This guide is still in development…

Total War: Three Kingdoms is the best Total War game in this current strategy gaming generation; just ask our expert Kenn Leandre. It’s also a very robust game with tons of mechanics that can be hard to grasp from the get-go.

Luckily, we’re here to help. Here are some tips on how to be a good diplomat and also get the heroes you want to create your own Romance of the Three Kingdoms revision.

Update 1: 

Here are additional Three Kingdoms tips and play styles for you to utilize for a smoother transition to being the Emperor of China. Do note that these are a mixture of sneakier and more cunning plays; on top of the earlier discussed basic guides.

Be Mindful of Your Armies Positions… and Everyone Else’s

Always be ready to strike first, regardless of the political climate. While allegiances can be brokered anytime in Three Kingdoms, they can change on a whim as well. Pay close attention to armies movements on the map, especially when a red triangle suddenly appears within your territory. This signifies a hostile force; a faction which has not brokered Peace, Non-Aggressive Pact or even Military Access is operating within your borders.

A good preventive measure would be to station an army within one or two turns away from key positions and locations. When possible, place your defending armies in an ambush position to catch intruders off-guard.

Synchronize Your Movements to Deadly Effect

Of course it is fun to simply send full-strength armies into battle or capture an enemy’s settlement but you know what’s better than capturing one settlement per turn? How about capturing several at once?  Utilising the awareness gained from observing enemies’ movement as stated above and tracking other neighboring faction’s deteriorating perception towards you, you can instantly punish their decision to declare war with swift strikes that will make them wish they have a save file somewhere.

Playing as Liu Bei, we noticed Cao Cao’s armies’ odd movements on the map towards my farming settlement of Yingchuan, just a turn after refusing my call to arms against the Yellow Turban rebellions. I thought we were pals, CC. And what’s with the party up north? We sensed a rat.

In response, we stationed four of my armies to be within striking distance of four key Cao Cao settlements; with the strongest one led by Guan Yu focusing on his capital – the City of Chen. We ordered the other tree armies to camp near Chen and Yangzhou livestock farms along with the City of Yangzhou for good measure.

A Cao Cao offensive on my Yingchuan farm was met with a swift, quadruple hit on his other territories which not only crippled his army, but also his economy. Guess which faction folded in less than ten turns?

Keep Track of Population Happiness, Food, & Corruption Rate

While the meat of the fun in Three Kingdoms is obviously its battlegrounds, the key element which keeps them going are the upkeep of your territories. Although money allow you to employ the best armies, Three Kingdoms implements a complex system of passive factors that affect overall income.

A smart move early on is to determine which are the main sources of income for each settlement. Once this is established, you can start focusing on building corresponding buildings to encourage its growth. But do keep a close eye on corruption which can cripple even the most profitable region.

If kept unchecked, corruption can go as high as 50% and once a settlement makes over 4-5k gross income per turn, is a very significant factor to your faction’s economic growth.

Next: Political Plays