- "When all the men bow their heads in submission, only I stand for what is right."
Trưng Trắc (c. 14 – c. 43) was a Lạc Việt military leader who, alongside her sister Trưng Nhị, led a rebellion of Vietnamese tribes against the first Chinese domination of Vietnam by the Han dynasty, reigning for three years from 40 to 43 BC as queen until finally being defeated. She and her sister are still highly revered in Vietnamese culture, being held up as national heroines and symbols of independence. She is a leader in Civilization VII.
Intro[]
With a cry of defiance, you stand against those who would impose their will. Though your enemies, Trung Trac, may be many, you will make them pay for each step they take in your lands. Raise your cry, and call upon your people to stand with you. The sky darkens.
In-Game[]
Trung Trac has the 
Militaristic and 
Scientific 
Attributes. Her default colors are teal and turquoise.
Her leader ability is Hai Bà Trung. A unique 
Commander, Trung Nhi, appears when the first 
Military Unit of the Age is produced. It also grants +20% experience for all Commanders, and +10% 
Science in 
Cities on Tropical tiles, doubled during a 
Formal War she has declared.
Her agenda is Van Minh. Her Relationship decreases by a Medium Amount with the player that has the most Promotions across all their Commanders, and increases by a Medium Amount with the player that has the least.
Strategy[]
In the vanilla version of Civilization VII, Trung Trac definitely is in the running for the title of the best militaristic leader in the game. Not only does she have incentives to start wars, but she is also provided with ample resources to finish those wars quite decisively. With many synergistic civilization options, the opponents may think twice about expanding aggressively in her presence.
Commanders[]
An eight times promoted, twice commended Commander at the beginning of the Exploration Age.
And that Commander with 13 promotions at the beginning of the Modern Age.
As a rule of thumb, if you decide to pursue a Military Victory and be the bully of the continent, your first Commander should invest heavily into the Assault tree. The first Commendation you pick should always be Order so you can overwhelm your opponents easily, especially when you have the element of surprise and the first strike. After Assault, the next tree to consider is either Bastion (to improve the survivability of your units) or Maneuver (for maneuverability). With how fast her Commanders can gain promotions as long as you're active in wars, it's always helpful to look beyond your first Commendation. After Order, Merit and Duty are recommended as the second and third Commendations.
Also, it is worth seeking out at least 1 Militaristic city-state in any Age and trying to become their Suzerain. One of the Suzerainty bonus of Militaristic city-states is extra experience for Commanders (ranging from 50 to 100% more).
Extra Science in Tropical Cities; even more Science during Formal Wars you declare[]
While extra Science is great, think of this bonus as an extra incentive for you to declare Formal Wars. 10% more Science in Tropical Cities is not enough to win a Scientific Victory peacefully, and Trung Trac is by no means as effective a Scientific leader as others. Not to mention, a Tropical spawn is not even a guarantee if you pair Trung Trac with a starting civilization with a contradictory starting bias (such as Achaemenid Persia in the Antiquity Age, which has a Desert and Plains bias). Since Trung Trac is provided with such a powerful war bonus which can win wars decisively, your territory will expand very fast and all the yields will start rolling in quite naturally, there's hardly a need to keep rerolling for a start where you can take much advantage of this ability. While it makes Trung Trac a lot more appealing, it is not her main selling point.
Recommended civilizations[]
Antiquity[]
Persia is by far the best choice for Trung Trac. Their Hazarapatis comes with the Initiative promotion right out of the gate, allowing units to move and attack after being unpacked. This is a crucial promotion for all aggressive Commanders, you would have to take this promotion anyway if you think of going on the offensive. By having this promotion for free, the first Hazarapatis can have 4 promotions all invested in the Assault tree, unlocking the all powerful Order Commendation immediately. Coupled with Persia's civilization ability, an Infantry unit can always attack with +10 
Combat Strength (3 Combat Strength from civilization ability, 5 Combat Strength from Order, 2 Combat Strength from promotions). In Civilization VII, 10 Combat Strength difference is equivalent to almost the whole era of technology, allowing you to smash enemies easily. Not to mention, with Advancement, the first attack your Infantry units make when at full health gets a +15 Combat Strength bonus, making all battles very one-sided.
Rome is also great, but will experience a less explosive start. Rome also has a unique Army Commander, the Legatus, which can found one Settlement for every 3 promotions it has. Under Trung Trac, the first Legatus can immediately found a Settlement without having to wait for your 
Capital to reach 5 Population. Otherwise, if you want to save on 
Production costs, train one Settler first, and then only use the Legatus' ability after having 2 Settlements. Although the Legion is strong, the Legatus lacks the prowess of the Hazarapatis.
If you want to play a peaceful science game, the Maya are recommended, although as mentioned above, most of Trung Trac's power will go to waste this way. Of all Antiquity civilizations, the Maya have the strongest leaning toward Science. They also have a Vegetated and Tropical bias, just like Trung Trac, which means her Capital is most likely guaranteed to be able to benefit immediately from her bonus.
Exploration[]
If you still want to pursue a Military Legacy Path in the Exploration Age, there are multiple choices for civilizations for you, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. The best choice here is probably Mongolia, since it allows you to bulldoze your way to the completion of the Legacy Path without having to explore Distant Lands and is the natural progression from playing Persia. You now can gain points by conquering Settlements in your Homeland. It also helps you make the best use of your highly promoted Commander from the previous age without having to switch to a Fleet Commander. However, the main downside of Mongolia is that they use Cavalry units as the core of the army, and their bonuses revolve around this, and during the Age transition, you will be left with mostly Infantry units. Thus, it will take time to rebuild, although it can be easily and quickly overcome since Mongolia can earn free Cavalry units just by conquering.
If you play as Rome in the previous age, Spain is the natural progression. Their unique Conquistador can provide multiple upgrades to both Army and Fleet Commanders, which can smooth your conquest of Distant Lands. However, Spain is notoriously hard to unlock naturally if you don't play as Rome, Greece, or Isabella, so you may have to give up one Settlement during a peace deal just to recapture it later in case you start as Persia or something else. Also, moving your highly promoted Army Commander across rough seas isn't ideal, and waiting around for Shipbuilding to unlock may be less ideal. Other militaristic civilizations like the Normans can also be considered, although they are significantly less synergistic.
Modern[]
The main problem with the Modern Age is that Mongolia unlocks the Qing and Russia, Spain unlocks Mexico, and none of these civilizations are geared toward wars. However, after 2 ages of wars, your empire will likely be large and consolidated enough that you can go for any victory, so you can pick any civilization you've unlocked. If you still want to keep up your bloodthirsty heritage to the very end, Prussia is by far the best both in terms of war and of how easy it is to unlock. After two ages of waging wars, it's likely that everyone will have negative feelings towards you, fueling the Combat Strength of your units even more.
The French Empire is a free unlock if you play as Rome in Antiquity. Their Garde Impériale receives additional Combat Strength when in the radius of a Commander on top of any bonuses to Combat Strength you receive from your Commander's promotions. Also, the Jacobin Louis Antoine de Saint-Just turbocharges this ability by adding even more Combat Strength for units around Commanders. However, if you play as Persia in Antiquity, this is not a guaranteed unlock.
Recommended mementos[]
Kiem: +1 Science per Age for every Army Commander level.- Artilleryman's Gloves: +1 Culture per Age for every Army Commander level.
- Lion Capital: Commanders receive +50% XP during a celebration.
- Scythian Battle-Axe: +1 Gold per Age for every Commander XP earned.
- The Art of War: +10% Commander experience. +50% when your Commander is within the Command Radius of a higher level Commander.
Lines[]
Trung Trac is voiced by Hong Nhung. She speaks Vietnamese.
| Line | Quote (English translation) | Quote (Vietnamese) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quote | When all the men bow their heads in submission, only I stand for what is right. | Khi tất cả đứng nam nhi ở đây cúi đầu khuất phục, chỉ có minh ta đứng về phía chính nghĩa. | This quote is attributed to a 15th-century Vietnamese poem commemorating the Trưng sisters. |
| Greeting | The breeze from Fan Si Pan was cool this evening, and the Red River flows calm. And here you are. (lit. "Tonight the cool breeze on the top of Fan Si Pan, and the calm and quiet flow of the Red River. Here you are.") | Đêm nay ngọn gió mát trên đỉnh Fan Si Pan, và dòng chảy êm đềm tĩnh lặng của sông Hồng. Các ngươi đến đây. | |
| Attacked | The land will fight you. The rivers will rise against you. The sky will cast fire down upon you. You will not succeed. (lit. "The land will fight you. You will bring defeat upon yourself.") | Mảnh đất này sẽ đấu tranh với các ngươi. Các ngươi sẽ chuốc lấy thất bại. | |
| Declares War | We have borne your insults for too long. I will not bow my head when there is injustice. (lit. "We have endured your insults for too long. We will not bow our heads as long as injustice continues.") | Chúng tôi đã chịu đựng sự sỉ nhục của các người quá lâu. Chúng tôi sẽ không cúi đầu khi nào còn bất công. | |
| Accepts Player's Deal | In harmony, like land and water. | Trong sự giao hòa, như đất và nước. | |
| Rejects Player's Deal | My people's interests come first. No. | Lợi ích của dân tộc tôi là trên hết. Không phải. | |
| Defeat | My ancestors await. My voice will be lost to time, but I will dwell with them in paradise. (lit. "Our ancestors are waiting. My voice will be lost in time, but I will live with them in heaven.") | Tổ tiên của ta đang đợi chờ. Tiếng nói của ta sẽ bị mất theo thời gian, nhưng ta sẽ sống với họ trên thiên đàng. | As Bà Triệu does in Civilization VI, Trung Trac uses the pronouns ta for herself and ngươi for the player, indicating she looks down on and is placing herself above the player in her views on social and power rankings. |
Leader Path[]
| Level | Unlocks |
|---|---|
| 2 |  Kiem |
| 3 | Militaristic Attribute Node
|
| 4 | Exploration Militaristic Legacy Card
|
| Exploration Scientific Legacy Card | |
| 5 |  Ankus |
| 6 | Trung Trac Badge 1
|
Trung Trac Banner
| |
| 7 | Scientific Attribute Node
|
| 8 | Modern Militaristic Legacy Card
|
| Modern Scientific Legacy Card | |
| 9 |  Dong Son Drum |
| 10 | Trung Trac Badge 2
|
Rebel Queen
|
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Civilopedia entry[]
Look at a map of Southeast Asia and southern East Asia and take note of a few key details. Travel by water is much easier than travel by land, especially where monsoons and rainforests make moving too far into the landscape impossible. Rivers – the Irrawaddy, the Salween, the Chao Phraya, and the Mekong – become lifelines for rice-planting civilizations; other realms are built upon trade routes. Mountains are walls – in Laos and along the western borders of Vietnam, no rivers cross them, and they are thickly forested. This is why Vietnam, originating in the Red River delta and possessing a relatively open (geographically) border with China, struggled mostly with its northern neighbor, and also incorporated so much of Chinese culture; yet as one goes further south and west, Indian influence grows.
The Vietnamese language belongs to the Mon-Khmer family, meaning that it is related to many of the oldest Southeast Asian languages. Vietnam also possesses a few Southeast Asian features, including a relatively high status for women. But most of its culture is adapted from northern importations – its script, style of Buddhism, and system of governance were all similar to Chinese (until the French altered written Vietnamese to the Roman alphabet).
Trung Trac’s story begins more than two centuries before her birth (around the time of the construction of the terracotta warriors) when a military commander from the collapsing Qin Empire fled south and seized lands from Hong Kong to Hanoi. He called this new kingdom Nanyue, the Southern Yue kingdom, pronounced Nam Viet in Vietnamese. He also declared it to be independent…of sorts. The newly ascendant Han Dynasty tolerated Nanyue's existence as long as it remained a Chinese vassal. The Yue people likely included a wide variety of unrelated groups: Cantonese speakers, Vietnamese people (kinh), Tai speakers, and Trung Trac’s people – the Lac Viet.
Over time, the Han reconsolidated and sought expansion. In 111 BCE, they conquered Nanyue directly. During this “First Chinese Domination of Vietnam,” the Han embarked on an aggressive campaign to turn Yue “tribes” into good Chinese subjects. This involved aggressive suppression of Vietnamese customs and the imposition of Confucianism, the imperial political system, and Chinese writing. These measures were not popular.
The Trung sisters were two wealthy daughters of a Lac Viet family who grew up while Han governors were quickly trying to subvert adherence to Lac tradition and “civilize” the barbarians. This cultural conflict became a sticking point when the husband of Trung Trac was killed for opposing these efforts and plotting a rebellion.
After his execution, Trung Trac and her sister rose up and toppled Chinese rule in the region around Hanoi (then called La Thanh). The two sisters seized over 60 cities; once these were secured, Trung built lines of reinforcement and repaired infrastructure that had been languishing under Chinese rule. An independent Nanyue – Vietnam – was within reach.
But their rule was to last only three years, after which the Han sent a massive retaliatory force to retake the region. Trung fled to a narrow canyon where she believed she could make a defensive stand, but she realized that her troops were too disorganized. What happens next varies depending on the version of the story: the Trung sisters were either killed, committed suicide, or vanished into the sky.
The Trung sisters are revered as national heroes today, and people dress as them in parades in Saigon and elsewhere. While Vietnam has its own legacy of imperialism vis-à-vis the Cham, or highland peoples, it has also been the victim of imperialist aggression for a long time from the Chinese (and French and Americans). Figures like Trung feed into this narrative, becoming powerful symbols of Vietnamese resistance to invaders – whether they come from across the seas or next door.
Trivia[]
- Trung Trac's leader ability is a Vietnamese expression that means "The Two Trung Ladies" and is used to describe her and her sister, while her ability is a Vietnamese term that means "civilized society," historically used to describe Vietnam as an independent civilization with its own culture.
- Curiously, Trung Trac's in-game name and her agenda are anglicized yet her ability still contains Vietnamese diacritics.
Gallery[]
.png "Trung Trac three-quarter length (Civ7).png (369 KB)")
.jpg "Hai Bà Trưng (tranh Đông Hồ).jpg (141 KB)")
Videos[]
First Look- Trung Trac - Civilization VII
First Look: Trung Trac
Related achievements[]
|
Sisters Before Misters.
Win the modern age as Trung Trac.
|
See also[]
- Trung Trac in other games