• Zhang Liao cannot take two cards from the same person via "Raid."

• Zhang Liao cannot mix "Raid" with drawing from the deck. For example, he cannot take one hand card from an enemy and draw one card from the deck during the same action.

• Zhang Liao can choose to select only one character when activating "Raid" and only gain one card in the process.

• Only hand cards can be taken by "Raid." Equipment cards and delay tool cards cannot be removed by this ability.

• Zhang Liao specializes in card destruction, making him a threat to his opponents’ hand resources. His "Raid" ability provides Zhang Liao with the advantage of drawing cards while simultaneously weakening his enemies. Unlike regular deck draws, the cards Zhang Liao acquires are taken directly from his opponents, leaving them more vulnerable to damage during his and other players' turns.

• Enemies targeted by "Raid" often fear for their hand cards, knowing that even a hidden Peach meant to save a teammate could easily fall into Zhang Liao’s hands. This constant threat makes it harder for the opposing team to plan defenses.

• Zhang Liao can activate "Raid" on his first turn against characters who have not yet acted (typically those immediately to his right or the king’s left), giving him the opportunity to acquire valuable tool or equipment cards early in the game. This disrupts opponents before they even have a chance to play their hand, allowing Zhang Liao to set the tone of the battle from the outset.

• Since Zhang Liao takes cards directly from opponents’ hands using "Raid," he typically doesn’t acquire powerful tool cards like Barbarians or valuable equipment. Instead, he often gains basic cards such as Attack, Escape, Peach, and occasionally Negate. This limits his access to higher-impact cards, though it allows him to consistently maintain card flow during the game.

• Zhang Liao’s actions make him a high-profile target, as enemies quickly tire of losing their hand cards. This often leads to opponents focusing on eliminating him earlier than they would for other characters, viewing him as a constant threat.

• However, "Raid" becomes much less effective when only one enemy remains, significantly weakening Zhang Liao’s overall strength in one-on-one situations. Without multiple targets, his ability to disrupt hand cards diminishes, leaving him vulnerable.

• Card Destruction Allies:
  Characters that focus on depleting opponents' hand cards can make powerful allies for Zhang Liao. For example, Gan Ning excels at card destruction, similar to Zhang Liao. Together, they can continuously weaken enemies by reducing their hand cards, leaving them vulnerable and unable to defend effectively.

• Characters Who Benefit from Losing Cards:
  Some characters gain benefits when they lose cards, making them a natural counter to Zhang Liao. Deng Ai is one such character, as his "Military Farm" ability activates whenever he loses cards outside his turn. When Zhang Liao uses "Raid" on Deng Ai, Deng Ai gains farms that give him access to Steals, making him a dangerous opponent.

• Resilient Characters:
  Certain characters have abilities that allow them to maintain a steady hand size, making them resistant to Zhang Liao’s "Raid." Lu Xun and Zhang Chunhua both have skills that dictate a specific number of cards in their hand, minimizing the impact of losing cards to Zhang Liao.

• Characters with No Hand:
  Some characters thrive without any cards in hand, rendering Zhang Liao’s "Raid" ineffective. Zhuge Liang, for instance, activates his "Empty City" ability when he has no hand cards. This makes him a difficult target for Zhang Liao, as he can easily lose his hand cards and use his ability to protect himself.

King

• • Zhang Liao can be a good king choice, but he must have very good loyalists. Zhang Liao will rarely acquire equipment, so the loyalists will have most of the burden of pursuing rebels.

Loyalist

• • Zhang Liao is a decent loyalist. "Raid" can be used to weaken rebels and leave them open for an assault by the king or other loyalists.

Rebel

• • Zhang Liao is a good rebel. He can target the king and his loyalists with "Raid" to weaken them and leave them more open to the other rebels.

Spy

• • Zhang Liao is a mediocre spy. While he can effectively keep the game balanced with "Raid," he will have a difficult time defeating the king in a one-on-one battle. Also, he is a very high-profile character and the other players will not take kindly to Zhang Liao constantly stealing their cards.

Any team is happy to have Zhang Liao on their side. Thankfully, Zhang He did not make him obsolete when he was released as part of the Mountain expansion pack. "Raid" is a simple yet very effective ability that can cause major problems for Zhang Liao's enemies. When using Zhang Liao, be sure to communicate with your teammates and pay attention to who they want to kill first. Activating "Raid" on weaker enemies can help your teammates finish them off and gain a large advantage.

Zhang Liao's strategic brilliance is epitomized by his audacious raid during the Siege of Hefei. Despite commanding only 800 soldiers against Sun Quan’s far larger force, Zhang Liao led a daring attack that broke through enemy lines and caused significant disruption. His fierce combat skills and leadership led to the deaths of key enemy figures and forced Sun Quan to retreat.

During a subsequent engagement at Xiaoyao Ford, Zhang Liao’s tactical prowess shone through as he attacked Sun Quan’s rearguard, exploiting their vulnerability and causing Sun Quan to withdraw hastily. This bold action not only showcased Zhang Liao's tactical ingenuity but also severely weakened Sun Quan's forces.

Zhang Liao’s remarkable success in these battles earned him high praise and promotion, reflecting his exceptional combat abilities and strategic acumen.