Liú Shàn 刘禅

Translated description:
"The King with a Laissez-faire Destiny 无为的真命主 (wú wéi dè zhēn mìng zhǔ)"

Who is he:
Likely one of the most despised characters in the entire era, Liu Shan is the son and successor of Liu Bei 刘备. He took over the reins of the Shu Kingdom from an early age of 16 (the year that Liu Bei died), and is infamous for his inability as a ruler... or at least that is what the story wants us to think. There was a huge chunk of history missing between the years Liu Shan first ruled Shu till the fall of the kingdom 40 years later. In the absence of recorded facts, myths and rumours have not been kind to Liu Shan and painted a picture of an indulgent and indecisive ruler. Ultimately, the kingdom of Shu so painstakingly created by Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang 诸葛亮 and gang, was destroyed during Liu Shan's reign. Legend has it that Liu Shan's intellect was compromised when his own father threw the baby Liu Shan on the ground! Why would Liu Bei do such a thing? Read on to find out!

Character ability 1: "Relish 享乐 (xiǎng lè)" [Enforced ability]
When other player selects you as the target of ATTACK 杀, he/she needs to discard a basic card, or else that ATTACK 杀 has no effect you.

Character ability 2: “Devolution 放权 (fàng quán)”
You can skip your action phase, then discard an on-hand card at the end of your turn to give another player an extra turn.

Synergistic Partners:
Zhao Yun 赵云 (Rescued by)

Difference from Normal SanGuoSha:
The Ruler Ability is removed.

Ability's Relation to Story:
"Relish" refers to Liu Shan’s lifestyle. Liu Shan was interested in playing and having fun, but never in politics. He continued to relish his material wealth and abundance even after the downfall of Shu. However, some say his indulgent lifestyle was all just a ploy to keep him away from danger. Even though he was captured by Wei forces, he was given nobility in Wei's courts and allowed to enjoy his final years in peace. The mechanics of this ability cleverly shields Liu Shan from ATTACKS, allowing him (you) to stay safe and happy.

"Devolution" refers to his political strategies. He allowed his trusted officials to handle all state affairs, regardless of their capability. When he gave the power to wise people like Zhuge Liang and Jiang Wei 姜维, the Shu kingdom was efficient and strong. However, it proved to be a mistake to give such powers to Huang Hao 黄皓, the corrupt and incapable eunuch who Liu Shan trusted. The Shu kingdom quickly became chaotic, and ultimately crumbled. The game mechanics allows Liu Shan to "devolute" his action phase, granting an extra turn to another player that you trust. Don't make the same mistake as Liu Shan! Watch out for the defectors!

Zhù Róng 祝融

Translated description:
"The Savage Queen 野性的女王 (yě xìng dè nǚ wáng)"

Who is she:
The only female in the entire Romance of Three Kingdoms story to ever take part in battle, Zhu Rong is one fearsome woman. Not only was she brave, she was also capable in combat and intelligent. Wife of the Barbarian King, Meng Huo 孟获, she led an army to invade Shu Han 蜀汉 after her husband was cowed by Zhuge Liang 诸葛亮's advancing troops. She did so well in battle, in fact, that she captured 2 of Shu Han's generals; Zhang Yi 张嶷 and Ma Zhong 马忠. Her next opponents were the highly decorated generals Zhao Yun 赵云, and Wei Yan 魏延. Both these generals fled without much of a fight, but Zhu Rong smelled a rat and did not give chase. She was no fool as Shu Han had a trap set for her indeed. Yet when Wei Yan turned back to hurl insults at her, her emotions got the better of her and she gave chase. She fell into Shu Han's trap and was captured. By then, she had already left a deep impression as a woman not to be messed with.

Character ability 1: "Giant Elephant 巨象 (jù xiàng)" [Enforced ability]
BARBARIANS南蛮入侵 have no effect on you. When any BARBARIANS 南蛮入侵 used by other players is placed into the discard pile after all damage has been resolved, you acquire it.

Character ability 2: "Fearsome Blade 烈刃 (liè rèn)"
Every instance after you inflict damage to your target by using ATTACK杀, you can conduct a Points Duel with that target player. If you win, you acquire a card from that player.

Synergistic Partners:
Meng Huo 孟获 (Husband)

Difference from Normal SanGuoSha:
She cannot activate “Fearsome Blade” if she inflicts damage to a player that is not her target. That means she cannot points duel with a player that receives damage by shackling effect, for example.

Ability's Relation to Story:
Contrary to what the game makers want you to conclude, Zhu Rong did not ride on a "Giant Elephant". That privilege was reserved for King Mu Lu 木鹿大王, an ally of the Southern Barbarians. Zhu Rong is good at taming elephants and use them in war, as well as calling them back after war.

"Fearsome Blade" referred to Zhu Rong's incredible knife throwing skills. It is said that she never misses at her throwing. In the story, Zhu Rong either outmatched her opponent by her lance or a trap, then she would use her throwing knives. If she threw it successfully (wins the points duel), she could catch her opponent as prisoners (taking a card from the victim).

Páng Tǒng 庞统

Translated description:
"Rising Phoenix 凤雏 (fèng chú)"

Who is he:
The second smartest person of the era, but also probably the ugliest in looks. Pang Tong is supposedly Zhuge Liang 诸葛亮's equal in the brains department. Where Zhuge 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 as Sun Quan 孙权. Pang Tong is credited as the critical link behind Cao Cao 曹操's spectacular defeat at battle of Red Cliffs 赤壁之战, but he did not live very long to share his talents. Imagine how the world would have been different had Pang Tong lived a decade longer, where both he and Zhuge Liang were helping Liu Bei 刘备.

Character ability 1: " Shackle 连环 (lián huán)"
During your action phase, you can use an on-hand card with the suit of clubs as IRON SHACKLES铁索连环, or to re-draw 1 card.

Character ability 2: "Resurrection 涅槃 (niè pán)" [Single-use ability]
When you are at the Brink of Death, you can discard all of your cards (on-hand and equipped) and all cards in your pending area, then reset your character card such that it is unstacked and unshackled, draw three cards, and regain your health to 3 units.

Synergistic Partners:
Younger Zhuge Liang 卧龙诸葛亮 ("Dragon-Phoenix" Combination, Good Friend)

Difference from Normal SanGuoSha:
"Shackle" has not been changed. You can still use any number of cards with suits of clubs as IRON SHACKLES.

The ability description of “Resurrection” has been changed, that you can unstack your character cards when you are resurrected.

Ability's Relation to Story:
"Shackles" is a perfect match for Pang Tong since he practically masterminded the shackling of Cao Cao's ships at the battle of Red Cliffs. The shackles turned out to be the key reason for the blaze which wiped out Cao Cao's troops. You can read more about this incident in my write-up on IRON SHACKLES.

“涅槃” literally means “nirvana”. This word is misused by Guo Moruo 郭沫若, who used this term to describe the resurrection of phoenixes. Since Pang Tong had the nickname of being a ‘rising phoenix’, the game maker gave him resurrection ability for defense, so as to prevent him from dying early

Mèng Huò 孟获

Translated description:
"King of the Southern Barbarians 南蛮王 (nán mán wáng)"

Who is he:
After the Kingdom of Shu Han 蜀汉 had been established in the west for several years, Meng Huo invaded Shu Han from the south. By this time, Liu Bei 刘备 had died and Zhuge Liang 诸葛亮 made all the major decisions as Prime Minister. Meng Huo sarcastically commented that the occupation of Shu Han over the western lands was a barbaric act, thus Meng Huo was going to claim back the land where their ancestors roamed. Zhuge Liang decided that an all-out war would exhaust supplies as well as cause too many innocent casualties. He also predicted that even if Shu Han was victorious, the barbarians would retaliate or harbour thoughts of revenge, thus it was best that Meng Huo and his people can be subdued by winning their respect. Meng Huo attacked Shu Han on different occasions but Zhuge Liang outsmarted him every single time, capturing Meng Huo but freeing him. Every time Meng Huo blamed external circumstances for his defeat and refused to acknowledge Zhu Ge Liang was the stronger. In the end, Zhuge Liang captured Meng Huo 7 times before Meng Huo finally gave in and subdued his people. From then on, the barbarians never invaded Shu Han again and were loyal to Zhuge Liang.

Character ability 1: "The Smoking Gun 祸首 (huò shǒu)" [Enforced ability]
BARBARIANS 南蛮入侵 has no effect on you. You are the source of damage caused by BARBARIANS 南蛮入侵.

Character ability 2: "Arise Again 再起 (zài qǐ)"
During your drawing phase, if you are not at full health, you can forfeit drawing cards from the deck; instead, you display X cards from the top of the deck (X being the units of health you have lost thus far). For every card with hearts suit displayed, you regain 1 unit of health, then you discard those cards and acquire the remaining cards.

Synergistic Partners:
Zhu Rong 祝融 (Wife)

Difference from Normal SanGuoSha:
Nil.

Ability's Relation to Story:
Meng Huo's abilities have direct links to the story. He is the King of the Barbarians, therefore it is no surprise that his is "the smoking gun" for any damage caused by BARBARIANS. "Arise Again" probably has links to being released by Zhuge Liang 7 times. Meng Huo had the "never say die" attitude that pushed him to attack Shu Han repeatedly, despite so many failed attempts.

Younger Zhūgě Liàng 卧龙诸葛亮

Translated description:
"Hidden dragon 卧龙 (wò lóng)"

Who is he:
The second of three versions of Zhuge Liang in the card game, Younger Zhu Ge Liang depicts the ridiculously omniscient Zhuge 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 Guanzhong 罗贯中) intended for Zhu Ge Liang to appear with a bang. This was the Zhu Ge Liang that literally frustrated Zhou Yu 周瑜 to death. However since a lot of the background on Zhu Ge Liang will be repeated in all three versions of the character, I'll take the opportunity to talk about his days just prior to joining Liu Bei.

Character ability 1: "Eight Trigrams 八阵 (bā zhèn)" [Enforced Ability]
If there is no armour card in your equipped item area, it is viewed as you have EIGHT TRIGRAMS 八卦阵 equipped.

Character ability 2: "Arson 火计 (huǒ jì) "
During your action phase, you can use a red-suited on-hand card as BLAZE 火攻.

Character ability 3: " Scient 看破 (kàn pò)"
You can use a black-suited on-hand card as NEGATE 无懈可击.

Synergistic Partners:
Huang Yueying 黄月英 (Wife)
Pang Tong 庞统 ("Dragon-Phoenix" Combination, Good Friend)

Difference from Normal SanGuoSha:
Nil.

Ability's Relation to Story:
Zhuge Liang actively trained the troops of Shu Han 蜀汉 during lull periods. His mastery of military formations gained the respect of many of his adversaries, not least Sima Yi 司马懿 in the later years. The Eight Trigrams Formation is one of the most famous that Zhuge Liang used very well.

Arson was used by him from the very first battle he oversaw, which resulted in huge losses for the enemy. Later, both him and Zhou Yu came up with the same idea to use fire against Cao Cao 曹操 at the battle at Red Cliffs 赤壁之战.

Of course, Zhuge Liang was depicted as so god-damned smart that every teeny weeny little action of his enemies, he understood their intent. His 3rd ability "Scient" plays on the fact that no tool or ploy works on him, since he can see through it all instantly. Smart ass.

Huáng Yuèyīng 黄月英

Translated Description:
"The Veiled Heroine 归隐的侠女 (guī yǐn dè xiá nǚ)"

Who is she:
The wife of Zhuge Liang 诸葛亮, Huang Yueying is a minor character in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Apparently the name Huang Yueying may be a fictional one altogether since no historical records exists of Zhuge Liang's wife's real name. Some say she is even smarter than Zhuge Liang, but most would agree she is usually remembered for being ugly. So ugly, in fact, that she hid her face behind veils under the shadow of moonlight. In the card game, Huang Yueying is one of the most popular characters to use. She can be deadly when luck runs in her favour, and the odds usually side her since all she needs are tool cards.

Character ability 1: "Assembling Wisdom 集智 (jí zhì)"
When you use a non-time-delay tool card that is not converted from other cards, you can draw a card.

Character ability 2: "Genius 奇才 (qí cái)" [Enforced Ability]
There is no distance restriction on tool cards used by you.

Synergistic Partners:
Elder Zhuge Liang 暮年诸葛亮 (Husband)
Younger Zhuge Liang 卧龙诸葛亮 (Husband)

Difference from Normal SanGuoSha:
“Assembling Wisdom” can only be activated if a non-converted, non-time-delay tool card is used. She cannot draw cards by activating Younger Zhuge Liang's abilities like “Arson 火计”, “Scient 看破” and “Shackle 连环”.

To make this more clear, Huang Yueying can only draw 1 card with her ability if she uses the actual tool card. Eg: If she is partnered with Pang Tong and uses the card "IRON SHACKLES 铁锁链环", she can draw 1 card. But if she uses any other card with the suit of clubs as IRON SHACKLES (Pang Tong's ability), she cannot draw a card.

“Genius” becomes enforced in SGS-KW.

Ability's Relation to Story:
Both of her abilities are based on her superior intellect. Exactly how smart is she? *shrug* There does not seem to be any parallel of her character abilities in the story though.

集智 means collecting ideas. The game makers intend to show that Huang Yueying collect ideas for his husband to use in war, such as the mechanical carts to transport supplies to troops.

Wèi Yán 魏延

Translated description:
"The Blood-thirsty Lone-Wolf 嗜血的独狼"

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 along the lines of "Why should I (bla bla)...". In true dramatic fashion, Wei Yan became the "bad guy" when he revolted against Zhuge Liang 诸葛亮 and Shu Han. In today's world, he would probably make a pretty successful entrepreneur!

Character ability: "Insanity Streak 狂骨 (kuáng gǔ)" [Enforced ability]
After you inflict 1 unit of damage to a player within physical distance of 1, you regain 1 unit of health.

Synergistic Partners:
Huang Zhong 黄忠 (Colleague since serving Han Xuan 韩玄)

Difference from Normal SanGuoSha:
Nil.

Ability's Relation to Story:
A vampirical character is fun to have in a game, though there is no mention of any blood-sucking characters in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Of course, Wei Yan was never a vampire and wasn't even portrayed anywhere near one. So this ability is purely just for gaming sakes.

“狂骨” was likely a word made up by game makers. “狂” referred to his arrogance and lack of self control, while “骨” referred to a bone located at the back of his skull, and Zhuge Liang once said the bone was the complexion of a traitor.

Huáng Zhōng 黄忠

Translated description:
"Old but Vigorous 老当益壮 (lǎo dāng yì zhuàng)"

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 Huang Zhong is, therefore, 80% influenced by Romance of the Three Kingdoms and not so much by true history. Nonetheless, Huang Zhong was an incredible general, very powerful in combat and deadly accurate with the bow and arrow. The game makers of San Guo Sha 三国杀 really put his attacking abilities to the extreme! More about his character abilities below.

Character ability: " Fearsome Archer 烈弓 (liè gōng)"
After selecting a player as the target of your ATTACK 杀 in your action phase, you can disallow this ATTACK 杀 to be responded with DODGE 闪 under the following circumstances:

1. The number of on-hand cards of the target player is greater or equal to your current units of health.

2. The number of on-hand cards of the target player is smaller or equal to your attack range.

Synergistic Partners:
Wei Yan 魏延 (Colleague since serving Han Xuan 韩玄)

Difference from Normal SanGuoSha:
The ability description is slightly changed to clarify the timing to activate “Fearsome Archer”. If you are not a stickler for fine details in wording, the ability is essentially the same.

Ability's Relation to Story:
I wonder if the game makers are helping Huang Zhong make up for his age by giving him such an extreme character ability. Nothing close to this kind of combat prowess (where enemies cannot escape his attacks) is described in the story. A thin link to the story is possible when you consider that Huang Zhong is a celebrated archer. Perhaps the game makers wanted to give this famous archer the advantage by matching his weapon. Read about his matching weapon below.

In fact, Luo Guanzhong portrayed Huang Zhong as an outstanding archer. When Huang Zhong was first introduced in the story, he was said to able to bend the three-hundred-pound bow and possessed perfect accuracy. When he fought Guan Yu 关羽, he managed to fake Guan Yu twice with his bow, and then he shot an arrow that could kill Guan Yu instantly. However, he did not want to kill Guan Yu since Guan Yu spared his life once, so he shot an arrow that stoke the plume of Guan Yu’s helmet intentionally. Wow!

According to Zhuo You Zhi magazine, the two pre-requisites of “Fearsome Archer” referred to two of Huang Zhong’s characteristics. Long attack range referred to his marksmanship, while low health refers to his age. When one of these pre-requisites was fulfilled, he could strike his enemy with his marksmanship.

Zhào Yún 赵云

Translated description:
"The Young General 少年将军 (shào nián jiāng jūn)"

Who is he:
The hunk in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhao Yun is portrayed like the Antonio Banderas of ancient China, complete with sword wielding abilities equal to Zorro (or probably better?). Always the general of Shu Han 蜀汉 that appears to save the day when their need is crucial, Zhao Yun is arguably one of the most well-liked characters in the entire story. If you expect this character to have abilities to be feared in the card game, then you are right.

Character ability: "Dragon Heart 龙胆 (lóng dǎn)"
You can use or play your ATTACK 杀 as DODGE 闪, and vice versa.

Synergistic Partners:
Liu Shan 刘禅 (Rescued at the Battle of Changban)

Difference from Normal SanGuoSha:
Nil.

Ability's Relation to Story:
Scant relation to the story, really. We all know Zhao Yun is a really good fighter, so I guess it was natural to make his ability skewed towards attack. But the cool thing about Zhao Yun's "Dragon Heart" ability is he has a much stronger evasive ability than most players. Compared to Guan Yu 关羽 and Zhang Fei 张飞 who can heap loads of attack damage, Zhao Yun has an abnormal amount of ATTACK cards at his disposal but also has an incredible amount of DODGE as well! You kind of get the impression that the game makers want us to think that Guan Yu and Zhang Fei are pure brute strength while Zhao Yun has more dexterity and flexibility.

“龙胆” could be divided into two Chinese characters, “龙” and “胆”. “龙” means dragon and it is a wordplay on Zhao Yun’s style name, 子龙. “胆” means gall bladder, and it was considered as the organ that stores courage by ancient Chinese, equivalent to “heart” and “guts” in English words. After fighting at the Battle of Hanzhong, Liu Bei praised Zhao Yun that “子龙一身都是胆也！(Zilong is full of corage)”. The ability mechanism refers to his skill of fighting, killing lots of enemies while protecting himself unscathed.
BTW, the weapon of Zhao Yun in the video game Dynasty Warriors series is also called 龙胆, and I suspected that the game maker just copied the name of this weapon.

Zhāng Fēi 张飞

Translated description:
" Unstoppable by 10,000 Men 万夫不挡 (wàn fū bù dǎng) "

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 probably amongst the 5 most famous and popular characters in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. One of the reasons for that is the fact that he may well be the only comedic character in the entire cast of over 1000 characters in the story. Judging by most portraits of him, you wouldn't be blamed if you thought you was half-man, half-woolly mammoth.

Character ability: "Berserk 咆哮 (páo xiāo)"
During your action phase, you can use any number of ATTACK 杀.

Synergistic Partners:
Liu Bei 刘备 (Sworn Brother)

Difference from Normal SanGuoSha:
Nil.

Ability's Relation to Story:
The literal translation for 咆哮 means "roar". Zhang Fei is famous for his loud roar that scared away an entire Cao Wei 曹魏 army. That, however, has nothing to do with the game character's ability to repeatedly use ATTACK. You kind of get the feeling that the game makers based the ability of Shu Han 蜀汉's generals not so much on their historical basis, but more for the completeness of the game mechanism (ie: "it would be nice if a player could do THIS... let's allow Zhang Fei to do that").

The ability of 咆哮 has the use like ‘Barrage’, but it should not be used to describe Zhang Fei’s ability, since Zhang Fei defeats his enemy by spear with brutal force, not firing arrows (So "Barrage" is better to describe Yuan Shao’s ability). "Berserk" would be a better choice, since Zhang Fei fought like a berserker, roaring (咆哮) and swinging his halberd infinitely (Multiple ATTACK cards in one turn).

Guān Yǔ 关羽

Translated description:
"The Bearded Gentleman美髯公(měi rán gōng) "

Who is he:
He is a god. No kidding. The legend of Guan Yu and his strong sense of chivalry and brotherhood has transcended two millenia and is still widely revered today in Chinese culture. Mention his deity name "Guan Gong 关公" and most elder chinese would relate to you legendary stories of Guan Yu's strong sense fairness, justice and brotherhood. The 2nd eldest among the three sworn brothers, Liu Bei 刘备, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei 张飞, Guan Yu is usually the most rational. Of course, his combat ability is incredible and his weapon the Green Dragon Crescent Blade 青龙偃月刀has become the stuff of legends.

Character ability: "Warrior Saint 武圣 (wǔ shèng)"
You can use or play a red-suited card as ATTACK 杀.

Synergistic Partners:
Liu Bei 刘备 (Sworn Brother)

Difference from Normal SanGuoSha:
Guan Yu has 2.5 units of maximum health instead of 2, differentiating him from other characters with 4 units of maximum health in normal SGS. Another character with this additional health is Lu Bu 吕布. Some joke that they eat their horse, RED HARE 赤兔, to gain an addition 0.5 units of maximum health.

Ability's Relation to Story:
Like most of Shu kingdom's "combat" characters in the SanGuoSha 三国杀 card game, there is only a superficial link between their character ability and the story. In the case of Guan Yu, the game makers decided to make it easy for Guan Yu to attack other players. Unlike Zhao Yun 赵云 who has an advantage in dodging, Guan Yu's advantage only lies in attack. Perhaps its the game makers' way of paying tribute to Guan Yu's courage and raw power.

Okay, one more reason is that Guan Yu has red face, so the game makers linked him with the corresponding ability in BANG!

Mǎ Chāo 马超

Translated description:
"Lone Horseman that Outmatches a Thousand Troops 一骑当千 (yì qí dāng qiān)"

Who is he:
The valiant general known for his horsemanship and combat ability, Ma Chao is one of Shu Kingdom'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 an all-rounded civil and military leader.

Character ability 1: "Horsemanship 马术 (mǎ shù)" [Enforced ability]
Your distance and range when calculated to other players is always -1.

Character ability 2: "Iron Calvary 铁骑 (tiě jì)"
After selecting a player as the target of your ATTACK 杀, you can make a judgement. If the result is red-suited, the target cannot respond to this ATTACK with DODGE 闪.

Synergistic Partners:
Nil.

Difference from Normal SanGuoSha:
The ability description of “Iron Calvary” has been changed from “cannot be evaded” to “cannot respond with DODGE.

Ability's Relation to Story:
His "Horsemanship" ability is a given. Both him and Pang De 庞德 are known for their skilled horsemanship from the moment they appeared in the story. "Iron Calvary", however, is probably just an added skill by the game makers so as to tackle the "dodgy" characters, such as Zhang Jiao 张角, Younger Zhu Ge Liang 卧龙诸葛亮 and Zhen Ji 甄姬.

“铁骑” refers to the troops of Ma Chao. Heavy cavalries originated from Liang Province, Ma Chao and his troops could strike hard. Since they were mounted, they could act quickly and their enemies could not ‘evade their attack’.

Gān Fū Rén (Lady Gan) 甘夫人

Translated Description:
“The Empress of Shining Accomplishments 昭烈皇后 (zhāo liè huáng hòu)”

Who is she:
It's funny that YOKA decided to include her in the game. This is one person that barely had ANY airtime at all. Maybe its because she is Liu Bei 刘备's wife, therefore they should throw her in there. But honestly, that's as silly as Scharzenegger's wife to play a supporting role in Terminator 6.

Ok, so what DO we know about her? Well... she's Liu Bei's wife... and I have already said that. She is... a female... and... err... there's some stuff about her being escorted by so-and-so while Liu Bei was being defeated.

Oh nevermind!! Let's just get on to the juicy bit!

Character ability 1: "Prudence 淑慎 (shū shèn) "
Whenever you regain 1 unit of health, you can let another player of your Kingdom to draw 1 card.

(Note: I use "Kingdom" here instead of allegiance. This is because if you are an "Ambitionist 野心家", you are your own kingdom, even though you have other players with the same allegiance as you.)

Character ability 2: "Divine Wisdom 神智 (shén zhì) "
At the beginning of your turn, you can discard all your on-hand cards. If by doing so, the number of your discarded cards is not smaller than X, you regain 1 unit of health (X equals to your current health).

Synergistic Partners:
Liu Bei 刘备 (Husband)

Difference from Normal SanGuoSha:
She is a brand new character specially created for Kingdom Wars. The initial criticism we had was what a retarded ability she has to give up all her cards. Well, not quite as retarded. She is definitely a support role and can be pretty hard-to-kill. Come on, she only needs to discard ONE card at the start of her turn if she only has 1 unit of health. Then she starts her turn with 2 units of life AND can ask someone else to draw a card. She's much more fun than Zhou Tai 周泰!

Ability's Relation to Story:
“Prudence” came from Zhuge Liang 诸葛亮’s speech about her. This ability was similar to the beneficial part of Fa Zheng’s “Reciprocation” before change. It is likely referring to the fact that Lady Gan was saved frequently, and she would repay her allies by letting them to draw a card.

“Divine Wisdom” came from a folktale about Lady Gan. It was said that the skin of Lady Gan was pale and clear as jade. When Liu Bei acquired a jade figure, he put it in the room of Lady Gan and compared it to Lady Gan’s skin. However, Lady Gan advised Liu Bei to concentrate in his aspiration, instead of indulging in playthings. As a result, she was praised by the ministers of Shu Kingdom as “The Lady of Divine Wisdom 神智妇人”.

Elder Zhūgě Liàng 暮年诸葛亮

Translated Description:
"The Prime Minister who has Passed his Prime 迟暮的丞相 (chí mù dè chéng xiàng)"

Who is he:
The old man gets a face lift with this stunning new portrait picture. Can't say the same about his abilities though, since they are largely untouched. In case you do not know who Zhuge Liang is, he is arguably the most hyped up, exaggerated, and worshipped figure in all of ROTK folklore. The man undeniably responsible for the rise and success of Shu Kingdom, he was the advisor to Liu Bei 刘备, and became prime minister after Liu Bei's death.

For some strange reason, this character has become more appealing in Kingdom Wars. Maybe it's how he gels with some of the new rules. Or maybe its just because the portrait is more appealing?

Character ability 1: "Star Gazing 观星 (guān xīng)"
At the beginning phase of your turn, you can view X cards from the top of the deck (X being the number of players still alive in the game, and cannot exceed 5). Place any number of these cards, in any order, on the top of the deck . Place the remaining cards, in any order, at the bottom of the deck .

Character ability 2: "Empty City 空城 (kōng chéng)" [Enforced Ability] 
An ATTACK 杀 or DUEL 决斗 will be cancelled if you have become the target and you have no cards on-hand.

Synergistic Partners:
Huang Yueying 黄月英 (Wife)

Difference from Normal SanGuoSha:
The ability description for "Empty City" has been changed from “cannot become the target of... ” to “... will be cancelled”. What this means is that you can now target Zhuge Liang and use ATTACK or DUEL on him even if he has no on-hand cards. The ATTACK or DUEL card is simply wasted and has no effect on him. One advantage of this you have one more way to reduce your on-hand cards, especially when you cannot discard anymore cards in your discard phase. This is good in scenarios such as bringing your on-hand cards low enough to avoid Huang Zhong 黄忠's ability, etc. There are many ways to use this to your advantage. Get creative!

Ability's Relation to Story:
In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhuge Liang is given almost god-like powers that can predict the changes in weather, accurate to within the day that wind directions change. He is able to make these predictions from his knowledge of reading the stars, thus the game ability to "predict" what cards are coming up next with his "Star Gazing" ability. Ok so its outright manipulation of the cards coming up next, but heck might as well dramatize it more!

The "Empty City" ability comes from the famous ploy he uses to fool Sima Yi司马懿. As all his troops have been sent out in missions, he was unable to defend himself from Sima Yi's attack of his current location (Xi Cheng 西城). In classical reverse psychology, Zhuge Liang empties the city, opens the city gates wide to welcome the invaders, and calmly plays the zither atop the gate in full view of the enemy. Sima Yi suspects an ambush and thus retreats. To replicate that effect, the game makers gave the player using Elder Zhuge Liang unsusceptibility to ATTACK and DUEL when the player has no more cards left to defend himself or herself.

Liú Bèi 刘备

Translated Description: 
"The Ambitious Leader in Tumultuous Times 乱世的枭雄 (luàn shì dè xiāo xióng)"

Who is he:
Well, here we go again. The same old face we've been seeing for so many years... gets EXACTLY the same face. If i'm honest, he just isn't as appealing as he once was since he got powered down. The "good" guy. Liu Bei is the founding ruler of the Kingdom of Shu Han 蜀汉 during the Three Kingdoms Era. The impression of Liu Bei amongst people today depends on which side of the fence they are on. If they are fans of Shu Han and its chivalry, they would say Liu Bei was a benevolent leader, well-loved by his people. If they are not fans of Shu Han, they would say he was too soft and too kind. Either way, the fact is that you cannot possibly know Romance of the Three Kingdoms without knowing Liu Bei.

Character ability: "Benevolence 仁德 (rén dé) "
During your action phase, you can give any number of on-hand cards to any other player. If you give three or more on-hand cards away in a single phase, you regain 1 unit of health.

Synergistic Partners:
Guan Yu 关羽 (Sworn Brother)
Zhang Fei 张飞 (Sworn Brother)
Gan Fu Ren (Lady Gan) 甘夫人 (Wife)

Difference from Normal SanGuoSha:
"Benevolence" is weakened. You can only regain health by giving three or more on-hand cards in a single phase, instead of two in Normal SanGuoSha.

His ruler ability is also removed.

Ability's Relation to Story:
Liu Bei is regarded as the benevolent leader in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, usually generous and kind to his followers. The ability to give cards to any player mirrors Liu Bei's generosity.