Bai Qi
This commander turns cooperation into striking power. Encirclement is expressed through the position of a second friendly unit, making the surrounding formation as important as the attacker.
ENCIRCLEMENT
Once per battle, before combat reveals: a friendly attacker gains +2 Rank for this combat if another friendly unit is adjacent to its target.
What it means in play
Use the ability once per battle, before combat reveals, only when another friendly unit is adjacent to the target. The attacking unit gains +2 Rank for that combat, subject to any restriction on receiving bonuses.
The historical lens
Bai Qi was a Qin commander associated with the victory at Changping. The Shiji also records his killing of surrendered Zhao soldiers. The card’s encirclement theme should be read alongside that human cost, not as an uncomplicated celebration of conquest.
Reading the illustration
The source direction places a stern strategist above an encircling army in a river valley, using black lacquer and dawn ochre.