• "Speechless" is enforced, meaning Xu Shu cannot disable this ability.

• "Speechless" prevents damage caused by Lightning to Xu Shu.

• Damage from tool cards transmitted via Chains, such as Blaze, is prevented by "Speechless."

• "Recommendation" is activated after Xu Shu's discard phase.

• Xu Shu can discard equipped equipment cards to activate "Recommendation."

• The target of "Recommendation" cannot choose to heal if they are already at full health.

• Option 2 of "Recommendation" allows the target to re-flip a flipped character card or release themselves from Chains. Characters that are not flipped face down or chained cannot select this option.

• "Speechless" provides excellent protection against damage from a variety of tool cards, including Barbarians, Hail of Arrows, Duel, Blaze, and Lightning.

• "Recommendation" is highly flexible and supports allies by offering healing, card flipping, or card drawing at the cost of one discard. Each of these options offers a good return on investment.

• The synergy between "Speechless" and "Recommendation" enhances Xu Shu's utility, especially since tool cards that he cannot use for damage become useful through supporting allies.

• Xu Shu has no defense against regular Attacks, which is problematic as they are one of the most common ways to cause damage.

• He struggles significantly in one-on-one situations where tool cards lose effectiveness, leaving him with no reliable offensive or defensive options.

• Since Xu Shu needs non-basic cards to activate "Recommendation," he may have to discard important cards during his discard phase, limiting his ability to store them.

• Flipping Characters:
  Xu Shu's "Recommendation" works particularly well with characters who frequently flip their character cards, such as Star SP Diao Chan, Cao Ren, Star SP Cao Ren, Forest Lu Bu, and Forest Cao Cao. By selecting Option 2, Xu Shu can re-flip these characters back into their normal position, mitigating the downside of their abilities.

• Tool Card Synergy:
  Xu Shu's immunity to damage from tool cards makes him an excellent ally for characters who rely heavily on tools that target all players, like Yuan Shao, Xun You, Zhu Rong, and Cao Cao. These characters can deploy strategies involving widespread tool card use without worrying about harming Xu Shu, creating a safer environment for allies.

King

• • Xu Shu can function well as a king due to his immunity to tool card damage, making it difficult for rebels to harm him with common methods. However, his lack of protection against direct attacks makes him vulnerable.

Loyalist

• • As a loyalist, Xu Shu shines when paired with characters who benefit from card flipping or healing, allowing him to provide consistent support.

Rebel

• • Xu Shu is a solid rebel, as his immunity to tool cards helps him avoid damage from characters who rely on them. His healing and card-flipping support can also benefit his fellow rebels.

Spy

• • Xu Shu struggles as a spy, especially in one-on-one situations, where his inability to cause damage with tool cards makes him less effective in the endgame.

Xu Shu offers a significant improvement over his original version, particularly with the more flexible "Recommendation" ability. His ability to heal allies, draw cards, or re-flip characters makes him a valuable asset, but his biggest weakness lies in his lack of defense against attacks. "Speechless" no longer offers complete protection from tool cards like it used to, as Xu Shu can still be affected by Steal, Coerce, and Break. While Xu Shu excels in team play, his one-on-one performance remains poor, which makes him less appealing in solo situations.

Xu Shu was initially a loyal advisor to Liu Bei, but due to his deep love for his mother, he was forced to leave Liu Bei's service and work for Cao Cao. Despite this, Xu Shu never offered Cao Cao any strategic advice, remaining silent as a sign of loyalty to Liu Bei. This sense of loyalty and sacrifice is reflected in Xu Shu's "Speechless" ability in the game, as it represents his decision to refrain from speaking and advising Cao Cao, even when under duress.

The ability "Recommendation" also ties into Xu Shu's role as an advisor. Though he was ultimately unable to fully aid Liu Bei, the ability reflects his inherent talent for guiding him to meet Zhuge Liang.