Younger Zhū Gě Liàng 卧龙诸葛亮

Translated description: "Hidden dragon 卧龙 (wò lóng)" Wikipedia link: Zhu Ge Liang Wiki Who is he: The second of three versions of Zhu Ge Liang in the card game, Younger Zhu Ge Liang depicts the ridiculously omniscient Zhu Ge Liang in the early days of his career with Liu Bei 刘备. Not to say that his "powers" got any weaker with age, but it does seem like the writer of Romance of Three Kingdoms (Luo Guan Zhong 罗贯中) intended for Zhu Ge Liang...

Wèi Yán 魏延

Translated description: "The blood-thirsty lone-wolf 嗜血的独狼 (shì xuě dè dú láng)" Wikipedia link: Wei Yan Wiki Who is he: We all know a rebellious kid back in school who just refused to listen to instructions. Wei Yan is a competent Shu Han 蜀汉 general who was similar to that kid. Though not an outright rebel, Wei Yan always had that streak in him that made him difficult to lead. If there was a phrase that he would say, it would probably go...

Páng Tǒng 庞统

Translated description: "Rising Phoenix 凤雏 (fèng chú)" Wikipedia Link: Pang Tong Wiki Who is he: The second smartest person of the era, but also probably the ugliest in looks. Pang Tong is supposedly Zhu Ge Liang 诸葛亮's equal in the brains department. Where Zhu Ge Liang is given the nickname "Hidden Dragon 卧龙 (wo long)", Pang Tong is given the nickname "Rising Phoenix 凤雏 (feng chu)". However his hideous looks made some doubt his ability, such...

Mǎ Chāo 马超

Translated description: "Lone horseman that can outmatch a thousand troops 一骑当千 (yì qí dāng qiān)" Wikipedia Link: Ma Chao Wiki Who is he: The valiant general known for his horsemanship and combat ability, Ma Chao is one of Shu Han 蜀汉's 5 greatest generals. Typically depicted riding a horse, he initially led rebellions against Cao Cao 曹操 before eventually finding his place under Liu Bei 刘备. Ma Chao was highly regarded by Zhu Ge Liang 诸葛亮 as...

Rattan Armour 藤甲 (téng jiǎ)

Description:Body armour that is impenetrable... at least in those days! Used by the Southern Barbarians 南蛮, this armour thwarted the arrows and blades of the troops of Zhu Ge Liang 诸葛亮. It's a nice addition to the cardgame, albeit a little too difficult to overcome!What it does:BARBARIANS 南蛮入侵, RAINING ARROWS 万箭齐发, and normal ATTACK 杀 has no effect on you. Fire attribute damage against you is increased by 1. RATTAN ARMOUR has no defense against any...

Huáng Zhōng 黄忠

Translated description: "Old but vigorous 老当益壮 (lǎo dāng yì zhuàng)" Wikipedia link: Huang Zhong Wiki Who is he: Quite possibly the oldest general by age in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. By the time of his fatal injury that he sustained in combat, Huang Zhong was already 75 years old. His age is probably exaggerated, much like many of the other details in the story. In fact, no record exists that could determine his age. The legend of...

Ren Wang Shield 仁王盾 (rén wáng dùn)

Description:I'll be honest. At first glance, the picture of the REN WANG SHIELD looks more like some kinky tube swimsuit. Till today, I still don't think it looks like a shield. The REN WANG SHIELD is another very useful armour to have that would frustrate your opponents endlessly. It has its weaknesses, especially against characters that can use other cards to replace ATTACK 杀, such as Guan Yu 关羽 and Zhao Yun 赵云.What it does:All "black suited" ATTACK...

Silver Lion Helmet 白银狮子 (bái yín shī zǐ)

Description:A funny looking helmet with a funny sounding name. The SILVER LION HELMET is a damage limiter, which is great when there are high-damage elements in play such as LIGHTNING 闪电. Otherwise, it does not really protect you in anyway when damages inflicted are only 1 unit. To make up for that, the game makers decided to allow this thing to heal you when it is removed. Don't ask me why, I'm not one of the game makers!What it does:Limits all...

Eight Trigrams 八卦阵 (bā guà zhèn)

Description:Your guardian angel. This is a godsend to have equipped, but an absolute pain in the arse to overcome if you're the aggressor. Countless times have players been saved from certain death by this armour. If you get it, hang on to it like no tomorrow! What it does:Every time there is a need to use DODGE 闪, EIGHT TRIGRAMS can automatically use DODGE for you. Judgement needs to be passed for it to work. If the judgement card is a red suit...

Huáng Yuè Yīng 黄月英

Translated description: "Veiled heroine 归隐的侠女 (guī yǐn dè xiá nǚ)" Wikipedia link: Huang Yue Ying Wiki Who is she: The wife of Zhu Ge Liang 诸葛亮, Huang Yue Ying is a minor character in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Apparently the name Huang Yue Ying may be a fictional one altogether since no historical records exists of Zhu Ge Liang's wife's real name. Some say she is even smarter than Zhu Ge Liang, but most would agree she is usually remembered...

Zhāng Fēi 张飞

Translated description: "A thousand men can't stop him 万夫不挡 (wàn fū bù dǎng)" Wikipedia link: Zhang Fei Wiki Who is he: The ruffian. The impulsive. The brute. Zhang Fei is the youngest amongst the 3 sworn brothers. Compared with his 2 elder sworn brothers, Liu Bei 刘备 and Guan Yu 关羽, Zhang Fei tends to get in trouble for his quick temper and his love for alcohol. Some say his fighting ability is the strongest of the three. Zhang Fei is...

Draw2 无中生有 (wú zhōng shēng yǒu)

Description:Hallelujah!! You would seldom see anyone be unhappy to get this card. DRAW2 is one of those cards that gives you a benefit without any side effects (such as HARVEST since others get cards too). Besides, very rarely do players NOT want cards. Even if they were using Elder Zhu Ge Liang 暮年诸葛亮 and planning to use the "Empty City 空城" ability, it is always prudent to draw more cards first to hurl some damage at opponents. What it does:DRAW2...

Harvest 五谷丰登 (wǔ gǔ fēng dēng)

Description:Share the joy, give everyone in play an extra card! When HARVEST is used, everyone is happy... everyone except the player whose turn is just before yours. Though this is usually seen as a defensive tool card, expert players know how to use this card as an offensive against certain characters. Read on to find out more!What it does:When this card is played, cards from the deck are flipped around for every player to see. Flip open as many...

Raining Arrows 万箭齐发 (wàn jiàn qí fā)

Description:There was a scene from Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers, where Aragorn commands the elven archers to release their arrows against the orcs attacking Helm's Deep. Arrows rain from the sky, instantly impaling hundreds of orcs. This enactment is pretty much the same in the era of the Three Kingdoms. Use RAINING ARROWS to release arrows against every player. Players must use DODGE 闪 or NEGATE 无懈可击, or suffer 1 unit of health damage.What...

Negate 无懈可击 (wú xiè kě jī)

Description:The all-important card! NEGATE is arguably one of the most useful cards in the entire game. If you are familiar with the card game "Monopoly Deal", you would quickly see the similarities between NEGATE and "JUST SAY NO". Every tool card can be negated, including NEGATE itself! NEGATE can be used by any player at any time. You don't have to use it during your turn!What it does:It renders the tool card or its effects useless. Where the...

Iron Shackles 铁索连环 (tié suǒ lián huán)

Description:Another rare dual-purpose card (to be very anal about it, it is actually tri-purpose). The phrase "killing 2 birds with 1 stone" is taken to the extreme with the IRON SHACKLES card. Use this card to shackle players together, then watch them all fry when any 1 of them receives Fire attribute or Lightning attribute damage. Technically, you can shackle every goddamned mofo that is in play if you have enough of this card. What benefit would...

Peach Garden 桃园结义 (táo yuán jié yì)

Description:The first two words 桃园 means "garden of peaches", so make a guess what the PEACH GARDEN card does? When this card is used, every player that is still alive in the game recoups 1 unit of health. Everybody happy? Not necessarily. In fact most players that draw this card either uses it with care or choose to discard it altogether. That is because it also heals the bugger whom you wanna kill. Therefore this card usually brings more headache...

Steal 顺手牵羊 （shùn shǒu qiān yáng)

Description: Fancy that beautiful RATTAN AMOUR 藤甲 equipped by your neighbouring player? Wish you had that GREEN DRAGON CRESCENT BLADE 青龙偃月刀 for yourself? Now you can! With STEAL, any card from an adjacent player (physical distance 1) can be yours!What it does:Allows the user to pick 1 card (either on-hand or equipped) from a player at physical distance 1 from you. The stolen card is added to your cards on-hand or can be equipped immediately. This...

Barbarians 南蛮入侵 (nán mán rù qīn)

Description:The "world" is suddenly overrun by barbarians who appeared from the South! The literal translation of 南蛮入侵 is "under siege from the southern barbarians". The barbarians don't give two hoots about taking sides, they simply slaughter everyone. Every player needs to use an ATTACK card to fend them off or suffer 1 unit of health damage.What it does:Delivers 1 unit of health damage to every player (except the user) unless they use an ATTACK...

Duel 决斗 (jué dòu)

Description: Mano-a-mano. Grunt and spit as two characters prepare to do battle one-on-one. Who can outlast the other? That depends on how well you judged the capability of your opponent. True to the meaning, there is a very possible likelihood of causing yourself damage if you take on someone much more able. Got the balls? What it does:1 unit of health damage to the loser of DUEL. A useful side-effect of DUEL is it usually wipes out all the ATTACK...

Duress 借刀杀人 (jiè dāo shā rén)

Description:Out of ATTACK 杀 cards to use? Your target opponent out of range? Want to hold a member of the opposite team hostage? This is the tool card to use. Although DURESS can be used on any player, it is most effective when used on LOYALIST 忠臣 or DEFECTOR 内奸 against RULER 主公. The only requirement, though, is that the target player must have a weapon equipped to become susceptible to DURESS. Now sit back, have a cup of tea and enjoy being evil.What...

Blaze 火攻 (huǒ gōng)

Description:One of the more complicated cards to use, BLAZE can be very useful... if you know what you are doing. It is an inefficient tool for causing damage to an opponent since it needs to expend 2 on-hand cards, though that might be well worth it if your opponents are under the effects of IRON SHACKLES 铁索连环 or has equipped RATTAN ARMOUR 藤甲 or both! You can also just use it to glimpse one of your opponent's on-hand cards, especially if it is the...

Dismantle 过河拆桥 (guò hé chāi qiáo)

Description:The saviour! There are too many instances where players are left completely helpless, restricted by their opponent's +1 horse or armour. Many can only wish to draw this card. Most never do. Probably the most reliable way (and sometimes the ONLY way) to tear down an opponent's defense, DISMANTLE should always be amongst your most treasured tool cards on hand! Between DISMANTLE and STEAL 顺手牵羊, DISMANTLE is probably the stronger tool card...

Lightning 闪电 (shǎn diàn)

Description: Be afraid of this card. Be very afraid. When LIGHTNING appears, either a particular player has become desperate and suicidal, or the "judgement tinkerers" Si Ma Yi 司马懿 and Zhang Jiao 张角 have reared their ugly head. Typical exclaimations by players when LIGHTNING is used range from "Oh maaaaaaan~" to "Oh f******k~" to "WAH LAO EH~!" Strangely, more often than not the player who activates the LIGHTNING card ends up regretting it...

Acedia 乐不思蜀 (lè bù sī shǔ)

Description:If you read "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", you would know very clearly which historical figure is guilty of acedia (neglecting to take care of something that one should do). I am referring, of course, to Liu Shan 刘禅, son of Liu Bei 刘备, the wimpy ruler of the Kingdom of Shu 蜀国 in the dying days of the Three Kingdoms era. The game-makers ingenuously simulated the consequences of acedia with this ACEDIA card. When you fall victim to ACEDIA,...

Rations Depleted 兵粮寸断 (bīng liáng cùn duàn)

Description: The literal translation of 兵粮寸断 means "breaking every inch of military rations". The RATIONS DEPLETED card simulates starvation, helplessness, and even the feeling of despair in battle by preventing the target player from drawing any cards during his round! Falling victim to this card is a royal pain-in-the-behind. Somewhat the harbinger of doom, players who are on the receiving end of RATIONS DEPLETED often get eliminated within the...

Peach 桃 (táo)

Description:The life-saver. PEACH cards refill one unit of health. Wondering why peach was chosen instead of apples, oranges or durians? Apparently the peach appears in classical novels in Chinese literature, such as Journey to the West 西游记. It is a fruit associated with the heavens for imparting longevity. Read the trivia section below to find out more inconsequential information about Peaches in Chinese culture.What it does:It refills one unit...

Wine 酒 (jiǔ)

Description:Liquor, wine, whiskey, whatever you like to call it... served in ceramic urns for that manly bravado when drunk without a straw. Despite stiff penalties for swinging barbaric spears and axes with undeniable intent to kill while under the influence of alcohol, the game makers have decided to put a cheery spin on the WINE card. In fact they made it so celebratory that WINE can bring a player back from the brink of death!What it does:The...

Lightning Attack 雷杀 (léi shā)

Description:The LIGHTNING ATTACK card can be obtained if you have purchased the Battle Expansion Pack. It works the same way as the normal ATTACK 杀 card, except that the damage inflicted has a lightning element attribute. What it does:There are 2 scenarios where LIGHTNING ATTACK is different from normal ATTACK.1. When your target opponent is linked to another opponent by IRON SHACKLES 铁索连环2. When your opponent has equipped RATTAN ARMOR 藤甲.In scenario...

Fire Attack 火杀 (huǒ shā)

Description:The FIRE ATTACK card can be obtained if you have purchased the Battle Expansion Pack. It works the same way as the normal ATTACK 杀 card, except that the damage inflicted has a fire element attribute.What it does:There are 2 scenarios where FIRE ATTACK is different from normal ATTACK.1. When your target opponent is linked to another opponent by IRON SHACKLES 铁索连环2. When your opponent has equipped RATTAN ARMOR 藤甲.In scenario 1, multiple...

Dodge 闪 (shǎn)

Description:Dodge! Duh!! When someone uses an ATTACK 杀 card on you, use this card to prevent suffering damage. Used to best effect by making a silly face at your attacker right after you use the card. Neh neh ni bu bu~What it does:Do you really need me to spell it out for you?! Dodge! Evade! Get out of the way!...

Attack 杀 (shā)

Description: Probably the most basic card in the game. As the name implies, the action is simple: ATTACK! Use this card to inflict damage on your opponent. The damage will have no elemental attributes to it. Plain ol' knuckle busting. What it does:In the simplest sense, using this card is equal to taking one stab/slash/chop/whatever-barbaric-attack-you-prefer at your opponent. Yes only ONE. Of course, your opponent can dodge the attack if he has...

Game Rules Part 5: Points Duel

Welcome to Part 5. In the expansion packs for characters, a new action term is introduced by the game-makers known as "Points Duel 拼点" (previously translated as "Matching scores". This is a minor component of the game but important to grasp. It also has a very useful side-effect of "Forced DISMANTLE 强硬过河拆桥". For terminology, I shall refer to the player initiating the Points Duel as the "initiator". Let's get started...

Game Rules Part 4: Judgement

Welcome to Part 4!  In this segment, I will elaborate about a significant part in the San Guo Sha 三国杀 card game known as "Judgement 判定". In numerous abilities and tool cards 锦囊, there is a pinch of luck involved that determines if the ability or card takes effect. This factor of luck is controlled by a "judgement". Judgement is the reason all the cards have poker-like numbers and suits in the upper left corner of the playing cards....

Game Rules Part 3: Attacking & Physical Range

Welcome to Part 3! Here I will talk in detail about "range", which is one of the most difficult things for beginners to grasp. In all honesty, the concept is simple. All you need is to be clear about the differences between: 1. Attacking Range vs Physical Range 2. "-1 horse" vs "+1 horse" Ok so here we go! ...

Game Rules Part 2: Game Play

Ok, so everyone is set up with a role and character, eager for action. In Part 2, I will be bringing you through the game and the various things that happen in a turn. First, a gentle reminder that I shall be using an example of 4 players (referred to as Andy, Beck, Christie and Donna for simplicity). So here goe...

Game Rules Part 1: Game Set Up

This is no simple game to pick up. There are many rules, explicit and ambiguous, which require a fair bit of playing to really get the hang of. Up till today there are many rules and character abilities that I'm still grasping (and it's been about 5 months since I've been playing this game). But once you do, this game has great replay value! Here's what this section will NOT do. This section will not throw you the entire suitcase of information for you to read, 'cause you'd definitely get lost within 5 minutes! Instead, I'll give you a run-through....

The 36 Stratagems 三十六计

The 36 Stratagems is a collection of military tactics accumulated over 3000 years of Chinese history. It is separated into 6 chapters, with 6 stratagems per chapter. In this section, I shall provide a simple historical walk-through of the stratagems and simple scenarios of how it can be applied in SGS. [Updated 22nd February 2011] In essence, only Chapters 1 and 6 of the 36 Stratagems applies to SGS. As such I shall only create posts for these two chapters. Click on the links below to access the Stratagems. Chapter 1 Stratagem 1: The Open...

Unofficial 民间

[Updated: 14th January 2011] With the release of the Unofficial Cards Hamper, there have been an explosion of new cards and characters. For your ease of reference, the unofficial cards have be sub-categorized according to the expansion pack they belong to. Some of these expansion packs are proper add-on units with fantastic packaging. Others are a haphazard  scatter of cards put together. Click on the images below to access the...

Card Translations

This "Card Translations" page has been updated and moved to a new location! Click on the "Terminology" button on the header row to access the new location, or simply click here. Remember to update your bookmar...

Horses 马

Original Pack Unofficial Cards Demon Expansion Pa...