Dynasty Warriors
Creator(s): Omega Force & Koei | Release: 2005
Dynasty Warriors is a series of hack and slash games based upon the 14th century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Dynasty Warriors 5 and it’s expansions Xtreme Legends and Empires is the last entry of what is considered classic Dynasty Warriors. Dynasty Warriors 6 introduced the Renbu battle system and re-designed many characters.
I consider Dynasty Warriors 5 and its expansions to be the best game in the classic series.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a 14th century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong and based on the Records of the Three Kingdoms written by Chen Shou. The story is set in the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, starting in 184 AD and ending with the reunification of the land in 280 AD.
The novel is considered one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature along with: Journey to the West, Water Margin, and Dream of the Red Chamber. Other notable mentions include The Plum in the Golden Vase, The Scholars as well as The Art of War by Sun Tzu.
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The Yellow Turban Rebellion (184 AD) - Han Forces vs Yellow Turbans
The evil sorcerer Zhang Jiao and his two brothers Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang create a religious sect known as the “Way of Peace”. Many of the people join this sect and rebel against the Han Dynasty which leads to the Yellow Turban Rebellion against the Han dynasty.
A volunteer army is assembled by He Jin to suppress this rebellion and features many prominent fighters including the 3 rulers of what would eventually be Shu (Liu Bei), Wei (Cao Cao), and Wu (Sun Jian “The Tiger of Jiangdong”).
The Yellow Turbans are defeated.
Oath of the Peach Garden: an oath made between Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei to become sworn brothers and pledge to die on the same year of the same month of the same day together.
Internal power struggles allow Dong Zhuo to kill the Ten Eunuchs and take control of the Imperial Court, using the young Emperor as a puppet ruler.
Battle of Hu Lao Gate (191 AD) - Coalition Forces led by Yuan Shao vs Dong Zhuo
At Si Shui Pass, Guan Yu volunteers to fight Hua Xiong who had single-handedly slain 4 warriors of the Coalition forces. When Cao Cao pours Guan Yu a cup of warm wine, Guan Yu puts it on hold and says he will return very soon victorious. As promised, Guan Yu returns quickly with Hua Xiong's head, whilst Cao Cao who was still holding the cup of wine, realized just how quickly it took Guan Yu to slay the notorious General Hua Xiong. Cao Cao then gives the cup of wine - still warm - to Guan Yu who gulps down the wine victoriously. This led to the saying “Slaying Hua Xiong over a warm wine”.
Lu Bu single-handedly defends Hu Lao pass against the Coalition Forces eventually battling the trio of Zhang Fei, Guan Yu, and Liu Bei but is ultimately forced to retreat. This led to the saying “Among men, Lu Bu—Among horses, Red Hare” as they are the most powerful specimens of their time.
Dong Zhuo retreats but not before destroying the former capital of Luo Yang.
With no signs of the Emperor or enemy, the coalition forces returned to their respective territories where their own struggles would continue.
Sun Jian finds the Heirloom Seal of the Realm in a well in the Imperial City which is an imperial seal made out of a sacred piece of jade whose possession was seen as a physical symbol of the Mandate of Heaven. As a result, he attempts to leave the coalition and keep the seal for himself however the Coalition Forces soon find out and and Sun Jian is killed by Liu Biao and is succeeded by his 17 year old son Sun Ce who will later be known as the Little Conqueror.
Wang Yun, one of Dong Zhou’s advisers uses his daughter Diao Chan in a ploy to drive a wedge between Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu, eventually leading to Lu Bu killing Dong Zhuo. This led to the saying “Even heroes have a weakness for the charms of a beautiful woman”.
Battle of Xia Pi (198 AD) - Cao Cao & Liu Bei vs Lu Bu
Cao Cao’s forces surround Lu Bu at Xia Pi castle.
Xiahou Dun loses his left eye after one of Lu Bu’s subordinates shoots an arrow. He eats his own eye stating that it the essence of his father and blood of his mother and it can’t go to waste
Cao Cao utilizes two nearby rivers to flood the castle castle leading Lu Bu’s forces to mutiny against him and his general Zhang Liao who tie them up and brought them before Cao Cao.
Zhang Liao shows no fear at his upcoming execution while Lu Bu grovels and begs for mercy. Zhang Liao is spared and joins Cao Cao while Lu Bu is executed.
Liu Bei flees from Cao Cao’s reign. Cao Cao attacks Liu Bei and scatters his forces. Zhang Liao is able to convince Guan Yu to surrender to Cao Cao on 3 conditions:
Liu Bei's spouses are not harmed and are treated well.
In name, Guan Yu surrenders to the emperor and not to Cao Cao.
Guan Yu is allowed to leave and reunite with Liu Bei as soon as he has news of Liu Bei's whereabouts.
Cao Cao gives Guan Yu the Red Hare to try to win Guan Yu’s loyalty.
Battle of Guan Du (200 AD) - Yuan Shao & Liu Bei vs Cao Cao
Guan Yu, working under Cao Cao, kills 2 of Yuan Shao’s generals: Yan Liang and Wen Chou.
Guan Yu finds out that Liu Bei is alive and leaves Cao Cao to rejoin his sworn brother
Yuan Shao’s forces outnumbered Cao Cao’s forces in numbers but Cao Cao was able to defeat Yuan Shao by destroying his supply depot.
Journey of 1000 Leagues (200 AD)
Guan Yu attempts to rejoin his sworn brother and must cross 5 passes and slay 6 of Cao Cao’s generals in order to make it back.
Liu Bei recruits Zhuge Liang (Sleeping Dragon) and Pang Tong (Fledgling Phoenix) who are noted as two remarkable talents under the heavens. Zhuge Liang drafts up the Longzhong Plan which involves conquering the Jing and Yi provinces and then teaming up with the Wu forces now led by Sun Quan (Sun Ce’s younger brother) to defeat the Wei.
Battle of Chang Ban (208 AD) - Cao Cao vs Liu Bei
Cao Cao sends an enormous force to take over the Ji province and kill Liu Bei. Liu Bei is forced to retreat. Local peasants, taken by Liu Bei’s charisma, also join him in his flight, and the result was a mass exodus numbering over a hundred thousand people.
Zhang Fei defends the Chang Ban bridge by bluffing about an ambush and stalling Cao Cao’s forces
Zhao Yun successfully rides through Cao Cao’s forces alone to rescue Liu Bei’s infant son Liu Chan (Ah Dou)
Guan Yu shows up with reinforcements and Cao Cao is forced to retreat
Cao Cao attempts to get Sun Quan to surrender. Liu Bei sends Zhuge Liang to convince Sun Quan to not surrender. Zhuge Liang also discusses with Sun Quan’s advisers including Zhou Yu. Zhuge Liang says he has a plan to make Cao Cao to retreat without fighting a war: send Cao Cao the Two Qiaos whom were married to Sun Ce and Zhou Yu. An enraged Zhou Yu hardens his decision to go to war with Cao Cao.
Battle of Chi Bi / Battle of the Red Cliffs (208 AD) - Sun Quan & Allies vs Cao Cao
Zhuge Liang tricks the Wei into giving them arrows by preparing 20 large boats, each manned by a few soldiers and filled with human-like figures made of straw and hay. In the hours before dawn, when there is a great fog, Zhuge Liang deploys the boats and sails towards Cao Cao's camp across the river. He orders the sailors to beat war drums loudly and shout orders to imitate the sounds of an attack. Upon hearing the noises, Cao Cao's troops rush out to engage the enemy but they are unsure of the enemy force's size because their vision is obscured by the fog. They fire volleys of arrows in the direction of the noises and the arrows become stuck in the straw figures. By the time they return to base, Zhuge Liang has acquired more than 100,000 arrows, so Zhou Yu cannot execute him.
Huang Gai sends a false letter of defection to Cao Cao and undergoes corporal punishment to make Cao Cao believe the deception.
Pang Tong is sent to Cao Cao’s forces to advise them to link their boats together with chains to prevent troops from getting seasick.
Zhuge Liang sets up an altar and summons an eastern wind to complete the fire attack
Liu Bei takes over the Jing province as part of the Longzhong plan. He recruits Huang Zhong.
Zhou Yu suggests the "beauty scheme” to Sun Quan to seize control of the Jing province from Liu Bei. In the plan, Sun Quan tries to lure Liu Bei to his territory under the pretext of marrying Sun Quan's sister, Lady Sun Shang Xiang, to strengthen the Sun-Liu alliance. Once Liu Bei arrives, Sun Quan will then hold him hostage in exchange for Jing province. However, Zhuge Liang foils Zhou Yu's plan, and Liu Bei ends up marrying Lady Sun for real. Liu Bei also manages to leave Sun Quan's territory with his bride and return to Jing Province safely.
Battle of Cheng Du (214 AD) - Liu Bei vs Liu Zhang
Liu Bei recruits Ma Chao and also takes over the Yi province by defeating Liu Zhang at the Battle of Cheng Du however Pang Tong is killed.
The Five Tiger Generals are well known generals of Shu and include: Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, and Ma Chou.
Battle of He Fei (219 AD) - Wu vs Wei
Liu Bei requests Sun Quan to attack Wei at He Fei Castle in exchange for a portion of the Jing province. He Fei Castle was protected by 3 officers: Li Dian, Yue Jin, and Zhang Liao.
Sun Quan would fall into an ambush and the bridge behind him being destroyed. However, he was able to successfully escape by jumping over the bridge with his horse.
The Wei forces had successfully repelled the Wu forces.
The Battle of Fan Castle
Guan Yu attacks Wei forces at Fan Castle however Wu generals Lu Meng and Lu Xun attack Guan Yu from the rear forcing him to retreat to Mai Castle where he is eventually captured and killed by Sun Quan
Cao Cao dies at this time from an illness and is succeeded by his son Cao Pi.
Battle of Yi Ling (222 AD) - Liu Bei vs Sun Quan
After the death of Guan Yu, Liu Bei attacks Wu for revenge
Lu Xun, successor of Zhou Yu and Lu Meng, initiated a large scale fire attack which destroyed the Shu army
Stone sentinel maze
Liu Bei would die soon after from illness and Zhuge Liang would carry on the Longzhong plan.
The Nanman Campaign (225 AD) - Zhuge Liang vs Meng Huo
The Nanman barbarian king Meng Huo rebels against Shu. Zhuge Liang leads an army to pacify the Nanman tribes. Meng Huo is defeated and captured by Zhuge Liang’s forces 7 times. During the first 6 times, Meng Huo complains that he is dissatisfied because he was captured by strategy and did not have a chance to fight a real battle, so Zhuge Liang releases him each time to come back for another battle. On the 7th time, Meng Huo feels ashamed of himself and swears eternal allegiance to Shu.
Cao Pi also passes away leaving the young Cao Rui as his successor and a cunning Sima Yi as his chief adviser
Battle of He Fei Castle (234 AD) - Wei vs Wu
Occurring at the same time as the Battle of Wu Zhang Plains, Zhuge Liang sends a request to Sun Quan to attack He Fei
Wei wins and Wu is forced to withdraw
Battle of Wu Zhang Plains (234 AD) - Sima Yi vs Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang’s final attempt at conquering Wei began with Shu making camp at Wu Zhang Plains.
Zhuge Liang set up rice fields and created unique food storage units knowns as the “Wood Ox”.
Jiang Wei would succeed Zhuge Liang and attempt to battle Wei but would ultimately lose.