Fallen Dynasty – Best Reinforcement Characters, Ranked

Let’s be blunt and honest right up front, the Reinforcements in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty don’t really make the biggest ‘difference’ in a person’s playthrough. Yes, they take the aggro of enemies away from the player sometimes and yes they can deal noticeable amounts of damage in certain circumstances, but they’re mostly there to help newer players advance and so players can progress their Oath Level and get a copy of their gear (Armor and Weapons).

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All that said, some allies are better than others. A total of 17 different characters are available to summon as allies in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, depending on what stage or point in the game the player is at. So, let’s go through them all, one by one, and rank them from worst to best. Keep in mind, a majority of these rankings will be based on their Warrior Effects, as these passive buffs are the main ‘gameplay’ aspect that separates the characters from one another.

17 Han Dang

First up is Han Dang, a truly forgettable character that’s part of the 3-person boss fight ‘sparring match’ that a majority of the mission “The Tiger’s Loyal Subjects” encompasses. Not only is this battle tediously long as Han Dang, Cheng Pu, and Huang Gai all have a ton of health, but it’s also just frustrating in general. However, once the player beats them, they’ll get their weapon and a piece of their Armor Set.

However, if players get their Bond to Level 5 as a Reinforcement, they’ll get a copy of their full set. In Han Dang’s case, he’s really not worth having around. To put it bluntly, his Effects and Set Bonuses are barely noticeable when active.

16 Xiahou Dun

While Xiahou Dun is a great character and Cao Cao’s second-in-command, as a Reinforcement Ally he doesn’t really provide much. His Staunchness Armor Set is great looking, but the Set Bonuses are only ‘okay’. And, the weapon his Oath Level 5 rewards, the Vermillion Bird Greataxe, only has decent Virtue scaling (a very important stat) for such a slow weapon type.

He’s just another example of an ally whose benefits are ‘helpful’ by definition but not by much.

15 Xiahou Yuan

The brother of Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan is a renowned archer and longtime ally of Cao Cao, and he shows this mastery of archery often the in-game cinematics. As a summoned ally, however, Xiahou Yuan is just ‘alright’. The Armor Set AKA the “Rushing Set” he grants a copy of at Oath Level 5 has some great Set Bonuses for players who like the ranged options Wo Long has, but because of this, it’s also incredibly specialized in its utility. And, as one would expect, his Warrior Effect is also focused on ranged weapons.

His second Warrior Effect, however, is pretty great for Ranged Weapons users. The extra chance to retrieve ammo when using a Ranged Attack is a pretty big buff.

14 Liu Bei

Liu Bei is the ally to summon for players who want to live just a bit longer, which is a bit ironic due to what he eventually (albeit briefly) becomes. Almost all of his benefits, whether it be his Warrior Effect or his Man of Benevolence Set Bonuses, seem to be focused on health gain and HP Recovery.

And, while his Set Bonuses are absolutely much more useful than both his Warrior Effects, they’re not really necessary for someone who has the gameplay loop of Wo Long down pat.

13 Zhang Jiao/Guo Jia

This next one is a bit confusing as the ‘historical’ name of this character is Guo Jia, but he’s labeled as Zhang Jiao in the subtitles and Reinforcements menu. And, attentive players may have also noticed that this was the name of the leader of the Yellow Turbans (and the brother of the tutorial boss, Zhang Liang) that’s tricked and corrupted by Yu Ji AKA the Taoist in Black, and that’s not Guo Jia. So, it’s understandable that players got confused by this character. In any case, Guo Jia is another one of Cao Cao’s capable men and specializes in strategy, represented by the owl carving on his Jade Staff.

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His Set, the Libationer Guo Set, provides a lot of bonuses to applying Negative Effects and debuffing enemies through Fatal Strikes, which is pretty useful for a handful of builds. And, his Warrior Effects have buffs along the same vein as his Set Bonuses. Basically, his Effects and Armor are a bit more useful across multiple builds than, say, Xiahou Yuan’s are, but they’re nothing ‘mind-blowing’.

12 Sun Ce

The eldest son of Sun Jian, Sun Ce, is a pretty memorable character overall in Wo Long’s story. His confident nature and passion for combat lead him to steal the spotlight in a lot of his moments in the game’s cinematics. As a Reinforcement Ally, Sun Ce is the first example here of an ally who is generally accepted as ‘great’ overall. His initial Warrior Effect buffs the Spirit Gain players get from Normal Attacks, which is something they’ll be using constantly.

Additionally, his second Warrior Effect is great for survival in general and also helpful for players who like an aggressive playstyle overall. Not only that, but his Young Conqueror Set has bonuses that are just about applicable to every type of build possible in the game.

11 Sun Jian

Next up is the “Tiger of Jiangdong” otherwise known as Sun Jian who is one of Cao Cao’s most trusted men. In general, he’s just a better version of Sun Ce in terms of Warrior Effects and Set Bonus buffs. Of course, Dual Halberd users should still absolutely go for Sun Ce of Sun Jian, since those are what Sun Ce specializes in.

In any case, while Sun Jian’s first Warrior Effect is more universally helpful compared to his second Effect, both are useful. And, the Vicious Tiger Set Bonuses are almost all amazing too.

10 Hong Jing

One of the only ‘caster-type’ Reinforcement Allies, Hong Jing is actually pretty useful overall. For some reason, her AI with casting doesn’t seem to work as well as with the AI for melee users so in combat her utility is hit-or-miss.

But, in general, Hong Jing provides some great Warrior Effects for casters and her Tianzhu Hermit Set provides even more. Of course, for all those who aren’t focusing too much on Wizardry Spells, there’s not much of an incentive to really summon Hong Jing at all.

9 Zhang Liao

Zhang Liao is one of Lu Bu’s most trusted companions, and his easily identifiable Armor Set makes him even more recognizable amongst a crowd. Because of this, a lot of players put time into leveling up their Oath early on, and thankfully it’s worth it. His Valourous Vanguard Set bonuses are great for anyone who uses Martial Arts or Fatal Strikes even a little bit.

And, similarly, his two Warrior Effects are also based around these two mechanics, with his first one being focused on Fatal Strikes while his second makes it easier to use Martial Arts while he’s summoned.

8 Cheng Pu

Cheng Pu is another one of the ‘three stooges’ players will get frustrated dealing with in the Tiger’s Loyal Subjects sub-mission, but he’s a lot more universally beneficial to summon compared to Han Dang.

For one, his Armor Set, the Sun’s Elder Veterans Set, is pretty visually interesting. Two, the bonuses this Set provides are pretty amazing for Martial Arts users. And three, both of his Warrior Effects are pretty helpful and amazing overall.

7 Sun Quan

As for the last of the Sun Jian family on here, it’s Sun Quan. Sun Quan is Sun Ce’s younger brother and is, in many ways, the polar opposite of his sibling. Where Sun Ce is confident, loud, and passionate, Sun Quan is modest, calm, and reserved. And, while Sun Ce has his Dual Halbers, Sun Quan had his archery and swordsmanship.

As an ally, Sun Quan’s Warrior Effects and Armor Set mimic this expertise in melee and ranged combat quite well. While more of the focus is on the ranged aspect or regaining ammo, the higher bonuses on his Blue-Eyed Child Set show that he was well-versed in Martial Arts as well. In any case, Sun Quan is the perfect Reinforcement ally for those who use Ranged Weapons relatively often but tend to rely on melee combat for the most part.

6 Zhang Fei

Much like Sun Ce was the polar opposite of Sun Quan, Zhang Fei is basically the opposite of Liu Bei’s other sworn brother, Guan Yu. Where Guan Yu was calculating, always serious, and overly honorable, Zhang Fei lived in the moment, never spoke seriously, and would often be caught slacking. This isn’t only bad, however, as these same aspects are what made Zhang Fei so immediately relatable and likable as a whole.

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As a summon, Zhang Fei is pretty basic. He makes Martial Arts slightly better and gives the player a bit more defense while attacking. Additionally, his Fierce Zhang Fei Set has similar Bonuses to his Warrior Effects. But, because it’s basic, these benefits are widely beneficial as a whole, making Zhang Fei a fantastic choice in just about any scenario.

5 Zhao Yun

Zhao Yun is one of the first great warriors that players meet in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, and he lives up to that title with his entrance. Overall Zhao Yun can be described in one word, both in this game and in his historical representation, and that word is ‘bold’.

And, both his Warrior Effects and Set Bonus from the Boldness Set mirror this sentiment as they’re both based around gaining additional Morale and bonus benefits from successfully deflecting attacks. And, since the Morale system is integral to the core gameplay of Wo Long, and deflecting is even more integral, it should be obvious as to why Zhao Yun is ranked this highly.

4 Guan Yu

Guan Yu has to be one of the most well-known characters and names from this period of history. Whether this is due to his constant representations in games and media such as Dynasty Warriors or if it’s entirely due to his exploits when he was alive, it’s impossible to say one way or the other.

In any case, Guan Yu is one of the earliest accessible Reinforcement allies and also one of the best. His Warrior Effects are general, but always beneficial regardless of the build and this is pretty much true for his Armor Set, the Ser Magnificent Beard Set, as well.

3 Huang Gai

It feels weird to rank somebody like Huang Gai so high compared to some of the other all-time legends like Guan Yu and Zhao Yun, but his benefits in Wo Long are just that good. His Warrior Effects are entirely centered around Fatal Strikes, something that players will be using constantly, and his Armor Set only makes it easier to get more Fatal Strikes with additional benefits. This is due to the Stealth buff the Set gives, something players would only get from investing levels into the Water Virtue otherwise.

And that’s really the main reason he’s ranked this highly, because with Huang Gai, whether it’s while wearing his Set, with him at Oath Level 1, or at Oath Level 5, players will immediately notice the benefits they gain from him.

2 Cao Cao

Let’s be honest, the only other character with a set of Armor as recognizable as Cao Cao’s is Lu Bu, but Lu Bu isn’t available as a Reinforcement ally. So, Cao Cao is not only ranked second because of how amazing his Armor Set looks, but also because the Set Bonuses from this Armor Set are universally great.

Not only that but even having him summoned after reaching Oath Level 5 will give players the Marking Flag Detection Skill, making it much easier to collect all the Marking Flags in each level without wasting a Trait slot to have this Skill on one of their pieces of equipment. It’s a huge benefit in terms of convenience, and when the differences between allies are so minimal, even something as minor as a bit of convenience can mean everything.

1 Xun Yu

And in first place is likely a character no one expected to see up here, Xun Yu. There are two main reasons for this, in spite of the fact that Xun Yu is barely in the story at all, and it’s the fact that his Warrior Effects and Set Bonuses are based around gathering more Genuine Qi and regaining HP. Genuine Qi in Wo Long is the most important of currencies, as it is what allows players to level up and invest more points into their Virtues.

So, any increase in the overall amount of Qi they obtain is a gigantic benefit, and Xun Yu’s second Warrior Effect boosts this by 9.6 percent. Not only that but if players also wear at least two pieces of his Prefect Xun Set, they’ll get an additional 5.1 percent buff to their Qi obtention on top of that.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty was released on March 3rd, 2023 and is available on Playstation 4&5, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.

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