Should you recruit, release, or execute captured generals in Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires?

When you successfully invade a new territory in Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires, you’ll receive a glut of wealth from the previous occupants. This influx of gold and rations is nice, but the real reward you can reap from invasions is new generals. As your renown grows, you’ll become a fierce contender in ancient China, but you never feel like you know what to do with those generals you capture from your opponents. This guide explains what you should do with generals once you’ve caught them.

Should you recruit captured generals?

If you recruit a captured general, you’ll need to spend gold and rations. They’ll join you with an army strength of zero, but that will rebuild over time. The cost of this is more gold and rations each month, meaning you may need to develop agriculture and raise funds to cope with the added strain. A general will only join your army if you’ve managed to impress them enough. If not, they’ll refuse you, leaving you to decide whether to release them or execute them.

Should you release captured generals?

Releasing a general after a battle is a risky move. On the one hand, the general may be grateful to you and work alongside you in an alliance in the future. However, we think that it’s far more likely that the general will flee and join an opposing force, aiming to fight you on the battlefield later in your campaign. This is a risk you must weigh up each time you release a general or not.

Should you execute captured generals?

We’ve found that executing captured generals is the best thing to do when they refuse to be recruited. It might seem cruel, but you’ll wipe out enemies and potential formidable foes by killing them before they can show up again. You also weaken other territories by executing generals because they can’t return to a stronghold to regroup and defend against your armies.