three kingdoms sideblog (the url is a pun)

At some point during Liu Biao’s time, Pang Tong was an official in Xiangyang, tasked with recommending people for office. While he was not a military adviser, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to use him in that capacity, having him act as a tactician for Liu Biao’s various battles against Cao Cao and the Sun, with Huang Zhong (and potentially Wen Pin or fictitiously Wei Yan) serving as muscle. You could blur the line a bit by having him be an “unofficial” tactician - no authority but he has good ideas so people listen. That’s a lot of Pang Tong content right there.

The operations leading up to Chibi/Wulin are something I call the Chubei Campaigns, which you can read about on my other blog. You can involve Pang Tong in any of these battles - taking some liberties by having Liu Biao’s forces resist Cao Cao before Biao’s death; having Pang Tong help with Liu Bei’s retreat at Chibi or aid Guan Yu in seizing the Han River fleet; having him take charge of the initial defense against Cao Cao that led to the stalemate at Chibi; aiding in the attack on Wulin following Huang Gai’s assault, or taking a major role in the fictionalized pursuit of Cao Cao at Huarong.

The collection of operations following the victory at Wulin are something I call the Jing Offensive. Pang Tong probably did play a role in these efforts (since Lu Su later praised his abilities), although exact contributions are unclear. He could take the lead tactical role in Liu Bei’s conquest of southern Jing; he could act as an adviser to the rebels in Lujiang who allied with Sun Quan; he probably did act as an adviser during the long siege at Jiangling, seemingly under Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu. Depending on when you think Guan Yu’s efforts to capture Xiangyang took place (I believe 210), Pang Tong could also be the lead adviser during that expedition.

Then, of course, you have the conquest of Yi. This gets squashed together into one stage in most DW games but it was a 3 year offensive with several major battles: at Fu, Mianzhu, Luo, and Chengdu. Pang Tong died during the siege of Luo, but you could easily make the initial wave (Fu and Mianzhu) a separate stage, ending with Pang Tong’s death at Luo; at which point Fa Zheng (and possibly Ma Su) would take over.

So as you can see, there are actually a lot of opportunities for Pang Tong to come out and play. Even if you don’t have him working under Liu Biao (although I can’t think of any reason not to) there are a number of battles between 208 and his death in 213 where he could play a leading role.

Turbans:

Unlike the others, not a battle in itself. More like wide spread camapign with major fighting in the north around Ji (Yuan Shao’s future base), Runan area and Wan.

Historically, not that important at the time but it became important later for symbolism. It was a large scale revolt which is never good, there were problems but it was put down by the end of the year though other Turban groups would turn up during the civil war that started six years later. Another revolts that year would have longer term damage to the Han but was less famous

The novel however opens with the Turbans. It might seem odd, a short lived revolt that was six years before the civil war but 1) it acts (for novel and game) as a “the Han is in trouble, here is why, here is a populist revolt” set up 2) All three future kingdoms had their representatives fight in it. It allows for foreshadowing

The novel and the game also use it for something a bit different (magic) and vs peasants so allows characters/players to get some expirence.

Hulao

The coalition against Dong Zhuo is when the control of the Han collapses and civil war begins. Centuries of peace are over and civil war is going to rock the land for a long time. The regional officials, many appointed by Dong Zhuo and most from powerful families, raise troops against the Han controller to “rescue the Emperor” (with varying sincerity depending on history or novel or person involved) and became warlords. As well as the start of the civil war, it led to rampant inflation as blockade led to desperate measures and by forcing Dong Zhuo to retreat, it allowed the warlords freedom to start fighting each each other without worrying.

Usually the novel bases the basic camapign structure on history. In this case “coalition are outmatched, get destroyed in most of their fights so go for a long blockade that suffocates Dong Zhuo’s resources”+one commander single-handily carving his way through the imperial army doesn’t quite work for a big epic opening to the civil war.

So the novel creates a two stage camapign, a able Dong Zhuo officer (first Hua Xiong then Lu Bu) vs coalition, does very well and leaves the coalition sobbing as their might only for one set of figures (different from history) to drive them back and then Dong Zhuo retreats. It sets up certain characters as mighty warriors and heroes while also creating Lu Bu as the extremely mighty warrior.

Guandu

This is the battle for the north, this is treated as show of Cao Cao’s brilliance, his set play battle that shows him at this better (one may argue he had better camapigns but this was the one the novel and the Wei historians highlight). All sorts of themes are built around this, the rising new man vs the representative of the old guard and so on based around the two leaders

The two big powers of the central plain, wasn’t winner takes it’s all but winner shifts the narrative and the momentum. Who is the biggest of them all? This is the battle both sides had been building up to for some time and threw in everything they had.

After defeat, the Yuan’s were always on the defensive though it still took awhile to destroy them. Whether this battle changed Yuan’s from the bigger to the smaller power is in some dispute, it may have confirmed what was already happening, but it certainly made Cao Cao the clear big power in the land.

Changban

Well if Liu Bei gets captured or killed, it might change a lot and then became important. Liu Bei escaping does build into the Chibi camapign but I wouldn’t call this a key battle.

A lot of well known events happen for Shu figures in this one, which is why I suspect then one got added so early, and it shows Liu Bei’s charisma to hold his faction together in circumstances like this.

Chibi

One of the key battles of the era. Cao Cao at this point was the man who had united most of the land, momentum was with him. Win and a wavering Wu (the decision to fight Cao Cao is a bigger gamble then often recognized) may well surrender but the outnumbered Wu and Shu forces make their naval stand.

Cao Cao lost and would never come so close to unification again. It brought breathing space for Liu Bei, it turned Wu into a kingdom of note, made the name of Zhou Yu and ensured their control of the Yangzi. It is a battle that has gone down in legend, even in it’s own time

Hefei

Hefei was a key defensive point, in this particular camapign Wei had their forces required elsewhere so were under pressure. Lose Hefei and Wu might be able to make inroads through Yang into Wei while having a foothold across the rivers would be a big step. Wouldn’t be fatal so maybe not key but this particular Hefei camapign was iconic

The victory and great deeds performed turned Zhang Liao into a legend while it cost Wu heavily including being a personal humiliation for Sun Quan. That had repercussions in terms of diplomacy, prestige and decisions though as Liu Bei began to become the bigger partner as he conquered lands and Sun Quan got hit by this debacle.

Yiling

This was the final camapign of a major shift in the three kingdoms but less important then the camapigns that preceded it. Key for Shu going into it due to events preceding it and even more so given scale of the defeat (Shu could take a defeat, the sheer losses of talent however was not one they could easily afford) and what it meant for Shu’s prestige, power and lands.

Rather less key for Wu but a famous camapign partly becuase it has an end of a era feel for Shu and for Wu. Probably if only doing one of the set, Yiling as the ending camapign makes the best choice

Wuzhang

If your doing one of the Zhuge Liang northern camapigns, probably go with this one as an end of era battle

It wasn’t the most important front for Wei during the camapign, that was a major Wu invasion but the novel switches it around. Historically Wei were very confident, they had the numbers, they had time and Zhuge Liang was stalled, this wasn’t a major issue. In the novel, it is the final battle between the two great strategists of the era, the two best minds with only Sima Yi able to stop Zhuge Liang so everything rides on it but Sima Yi refuses battle. 

In history, he is overseeing a siege against Liu Xun (son of Liu Zhang, would hold out for considerable time) at Loucheng and gets by an arrow, dies. Sometimes fates just go like that, Pang Tong gets hit by a stray arrow and dies, Cao Cao gets away with wandering into Shen Pei’s sniping trap at Ye as the shot missed.