Total War: THREE KINGDOMS opens in 190 CE with the Han dynasty coming apart and a dozen warlords convinced they can do better. Creative Assembly built the campaign around characters rather than armies: generals lead retinues of three units, hold court positions, form friendships and grudges, and walk out when you ignore them. Romance mode turns them into duelling heroes, while Records mode makes them officers with a bodyguard and nothing more.
Your choice of equipment defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Equipment Rankings
| Equipment | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ji Militia | S | Early armies needing an anti cavalry screen without elite unit costs. | Light halberd infantry armed with ji polearms, cheap and available to every general from the opening turn. |
| Sabre Militia Cavalry | A | Running down archers and crossbowmen on the flanks inside the first 30 turns. | Cheap shielded cavalry that blocks incoming arrows and holds together in a prolonged melee, making them the budget answer to enemy missile units. |
| Crossbowmen | A | Defensive field battles and sieges where reloading is safe. | Missile infantry with the punch to hurt armoured targets at range. |
| Tiger and Leopard Cavalry | B | Cao Cao campaigns once a general has reached rank 3. | Cao Cao's faction unique elite cavalry in partial iron armour with shields, recruitable by his generals at rank 3 and in a heavy version at rank 6. |
| White Horse Fellows | B | Gongsun Zan's opening 40 turns, before enemy rosters catch up. | Gongsun Zan's unique light bow cavalry, one of the strongest early tools on the whole campaign map because horse archers punish slow infantry armies badly. |
S-Tier: Ji Militia
Light halberd infantry armed with ji polearms, cheap and available to every general from the opening turn. Their job is holding cavalry off your archers, not winning an infantry melee.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Early armies needing an anti cavalry screen without elite unit costs. |
| Key Mechanic | Romance and Records modes |
| Recommended Build | Vanguard |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Ji Militia: Pairs naturally with Vanguard thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Sabre Militia Cavalry
Cheap shielded cavalry that blocks incoming arrows and holds together in a prolonged melee, making them the budget answer to enemy missile units.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Running down archers and crossbowmen on the flanks inside the first 30 turns. |
| Key Mechanic | Five hero classes and Wu Xing attributes |
| Recommended Build | Sentinel |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Sabre Militia Cavalry: Pairs naturally with Sentinel thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Crossbowmen
Missile infantry with the punch to hurt armoured targets at range. A Strategist boosts his retinue's ammunition, so a crossbow line under one lasts noticeably longer.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Defensive field battles and sieges where reloading is safe. |
| Key Mechanic | General retinues |
| Recommended Build | Commander |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Crossbowmen: Pairs naturally with Commander thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Tiger and Leopard Cavalry
Cao Cao's faction unique elite cavalry in partial iron armour with shields, recruitable by his generals at rank 3 and in a heavy version at rank 6. They are built to hunt missile units.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Cao Cao campaigns once a general has reached rank 3. |
| Key Mechanic | Character satisfaction and defection |
| Recommended Build | Strategist |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Tiger and Leopard Cavalry: Pairs naturally with Strategist thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: White Horse Fellows
Gongsun Zan's unique light bow cavalry, one of the strongest early tools on the whole campaign map because horse archers punish slow infantry armies badly.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Gongsun Zan's opening 40 turns, before enemy rosters catch up. |
| Key Mechanic | Diplomacy and coalitions |
| Recommended Build | Champion |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using White Horse Fellows: Pairs naturally with Champion thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
Equipment Progression Path
The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Si Li
- Sabre Militia Cavalry → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Crossbowmen → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Ji Militia → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Equipment Tips
- Always upgrade your primary equipment before diversifying. One strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- Every hero class scales off one attribute: Instinct for Vanguards, Expertise for Sentinels, Authority for Commanders, Cunning for Strategists and Resolve for Champions. Assigning a character to a job that rewards a different attribute wastes most of what they are.
- Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More Total War: THREE KINGDOMS Guides
- Total War: THREE KINGDOMS Total War: THREE KINGDOMS Overview
- Total War: THREE KINGDOMS Best Builds
- Total War: THREE KINGDOMS Tier List
- Total War: THREE KINGDOMS Walkthrough
- Total War: THREE KINGDOMS Beginner's Guide
- Total War: THREE KINGDOMS Tips & Tricks
- Total War: THREE KINGDOMS Combat Guide
- Total War: THREE KINGDOMS Boss Guide
- Total War: THREE KINGDOMS Maps & Locations
- Total War: THREE KINGDOMS Crafting Guide
- Total War: THREE KINGDOMS Classes & Characters
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