Cao Cao’s missions and events in Total War: Three Kingdoms – Fates Divided
Cao Cao’s missions in Total War: Three Kingdoms – Fates Divided are fairly straightforward.
You can check the table below for the information. Just remember that some missions might require you to complete those that come before them.
| Mission Name | Task | Reward |
| The Battle of Guan Yu (This is definitely a nod to the Battle of Guandu) | Engage Guan Yu’s army | +1,000 gold 100% chance to capture Guan Yu |
| Thinning the Herd | Defeat 5 armies or garrisons (Yuan Shao’s forces) | +3,000 gold |
| The Opening Move | Control Dong – Puyang (already held) and Henei – Zhaoge | movement range and morale buff; 6 turns |
| Cao Cao Makes a Bold Move | Control Luoyang, Xuchang, Chenliu, and Runan – Ruyin (only the last one isn’t held yet when you start the campaign) | population growth, public order, and peasantry income buff; 5 turns |
| Cao Cao Seeks to Weaken Yuan Shao | Destroy either Liu Bei’s or Gong Du’s faction | population growth, public order, and peasantry income buff; 5 turns |
| A Deft Advance | Control Wei – Ye and Wei – Gongcheng | +2,000 gold |
| A Devastating Blow | Control Anping – Xindu | +3,500 gold |
| A Defensive Line | Control Qi Pass and Gu Pass | morale and replenishment buff; 6 turns |
| The Loyal Servant | Destroy Gao Gan’s faction | +4,000 gold |
| The Final Flourish | Destroy Yuan Shao’s faction | +5,000 gold; +20% income from all sources (8 turns) |
| Ruler of the Eastern Seas | Control Langya – Dongwu, Kaiyang, and Buji | mustering and recruitment cost reduction; 6 turns |
| Weakening the Lineage | Destroy Yuan Tan’s faction | +4,000 gold |
| All That Remains | Destroy Yuan Xi’s and Liu Bei’s faction (if the latter is still around) | +4,000 gold |
| Law and Order | Destroy Zhang Yan’s and Zheng Jiang’s factions | 3,500 gold; +15 public order (5 turns) |
As for the events, I’ve noticed only a few:
- There’s one called “The Tomb Keeper” which fires when Cao Cao loses a general. Xun You gains +1,240 XP here.
- Periodically, Cao Cao as the Imperial Protectorate/Prime Minister gets the dilemma on what to do with the Han Emperor.
- There’s also the “Jade Girdle Decree” (which I think is one of the older events). You can ignore (increased recruitment), crush (+150 gold), or expose it (-80 diplo relations with Liu Bei and Ma Teng). This can happen from Summer 202 CE to Spring 204 CE (turn 12 to turn 21).
- The very evil-looking Cao Pi comes of age in summer 203 CE (turn 17).
- “Yuan Shao Succumbs to his Illness” occurs in autumn 203 CE (turn 19). The event mentions that his sons will create chaos as they stake their claims. Surprisingly enough, I didn’t notice any Yuan family squabbles.
- “Cao Cao Pays His Respects to Yuan Shao” happens in autumn 204 CE (turn 23).
Honestly, Total War: Three Kingdoms – Fates Divided seems to lack a lot of events and dilemmas. As mentioned in our official review, progression feels like you’re just “completing tallies/bounties” (sort of like what I’ve seen in Destiny 2). Heck, I don’t think there’s actually something that would make Guan Yu leave Cao Cao to go back to Liu Bei (assuming the latter is still alive).
Anyway, it’s time to talk about the next chapter: establishing Wei or restoring the Han.
