Our First False Mourning

Chapters 10-12

These three chapters start very strong. Chapter 10 is one of my favorites so far, showcasing the different characters of Cao Cao, Lu Bu, and Liu Bei: after Cao Cao’s father is killed pointlessly, he goes after the wrong person for revenge. Then Liu Bei intervenes to stop him. And last, while Cao Cao is on his revenge warpath, Lu Bu opportunistically seizes some of Cao Cao’s lands. 

We see more of Cao Cao’s character when we meet his crew. The standout is Dian Wei, whom Cao Cao calls “another Elai” (p. 167), meaning that he’s a huge strongman. We also meet Xun Yu, whom Cao Cao calls “my Zifang” (p. 165), meaning that he’s a great advisor. I like how Cao Cao compares his allies to legendary characters from earlier eras. It feels more epic. And the fact that his allies are somewhat sympathetic makes it feel even more like the Iliad, where we respect both Greeks and Trojans.

Cao Cao’s crew isn’t the only group of new characters that I like. We also meet some characters who I assume won’t return. I was surprised they survived! I liked how Kong Rong (p. 173) was described as a descendant of Confucius. And Mi Zhu, (p 172), who was legendary for surviving a visit from “the deity of solar fire.” The only bad thing is that I find myself hoping the characters die off so I don’t forget who they are when they return . . . 

As far as new Magic cards, we get Ma Chao, Xun Yu, and a brief appearance from Zhang Liao. We get the first example of False Mourning when Cao Cao pretends to be dead so he can ambush Lu Bu. On page 194, we have our first Famine (although not the one quoted on the flavor text). Reviewing the list of cards, I see that I missed a few: we had a Warrior’s Oath last week. And earlier, we saw Volunteer Militia and Ravaging Horde. I’ll keep a better eye out next week!