In the 3rd century AD, the powerful warlord Liu Bei accompanied by his blood brothers Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, begins to raise an army to battle his way across China to ultimately obtain the title of Emperor, and restore the Han dynasty. Throughout the story-driven campaign, the player will have to win 64 battles. Each battle has its own victory condition within a turn limit. The player will need to wisely allocate soldiers of multiple types and devise strategies to overwhelm an opposing army. Every garrison of soldiers are led by their own officers. The chosen battles will determine the outcome of the campaign and how the story advances. In between battles there are settlements where information can be obtained from citizens, shops that sell weapons and items to enhance the player's soldiers, and Liu Bei can meet with his officers to formulate plans for the next move.