| “ | Liu Bei protects Tao Qian, fights the ruthless warlord Cao Cao, and meets the legendary but infamous warrior Lü Bu. | ” |
| —In-game scenario description | ||
Heroes of the Realm is the second scenario of the Liu Bei campaign in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - The Three Kingdoms. It is based on Cao Cao's invasion of Xu Province and subsequent seizure of Xu Province's capital Xiapi by Lü Bu, culminating in the Battle of Xiapi in late 198 and early 199 CE, where Lü Bu faced the combined forces of Liu Bei and Cao Cao.
Intro[]
One fateful day, the father of the great warlord Cao Cao was murdered while traveling to meet with Liu Bei's master. The murderers were former Yellow Turban rebels who had been conscripted by the governor Tao Qian, and Cao Cao put the blame squarely on his shoulders.
Cao Cao's vengeance was swift and terrible. Tens of thousands of civilians perished as entire towns were put to the torch. Only exterminating all of Tao Qian's province would satisfy Cao Cao's hunger for revenge...
...or so he said. While the atrocity horrified Liu Bei, he realized that Cao Cao, the puppet-master behind the throne, truly sought to strike fear into his rivals.
However, some puppets refused to have their strings pulled. Having recently killed his own adoptive father, the renowned warrior Lü Bu now sought refuge with Liu Bei.
Liu Bei was far from thrilled. Like a sword without a handle, Lü Bu had betrayed every master he had ever served. Yet, with Cao Cao's armies marching on Tao Qian's capital, even a fickle ally was better than none at all.
Scenario instructions[]
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Starting conditions[]
- Starting Age:
Castle Age - Ending Age: Castle Age
- Starting resources: 500 food, 500 wood, 500 gold, 100 stone
- Population limit: 150
- Starting units:
- 12 Spearmen and 12 White Feather Guards (if starting with an infantry army)
- 12 Archers and 12 Skirmishers (if starting with a ranged army)
- Liu Bei (hero)
- Guan Yu (hero)
- 10 Villagers
- If the player liberated all villages in the first scenario, they will receive 5 additional Villagers.
- 12
Differences between difficulty levels[]
- On the Easiest and Standard difficulties, Cao Cao withdraws after 12 minutes instead of 15 minutes on all other difficulties.
- On higher difficulties, the player must protect more of Tao Qian's Villagers, starting at 8 on Easiest difficulty, and increasing by 1 per difficulty level to 12 on Legendary difficulty.
- On Easiest difficulty, the player starts with 20 of both of their starting unit types (Spearmen/Archers, White Feather Guards/Skirmishers). This is reduced by 2 per each difficulty level to 12 of both unit types on Legendary difficulty.
- On Moderate difficulty and easier, the player starts with the Pikeman, Crossbowman, and Elite Skirmisher technologies already researched, if their predecessor units have been selected as the starting army.
- On Easiest difficulty, all Castle Age Blacksmith technologies available to Shu are already researched. On Standard and Moderate difficulties, Bodkin Arrow and Chain Mail Armor are already researched.
- On Easiest difficulty only, a Mining Camp and two Villagers are spawned near the Gold Mines southwest of the player's Town Center.
Main objectives[]
- Hold off Cao Cao's invasion.
- At least x out of Tao Qian's 20 Villagers must survive.
- Defeat Lü Bu. (after Lü Bu seizes Tao Qian's bases)
Secondary objectives[]
- Capture Zhang Fei's wine barrels.
- 0/8 Villagers delivered to Cao Cao.
- Ignore Cao Cao's request to improve Villager HP.
- 0/3 towers destroyed.
Hints[]
- You are limited to the Castle Age and 150 population. Initially, you cannot build walls or gates.
- Protect Tao Qian’s civilians from the ruthless Cao Cao. Should you manage to push Cao Cao back, his pragmatism could make him a useful ally in future conflicts.
- The Shu unique unit, the White Feather Guard, is a sturdy pikeman whose attack slows down enemies. Use it to delay troops that would otherwise harm important units.
- Shu siege weapons move faster. Use them to quickly tear down enemy fortifications.
- Traction Trebuchets have a slightly shorter range than regular ones, but do not need to be unpacked. If acquired, they can destroy dangerous sites from a safe distance.
Scouts[]
- Liu Bei (Green) has been summoned to rescue his new benefactor, Tao Qian (Cyan). Zhang Fei is currently stationed in his northern city of Xuzhou, but will join you later.
- The warrior Lü Bu (Grey) aids in the defense of Tao Qian’s countryside and has set up a small camp in the north. He maintains a brawny contingent of swordsmen, Hei Guang Cavalry, and War Chariots.
- The greedy warlord Cao Cao (Blue) campaigns murderously against Tao Qian’s Villagers (Red). He leads a tactical force of cavalry and light troops, but will build powerful Traction Trebuchets if given the necessary supplies.
- Hostile Warlords (Orange) surround Tao Qian, guarding key sites with Scorpions and well-armed troops.
Players[]
Player[]
- Liu Bei ( Shu): The player starts with a small base in the center of the map, with a starting infantry army or a ranged army depending on the decision in the previous scenario, and two heroes defending two approaches to the village. The player must first hold off Cao Cao's invasion for 15 minutes without losing too many of Tao Qian's Villagers. After taking control of any surviving Tao Qian's Villagers assets following Lü Bu's seizure of Tao Qian's bases, the player, now allied with Cao Cao, is tasked with defeating Lü Bu.
Allies[]
- Tao Qian ( Shu): Controls two bases in the northeast of the map, and provides occasional reinforcements during Cao Cao's invasion. After his death, Lü Bu takes over his bases.
- Tao Qian's Villagers ( Shu): Consists of several farming villages south and northwest of the player's base. The player must defend their Villagers from Cao Cao's forces during the initial invasion. After Lü Bu seizes Tao Qian's bases, any surviving Villagers and structures become the player's.
Ally → Enemy[]
- Lü Bu ( Shu): Initially defends Tao Qian's Villagers on two approaches with Hei Guang Cavalry, War Chariots, and Two-Handed Swordsmen, and controls a military camp north of the player's base. He leaves both approaches roughly 10 minutes after the game starts. After the death of Tao Qian, he seizes his bases and becomes the player's enemy, sending the aforementioned units and also Battering Rams and heroes against them and Cao Cao. He must be defeated to complete the scenario.
Enemy → Ally[]
- Cao Cao ( Wei): Starts off as the player's enemy, and attempts to harass Tao Qian's Villagers by sending Light Cavalry, Tiger Cavalry, Archers, and Spearmen. After his initial invasion is held off, shortly afterwards he becomes the player's ally, and will assist against Lü Bu with the aforementioned units, adding Traction Trebuchets to his arsenal if aided when requested.
Enemy[]
- Hostile Warlords ( Wu): They control a walled base by the river to the southeast, and a smaller one in the far north of the map. They train Light Cavalry, Crossbowmen, Jian Swordsmen, Fire Archers, and Scorpions. They do not actively attack the player. Destroying the three Guard Towers near their walled bases causes them to resign.
Strategy[]
This scenario consists of two parts. In the first part, the player must resist Cao Cao's invasion and protect Tao Qian's Villagers. In the second part, they must, together with Cao Cao, defeat Lü Bu after he betrays the player.
Phase one[]
Right after starting the scenario, the player should train extra Villagers to improve their economy, and sustain training of new soldiers. Because Cao Cao primarily sends Light Cavalry and Tiger Cavalry, Spearmen and later Pikemen are a good choice, while the White Feather Guards (if chosen in the first scenario) can take on Cao Cao's Spearmen and Archers. If the player decides to train Archers or Crossbowmen, they are best used against enemy Spearmen, or Archers if massed. Liu Bei can take on small groups by himself by virtue of his very high hit point regeneration in combination with his active ability Winding Blades, while Guan Yu excels at damaging massed units with his Area of Effect active ability Green Dragon Strike.
While the player cannot build walls in this part, they can still limit Cao Cao's invasion routes by sealing gaps with Houses. It is recommended to seal at least three routes this way, for example the northwesternmost one and the two leading to the player's Gold Mines from the west. This funnels Cao Cao's forces to two spots, which the player, together with Lü Bu (for the roughly first 10 minutes), can focus on, protecting Tao Qian's Villagers.
Since Lü Bu is not present during the later stages of Cao Cao's invasion, the player can preserve their forces by letting Cao Cao engage him in the northwest, while the player builds up their forces for the waves following his departure. As long as the player trains the right counters and keeps Cao Cao's forces away from Tao Qian's Villagers, it should not be too difficult to survive the invasion.
Phase two[]
After Cao Cao withdraws, Lü Bu betrays the player after Tao Qian's death and seizes his bases for himself. Cao Cao changes his stance to ally and attacks Lü Bu, and the player takes over any surviving Villagers and remaining structures of Tao Qian's Villagers. Shortly afterwards, Zhang Fei joins the player's forces, and asks to retrieve wine barrels in the far north of the map. While they are behind a small Hostile Warlords base, the three heroes should be able to hold off any enemies there while destroying the chain leading to them. The player is given a choice between researching Iron Casting or Bracer after retrieving the wine barrels.
Simultaneously, the player should not neglect their defenses. Lü Bu attacks from the northeast and east, so setting up defenses and optionally Castles on these approach routes is a good idea. Destroying his camp north of the player's Town Center removes a threat in the immediate vicinity, but be aware that this also draws out units from his northeastern base.
Later on, Cao Cao asks for eight Villagers so he can build Traction Trebuchets, giving the player eight minutes to decide. Fulfilling his request enables Traction Trebuchets for the player as well, and reduces their cost by 10% for the rest of the campaign. Ignoring his request gives the Villagers extra hit points, with this effect also remaining for the subsequent scenarios. To weaken Lü Bu, the player can destroy three Guard Towers next to the river to the southeast. One is on the player's side and can easily be rushed after dealing with the troops around it, but the other two are behind the walled base on the other riverbank. If the player unlocked Traction Trebuchets, they can destroy both towers from a distance, with some troops standing close by to deal with Hostile Warlords counterattacks; otherwise, they should be destroyed by bringing in Battering Rams with an accompanying force to deal with the garrison. Once the three towers are destroyed, Lü Bu stops receiving supplies via the river, and the Hostile Warlords faction is defeated.
To finish the scenario, the player should now focus on Lü Bu's bases. Both are walled, and contain many military production buildings and Guard Towers, with a Castle also present in the eastern base. Therefore, the player should bring a sizable force, and a good number of Battering Rams, Traction Trebuchets, or both to quickly cripple Lü Bu's ability to produce units. His Villagers will attempt to rebuild should the walled bases be destroyed, so target them, and destroy both Town Centers as well.
After his economy is sufficiently disrupted and military beaten, Lü Bu admits defeat, and the player is presented with a decision. Executing him removes him from subsequent scenarios, while sparing him makes him available in the Hall of Heroes for subsequent scenarios (but may betray the player later in the campaign). After the player makes their decision, the scenario is over.
Outro[]
As they stormed Lü Bu's fortress, Liu Bei and his brothers faced off against the legendary warrior in the courtyard.
Lü Bu nearly defeated the trio, dealing Zhang Fei a flesh wound and toppling the indomitable Guan Yu. Liu Bei only managed to knock the spear from his hands with a lucky strike.
The perennial traitor admitted defeat. Yet when Cao Cao arrived, it seemed that Lü Bu was not ready to accept his fate.
"My lord Cao Cao", he said. "In your hands I could be a deadly weapon. Point me at your enemies and I will make short work of them!"
Cao Cao considered the offer. After all, why let a valuable asset go to waste over a bit of treason? But Liu Bei could see the lie in Lü Bu's eyes. "If this man could skewer his own adoptive father, why would he not do the same to you?"
To Liu Bei's surprise, his words swayed Cao Cao. "Long-ears, you are a crook!" Lü Bu screamed as the guards dragged him to his execution.
Liu Bei had won a slim victory. Not long after Lü Bu's fate was decided, Cao Cao seized the war-torn province of Xu and Liu Bei reluctantly agreed to join his court as a commander. Cao Cao held Liu Bei in great esteem, yet there was little trust between the two.
Liu Bei had no desire to serve a man capable of such atrocities against the common folk. It was only a matter of time before they would clash again.
As they stormed Lü Bu's fortress, Liu Bei and his brothers faced off against the legendary warrior in the courtyard.
Lü Bu nearly defeated the trio, dealing Zhang Fei a flesh wound and toppling the indomitable Guan Yu. Liu Bei only managed to knock the spear from his hands with a lucky strike.
The perennial traitor admitted defeat. Yet when Cao Cao arrived, it seemed that Lü Bu was not ready to accept his fate.
"I have saved you before, Liu Bei," he said, and it was true. Once, when Liu Bei was lured into a deadly trap, Lü Bu fired an arrow through his own halberd from a great distance. Awed by his skill, the enemy commander retreated, sparing Liu Bei from certain death.
"Now I ask that you return the favor," said Lü Bu. "Save me from the blade and you will have my eternal loyalty."
"Your loyalty?! Your loyalty isn't worth a pint of lukewarm piss!"
Liu Bei stepped in before an incensed Zhang Fei could execute Lü Bu on the spot. Despite Lü Bu's fickle nature, he was a useful weapon if pointed in the right direction. Lü Bu would keep his life and enter Liu Bei's service... for now.
Liu Bei had won a slim victory. Not long after Lü Bu's fate was decided, Cao Cao seized the war-torn province of Xu and Liu Bei reluctantly agreed to join his court as a commander. Cao Cao held Liu Bei in great esteem, yet there was little trust between the two.
Liu Bei had no desire to serve a man capable of such atrocities against the common folk. It was only a matter of time before they would clash again.Historical comparison[]
After the Battle of Xiapi, Lü Bu was captured and executed by hanging on Cao Cao's orders. As such, choosing to execute him is the historically accurate decision.
