Liang

Somewhere along the way, Liang appointed himself a hero. He has taken on a self-declared mission to hunt down witches and dark magic, and he introduces himself with an ever-growing list of titles: the Hero of Justice, the Silencer of Witchcraft, and the Rogue of Righteousness. Whether anyone actually asked him to take up this quest is unclear, but he pursues it with total sincerity. Liang genuinely wants to protect people from those he considers corrupt or dangerous, though his heroic ambitions tend to exceed his actual accomplishments. He is also hardly opposed to receiving a little recognition along the way.

Depending on the player's choices, Liang may cross paths with the White Lions again during Chapter 11, having spent his time traveling around Burga in an attempt to save villages from corrupt authorities. Despite proudly adopting the title "Rogue of Righteousness," he readily admits that his grand total of villages saved currently stands at zero. Seeing an opportunity to finally prove himself, Liang joins the White Lions and hopes to build his renown while helping their cause. Alternatively, Liang can reunite with the White Lions much later during Chapter 22.

Recruitment

Part 1: Liang is recruited in Prelude III. Visit the northeast prison house with Joseph to free him. He is missable if this is not done before the chapter ends. 

Part 2: Liang's recruitment is contentious with Roxie's. The two share a recruitment window, and securing one typically comes at the other's expense. 

• Primary route (Chapter 11, Quest): Requires that Liang and Roxie were both recruited and survived Part 1. On Chapter 11, accept the bow offered in the south village, then speak to him with Boone or Myles after he appears the following turn. He is missable if this is not done. 

• Conditional route (Chapter 22): If Liang was not recruited through the Chapter 11 quest, and he survived Part 1 with Roxie was recruited in Chapter 12. Visit the southern village to recruit him. Note: Liang only appears through this route if the total party size is below a certain threshold. 

Unit Data

Unit Analysis

Liang is an unusual archer whose greatest strengths have less to do with raw combat and more to do with the number of roles he can fill. His initial combat performance is fairly unremarkable compared to other Part 1 bow users like Winifred and Caden. However, Liang has several advantages of his own. His C rank gives him early access to the Shining Bow, his unusually high Resistance makes him effective at baiting magic users, and his Outlaw class allows him to use lockpicks and steal. While Winifred and Caden are generally stronger dedicated archers, Liang offers considerably more utility outside of combat. 

Liang's value becomes much more apparent if he rejoins through his Chapter 11 quest in Part 2. He can effectively continue directly from Part 1, while Winifred does not return until Chapter 16 and Caden until Chapter 22, giving Liang plenty of time to establish himself within the White Lions. His thief vision is immediately valuable during the difficult fog conditions of Chapter 12, while his high Resistance makes him one of the army's better options for baiting the map's numerous magic users. This early map immediately demonstrates the versatility that ultimately defines Liang. 

Liang's stat growths reinforce this specialized role. His good Speed allows him to avoid being doubled by most enemies, coupled with his solid Luck, can eventually make him fairly evasive. His standout Resistance also makes him one of the better physical units for confronting enemy magic. Conversely, his low Power limits his offensive ceiling, and his extremely poor Defense makes physical enemies considerably more dangerous. Liang is therefore much more comfortable drawing out a dangerous mage than holding a traditional frontline position.

Liang can promote into either Ranger or Adventurer, but Adventurer generally does more to capitalize on what makes him unique. Ranger provides greater mobility and Sure Strike, while still allowing Liang to steal from enemies, making it a viable option for players who want to emphasize his bow use and mobility. However, Liang lacks the Power to distinguish himself as a Ranger when characters such as Winifred can fill the offensive role more effectively. Adventurer instead leans completely into Liang's identity as a utility unit by adding staff access to his existing bows, lockpicks, stealing, thief vision, and high Resistance. He may never become the army's strongest healer, archer, thief, or mage bait individually, but combining all of those functions into a single deployment slot gives Liang versatility that few characters can match. 

The greatest consideration when evaluating Liang is Roxie. The two compete for the earliest Part 2 recruitment opportunity, and delaying either until their later recruitment makes them extremely difficult to use. Roxie offers substantially greater long-term combat potential if properly invested in, while Liang provides more immediate utility and is particularly valuable during the difficult early chapters of Part 2. 

Liang's weaknesses are straightforward. His low Power prevents him from competing with the game's stronger archers as a dedicated offensive unit, while his poor Defense makes physical enemies particularly dangerous. His value also depends heavily on recruiting him early.  If Liang does not rejoin until Chapter 22, he loses the availability that allows his utility-focused build to develop naturally and becomes one of the most difficult characters in the game to salvage. 

Overall, Liang is a Swiss army knife rather than a powerhouse. He is unlikely to lead the army in damage or become its strongest archer; however, an early-recruited Liang can scout through fog, open locks, steal valuable items, eliminate fliers, bait magic users, and eventually provide staff support, all while occupying a single deployment slot. No individual part of Liang's toolkit makes him exceptional, but very few characters can offer so many different tools at once. For players willing to embrace that supporting role, Liang can make your core units around him considerably more effective.