For first-timers, you'll want to start with the shu faction where liu bei's crew gives you the best foundation. When you begin, watch for zhao yun's spear animations - he flashes briefly before his musou attack which gives you perfect timing to chain combos. Position yourself near groups of enemies when using zhang fei since his lance has a wider sweep pattern, and his recovery frames after heavy attacks give you good windows to reposition.

The campaign flow is really manageable here since shu's early missions teach core mechanics naturally. Keep an eye on your officer positioning during the battle of chibi, where you'll need to stay within support range of allied units. Good to know that guan yu's blade patterns follow a specific rhythm - wait for his weapon to gleam before launching into charge attacks, and you can extend combos by timing your directional inputs right as the previous animation ends.

Most players hit their stride around the third mission when the faction mechanics really click. The ai patterns get more complex after capturing jing province, adding flanking movements you'll need to counter by watching your radar and positioning near terrain choke points, but stick with the basic shu roster until you've mastered their timing windows and attack telegraphs.