Elder Zhūgě Liàng 暮年诸葛亮

Translated description:
"Prime minister who has passed his prime 迟暮的丞相 (chí mù dè chéng xiàng)"

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 your turn, you 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, you can choose any number of cards to place at the top or at the bottom of the pile. You can also rearrange the order of the cards.


Character ability 2: "Empty City 空城 (kōng chéng)" [Enforced ability]
When you have no cards on hand, you cannot become 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.

Wikipedia link:

* Zhu Ge Liang Wiki

* Empty City Ruse 空城计

Tactics [By JonKow]:
Ruler (B+)
(Elder) Zhuge Liang in my opinion is a pretty normal ruler character, there isn’t really any added bonus when he is the ruler except for the fact that “Empty city” makes him pretty much difficult to kill. With the rattan armour addition he is basically invulnerable to all attacks except “lightning” and character effect damages. Being difficult-as-hell-to-kill just makes him an awesome character for all roles and not just as a ruler. The “Star Gazing” ability gives Zhuge Liang the ability to control the cards he draws as well as probably the next player’s cards. As usual this ability is incredible and every role would benefit from it.

Loyalist (B+)
Well if your ruler is your “next” player, he is in for a treat, you can support your ruler by giving him the best cards via “Star Gazing” Well, like the above, nothing special.

Rebel (B)
Now Zhuge Liang is not a very good rebel character to play. You might think that “hey, Zhuge Liang is so difficult to kill, he must be overpowered!” Well the way I see it, the rebels are generally easy to identify in a game, having a difficult to kill character would only induce your enemies to kill your allies, as much as you being able to assist them while being difficult-to-kill seems like a good idea, your allies might not be able to survive the heat and would soon be defeated leaving you facing whatever is left of your enemies. The lack of offensive abilities makes Zhuge Liang not very suitable for the role of a rebel.

Defector (B)
As much as how I like to play as a defector, and how awesome Zhuge Liang is, I can’t really say that he is a good defector, yes he is good support, he is difficult to kill, but there isn’t really much of a game when he is the last player left. I mean seriously, how much can you do when your star gazing is only limited to 2 cards and you have simply no offensive abilities.

FAQ and Disambiguation:

Star Gazing

1. Which comes first? "Star Gazing" ability or Judgement?

Ans: The ability comes first. Therefore Zhu Ge Liang is able to manipulate the judgement card to his favor.

2. Can he place all the cards that were gazed at the bottom of the deck, and not leave any at the top?

Ans: Yes.

3. Can this ability still apply when it is a 1-on-1 situation?

Ans: Yes. He can still gaze 2 cards, rearrange them, or place them at the bottom if he chooses.

Empty City

1. When Zhu Ge Liang has no more on-hand cards, can he be targeted for Diao Chan 貂蝉's "Seed of Animosity 离间" ability?

[Updated 2nd Feb 2011] Ans: No. He cannot be targeted for Duel even if it is Diao Chan's ability.

2. During the midst of a DUEL, if Zhu Ge Liang runs out of on-hand cards, does the "Empty City" ability activate?

Ans: No. "Empty City" means he cannot be the target of DUEL or ATTACK. During DUEL, the card has already been activated, thus the DUEL goes on even if Zhu Ge Liang has no more cards on-hand. If he is unable to produce another ATTACK in the midst of the DUEL, he receives damage.

3. Does RAINING ARROWS 万箭齐发, BARBARIANS 南蛮入侵 or tool cards other than DUEL have an effect on Zhu Ge Liang when he has no on-hand cards?

Ans: Yes. "Empty City" only prevents ATTACK and DUEL. Other tool cards are still effective.

4. Say a player equips "Green Dragon Crescent Blade 青龙偃月刀" and attacks Zhu Ge Liang, who has only 1 DODGE on-hand. After 1 ATTACK, Zhu Ge Liang uses his DODGE and no longer has anymore on-hand cards, but the weapon ability states that another ATTACK can be use if the previous was dodged. So can the second ATTACK be used on Zhu Ge Liang?

Ans: No. A second ATTACK card is executed after Zhu Ge Liang has activated his "Empty City" ability, therefore Zhu Ge Liang cannot be targeted for the second attack.

5. If he has no card in hand and has Rattan Armor equipped, is he completely immune to all damage?

Ans: No. If someone were to shackle him then channel damage across, his will still suffer damage

6. Is it possible for Zhu Ge Liang to blacken all the cards at the bottom of the deck for Zhen Ji using his Star Gazing ability?

Ans: Yes it is. But you will need to consider number of players and characters that can increase draw rate(such as Guo Jia and Xun Yu). It is not easy, but possible.

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:

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) "
You 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, you regain 1 unit of health.

Character ability 2: [Ruler Ability] "Rouse 激将 (jī jiàng)"
You can ask any Shu 蜀 character that is in play to use an ATTACK 杀 card for you.

(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.

Wikipedia links:

* Liu Bei Wiki

* Battle of Yiling 夷陵之战

Tactics: [By Jonkow]
Ruler (A)
Liu Bei is a fantastic ruler character(duh, he is after all a ruler-type character...) Anyway, with the "Benevolence" he becomes more resilient and harder to kill since he can easily heal 1 hp every turn and after he identifies his allies and enemies he is basically in control of the whole game. Even if his allies are not "shu" members, he can easily make use and abuse the fact that he can simply give the cards he drew to his allies to get them to use it on his behalf and simultaneously heal 1 hp making it both difficult to kill him and also difficult to kill his allies. With his "Rouse" abiliy, he can just ask his "ATTACK" allies to use " ATTACK " for him. If you don't understand how awfully overpowering this ability is, you can just imagine him getting Huang Zhong, Guan Yu, Ma Chao, Zhao Yun, Ma Dai and Zhu Rong to use " ATTACK " for him.
PS. If one of your enemies happen to be Zhuge Liang with the "empty city" skill just give him a non-"ATTACK" card and watch his face contort into a mix of both horror and disgust...

Loyalist (A-)
Incredible-but-not-as-awesome-as-ruler. He can do the same as above, just give cards to your "Ruler" and viola! you get a tough loyalist+ruler combo, however its not very wise to get the ruler to do your dirty job for you since its the "Loyalist's" job to get his hands dirty anyway. =)

Rebel (B)
Since we have already established that Liu Bei is a support character i shall not bore you with the details about how he can support. Basically the same formula as above.

Defector (B-)
Now, Liu Bei in my opinion is a REALLY fun defector character to use. Before you are discovered, you can give players some useless cards to make them think you are their ally while healing yourself when you are attacked. But what if you are discovered? No fear, ya can just "bribe" the losing side since Liu Bei is such an awesome support character and everybody loves Liu Bei. However, take extra caution to maintain the balance of the game since if the game starts getting loopsided, you are sure to be the first to die... But nontheless its still incredibly fun to play as a Liu Bei defector.

FAQ and Disambiguation:


''Benevolence''
1. Can Liu Bei choose not to increase health after giving 2 cards or more?
Ans: No.

2. Can the receiving player refuse to accept the cards?
Ans: No.

''Rouse''
1. If a Shu Character uses an ATTACK in response to Liu Bei's  ''Rouse'' who suffers the penalty of retaliation or receives the rewards for a kill? The Shu Character who used the ATTACK, or Liu Bei?
Ans:  Liu Bei . He is the source of the attack and will receive all the penalties/rewards.

2. If no player responds, can Liu Bei still use an ATTACK card ?
Ans: Yes if he has not used any ATTACK  prior to using ''Rouse''.

3. If no player responds, can Liu Bei change a different target player and use ''Rouse'' again?
Ans: Yes.

4. If no player responds, can Liu Bei use ''Benovelence'' to give other players cards before using ''Rouse'' again?
Ans: Yes.

5. Is there a limit to the number of times this ability can be used in a turn?
Ans: It depends. As long as an ATTACK card has not been used in Liu Bei's turn to attack another player, ''Rouse'' can be used repeatedly.

6. Can the ATTACK used by a Shu Character (in response to ''Rouse'') carry that character's ability attributes? Eg. Can Ma Chao use ''Iron Calvary '' with his ATTACK?
Ans: It depends on the ability. ''Rouse'' only allows the character to use ATTACK on behalf of Liu Bei. Guan Yu and Zhao Yun can use their abilities to produce an ATTACK card but Ma Chao's ''Iron Calvary'' ability occurs on top of producing the ATATCK card and is therefore not allowed .

7. Can the Shu Character use his weapon attributes when he uses ATTACK?
Ans: Only ''Serpent Halbert'' attribute is allowed since it only involves producing an ATTACK. All other weapon ability's that add-on to the ATTACK is not allowed.

8. Will Liu Bei's weapon attributes be effective when another Shu Character responds to ''Rouse''?
Ans: Yes, as long as it fullfils the ability criteria . Eg: ''Heaven Scorcher Halbert'' ability cannot be used since it is not Liu Bei's card that is used.

9. If Liu Bei equipped ''Serpent Halbert'' , can a Shu Character use any 2 characters as an ATTACK?
Ans: No. The ATTACK card needs to be produced by the character. Remember that producing the ATTACK card is not the same as the weapon ability. (I know its a little confusing)

10. After a Shu Character uses ATTACK in response , can Liu Bei still use an ATTACK card himself  in that turn?
Ans: No. The ATTACK card by the character is considered used on behalf on Liu Bei , so it counts as Liu Bei having already used an ATTACK card in his turn.

11. Can Liu Bei give away the equipped cards?
Ans: No. He can only give his on-hand cards.

Liú Beì 刘备 (*SP007)

Translated Description:
"The Shining Martyr Emperor of Han Dynasty 汉昭烈帝 (hàn zhāo liè dì)"

Who is he:
Really? You do not know who he is? Come on!! Let's go straight to why the original Liu Bei needed an upgrade, shall we? He wasn't much of a Ruler character at all as he had little offensive powers and was more supportive and self-preserving.

Or was he?

My honest opinion is that the original Liu Bei is fine just the way he is. If i'm playing a large match with 6 or more players, any side with Liu Bei is at a strong advantage.

That being said, this new SP character does have some interesting abilities. At first glance, it seems SP Liu Bei is over-powered, but on closer evaluation, he does seem quite balanced. Bear in mind that his first ability contains the component of choice on the part of the victim, so it's not as insane as it first sounds. His 2nd ability sounds really cool as well! But we'll have to play him to be sure.

Character ability 1: Shining Martyr 昭烈 (zhāo liè)
During your drawing phase, you can draw 1 card less, then ask a player within your attacking range to display the top 3 cards from the deck. Discard the non-Basic cards and PEACH 桃 amongst these 3 cards, (the remaining basic cards will be needed below).

The player must choose 1 out of the following 2 options:

1. You inflict X units of damage on that player. The player then gets to acquire the remaining basic cards.

2. The player discards X number of cards, and you acquire the remaining basic cards.

(X is the number of non-Basic cards discarded amongst the 3 cards displayed.)


Character ability 2: Oath of Vengeance 誓仇 (shì choú) [Ruler Ability] [Single-use Ability]
At the beginning of your turn, you can select 1 player from the Shu allegiance and give him 2 cards. Every instance you receive damage throughout the game, this other player will receive the same amount of damage on your behalf, then this player will draw as many cards as damage received. This ability will perpetuate until this player enters brink of death for the first time.

Ability's relation to story:
Liu Bei was given the title "The Shining Martyr Emperor of Han Dynasty 汉昭烈帝" posthumously, which is seemingly where this ability title came from. In no way does his first ability seem "shiny" nor "martyr-ish", but it does have an air of "I am the bloody Emperor and watch me command you to do stupid things in a condescending manner, now spill your blood for me!".

The title "Oath of Vengeance" refers to his historically huge blunder by attacking Wu to avenge Guan Yu 关羽. That does not seem to have much link to the ability though, as there was no mention of surrogates in the story relating to this event. In fact, "Oath of Vengeance" has the undertones of "Bad idea" associated with it's name, which is supposed to come back and bite Liu Bei. This ability does not seem to show any of this.

How to obtain this character:
Click here to purchase this character from Sino-Games.com!

Guān Xìng & Zhāng Bāo 关兴 & 张苞

Translated Description:
"Cubs of the Generals 将门虎子 (jiàng mén hǔ zǐ)”
(Note: The title is a commonly used phrase for describing a boy coming from the family of a general, who would eventually inherit his father's skills and bravery.

Who are they:
Think George Bush Jr, or Lee Hsien Loong, and you get the general idea. True, neither Bush Jr nor Prime Minister Lee are "generals", but as the children of incredibly significant history-makers, the cubs are usually not too shabby in their abilities.

Guan Xing is the second son of Guan Yu 关羽. His elder brother Guan Ping 关平 died with their father in the hands of Lu Meng 吕蒙. Zhang Bao is the eldest son of Zhang Fei 张飞, and first appeared in ROTK to inform Liu Bei 刘备 of his father's death. Both the cubs are strong fighters and well-liked by Zhuge Liang 诸葛亮, but both were urgent to avenge their fathers by leading the vanguard. They almost came to blows before Liu Bei intervened and forced them to swear an oath of brotherhood, just like their fathers did. From then on, they usually went into battle together.

Character Ability: Spirit of their Fathers 父魂 (fù hún)
In the drawing phase, you can forfeit the drawing of cards and, instead, display the top two cards from the deck, then receive them. If the two cards displayed are of different colours, you receive the abilities "Warrior Saint 武圣" and "Berserk 咆哮" till the end of your turn.

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

"Berserk 咆哮"
You can use as many ATTACK 杀 cards as you wish during your turn.)

Ability's relation to story:
Readers are scathing in his comments for this character's ability. "The ability allows Guan Xing and Zhang Bao to inherit the skills of their fathers respectively, without creativity…" Well, their observation is a 100% accurate. Still, the ability sounds exciting and should make for interesting play. Given Liu Bei in the same team and this character will probably bring armageddon.

How to obtain this character:
Guan Xing and Zhang Bao is available in the 2012 release of OverKnight Fame, otherwise known as OKF2012 (一将成名2012). Click here to purchase now!

Liào Huà 廖化

Translated Description:
"Put through the Mill of Time 历经沧桑 (jīng lì cāng sāng)

Who is he:
Not many people live long enough to witness the birth, pinnacle, and extermination of a state. This old man is one of those rare people. In fact it is believed that he witnessed the entire ROTK timeline as a soldier. As a child soldier, he served under Zhang Jiao 张角 in the yellow turban rebellion, then under Guan Yu 关羽 and Liu Bei 刘备 under the early Shu formation, then Zhuge Liang 诸葛亮 and Jiang Wei 姜维 in the later days of the kingdom. He was alive for so long that he was still alive when the Jin Empire 晋朝 was formed.

Yet the criticism that some have (which I do not subscribe to) about Liao Hua is that he never did enough for Shu. Those who went beyond and excelled, such as Guan Yu, Ma Chao 马超, died valiantly in battle when they pushed too hard. I disagree with this. After all, Zhao Yun 赵云 did not die in battle. Nonetheless, Liao Hua is definitely one of those names that came up often in discussions of ROTK. This old man, he played one heckuva lifetime.

Character Ability 1: Forefront 当先 (dāng xiān) [Enforced ability]
At the beginning of the turn, you perform an extra action phase.

Character Ability 2: Longetivity 伏枥 (fú lì) [Single-use ability]
When you are on the brink of death, you can regain X units of health (X being the number of allegiances still in play). After which you must flip your character card.

Abilities relation to story:
Literally, 伏枥 means “stabled”. Ironically, 伏枥 comes from one of the sentences in Cao Cao's poem "老骥伏枥，志在千里；烈士暮年，壮心不已: An old war-horse may be stabled, yet still it longs to gallop a thousand miles; And a noble-hearted man though advanced in years, never abandons his proud aspirations". This ability was meant to generalize that Liao Hua possessed a long lifespan and his bluffing death. Liao Hua is the vanguard of Late Shu and he was likely the person with longest lifespan in Three Kingdoms Era (excluding the immortal Zuo Ci 左慈), thus giving the ability “Forefront”.

I felt that "Forefront" was a nice-ability without a suitable name. They could have given that name to any character with Vanguard experience in the story, so I felt it's not really tied to Liao Hua. Liao Hua faked his own death in order to escape from Wu kingdom in order to rejoin Guan Yu. This ability has both the element of "a second life" and longevity. Well linked!

How to obtain this character:
Liao Hua is available in the 2012 release of OverKnight Fame, otherwise known as OKF2012 (一将成名2012). Click here to purchase now!

Mǎ Dài 马岱

Translated Description:
"Entrusted during the crisis 临危受命 (lín wēi shòu mìng)"

Who is he:
This guy has a rather dirty resume, because his biggest credit is in tricking and murdering a "compatriot". Before we get to that, let's talk about his relations to other characters. Ma Dai was the cousin of Ma Chao 马超, though Ma Dai never quite got the fame (or infamy) of his cousin. He served for Shu Kingdom and was more notable during Zhuge Liang 诸葛亮's expeditions.

But enough riff-raff. Let's get to the juicy bit. Zhuge Liang once praised Ma Dai as one of the most loyal to Shu Kingdom. You could say that Zhuge Liang was right, because Ma Dai's loyalty led him to feint friendship with Shu's most famous traitor... Wei Yan 魏延. Ma Dai was part of Zhuge Liang's plot to keep check on Wei Yan as the latter seemed likely to revolt. True enough, Wei Yan turned rebel after Zhuge Liang's death, but Ma Dai seized the opportunity whilst an insider to assassinate the rebel. Give this man a trophy!

Character ability 1: Horsemanship 马术 (mǎ shù) [Enforced Ability]
In distance calculations between you and other players, you will always be at -1.

Character ability 2: Backstab 潜袭 (qián xí)
Whenever you use ATTACK 杀 to cause damage to a player within distance of 1, you can flip a judgement card. If the judgement is not hearts, you prevent this damage and instead cause the player reduce his max health units by 1.

Ability's relation to story:
“Backstab” refers to his killing of Wei Yan. In ROTK, Wei Yan revolted against Shu Han. However, Zhuge Liang predicted that and entrusted a mission to Ma Dai before his death. Ma Dai falsely followed Wei Yan. When Wei Yan shouted out “who dares to kill me?”, Ma Dai slayed him from behind. The ability allows Ma Dai to reduce his enemy’s max. health, so Wei Yan cannot regain his health back by his ability “Insanity Streak”.

However, this ability is buggy and overpowered. It is buggy because the presence of awakening abilities of other characters. Awakening abilities use max health as a sign to indicate whether that character has awakened or not. But with this character, it would be impossible. Also, for Deng Ai 邓艾, Jiang Wei 姜维, Sun Ce 孙策, and Zhong Hui 钟会, their awakening abilities require them to reduce 1 max health when awakening. What happen if Ma Dai has reduced their max health to 1…

The ability is overpowered because of it can reduce max health. As you may observe, 1 max health represents 1 normal ability in most characters. But for Ma Dai, he can reduce their max.health…even Cai Wenji can disable abilities at her death. Also, it is extremely powerful to all characters damage-triggered abilities (because it reduces max.health) and abilities related to lost health (e.g. Sun Jian 孙坚, Zhang Chunhua 张春华 and Wang Yi 王异).

How to obtain this character?
Ma Dai is available in the 2012 release of OverKnight Fame, otherwise known as OKF2012 (一将成名2012). Click here to purchase now!

Zhang Fei 张飞 (*SP005)

Translated Description:
“Spear-Ready, Horse-Mounted 横矛立马 (héng máo lì mǎ)”

Who is he:
If you don't know Zhang Fei, you must be completely new to ROTK (in which case, you can read about him here). The hairy one gets a makeover, but thankfully his facial hair is just as overwhelming. I would have thought Zhang Fei is one of the last to need a revamp. His old character was simple, brutal, and very flexible. I think the new complicated mechanics are to Zhang Fei what variable acceleration technology is to a food blender: unnecessary.

Still, i'm sure some out there would appreciate the more complex nature of the newer characters, and hopefully this new update would appeal to you.

Why is he an SP character?
There is only one reason I can think of that warrants an SP version of him. His ability was too simple (ie: had too few words), and was too clear-cut. Ambiguity is vogue now, and if don't have to re-read the ability description at least thrice, it's clearly out of fashion.

Character ability 1: "Indignation 嫉恶 (jí è)" [Enforced ability]
When you use red-suited ATTACK 杀 cards, the damage caused is +1.

Character ability 2: "Battle Cry 大喝 (dà hè)"
During your action phase, you can pick a player to points duel. If you win, all DODGE 闪 cards of that player that are not hearts-suit become ineffective till the end of the turn. You can pass the points duel card of that player to any player whose health is not more than yours. If you lose, you must display your hand of cards and select one card to discard. Limited to once per turn.

Ability's relation to story:
The words “嫉恶” originates from the phrase 嫉恶如仇 (abhor evil as a deadly foe). It refers to Zhang Fei’s personality. When Zhang Fei saw wrongdoings, he would get enraged easily. There have been numerous instances where Zhang Fei lost his cool and did some pretty impulsive things, whipping an official and even fighting Guan Yu 关羽 just to name two.

“Battlecry” referred to Zhang Fei’s contribution in the Battle of Changban. This section has been written extensively in the original Zhang Fei post as well as in DISMANTLE 过河拆桥.

Incidentally, 大喝 (Battlecry) and 咆哮 (Barrage) have similar meanings in chinese. In the game, “Battlecry” is more likely referring to the whole action of Zhang Fei in the Battle of Changban. If Zhang Fei wins, Zhang Fei literally stunned his enemy. His ATTACK is less likely to be dodged, and he can take this chance to protect his comrade (by giving a card to him). If Zhang Fei loses, he is at a disadvantage, so his enemies can see through his intention (reveal on-hand cards) and one card needs to be ‘dismantled’ by Zhang Fei himself.

How to obtain this character:
Purchase the 15th issue of Zhuo You Zhi magazine (April 2012) to get this limited character card as a free gift! (Coming soon to Sino-Games.com)

Sūn Shàng Xiáng 孙尚香 (SP005)

Translated Description
“Exceptional Marriage 梦醉良缘(mèng zuì liáng yuán)”

Who is she?
A beautiful young bride wearing a traditional red wedding dress, sitting in the bridal chamber smiling mysteriously at you. Through the red chiffons, you seem to be able to smell the faint aroma around the new wedding bed, is she waiting for someone? Oh, I forgot I am not writing an erotic novel! So this girl is the SP version of Sūn Shàng Xiāng 孙尚香, Sun Quan 孙权’s younger sister and  Liu Bei刘备’s second wife. You are probably very familiar with her and her abilities in SGS. But why did they totally change her appearance? Keep reading and find it out!

Why is she an SP character?
According to the designers of the SP characters, the female characters are always extremely popular and welcome among SGS players. That’s why they made a new version of Lady Sun. They didn’t just change her appearance, but also changed her allegiance from Wu to Shu. These two changes perfectly match both the story and the traditional custom in ancient China: From the moment she married Liu Bei, she no longer belonged to the kingdom of her birth. Makes you wonder then, if the normal Sun Shang Xiang is considered "single"... with cleavage showing and all it's no surprise!

Character ability1: “Marriage 结姻 (jié yīn)”
During the action phase, you can choose to discard 2 on-hand cards and pick any male character that is not at full-health. By doing so, both the male character and yourself will recover 1 unit of health each. Limited to only 1 use per turn.

Character ability2: “Warrior Lady 枭姬 (xiāo jī)”
Whenever any equipped card is removed from your equipped items area, you can immediately draw 2 cards from the deck.

(Note that 2 cards can be drawn for each equipped card that is removed. This applies also to changing the equipped item (ie: replacing one weapon with another weapon).

Additional info based on changes:
There is no doubt that this version of Sun Shang Xiang is stronger than the previous one because the cooperation between her and Liu Bei is more useful and efficient than the one between her and Sun Quan. That’s why she always gets the most attacks in the game (there is a saying in Chinese 红颜薄命 which means “A beautiful girl often leads an unfortunate life). Anyway, the guys should feel really lucky that no matter how her appearance changes, she still keeps her G-Cup. Woo hoo!

Note: according to the game designer, Sun Shang Xiang and SP Sun Shang Xiang won’t appear in the same game on SGS online. But for the off-line game there is no such limitation. And when SP Sun Shang Xiang uses PEACH 桃 to save her brother Sun Quan, he can no longer get an extra unit of health back.

How to obtain this character?
She is available on SGS online now! (Of course VIP only, or you can just buy it in SGS online market) For obtaining a card, purchase ZYZ magazine issue #6 (June 2011).

Wiki Link:
- Sun Shang Xiang Wiki

Contributing Writer:
- Cherry Cat

Jiāng Wéi 姜维

Translated description:
“The Protégé of the Dragon 龙的衣钵 (lóng dè yī bō)”

Who is he:
He was to be the ultimate general. Said to have the charisma of Liu Bei 刘备, wisdom of Zhuge Liang 诸葛亮 and fighting ability of Zhao Yun 赵云, Jiang Wei was the only remaining hope for Shu in the dying days of the kingdom. Yet, as history would tell us, Shu was the first of the two major powers to be exterminated, what more while Jiang Wei was General-in-chief. What happened? While many would point to the incapable ruler Liu Shan 刘禅 who did not give Jiang Wei the support he needed, Jiang Wei himself was criticized as being reckless and single-minded. Nonetheless, Jiang Wei was a brilliant general that would truly have done Shu a lot of good had he been born 20 years earlier whilst Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei were still in power. Ultimately, Jiang Wei would be forced to surrender to Wei under instruction from Liu Shan, but his fighting spirit and loyalty would not be extinguished! He would go on to plan a grand coup that would have revived Shu, yet he died in the process. What happened? Read on to find out!

Character ability 1: “Taunt 挑衅 (tiǎo xìn)”
During the action phase, you can pick a player that is able to strike you using ATTACK 杀. That player must use an ATTACK on you. If the player does not do so, you can discard one of his/her card. Limited to once per turn.

Character ability 2: “Recommence the Legacy 志继 (zhì jì)” [Awakening ability]
At the start of your turn, if you have no on-hand cards, you must regain 1 unit of health or draw 2 cards, then reduce your maximum health by 1 unit, and permanently acquire the ability “Star Gazing 观星”.

(Note: "Star Gazing" is Elder Zhuge Liang's ability where he can view the top few cards of the deck at the start of his turn)

Ability's relation to story:
Before Jiang Wei became the leading General of Shu, he was under the command of Fei Yi 费祎. Jiang Wei recommended taking up the offensive against the Wei Kingdom like Zhuge Liang once did, but Fei Yi was dead against the idea. Instead Fei Yi sent Jiang Wei to harass the Wei forces numerous times at the border, probably as a reminder that Shu forces are not sitting idle. This is probably the relation to the ability “Taunt”, and the ability mechanics, though simple, seem well-crafted to suit the ability title.

“Recommence the Legacy” refers to Jiang Wei being seen as Zhuge Liang's most able apprentice, then carrying on his work and aspirations after Zhuge Liang's death. In this aspect, the ability mechanics is a perfect fit. After he is "awakened", Jiang Wei actually takes on the ability of Zhuge Liang and can "Star Gaze" to tell the future. In reality, though, Jiang Wei did not seem to inherit Zhuge Liang's god-like abilities. Furthermore, there is actually a gap in the story since Jiang Wei was never actually Zhuge Liang's disciple. Perhaps the actions taken by Jiang Wei to honor Zhuge Liang's wishes earned him that nickname.

Additional info based on story:
1. Most famous achievement - The coup that almost saved Shu Kingdom. Once the incapable Liu Shan 刘禅 surrendered, Jiang Wei was also forced to surrender to Zhong Hui 钟会, the rival of Deng Ai 邓艾. Jiang Wei insidiously suggested to Zhong Hui that animosity be conjured between Deng Ai and the defacto Wei ruler, Sima Zhao 司马昭. The plan was successful initially because Zhong Hui himself was ambitious, albeit deluded, and planned to rule all of Wei. The cunning Jiang Wei sat on the bylines and watched as Zhong Hui forged letters that slandered Deng Ai to Sima Zhao. Eventually, Sima Zhao seemingly fell for the ploy and order Deng Ai be captured and executed.

2. Cause of Death - Killed in the ensuing chaos. Sima Zhao was not as naive as Zhong Hui and Jiang Wei expected. Whilst a force was sent to arrest Deng Ai, another secret force was directed personally by Sima Zhao himself, headed straight for Zhong Hui. Zhong Hui knew that Sima Zhao had seen through his plan and had come to crush any new-found power Zhong Hui had at his disposal. The prudent Jiang Wei quickly advised Zhong Hui to kill all the key officers and stake a rebellion but Zhong Hui was slow to act. Once their own officers knew that Zhong Hui planned to exterminate them, all hell broke loose and in the carnage, both Zhong Hui and Jiang Wei were killed.

Wiki Link:
Jiang Wei Wiki

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]
Whenever other player targets an ATTACK 杀 at you, he/she must discard a basic card, or that ATTACK has no effect on you.

Character ability 2: "Devolution 放权 (fàng quán)"
You can skip your action phase. If you do so, you can discard an on-hand card at the end of your turn and let another player go an extra turn.

Character ability 3: "Eiron 若愚" [Ruler ability] [Awakening ability] 
At the start of your turn, if your health is the least or among the least, you must raise your maximum health by 1 unit, regain 1 unit of health and permanently acquire get the ability "Rouse 激将".

(Note: "Rouse" is Liu Bei's Ruler ability, where Shu characters can use an ATTACK on his behalf.)

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!

"Eiron" is interesting. It comes from the Chinese phrase “大智若愚 (still-water runs deep, or the smartest people usually seems the dumbest)”. Although Liu Shan was thought to be an incompetent leader, some historians thought he was just feinting the fool. When Liu Bei was still alive, Zhuge Liang praised Liu Shan as benevolent, clever and receptive. Some historians also believe that when Sima Zhao 司马昭 invited him to a banquet (the banquet that became the basis of ACEDIA 乐不思蜀), Liu Shan played the fool without ambition so as to protect himself. Sadly, whether he really was a fool or a cunning actor, we will never know. In this game ability, however, Liu Shan need not feign the fool forever, but can unveil his disguise as a powerful leader as capable as Liu Bei.

Additional info based on story:
1. Most famous achievement - Losing his "brain cells" when Liu Bei tossed him. Ok perhaps that's not exactly an achievement, but it's still very significant in popular folklore. At the battle of Chang Ban 长板之战, Zhao Yun 赵云 risked life and limb to rescue the baby Liu Shan from Wei forces. When Liu Bei saw the wounds that his beloved general suffered to save his son, Liu Bei tossed his baby to the ground and proclaimed "To preserve that suckling I very nearly lost a great general!" It is said that Liu Shan suffered a concussion as a result of Liu Bei's over-drama, and hence became "stupid" for the rest of his life.

2. Cause of death - Old age. After living in captivity in Wei, Liu Shan never did think much about his own kingdom that he lost. All he seemed to care about was living a carefree life and having ample play-time. Thus Liu Shan was never again regarded as a threat and he was left to while away his remaining 8 years of his life under soft-captivity. He was aptly given the title "The Duke of Peace and Comfort 安乐公". Because of this, he has become almost synonymous with the sin of Acedia. He was aged 64 when he died.

Wiki Link:
Liu Shan Wiki

Fǎ Zhèng 法正

Translated Description:
The Wind beneath Shu Kingdom's Wings 蜀汉的辅翼 (shǔ hàn dè fǔ yì)

Note: 辅翼 actually means "wings that support".

Who is he:
Some say he's a mercenary that cares more for his own benefits. Others say he is loyal and steadfast in his support of Liu Bei 刘备. Yet everyone would agree that Fa Zheng is one talented and intelligent individual. To put things into perspective, the true roles of Zhu Ge Liang 诸葛亮, Pang Tong 庞统 and Fa Zheng needs to be clarified. Though Zhu Ge Liang is widely celebrated for his god-like intellect, history records show that he was more a brilliant minister and statesman than a strategist. Pang Tong and Fa Zheng, on the other hand, are the true thinkers and conjurers. Pang Tong and Fa Zheng never did work together though. By the time Fa Zheng joined Shu Kingdom, Pang Tong was already dead.

So who exactly is Fa Zheng and how did he end up joining Liu Bei? Fa Zheng was one of the key personnel responsible for Liu Bei invading the western state of Xi Chuan 西川 that set up the Shu Kingdom. Fa Zheng worked closely with Zhang Song 张松 (the person responsible for giving the Atlas of Shu to Liu Bei) and was the brains behind the ploy that supplanted Liu Zhang 刘璋 with Liu Bei. In the time after, Fa Zheng was so highly regarded by Liu Bei that Liu Bei gave Fa Zheng something that he never gave any other Shu loyal.

What did Liu Bei give to Fa Zheng that was so unique? Read on to find out!


[2011 Old version]
Character ability 1: Reciprocation 恩怨 (ēn yuàn) [Enforced ability]
Whenever any other player regains your health by 1 unit, that player can draw 1 card. Every instance that any other player deals you damage, that player must give you an on-hand card of the "hearts" suit, or else that player will lose 1 unit of health.

Character ability 2: Artifice of the Masses 眩惑 (xuàn huò)
In your action phase, you can give one on-hand card with the suit of "hearts" to any other player, then take any 1 card from that player and immediately give it to another player. Limited to one use per turn.

(Note: For "Artifice", after you take 1 card from the player, you can choose to keep it in your on-hand cards. The words "give it to another player" includes yourself.)

[2012 New version]
Character ability 1: Reciprocation 恩怨 (ēn yuàn)
Whenever you receive 2 or more cards from another player, you can allow that player to draw 1 card. Whenever you have received 1 unit of damage, you can make the source of the damage give you 1 on-hand card, or he/she loses 1 unit of health.

Character ability 2: Artifice of the Masses 眩惑 (xuàn huò)
In the drawing phase, you can forgo drawing cards and force another player to draw 2 cards, then let that player use an ATTACK on another player of your choice that is within his/her attacking range. If the player does not abide by your instructions, you will receive those 2 cards that the player drew.

Ability's relation to story:
The ability "Reciprocation" is supposed to reflect Fa Zheng's mercenary tendencies, where he will readily reciprocate in kind or with harm to whomever shows him the same. This is debatable though, as the evidence of that personality trait just isn't overwhelming. So even though there is a link to the story, its the story itself that might be somewhat corrupted.

"Artifice of the Masses" has its roots in a particular story, which took place after Liu Bei overthrew Liu Zhang at conquered the West. Near the dying days of Liu Zhang's rule, one minister of Liu Zhang, known as Xu Jing 许靖, decided to surrender early to defect to Liu Bei. Unfortunately Xu Jing was unable to carry out his defection as planned. After Liu Zhang was overthrown, Liu Bei decided not to retain Xu Jing because of his display of cowardice and disloyalty. But Fa Zheng decided to intervene. In truth, Xu Jing was a well known person but supposedly average in capability. For Liu Bei not to employ Xu Jing would be sending the message that Liu Bei does not value capable men. Thus Fa Zheng insisted that Liu Bei retain Xu Jing, despite his unstellar abilities, so as to pull a hoax on the masses and create the illusion that Liu Bei treasures his human talents.

How does the game mechanics of "Artifice" link to the story? Well... there isn't much of a link! The original ability creator mentioned that this ability mirrors Fa Zheng's use of trickery and confusion to fool everyone else. A fantastic ability for the Defector to use, though it was little to do with history.

Additional info from the story:
1. Most famous achievement - The battle of Mount Ding Jun 定军山之战 where he assisted Huang Zhong 黄忠 in defeating Xia Hou Yuan 夏侯渊. In that battle, Huang Zhong had set up his camp at a higher vantage point than Xia Hou Yuan, which pretty much frustrated Xia Hou Yuan enough to launch an assault. Fa Zheng advised Huang Zhong not to advance, but to simply hold his ground till he gives the signal. When Xia Hou Yuan's forces became weaker after failing to penetrate Huang Zhong's defenses, Fa Zheng gave Huang Zhong the signal to strike, where Huang Zhong brought down Xia Hou Yuan with one swift strike.

2. Cause of death - Fa Zheng died from an illness in the year 220 AD. He was only 34 years old. Liu Bei was so devastated by the loss of Fa Zheng that he wept for days. Liu Bei then decided to do something which he has never done before, and would never do again. Liu Bei conferred on Fa Zheng the only posthumous title he has ever given anyone. "The Winged Marquis 翼侯" became Fa Zheng's posthumous title, which is related to the translated description at the top of this write up.

Wiki Link:
Fa Zheng Wiki

Mǎ Sù 马谡

Translated Description:
The Conceited Talent 怀才自负(huái cái zì fù)

Who is he:
Imagine having to sent your good friend to the gallows. That was how Zhu Ge Liang 诸葛亮 must have felt when he ordered the beheading of his good friend, Ma Su. Throughout most of his life, Ma Su was a loyal general and tactician to Shu Kingdom 蜀国. His military knowledge was incredibly impressive, and Zhu Ge Liang became fast friends with him, often discussing military tactics and matters from dawn till dusk. In fact it was said that a couple of Zhu Ge Liang's military victories were tactics proposed by Ma Su. So trusted was Ma Su that Zhu Ge Liang made Ma Su his very own advisor!

Yet just before Liu Bei 刘备 died, Liu Bei warned Zhu Ge Liang that Ma Su was not as capable as he seems. Zhu Ge Liang chose not to listen, and entrusted Ma Su with an extremely important mission in their Northern expeditions. That was when the turning point occurred, that led to Ma Su receiving capital punishment. What exactly happened in that expedition? Read on to find out!

Character ability 1: Winning Hearts 心战 (xīn zhàn)
In your action phase, if your number of on-hand cards exceeds your maximum health units, you can view the top 3 cards of the deck. Of these 3, display any number of cards that are of the heart suit, then keep them in your hand. Replace the remainder of the 3 cards (if any) in any order back on the top of the deck. Limited to once per turn.

Character ability 2: Tears of Reluctance 挥泪 (huī lèi) [Enforced ability]
The player that kills you must discard all his or her cards (both on-hand and equipped) immediately.

Ability's relation to story:
"Winning Hearts" actually refers to Ma Su's philosophy of winning the hearts and minds of the enemy through non-military means. Yet the ability title is a wordplay to make a connection with the suit of hearts in this game. There does not appear to be any direct correlation between his philosophy and the mechanics of the ability.

"Tears of Reluctance" has strong links to the famed phrase "Zhu Ge Liang sheds tears of reluctance as he executes Ma Su 诸葛亮挥泪斩马谡". It has decent links to the story since losing Ma Su was a big loss to Zhu Ge Liang. Though tragic, this mechanics of this ability is probably more aptly described as "Curses of Frustration" by other players.

Additional info based on story:
1. Most famous achievement - In the Battle of Jie Ting 街亭之战, Ma Su was to face the formidable Zhang He 张郃 from Wei Kingdom. Despite Ma Su's military knowledge, he made an elementary error of placing his forces atop a hill to gain a vantage point, yet being isolated from his source of water. His follower, Wang Ping 王平, cautioned against his strategy and pointed out the critical flaw, but Ma Su failed to take heed. Sure enough, Zhang He exploited the flaw and cut off Ma Su's troop from the water supply. Once Ma Su's troops were thirsty and weak, Zhang He crushed his enemy easily. Ma Su barely escaped from the battle with his life, but his army was completely decimated. He returned to Zhu Ge Liang in defeat.

2. Cause of death - The severity of Ma Su's blunder was apparent. The Fort of Jie Ting was strategically important to Shu, and Ma Su's defeat quickly led to further losses of adjacent cities. Zhu Ge Liang was furious that Ma Su, a man of such glib tongue and quick with military wisdom, should so utterly fail. After promising to take care of Ma Su's children, he sentenced Ma Su to death whilst brushing away tears of sorrow. In the minutes that follow, other generals came to plead with Zhu Ge Liang that a talent such as Ma Su be spared, so as not to lose any advantage to the enemy. However Zhu Ge Liang was adamant that Ma Su be executed to abide by the Laws of the military. After the beheading was done, the head of Ma Su was brought to Zhu Ge Liang as proof of his death, and Zhu Ge Liang wailed more than ever. He cried both for losing a close friend, as well as failing to listen to Liu Bei's last words.

Wiki Link:
Ma Su Wiki

Xú Shù 徐庶

Translated Description:
The Loyal Gallant 忠孝的侠士 (zhōng xiào dè xiá shì)

Who is he:
By now you probably know how significant Zhu Ge Liang 诸葛亮 was to Liu Bei 刘备 and the entire era. Yet if not for Xu Shu, Zhu Ge Liang would probably still be a simple scholar residing in peaceful solitude. Xu Shu was one of the friends of the mysterious Si Ma Hui 司马徽 and was Liu Bei's first military advisor. In his first military role for Liu Bei, Xu Shu helped crush Cao Ren 曹仁's forces and sent Cao Ren weeping back to Cao Cao 曹操 in shame. Upon knowing that Liu Bei has found a formidable advisor, Cao Cao made plans to entice Xu Shu over to Wei Kingdom 魏国.

Did Cao Cao succeed? Did Xu Shu betray Liu Bei and hop over to Wei Kingdom?

As you can see, Xu Shu's character colours are in blue, representing that he belongs in the Wei camp. But strangely, his allegiance is Shu 蜀, as can be seen in the red 蜀 character in the upper left corner and his red life units. This is the ONLY character in the entire SGS game that has this abnormal colour coding.

Why is this the case? Read on to find out!

[2011 Old version]
Character ability 1: Silence 无言 (wú yán) [Enforced ability]
With the exception of Time-delayed tool cards, all other tool cards used by you have no effect on all other players. Similar tool cards used by all other players have no effect on you.

Character ability 2: Dragon's Advocate 举荐 (jǔ jiàn)
In the action phase, you can discard up to 3 cards, then allow 1 other player of your choice to draw an equal number of cards from the deck. If you discard no less than 3 cards of similar type (basic, tool card, equipment card), you regain 1 unit of health. Limited to once per turn.

[2012 New version]
Character ability 1: Silence 无言 (wú yán) [Enforced ability]
All damage caused by, or received from, tool cards is prevented.

Character ability 2: Dragon's Advocate 举荐 (jǔ jiàn)
When the ending phase of your turn begins, you can discard 1 non-Basic card (ie: Tools cards, equipment cards, etc). If you do so, you let another player choose 1 of the following 3 possible actions:

1. Draw 2 cards.

2. Regain 1 unit of health.

3. Flip over the character card such that it faces right-side up, and rotated in the vertical orientation (ie: chains are broken).

Ability's relation to story:
The concepts of both ability are related closely to the story, however the mechanics are not congruent. "Silence" mirrors Xu Shu's refusal to offer Cao Cao any advice whatsoever after hopping over to Wei Kingdom. However it is clear that the mechanics of this ability provides a high level of immunity against all other characters, and not just against Cao Cao. Besides, Xu Shu refusing to advise Cao Cao almost got him killed instead of offering him protection.

Xu Shu never offered any advices to Cao Cao(cannot use TOOL CARDS against others). In RoTK, Xu Shu found out that Pang Tong wanted to shackle Wei’s ships to burn them all, but he does not remind Cao Cao. Instead, he stayed away from the battlefield to keep himself safe from the fire, so he is immune to other players’ TOOL CARDS.

I gave the ability translation "Dragon's Advocate" a slight twist. The direct translation of 举荐 means "to recommend". But put into the context of the ROTK story, Xu Shu made one of the most important recommendations of all chinese history: he recommended Zhu Ge Liang and Liu Bei to each other. At that time, Zhu Ge Liang was known by his moniker "Sleeping Dragon 卧龙", thus the name of this ability deserves the Dragon prefix.

Similar to "Silence", the "Dragon's Advocate" ability does have its links to the story. Discarding your cards and allowing another player to draw mirrors Xu Shu's departure from Liu Bei (and withholding his ability thence forth) while creating an opportunity for Zhu Ge Liang. However this ability is not specific towards any character related to the story (such as Liu Bei, Zhu Ge Liang or Cao Cao). Regaining 1 unit of health is completely unrelated to the story/

Additional information based on story:
1. Most famous achievement - Getting tricked by Cheng Yu 程昱 to leave Liu Bei and join Cao Cao. Cheng Yu was one of Cao Cao's advisors and was tasked to entice Xu Shu over to Wei Kingdom. Knowing that Xu Shu is a very filial son, Cao Cao summoned Xu Shu's mother and wanted to win her over, so that she could convince Xu Shu to hop over to his side. Unexpectedly, Xu Shu's mother cursed and insulted Cao Cao, so much so that Cao Cao ordered her executed for her insolence. Cheng Yu quickly intervened and instead ask Cao Cao to treat her like a guest. Cheng Yu then wrote a false letter, in it Xu Shu's mother uses loneliness and old age to convince Xu Shu to return to her side, which happens to be in the Wei Kingdom. Xu Shu reluctantly decides to leave Liu Bei and thus went over to Cao Cao's camp.

However, upon seeing her son arrive in Wei Kingdom, Xu Shu's mother was enraged! She repeatedly scolded Xu Shu for being so stupid as to have fallen for such a simple ploy, at the same time giving up the opportunity to serve a noble such as Liu Bei. She leaves the room in anger, while Xu Shu ponders in disappointment. Within minutes, a maid alerts Xu Shu to terrible news. In a final act of defiance, Xu Shu's mother hangs herself, and thus Xu Shu is deeply overcome with sorrow. Although he is officially with Wei Kingdom, he never offered any advice to Cao Cao in his time there.

2. Cause of death - Unknown. The widely accepted view is that Xu Shu died of either old age or sickness. There was no mention of him dying in battle or anything honorary. In fact ever since his mother's death, Xu Shu received very little attention due to his reclusion.

Wiki Link
Xu Shu Wiki

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.

Guān Yǔ 关羽

Translated description:
"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 any card with a "heart" or "diamonds" suit 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.

Wikipedia link:

* Guan Yu Wiki

FAQ and Disambiguation:

Warrior Saint
1. Can Guan Yu use an equipped item that has a red suit as ATTACK?

Ans: Yes, with conditions. If the ATTACK to be used requires the item's ability or range, then it CANNOT be used. Eg: the target is distance 5 away from Guan Yu, then Guan Yu cannot use his equipped weapon (assuming red suited +5 distance) as ATTACK since that would mean the weapon's range is forfeited. 2nd Eg: Guan Yu equipped red-suited Zhu Ge Crossbow 诸葛连驽 and has already used an ATTACK card in that turn. He cannot use the Zhu Ge Crossbow card as an ATTACK since that would mean he is using 2 ATTACKS in a turn and he requires the Zhu Ge Crossbow to be equipped when he uses more ATTACK cards.


2. If Guan Yu uses a red-suited card (eg: PEACH) to ATTACK Cao Cao 曹操 and causes him damage, does Cao Cao keep the red-suited card that was used? (eg: In which case he gains a PEACH?)

Ans: Yes Cao Cao keeps the red-suited card.


3. With regards to a target equipped with Ren Wang Shield 仁王盾, is any red-suited card used as an ATTACK by Guan Yu considered a red-suited ATTACK card?

Ans: Yes. As long as the card is red-suited and used as ATTACK, they are considered red-suited ATTACK cards.

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)"
All your 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.

Wikipedia link:

* Zhao Yun Wiki

FAQ and Disambiguation:

Dragon Heart
1. When Zhao Yun has equipped Serpent Halberd 丈八蛇矛, can he use any 2 on-hand cards as DODGE (since interchangeable with ATTACK)?


Ans: No. Equipment effects are not interchangeable under Dragon Heart, only the cards themselves.


2. When equipped with EIGHT TRIGRAMS 八卦阵, can he choose to activate judgement to flip a red card and use as ATTACK (since interchangeable with DODGE)?

Ans: No. Refer to 1.


3. If Zhao Yun uses DODGE as an ATTACK card, will there be any elemental attribute to the ATTACK?

Ans: No. They will be viewed as normal ATTACKs.


4. If Liu Bei uses "Rouse"(Shua Characters use ATTACK on his behalf), can Zhao Yun use a DODGE card as ATTACK for him?

Ans: Yes.


5. If Zhao Yun equips Eight Trigrams 八卦阵 , can he use it to generate Dodge but used as an Attack?

Ans: The official FAQ answer is no,though this point is still widely contested.

Zhù Róng 祝融

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

Wikipedia link: Zhu Rong Wiki

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 Zhu Ge 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: [Enforced ability] "Giant Elephant 巨象 (jù xiàng)"
The tool card BARBARIANS 南蛮入侵 has no effect on you. When any other player uses BARBARIANS and the card's effects are concluded, you will acquire the BARBARIANS card that was used.

Character ability 2: "Fearsome Blade 烈刃 (liè rèn)"
Whenever your ATTACK 杀 successfully damages your target player, you can choose to "Points Duel" with that same target player. If you win the Points Duel, you gets to take 1 card (on-hand or equipped) from the target and keep for yourself.

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" could be referring to Zhu Rong's incredible knife throwing skills. It is said that she never misses at her throwing. Of course, it also has little to do with the ability mechanics of grabbing a card from the opponent. It is probably just paying tribute to her skill.

Additional info based on story:
1. Most famous achievement - Riding out to attack Shu Han and capturing Zhang Yi and Ma Zhong. Significant as this was for showing her ability, this entire scene was described in only 1 paragraph in the story.

2. Cause of death - Unknown. Zhu Rong is fictional character that the story teller added for effect. There is no record of her existing and definitely no record of her death. Thus with the closing of the chapter on Zhu Ge Liang subduing Meng Huo, no more mention is made of Zhu Rong.


FAQ and Disambiguation


1. If Cao Cao is damaged by a BARBARIANS card, who gets the card? Zhu Rong or Cao Cao?

Ans: Cao Cao will get the card. This is because Zhu Rong only gets the card after all effects have been concluded while Cao Cao gets any card that causes him damage immediately.


2. Is it possible to create a loop between Cao Cao and Zhu Rong using BARBARIANS card?

Ans: Yes.

Loop start: Any player uses barbarians. Cao Cao chooses to suffer 1 damage, and picks up the barbarians card. This takes precedence over Zhu Rong since he can pick it up immediately once he suffers damage where as Zhu Rong needs to wait till all effects are concluded.

Loop propagation 1: Cao Cao uses the barbarians he picked up. After all effects concluded, Zhu Rong picks the barbarian card.

Loop propagation 2: Zhu Rong uses the same barbarians card she picked up. Cao Cao suffers damage again and picks up the card.

Loop End:

1. Cao Cao does not pick up the card(running low on health or forcefully negated by someone else.
2, Barbarians card gets dismantled or stolen or used in another form.
3. Game is over (objective met)


4. If Zhu Rong attacked one of the Qiao sisters and they passed the attack off to someone else, would Zhu Rong points-duel the new target, or the intended Qiao?

Ans: Zhu Rong's ability should be used on the character that suffers the damage. Which means the Qiao's will not be affected by the ability, but instead the player whom she passed the damage to will be subjected.