Fan Castle

	Battle of Fan Castle
Date	July ~ September 219
Location	Fancheng, Jing Province (present-day Fancheng, Hubei)
Result	Wei Pyrrhic Victory; Guan Yu flees to Mai Castle
Forces
Shu	Allied Forces
Commanders
Guan Yu	Cao Ren ; Lu Meng

The Battle of Fan Castle (樊城の戦い, rōmaji: Hanjō no Tatakai) is a battle in which Guan Yu sieged the location, which was being dutifully defended by Cao Ren. A flood aids Guan Yu's attempts to capture the castle, as it devastates the defenders and Wei reinforcements, leading to the death of Pang De and Yu Jin's capture. To defeat Guan Yu and lift the siege, Cao Cao forms an alliance with Sun Quan. The future Wu Emperor attacks Jing province while Guan Yu is preoccupied with the siege, forcing him to flee in defeat. In Dynasty Warriors, the final stages of Lu Meng's campaign for Jing Province is combined with siege.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms dramatizes the earlier aspects of the siege. Such as the Shu forces flooding the Wei army, and how the famed Hua Tuo scraped poison from Guan Yu's arm.

Role in Games

Dynasty Warriors

In an follow up to Liu Bei's seizing of Mt. Ding Jun, Guan Yu, who was stationed in Jing province at the time, decided to drive Wei out of Jing by laying siege to the Wei stronghold at Fan Castle. Cao Ren lead the defense admirably, but Guan Yu initially was very successful by flooding the castle and defeating Pang De and capturing Yu Jin. However, Lu Meng was making plans to seize Jing, and so while Guan Yu was in the north, he took his chance and swept across Jing. When Guan Yu learned that he had been cut off, he retreated to Mai Castle where he made his last stand, but was captured along with his son Guan Ping by Wu. When taken before Sun Quan, he was asked to serve but he refused and was executed along with Guan Ping.

The defeat at Fan castle was due to mass betrayal both by Shu's long term ally Wu, and other Shu officers, such as Mi Fang and Fu Shiren who were to guard Guan Yu's rear immediately surrendered to the advancing Wu forces, and Liu Feng who refused to send reinforcements.

The incident infuriated Liu Bei, as well as his sworn brother Zhang Fei who took out his anger on his subordinates and was murdered. Despite the advice of his advisor and strategist Zhuge Liang and other generals, Liu Bei mobilized for war against Wu and despite having an incredible force that news of which caused Wu officials to turn pale, and several generous peace offerings by Sun Quan, he continued his advance but was forced to flee after the disastrous Battle of Yi Ling and died soon afterwards.

In Wei's scenario this battle marks the final stage for the historical path in Dynasty Warriors 8. Pang De immediately leaves the castle with a coffin, despite Cao Ren's objections and makes out to fight Guan Yu. Meanwhile reinforcements led by Cao Pi, Xiahou Dun and Xu Huang (and possibly Xiahou Yuan, if he survives the battle at Hanzhong) appear to assist Cao Ren. Together they first stop the Shu forces in the center, prevent a mutiny by Yu Jin, Hu Xiu and Fu Fang, and rush to the floodgates to stop Guan Ping from initiating the flood. Wu reinforcements arrive, the chase for Guan Yu begins and he is eventually slain. Depending on events, Pang De may either be killed by Guan Yu or live to participate in the chase. There is a glitch in the game if Pang De is among those chasing Guan Yu; the final quote from the cutscene will always be in Japanese even if the voices are set to English.

Wu's scenario has Lu Meng, Lu Xun and Lianshi attack Shu's rear flank while fighting they're fighting Wei. Though they make short work of Guan Yinping and force Mi Fang and Fu Shi Ren defect, Pang De is killed and Guan Ping attempts to attack the floodgates. After Guan Yu is defeated, he escapes the first onslaught. Wu forces will continue the chase until he is finally slain after the defeat of his sons and the reinforcements from Hanzhong.

Shu's path has Guan Yu already take the castle, but besieged by the Wei defenders and their new reinforcements. As Guan Yu first moves out, Pang De immediately launches a flood attack, which not only wipes out many defenders but also keeps Ma Chao's reinforcements at bay allowing a prolonged chase for Guan Yu. Shortly after the flood, Guan Ping volunteers to stay behind and stall for time but dies defending Fan Castle. Wu forces led by both Lu Meng and Lu Xun appear to block Guan Yu's retreat and redirect his path. Mi Fang and Fu Shiren betray Guan Yu and his reinforcements are unable to move thanks to the flood. Guan Yu manages to defeat Xiahou Dun, Sima Yi and Cao Ren but is finally cornered after Lu Meng and Lu Xun catch up to them.

In the hypothetical path, Xu Shu's intervention and insight sees through many of the enemy's plans. He takes over the flood gates before Pang De can arrive and stops the initial flood. After defeating the main frontlines of Wei, Ma Chao, Huang Zhong, and Pang Tong all arrive. Xu Shu then installs ballistae, effectively stopping any enemy that arrives. Lu Meng defies Lu Su's orders and leads an attack on Shu, only to be blunted by Yellow Turban reinforcements allied with Shu led by Zhang Jiao. Wei reinforcements led by Xiahou Dun and Sima Yi attempt to restart the flood attack but are defeated. Eventually Cao Ren attempts to make one final push towards Fan Castle but is defeated and forced to flee.

In the Xtreme Legends expansion, a new scenario is given, this time for the Wei forces holed up in the castle. Yu Jin and Pang De first rally up the defenses of Fan Castle in order to defend against both Wu and Shu armies. Reinforcement led by Ma Dai, coming from Hanzhong arrive to also assist the assault unit. Yu Jin then decides to lure only the Wu assault force into the castle in order to aggravate suspicions between Guan Yu and Wu, and furthers this by severing Guan Yu's messengers. The Wei forces then flood the castle containing the Wu soldiers, causing a retreat from both Lu Xun and Lu Meng. Together with the reinforcements led by Xu Huang, Guan Yu is soon defeated afterwards. If no significant casualties occur to the Wei forces, "Pacification of Jing Province" will be unlocked, otherwise Guan Yu will be slain in this battle. In the coalition's side of the battle, the Wu forces have already been lured into the castle, and must be rescued in order to pursue the flood attack. When the Wu forces successfully evacuate, Guan Ping moves out to take the floodgates back from Pang De. After the Shu forces flood the castle, Yu Jin and Cao Ren order a charge. Defeating Pang De, Yu Jin and Cao Ren will end the stage in victory.

Warriors Orochi

In Warriors Orochi, Hideyoshi and Nobunaga attack an exhausted Orochi army after their victory in Nagashino.

In the sequel, Hideyoshi, Nobunaga and Ieyasu share a dream stage where they combine their might to face Sun Quan, Cao Cao and Liu Bei in a friendly competition. There is a glitch in this version which allows players to surpass the boundaries of an exit, and secretly attack the Main Camp by going behind the castle and back through an netrance again.

In the third game, the Wei army blocks the coalition's path to Chengdu, intending on eliminating all those who serve Da Ji. Aya, Guan Yu, and Tadakatsu aid Ma Chao in fending off against the Wei forces. After the coalition explains why they need Da Ji, Cao Cao, Xiahou Dun, and Nuwa join them. After pacifying Luo Castle in the past, Sima Yi returns to Fan Castle with Aya, Zhao Yun, and Toshiie to ensure that Guo Jia joins them.

This serves as the second part of the midquel DLC stage, "The Rise of Kiyomori".

Kessen

Historical Information

Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Gallery

Gallery
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