Hanzhong

The Battle of Hanzhong (漢中攻防戦) entails a series of conflicts fought in the Hanzhong area between Cao Cao and Zhang Lu, then later Liu Bei and Cao Cao. Both vied for the land to expand their respective territories. In the first battle, Cao Cao aimed to take Hanzhong due to its strategic value in attacking the Chengdu. Shortly after Zhang Lu's surrender, Liu Bei patched an agreement with Sun Quan on a two pronged attack on Wei, with Liu Bei attacking Hanzhong and Sun Quan attacking Hefei. Most titles tend to focus on Battle of Mt. Dingjun, which was a part of the power struggle in the area.

After Liu Bei's death, Zhuge Liang used the area as his one of his safe havens for a majority of his Northern Campaigns. When Wei launched its campaign against Shu, Zhong Hui led his forces to reclaim the area and succeeded in forcing Jiang Wei out.

Dynasty Warriors
Dynasty Warriors 4 sets this battle as an optional battle for Shu. The player controls two gate garrisons to defend against the massive army of Dong Zhuo who survived at Hulao Gate. Players divert attacking units until either Ma Chao and Yueying arrive or the players personally defeat Dong Zhuo.

Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends deals with one of the final conflicts between these forces at Hanshui (漢水の戦い, rōmaji: Kansui no Tatakai). The stage acts as a Legend Mode for Zhao Yun and Huang Zhong. In the former's story, Zhao Yun is stationed in the south and is determined to keep soldiers from entering the main base by guarding the bridge leading to it. He alone beats back dozens of enemy Task Masters as well as Sun Li and Yue Jin. If he is successful, Zhuge Liang will appear with reinforcements and they drive back Wei together. Failing to defend the base leads to an all-out charge by Cao Cao's army.

The latter scenario has Huang Zhong simultaneously sneak through the mountain path to ambush Cao Cao's main camp in the north. For him to succeed, the player must use stealth and snipe any scouts using the archery feature. If he successfully enters the base undetected, Huang Zhong may swiftly defeat Cao Pi and Zhen Ji standing inside the base. Depending on how quickly the player has finished the mission, they may have a chance to coordinate with the southern forces. Being detected during the ambush greatly decreases Zhao Yun's zeal and the main camp is more likely to be taken.

In Dynasty Warriors 6, the battle may replace Mt. Dingjun or follow it immediately afterwards to lead to Shu's establishment. If either one of the oath brothers survive Fan Castle, it acts as the final campaign to unite the land under Shu. The main objective for Shu's forces is to drive out or defeat Cao Cao's army who have already taken control of the region. Sima Yi acts as the mastermind for the battle, starting by ordering an ambush at the cliffs with Zhang He. The ambush endangers the main camp if left unattended. Meanwhile, the rest of the army divides to either circle to the west or east.

The eastern forces encounter difficulty from the reinforcements awaiting them if they take too long to conquer the northeastern garrison. Yueying will also taunt Zhen Ji when they encounter one another, which may lead to her defeat on the field. The western forces quickly conquer the camp in their way and try to attack the castle's main gates. Sima Yi orders a rock slide to cut off ally support and unleashes an ambush on the isolated troops. Those stranded from the rock slide then try to circle around using the lengthier northwestern path. If the player takes too long dealing with the first ambush or taking the southern bases in the map, they may have to rescue both sides at the same time. Using either one of the northern paths on the map leads to the rear castle gates to defeat the Wei guards waiting within. Although they may choose to defeat the strategist to meet an objective, the player needs to only take out Cao Cao to claim victory.

Wei's side of the battle defends Hanzhong Castle by countering Shu's army in the south. During this scenario, Cao Pi acts as the army's commander in his father's absence. The immediate danger just outside the castle's main gates is a brigade that includes Zhao Yun. Once he is dealt with, Sima Yi orders the ally army to abandon the western garrison on the map to lure the Shu army to the trap he has set in place. Zhang Fei charges from the east this time so it may be prudent to deal with him before he gets too close to the castle gates. If the trap succeeds, the Shu army will suffer a huge drop of morale and they will be easier to defeat. Western troops arrive as well but if morale is high, they won't pose much threat to the main camp. Cao Pi orders the whole army to charge when all of the enemy generals outside the main camp have been defeated, leaving Liu Bei an isolated target to take down. He is still defended by Zhuge Liang, who gives his compliments to Sima Yi if they should meet in battle.

A third imaginary encounter takes place in Diaochan's scenario as she and Lu Bu flee from Cao Cao to the west. Chen Gong suggests that their army find a place to rest and suggests to take the nearby castle defended by Liu Zhang's troops. While Lu Bu and company try to take the castle, Cao Cao's generals gradually appear on the battlefield in the east to end the chase. Cao Ren, Zhang He, Cao Pi, and Zhen Ji arrive with their subordinates for such a purpose and place Lu Bu in a dangerous spot in the east. Ally morale will increase dramatically once the Wei pursuers are beaten. The victory requirements states the player only needs to claim the castle, rather than defeat any particular general on the map. While easy to complete once morale is high, it's trickier to complete all of the map's objectives before the ally army wins the battle for the player.

A special Wu scenario on the stage takes place in Dynasty Warriors 8. the Wu army is deployed against the Wei army, and the player has to save the trapped Wu officers, then retreat with Sun Quan. Hanzhong is only stated in name or in narration alone. In the stage select screen, Hanzhong will be used for the "Battle of Mt. Dingjun" in Shu and Wei's stories, and as "Battle of Jiange" in Jin's story, but in Shu and Wei's version of the stage, the area in the far south will be completely inaccessible. The area is reused when both Shu and Wei provide new versions of Mt. Dingjun in their stories.

Warriors Orochi
The Han Sui map acts as the dream stage for Cao Pi, Guan Ping, and Gracia in Warriors Orochi 2. The three youths band together to impress their fathers, charged with defending Liu Chan in the midst of their fathers' test.