In *Dynasty Warriors: Origins*, one of the first significant challenges you'll encounter is the battle against Zhang Jiao, the leader of the Yellow Turbans. Here's a detailed guide on how to defeat him effectively.
How To Fight Zhang Jiao’s First Phase
The initial confrontation with Zhang Jiao takes place in a vast wasteland, setting the stage for a one-on-one duel. During this phase, Zhang Jiao employs sorcery to hurl stones at you across the arena. When you're close to him, he summons four stones, necessitating quick evasion to avoid damage. If you maintain a distance, he'll double the number of stones, launching them in pairs, which you can dodge by circling around him. It's crucial to keep your distance when he summons a large number of stones to prevent taking significant damage from the barrage.
While Zhang Jiao's primary strategy is to keep you at bay, he also has a few close-range attacks up his sleeve. These include basic combos that you can parry and an Area of Effect (AOE) attack meant to push you back. Watch for him glowing white, signaling an impending AOE attack; retreat to avoid taking damage.
As the fight progresses, Zhang Jiao will start using moves that give him a red aura, indicating uninterruptible attacks. These involve summoning a massive amount of rocks to drop around him and creating several clones. The best approach is to retreat and wait for these attacks to end before resuming your offensive. Equip a sword for this battle, as it will allow you to deal substantial damage compared to other weapons like spears or gauntlets.
Keep a close eye on your health throughout the fight. You'll likely have the opportunity to heal up to four times, depending on your upgraded skills. Remember, there are jars near the arena's entrance containing meat buns, which you can use to replenish your health. Whenever you need to heal, retreat to the entrance and grab some buns.
How To Fight Zhang Jiao’s Second Phase
Upon unlocking Musou Rage, the second phase of the battle begins, with the Yellow Turbans joining Zhang Jiao. Fortunately, your army will also appear to support you, providing some much-needed relief. This is an ideal time to heal by running to the entrance and grabbing those meat buns. Be cautious of the tornados Zhang Jiao summons, which can throw you off course while you're dealing with his soldiers.
After defeating a sufficient number of his soldiers, Zhang Jiao will initiate a Grand Tactic, requiring you to eliminate 300 soldiers within a tight timeframe to prevent a devastating attack. To complicate matters, he'll also summon lightning to strike the arena. Keep an eye on the ground for closing rings that signal incoming lightning strikes and evade when they flash. The most effective way to clear the Yellow Turbans quickly is by using Musou Mode, which, if timed correctly, can take out dozens of enemies at once. Although you may have unlocked Musou Rage Mode, sticking to the basic Musou Mode is advisable given the time constraints.
Successfully thwarting Zhang Jiao's Grand Tactic twice will bring him back to the battlefield, employing the same tactics from the first phase. With your army's assistance, it should be relatively straightforward to deplete his remaining health, concluding Chapter 1.
That's how you can triumph over Zhang Jiao in *Dynasty Warriors: Origins*.
*Dynasty Warriors: Origins* is now available on PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S.