Unit Types (Dynasty Warriors)

The following is a list of common troop and officer types found in the Dynasty Warriors series. General troops are often limited to simple 3-to-4 chain basic combos, while generic officers always have 4 chain basic combos while often using more varieties of moves and acting more aggressive.

A notable trait between generic troops and officers are their Musou Attacks; generic troops unlike with officers/generals cannot clash with higher ranking units with their Musou Attacks, and will always get interrupted by any attack done by an officer or player. Said Musou Attacks also lack any invincibility, hence being easy to interrupt.

In Dynasty Warriors 6, generic officers, depending on the difficulty level set, can perform a Special Attack such as Volley.

Common Troops
These are the most poorly armored troops in Dynasty Warriors. Common troops include:
 * Private - Privates will serve as the games' main fodder, coming at the player by the hundreds. They, like peasants, can wield a sword, spear, halberd or pike. Spear-wielding Privates will usually charge at the player in unison with an attack similar to Zhao Yun's undefined/C1 attack in his appearances before Dynasty Warriors 6. Halberd-wielding Privates do something similar with a jump attack. Shi Huan in Dynasty Warriors 3 is the only generic officer to use the model of a Private, but also uses a heavy ranking moveset like the rest.
 * Peasant - Peasants are the weakest Common Troop as they can be defeated in just one hit by almost any character with any weapon. They can wield a sword, spear or pike. In Dynasty Warriors 6, Peasants wielded no weapons, except for their Chieftains, who carried swords.
 * Corporal - Corporals are rare and stronger versions of the Common Troop, but they generally are no more different than them. They normally appear in older games via higher-ranked stages in terms of difficulty.


 * Guard - Guards are bodyguards to certain officers, usually commanders and powerful ones that also double as playable characters. Guards also wear heavy armor, and usually wield spears or swords. Their appearance is also used for Gate Soldiers, or can lead a unit of five, containing a Guard and four Privates. In games as of Dynasty Warriors 4 and 5, the models for both Guards and Sergeants/Majors have been switched around. In Dynasty Warriors 6, they appear similar to the catapult engineer, but use the club moveset and are seen heavily in the main camp and supply bases. These units in previous games are also often bound to use higher-ranking movesets that are equivalent to the generic officers and playable characters alike. Halberd-wielding Guards often perform a unison attack with their jump attacks in Dynasty Warriors 5, making use of Lu Meng's jumping attack animation.


 * Sergeant - Sergeants are at the entrance to and inside of bases. They are slightly bolder than their Private look-a-likes but are generally no stronger. Sergeants can wield a sword, spear, or pike. In games as of Dynasty Warriors 4 and 5, the models for both Guards and Sergeants/Majors have been switched around. Sergeants can also lead a Supply Unit in the Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends Destiny Mode, dropping a weapon once defeated.


 * Major - The highest ranking of all generic troops. A single Major will lead a unit of five, containing four Privates (or four Guards for Major Guards).
 * Elite Guard - Originally known as a Guard Captain prior to Dynasty Warriors 4, this form of Sergeant is normally lead by another group of guards. However, what greatly sets them apart is their high frequency of dropping healing items when defeated, making them invaluable to target when in a dire situation. What kind of healing item dropped tends to be random however, but they are likely to drop ones that heal a good amount of HP.


 * Archer - A support unit from beginning to end, their role is to assist the vanguard by sniping enemies from a long distance with bows and crossbows. While their potency may vary in each installment of the series, archers are a considerable threat when in groups. They often wear little to no armor to allow for faster mobility. In most older games, especially games where stagger can be inflicted, their staggering/"guard breaking" state animates much faster than with the other units, but has no differences anywhere else.


 * First Bow - Also known as First Crossbow in the case of crossbow wielders. They always attack in tandem with four archers under their command. These units have slightly higher stats and wear different clothes to distinguish themselves from regular archers.


 * Bannerman - Bannermen, who first appeared in Dynasty Warriors 6, were heavily-armored soldiers holding nothing but a flag to display their army's insignia. They lead units of around twenty with the unit being known as "Roving Attack", but also raise their flags to raise morale. When a soldier including the player, is next to the Bannerman when he raises the flag, they gain a temporary power-up like Speed Up, or Attack Up.


 * Engineer - Engineers have two forms - Peasants, or a large, bulky man who help build and carry ladders and siege weapons in Dynasty Warriors 6. The larger Engineers carry and prop up the ladders and are able to throw boulders at enemies.


 * Messengers - In the Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends Destiny Mode, common troops will appear with the name “Messenger” above their heads. They are essentially Peasants that drop messages. common troops have very little armor, a leather lamellar coat underneath a cloth jerkin, with a leather piece wrapped around the waist and stomach. Their hair is combed back and tied into a bun, and wield a sword.


 * Lady Guard - Lady Guards serve as bodyguards for female officer such as Sun Shangxiang and Diaochan. They will wield a sword, spear or pike. They are not very well protected, having only a cloth jerkin for protection with a leather shoulder section as well as cloth wrist guards and leather boots. Also, they have almost no clothing to protect their back. There is no physical difference between a normal Lady Guard and Captain (except in the Strikeforce series), though the latter has better stats. In Warriors Orochi, they appear with both Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors 2 women moveset, wielding a katana, a sword, or a naginata. In Warriors Orochi 2, they only appear with the same moveset as the Samurai Warriors 2 women, wielding a katana.

Heavy Troops
These are much better protected in comparison to common troops. Heavy troops include:


 * Guard Captain - Guard Captains stand as the leader of bases in Dynasty Warriors 5 and 6. Guard Captains can wield a sword, spear, or pike, but as the leader for Attack Bases, they wield dual swords similar to Lu Xun with fast attacks, or a pike and a shield for Defense Bases, like Xing Cai. These are slightly stronger than their common troop counterparts. They will each drop an Attack +1, Defense +1, or random item respectively. Guard Captains took there name in Dynasty Warriors 5, since in Dynasty Warriors 3 and 4 they were known as "Gate Captains". The Guard Captains appear in Dynasty Warriors 6 and its Empires expansion in bases.
 * Originally, their names were mixed up with Elite Guards as mentioned above, but have since been named like so via Dynasty Warriors 4 onward.


 * Bombardier - Decked in armor and packed with explosives, Bombardiers are specialized units introduced in Dynasty Warriors 4. They often appear in covert missions involving sabotage, traps, ambushes, etc. Though not exactly the fastest compared to other troops, these units more than make up for that with their ability to lob bombs from a distance with precise accuracy. If left unattended, their presence could spell disaster for any on the battlefield. Beast Master units also make use of the Bombardier's move set to compliment their ability to tame tigers and elephants.


 * Gate Troops - Gate Troops defend check points with their Guard Captain leader. They will only wield swords. Unlike their leader, none of them drop anything upon losing in battle.

Heavy troops have a chainmail undercoat and a cloth jerkin overcoat. Over that however is a leather lamellar chest piece, leather knee pads, leather ankle guards, iron wrist guards and a helmet with a blunt point.

Yellow Turban Troops

 * Turban Infantry - Turban Infantry are light, militia units. Turban infantry have very little protection. They wear a light cloth jerking with scraps of leather tied onto to the chest and shins. They also have leather wristbands and have a yellow bandanna around their forehead. There are two types:
 * Infantry - The fodder of the Yellow Turban army. They are working-class men who have volunteered to fight for “Heavens' Will”. They can wield a sword, spear or pike. Infantry will attack like any other common troop unit, like Privates.
 * Bandit Infantry - Bandit Infantry are the main source of income for Bandit Chiefs. Small units are hired out to fight for people. Bandit Infantry use Axes, like Dian Wei.


 * Turban Sorcerer - Zhang Jiao taught these sorcerers his mystic ways in exchange for their service in his campaign. A Turban Sorcerer will assist Zhang Jiao and his brothers in casting spells and reciting incantations. Sorcerers wield no weapons and instead attack with magic, as well as having their default stance as the heavy sword moveset used by the rulers (but with no visible weapon). They can freeze their enemies on the spot via elemental shot blasts that are always ice element (using the Strategist's animation of firing them), shoot stunning lasers like Sima Yi, and use gusts of wind to clear crowds like Pang Tong and Zhang Liao. They wear no armor whatsoever other than their decorative ceremonial robes. Female sorcerers (or rather, sorceresses) in Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends also use similar spells to subdue their opponents (and actually wielding a sword with the same stance and moveset despite not using it). However, their tendency to cluster together and attack in groups make them more threatening to deal with than their male counterparts. After having been gone since Dynasty Warriors 6, they make their return in Shin Sangoku Musou 7.


 * Turban Captain - Turban Captains are heavy, militia units. A Turban Captain has a full leather lamella undercoat and a cloth jerkin on their lower half, but on the upper half is a leather strip across the waist and stomach. Leather wrist and ankle guards are also present, along with a helmet. There are two types:
 * Captains - Turban Captains lead groups of four Turban Infantry into battle. They are part time soldiers who have volunteered to fight for “Heaven's will”. They can wield a sword, spear or pike.
 * Bandit Captain - A Bandit Captain will lead his band of Bandit Infantry into battle on his masters request in exchange for a cut of the hiring fee. He too will wield an axe (like Dian Wei).

Nanman Troops

 * Nanman Infantry - Nanman Infantry are the brave warriors of the wild. They attack with ferocity, using nature to their advantage. They will wield a sword, spear or pike. Their armor usage is minimal, a single leather scale corset over their stomachs, a leather headband and cloth wrist and ankle guards. Nanman Infantry will attack like any other common troop unit, like Privates. Originally in Dynasty Warriors 3, several Nanman units via both infantry and armored troops all had unique screeching cries of pain whenever they take damage, but as of Dynasty Warriors 4, their pain cries are the same as with all non-Nanman troops.


 * Armored Troops - Said to be "invincible", their uniqueness is their extraordinary defense, heavy moveset, and invulnerability to arrows. Normally they appear only in small quantity and are defeated by explosive crates or flaming arrows, often set by Zhuge Liang. These troops almost resemble normal infantry except for the fact that they don straw helmets, and rattan strips of armor down one side.


 * Nanman Amazon - Like their male Nanman counterparts, Amazons are practically naked. A cloth piece covers their chest and pelvis whilst there are leather wrist, guards and fur skin boots. They will wield a sword, spear or pike. They are Zhu Rong's bodyguards. Although their character model is named "Nanman Amazon", in the game, their title is Amazoness. In Warriors Orochi, they appear with their original moveset only, unlike the Lady Guards who reappear with both Samurai Warriors 2 and Dynasty Warriors movesets. However, they do not reappear in Warriors Orochi 2.
 * Nanman Sorcerer - Added exclusively in Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends, these female witch doctors fight in the same manner as their Yellow Turban counterparts. Rather than subduing foes with ice and lightning elemental shots, however, they use poison or blast shots to weaken them gradually.


 * Nanman Captain - Nanman Captains led their fierce warriors into battle. One Captain will lead four Nanman Infantrymen into the fray, they will wield a sword, spear or pike. In contrast to their warriors, Captains have a fair bit of armor. A full leather lamellar undercoat and a cloth jerkin over it. Over that a fur skin chest piece, cloth thigh, wrist and ankle guards and even rigid leather helmet with a plume.

Special Troop

 * Magical Troops - These troops have been brought to life by the various magic and summonings made by the Yellow Turbans and Zhuge Liang. There are two types:


 * Phantom Soldiers - Magically created phantoms frequently summoned, but not exclusive to the Yellow Turbans. They are completely invincible and non-interactive as players' attacks go through them. They have appeared differently since their appearance in Dynasty Warriors 4. The Dynasty Warriors 4 version had them as a translucent regular soldier, but in Dynasty Warriors 5 and Warriors Orochi they are a purple or blue silhouette of a soldier. In Dynasty Warriors 6, Phantoms have been revamped to be a hovering collection of dust and sand. When hit, the troop explodes after a set amount of time.


 * Clay Soldiers - Zhuge Liang's special troops in Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends. They are immovable and don't flinch. This is a blessing and a curse; on one hand normal attacks don't faze them, but hitting them with a horse or fire spray attacks, especially from Zhang Jiao and Zhu Rong, kills them very quickly as they cannot be pushed out of range and thus suffer more frequent damage. They use spears and pikes.


 * Machines- Man-made contraptions made for sieges and attacking:
 * Juggernaut - See article.
 * Wooden Oxen - An invention by Yue Ying in Dynasty Warriors 5, but claimed to be made by Zhuge Liang in Dynasty Warriors 6. They are armored supply carriers in common terms. They look funnily enough like wooden oxen on wheels. They have high defense, moderate health and appear en mass, making them aggravating to destroy, but they all move very slowly just as fast as all other machines. On top of this every wooden ox that makes it to the back lines raises morale. Originally they acted as normal item boxes akin to jars and crates, but eventually become actual machine units as of Dynasty Warriors 4.


 * Arbalest - Big machines that crank out volleys of arrows. They shoot all across the line in their middle. Their attacks are timed by the wheel on the side; it cranks back to fire and lunges forward when it does so. They appear in ambushes, defense of the camp or castle, or as siege weapons. They have a huge life bar and high defense but are stationary. Arbalests usually appear consecutively behind each other. In Dynasty Warriors 6, they only appear in challenge mode. They are stage gimmicks in Dynasty Warriors 7 and serve as rapid fire turrets with infinite ammo.


 * Ballistas - Big crossbow like machines that fire a large bolt. In Dynasty Warriors 6, they are located on top of gate and castle walls, and are used to destroy siege weapons being used by an invading force. They can be destroyed by the attacking force with the player or catapults. They have a long life bar and are usually guarded by the bulky engineers and either bowmen or crossbowmen. These weapons can sometimes be used by the player starting in Dynasty Warriors 7.


 * Catapult - Catapults are large weapons used to destroy Ballistas during a siege in Dynasty Warriors 6. In previous installments, they were used to help break down gates and walls, such as in Dynasty Warriors 4. They return as a stage gimmick during castle sieges in Dynasty Warriors 7, in which the player's character can control a catapult's aim and fire them to break down down gates. Mobile catapults also provide a similar function but with the advantage of closing in on a target.


 * Ram - Rams in previous installments were basically a large, pointed, metal ramming spear tied by ropes to a large, wooden frame to support it. It was used to break down walls and gates. In Dynasty Warriors 6, Rams are built by Engineers and were manned by four of the large, bulky Engineers that aimed it and charged it forward, before pulling back for another charge. They are about three prongs made of logs.


 * Pyrocannon - Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 7, function similarly too that of the Juggernaut. While the Juggernaut is more commonly used by early period characters, the Pyrocannon is usually deployed by heroes from the later time periods, such as those from the Jin Kingdom.


 * Siege Tower - Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 5 (but have appeared in a non-interactive form in prior games), siege towers were used to bombard a castle's defenses with volleys of arrows from the archers inside until the defenses crumbled. In Dynasty Warriors 7, they are built by engineers in front of large buildings, or great walls, and are used to attack the foot soldiers atop those walls to keep them from firing arrows down at enemy troops while they prepare Rams to break down the doors.


 * Mechanical Bridge - Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 4, and known then as Bridgelayers, they are used to gain access across big gaps where there are no bridges currently, or if one had been previously destroyed. Players must protect them while they move across the map to get to their destined location.


 * Mechanical Ladder - Introduced in Dynasty Warriors 4, and known then as Siege Ramps, they are used to grant characters the ability to climb castle walls, or mountain sides, where there are no ladders currently. Players must protect them while they move across the map to get to their destined location.

Generic Officers

 * Ruler - These are the most heavily armored of all generic officers, having a full chainmail suit underneath a suit of plate mail, then a leather lamellar chest piece and a regal overcoat, with shoulder pads, full forearm and leg protection. They have a decorative yet necessary helmet with a chain mail drape for neck protection and a long plume form to show authority. They are all sword wielders in battle. Examples are Gongsun Zan, Yuan Shu, and previously Liu Shan. This officer model was introduced in Dynasty Warriors 5. In Dynasty Warriors 6 and its spin-offs, Rulers in their debut adapt their moveset from the Sword clone moveset used by Liu Bei, Sun Jian, Sun Quan, Dong Zhuo and Yuan Shao.


 * Strategist - These are common among the ranks of the Yellow Turbans, and the back of other most armies. They wear a leather lamellar coat underneath a layered strategist robe and a kind of tall, stiff Hitelmacher-like hat on their head. As of Dynasty Warriors 6, some of these models retain a younger look, with less decorative clothing and no facial hair, while others have the opposite. They wield only swords in all installments, but they vary via the "ruler sword" movelist (e.g. Liu Bei, Sun Jian) or the "warrior sword" movelist (e.g. Huang Zhong, Xiahou Yuan). Examples are Guo Jia and Ma Liang. In Dynasty Warriors 6, Strategists adapt their moveset from the sword clone moveset.


 * Sorcerer - Using the Strategist model and introduced in Dynasty Warriors 6, Sorcerer officers use staves. They attack with a staff clone moveset and are similar to Zhang Jiao's version of the style. Really the only officers who are this are Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang. They walk in a hunched manner similar to Pang Tong or Zhang Jiao.


 * Warrior - These too are common among the ranks of the Yellow Turbans, but also make up a good part of other armies. They are decently armored, having a chest plate, shoulder plate, thigh plate set of armor as well as wrist guards and a turban (or even a pheasant tail headpiece in Dynasty Warriors 3). In Dynasty Warriors 5, the Warrior model was applied to officers like Yu Jin and Han Dang. In Dynasty Warriors 6, however, Warriors kept their turban and overlapping clothes, but traded the sword for a spear clone moveset. Enemy Defense Captains that guard castle gates from friendly siege forces are armed with the spear moveset as well.


 * Large Warrior - These officers are as common as, but much burlier than the Warrior's model. They have a large muscle mass and as such only wear leather lamellar underneath a plate mail chest piece, shoulder guards, shin guards and wrist guards. They have their hair tied into a bun and have a light cloth wrap around their waist. Though in Dynasty Warriors 6 they wore a plumed helmet and gained more armor. They wield only pikes, adapted from the polearm clone moveset. Examples are Hua Xiong and Wang Ping. In Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce, Large Warriors used large clubs and used the club moveset. Enemy Siege Captains when protecting friendly castle gates from an enemy siege are armed with the polearm moveset as well.


 * Hero - These officers are some of the best protected officers, having a full chainmail suit underneath a suit of plate mail. Shoulder, shin and wrist guards and a helmet with a small spike are also present. They were spear wielders in past installments. As they were given a thinner yet older appearance in Dynasty Warriors 5, in the next installment, the Hero model was given a taller helmet, longer spaulders and tassets, and were given a dao clone moveset. Examples of the more recent Hero are Liao Hua and Li Dian. For their appearance in Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce, they wield long bows to harass opponents from afar. Guard Captains in Dynasty Warriors 6 are armed with the dao moveset.


 * Barbarian - These officers make up a greater section of Nanman armies officers, usually being great warriors within their tribes. They have no real armor, wrist plates aside. Their only real protection is intimidation which consists of an animal skull helmet, painted markings all over the body and an unshaven, savage look. A fur skin pelt covers their pelvis and is held by a belt made of animal hide. They also have a necklace of a small ring. They are sword wielders, but very few also use pikes and spears (mainly in Dynasty Warriors 3). Examples are Jinhuan Sanjie and Wu Tugu.


 * Nanman Officer - These officers make up a lesser section of Nanman armies officers, usually being the leaders of a tribe within the kingdom. They are slightly better armored than their Barbarian comrades, having thigh and wrist plates. There is also a small leather cape-like item draped over their backs and the skull helmet has now been replaced by a stiff, decorated crown with a small draping piece of leather for neck protection. Pikes are their main weapon of choice, and this model is introduced in Dynasty Warriors 5. Examples are King Duosi and King Mulu.

Quotes

 * See: Generic Officer Quotes

Dynasty Warriors 8
Generics retain the same weapons from Dynasty Warriors 7, and now wield the following weapons as well.

Generic Movesets
The generic officers can be played in every Empires installment in the series.

Dynasty Warriors 7: Empires
Generics are given their own Musous and EX attacks due to becoming playable, and are available for Edit Mode.

Sword

 * EX Attack:, , , undefined, (undefined): Slice through the air sending shockwaves toward the enemy.
 * Musou - Crossroads (叉斬): : Slice the air in the shape of a cross, creating a large shockwave in the process.

Spear

 * EX Attack:, , undefined, (undefined): Quickly charge forward while unleashing multiple strikes.
 * Musou - Blind Rage (百穴): : Stabs spear ferociously in front of the opponent several times, ending the attack with a forceful thrust.

Iron Fan

 * EX Attack:, , undefined, (undefined): Attacks an enemy in front of the user, creating a strong wind.
 * Musou - Chi Blast (花鳥): : Hits surrounding enemies with chi-imbued fan thrown clockwise.

Club

 * EX Attack:, undefined, (undefined): Brutally strikes at the enemy.
 * Musou - Grand Fissure (土叩): : Slams the ground fiercely, severely damaging enemies nearby.

Sword

 * Rage Attack: Inflicts wide sweeping slashes back and forth during the initial phase of the attack, then unleashes a shockwave to knock surviving foes away. After accumulating enough hits, the user performs multiple round slashes while dashing forward before ending the melee with vacillating swipes.

Spear

 * Rage Attack: Swings spear back and forth at a wide angle, then finishes the assault by twirling weapon upward and throwing it with enough force to generate a large shockwave. Should the user gain enough hits, the attack will turn into a series of fast-paced thrusts followed by several frontal stabs.

Great Sword

 * Musou - (剛断): : Drives sword into the ground to produce a powerful shockwave.
 * Rage Attack: During the initial phase of this attack, the user does multiple round swings from lower right to upper left before unleashing a massive shockwave. The extended version changes the swings into short but quick slashes to the lower left followed by an electrifying whirlwind.

Throwing Knives

 * Musou - (千投陣): : Throws chi-imbued knives directly at the enemy in a fan formation.
 * Rage Attack: Hurls a row of knives imbued with energy before tossing more of them at all directions. The extended version has the user throw them at a full radius followed by a more concentrated barrage near the attack's end.

Talismans Cards

 * Musou - (流符): : Juggles enemies with cards traveling in a looping motion, then sends each one down on the ground to devastate more victims.
 * Rage Attack: Performs multiple diagonal slashes to the upper left while walking leisurely, then unleashes a powerful shockwave to knock surviving opponents away. If the user has enough hits to unlock the extended version, they will start running forward and mow down enemies with turbulent energy accompanied by horizontal spinning slices near the end of the attack.

Voice Actors

 * Daisuke Toujou, Akira Kajiwara, Takahiro Suzuki, Keisuke Baba - Dynasty Warriors 3 (Japanese)
 * Kai Taschner, Claus Brockmeyer - Dynasty Warriors 3 (German-uncredited)
 * Eddie Frierson - Dynasty Warriors 4~6 (English)
 * Michael Forest - Dynasty Warriors 4~5 (English)
 * Richard Epcar - Dynasty Warriors 4~5, 7~8 (English)
 * Robert Martin Klein - Dynasty Warriors 4 (English)
 * Tony Oliver - Dynasty Warriors 4~5, 7, Warriors Orochi series (English)
 * Peter Doyle - Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends, 6, Warriors Orochi series (English)
 * Liam O'Brien, Wally Wingert, Grant George, Skip Stellrecht, Alan Shearman - Dynasty Warriors 6 (English)
 * Matthew Mercer, Christopher Sabat, Steve Staley, Darrel Guilbeau, Michael Lindsay - Dynasty Warriors 7 (English)
 * Nobunaga Shimazaki - Dynasty Warriors 7 (Japanese)
 * Dan Woren - Dynasty Warriors 8 (English)
 * Shunzo Miyasaka, Hiromu Miyazaki, Sota Arai, Ryosuke Kanemoto - Dynasty Warriors 8 (Japanese)
 * Yōhei Azakami, Shintarō Ogawa, Yūsuke Handa, Masakazu Kōshima - Male officers in Shin Sangoku Musou Blast
 * Haruka Terui, Tomoyo Sasaki, Yūki Kaneko - Female officers in Shin Sangoku Musou Blast