Wèi Yán 魏延

What is with the cartoon?
OMG it's Eric Cartman from Southpark! Yes it is another broadly similar portrait with the original, but Wei Yan just looks like he's having lots of trouble taking a crap.


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 Zhu Ge 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]
Whenever Wei Yan causes damage to any player within physical range of 1, he regains 1 unit of health for every 1 unit of damage caused. Taking this to the extreme, Wei Yan can regain 4 units of health if he has equipped "-1 horse", uses BARBARIANS 南蛮入侵, and the 4 players to his immediate left and right all suffer damage. Since this is an enforced ability, he cannot choose not to absorb health.

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.

Additional info based on story:
1. Most famous achievement - The rescue of Huang Zhong 黄忠 from execution at the city of Chang Sha 长沙. Wei Yan got pissed off by Han Xuan 韩玄's distrust of Huang Zhong and decided to take matters into his own hands. He killed Han Xuan, rescued Huang Zhong, then surrendered the city to Liu Bei. Huang Zhong went on to become one of Liu Bei 刘备's most important generals. If not for Wei Yan, there would be no legend of Huang Zhong.

2. Cause of death - After Zhu Ge Liang died, Wei Yan openly revolted against Shu Han. Zhu Ge Liang, being all godly and smart, knew that Wei Yan was going to revolt once he died. Therefore he tipped off Wei Yan's partner Ma Dai 马岱, and laid a trap. In the midst of open revolt, Wei Yan challenged Shu Han's forces and shouted "Who dares to kill me?". Ma Dai happily decapitated him from behind.

Huáng Zhōng 黄忠

What's with the cartoon?
They removed the old man's horse and made him look like a severely over-aged cupid, but generally it is still similar to the original portrait.

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)"
In the action phase, Huang Zhong's ATTACK 杀 cannot be evaded by DODGE 闪 under the following 2 circumstances:

1. The number of on-hand cards of the target player is less than or equal to your attacking range.


2. The number of on-hand cards of the target player is more than or equal to the units of health you have remaining.


With a little extrapolation of the possibilities, you will notice that when Huang Zhong has only 1 unit of health left, any target player he uses ATTACK on cannot DODGE. "Undodgeable" ATTACK by Huang Zhong is therefore possible anytime his health remaining is less than or equal to his attacking range.

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.

Matching weapon: "Unicorn Bow 麒麟弓 (qí lín gōng)"
Okay okay, don't send me hate mail! I know that the 麒麟 is not a unicorn! You can read more about that in the trivia section of the UNICORN BOW post. Anyway, this is Huang Zhong's weapon and it is quite obvious what a huge advantage this weapon gives him. UNICORN BOW has an attacking range of 5, which means when Huang Zhong equips this weapon, your opponent needs to have at least 6 cards on-hand to be able to DODGE your ATTACK! Very few characters can hold that many cards outside of their turn! Off-hand I can only think of Lu Meng 吕蒙 and Cao Ren 曹仁. Do add on other characters by leaving me a comment!

Additional info based on story:
1. Most famous achievement - Although his biggest credit was killing the Cao Wei 曹魏 general Xia Hou Yuan 夏侯渊 at the battle of Mount Ding Jun 定军山之战, I prefer to think that honor is equally shared with his advisor Fa Zheng 法正.

Instead I feel his most memorable achievement was his chivalry when Guan Yu 关羽battled him in their first meet. At that time, Huang Zhong was defending the city of Chang Sha 长沙 from the forces of Liu Bei 刘备. Guan Yu was sent to duel with Huang Zhong, both of them ferocious but chivalrous. Huang Zhong purposely shot an arrow that hit Guan Yu's helmet instead of killing him, for he had grown to respect Guan Yu very quickly. Guan Yu killed Huang Zhong's horse in battle, but instead of taking advantage, Guan Yu let Huang Zhong rest and find another suitable horse to do battle again. The next day, Huang Zhong repeatedly took shots at Guan Yu with his bow, but did not load any arrows, as a subtle way of thanking Guan Yu. Eventually, Huang Zhong surrendered to Liu Bei after being rescued by Wei Yan 魏延 after Han Xuan 韩玄 ordered Huang Zhong executed for disloyalty.

2. Cause of death - Huang Zhong was shot by a poisoned arrow in an ambush laid by Pan Zhang 潘璋. This happened after Guan Yu's death and Liu Bei led a campaign against the kingdom of Sun Wu 孙吴 for revenge. Huang Zhong did not die in battle, but his old age caused him to succumb to his wounds later that night.

Guān Yǔ 关羽

What's with the cartoon?
They gave him a different pose, but otherwise nothing much has changed. His beard looks exceptionally bushy in this cartoon version though.

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)"
Every card with a "heart" or "diamonds" suit (effectively all red-suit cards) can be used as an ATTACK 杀 card.

Ability's relation to story:

Like most of Shu Han 蜀汉's "combat" characters in the San Guo Sha 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.

Additional info based on story:

1. Most famous achievement - I'm putting my personal opinion into this one. Despite all the battles won by Guan Yu, I remember him best for his role in letting Cao Cao 曹操 escape. When nearly all hope was lost for Cao Cao after the huge loss at Battle of Red Cliffs 赤壁之战, he had the ill-fortune to be confronted by Guan Yu. Cao Cao knelt down before Guan Yu and said it was his fortune to die in the hands of the respected Guan Yu, rather than in the hands of some other unknown character. However Guan Yu let Cao Cao go because he was once indebted to Cao Cao, who spared his life in a reversal of fortunes many years before. The key thing to remember here is that Guan Yu is liable for punishment by death for this chivalrous act, yet he still let Cao Cao go. Now that is a classic example of chivalry indeed.

2. Cause of death - Guan Yu was captured by troops from the Kingdom of Sun Wu 孙吴 after his own men deserted him. Guan Yu had severely underestimated his enemies and left the city of Jing Zhou 荆州 poorly guarded. While he was away attacking Cao Ren 曹仁 at Fan Cheng 樊城, the troops of Lu Meng 吕蒙 moved in and captured Jing Zhou. Guan Yu's men, who were mostly from Jing Zhou, deserted him to return to the safety of their family. Guan Yu was then captured at Mai Cheng 麦城. He was executed together with his son Guan Ping 关平 since they refused to surrender.

Zhào Yún 赵云

What's with the cartoon?
Zhao Yun was always referred in some way to Dragons, thanks to his other name Zhao Zi Long 赵子龙, which contains the word Dragon 龙. I must say though, the dragon looks a little too much like a seahorse here.

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)"
All ATTACK 杀 and DODGE 闪 cards can be used interchangeably.

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.

Additional info based on story:

1. Most famous achievement - Zhao Yun's rescue of Liu Shan 刘禅 at the Battle of Chang Ban 长板. This story is the stuff of legends. Zhao Yun is separate from Liu Bei 刘备 in the chaos after Cao Cao 曹操 attacks. Liu Bei's generals reported seeing Zhao Yun dash in the direction of the enemy alone, inferring that Zhao Yun has deserted Liu Bei and joined the enemy. Liu Bei would have none of it and believed Zhao Yun must have some plan up his sleeve. True enough, Zhao Yun ran into the enemy to search for Liu Bei's wife and son, Liu Shan, who was missing as well. After finding Liu Shan but not being able to rescue Liu Bei's wife, Zhao Yun dashes back towards Liu Bei, encountering literally thousands of enemy troops alone. One versus a few thousand, Zhao Yun manages to slay over 50 of Cao Cao's generals and hundreds of troops before successfully escaping. When Liu Shan was finally presented back to Liu Bei, Liu Bei tosses the baby on the ground, exclaiming that his son's life was not worth endangering his great general.

2. Cause of death - Zhao Yun died of old age, which was a remarkable feat not to have died in battle in that era. He remained undefeated in battle till his death. Most of the other Shu Han generals were all killed in action.

Elder Zhū Gě Liàng 暮年诸葛亮

What's with the cartoon?
A cuter version of the original portrait... with the eagle resting on his head gear this time.

Who is he:

The star of the show, but definitely not the star of the card game. In this San Guo Sha 三国杀 card game there are not 1, not 2, but 3 Zhu Ge Liang to choose from. This elder version is the most subdued and the least god-like. The other 2 are just simply unfairly powerful. Just in case you do not know who Zhu Ge Liang is, he is the military strategist cum intellect extraordinaire to Liu Bei 刘备 and the Kingdom of Shu Han 蜀汉. There is just TOO MUCH to read about Zhu Ge Liang, and i'll leave that to your own reading on Wikipedia.

Character ability 1: "Star Gazing 观星 (guān xīng)"
At the beginning of Zhu Ge Liang's turn, before any judgement or drawing of cards, he can view X number of cards from the top of the deck (X equals to the number of players still in play with X having maximum of 5). Of these X cards, he can choose any number of cards to place at the top or at the bottom of the pile. He can also rearrange the order of the cards.


Character ability 2: "Empty City 空城 (kōng chéng)" [Enforced ability]
When Zhu Ge Liang has no cards on hand, he cannot be the target of ATTACK 杀 or DUEL 决斗.

Ability's relation to story:

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhu Ge 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 Si Ma Yi 司马懿. As all his troops have been sent out in missions, he was unable to defend himself from Si Ma Yi's attack of his current location (Xi Cheng 西城). In classical reverse psychology, Zhu Ge 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. Si Ma Yi suspects an ambush and thus retreats. To replicate that effect, the game makers gave the player using Elder Zhu Ge Liang unsusceptibility to ATTACK and DUEL when the player has no more cards left to defend himself or herself.

Additional info based on story:

1. Most famous achievement - Borrowing arrows with straw boats? There really isn't ONE famous achievement because he has so many!

2. Cause of death - During a ritual ceremony to extend his life (no kidding!), Wei Yan 魏延 barges in and disturbs Zhu Ge Liang. He dies soon after from the effects of the disturbance.

Liú Bèi 刘备

What's with the cartoon?
Liu Bei is the charitable one, constantly giving away all his cards and healing himself in the process. No wonder he is smiling so widely. By the way, his super long ears are actually described in the story.

Who is he:

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 1: "Benevolence 仁德 (rén dé) "
Liu Bei can give any amount of on-hand cards to any amount of players in his turn. If the total number of cards given away is 2 or more, the player regains 1 unit of health.

Character ability 2: [Ruler Ability] "Rouse 激将 (jī jiàng)"
As a RULER 主公, Liu Bei can ask any Shu 蜀 character that is in play to use an ATTACK 杀 card for him. The attack is considered as being "used" by Liu Bei even though the card itself comes from another player. This means the attack properties such as range and element is based on Liu Bei, not the player that issued the card. Of course, Shu characters in play can choose not to use an ATTACK card for him.

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.

Matching weapon: "Gender Double Swords 雌雄双股剑 (cí xióng shuāng gǔ jiàn)"

Liu Bei's actual weapon in Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a "pair of ancient swords 双股剑" and does not have anything to do with gender. The word "gender 雌雄" was added by the game makers so as to give this weapon its gender specific ability.

Additional info based on Story:

1. Most famous achievement - Built up the Kingdom of Shu Han despite humble beginnings as a straw-weaver.

2. Cause of death - Official records is due to dysentery, though the legend goes that he fell sick due to despair and regret for his massive loss at the Battle of Yiling 夷陵之战. Prior to that battle, Liu Bei launched a massive attack on the Kingdom of Sun Wu 孙吴 against Zhu Ge Liang 诸葛亮's advice to avenge the death of his sworn brothers Guan Yu 关羽 and Zhang Fei 张飞. Liu Bei was eventually defeated by Lu Xun 陆逊 and loss nearly all of Shu Han's generals.

Mǎ Chāo 马超

What's with the cartoon?

Ma Chao's use of horses is legendary, thus it is fitting that they place him atop a couple of horsies. His Roman-looking helmet comes from his original portrait in SanGuoSha.

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 an all-rounded civil and military leader.

Character ability 1: "Horsemanship 马术 (mǎ shù)" [Enforced ability]

Ma Chao will always be -1 distance in any range calculations. This means that when he equips a "-1 horse", he will have a physical distance advantage totaling -2.

Character ability 2: "Iron Calvary 铁骑 (tiě jì)"

Whenever Ma Chao uses ATTACK 杀 on any target player, he can choose to flip over one judgement card from the deck. If the judgement card is of a red-suit (hearts and diamonds), the ATTACK cannot be evaded with DODGE 闪.

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 and Zhen Ji 甄姬.

Additional info based on story:

1. Most famous achievement - Probably the uprising he led against Cao Cao, where he very nearly captured Cao Cao alive. Cao Cao retaliated by executing over 100 of Ma Chao's family and extended family members. Though the uprising gave him prominence and respect from the kingdom of Shu Han, the death of hundreds of his family members due to his uprising would haunt him and disgrace him. It even led to an aborted marriage.

2. Cause of death - Ma Chao succumbed to illness and died. In the story version, Liu Bei dies before Ma Chao, however it seems the actual historical version of events was Ma Chao died earlier and even wrote a parting letter to Liu Bei.

Huáng Yuè Yīng 黄月英

What's with the cartoon?
Huang Yueying's abilities all have to do with Tool cards, which in chinese is called 锦囊 (jǐn náng). The literally meaning of 锦囊 means pouch, pocket, or some kind of pocket that contains useful items. Think Doraemon and you get the picture. Which is why she seems to be holding a bag or some sort and pulling cards out of it.

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 for being ugly. So ugly, in fact, that she hid her face behind veils under the shadow of moonlight. In the card game, Huang Yue Ying 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)"

Everytime she uses a tool card (except time-delay tool cards such as LIGHTNING), Huang Yue Ying can immediately draw another card from the deck. This is valid even if the tool card is used outside of that player's turn (such as when NEGATE 无懈可击 is used). This is the ability that makes her very deadly. When Huang Yue Ying has a hand-full of tool cards, her turn seemingly never ends. Although she can only ATTACK 杀 once, tools can be used without restriction. She can draw 3 cards when she uses DRAW2 无中生有.

Character ability 2: "Genius 奇才 (qí cái)"

There is no range restriction on all tool cards. This means she can use STEAL 顺手牵羊 on any character in play.

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.

Additional info based on story:

1. Most famous achievement - Getting herself married to Zhu Ge Liang?! Since the story goes that she is ugly as heck, that is quite an accomplishment don't you think? Like I mentioned, Huang Yue Ying is usually remembered for hiding her face behind veils to conceal her hideousness to potential suitors.

2. Cause of death - Wikipedia says she died after the Battle of Wu Zhang 五丈原之战. I'm not all too familiar with this one. Any corrections and contributions appreciated! Leave me a comment!

Zhāng Fēi 张飞

What's with the cartoon?

Since Zhang Fei can repeated use ATTACK, the cartoon shows him jabbing multiple times with his spear!

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)"

Zhang Fei can use as many ATTACK 杀 cards as he wishes during his turn. Effectively, Zhang Fei has the Zhu Ge Crossbow 诸葛连弩 equipped by default. He will always have the "Berserk" ability regardless of what weapon he has equipped.

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").

Matching Weapon: Serpent Halberd 丈八蛇矛 (zhàng bā shé máo)

This weapon is a wonderful match for Zhang Fei. The most irritating thing that can happen to a strong attacking player like Zhang Fei is to have no ATTACK cards on-hand to use. The Serpent Halberd allows him to use ATTACK by discarding any 2 cards. The flip side is Zhang Fei rarely has the opportunity to accumulate more than 6 on-hand cards. Still, sometimes all it takes to end the game (and save the world) is to be able to ATTACK twice consecutively.

Additional info based on story:

1. Most famous achievement - Ask any Chinese in the know what is Zhang Fei's most awesome achievement and they would undoubtedly say "scaring the shit out of Cao Cao 曹操's army at the bridge of Chang Ban 长板桥". He roared so loud that one enemy general fell off his horse and died while 10,000 enemy troops ran away in fear.

2. Cause of death - Zhang Fei's brutish and unreasonable nature makes him a terrible superior to work with. After Guan Yu died, Zhang Fei ordered Zhang Da 张达 and Fan Jiang 范疆 to prepare mourning clothes for his entire army within 3 days. Both of them pleaded that it was impossible to accomplish. Zhang Fei put down an ultimatum: that they would be beheaded if it was not done in 3 days. Fearing for their lives, Zhang Da and Fan Jiang cut off Zhang Fei's head while he was asleep and surrendered themselves to the Kingdom of Sun Wu 孙吴.