Part 12

Learn how to manage your family members, including generals, governors, and heirs, to maximize your faction's success in Total War: Three Kingdoms.

Alright, let's talk about managing your royal family in Total War: Three Kingdoms. While this section focuses on the men, remember that princesses have their own role, which we've covered elsewhere. For your male family members, think of them as versatile assets who can serve as generals, warriors, or governors. They typically live to a good old age, around 60-65, unless they meet an untimely end in battle or through assassination.

The skills and traits of your family members aren't always easy to control – it often comes down to a bit of luck. However, there are definitely strategies you can employ to shape them.

Managing Governors

For a governor, the most crucial trait is Chivalry. Each level of Chivalry gives a city he governs a boost of +5% population growth and +5% public order. That extra population growth can further improve public order, which is always a good thing. You can gain Chivalry by releasing prisoners, succeeding in Crusades or Jihads, and by ruling cities (this seems to happen more if they're already chivalrous). Sons of highly chivalrous fathers can also inherit some of that bonus. Keep an eye out for other traits that are beneficial for governors, like Farming Knowledge, Active Builder, Skilled Bureaucrat, or anything that boosts tax and trade efficiency. These can't be trained, so they're inherent advantages. When picking a governor, prioritize those who don't negatively impact income, public order, or building/recruitment costs. Any trait that increases squalor is a big no-no, while traits that lower squalor usually mean they'll make a good governor. Don't let a capable governor sit idle; even a family member without specific governor traits is better than no governor at all.

Managing Generals

Generals, on the other hand, often benefit more from Dread. I find Dread to be more impactful in battle and generally easier to build up than Chivalry. The key is to have your general rack up kills in combat and to execute any prisoners they capture. If such a character eventually becomes your faction leader, their reputation for brutality will bolster their authority. While Dread can help maintain public order, it doesn't boost population growth, so using a dreaded character as a governor would be a waste of their combat-oriented skills.

Faction Leader and Heir

Your Faction Leader and Faction Heir are obviously the most critical figures in your faction. They command the largest bodyguard retinues, making them ideal for leading armies. As generals, they also have opportunities to build Authority through actions like executing prisoners or deploying spies and assassins (for the Faction Leader). When your Heir becomes Leader, Authority is essential. They gain a base +3 just by becoming Leader, but aiming for 5+ Authority is a good goal. If your current Heir is proving to be completely inept, don't hesitate to send them on a dangerous mission or even to their death. The same applies to your Faction Heir, as you can't directly choose them in the game; death is the only way to remove an unsuitable one. You can even strategically play out their final, potentially suicidal, battle to inflict maximum damage on your enemies. It's a hollow victory if they die, but it serves a purpose. After a general dies in battle, their bodyguards disappear, presumably because bodyguards who let their charge perish aren't seen as very competent. Finally, if a family member is so utterly useless that they're fit for neither governing nor leading, consider sending them off to meet their end. There's no need to risk them potentially passing on their ineptitude to future generations.