Partway through Chapter Three of Dynasty Warriors Origins, you’ll side with Sun Jian in a crucial battle against Liu Bao. Things don’t initially start well, though, and he soon finds himself separated from the rest of his army.
In the story of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the Battle of Xiangyang is where Sun Jian meets his rather unfortunate and untimely end. But you have a slim chance of saving him from his predicament in Dynasty Warriors Origins. To do that, you’ll need to overcome supernatural forces from your past.
How to save Sun Jian
You should not attempt to do this on your first playthrough. No, that’s not a dig at your skill level. It’s just impossible with your current gear. Saving Sun Jian requires you to fight an overpowered enemy. While they can be dealt with by using all the techniques at your dispersal, the fact of the matter is you’re also contending with an incredibly tight time limit. After completing the game, you can choose to play the Battle of Xiangyang at any time.
As the battle starts, cross the islands and head to the south under some bridges. An enemy ambush will halt your advance, forcing you to block volleys of arrows while you defeat the officers beneath. Huang Zu will fall back, compelling Sun Jian to advance. Huang Gai soon separates to flank the enemy, though, while Sun Jian runs into a foggy ambush.
Once the immediate threat is dealt with, head to the gate to the west. Kill the enemies here to open the base. Keep going west and take the base heading toward the southwest corner of the map. You’ll likely get a message saying Sun Jian is in trouble at this point. Past the gate is perhaps the toughest fight yet, so be prepared.
How to defeat Shadow Zhang Jiao
Shadows will appear, with the narrator stating that this is a true test of your skills. But while the majority are lowly foot soldiers, the Yellow Turban leader Zhang Jiao will also appear in a shadowy form. He has the maximum amount of morale, meaning you need to break 10 shields before he becomes vulnerable to any assault attack. He’s also just as aggressive as he was in the climactic battle at the end of Chapter One, opting to attack with boulders rising from the ground beneath him.
If you have fought and won against Lu Bu at Hu Lao Gate, you shouldn’t have any problems. Keep an eye out for the red meteor storm attack since you won’t be able to do anything other than dodge it and it’ll likely kill you instantly on higher difficulties. You can interrupt the orange glow attacks using skills, or block and parry any of Shadow Zhang Jiao’s regular moves.
The only other tip is to ensure you have your best equipment to hand and master plenty of its Battle Arts. Some are vital for interrupting Zhang Jiao’s more powerful skills, while others can knock off an entire defensive shield for this officer. Triggering an assault will give you the most damage at once, so it’s crucial to make this happen often if you want to beat him in time.
After Shadow Zhang Jiao, the shadows should disappear and you’ll have a limited time to regroup with Sun Jian. If Huang Gai returns to Sun Jian’s side, it’ll trigger a cutscene where the Sun family general meets his end, with the mission conditions changing to escorting Sun Ce to the escape point. If you’re successful, you’ll reunite with Sun Jian and continue on the mission to defeat Liu Biao’s army.
