CHAPTER 6: THE WEI CAMPAIGN

Cao Cao lies dead, but his kingdom remains. Sima Yi assumes command of Wei, but internal strife prevents him from maintaining defense. Zhuge Liang orders the Shu troops to attack Wei while their forces are crippled. As the armies of Shu march on the central plains, the battle for China reaches the climax.The first castle you come to, An Ding, is guarded by Xu Zhu.

Boss: Xu Zhu —————– Not quite as good as Cao Cao was, he is slower and mostly uses physicals. Heal up and attack him with summons and limits. Again, have one person wait on their turn so they can react to any move he might make. This should not be too much trouble. Xu Zhu is no more. Enter the city for new stuff, and rest up. Head west to Tianshui. Jiang Wei and Xiahou Mao are at the gate, and they will slaughter you. Return to An Ding and heal, then MAKE SURE you talk to the man in the lower left house. He will mention that Jiang Wei’s mother is being held captive on the mountain. Head to the mountain.

Ladder Mountain (for lack of a better name) —————————————————- Enemies: Pirate, Axeman,

This place is too frustrating for me to write up where all the paths lead. Here’s the stuff you need to know: 1st ladder pair: Right, then left 2nd ladder pair: Far left At the end, drop to the ledge, open the pot, and go right.

Jiang Wei is here, trying to save his mother, and the party arrives to help him.

Boss: Kidnapper ——————– Blind the boss and attack. Nothing you haven’t seen before. Jiang Wei will thank you for saving his mother and depart. Rest and go back to Tianshui. Xiahou Mao is on the ramparts, but Liu Bei will coax him down for a fight.

Boss: Xiahou Mao ———————

Yet another physical boss, although his strength is worth mentioning. Stick him with Blind and pummel him. Heal when needed, of course. Heal and shop, and go to the gate to the east. Sima Yi meets you here and repels you with a fire tactic. Back at Tianshui, Zhuge plans for the party to ambush Sima Yi. Leave the city. Sima Yi attacks Tianshui, but the party springs the ambush at the gate.

Boss: Sima Yi —————–

Sima Yi will mix his attacks between physicals, which are strong, and spells, which often target the whole party. Keep up your health, use summons and limits, and make sure you have someone wait for his move to react quickly. He will be beaten if you can keep it up. Sima Yi will retreat. Follow him to the gate. There is a small village here, shop if you want and continue south. Enter the small forest to the south. Keep heading east until the party realizes they’re walking endlessly through the same forest. Cui Zhouping will arrive from the village and tell you Sima Yi set up a spell to prevent your passage.

The party will return to his house, where he will mention you need a crystal from the cave to the west to break the spell. Head to the western cave.

Fire Spirit Cave —————-– Enemies: Headless Swordsman, Skull Naga, Imp

This is pretty much a stock RPG dungeon; there’s not much to it. Take either path down, both will split, and you will need to take all four paths. There is a switch at the end of each path; flip them all and go north from the main room. Walk over where the spikes used to be and go north again for the boss.

Boss: Fire Spirit —————-—

This guy should be no problem. He loves to use Blind a lot for some reason, which shouldn’t matter because at this point you probably aren’t using pure physicals that much anymore. Just take him out. Yet another summon is your reward. Grab some crystal and return to Cui Zhouping. He will give you an item that will make the forest normal again. You will probably wish they stayed the way they were, though.

Teleport Forest —————–-

This area is filled with warp pads, but they move you all over the place and a good number just send you back to the start. Use trial and error, and save states. Eventually you will make it out to the other side. At Luo castle, you will encounter Zhang Liao yet again, who seeks vengence for Cao Cao’s death.

Boss: Zhang Liao ———————

Zhang Liao will follow his usual strategy: power up and smack down. As always, keep healthy and use summons, especially the new fire spirit summon you got. Take him out and show him the third time’s not always the charm. Zhang Liao will say some last words before he finally dies. Enter the city. Buy as many items as you can afford and head north to the pass.

Hongnong Pass —————-— Enemies: Assassin, Sword Elite, Spear Elite

There are three doors at the start. The left one will lead to a room with two pots, while the right one is a dead end. Inside the middle door, go left to find a pot and right to keep going. Soon you will find three more doors; again, the far right door is a dead end, and the left ends with a pot. Keep following the path, and at the next split go up for a pot. Then continue on until you exit to the world map. This is the final castle, Luo Yang. I hope for your sake you have everything you need. Heal up and storm the gate. Sima Shi and Sima Zhao are waiting to stop you.

Boss: Sima Zhao & Sima Shi ——————————––

These guys are really tough. Cast blind on them as soon as you can, and keep your health up. Pummel them with summons and limits. These guys are harder than any pair you have fought before, so beware. Once one of them is dead, whittle down the other’s health. When you since the battle is drawing to a close, heal up as much as possible. I would also make a save state here. Sima Yi emerges from the castle. In a last ditch effort to stop you, he transforms into a demon. Get ready for the ultimate battle!

Final Boss: Demonic Sima Yi ———————————- This final boss does insane damage, both physical and magical. In the way of spells, he has the Shinryu and Fire Spirit summons, Blind, Poison, and Mute, and several all-attack spells. Luckily he never heals. You might have a person knocked out every turn if you are unlucky. Throw everything you have at him, but never take chances with healing. I hope you don’t die here, because you have to redo the previous fight if you do (unless you made a save state). After an eternity (and I mean it, he holds out forever) he will finally be killed. Sima Yi dies, and the ending is shown. Liu Bei speaks with his party in the throne room, then he and Zhuge will have a chat at Zhuge’s home near the pond, then the credits roll. Zhou Yu shows up at the end for a few final words. The screen will fade to black after this; the music continues, but I don’t think there is anything more to see. It may not seem like the most exciting ending, but anything is worth it after conquering that last boss. A WINNER IS YOU!

Further Reading:

• Chapter 5 – Destiny of an Emperor III Han Zhong
• Chapter 4 – Destiny of an Emperor III Chang Jiang
• Chapter 3 – Destiny of an Emperor III Jing Zhou
• Chapter 1 – Destiny of an Emperor III Yellow Scarves

CHAPTER 5: ASSUALT ON HANZHONG

Cao Cao returns home to rebuild his shattered army. Liu Bei takes the opportunity to reclaim Jingzhou. Then, responding to the pleas of Zhang Song, he advances on Yizhou and captures the capital Chengdu. Cao Cao, hoping to settle the score, recruits the warriors of Xiliang and marches on Shu. Liu Bei plans to engage the Wei forces at Hanzhong and once again defeat Cao Cao.Head west, heal your HP and MP, and enter the city. Cao Cao is at the gate with Ma Chao. Cao Cao taunts you and leaves while Ma Chao decides to pick a fight.

Boss: Ma Chao ——————- HP: 8000

This boss is basically the same fight you just had with Zhang Liao, but since you are not rested he is a bit harder. His defense is higher than Zhang Liao’s was and he even has an armor-up spell. Use magic on him to do good damage. Have Guan Yu and Zhang Fei use items when they are not using limits, as they will be doing less damage than you can do with magic. After a few turns he will falter.

Fushui ——–- Treasure/Spells: a. Middle-right house, dresser (Remedy? spell, 2nd Copy) b. Middle-right house, mirror (2000 gold) c. Lower-left house, mirror (Full-Potion) d. Lower-right house, lower blue-capped pot in secret room (hidden passage above lower-right pots) (Mute Scroll) Shop List ———– Hi-Potion…………………….250G Hi-Ether…………………….1300G Super-Potion………………1500G Revive……………………….600G Full-Revive………………..3000G Sleep Scroll…………………300G Remedy?…………………..1000G Sword………………………9200G Bow…………………………9700G Spear……………………..12300G Spear 2.0………………..13000G Shield……………………..12200G Helmet……………………..5600G Helmet 2.0………………..6500G Steed……………………….6000G

Ma Chao runs off. Enter the city and rest up, then restock. Leave to the north. Ma Chao will be at the gate to the northwest, but he will only stand on the rampart and taunt you. Head back to town and talk to the man in the middle-right house, who mentions that Ma Dai could convince Ma Chao to join you. However, Ma Dai has gone to the mausoleum to the north and hasn’t returned. Go to the mausoleum in the woods and head inside.

OPTIONAL DUNGEON: Yizhou Forest —————————————— Enemies: Winged Tiger (600 HP), Imp (580 HP), Zombie (630 HP)

If you wish to explore, there is a small forest southwest of Fushui. This place is very confusing; all the screens are the same. After searching for half an hour I’ve concluded the exits just loop around; if there is a secret buried somewhere in this forest, I can’t find it. There aren’t any pots here either. Of note is this is the only area where you can gawk at the “Winged Tiger” (a Tiger enemy with the Eagle’s wings slapped on). Level up here if you like. If you get lost, keep going in the same direction and you should get dumped back at the first screen after a while.

Mausoleum ———–— Enemies: Chain Spectre (570 HP), Mace Spectre (550 HP), Spear Spectre (600 HP) Treasure: Helmet, Full-Potion, Bow, Remedy?, 2000 Gold, Wind Scroll, Armor, Spells: Drain, Super-Fire

Treasure works a little differently in this dungeon: instead of pots, items and spells will be hidden in ajar coffins, so keep an eye open for them.

Start by checking the coffins to the left and right of the start. The entrance splits off into three paths, but two of them are blocked by obstinate skeletons who refuse to let you by. Take the path to the right. At the fork, go left and check the open coffins along the path for items/spells. After returning, proceed on and take a left at the next for more tombs. Go back and up at the fork, and go all the way to the rear to find a tomb with a key item. Return to the main room and show the item to the skeleton to the left, and he will run off. Enter the left wing and follow the linear path to the back, making sure to check the coffins, and get the second key item. Show this to the final skeleton and he too will run away. Head north for a boss.

Boss: Headless Swordsman ——————————— HP: 14,000

A good trick for beating this boss is this: his physical attack, which is what he almost always uses, should do just enough to build your limit gauge, so have the person attacked use the limit while someone else heals them. He’ll go down in no time. Proceed on to find Ma Dai in the back room.

After the scene, return to town and rest and stock up, then go to the northwest gate. You will catch Ma Chao unawares, as he is outside the gate talking to Ma Dai. Time for a rematch.

Boss: Ma Chao ——————- HP: 15,000

His strength and health have increased, but he’s still no match for you. Take him out again. If your characters are getting knocked out too fast, try putting them in the back row. Having been beaten twice, Ma Chao agrees to surrender and joins the party at level 40.

Nanzheng ———— Treasure/Spells: a. Second house from right, lower twin-pots (Earth Scroll) b. Second house from right, twin pots in hidden room (X-Potion) Shop List ———— X-Potion……………….700G Hi-Ether………………1300G Super-Potion………..1500G Full-Revive…………..3000G Remedy?…………….1000G Bow………………….13400G Saber…………………9400G Saber 2.0…………..13000G Spear……………….15000G Shield…………………7400G Shield 2.0…………….8500G Helmet………………..7000G Armor……………….11750G Go through the village here and stock up, then head up to the Nanzheng Pass. Nanzheng Pass ——————- Enemies: Fat Soldier (660 HP), Axeman (650 HP), Fencer (700 HP) Treasures: 5000 Gold, X-Potion, HP Stone (Max HP+50), Shield, Steed, Saber Spells: Speed-Up, Full-Cure

Another new dungeon design, with walkways along cliffsides. It doesn’t work out completely though, you’ll see what I mean when you walk around outside. It can be rather annoying to travel through here simply because of all the splits, which often form loops or dead ends. Anyway enter the first opening here. Grab the pot to your left and follow that path to an opening outside.

Head left along the walkway to go back inside. In here, go to the lower right, passing the first door you see, and going back outside. A pot lies on the end of this dead-end walkway. Backtrack inside and go through the door you skipped earlier. Go right to find a room with more pots. Leave and take the far left exit outside. Go down to the fork and check the pot. If you need to go back to Nanzheng, the exit is to your left. Otherwise, take the door on the right. Walk to the far right and take that door inside. Go south here and head back outside from the southeast door. Follow the walkway right to the next opening. North from here are two pots and another door. Keep going left and south to another door, where out on the walkway to the left is a pot. Go back to where the pots where and take the door there. Two more doors are to the left. If you want to go back to Nanzheng, take the far left door and exit through the upper-right door to reach the fork from before, where you can go left to get back to the first room. When you’re ready to move on, take the middle door, and go right at the fork for the door out of here.At the next castle, the troop leaders from Bo Wang Slope are waiting for you.

Before the battle, remove any important magic you have on Liu Bei (like Smoke Bomb or Cure-All), although make sure he still has decent attack magic.

Boss: Troop Leader & Troop Commander ———————————————— Troop Leader: 10,000 HP Troop Commander: 10,000 HP

They are not quite as hard as last time, but still good. Try to inflict one of them with blind, as it will ease up the difficulty here. If you really want the upper hand, try to cast Sleep on them to take them out of action for a few turns. Again, just hammer away on one of the bosses until they drop, then kill the other one. The duo will perish, but one of them will throw a knife at Liu Bei with his dying breath. The party takes Liu Bei into the city to recover. Hua Tuo arrives to help help Liu Bei heal. He will diagnose Liu Bei’s wound and tell you that he needs some special herbs to heal him.

Hanzhong ———— Treasure/Spells: a. Hua Tuo’s house (upper-left), middle pot on left (Death Scroll) b. Hua Tuo’s house, pot in secret room (5000 gold) c. House just south of Hua Tuo’s house, dresser (Full-Revive Spell) d. Lower-center house (left of the inn), dresser (HP, MP+300) Shopping List —————— Hi-Potion……………..250G X-Potion………………700G Ether………………….500G Mega-Potion………..4000G Remedy?……………1000G Steed………………..4000G Bow…………………17200G Saber………………18500G Shield 2.0………….14520G Helmet………………9000G Armor……………..19000G Shield……………….9800G Restock, buy the new gear, and head southeast to Hanzhong Mountain.

Hanzhong Mountain ———————– Enemies: Tiger (690 HP), Bandit (730 HP), Prisoner (700 HP) Treasures: Ether, Armor, Shield, Elixer, Super-Fire Scroll, Hi-Ether, X-Potion, 2000 Gold, Helmet, Shield Spells: Buddha

Don’t be fooled by the enemies list, these enemies are much more powerful than their world map brethren. After you go down the first ladder, grab the pot to your left and continue on. You’ll see another ladder further on, go down it to find another pot. Leave left to the next screen. After climbing the first couple of ladders, take the right ladder to reach a pot, then go left and take the ladder going up for yet another pot. Take the down ladder and follow the loop around the bottom of the screen; when you reach the next down ladder, take it for another pot. Now follow the path back to the first screen. Take the ladder down, then go right past the next ladder to find a pot. Now take the ladder down and keep going to reach the third screen. Go up both ladders to reach a pot, then go back down a ladder and head left. Take the up ladder for another pot, and then the down ladder to keep going. Open the pot on the path and go left to the down ladder for another pot. Go up either the ladder just above you or the one you passed, and head right. After a while you’ll spot another pot on the path you should open, and just a little further on is the exit north to the summit.

There’s no boss fight here, just grab the herbs and climb back down. Return to Hanzhong and speak with Hua Tuo. He will tell you that Liu Bei is suffering from delusionary dreams, and you must enter his dream to dispel it.

Liu Bei’s Dream ——————– Enemies: Mace Tengu, Griffin, Dragon Skeleton Treasures: Death Scroll, 2000 Gold, Saber, Shield, Steed, Full-Potion Spells: Wind

You will start in what looks like the Yellow Scarves camp. Entering a tent will warp you around to different locations. Many of the paths loop back around, but have treasure. Enter the tent on the lower-right to find two pots on a peninsula. Go back out and enter the lower-left tent to wind up in a forest area. Follow the path and check the pot along the way. When you see an exit to the south, first go north and grab the pot, then exit south to end up back in the camp. To reach the end, find the tent that takes you to an area similar to Pagoda Tower. At the first fork go north, then go right to reach a pot. Head all the way left and south to end up in a pitch black room. Room #1: From the doorway, go down as far as you can, one step right, four steps down, and right and up to reach the pot. Go back down and left, then take four steps up, two steps right and go up and right to reach another pot.

Take the path back up, left, and back down, and go all the way right from here(you’ll have to fight a stationary enemy). From here, go left two steps and head south, right, and south to another stationary enemy. Go down to the next enemy and head left from there, then go down, left, and up to reach the exit. After exiting out the other door, there will be a yin-yang pad here. Step on it to refill your HP and MP, then head north for another dark room. Room #2: Wander around until you manage to find the road out. There will be another pad here which will also refill your HP and MP. Step on it, then head north to the boss.

Boss: Shinryu ————–— Unlike most bosses, Shinryu loves to use his spells over and over. This isn’t really a problem, though; his attack spells are all weak, although he will try to disable you using Mute and Attack-Down spells. Just use summons and limits on him. His physicals are powerful when he does decide to use them, so make sure to keep your health up. Shinryu will give you his summon spell after being bested. Liu Bei will wake up from his dream and, now fully recovered, rejoins the party. Rest, restock, and head north to a village. A boss will greet you at the gate.

Boss: Warlord ———–—— This guy is the opposite of Shinryu: he just uses physicals all the time. If you can cast Blind on him, it helps a lot. The Shinryu summon will do wonderful damage here, as will most summons. Just make sure you heal whenever you get hit, and especially watch out if he casts Power-Up on himself. He has a really high amount of health, so this fight is going to take a while. Hold out long enough and he will fall to your blade. Not much to do here other than shop. Get your stuff and move out to the north.

Mountain Pass —————–Enemies: Swordsman, Spear Soldier, Spear Elite

Walk along the path, heading down the ladder to get the pot. Ignore the next ladder, it’s a dead end. Walk north to the next screen and pass through this one too. You will be at a small lake, and there is a fork at the start: go left for a pot and right to continue. At the next fork here, go down to find a pot and up to keep going. Next is a four-way fork; go down or left for a path to the next screen, which leads to a pot. Return to the four-way and go north off-screen. Further along is a ladder going down, go down it and keep going to reach a pot. On the next screen, go left for another pot and right to continue. Soon you will reach the end, where you finally catch up with Cao Cao. Cao Cao is annoyed with the party (I guess you say something that confuses him) and decides to remove them once and for all.

Boss: Cao Cao ————–—– Finally, a battle with the main man. He will be casting Power-Up on himself a lot so his physicals will decimate you, and he will use Power-Down and Armor-Down on your party members to soften them up. He even knows the Shinryu summon, which does great damage. Use your summons and limits on him, but linger on someone’s turn before he goes so you can react immediately after. You’ve had harder battles than this, but he is still no pushover, so watch it. His heal spell will bring back 360, but by now you should be able to do at least that much a turn. Outlast him and the battle is yours. Cao Cao will stutter a few final words, then the mighty founder of Wei passes on.

Further Reading:

• Chapter 6 – Destiny of an Emperor III Wei Campaign
• Chapter 4 – Destiny of an Emperor III Chang Jiang
• Chapter 3 – Destiny of an Emperor III Jing Zhou
• Chapter 1 – Destiny of an Emperor III Yellow Scarves

CHAPTER 4: BATTLE ON THE CHANG JIANG

Despite the efforts of Liu Bei, Jingzhou has fallen to Wei. Hoping to seize the momentum, Cao Cao mobilizes a massive navy against the South Land. Can the forces of Wu and Shu stop him before all is lost?

Chaisang ———— Treasure/Spells: a. Middle house where Liu Bei starts, bucket in secret room (go through the hidden passage above the pots on the right) (Cure-All Spell) b. Lower-left house, lower-left blue-capped pot (Armor) c. Lower-left house, dresser (2000 gold) Shop List ———– Hi-Potion………………250G Ether…………………..500G Super Potion………..1500G Revive…………………600G Remedy?…………….1000G Sleep Scroll…………..300G (casts Sleep on enemies) Wind Scroll…………..5800G (same as the one in Yuan Shu’s cave) Thunder Scroll………2900G Steed………………….7500G Steed………………….3000G Sword………………….4000G Sword 2.0…………….5000G Saber………………… 5200G Bow……………………5120G (Huang Zhong uses this) Spear………………….4900G Spear 2.0…………….5500G Armor…………………4300G Armor 2.0…………….5300G Helmet………………..2800G Shield 2.0…………….5500G Shield…………………3300G

Liu Bei’s temporary base is now in Chaisang. Sun Quan will tell you that Cao Cao has taken over Jingzhou and is preparing to attack Wu. Cai Mao is training his troops at Xiangyang so go take him out. Go to the shop and buy all the new gear, stock up and head out. You now have five party members so there is an option for the party select menu. I would keep Guan Yu and Zhang Fei since they are so powerful, but the other ones are up to you. Zhuge to me seems to be a clone of Liu Bei, so decide if you want him in or Zhao Yun. Keep in mind, though, that people not in battle don’t level up with the rest of the party, so if you plan on using everyone make sure to switch people out from time to time. There is another castle to the west, Jiangxia.

Jiangxia ———- Treasure/Spells: a. Lower-left house, dresser (Armor) b. Lower-right house, dresser (5000 gold) c. Middle house, dresser (Remedy? Spell) Shop List ———– Hi-Potion………………250G Hi-Ether………………1300G Full-Revive…………..3000G Remedy?…………….1000G Mute Scroll……………380G Steed…………………4000G Sword………………..5500G Sword 2.0……………6600G Saber…………………5900G Spear…………………6000G Spear 2.0……………7000G Armor………………..6100G Armor 2.0…………..6800G Helmet 2.0………….3000G Helmet……………….3500G (more price wierdness) Shield 3.0…………..6000G Shield………………..4300G Shield 2.0…………..5100G

There are more goods here, but you cannot proceed north as the bridge is broken. Enter the middle house and talk to the old woman to learn that a worker has gone missing in the cave. Afterward leave and enter the cave to the west.

Jiangxia Cave —————– Enemies: Griffin (450 HP), Zombie (470 HP), Mace Tengu (460 HP) Treasures: X-Potion, Steed, Spear, Shield Spells: Speed-Down, Quake (2nd Copy), Smoke Bomb, Demon

Beware of the Zombies here, they will drain chunks of your MP given the chance. Follow the path to the fork and go south; some enemies are to the left, but they guard only a dead end. At the south fork, go left and continue to the next screen. The next fork you come to goes left and right; go along the right path back to the first screen, grab the pots here, and return to the fork and go left. Keep going on to the next fork; a pot with a spell is to the right, south leads further in. From the start of the next screen, take the first right and then go north to a larger open area; a pot is in an alcove to the right. Return to the first hall and take the next right to the south, following this path up to a treasure area on the first screen. The pot on the right has the Smoke Bomb spell, which is great for fleeing battles, so make sure you get it. Head back to the previous screen and go all the way to the bottom of the first hall, and follow the long path across the room. There will be a path spliting off to the right, but it’s a dead end. At the far end there is the worker being threatened by a demon.

Boss: Six-Armed Demon —————————– HP: ~8000

He is no stronger than most of the bosses you have faced thus far, but his health is very high so you will need to keep healing throughout the battle to endure. He will use a poison spell which is annoying and his criticals can knock you out in a single blow, but other than that he does not have any outstanding advantage, although he might start spamming his multi-target spells. Use your summons and limits to whittle down his health and revive anyone who gets hit by a critical. For making it through the battle you will earn his summon spell. The worker will speak to you and run off. Return to Jiangxia to see that the bridge has been fixed. Speak to the old woman in the middle house, and she’ll fork over a Full-Elixer (HP, MP MAX) as thanks. Buy as many high potions and hi-revives as you can and cross the bridge north to Xiangyang.

Boss: Huang Zhong & Cai Mao ———————————– Cai Mao: ~5500 HP Huang Zhong: 7000-7200

This is quite the battle. Both of them will be having criticals at a high rate and they have decent speed. Huang Zhong will heal when needed while Cai Mao will cast various status spells. Throw everything you have at Cai Mao between revives; the summon you just got from the cave works well. After a long time he will finally die, and like the other duo battles it becomes much easier to deal with just Huang Zhong. He will still use lots of criticals though, so watch out. Cai Mao will perish but Huang Zhong retreats into the city. Follow him in.

Xiangyang ————- Treasure/Spells: a. Lower left house, dresser (Armor) b. Upper right house, lower pot on left (Helmet)Shop List ———— Hi-Potion…………………250G X-Potion………………….700G Full-Revive…………….3000G Revive……………………600G Remedy?……………….1000G Mute Scroll………………380G Sleep Scroll……………..300G Speed Scroll…………….750G Steed……………………4000G Sword…………………..6600G Sword 2.0………………7000G Saber…………………..6700G Saber 2.0………………7900G Bow……………………..4900G Spear……………………7000G Armor…………………..7500G Helmet………………….4000G Helmet 2.0…………….5600G Shield…………………..6300G Shield 2.0………………7500G

Here you can rest and buy new gear, including some X-Potions (+300 HP). The woman at the rear will tell you Huang Zhong ran into the port so pursue him north. NOTE: The port area is gone once you have Huang Zhong so get everything there before the fight.

Xiangyang Port —————–- Enemies: Spear Soldier (480 HP), Archer (450 HP), Pirate (460 HP) Treasures: Steed, 2000 Gold, Bow, X-Potion, Shield Spells: Armor-Up, Tengu, Thunder-All (2nd Copy)

The port is made up of boats connected by chains, which is an unusual dungeon design to be sure. Right at the start, there’s a fork. Go across the right chain, then take the upper chain path on this boat for some pots. Now go back and take the lower right-hand chain. This path will lead to another pot. Notice that some ships are connected together by the spikes on their ends; sometimes this is hard to spot. Walk back to the first boat and go left. Follow the succession of ships; at the fork, the small left boat is a dead end so go right. The ships will continue to wind around the port until it exits to the next area on the left side of the screen. From here, go left across the chain until you reach another fork, then take the top chain for a pot. Ignore the bottom chain and return to the beginning, then head north on the boats to the next fork. The chain to the left loops around to the bottom, so take the top right chain. Soon after is another fork; the chain on the right leads to a pot, but a stationary enemy blocks the path so you’ll have to deal with him first, but the pot contains the new Tengu summon. Take the other chain left and continue on to the third screen. There are many forks here; for the first one, take the top chain first. Both paths from the next split lead to pots. Back at the start, take the lower chain this time. Next fork, the upper chain is a dead end so take the lower one. There is a path up on one of the thin boats which you might miss, go across to the next boat and take the right chain to another pot (the left chain further up is a dead end). Back on the thin boat, keep going along the boats as they lead left and then north. The screen ends in the northeast corner, so make sure you have everything, heal up and proceed on. Huang Zhong is on the final boat.

Boss: Huang Zhong ———————– HP: 9000 Well he certainly gets credit for trying, but now that you’re well rested and better armed you outclass him. He has a lot of health so it will still take a while but you should have no real problems here other having to revive once or twice. Huang Zhong will submit, and Liu Bei recruits him into the party. He joins at level 35. Return to Chaisang and speak with Sun Quan, where he will tell you that the fire plan will fail unless you can get the southeast wind to blow. After restocking, head south and east from Jiangxia to reach Pagoda Tower.

Pagoda Tower —————– Enemies: Sword Spectre (460 HP), Spear Spectre (480 HP), Elite Spectre (490 HP) Treasures: Steed, Armor-Up Scroll, Full-Potion, Spear, 2000 Gold, Shield, Helmet Spells: Ancestor, Super-Leaf

If you choose to use Huang Zhong, make sure to put him in the back as his attack will not be as affected as the others. The gate in the middle of the first floor is locked. Two stairs are at the north end, but the right is a dead end for now; take the left stairs. Take the stairs again up to the third floor. Go right here and follow the path around to a switch you need to press. On the walk back, walk through the passage between the wall to get the pots (it’s at the bottom of the wall where the corner is). Return to the stairs and take the left path to the stairs down. Go south through the spikes here and check the pots, then flip the switch in the upper-right corner.Walk all the way back to the first floor and go to the center, where the fence is now down. Check the pots and go up to the second floor. Press the switch just to your right and then go north. Proceed through the hole in the spikes and go south at the fork for more pots, then go north, flip the switch, and down the stairs. Walk back around to the center stairs and go up them again. Now walk north and all the way right, and ascend the steps to the boss.

Boss: Necromancer ———————– HP: 10,000

He’s remarkably strong for an old guy, as he uses physicals a lot and they do pretty good damage. It’s not more than you can handle, though, as this boss is pretty easy considering how long it took to reach him. He knows Sleep, which might be a problem if your whole party gets hit with it, but otherwise you should face no problems. He will hand over the Wind Scroll to Zhuge Liang after being defeated. Leave the tower and return to Chaisang’s throne room. Zhou Yu will take the Wind Scroll and run off to burn Cao Cao’s fleet at Chi Bi. Follow him out. Cao Cao’s fleet can be seen just west of Chaisang so go there now.

Chi Bi ——-- Enemies: Drummer (480 HP), Pirate (490 HP), Spear Elite (500) Treasures: Super-Fire Scroll, Mega Potion (HP, MP+300), Steed, 2000 Gold, Saber Spells: Death, Super-Ice, Sleep

Be prepared to do some legwork here. Right at the start there is a fork; don’t go right, it is a long dead end path.

Go left, open the pot, and continue on. At the next fork, take the right path to reach a pot, then return and go left. Go right along the chain on the next fork to locate another pot, then return and continue. A new fork is on the very next boat; go right for a pot and left to proceed. After a long walk you will find another split. Cross the lower chain to reach a pot, then the upper chain to continue. The next fork is the same: lower for pot, upper for going on. Another fork further on: left for pot and up to continue. Keep going across the ships until you finally reach the far shore. Cao Cao and Zhang Liao are here discussing the battle; the party arrives to capture Cao Cao, but he retreats while Zhang Liao tries to hold you off.

Boss: Zhang Liao ——————— HP: 11,000

This battle is pretty similar to when you fought Huang Zhong at the Xiangyang Port. He will use physicals a lot, but he also has lighting spells he might use, as well as a speed-up spell. Pummel away at him with magic, summons, and limits. Zhang Liao will talk with the party briefly before fleeing. At Chaisang, Sun Quan will accuse you of letting Cao Cao escape and throw you in prison, but Yi Ji/Lu Su will let you out. The party decides to leave Wu.

Further Reading:

• Chapter 1 – Destiny of an Emperor III Yellow Scarves
• Chapter 6 – Destiny of an Emperor III Wei Campaign
• Chapter 5 – Destiny of an Emperor III Han Zhong
• Chapter 3 – Destiny of an Emperor III Jing Zhou
• Chapter 2 – Destiny of an Emperor III Rise of Cao Cao

CHAPTER 3: TURMOIL IN JINGZHOU

Having fled Cao Cao and unable to return to Yuan Shao, Liu Bei seeks refuge with his relative Liu Biao, governer of the Jingzhou Region. Remnant Yellow Scarves cause instability within and Cao Cao’s forces threaten with invasion from the north. Liu Bei’s small army must fortify their position before they can restore peace…

Jingzhou Region ——————- Treasure/Spells Locations: a. Lower left house, blue-capped pot (Fire-All Spell) b. Upper left house, mirror (Hi-Potion) c. Upper right house, dresser (Gold) Shop List ———– Potion…………………15G Hi-Potion……………250G Ether………………..500G Revive………………600G Status Cure?………..70G Status Cure?………100G Steed………………7500G Sword……………..2080G Spear……………..2950G Shield……………..1900G Helmet…………….1300G Helmet 2.0……….1500G

Enter Jingzhou, buy new gear, and enter the castle. Liu Biao and Cai Mao are here, and the party will have a discussion with them. Several towns are in revolt and Liu Biao will ask you to settle the matter. Leave out the western gate. There will two gates in this section of the world map but you cannot pass through. Go to Xinye, the castle just west of Jingzhou. A rebel will be here, and you will be in a short battle (600 HP). Just take him out and enter the city.

Xinye ——– Treasure/Spells Locations: a. Lower right house, dresser (Gold) Shop List ———— Hi-Potion…………….250G Super Potion………1500G Revive……………….600G Antidote…………………5G Steed……………….3000G Sword………………2500G Saber………………2900G Spear………………3500G Shield………………2480G Shield………………3900G Helmet……………..1800G Armor………………2500G Armor 2.0…………2300G (again, this is better for cheaper)

After resting, continue south and go east from the bridge to a village. There will be two rebels here; a scene will occur and another boss fight ensues.

Boss: Bandit Duo ——————– Halberd Bandit: 1200 HP Spear Bandit: 1200 HP

Neither bandit does outstanding damage, but as there are two of them you will want to be prudent. Concentrate your firepower on one of the bandits until they fall, then defeat the other one. The upper bandit is able to heal himself, so you may want to kill him first. After the fight, the remaining bandit will run off.

Village ——— Treasure/Spell Locations: a. Upper left house, mirror (Charm spell) b. Sima Hui’s house, bucket near bed (Gold) Shop List ———— Hi-Potion……………….250G Revive………………….600G Status Cure?……………20G Mute Scroll…………….380G Ether……………………500G Sword…………………3100G Saber………………….3400G Spear………………….4300G Shield………………….2480G Shield 3.0…………….3000G (more better and cheaper stuff) Shield 2.0…………….3300G Helmet………………..2050G Armor…………………3400G

Inside the village is even better gear at the shop, but not much else. Sima Hui lives in the upper-right house, you will vist him again later. Return to Jingzhou and enter the castle. Liu Biao is here; the brothers report on the rebels and he rewards them with control over Xinye. Liu Bei will take the throne, but soon messengers enter saying Cao Cao is attacking from the north. Leave Xinye and enter the cave to the northwest.

Jingzhou Cave —————– Enemies: Fat Soldier (230 HP), Sword Soldier (220 HP), Spear Soldier (220 HP) Treasures: Revive, Earth Scroll, Magic Stone (Max MP+20), Super Potion, Gold, Steed, X-Potion Spells: Hi-Cure, Scan

None of these enemies should pose a problem, although the Fat Soldiers often get high criticals.  The cave is easy enough to get through. At the first fork, go left; the other path is a long way to a dead end. Thereafter, take each right for treasure and then left to continue on. Cao Cao’s forces are at the back of the cave.

Boss: Sworddancer ———————– HP: 1400

The boss will either attack or heal himself for 110. By this point you should have new limit breaks for most of your party; take advantage of them to easily slay this boss. Watch out for his powerful lightning attack though. Return to the Xinye throne room. The party will depart for Jingzhou. At the gate, Cai Mao is being bothered by another rebel.

Boss: Two-Sworded Rebel ——————————- HP: 2000

He will attack, heal for 150, or use an all-ice spell. Keep your health up and use your new limits to take him out. Cai Mao will tell you that Xiakou is under attack. Go to the southern castle that was locked before.

Xiakou ——— Enemies: Drummer (240 HP), Sword Elite (270 HP), Fencer (260 HP) Treasures: 5000 Gold, Armor, X-Potion, Revive, Mega Potion (HP, MP + 300), Shield, Speed Scroll Spells: Thunder-All

The Drummers can use lightning spells (either single or all-target) and the Sword Elite have speed-up and leaf-attack spells, but these enemies should not be overpowering. They do come in groups of four, though, and there are a lot of them, so make sure to heal up when needed. The layout of the castle is completely symmetrical, so it should not be difficult to navigate. The throne room is north of the entrance, but the door is looked; you will need to find and press the four switches around the perimeter. From the fork at the start, go right, getting the treasure from the pot, and go north at the hut. Follow the rampart; you will see a switch below you, then further on will be another switch. Press it and continue north. Open the pot on the far north wall, then head west, south, and down the stairs into the eastern courtyard. Proceed north to find two pots in the corner, then return south and go right at the fork to find the switch you saw earlier. Return to the stairs, turn south right after going up, then another left above the hut, then north again to the stairs to the western courtyard. Again, take the north path to find treasure, then go south and left to find the third switch. Head back onto the rampart and follow it west, searching the pot, and discovering the final switch. Follow this path south back to another pot and the entrance (you wish to leave and heal up), then head north to the now open throne room. Inside, the rebels kill the governer, then attack you.

Boss: Two-Sworded Rebel ——————————- HP: 2800-2850

This is essentially the same boss as before, although he does more damage and is a little faster. Again, use limit breaks and magic to defeat him. The party exits Xiakou. Make sure you got all the treasure, as the door is locked again. Restock and follow the rebels to the clearing east of Xiakou.

Forest Grove —————- Enemies: Eagle (270 HP), Spearman (280 HP), Archer (270 HP) Treasure: Super Potion, Steed, Revive, Full-Potion (HP MAX), Shield, 5000 Gold Spells: Ice-All (2nd Copy)

The enemies here are powered-up versions of ones you’ve seen before. Watch out for the Eagles: they now have a more powerful variant of the Sword Elites’ leaf-attack magic. The forest here sprawls around and it can be easy to get lost. At the first fork, first head up, grab the treasure, and go right off-screen, following the path to another pot. Return to the fork and this time go right to find a pot, then from this new fork go south and follow the path offscreen to find another one on a thin stretch of land. Return to the fork and take the other path. The trail will go on a while between screens until you reach another fork. Go left to get a pot and go along the bridge north of it for another pot. Then go right at the fork and follow the path right. Check the pot, heal up, and head down off screen. Cai Mao will be here talking with a rebel, but he will flee when the party enters.

Boss: Halberd Rebel ———————— HP: ~3200

The boss is harder than the rebels you have been facing; he does good damage and has powerful earth spells, as well as the ability to heal. Unload on him with limit breaks and magic if you get the chance, but always keep your health over 100 if possible. Hopefully he will not use the multi-target spell, as it is his most damaging attack. The party leaves to the right after Cai Mao, where they meet Liu Biao and another scene occurs (I think this is his death scene, as his text has breathing pauses and he disappears from Jingzhou following this). Back in Xinye, the party will have a discussion. Leave Xinye and go to the village north of Xiakou in the forest. Zhuge Jun is blocking your way and refuses to let you through. Return to the village where the bandit duo was. Sima Hui is in the northeast house here, talk to him and he will give you a letter. NOTE: If you want the treasures from Bo Wang Slope (the mountain path in this area) I would get them now as it will be easier. Scroll down to that section for directions.

Zhuge Liang’s Home ———————— Treasure/Spells: a. Lower house, twin pots in upper-left (Super-Ice Scroll) b. Zhuge’s house, mirror (Shield) c. Zhuge’s house, left basket (Alt. Status Cure? Spell) Go back to the forest village.

Show Zhuge Jun the letter and he will let you pass. Zhuge Liang is in the top house, enter and speak to him for a scene. Afterward head north to the tomb behind his house.

Tomb ——- Enemies: Imp (300 HP), Serpent (280 HP), Skull (290 HP) Treasure: Helmet, Spear, (MP+100), Remedy? Spells: Quake, Spirit

Liu Bei and tombs just don’t go together; this place is almost as bad as Emperor Jing’s tomb from DOAE2. The Imps now have the sleep spell, which is much deadlier than in most games: you will be out for 5 or so turns, and getting hit does not wake you up. The Skulls have Confuse, which is worse, making your party members attack targets at random. Walk through the small first room to the next hallway. From here, take the north path (through the braziers), then the north path again (through the statues), then the southeastern path down (go right past the braziers), then take the north door just to your right. You should be in a room lined with pots. Deal with the enemies here, get the spell and treasure, then heal up and enter the north room for the boss.

Boss: Spirit Woman ———————– HP: 4000

Luckily, she is an easy boss. Her leaf-attack spell does a lot of damage, but she rarely uses it, preferring to attack or heal herself. She will take a while to kill as she has quite a lot of health, but there should be no problems. She is also a summon and you will get her summon spell as reward.

Find your way back out of the tomb and return to Zhuge Liang. He will go with your party to Xinye. Plans will be prepared and Zhuge, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun go off to set ambushes. Take Guan Yu and go west to Bo Wang Slope.

Bo Wang Slope ——————- Enemies: Fat Soldier (390 HP), Mace Soldier (330 HP), Chain Soldier (310 HP) Treasure: Super Potion, Remedy?, Saber, 2000 Gold, Super Speed Scroll? (same battle images but different characters), Death Scroll, Elixer Spells: Leaf-All

Careful, these foes are made of tougher stuff than you have encountered before; all are decent at attacks and the Fat Soldier now has a multi-target fire spell. I would just flee as it is just Liu Bei and Guan Yu. Take the right path at the entrance for a pot, then head left and go left at the next fork for two more pots. Return to the fork and go right to the next screen. Going south at either fork leads to a pot, while at the last fork the pot is north and the next screen south. The first fork here is a false choice: only south is not a dead end. Open the two pots along the path and keep going to the next screen. Cao Cao’s troops are here to attack you.

Boss: Troop Leader ———————– HP: 2500

Keep Liu Bei in the back and have him heal while Guan Yu uses his limit breaks.The boss may use his earth spell; make sure you heal if he does so. Keep attacking him and he will fall. Reinforcements will rush in and surround you, but Zhao Yun will appear and set the forest ablaze. The army leaders will flee south, only to be caught in a pincer by Zhuge Liang and Zhang Fei. Time for another fight.

Boss: Troop Leader & Troop Commander ———————————————— Troop Leader HP: 2500-2600 Troop Commander HP: ~2300

This can be a very difficult battle. Both bosses are strong, fast, and complement each other very well. Zhuge has no magic and is weak, so he will probably go down quickly, but there’s not much you can do about it. Launch as many Limit Breaks as you can while healing after pretty much every hit, and try using the summon magic if you have a breather. Like the Bandit Duo, concentrate on one person until they are dead. Once one of them has died, the battle becomes more managable. Heal up, throw everything you got at him, and make sure to revive Zhuge before the battle ends so he can get some experience. After the battle the leaders will retreat to the left (and off the cliff, apperently). The party returns to Xinye, where they are told (by whom I’m guessing is either Yi Ji or Lu Su) that Liu Zong has surrendered to Cao Cao. Liu Bei’s army abandons the city and escapes to the kingdom of Wu.

Further Reading:

• Chapter 6 – Destiny of an Emperor III Wei Campaign
• Chapter 5 – Destiny of an Emperor III Han Zhong
• Chapter 4 – Destiny of an Emperor III Chang Jiang
• Chapter 1 – Destiny of an Emperor III Yellow Scarves

CHAPTER 2: THE RISE OF CAO CAO

Several years later, Liu Bei’s home territory of Xuzhou has become a protectorate of the Prime Minister Cao Cao, and the brothers now serve him as vassels. Recognizing Cao Cao as a greedy man who seeks only conquest, Liu Bei plots with other dissenters to overthrow him. In the mean time, he bides his time by carrying out Cao Cao’s orders and attacking the pretender Yuan Shu.

Xuzhou Region —————— Treasure/Spells Locations: a. Mirror in Liu Bei’s house (Gold) b. Lower-right pot in Liu Bei’s house (Leaf Spell) c. Dresser in lower-right house (Spell) d. Dresser in house left of Liu Bei’s house (Cure Spell) Shop List: ————- -Potion (HP +50)…..15G -Revive……………..600G -Antidote………………5G -x -Steed…………….6000G -Sword……………..250G -Sabre……………..900G -Spear…………….1100G -Spear 2.0……….1200G -Shield 2.0…………370G -Shield 3.0…………600G -Shield……………..260G -Helmet…………….150G -Helmet 2.0………..300G -Armor……………..290G -Armor 2.0………..550G

Now you are in Xuzhou. Enter the castle to talk to Cao Cao, he will order you to subdue Yuan Shu’s remaining forces in the eastern cave. At the shop there is a new spear for Zhang Fei and better armor for everyone. Exit south to the world map. You can use the start button to check out the map of China. The foes from before are still in battles although they are now more powerful and the bandits will now use the blind spell (indicated by a bandana above your head).

To the east are the cave, where you need to go, and a gate to the south which you aren’t allowed through. The enemies in the cave are stronger than the ones you have faced so you may want to build a level or two before going in. Also at this point, I would put Liu Bei in the back row so he will take less damage, as I use him as a healer and spellcaster.

Eastern Cave —————– Enemies: Spearman (100 HP), Axeman, Prisoner (60 HP) Treasures: Remedy?, Gold, Wind Scroll, Hi-Ether Spells: Ice, Blind

Beware, the prisoners here (garbed in green) use the drain spell sometimes. Anyway follow the path through the cave. At the first fork, south is a dead end, so go north. For the next fork, head left for some treasure and then continue north. Next fork, the north path has two items and the west path continues in. At the final fork, go north for an ice spell and then go right for the blind spell and the boss room.

Boss: Yuan Shu ——————- HP: 750 You’ll want to be at least level 10 for this boss, preferably higher. Yuan Shu will mostly use physical attacks, although sometimes he uses a protect spell. Use your limit breaks when they build up and heal whenever you get hit, because he does a lot of damage. You should have picked up an attack item that you may want to use on him, it should do over 100 damage.

After a while he will fall, although one of your party members will probably have been knocked out. After he dies, get the hi-ether (MP+80) from the pot and return to Xuzhou.

Xuzhou Region —————— Stock up on potions and revives before you report to Cao Cao. When you enter the castle, the brothers report, then go home to rest. A messenger comes in to warn them about Cao Cao, but before they can leave an assassin enters. Boss: Che Zhou —————— HP: 900 You will be using a lot of healing if your levels are low, as the boss can do high damage. He will mostly attack unless he needs to heal, in which case he has a move that recovers 70 hp. Have Zhang Fei and Guan Yu attack, while Liu Bei heals and revives people. You will get your limit breaks sooner because of the high damage, so use them whenever possible. Eventually he will die. Restock (make sure you get more revives, you cannot buy them at the next town), remove Guan Yu’s spells if he has any, and flee out the southern gate. Cao Cao will confront you with his troops, but Liu Bei and Zhang Fei break out while Guan Yu stays behind. Go east and south to the gate. The guard will let you by now. Continue east to Qingzhou.

Qingzhou Region ——————– Treasure/Spells Locations: a. Lower-right house, middle pot in the upper right (Gold) b. Lower-right house, dresser (Hi-Potion) c. Lower-left house, upper pot (Leaf Spell, 2nd Copy) Shop List ———– Potion…………………15G Ether…………………500G Antidote………………..5G Status Cure?……….150G Fire Scroll…………..200G Steed……………….6000G Sword………………..250G Sword 2.0…………..700G Saber………………1300G Spear………………1200G Shield 3.0…………..600G Shield……………….580G Shield 2.0…………..700G (yes, it’s worse than 3.0 but costs more) Helmet………………500G Armor……………….550G Armor 2.0………….790G

There is some new equipment here to pick up, make sure to get a Saber for Guan Yu. When you enter the castle, Yuan Shao and the brothers will talk. Liu Bei asks to serve under Yuan Shao, but the meeting is interrupted by a guard who says Cao Cao is on the move. Yan Liang and Wen Chou move out and Yuan Shao requests that you assist them. Leave Qingzhou and go west under the forest until you reach a path.

Qingzhou Forest ——————– Enemies: Mace Soldier (~90 HP), Fat Soldier (~80 HP), Serpent (70 HP) Treasures: Hi-Potion, Steed Spells: Thunder

Be careful here, the enemies are stronger and you only have two party members. From the entrance, go left to an item in a pot and a spell in another pot further on. Then return to the entrance and go north along the path to the next screen. Here, go all the way left to a pot with a steed, then back and up to the upper-right corner for another item. Follow the path left to proceed. On the next screen, some guards will be waiting to stop you, but Yuan Shao’s men run by while you have them distracted.

Boss: Lu Qian —————– HP: 950-1000

Lots of healing here. Hopefully you are at level 15 or above by now. The boss will alternate between physicals, a weak fire attack, and a spell that lowers your attack power for a few turns. Pummel him with magic and limit breaks, but don’t take chances with healing. Leave to the left. On the world map, go to the next gate. Guan Yu is guaring the gate and he kills Yan Liang and Wen Chou, but you meet up and he rejoins. Liu Bei realizes that Yuan Shao will not be happy that Guan Yu has slain his guards, so the brothers decide to seek refuge with Liu Biao to the south. Give Guan Yu back any spells you took off him. Go south to Runan.

Runan ——– Treasure/Spells: a. Lower right house, twin pots (Status cure spell?) b. Lower left house, blue-capped pot (Gold) Shop List ———— Potion……………..15G Hi-Potion…………250G Ether……………..500G Revive……………600G Steed……………4000G Status Cure?……..70G Sword…………..1200G Spear……………1200G Spear 2.0………1700G Shield…………….700G Helmet………….1000G Armor…………..1200G Shield 2.0………1960G

Restock and rest, and buy some new gear. Talk to the old man in one of the houses; he will tell you to search the cave to the west (this is mandatory). There are two paths here, a mountain path south of the village or the western cave. Go to the cave first.

Teleport Cave —————– Enemies: Serpent (90 HP), Imp (90 HP), Griffin (100 HP) Treasures: Thunder Scroll, Spear, Shield Spells: Earth, Poison, Orochi Summon The serpents here are no different from the ones in the forest, however the Imps will use both HP-drain and MP-drain spells and the griffins like to cast mute and speed-down.

Also, Guan Yu will be at the level he was when you split up, so make sure he doesn’t take much damage. There are three yin-yang teleport pads on the first floor, so clear out the enemies and take one up to the second level. In the center of this floor are three pots with an item, a spear for Zhang Fei, and a new spell. Go to the lower right and follow the path around to two more pots containing another spell and an item. There is no more treaure here now, although you may want to build some levels on the monsters. Use the teleport pad north of the center. On the third floor, go down to the south-west exit and head through. Zhao Yun will be here being threatened by a boss.

Boss: Orochi —————- HP: 1250-1300

Your levels should be high enough that this guy is cake, he will only ever attack or sometimes use an ice spell. Use the potions and cure spell to heal, and take him out. You will receive your first summon spell for killing him. Zhao Yun will join the party now at level 15. Return to the village, stock up and rest, buy new gear for Zhao Yun and sell any obsolete gear, speak to the old man to get a gate pass, and leave through the eastern gate.

Continue south to the mountain path.

Mountain Path —————- Enemies: Spearman (100 HP), Archer (~110 HP), Swordsman (120 HP) Treasures: Armor, Gold, Steed, Sword Spells: Ice-All, Thunder (2nd copy), Revive

The Spearmen here are no better than before, but the Archers and Swordsmen can do good damage. The Swordsmen like to use a power-up spell, so you may want to target them first. Walk all the way right and then up to find two pots with an item and new armor. Continue on the main path to the fork. Take the north path and follow it all the way until you reach the next screen. Here the pots contain a new sword, spells, and a steed. Return to the first screen and take the left path back to the second screen. At the next fork, go south to find a pot on your right with a Revive spell and one farther left with an item that heals HP and MP by 100. Head back to the fork and follow the right path until you exit to the world map. Enter the gate. The party will try to pass through, but Zhang Liao comes out to stop them.

Boss: Zhang Liao ———————– HP: 1800

He will alternate between physicals (with a pretty high chance of critical) and healing himself for 100. Have Guan Yu and Zhang Fei attack, Liu Bei use magic, and Zhao Yun heal. This battle should not be too hard, but try to have Zhao Yun alive at the end so he can get some of the experience. Being beaten, he will let you through.

Further Reading:

• Chapter 4 – Destiny of an Emperor III Chang Jiang
• Chapter 1 – Destiny of an Emperor III Yellow Scarves

Liu Bei, a youth living in Lou Sang at the time of the Yellow Scarves rebellion, is a descendant of the Imperial Han lineage. Swearing an oath with his sworn brothers, he sets out to fufill his mother’s last wishes of eradicating rebels and defending the Han.

Lou Sang Village ——————- Treasure Locations: a. The twin pots in Liu Bei’s house (HP, MP +100) b. Basket in house just north of Liu Bei’s house (Gold) c. Twin pots in house left of Liu Bei’s house (Antidote) Shop List: ————- -Potion (HP +50)…..15G -Revive……………..600G -Antidote………………5G -Sword……………..250G -Spear…………….1100G -Sabre………………980G -Shield………………370G -Shield………………260G -Armor………………290G Walk up to the sign in the center and read it. Zhang Fei will talk to you for a while and then run off. Go to the bar (the western building with the old man outside). There will be a long scene, then Zhang Fei and Guan Yu join your party. Go to the shop (just north of the bar) and buy Liu Bei a weapon and a few potions. Head out the western gate.

Yellow Scarves Forest ————————— Enemies: Bandit (~32 HP), Tiger (~30 HP), Eagle (~30 HP) Treasures: Gold, Potion Spells: Fire, Ice – Here you will encounter some enemies consisting of bandits and animals.

The battle system is similar to the SNES Final Fantasy games, with the addition of limit breaks like those in FF7. To the south in a pot is a fire spell, I would give this to Liu Bei since he is the weakest of the three and he has more max MP. Further on to the north is an ice spell and another item (not sure what it is). Upon entering the next screen to the west, there will be a short scene and you will fight some powered-up versions of the bandit enemies (around 80 HP). Have Liu Bei use magic while the others attack, and heal when needed with potions. After the fight, I would suggest returning to Lou Sang to rest and purchase better gear, then head back through the forest. In the third area, there is a pot just to the left with a potion, make sure you get this before you go north. Follow the path north to the Scarves camp. Zhang Jue will surround the brothers and they retreat back to Lou Sang. Pick up any gear you couldn’t afford before, perhaps a revive or two if you have spare money, and reenter the forest. On the second screen, the party will enact their plan and Liu Bei runs off to the Scarves camp.

You will enter battle with Zhang Jue, but his guard will kill you immediately with a summon. Liu Bei retreats back into the forest and Zhang Jue follows him, but he is ambushed by Zhang Fei and Guan Yu.

Boss: Zhang Jue & Guards ——————————– Zhang Jue: ~150 HP Zhang Bao/Cheng Yuan Zhi: ~100 HP If you have been fighting all the enemies up to this point, you should be around level 5 or 6, which is enough to win here. Take out the guards first and then attack Zhang Jue. Liu Bei should use his spells while Guan Yu and Zhang Fei should attack and use their limit breaks if you have them built up. He will fall after a few turns.

Further Reading:

• Chapter 4 – Destiny of an Emperor III Chang Jiang
• Chapter 6 – Destiny of an Emperor III Wei Campaign
• Chapter 5 – Destiny of an Emperor III Han Zhong
• Chapter 3 – Destiny of an Emperor III Jing Zhou
• Chapter 2 – Destiny of an Emperor III Rise of Cao Cao