A strong warrior was useful in my era of expertise (190-280 CE), a figure who could lead from the front as a spearhead for troops of varying training, perhaps even leading a daring dare-or-die troop for a particular task. Such men were of such use, one could overlook the minor matter of murder or wrongdoing for such men force of strength was welcome, as long they could be kept under control.

You needed people who, seeing the arrows and crossbow bolts flying, enemies with sharp pointy weapons, would plunge into the fray (or over the walls) with their companions, hoping that the rest of the troops would follow. Or be given a specific task with volunteers/ die-and-die troops for a purpose in a battle, to take a risk and hold. Strong enough to survive and fight well and maybe, just maybe, kill an opposing officer would demoralize and route the enemy. Though an officer getting a hand-to-hand kill was a rare event and not something one could rely on for victory.

However, it wasn't just strength. One man going alone against tens of thousands or even a hundred thousand troops was going to die very quickly. The highest credible kill count (and even then, probably prone to exaggeration) was Zhang Liao in 215 killed two officers and several tens of men. In ideal circumstances against a sickened enemy, led by a man who showed limited military capability, caught by complete surprise in a carefully planned raid. Against 100,000, that major kill count was not going to win the battle.

Each time it is a man with his companions or troops even when sounds alone, people there to have his back and to follow in. Often the warrior's strength is used in a specific situation or as part of a strategy, where the strength is part of the idea for how to win, rather than just a headless one-man charge. So it was not alone, not separate from leadership or strategy but if the enemy leader refused to put themselves in killable range, a warrior could still be of much use. Just that, for the really big roles, people that could organize and plan, to manage a lot of gigantic egos, were of more use.

To use some famous warrior moments of the era:

1. Guan Yu killing Yan Liang. In 200, two powerful warlords in the north had turned from allies to war. Yuan Shao was advancing south against his former protege Cao Cao, controller of the Han Emperor, and as an early move sent the famed warrior Yan Liang with 10,000 men across the Yellow River to besiege Liu Yan at Boma. Cao Cao went to reinforce his commander, sending Zhang Liao as vanguard with recently joined Guan Yu taking part. Yan Liang led his forces out to meet the reinforcements, Guan Yu spotted Yan Liang's standard and charged into the midst of the Yuan army. Fighting his way through, he killed Yan Liang, cut off his head and cut his way back out. Unsurprisingly, the besieging force collapsed and retreated though the campaign would continue for some time.

As a feat of martial strength and daring against a famed brave opponent, it was impressive and Guan Yu would be a famed warrior admired by many in his time. However it wasn't just might, it was Guan Yu spotting an opportunity and leading his men into the fray. But it was also about surprise. Yan Liang had to scramble his men to meet Cao Cao's advance with Cao Cao taking Xun You's advice to make a feint to distract the main army of the Yuan forces and then force march his force to Boma, Yan Liang was fighting a battle he had not expected.

2. In 208, Sun Quan after years of preparation and recent advancements in the area, attacked Huang Zu, Liu Biao's now elderly commander in the south of Jing, who Sun Quan blamed for the death of his father Jian in battle many years ago. Huang Zu set up defences at the mouth of the river where the Han met the Yangzi, two ships firmly anchored to narrow the river with a thousand crossbowmen to fire upon the advancing army. Zhou Yu, commander of the vanguard and probably having overall operational command, sent Ling Tong and Dong Xi with one hundred double-armoured volunteer troops each. They led their ships between the gap, under fire, and Dong Xi personally cut the ropes anchoring them. As the two ships drifted away, the Sun army could advance.

Huang Zu sent out Chief Controller Chen Jiu with naval forces as the Sun forces approached his city and Lu Meng, who had been promoted when Sun Quan took power in 200 for simply having well-trained and dressed troops, encouraged fellow members of the van and personally killed Chen Jiu. This was a major morale boost to the Sun forces and they pressed onto Huang Zu's position, storming Xiakou with Huang Zu killed as he tried to escape. Sun Quan rewarded both Dong Xi, a man noted for his strength and bravery, and Lu Meng for their roles in the victory.

3. Dian Wei. Of great strength, had once carried out a vendetta with nobody daring to attack, single-handily lifted up a camp flag that was too heavy for others, favoured weapon a double halberd said to weigh twenty kilos. Also a champion eater and drinker.

A major under Xiahou Dun under the warlord Cao Cao, in 194 Cao Cao was fighting to keep hold of his base of Yan from the warrior warlord Lu Bu. Cao Cao sought to disrupt Lu Bu's lines of communication with a raid but on his way back, was intercepted and Lu Bu came to join the fight in a battle that lasted all day. In danger of being trapped, Cao Cao asked for volunteers and Dian Wei duly did so, becoming leader of double armoured forlorn hope troops to be placed inside Lu Bu's lines as a disruptive presence. Under heavy fire, they held with Dian Wei telling his men to tell him when the enemy was within ten paces, then five. His troops were said to have been frightened when they declared five paces, Dian Wei lifted his halberd and roared before charging, slaying everywhere he struck. Lu Bu was never good at coordinating his troops and Dian Wei's men proved disruptive enough with their counter-attack to ease the pressure, allowing Cao Cao to enact a withdrawal.

However, all three men show the limitations of a warrior. Guan Yu was said to be worth 10,000 men by the adviser Cheng Yu who served a rival lord, the rival warlord Cao Cao admired him, Zhou Yu the chief commander of the southern state of Sun Quan wanted him. Yet Guan Yu and his close master Liu Bei, an experienced commander, would be chased from place to place for most of their careers. When Liu Bei conquered a base, Guan Yu would be entrusted with their parts of Jing province but in 219 would launch an attack on Cao Cao's positions in Jing. Despite some success, it would fail and he would return to find the Sun state, led by Lu Meng, had seized Jing while Guan Yu was away, Guan Yu was captured and killed. His arrogance, misreading of Sun intent and alienating of key subordinates cost the famed warrior and his lord dearly,

Dian Wei would be put in charge of Cao Cao's bodyguard and with select troops, taking the lead on the frontlines with every engagement. In 197 Cao Cao's mishandling of the newly surrendered Zhang Xiu saw a revolt, Dian Wei and his ten men provided a valiant rearguard as Cao Cao fled They were said to be a match for ten men each but one problem with trying to ten-man against an army is Zhang Xiu's troops found they could also attack from behind. Also, arrows, shooting things works well. Dian Wei fought hard with his halberds but his body was repeatedly wounded, and his weapons were broken then when they got too close, he grappled two enemy soldiers and killed them. While that was apparently quite off-putting and Dian Wei would charge into the fray, said to kill several before his wounds overtook him, dying shouting curses at the foe.

Impressive as the last stand was, in the end, Dian Wei was dead, his head cut off to make sure and Zhang Xiu's men continued on. Cao Cao was wounded, his horse shot from under him, his eldest son Cao Ang was killed after giving up his horse to his father, and his nephew Anmin was killed, while some of Cao Cao's troops pillaged their own side in the chaos. It was a defeat that would end Cao Cao's marriage with Lady Ding and was a political embarrassment. Dian Wei and his small guard had, amidst any exaggerations for a heroic rearguard, brought time but they had been overwhelmed by the enemy in the end and it had taken other efforts, like Yu Jin's managing to keep his men in order and prepare defences, to prevent the disaster getting even worse.

Perhaps the story of Lu Meng might be a reflection that other things were sought beyond might. Brave and strong, he had gone against his mother to serve in the Sun armies at a young age and had to be forgiven for murdering an officer. But it was training and equipping his men that saw him kept and promoted by the new head Sun Quan. He would later press greatly on Lu Meng the need to study properly, that Lu Meng was clever but needed to develop. The studying helped turn around the opinion of commander Lu Su and Lu Meng would become Lu Su's successor as Sun Quan's chief commander. It would not be the killing of Chen Jiu and acts of bravery that would ensure Lu Meng's place in the highest of offices or Wu's history. It would be his planning: setting up defences at Ruxu and the without a fight conquest of Jing, deceiving its protector Guan Yu, in 219 before his death of illness with Sun Quan distraught.

The only such occurrence that comes to mind is the Battle of Stamford Bridge. The English army under Harold Godwinson surprised the invading Norwegians under Harald Hardrada. A giant sized Viking with an ax walked out on the bridge and reportedly slew 40 Englishmen and held the entire English advance up for hours until an English soldier floated under the bridge and stabbed the axman with a spear through the planks of the bridge. The delay allowed the Norwegians to form a shield wall and better defend against the English attack. The English ultimately won but took many more losses than they would have had they been able to attack without the delay. Three weeks later the Normans invaded and defeated Harold at the Battle of Hastings, in part due to the losses incurred at Stamford Bridge.