Part 8

Master the control wheel, unit formations, and agent management in Total War: Three Kingdoms Part 8. Learn essential tips for combat and diplomacy.

This section of the guide covers various gameplay mechanics in Total War: Three Kingdoms, including unit formations, combat commands, time mechanics, and agent management.

Combat Controls:

5 o'clock - Run

Causes a unit to run. More reliable than double-clicking and can initiate a charge.

6 o'clock - Guard Area

The unit remains stationary and defends the surrounding area, attacking any enemies that enter.

8 o'clock - Skirmish Mode

Missile units will move away from nearby units. Disabling this and using Alt-Click forces them into melee or prevents them from retreating, though they will stop firing while moving (mounted units continue firing while moving).

9 o'clock - Fire At Will

Missile units (except artillery) automatically fire at targets within range. It's often recommended to turn this off to prevent friendly fire.

11 o'clock - Special Ability

Varies by unit. Generals have 'Rally' to stop units from fleeing. Captain units without special abilities also have 'Rally'. Other abilities are detailed on the unit card.

UI Elements:

• Prisoner Count: Located to the right of the control wheel, shows the number of captured enemies.
• Group Formation Button: Top button to the right of the prisoner count; allows multiple units to be put into various formations.
• Group Units Button: Below the formation button; groups selected units into a tab on the unit card bar for quick selection and concentrated attacks.
• AI Control/Assist Button: Bottom button; enables AI control for units. Recommended to manage units manually in small battles and pause larger ones.

Time Mechanics:

• Each turn represents two years.
• Seasons alternate by turns (Summer, Winter).
• Characters age by six months per turn.
• Soldiers are not affected by aging.

Agent Management:

Agents (including Princesses, Spies, Assassins, and Merchants) support conquest goals. They have inherent traits (+1, +2, +3 skill) that cannot be changed and can gain additional traits and retinues.

• Diplomats: Success in negotiations increases with Influence. Recruit from towns with a Town Hall. Gaining Trading Rights and Map Information are easy ways to boost Influence. More complex negotiations are best left to experienced diplomats. Sending diplomats to distant, non-religious locales can grant Bilingual/Multilingual/Translator traits and potentially religious tolerance traits.