank you for your avid support. Unfortunately the Collector's Edition is again sold out. I just received confirmation that the earliest re-stock will happen AFTER Chinese New Year (3rd February).

Will do my best to keep all of you updated!

PS: I shall be starting a mailing list soon, where subscribers will get exclusive BlogShop promotions, article postings on this blog, as well as the most recently asked FAQ questions from readers.

Do look forward to that!!

Till then... 杀杀杀!

Part 5: Rare Artifacts (Unofficial)

Two horses, one weapon and an armour just isn't enough.

(scroll down for write-up)

These aren't your ordinary equipment. Rare artifacts provide your character with some ridiculous amazing abilities. Some say they are useful, others say they are unfair. Whichever your opinion, there is no denying the intrigue that these items have on SGS fanatics.

Collector's Edition Black: Limited Re-stock!

By the time you read this, it might already be sold out... again.

The matt-finish aluminium black box is the signature of this unique collector's item.

I'm an idiot. Why in the world did i only re-stock less than 5 pieces of this beautiful collector's edition?

Part 4: Survival Mode

Out of time? Here's a good way to have an adrenaline filled round in under 15 minutes.

You'd better run.

I was just plain curious. "What if we put the Ruler 主公 against every other player? 1 Ruler VS an army of Rebels 反贼." 

"Ridiculous! Retarded! No way!!"

Nobody wanted to test out this version of the game, there just wasn't a need to do something so off-the-planet. Then one day, we were left with 30 minutes to kill after playing more than 8 rounds straight. We no longer wanted to repeat the normal game (we had 6 players), so we tested this out just for fun.

Boy, was it thrilling!!

Here's how it works:

Sī Mǎ Hūi 司马徽

Translated description:
Mr Still-water 水镜先生 (shǔi jìng xiān shēng)

[Note: “Still-water" is a metaphor of sorts commonly used to describe an unattainable level of wisdom and calm.]

Who is he:
An odd recluse that, despite having very little airtime in the story, is one of the most pivotal person that changed the course of history (at least in the fictional account). Si Ma Hui was the person responsible for nurturing the two greatest minds of that era, Pang Tong 庞统 and Zhu Ge Liang 诸葛亮. It is also he that introduced Zhu Ge Liang to Liu Bei 刘备 when the latter stumbled across his villa. There is also a related legend that says Si Ma Hui nurtured a total of 7 geniuses, which includes Pang Tong and Zhu Ge Liang as well as Guo Jia 郭嘉 and Si Ma Yi 司马懿.

SOLD OUT!! Collector's Edition and Unofficial Hamper

Dear Readers,

The SGS BlogShop is temporary sold out off the following items:

SGS Collectors Edition (Black)


Unofficial Hamper

I'm extremely grateful for your strong support thus far and i'm doing my best to re-stock as soon as possible. My apologies for any inconvenience caused!

In the meantime, i will be posting more character translations for the unofficial hamper characters. Do look forward to them!

Have fun and 杀!

Shā Mó Kē 沙摩柯

Translated Description:
Barbarian King of Wu Ling 武陵蛮王 (wǔ líng mán wáng)

[Note: Wu Ling is a place in present day Hu Nan province]

Who is he:
This barbarian king is only referred to in the story as Gan Ning 甘宁's killer. He makes such a brief appearance that if you did not pay attention, you wouldn't even know he exists! Sha Mo Ke should not be confused with Meng Huo, as the latter receives more airtime locking heads with Zhu Ge Liang 诸葛亮.

FAQ: Buy Original Demi-God cards separately??

One question I've been getting a lot recently is: "Why aren't you selling the Original Demi-God cards separately?!"

Hmm... WHY NOT?!?!

I have decided to modify the Original Demi-Gods card product page to give you the option of selecting only those Demi-God cards you need. So now you no longer have to buy an entire pack of 6 and end up with a couple of repeats.

The best thing about this new product:
ONE SAME PRICE WORLDWIDE!

Click here to checkout the details.

Thanks for all your support and feedback! Have fun and 杀!

Demon Zhāng Fēi 鬼张飞

Translated Description:
"Impatient to avenge his brother 急雪兄仇 (jí xuě xiōng chóu)"

Why is he a Demon:
Zhang Fei was well-known for his temper and ridiculously short fuse, but the death of Guan Yu 关羽 really push him to the extreme. He took to drowning his grief in wine and frequently hurled abuse at his troops. That episode ultimately claimed his life, where his troops cut his head off and surrendered to the enemy than risk being executed for an impossible task. His flaming temper and unreasonable personality makes him one crazy Demon alright. Just look at his hair!!

Unofficial Cards: Teaser Release

Over 50 new cards to be discovered!

But first... a little taste of what is to come.

Ever since the Unofficial Cards Hamper arrived, I've been skipping around everyday with a stupid grin on my face. I don't know about you, but there's just something incredibly exciting about finding out what new characters, abilities, and playing cards can still be created. Isn't this game complex enough as it is??

Well... if you are one of those lucky few who grabbed the Unofficial Cards Hamper, you know the answer is a big fat "HECK NO!!"

Stratagem 5: Stealing amidst Chaos 趁火打劫 (chèn huǒ dǎ jié)

Literal Translation:
Stealing while (the house is) on fire


Tactical Classification:
Opportunistic


Historical Basis (Wikipedia):
Various. There is no direct elaboration on Wikipedia. This is a common tactic employed many times throughout Chinese history. Early mentions are from Sun Zi 孙子 (otherwise spelt "Sun Tze" by western countries) of the famed Sun Zi's Art of War 孙子兵法.

New Products on BlogShop!

Finally!! New products on the BlogShop for you SGS fanatics!

After months of delay, the other products are here based on your feedback!

These other products are... (click on the image to read more)

Stratagem 4: Sit and Wait 以逸待劳 (yǐ yì dài láo)

Literal Translation:
Leisurely await the laborious


Tactical Classification:
Leverage


Historical Basis (Wikipedia):
Various. There is no direct elaboration on Wikipedia. This is a common tactic employed many times throughout Chinese history. Early mentions are from Sun Zi 孙子 (otherwise spelt "Sun Tze" by western countries) of the famed Sun Zi's Art of War 孙子兵法.