Huang Zhong

Huang Zhong was a general under Liu Bei during the late Han Dynasty. He is portrayed to be the oldest and most boasting general in the Shu army. He was one of the Five Tiger Generals of Shu. In history Huang Zhong was recorded to have died from an unknown cause. However, in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he dies of an arrow wound, with old age.

Historical Information


Huang Zhong (148-220), or style name Hansheng, was born the the Nanyang Commmandery. He initially served Liu Biao, the governor of Jing Province. After Biao died in 208, a powerful warlord, Cao Cao, conquered the Jing Province. Huang Zhong shifted his service to the a new lord, the lord of Chang Sha. The man was Han Xuan.

After Cao Cao's defeat at the Battle of Chi Bi in the same year, another governor and warlord, Liu Bei, was taking over various parts of the southern Jing Province, including Changsha. Huang Zhong strongly recommended to his lord to surrender to Liu Bei. Han Xuan thought, and accepted, ensuring many innocent lives were saved if a battle would come. The two began their service under Liu Bei, with Zhong performing extremely well in the ensuing campaigns. During the campaign for Yi Province, in 212 to 214, his bravery was unmatched. After, he was promoted to "General who Campaigns against Rebels".

In the year 217, the force advanced to the Han Zhong territory, under Cao Cao. The upcoming battles were to be made famous as the battles at Mt. Ding Jun. The army was met with a resistance led by Xiahou Yuan at Yangping Pass. The battles would continue for a long year. One night, Liu Bei's force set fire to Xiahou Yuan's camp, which was surrounded by barbed wire. Surprised and alarmed, Yuan sent Zhang He to defend the east side of the camp, while Xiahou Yuan guarded the south. Liu Bei's main force attacked Zhang He, defeating the latter. To save him, Yuan had to send a fraction of his own troops. A division, led by Huang Zhong himself, marched upon Xiahou Yuan's shrinking force, accompanied by thundering drums to intimidate the enemy. The battle became a slaughterfest, with the enemy leader getting killed as well.

After the proclamation of Liu Bei as King of Hanzhong, Huang Zhong was promoted to General of the Rear, placing him into the same level as Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Ma Chao. Unfortunately, he died in the same year, from an unknown cause.

Drifting Huang Zhong
Huang Zhong started his military career late in his life, after the Yellow Turban Rebellion had ended. Such as in history, the warrior served as the Imperial Corps Commander of Chang Sha, under Liu Biao. Though when the latter started warring with Cao Cao, Zhong took up the post as Deputy General under another warlord, Han Xuan.

Saved by the Rebel

 * "Huang Zhong is our bulwark! To destroy him is to destroy the people of Changsha. This Governor is too fierce and cruel, too lightly values good people, and is too arrogant toward his officers. We ought rather to kill him, and those who will, let them follow me."
 * -Wei Yan, before rescuing Huang Zhong from execution.

Liu Bei, a man of virtue,was advancing southward, campaigning to claim the Jing Province. Han Xuan sent Huang Zhong to intercept Guan Yu. The two then dueled, though Han Xuan called it off, as he relied heavily on Huang Zhong's ability, fearing that he might die. The next day, the duel continued, though Zhong's horse collapsed. Guan Yu, impressed with his opponent's skill, allowed him to fetch another horse from Han Xuan. When he returned, Han Xuan, though giving him another horse, was suspicious of his subordinate's loyalty. Han Xuan told him to use his mastered archery abilities to win.

The day after that, Guan Yu and Hansheng dueled once more. Huang Zhong shot an arrow, though purposely hit Yu's helmet, as a warning. He could not forget the kindness that Guan Yu gave. This angered the 59-year old Han Xuan, who put Huang Zhong to death. Before the fatal blow could be delivered, Wei Yan, who was poorly treated by Xuan, rallied the people of Chang Sha, rushed in and said, "Huang Zhong is our bulwark! To destroy him is to destroy the people of Changsha. This Governor is too fierce and cruel, too lightly values good people, and is too arrogant toward his officers. We ought rather to kill him, and those who will, let them follow me.". The general then beheaded Han Xuan, before surrendering to serve Liu Bei.

Under the banner of Virtue

 * "The General is too old to go on such an expedition. I am of poor ability, but I wish to take his place."
 * "I already have my commission. Why should you wish to supplant me?"
 * -Wei Yan and Huang Zhong, arguing over who would get to be sent out for battle.

Under Liu Bei, Huang Zhong mainly served alongside Wei Yan, starting a friendly rivalry. They served as bodygurds for strategist Pang Tong, from 212 to 213. During the Battle of Cheng Du, Liu Bei asked Huang Zhong to attack the enemy fort. Abruptly, Wei Yan stood up and spoke, saying, "The General is too old to go on such an expedition. I am of poor ability, but I wish to take his place." Huang Zhong was enraged by the comment on his age. He stood and shouted, "Old, am I? Dare you compete with me in the use of warlike weapons?"

"Yes, I dare. And our lord shall be the judge. The winner shall undertake this expedition. Do you agree?" Huang Zhong called out his soldier to bring him his sword. Immediately, Liu Bei stopped the fight. Pang Tong intervened and suggested that both generals take the fort, as there were two of them, and two camps. The first general to finish his task would be rewarded greater, and be recognized as one of greater merit. Zhong was to attack Ling Bao, and Wei Yan, defeat Deng Xiang.

That night, Zhong ordered for a morning meal to be prepared, to allow a good, early march. However, Wei Yan started his march earlier than his rival. Wei Yan goes out to defeat his target before his rival, but, as he went out so early, his troops retreat from fatigue, followed by their commander. Deng Xiang pursued Wei Yan, and was about to kill him, when a bowstring was heard, and Deng Xiang is slain by Huang Zhong. Having saved his friend, Huang Zhong goes out to fight his target, Ling Bao. The two fight, though Ling Bao is no match for the war veteran. He rushes out to his camp, to find out that an enemy force had already taken it, so Bao is confused. Wei Yan sees Ling Bao, then ambushes and takes him prisoner to redeem himself. Huang Zhong reports this to Liu Bei, and Wei Yan apologizes.

Mt. Ding Jun
In the year 217, Liu Bei started a campaign to take over Han Zhong, that was under the control of a very powerful warlord, Cao Cao. Xiahou Yuan stationed his troops on the mountain, Mt. Ding Jun. His force effectively resisted Huang Zhong's advance. Under the council of Fa Zheng, Zhong occupied Mount Tiandang, a taller peak that was to the west of Mt. Ding Jun. From there, they could see an excellent view of Xiahou Yuan's movements. The bold-headed enemy disliked having his enemies spying on him and attacked Mt. Tiandang. Zhang He, who also had been serving Cao Cao, saw through the plot. Xiahou Yuan rode out to challenge Zhong's forces. However, he refused to engage. Midday, Fa Zheng saw from an outpost that Yuan's troops were fatigued, and dispirited. He waved a red flag, signaling to attack. Huang Zhong's forces then charged down the mountain, accompanied by deafening war drums and horns. Huang Zhong, in the forefront, cleaved a slow-reacting Xiahou Yuan below his shoulders. With him dead, the Wei soldiers were easily defeated, and the Liu forces took the mountain.



This major victory had consolidated Zhong as an equal to the likes of the other four, well-known generals. The group would be known as the Five Tiger Generals.

End of a Tiger
Around the year 222, after Guan Yu's defeat at Mai Castle, Liu Bei started a campaign against Wu. At the Battle of Yi Ling, Huang Zhong heard that Liu Bei commented on aged and incapable generals. He then rode out to the forward camp. At the same time, an enemy fore, led by Pan Zhang arrived, which Zhong came to meet. Holding his sword ready, the veteran challenged Pan Zhang, who sent out Shi Ji to attack. The latter was slain by Huang in three bouts.

Pan Zhang brandished Guan Yu's Green Dragon Crescent Blade, and rode forward to meet Huang Zhong. Neither could get an advantage, though Zhong was fighting with full power. Pan Zhang didn't expect to win, so he retreated. The next day, Zhang rode out again to request another duel, which the Tiger General accepted. After a few bouts, Pan Zhang attempted to retreat, with a pursuing Huang Zhong behind him. Enemy archers hid in wait for the right chance. Huang Zhong was caught in the waves of arrows, and was struck below the collar bone, like Xiahou Yuan before him. A friendly force, led by Guan Xing and Zhang Bao came to the rescue, and brang Zhong back to camp. Liu Bei came personally to see the general, but unfortunately, the veteran was too old and frail to survive. Huang Zhong passed away that night, marking the end of a Tiger general.

Just at this time, an enemy vanguard force had arrived. Huang Zhong insisted on meeting the enemies. Holding his sword ready, the old general challenged for a duel with the enemy commander Pan Zhang. Pan Zhang sent out his aide Shi Ji (史跡), who was slain by Huang Zhong within three bouts.

Characteristics
Huang Zhong is portrayed as the oldest and most seasoned general in the Shu ranks. His dialogue usually consists of archery, or various comments on others' ages, centered around his own. These nicknames include "pup", or "youngsters". His costumes, pre-Dynasty Warriors 6, have included tan robes, with tattered armor scattered around the model. His helmets also seem too have differed every port. In Dynasty Warrior 3, it looked similar to a fish and it's fins with feathers sticking on top. In Dynasty Warriors 4, it was a classic Chinese helmet, with a small spike protruding from the top. In the next port, it was just a small hat.

In Dynasty Warriors 6, Huang Zhong retains of what is an arctic viking-esque model. He is covered by Shu's signature green clothing and metallic paddings, but with giant linings of white fur. His hair also seems to have been braided from the back. In contrast to his previous Oracle Sword, which was a small, dull saber, though in Dynasty Warriors 6, it was changed to a large, elaborate sword. He shared a moveset with Xiahou Yuan and Zhou Tai. In the PSP game, Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce, he and Xiahou Yuan gain a new bow moveset, different from Sun Shang Xiang's, though it can be used by anyone.

Huang is also portrayed as a master of a bow, reflecting of Luo Guanzhong's portrayal, of him being able to shoot 100 arrows to hit 100 targets. The Huang's Bow item, effectively gets it's name from the veteran as well. Ironically, however, in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel, he was killed by an arrow.

Ground Moveset

 * undefined, (undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined): A series of six bow shots. Five arrows per wave.
 * , undefined: Huang Zhong revolves once to power an upward slash.
 * ,, undefined (undefined, undefined, undefined): Takes out his bow horizontally, and shoots four times, the last wave stunning enemies. Five arrows per wave.
 * ,, , undefined: A spinning slash.
 * ,, , , undefined: Zhong leans back, and brings down his sword to the ground, creating a small quake.
 * ,, , , , undefined: Revolves twice with the sword to his chest horizontally.
 * A series of jumping revolutions, and on the last hit, Zhong struggles to stand up.
 * Jump.
 * , : Swipes the sword in mid-air.
 * , undefined: A giant flip in the air, shooting one wave of arrows. Five arrows in the wave.

Differences between games

 * The, undefined in Dynasty Warriors 5 travels a shorter distance and has a steep arrow path, while the attack in Warriors Orochi allows Huang Zhong to travel farther, and has a more horizontal pathway.
 * The arrows in undefined (undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined) in Dynasty Warriors 5 all have the same forward path, and can phase through enemies. The Warriors Orochi version, however, is angled, and the arrows are much skinnier.
 * In Warriors Orochi, Huang Zhong's non-Enhanced Strike R1 attack is used after the, , , , , undefined string, and includes Zhong leaping upside-down in the air, shooting a circle of arrows.

Horse Moveset

 * undefined: Leans to each side, and brings his sword in a horizontal swipe.
 * , undefined: An attack to the right, then swinging his weapon to both sides.
 * ,, undefined: Two attacks on the right and left, followed by two weapon swipes.
 * ,, , undefined: Two slashes to the right side, one to the left, then a swipe to both sides.
 * ,, , , undefined: Two attacks to both sides, then two weapon swings.
 * ,, , , , undefined: Three attacks to the right side, two to the left, then a sword swing.
 * Repeating slashes to both sides until the Musou gauge empties.
 * Dismount.

Using Huang Zhong

 * "I won't let these youngsters have all the fun!"
 * -Huang Zhong

Dynasty Warriors
Huang Zhong's moveset utilizes his bow. His undefined (undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined) string is great for eliminating troop units, and stalling enemy officers. In Dynasty Warriors 5, all arrows are shot in a straight line, and can pass through enemies, making it very useful. To make the attack stronger, players can equip the Fire Arrow item, which makes any arrow released have a fire element. With Zhong's moveset, which heavily relies on bows and arrows, will destroy enemies easily.

The, , , undefined has a relatively short range compared to the arrow attacks, rendering it a not very useful crowd clearer. However, with a powerful weapon, the, , undefined ((undefined, undefined, undefined) attack can inflict heavy damage, while also stunning enemies. Fortunately, this attack also uses arrows and can be upgraded with the Fire Arrows item. The , undefined string can be used for quick escapes, or getting behind a blocking officer. The accuracy works fairly well, as the arrows have a very steep attack path.



Compared to the Warriors Orochi moveset, these attacks have much better range.

Warriors Orochi
In Warriors Orochi, Huang Zhong is classified as a Technique-type character. Because of this, he has two special R1 attacks - An Enhanced Strike, which can be used to make undefined attacks more powerful, and another which is used after the, , , , , undefined. This includes Huang Zhong leaping upside-down into the air, and spinning while shooting arrows. This easily K.O's weaker enemies.The original Warriors Orochi isn't too different from the Dynasty Warriors one; However, the range in attacks is noticeably thinner, especially for the bow attacks. With the Weapon Fusion system in the game, most issues within Huang Zhong can be solved. Range extends the reach of weapon attacks.

In Warriors Orochi 2, Huang Zhong, as with many others, has been nerfed. The arrow attacks have even a thinner range, and elements don't activate with every attack as they did in the original game. Only two undefined attacks activate the elements, which are the, , , undefined and , , , , , undefined strings. To counterbalance this, arrow attacks have a small bolt effect to them, though it's minor.

However, a major drawback to the Warriors Orochi movesets is the range factor. The undefined attacks that use arrows have a much shorter range than the Dynasty Warriors. In addition, though the, undefined allows Huang Zhong to travel far distances in a short amount of time, it is not very accurate.

Dynasty Warriors 3

 * 4th Weapon: Oracle Sword
 * Element : None
 * Basic +44, Attack +23, Defense +45, Arrow Attack +60, Arrow Defense +58, Range +26
 * Stage: Mt. Ding Jun
 * Precious Item: West of Cao Cao's starting location.
 * Requirements: Run down the center route, defeat Xiahou Shang.

Dynasty Warriors 4

 * Ultimate Weapon: Oracle Sword
 * Power: 54
 * Stage: Battle of Jian Ye
 * How to get it: Defeat Sun Ce, Sun Quan, and Sun Shang Xiang before they become Commanders of the Wu Forces.

Dynasty Warriors 5

 * 4th Weapon: Oracle Sword
 * Base Attack: 36; Weight: Light
 * Stats: Fill +18, Horse +15, Bow +20, Def +15, Musou +15
 * Stage: Mt. Ding Jun (Shu)
 * Location: The item box will show up when Cao Cao shows up at the bottom of the slope that you charged down.
 * Requirements: Defeat Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He within 5 minutes before Cao Cao appears.

Dynasty Warriors
In Dynasty Warriors, Huang Zhong is a character from which all allies, like Zhao Yun, can look up to, from his seasoned abilities and old wisdom. He is always eager to prove to friend and foe, that he is still a very capable officer and combatant despite his age. The age factor does not prevent him from being one of the Five tiger Generals, however.

Warriors Orochi
In Warriors Orochi, Huang Zhong is part of a an Anti-Orochi resistance force along with Guan Ping. They are attacked at the Jing Jing Provine by Cao Pi, who has allied with Orochi. Guan Ping, who is defending Jing Castle, is surrounded by waves upon waves of enemy soldiers, though Huang Zhong cannot do anything, as he was ordered to anotherobjective. In the midst of certain defeat, they are saved by the Samurai forces, Nobunaga Oda's forces, whom Huang Zhong and Guan Ping subsequently joins.

He informs Nobunaga of Cao Cao's whereabouts and leads him to Honnoji. However, this was a ruse by Orochi strategist, Da Ji to eliminate part of the Coalition. Nobunaga's forces win the battle with the help of Shingen Takeda and Xiahou Dun's forces. Takeda was planning to have a chat with Nobunaga, while Xiahou Dun also heard the rumor of Cao Cao's whereabouts. After the battle, Huang Zhong apologizes for the false information, which Nobunaga accepts.In the Gaiden stages, Huang Zhong advises Nobunaga to rescue a defending Ma Chao at Kawanakajima, and later commands the defense of Kanegasaki, the Coalition's base, from Masamune Date's assault.

In the sequel, Warriors Orochi 2, Huang Zhong is given a lesser role, but again serves the Samurai Warriors force. Huang Zhong and Yoshihiro Shimazu, before the battle of Liang Province, have a friendly duel, and start a rivalry. They are informed of Kiyomori Taira's attack in Liang. At the Liang Province, Sima Yi is sent to rescue Lu Meng and Gan Ning from Kiyomori's army. During the battle, the two veterans, Zhong and Yoshihiro, clear a path for Messengers to escape.

Interactions

 * Yoshihiro Shimazu: In the Warriors Orochi 2 game, Huang Zhong and Yoshihiro share a friendly rivalry. Before the Battle of Liang Province, Yoshihiro and Huang share a duel. During the fight, they are informed of an attack in Liang by Lu Bu. Yoshihiro claims he will smash Lu Bu with his hammer, to which Zhong responds that he won't be able to, as his arrows will pierce Lu Bu's heart first. Shimazu calls Huang Zhong a braggart. The two also share special support dialogue.

Kessen
In Kessen II, Huang Zhong is introduced at the same time as Pang Tong. Like the novel, he is an old war veteran who is a master archer. He usually acts as a secondary general for Shu but leads his own army into battle late in the game.

Quotes

 * "Run away, before a rain of arrows runs you through!"
 * "There's no replacement for experience!"
 * "How many is that? I've lost count!"
 * "Don't get cocky, you pup!"
 * "That's another officer defeated by Huang Zhong!"
 * "I have defeated yet another enemy officer!"
 * "If you live long enough, you'll get defeated eventually!"
 * "I won't let these youngsters have all the fun!"
 * "Come on! Old man, are that much in a hurry to die?"
 * "Your youth and inexperience are as clear as day!"
 * -Xiahou Yuan and Huang Zhong at Mt. Ding Jun