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* DYNASTY WARRIORS 4 - Cao Ren FAQ *
*           Version 1.11           *
*      Created by Mythril Wyrm     *
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Table of Contents

I. Legal Notice/Disclaimer
II. Update History
III. About Cao Ren
IV. Unlocking Cao Ren
V. Using Cao Ren
     A. Cao Ren's attacks
          1. Regular attacks
          2. Charge attacks
          3. Mounted attacks
          4. Other attacks
     B. Maximizing Cao Ren's effectiveness
VI. Cao Ren's Weapons
     A. Weapon progression
     B. Cao Ren's 10th-level weapon
VII. Cao Ren's Costumes
VIII. Questions & Answers
IX. Special Thanks
X. Contacting Me

To skip to a specific section, press Ctrl + F, type in a section name, and
press Enter.
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I. Legal Notice/Disclaimer
This FAQ is copyright 2003-2005 by Devin McCain. Presently, only the following
websites have permission to host this FAQ:

GameFAQs (http://www.gamefaqs.com)
IGN (http://www.ign.com)
Neoseeker (http://www.neoseeker.com)

Please notify me as soon as possible if you find it posted anywhere else. If
you want to post this FAQ on your own website, you must first obtain my written
permission and agree to leave the FAQ completely unchanged. If you post it
without my permission or change it and try to pass it off as your own, there
will be unpleasant consequences when I find out. Feel free to print a copy of
this FAQ for personal use, but do not publish it or attempt to turn profit on
it. I'm sharing it free of charge, so please respect that.

All other copyrights and trademarks mentioned in this FAQ are the property of
their respective owners. I do not claim to own any of them.

This FAQ may contain spoilers. Continue reading at your own risk.

I take no responsibility for any embarrassment, injuries, or deaths that result
from the use of this FAQ or any of the information contained herein. If you're
that stupid, it's your own damn fault.

Got that? Good. Now, let's move on to the fun stuff...
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II. Update History
v1.00 - Completed all sections. There probably won't be any more updates unless
someone sends me corrections.
v1.01 - Removed some incorrect information in the section on Cao Ren's charge
attacks. Made minor changes to various sections.
v1.02 - Edited Cao Ren's attacks, and updated list of sites that have
permission to post this FAQ.
v1.03 - Added a reader tip and stipulation for obtaining Cao Ren's 10th-level
weapon. Made minor changes to a few sections.
v1.10 - Made some formatting changes and more minor changes to a few sections.
v1.11 - Updated contact information. Made minor changes to a few sections.
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III. About Cao Ren
Cao Ren's style name is Zixiao. The following information about him is provided
by Kongming's Archives:

"Cao Ren, styled Zixiao, was a cousin of Cao Cao, the Grand Progenitor (1).  He
was fond of riding, shooting, birding and hunting when he was young.  When the
heroes of the land rose in contention of power, Cao Ren also secretly gathered
to himself a group of youth, more than a thousand all told, and traveled around
between the Huai and the Si rivers.  Eventually, he offered his service to Cao
Cao, and was made Major with a Separate Command and Colonel of (Lifeng).

During Cao Cao�s conquest over Yuan Shu, Cao Ren killed and captured quite a
number.  He also participated in the battle of Xuzhou, and was often in the
vanguard leading the mounted troops.  In that operation he led a side attack to
rout the men of Tao Qian�s general Lu You, and after rejoining the main forces
at Peng city, he vanquished Tao Qian�s army.  Afterwards, when Cao Cao�s forces
went on to attack Fei, Hua, Jimo, and Kaiyang, and Tao Qian sent relief forces
to those prefectures, Cao Ren led a company of riders and routed them on the
way.  Then, when Cao Cao attacked Lu Bu, Cao Ren was ordered to take Juyang
city.  He succeeded, and captured Liu He, a general under Lu Bu.

After Cao Cao subdued the Yellow Scarves and escorted the Emperor to Xu, Cao
Ren was made Grand Administrator of Guangyang on the account of his many
merits.  However, Cao Cao had high regard for his valor, and did not send him
to the commandery given to him; rather, he had him remain in the capital to
train cavalry troops in the position of an imperial consultant.  Later on, Cao
Cao led an expedition against Zhang Xiu, and Cao Ren, ordered to raid the
surrounding prefectures, captured some 3,000 men and women.  When Cao Cao
returned to the capital, he was pursued by Zhang Xiu�s troops, and his army was
at a great disadvantage.  Though the soldiers were disheartened, Cao Ren went
about rousing their spirits - which Cao Cao praised - and eventually they
managed to defeat Zhang Xiu.

When Cao Cao and Yuan Shao were at a deadlock at Guandu, Yuan Shao sent Liu Bei
to raid Yinjiang and prefectures around it.  Many people there volunteered to
support them.  And thus, all lands south of Xu were troubled, and it has caused
Cao Cao to worry constantly.  Cao Ren said to him, 'Those people in the south
who rebelled did so only because they were threatened by Liu Bei�s forces, and
they thought that our troops are currently engaged in something more urgent and
would not be able to deal with them.  However, Liu Bei has been put in command
of those soldiers of Yuan Shao�s just recently, and surely he cannot order them
fully well yet.  If we should attack him, his defeat is certain.'  Cao Cao
approved of his words, and had him lead a company of cavalry to attack Liu Bei.
Liu Bei was defeated and fled, and Cao Ren managed to subdue all the rebellious
prefectures before returning.  At that Yuan Shao sent a lieutenant, Han Xun, to
ambush Cao Ren on the western road through which he was about to return, but
Cao Ren attacked Han Xun first at Mount Jiluo and defeated him.  After that,
Yuan Shao dared not separate his forces again.  Cao Ren, along with Shi Huan
and others, also routed Yuan Shao�s supply unit and burnt their food supplies.

Once the lands north of the Yellow River has been subdued, Cao Ren joined Cao
Cao�s expedition to the Hu Pass.  Having besieged the city, Cao Cao ordered,
'Once the city is taken, all within it shall be buried alive.'  But the city
held its defenses for months.  Cao Ren advised Cao Cao, saying, 'When one
besieges a city he must show its inhabitants a way out, give them a chance to
preserve their lives.  But now, your excellency has told them that they will
surely be killed, and so both soldier and civilian will defend the city with
their lives.  Furthermore, the city walls are firm and their supplies are
plentiful.  If we launch a direct attack, we would lose many soldiers.  But if
we hold the siege, then we shall be here for a long time.  Encamping beneath a
impregnable city to attack men who have already given up hope to live is not an
advisable strategy!'  Cao Cao heeded his words [to retract the order to kill
all within the city], and the city surrendered.  Considering this contribution,
Cao Cao made Cao Ren Marquis of Du Commune.

Cao Ren took part in the operation against Jingzhou, and Cao Cao made him
General who Conquers the South, and stationed him at Jiangling to defend
against the Wu general Zhou Yu.  Zhou Yu came to attack the city with several
tens of thousands of men, and a vanguard several thousand in strength.  Cao Ren
observed their approach from the top of the city walls, and thereupon he
recruited three hundred men and had his subordinate Niu Jin lead them to
confront the enemy.  However, the enemy was many, and Niu Jin�s men were few,
and quickly they were surrounded.  At that time, many of the officers,
including the Chief Clerk, Chen Qiao, were on the city walls; seeing that Niu
Jin�s men disappearing in the multitudes of the enemy they all stood aghast.
Cao Ren, in a great fury, ordered his men to bring his horse.  Chen Qiao and
others held his horse and said, 'The enemy is strong, and it would be futile to
fight them now.  How bad can it be, to lose a few hundred men, compared to
putting yourself in risk in battle?'  Cao Ren did not reply, and donning his
armor he mounted his horse, and led some tens of his most valiant riders out of
the city.  The riders were a hundred-odd paces away from the melee when they
approached the moat.  Chen Qiao and others all thought that Cao Ren should halt
there to be backup support for Niu Jin, but Cao Ren instead rode straight on,
fording the moat, and charging into the encirclement.  Thus Niu Jin was able to
escape, but some of his men were still trapped.  And so Cao Ren charged back
into the melee and saved the rest of Niu Jin�s men; several of them were lost.
The enemy retreated at that.  At first, when Chen Qiao saw Cao Ren riding
forth, they were all worried; but when he saw Cao Ren coming back he sighed and
said, 'The General is indeed godlike!'  The three armies all convinced of his
valor then.  Cao Cao praised him greatly for this deed, and changed his title
to Marquis of Anping Commune (2).

Cao Ren was made General who Tranquilizes the West when Cao Cao set off to
attack Ma Chao.  He led the other generals in the defense of Tong Pass, and
defeated Ma Chao at Weinan.  After that, Su Bo and Tian Yin rose in rebellion.
Cao Ren was then given the title of General of the Resolute Cavalry, and
leading seven other commands, he quelled the rebellion.  He was then re-
installed provisionally as General who Conquers the South, given the jie
honors, and stationed at Fan city to guard Jingzhou.  Soon after, Hou Yin of
Wan city rebelled, taking all city with him and capturing many thousands from
surrounding prefectures.  Cao Ren thus led his command to defeat Hou Yin, and
succeeded in beheading him.  After he returned to his garrison in Fan, the rank
of General who Conquers the South was fully given him again.

When Guan Yu attacked Fan city, the Han River flooded, destroying all seven
companies of Yu Jin�s, causing Yu Jin to surrender to Guan Yu.  Cao Ren was
guarding the city with a thousand men and mounts, and only several feet of the
city could be seen above the waters.  Guan Yu rode on a boat and approached the
city walls, and made his men encircle the city several times over.  All
communication between the city and the outside was cut, the stores were almost
depleted, and yet the relief forces had not arrived yet.  Cao Ren went about
raising the morale of his soldiers, showing them that he was ready to give his
life in the defense of the city.  Then, Xu Huang arrived with the relief
troops, and the water level began to lower.  Striking Guan Yu from without, Xu
Huang allowed Cao Ren to lift the siege, and together they forced Guan Yu to
retreat.

As a young man, Cao Ren was undisciplined and unruly.  However, once he grew up
and became a general, he abided by all the laws and commands strictly; he had
often put a copy of the code of laws wherever he worked, and consulted it when
he dealt with various affairs.  When Cao Zhang, Marquis of Yanling, went on the
northern expedition against Wuwan, the Crown Prince Cao Pi admonished him in a
letter thus: 'As a general one should obey the law, just like the General who
Conquers the South [Cao Ren]!'  And when Cao Pi came to the throne, he bestowed
upon Cao Ren the title of General of the Chariots and Cavalry, and put him in
charge of all military affairs in the provinces of Jing, Yang, and Yi.  He also
promoted him to be Marquis of Chen, and increased his fief by 2,000 households,
to a total of 3,500 households.  The late father of Cao Ren, Cao Chi, was given
the posthumous title of Marquis of Chenmu, and ten households were allotted to
watch over his grave.

Later on, Cao Ren was ordered to garrison at Wan.  Since Sun Quan had sent the
general Chen Shao to hold Xiangyang, Cao Ren was commanded to take over it.
And so Cao Ren and Xu Huang defeated Chen Shao, entered Xiangyang and had the
general Gao Qian and others relocate the subjugated commoners from south of the
Han River to the north.  Upon the victory, the Literary Emperor [Cao Pi] sent
an emissary to ceremoniously grant the title of General-in-Chief to Cao Ren.

Afterwards, Cao Pi commanded Cao Ren to move to guard Linying, and then
promoted him to Commander-in-Chief.  Then, Cao Ren lead the several commands to
hold the Wujiang river, and he himself returned to the fort at Hefei.  He died
in the 4th year of Huangchu (AD 223), and his posthumous title was Marquis of
Loyalty (3).  His heir was Cao Tai, who reached the position of General who
Guards the East, and who was giving the jie honors and the Marquisate of
Ningling.  When Cao Tai died, his son Cao Chu inherited the Marquisate.  Cao
Tai�s younger brothers Cao Kai and Cao Fan were both made marquis, and Niu Jin
was eventually promoted to the position of General of the Rear.

(1) Weishu: The grandfather of Cao Ren, Cao Bao, was the Grand Administrator of
Yingchuan.  Cao Ren�s father, Cao Chi, was a palace attendant and Colonel of
the Chang River encampments.

(2) Translator�s note: From the passage that follows, it seems that Cao Cao,
though praising Cao Ren�s valor, demoted him for the loss of Jiangling.  The
rank of General who Conquers the South was only provisionally re-given him
after he defeated Su Bo and Tian Yin, and fully only after he subdued Hou Yin�s
rebellion.

(3) Weishu: Cao Ren died at the age of 56."
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IV. Unlocking Cao Ren
To unlock Cao Ren, simply clear Act III of Wei's Musou Mode.
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V. Using Cao Ren
A. Cao Ren's attacks
1. Regular attacks
S      - A left-to-right slash.
SS     - A right-to-left upward slash.
SSS    - A hopping shield bash.
SSSS   - A right-to-left downward slash.
SSSSS  - A left-to-right downward slash.
SSSSSS - A shield punch.
X + S  - A left-to-right slash.

2. Charge attacks
T        - Cao Ren grabs and throws one enemy for major damage. This attack is
           unblockable, but it doesn't gain elemental properties if you have an
           orb equipped.
ST       - Cao Ren detaches the blade from his buckler and slashes upwards,
           knocking the enemy into the air.
SST(T)   - Cao Ren fires multiple fireballs from the blade on his buckler. The
           last one stuns the target. As your weapon levels up, you can shoot
           additional fireballs (up to seven) by pressing T repeatedly.
SSST     - Cao Ren swings both arms inward for a double-fisted punch that sends
           the enemy flying.
SSSST(T) - Cao Ren does an uppercut with his buckler that knocks the enemy high
           into the air for a follow-up slash.
SSSSST   - Cao Ren does a shield rush, charging straight ahead with his shield
           in front.
X + T    - Cao Ren drives one point of his blade into the ground, knocking down
           all nearby enemies.

3. Mounted attacks
S/T   - A series of alternating slashes to the right and left. Very slow and
        even less useful than the run-of-the-mill mounted attack.
Musou - A much quicker and stronger series of right and left slashes. Woo-hoo.

4. Other attacks
Dash attack   - Cao Ren does a shield rush, and finishes by detaching the blade
                from his buckler and slashing 180 degrees.
Counterattack - A double-fisted punch. Similar to the T of his SSST combo, but
                unblockable.
Musou         - A series of powerful left-to-right upward slashes and right-to-
                left downward slashes that ends with a shockwave-producing
                stomp.
True musou    - Same as his regular musou, but adds a fire element, a punch,
                and a 180 degree slash before the stomp.

B. Maximizing Cao Ren's effectiveness
Cao Ren's greatest weakness is his poor crowd control. He has a short reach,
and most of his attacks hit in a small area directly in front of him. His SST
combo is difficult to aim, his running speed is below average, and his mounted
attacks are pathetically slow.

On the plus side, Cao Ren boasts strong attacks and what could easily be the
highest defense in the game. Peons have a hard time disrupting his regular
attacks, and it's not too unusual for Cao Ren to shrug off blows from officers
early on in the game. His musou is very powerful, and works quite well against
generals and crowds alike. You can abuse these strengths by simply wading into
the middle of a group of peons, wailing on them with regular attacks, and
unleashing your musou as needed. Use your dash attack to devastate lines of
archers or small groups of peons - it's almost like bowling! If you press the
left analog stick at the right time, you can rotate while doing your SST(T)
combo. Practice doing this; your fireballs will become much more useful once
you know how to aim them. When fighting generals, make good use of your
fireballs, your SSSSST combo, and your musou. Don't try to use your T attack
against generals unless they're stunned or distracted; they'll frequently jump
out of the way and do a charge attack, especially in later battles.

There's also something worth noting about Cao Ren's true musou: enemies who get
hit by it will stay on their feet unless they get hit by one of the last three
attacks (the punch, the slash, or the stomp). If you have the Way of Musou, Cao
Ren will make very good use of it.

I recommend the following equipment for Cao Ren:

Harness: Shadow Harness
Orb: Fire Orb/Lightning Orb
Items: Peacock Urn/Way of Musou, Tiger Amulet, Tortoise Amulet, Elixir
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VI. Cao Ren's Weapons
A. Weapon progression
Lv. 1-3              Lv. 4-6               Lv. 7-9      Lv. 10
Buckler Blade -----> Strike Buckler -----> Crane -----> Roc

B. Cao Ren's 10th-level weapon
Roc (Attack +56)
Where To Get It: The Siege of Fan Castle, Wei Side
How To Get It: Destroy all of the enemy's siege engines, and defeat Lu Meng
when he takes the front lines.
How I Did It: From my starting position in the southeast corner, I rode west
and smashed the southern siege ramp. I then hurried back to the east gate and
obliterated the other ramp before it could be set up. My next stop was the
north gate, where I defeated Sun Shang Xiang in a duel and reduced the northern
catapult to matchsticks. I rode to the west gate, dispatched Lu Xun, and then
headed back to the south gate for Zhou Tai and the second catapult. Lu Meng
rode forth to challenge me; I met and defeated him at the west gate and
received the 10th-level weapon message. My allies made short work of Taishi
Ci, so I charged into Wu's camp and took care of Cheng Pu and Sun Quan. My
total time was just over 15 minutes.

Speed is of the essence in this fight. Destroying the siege ramps is your top
priority in the first few minutes of the battle, and you have to work quickly
to reach both of them in time. Take your fastest horse (or Shadow Runner) into
battle, and consider equipping a Horned Helm and Cavalry Armor if you have them
at a high level. Ignore generals unless they challenge you to a duel. You can't
afford delays, and you'll have ample time to go back and fight once the siege
ramps and catapults are gone. If you have a second player helping you, divide
and conquer - one of you can protect the south and west gates while the other
defends the east and north gates.

According to Jeff Cogar ([email protected]), Lu Meng will advance
after you defeat three of the Wu generals outside the castle, and you won't get
the weapon message if this happens before you destroy the last of the siege
engines. If you've already defeated two generals, avoid the others at all costs
until you've dealt with all the siege engines.
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VII. Cao Ren's Costumes
Costume 1: Default costume.
Costume 2: A palette swap of costume 1. Earned at 6000 points.
Costume 3: Same color scheme as costume 1. The spikes on Cao Ren's helmet are
replaced with a crest, and he gets a mouth guard. Earned at 20000 points.
Costume 4: A palette swap of costume 3. Earned at 20000 points.
Costume 5: Similar to the default costume, but with several minor changes to
the breastplate and surcoat. Features smaller spikes on top of the helmet, but
adds a tassel on the top and spikes on the sides. Cao Ren also sports a scarf
in this costume. Earned at 60000 points. My personal favorite.
Costume 6: A palette swap of costume 5. Earned at 60000 points.
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VIII. Questions & Answers
Q: Why a Cao Ren FAQ?
A: It hadn't been done yet, and I think he's a pretty good character.

Q: Cao Ren's a dwarf/midget/shrimp.
A: That's not a question, and it's just plain rude. He's probably very close
to the height of an average 3rd-century Chinese male - closer than Zhou Tai, at
least.

Q: Cao Ren looks like a football player.
A: I prefer to think of him as a two-legged tank. I can easily imagine seeing
him in the NFL, though.

Q: Do I have to personally destroy all of the siege engines to get Cao Ren's
10th-level weapon?
A: No. If you have a second player helping you, that player can and should help
you destroy the siege engines.

Q: I fulfilled the requirements to obtain Cao Ren's 10th-level weapon, but I
didn't get it! What gives?
A: Make sure that you have his 9th-level weapon, that you're playing on Hard,
and that you personally defeat Lu Meng.

Q: Your FAQ sucks! I've crapped out better FAQs than this!
A: As soon as you find a way to upload excrement, you should post your wondrous
creation for all to see.

Q: I posted my FAQ, and every gamer on the planet thinks it's better than
yours! Your FAQ really DOES suck!
A: Congratulations! I am in awe of your superior FAQ-writing skills! Now go
away.

Q: This is the best FAQ I've ever read! You're a genius and a god among men,
and I want to know more about you so that I can immortalize you!
A: Yeah; I get that a lot. My contact info's listed below.

Q: <insert some question that has nothing to do with Cao Ren or the FAQ here>
A: See the second sentence of my previous answer.
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IX. Special Thanks
I would like to thank...

...KOEI and Omega Force, for creating the Dynasty Warriors series.
...Muni Shinobu, for writing informative character unlocking and 10th-level
weapon FAQs.
...Kongming's Archives (http://www.kongming.net) and its contributors, for
being a wealth of information on the Three Kingdoms period.
...Clayton Hamilton, for pointing out that Cao Ren's SST(T) combo does indeed
gain elemental properties if you equip an orb.
...CJayC of GameFAQs, for posting this FAQ.
...Leo Chan of Neoseeker, for posting this FAQ.
...the folks at IGN, for posting this FAQ.
...you, for reading this FAQ.
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X. Contacting Me
If you want to get in touch with me, send an e-mail to [email protected].
Be sure to put the word "FAQ" in the subject line of your e-mail, or I'm liable
to mistake it for spam and delete it. I check my e-mail almost every day, so
you should receive a reply quickly in most cases. I accept praise, additions,
corrections, and constructive criticism, and will do what I can to answer any
questions that aren't addressed in the FAQ. Please keep your e-mails polite and
intelligible; I won't reply to rude, crass, or incomprehensible e-mails unless
I'm in a really bad mood. If you provide me with information that I decide to
add to the FAQ, you will be given credit for it.

I also use AIM occasionally. If you want my Screen Name, ask for it via e-mail.

Happy gaming!