Total War: THREE KINGDOMS - Mandate of Heaven


The largest and most detailed Total War: THREE KINGDOMS DLC to date
Begin a campaign in 182 CE just before the Yellow Turban rebellion…
…Then play through the conflict and deep into the Three Kingdoms period
New characters and six new playable warlords including the Zhang brothers and Emperor Ling
Unique new campaign mechanics, events and objectives
40 new battlefield units and new unit abilities
Play the origin stories of legendary characters such as Cao Cao and Liu Bei

The year is 182CE. The Han Empire is in turmoil, and China is slipping towards chaos. The Emperor’s court is paralysed by corruption, and a great famine has ravaged the north. In the eyes of the people, Emperor Ling has lost the Mandate of Heaven – and with it, the right to rule.Across the land, the people band together in opposition. Led by the three Taoist brothers Zhang Jue, Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao, they don yellow turbans and take up arms. Their aim: to tear down the unjust Han and replace it with their own dynasty of harmony and peace. They are thousands strong, with more flocking to their cause by the day.Warlords sworn to the emperor rally to his banner; warriors of great influence and fierce ability. Yet the wiser, more ambitious of them harbour their own desires… if the Han becomes too weak, who then will take the reins of power?The Total War: THREE KINGDOMS – Mandate of Heaven Chapter Pack depicts the events of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, enabling players to engage in the conflict from either rebel or loyalist perspectives. Introducing a number of new characters and playable faction leaders, the campaign begins in 182CE, but players can choose to continue well into the Three Kingdoms period, with familiar characters entering the campaign as the timeline progresses.
The Han Dynasty
As part of the free Total War: THREE KINGDOMS game update for all players which activates when Mandate of Heaven launches, Han Chinese factions may adopt the new Empire government style (Emperor Ling of course has this from the outset of the campaign).The Emperor and his allies are in an alliance where the Emperor holds total power. The Emperor has mandated powers to prevent his allies from voting on diplomatic deals such as war and peace. However, as this is effectively an abuse of power, such actions may cause schisms in the alliance…In Mandate of Heaven, Liu Hong (Emperor Ling) has a unique form of this Empire government style, in that he must request these mandated powers from his imperial allies in order to battle the Yellow Turban threat. In addition, he may also construct the Imperial Palace, a grand undertaking in both time and resources, which delivers powerful factionwide bonuses to the Emperor, and houses the single most powerful garrison in the game!Victory ConditionsThe victory conditions of all Han factions match those of the 190CE campaign. Timing in this period is crucial however, given the power-blocs in play. It’s very much about picking your moment to start your race for the throne and finding rebel-held commanderies to attack opportunistically. The only exception is Liu Hong (Emperor Ling), whose victory conditions will change depending on how he reforms his government.
Han Factions
Liu Hong (Emperor Ling)
Liu Hong is Emperor of the Han Empire, and presides over a swiftly deteriorating situation. Rebellions are rising and there is discontent amongst his own vassal warlords. His court is controlled by corrupt and self-serving eunuchs who are quick to silence any who question them. The formidable Empress, his wife, fights tooth-and-nail against the eunuchs’ power-grab, but her efforts are hindered by the Emperor's inaction. The vast Han vassal lands are Liu Hong’s to maintain, but the situation is rapidly falling apart, and controlling all of them may be impossible as discontent and open warfare erupt…Unique Faction Mechanic: The Imperial CourtWithin the Imperial Court, three factions vie for supremacy.

The Bureaucrats: Led by the eunuchs, their supporters seek to centralise power into the hands of the politicians.
The Warlords: Supporters of this group seek a decentralised government where each local leader controls their own lands, answering only to the emperor.
The Dynasts: This group seeks all power to come from the imperial family itself.

The Emperor sits in the middle, trying to balance these power blocks. He can wield his Political I