Brigandine FAQ Version 1.6 by Zhou Tai An (kain@pacific.net.sg) Disclaimer (after 10 or so FAQs, I'm getting slightly tired of writing these but here goes anyway) : this FAQ and all contents are the property of Zhou Tai An. Wanna use it? Mail me or I WILL get you. ^_^ Decided to lay off playing Brigandine - getting boring. (And I really need to save my energy for the Japanese release of FF8; coming out right next month!) So while I'll happily edit any additions\hints\tips any of you readers might like to send me (provided, of course, that they're new and genuienly useful) I won't be writing anything either. The truth has been revealed - how to play as Esgares! Look below for the answers. And sorry for all the misleading Bulnoil info, folks. *Found the code to play as the Esgares Empire....Press R1+L2+Start at the "General Select Screen" and it'll bring up the difficulty level without bringing up the general...you'll then start as the Esgares Empire! I would take the credit for this, however, I got the code from Gail Salamanca(the product manager for Atlus or something like that) so you can thank her.* - Jacob Carson Last note : Due to me stupidly deleting my outbox BEFORE sending my mails, I've forgotten most of the credits that should have gone into this version of the FAQ. So thanks a lot to everyone that helped but wasn't credited... I'm really sorry about the mess-up. :( ****** On with the show! ****** The Basics : First, let's tackle the Organize phase of the game. This is where you move people around, give quests and the like. Some hints : 1. Move well. If you move, you can't attack in the same turn - if you do want to just attack, it would make a lot more sense to simply attack and forego the move. You can also move as many units as you want in a single phase, with no time restrictions - make use of this. But you can only attack adjacent enemy castles; noto bene! 2. Quests. Things to remember about quests include the fact that : a) Generals who go on quests DO NOT RETURN FOR A WHILE. This is IMPORTANT. This means that your castles will go unguarded (unless you have someone else inside them) you will not be able to move them, they can't be assigned troops; in other words, temporarily MIA. Because quests have indefinite time periods, don't send your most important generals on them since there's no guarantee that they will return in time for whatever you're planning. b) That aside, quests are still good 'cause they net you stuff. MP bonuses, more Rune Power etc - sometimes quite hefty ones. So if you have a spare general lying around who isn't vital to your war effort, send him\her somewhere to power up a bit. Of course, there are also bad effects, but hey, rough with the smooth and all that no? c) Some quests are essential...well, sorta. Examples include Coel's first quest, which should be to recruit Glauze to your side - things like that. Defeating an enemy nation also scatters some of their former generals across the continent, and then can only return to the fray (on your side, of course) after a correct quest has been undertaken. Don't ignore potentially very useful opportunites such as these. d) It seems I missed out a key detail in section a) above (and since I'm using Notepad to write this I don't get word wrap, so it's here instead) namely, that quests also net you important items such as Rage Lightning (Titans into Thors) and Level 10+ monster units. 3. Get your country in order. Immediately move powerful and to-be-trained generals (such as weak leaders like Lance or Lyonesse) to the front lines so they can repulse enemy invasions and\or level up - throw your spare or recuperating generals to backwater castles or the other outlying areas. Find choke points at the crossroads of several paths to block off - if you keep the enemy from coming into your territory there won't be any need to defend it. Try to control as many places as possible so it's easier to stage attacks and add Mana to your reserves. Be sure to shore up the frontier with enough reinforcements. A suggested strategy is main generals and your leader at the front choke points with support\questing generals right behind. Feed your dog. 4. Watch out for elemental differences. Black units deal heavy damage to white ones and vice versa; same goes for red\blue and all the rest. Certain units (such as the Wyvern) don't seem to have any elemental alignment though. The amount of orbs each unit has is also important - a three-red unit (a Phoenix, for example) will do massive damage to a Hydra (two-blue) but will take a lot in return as well - conversely, if Dryst (one black one red) were to hit the same Hydra he wouldn't take as much since only his red affects the elemental difference. 5. One thing which has probably escaped your notice (but which I'm bringing to your attention) is that attacks that have a range of more than 2 hexes (Middle Shot, Killer Shot, Bat Attack etc) can't be counterattacked EVEN if the defending unit is normally able to. This doesn't work if the attack is made front a one-hex distance of course. 6. When taking an enemy castles, especially one that's lightly defended, be aware that the computer tends to go for quantity rather than quality; in other words, they will leave behind superior, promoted monsters in favor of lousier ones. Make use of this and grab as many as you can. 7. This is uncomfirmed (at least by me) but anyway - apparently, if you don't complete the game by about 60 years, the "Snake of Chaos" appears and then it's all over. Of course, most of your generals should have been dead or feeble because of old age by then, but it's a video game. ^_^ ****** Combat Indubitably the singular aspect of gameplay that makes or breaks an RPG, IMHO. While not exactly boasting the most innovative system of battle ever, Brigandine's is decent if not much else. Now, on to the hints... Detailed Unit Breakdown : (more info will be added as I play further) (Note : I realize that this list isn't complete; if anyone could send me notes on the later class changes or their own opinions on the units I would be most welcome. I might have mislisted some of the Costs here as well. I'm not including Upkeep costs for no reason other than because I don't feel like it.) 1. Ghoul. Cheap, good cannon fodder. Low Rune and Mana cost as well as fast leveling-up makes Ghouls good shock troopers - unfortunately, their weak attacks and low life doesn't make them much else. A few are good to stop gaps and use for initial attack\defense; but sticking to the more powerful troops is generally a better idea. They also level up damn fast and become the deadly Vampire Lords - another thing to keep in mind. Cost 15\60 (First digit is Rune Power cost, next is Mana) 1b. Vampire. Treat as a better Ghoul with Life Drain capability. Not too useful, but they do become... Cost 30 1c. Vampire Lords. Great stuff. Regenerative ability combined with nifty magic and skills (Necro Rebirth in particular) make them excellent support\ front line units. Use well. Cost 70 2. Centaur. Pretty fast moving decent sniper who can hold his own in direct confrontation, placing one or two in key locations of the battlefield and sealing off the gaps with strong troops such as Dragons can be a devastating strategy. One or two to even out your forces, but be wary that their low HP and average attacks make them less useful in some situations. Cost 35\160 2b. High Centaur. Strong backup; their three-square shot range is invaluable for sniping and finishing attacks. A good solid line of these can make a SERIOUS enemy deterrent. Cost 50 3. Pixie. Strictly a support troop, (their Stick Tap is absolutely USELESS) good movement range, Protect and Silence make at least one or two a welcome addition to your side - any more is wasting space. However, these level up damn fast to become - Cost 30/120 3b. Fairy. An essential support unit. More MP than a Pegasus combined with React, (one of the best spells in the game - using it on a mage unit is DEADLY) Paralyze and the other spells will cement your defense line together like glue. Still hopeless at melee combat but it's critical attack seems to be kinda useful - it charms, and often at that. Cost 45 4. Angel. I like these guys. Good defense, high MP, and they fly. Don't use them to attack (though they can harrow enemy mages and finish off weak foes), but instead use them as blockers - who can blow the opposition to pieces with Divine Word and render battlefield assistance with Heal. Only their high Rune and Mana costs make them somewhat costly; but they are good, no doubt about it. Cost 85/500 4b. Archangel. I was initially a bit disappointed with the promoted Angel (hey, with an attack name like Cross Blitz I expect damage!) but their Holy Word makes their blocking capabilites damn powerful - more MP doesn't hurt either. Cost 100 4c. Seraph. Basically a better Archangel with yet more MP and spells - among them Area Heal. They also have a two-hex range attack usable after moving, so they can be effectively mobile as well. 4d. Lucifer. Appears to be the same but with Meteor Doom added. Haven't gotten one yet. Here are the stats though : Move: High Sky 6-6 Attacks: Fallen Shine 1 Shalom 1 (critical attack) Chaos Feather 2 Spells: Same as Seraph plus Meteor Doom Dimension Flame Power Runepower: 120 Upkeep: 122 Cost 120 5. Dragon. Absolutely the BEST attack troop in the beginning of the game - Terror Jaw packs a wallop and Acid Breath can be downright devastating. Relatively low Rune and Mana costs make them THE troop to level enemies with; good support essentially assures you the victory. Cost 75/420 5b. You can either go to White or Red Dragon here - I opt for Red because that troop can become a rockin' Salamander. (Believe me, you don't know what satisfaction is until you see a Grand Flame rip half your enemy's army apart) Regardless of which you pick though, use them as a more powerful version of the basic Dragon. White also flies but Red walks. Cost 90 5c. Salamanders rock. They also eat mages for breakfast and blast armies to kingdom come. Use them as all-purpose badass buggers. ^_^ Fafnirs can be used in the same way. Cost 115 6. Giant. Works basically like a Golem for the most part. Use both of them the same way - as your frontal attack forces with adequate support. Cost 60\280 6b. Gigas or Titan. Bigger, stronger - not faster, but who cares. Treat as better Giants. With a Power spell cast on them, these guys can do serious damage to the enemy ranks. Cost 85 6c. Thor. Only with a Titan and Rage Lightning. Has a three-hex wide earthquake in addition to added attack power. Conversely, if you want a Loki, you'll need a Wisdom Seed - however, becoming one is not so hot as it'll take the unit quite a few levels to gain enough MP to use it's newfound Meteor Doom. However, because the Doom IS a front-line spell, a Loki can do massive damage to the ENTIRE enemy force. Something to think about. 7. Clay Golem. See above. A great difference between Golems and Giants is that the latter has a *crappy* hit rate - high defense makes them unequalled blockers though. Cost 45/240 7b. Stone Golem. As per Golem - Stone Throw is useless. These guys can absorb tons of damage, though, which is something to think about. Cost 70 7c. Bronze Golem. Basically a better - you know the drill. Their new long range attack makes for some powerful 'hurtin on enemies if you can get to it to connec though. 7d. Talos. You need a Level 30 Bronze for this (no, it won't gain any more levels, sorry to say) Powerhouses. Hit rates go up and their long-range attack actually manages to connect regularly. 8. Unicorn. I use them basically as support (for Heal) but they can provide defense and last-minute rushes if needed. Two or three (less if you have healing generals on your side) make good support troops. Cost 40/220 8b. Unicorns become either Nightmares or Pegasi - Pegasi all the way. Though they don't gain more attack power or spells (Halo doesn't really count) they can fly - meaning that getting to key areas of the battlefield is easier. Nightmares only have the risky Dimension spell instead and LOSE their prior healing spells. Let's face it - you want to KILL enemies, not weaken them. Cost 55 9. Wyvern. Use them the same way as Rocs - frontal attack flying troops. I usually have Dragons\Giants\Golem fight the main battles and use Wyverns\Rocs to snipe dying enemies\whack the mages. Cost 60/320 9b. Couati. Treat as better Wyvern until they become Bahamuts. Dragon Roar is pretty much useless. Cost 80 9c. Bahamut. I really prefer the Dragon versions of this class due to their higher life total - the Bahamut's tradeoff of better speed isn't that useful but has advantages when killing mage\archer units. However, any third-level unit in the game kicks serious ass and this one is no exception. 10. Rocs. See above. Upon further thought, their ability to stone enemy troops makes them an overall better choice than Wyverns (I like Gryphons though) and their Cry Bird ability is excellent especially as they're able to fly right into the middle of the enemy force and use it to devastating effect. Cost 75/360 10b. Phoenix. More good stuff. Their regeneration capability makes for the hardiest second-level unit in the game (60-70+ HP Recovery) and their attack strength is nothing to scoff at either. Cost 90 11. Demon. Works like an evil Angel (which it is) Use accordingly. Venom and Curse make good blasting magic. Cost 85/480 11b. Arch Demon. More good blasting magic, and at a high enough level their Weakness and Dimension hit most of the time. But for me it's the ability to cast 3 Curses that makes their 100 Rune Power cost worthwhile. Criticals by them also paralyze the enemy. Cost 100 11c. Satan. Get them. They rule. A whole LOAD of magic and decent physical ability to boot (and they have Meteor Doom...) The only problem with these guys is that it takes practically AGES to advance a Demon far enough. Cost 115 11d. Lilith. Obtained by Charm Liquor. Has all the above besides a charm-causing critical attack and some good Angel spells. Cost 120 12. Mandrake. Good blockers (600+ Hp for starting unit) and paralysis make them adequate front-liners, but their damage sucks. Cost 35/220 12b. Man-Eater. Cost 50 13. G-Scorpion. Basically the same assessment as the above - poison is useful but Scorpions have HORRIBLE HP. Cost 20/180 13b. Death Needle. Treat as better Scorpion. One advantage with Scorpions is that they're defense is higher than other similar units; (though they have a low HP values) a single Heal spell will restore more than half of total HP! Something to think about when planning a defense. Cost 35 14. Merman. Strictly a water unit. I tend to use power units such as Hydras more than these guys when fighting on water, though, mostly due to the latter's breath weapon. 14b. Triton. Water *only*. Maelstorm can't even be used on land! Once again, I find Hydras much better. 14c. Poseidon. Cost 40 15. Hydra. The aquatical equivalent of a Dragon. Not so much use on land, but with the 20% fighting advantage and 5% recovery being on water gives, Hydras are effective indeed on their chosen terrain. If you can get Tiamats, they become so damn strong ground-fighting is fine too. Cost 80/460 15b. Tiamat. A whole load of HP and 5-hex breath weapon range, not to mention killer attack, make this an excellent combat unit in or out of water. It's slow though; be careful. Also, these guys will take tremendous damage fron fire-based units (though they will deal back the same) so watch out. (Hydras too of course.) Cost 110 16. Hellhound. Probably the best ability of this unit is moving again after an attack - unfortunately, their weak attack makes them kinda useless in the front line and lack of distance capability the same at the back. One niche use of them, though (sent by a helpful reader) is their ability to nip in and weaken strong enemy units so a Halo-ed one can move in for the kill. (And subsequent massive levelling-up) Cost 35/180 16a. Fenrir. Not too useful. Better mobility and greater breath weapon range, but the same disadvantages that plague the Hellhound are here too. Cost 50 17. Griffin. Rocs are a better bet thanks to their petrifying and area-attack abilites, but Griffins tend to be more readily available (more castles have them) and are cheaper. Also, Holy Griffins deal tremendous damage to enemy undead. The final analysis has them a close second to Rocs though, at least IMHO. Cost 55/300 17b. Holy Griffin. Undead\mage killers who make pretty good all-round fighting units as well. Feather Storm is good for knocking out those guys in the back or dealing death blows to escaping enemy troops. Cost 80 18. Lizardman. Stick with Hydras IMHO. Though they fight better than Mermen on land, the superiority isn't exactly tremendous either. Cost 30 18b. Lizard Guard. Basically a beefed-up Lizardman. Poison Breath is useful but not awfully so. One thing about this unit, though, it it's excellent hit rate - it seems to never miss! Cost 45 19. Jinn. Think of them as movable support units. Not being able to counterattack sucks (big time) but their Air Storm is good in a pinch and can be used after moving as well. Cost 30 19b. Efreeti, Dao, Marid and Djinni. Still can't counterattack, but X/Storms and more MP to use it aren't bad either. If you have one (I don't, I'm a blow-the-front-door down kinda guy) then be sure use it judiciously. General Type Breakdown A short note about stats first : Strength : Influences physical attack, adds to Attack value Intelligence : Does the same to magical attacks Agility : Hit Rate and Evade Defense : 1/3 Agility plus class bonuses and\or items That's about it. The same applies to both monsters and generals. To continue... The entire next section of text (and the item lists) is all due to the great and mighty Jim Irwin, so thank him before reading onwards. Thanks. ^_^ Brigandine Character Classes The number of stars is how many levels that character has earned while being whatever class he/she is. When a character has gained 5 levels in a certain class they become an "EXPERT!" and ALL spells and/or skills will now permanently remain with them no matter what class you change them to. Please note that special attacks in the Attack list (like Iai Slash, Shuriken, and any Critical attacks) are lost when you change classes. You can switch classes back and forth as much as you want; the computer will keep track of your stars in each class even if you change before "EXPERT!" - although once you choose a path of advancement (i.e either Sorceror or Druid in the Mage advancement tree) you won't be able to pick the other one even if you gain no levels in the Sorceror/Druid class. Also, you won't be able to change back to a Mage of course :) When you reach levels 10 and 20, you can advance to higher forms of classes, but only those you've become an expert in. I.e, even if you're level 20, if you haven't mastered Priest you can't become a Bishop/Monk or Cardinal/Guardian until you become an expert in the lower forms of those classes. There does not appear to be a third set of classes to advance to but the maximum level for characters in Brigandine is 30. So basically, once you master a class if you still have levels to go until 10, 20, or 30 it's a waste to stay as the same class, since you could effectively master 6 different classes if you start at level 1 with a star in your class by spending 5 levels at each of the classes, and even if you don't master the class you might as well change your Mage into a Fighter just so he has better defense until you can change to a Sorceror/Druid. Of course, the class you are when you level up affects your stat increases, but if you choose similar classes like Mage/Priests or Ranger/Barbarians you will end up with very powerful characters with many useful spells and/or skills. Now on to the classes...the format is as follows: CLASS NAME (requirements to become this class) Bonus to natural ATK , Bonus to natural DEF (natural ATK is 2xSTR, natural DEF is 1/3 of AGI rounded down) Movement range and type Attack list for the class (Range, attack properties, special effects/costs) Attack properties are Gr(ound) or Sk(y) and the modifier on the damage when attacking an opponent with the corresponding movement type. Spells for the class if any (Range and MP cost) Skills for the class if any Note that only new spells are listed for higher magic-using classes; also note that if a weapon is equipped its name will replace the default (first) attack listed in the "Attacks" section for each class. FEMALE CLASSES: --------------- SCOUT (STR 55) ATK+65, DEF+90 MOV 4-6, Land Type Attacks: Short Bow (2 hexes, Gr/Sk 100%, no counterattack if 2 hexes away) Twin Shot (2 hexes, Gr/Sk 100%, Critical attack, no couterattack if 2 hexes away) Spells: None Skills: None ENCHANTRESS (INT 60) ATK+50, DEF+75 MOVE 4-6, Land Type Attacks: Slash Whip (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%) Spells: Frost (3 hexes, 68 MP) Geno-Frost (Area spell, 3 hex radius, 166 MP) Fog (4 hexes, 49 MP) Charm (2 hexes, 110 MP) Skills: None CLERIC (INT 60) ATK+60, DEF+85 MOV 4-6, Land Type Attacks: Pilgrim Rod (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%) Spells: Heal (3 hexes, 65 MP) Halo (4 hexes, 88 MP) Skills: None LANCER (Level 10, EXPERT! in Scout class) ATK+75, DEF+100 MOV 4-6, Land Type Attacks: Spear (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%) Mirage Spear (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%, Critical attack) Spear Throw (2 hexes, Gr/Sk 100%, not useable after move, no counterattack if 2 hexes away) Spells: Fog (4 hexes, 49 MP) Skills: None ARCHER (Level 10, EXPERT! in Scout class) ATK+70, DEF+95 MOV 4-6, Land Type Attacks: Middle Bow (3 hexes, Gr/Sk 100%, no counterattack if 2-3 hexes away) Triple Shot (3 hexes, Gr/Sk 100%, Critical attack, no counterattack if 2-3 hexes away) Spells: Accel (3 hexes, 59 MP) Paralyze (3 hexes, 77 MP) Silent (4 hexes, 50 MP) Skills: None SORCERESS (Level 10, EXPERT! in Enchantress class) ATK+55, DEF+80 MOV 4-6, Land Type Attacks: Slash Whip (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%) Spells: Venom (3 hexes, 45 MP) Dimension (4 hexes, 83 MP) Fall Berg (2 hexes, 135 MP) Skills: None MYSTIC (Level 10, EXPERT! in Enchantress or Cleric classes)* ATK+65, DEF+80 MOV 4-6, Land Type Attacks: Force (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%) Spells: Heal (3 hexes, 65 MP) Halo (4 hexes, 88 MP) Frost (3 hexes, 68 MP) Geno-Frost (Area spell, 3 hex radius, 166 MP) Flight (3 hexes, 90 MP) Fog (4 hexes, 49 MP) Charm (2 hexes, 110 MP) Skills: None * - This is an odd class to say the least. You can become one by mastering either Cleric or Enchantress, but once you change to a Mystic you can't change to any of the other Cleric/Enchantress or higher classes ever again except for Sage at level 20. Furthermore, if you choose to advance a Cleric to Lector or an Enchantress to Sorceress you can still change into a Mystic, but you have to become an expert in the other lower magic-using class to do so. LECTOR (Level 10, EXPERT! in Cleric class) ATK+65, DEF+90 MOV 4-6, Land Type Attacks: Pilgrim Rod (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%) Spells: Area Heal (Area spell, 2 hex radius, 147 MP) Cure (4 hexes, 54 MP) Holy Word (Area spell, 4 hex radius, 183 MP) Skills: None VALKYRIE (Level 20, EXPERT! in Lancer class) ATK+85, DEF+105 MOV 4-6, Land Type Attacks: Spear (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%) Mirage Spear (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%, Critical attack) Spear Throw (3 hexes, Gr/Sk 100%, not useable after move, no counterattack if 2-3 hexes away) Spells: Heal (3 hexes, 65 MP) Holy Word (Area spell, 4 hex radius, 183 MP) Skills: None ARTEMIS (Level 20, EXPERT! in Archer class) ATK+75, DEF+100 MOV 4-6, Land Type Attacks: Long Bow (4 hexes, Gr/Sk 100%, no counterattack if 2-4 hexes away) Marvelous Shot (4 hexes, Gr/Sk 100%, Critical attack, no counterattack if 2-4 hexes away) Spells: Protect (4 hexes, 61 MP) Solid (3 hexes, 77 MP) React (2 hexes, 126 MP) Skills: None WITCH (Level 20, EXPERT! in Sorceress class) ATK+60, DEF+85 MOV 4-6, Land Type Attacks: Slash Whip (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%) Spells: Meteor Doom (Area spell, 2 hex radius, 3 hex range, affects both enemies and allies in area of effect, 255 MP) Curse (2 hexes, 108 MP) Flight (3 hexes, 90 MP) Skills: None SAGE (Level 20, EXPERT! in Mystic class) ATK+70, DEF+85 MOV 4-6, Land Type Attacks: Force (1 hex) Spells: Area Heal (Area spell, 2 hex radius, 147 MP) Exa-Blast (2 hexes, 152 MP) Power (4 hexes, 62 MP) Skills: None SAINT (Level 20, EXPERT! in Lector class) ATK+70, DEF+95 MOV 4-6, Land Type Attacks: Pilgrim Rod (1 hex) Spells: Divine Ray (2 hexes, 183 MP) Skills: None MALE CLASSES ------------ FIGHTER (60 STR) ATK+65, DEF+95 MOV 4-6, Land Type Attacks: Fighter Blade (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%) Power Strike (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%, Critical attack) Spells: None Skills: None BARBARIAN (65 STR) ATK+70, DEF+85 MOV 4-6, Land Type Attacks: Fury Axe (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%) Axe Rush (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%, Critical attack) Spells: None Skills: None MAGE (60 INT) ATK+50, DEF+75 MOV 4-6, Land Type Attacks: Sorcery Staff (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%) Spells: Flame (3 hexes, 68 MP) Geno-Flame (Area spell, 3 hex radius, 166 MP) Thunder (3 hexes, 91 MP) Power (4 hexes, 62 MP) Skills: None PRIEST (60 INT) ATK+60, DEF+85 MOV 4-6, Land Type Attacks: Clergy Mace (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%) Spells: Heal (3 hexes, 65 MP) Cure (4 hexes, 54 MP) Skills: None RANGER (55 STR, 60 AGI) ATK+65, DEF+90 MOV 4-6, Land Type Attacks: Brave Knuckle (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%) Crash Beat (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%, Critical attack) Spells: None Skills: None CAVALIER (Level 10, EXPERT! in Barbarian or Fighter classes) ATK+70, DEF+105 MOV 4-6, Armored Type Attacks: Knight Sword (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%) Cross Cutter (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%, Critical attack) Spells: Heal (3 hexes, 65 MP) Skills: None SAMURAI (Level 10, EXPERT! in Barbarian or Fighter classes) ATK+75, DEF+100 MOV 4-6, Armored Type Attacks: Katana Blade (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%) Shadow Moon (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%, Critical attack) Iai Slash (2 hexes, Gr/Sk 100%, no counterattack if 2 hexes away, 40 MP) Spells: None Skills: Hit +10% BERSERKER (Level 10, EXPERT! in Barbarian or Fighter classes) ATK+80, DEF+95 MOV 4-6, Land Type Attacks: Fury Axe (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%) Axe Rush (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%, Critical attack) Spells: None Skills: HP recovery 5% SORCEROR (Level 10, EXPERT! in Mage class) ATK+55, DEF+80 MOV 4-6, Land Type Attacks: Sorcery Staff (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%) Spells: Exa-Blast (2 hexes, 152 MP) Frost (3 hexes, 68 MP) Fog (4 hexes, 49 MP) Skills: None DRUID (Level 10, EXPERT! in Mage class) ATK+55, DEF+80 MOV 4-6, Land Type Attacks: Sorcery Staff (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%) Spells: Venom (3 hexes, 45 MP) Curse (2 hexes, 108 MP) Weakness (4 hexes, 66 MP) Skills: None BISHOP (Level 10, EXPERT! in Priest class) ATK+65, DEF+90 MOV 4-6, Land Type Attacks: Clergy Mace (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%) Spells: Area Heal (Area spell, 2 hex radius, 147 MP) Halo (4 hexes, 88 MP) Divine Ray (2 hexes, 112 MP) Skills: None MONK (Level 10, EXPERT! in Priest class) ATK+70, DEF+95 MOV 4-7, Land Type Attacks: Debar Knuckle (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%, May paralyze) Prana Burst (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%, Critical attack, May paralyze) Spells: None Skills: None GRAPPLER (Level 10, EXPERT! in Ranger class) ATK+75, DEF+95 MOV 4-7, Land Type Attacks: Brave Knuckle (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%) Crash Beat (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%, Critical attack) Spells: None Skills: Critical +5% NINJA (Level 10, STR 60, AGI 70)* ATK+70, DEF+95 MOV 5-7, Light Type Attacks: Kunai (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%) Illusion (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%, Critical attack) Shuriken (2 hexes, Gr/Sk 100%, no counterattack if 2 hexes away) Spells: Weakness (4 hexes, 66 MP) Accel (3 hexes, 59 MP) Paralyze (3 hexes, 77 MP) Skills: Hit and Away * - To be able to select the Ninja class you must first defeat the Esgares empire. Then just go on quests until you find Shiraha...once he joins your side you can change your male characters to the Ninja class if they meet the requirements. PALADIN (Level 20, EXPERT! in Cavalier class) ATK+80, DEF+110 MOV 4-6, Armored Type Attacks: Knight Sword (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%) Justice Cutter (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%, Critical attack) Spells: Cure (4 hexes, 54 MP) Holy Word (Area spell, 4 hex radius, 183 MP) Skills: None SHOGUN (Level 20, EXPERT! in Samurai class) ATK+85, DEF+105 MOV 4-6, Armored Type Attacks: Katana Blade (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%) Shadow Moon (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%, Critical attack) Iai Slash (3 hexes, Gr/Sk 100%, no counterattack if 2-3 hexes away, 45 MP) Spells: None Skills: Hit+20% AVENGER (Level 20, EXPERT! in Berserker class) ATK+85, DEF+105 MOV 4-6, Armored Type Attacks: Knight Sword (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%) Genocide (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%, Critical attack) Spells: Curse (2 hexes, 108 MP) Weakness (4 hexes, 66 MP) Skills: None WIZARD (Level 20, EXPERT! in Sorceror class) ATK+60, DEF+85 MOV 4-6, Land Type Attacks: Sorcery Staff (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%) Spells: Geno-Thunder (Area spell, 2 hex radius, 3 hex range, 193 MP) Geno-Frost (Area spell, 3 hex raduis, 166 MP) React (2 hexes, 126 MP) NECROMANCER (Level 20, EXPERT! in Druid class) ATK+60, DEF+85 MOV 4-6, Land Type Attacks: Sorcery Staff (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%) Spells: Meteor Doom (Area spell, 2 hex radius, 3 hex range, affects both enemies and allies in area of effect, 255 MP) Dimension (4 hexes, 83 MP) Necro Rebirth (1 hex, 97 MP) Skills: None CARDINAL (Level 20, EXPERT! in Bishop class) ATK+70, DEF+95 MOV 4-6, Land Type Attacks: Clergy Mace (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%) Spells: Holy Word (Area spell, 4 hex radius, 183 MP) Flight (3 hexes, 90 MP) Charm (2 hexes, 110 MP) Skills: None GUARDIAN (Level 20, EXPERT! in Monk class) ATK+80, DEF+100 MOV 5-7, Land Type Attacks: Debar Knuckle (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%, May paralyze) Ultra Combo (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%, Critical attack) Spells: Area Heal (Area spell, 2 hex radius, 147 MP) Halo (4 hexes, 88 MP) Skills: None CHAMPION (Level 20, EXPERT! in Grappler class) ATK+85, DEF+100 MOV 5-7, Land Type Attacks: Brave Knuckle (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%) Ultra Combo (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%, Critical attack) Spells: None Skills: Critical +10% NINJA MASTER (Level 20, EXPERT! in Ninja class)* ATK+80, DEF+100 MOV 5-8, Light Type Attacks: Kunai (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%) Illusion (1 hex, Gr 100%, Sk 80%, Critical attack) Shuriken (3 hexes, Gr/Sk 100%, no couterattack if 2-3 hexes away) Spells: Dimension (4 hexes, 83 MP) Protect (4 hexes, 61 MP) Solid (3 hexes, 85 MP) Silent (4 hexes, 50 MP) Skills: None * - Apparently only Shiraha can gain stars and thus expert status in the Ninja class, so he appears to be the only Rune Knight who can advance to Ninja Master. Now, for a little bit of extra info on the classes : We'll start with the female units. (BTW, if you can be bothered, go read my Tactics Ogre FAQ for a quick, purel humourous in-joke on my chauvinistic propensities. ^_^) Female units start as either; 1) Scouts. Basic female attack unit. Treat as hardier Centaur. 2) Clerics. Basic female healing unit. Treat as Unicorn with less movement and more magic. or 3) Enchantresses. Basic - you know the drill. The female equivalent of a Mage. >From then on we go to 4 and 5 : Scouts promote to either Archers or Lancers. I say Archers as they can attack after moving; (besides having more magic) however, Lancers are hardier and can become Valkyries who possess the deadly Holy Word spell. But the Artemis, the highest Archer class, has a whopping 4-hex range (usable after movement no less) as well as the capability of casting React. However, if you're following the magic-users' advancement tree, Clerics become Lector (and from then on to Cardinal) whereas Enchantresses become Sorceresses who can command greater magical might. One difference of note between the male and female classes at this point is that Mage start as red units whereas Enchantresses are blue; keep that in mind when planning a force. Mystics are sorta like a go-between these with both blue and white spells. Following the magic tree will have our intrepid female fighter become either a Witch (basically a female Necromancer), aforementioned Sage or Now for the boys. The standard male fighting unit is a Fighter (whose weapon is a Fighter Blade; omigod, the tautology is killing me) who progress\changes to a Grappler, Ranger, Cavalier or Berserker. More precisely, a Ranger becomes a Grappler while a Fighter goes to either Cavail or Berserk. The path of light beckons with the Heal spell; however, darkness offers higher attack and HP and well as 5% regeneration as recompense. Your pick. I'd say can the Rangers because their 5% plus to the critical rate is nothing much; neither do Grapplers have any special abilities. A Cavalier eventually becomes a Paladin, able to cast Holy Word in addition to his normal heal - Avenger's, on the other hand, gain their regeneration, Curse and Weakness. Finally, becoming a Samurai and from there to Shogun is also a possibility; you lose the regeneration and\or magic spells but gain a massive bonus to Hit Rate and Iai Slash - useful for killing guys in the back with a low MP cost to boot. Of course, Ninja are also an option as magic-users with Hit and Away, but only after you get Shiraha can male generals shift to this class. If you're taking the magic path, then it's a basic Mage to Sorcerer-Wizard (good all-around magic-using unit like a Warlock) or Druid-Necromancer (Meteor Doom and Necro Rebirth) What type really depends on how you play - a Wizard is a lot more versatile but Necromancers pack powerful punches. The priest path is Bishop-Cardinal (virtually identical to the female one) or Monk-Guardian; a useful special ability of the last class is the instant paralysis effect his weapons have. As for the "king"-type units such as Tyrant, Lord etc in the game, I'm afraid, that with the exception of Dryst, they can't promote at all. The payoff is that their innate abilities and level-ups are much better than normal classes. For Dryst, when he reaches Level 30, he will declare himself a "Tyrant Lord" the following month and receive new spells\boosted abilities. Yet another reason to play Feather-Head Man. ^_^ (Mistake here : Lance, upon beating Esgares, will become a King, giving him Geno-Flame and some extra Rune Power and MP.) Spell Breakdown : (note that all area-effect spells' range is determined by a general's Rune Area stat) 1. Protect. Halves all physical damage done to one unit for one turn, quarters it the next and does nada on the third. Not terribly useful but good for bolstering your front line's defense. 2. Silence. Prevents one unit for casting any magic for 3-5 turns. Good against mage units (duh!) - it's long range is also a plus. 3. Accel. Increases movement for one turn. Don't use it much, but hastening slow but powerful units (Gigas etc) towards the front line is aways good. On second thoughts, why didn't you just develop your front line further back so they wouldn't have to catch up in the first place? 4. Fog. Decreases hit rate for one unit. Very effective against low Agility units such as Golems - they will whiff practically everything with this cast on them. Has limited use on the more dextrous enemies. 5. Flame. Standard attack magic. Does decent damage. 6. Thunder. Treat as better Flame with longer reach. 7. Frost. Blue version of Flame. 8. Curse\Divine Ray. Heavy damage single-attack spell, especially effective against undead\holy units. Great for breaking through front lines or killing specific units. Watch for the short (2 hex) range though. 9. Holy Word\Geno Flame\Geno Frost. Area-effect blasts, very effective against their opposite elements. Save MP for them and let rip when in the enemies' midst for best results. Love 'em. ^_^ 10. Exa-Blast\Fall Berg. Function like Curse and Divine Ray; slightly more powerful though. 11. Heal. Standard healing. 12. Cure. Remedies any adverse condition. 13. Area Heal. Has lesser range than Genos; be careful of it's usage. Also, heals less damage than a regular Heal. 14. Halo. Gained experience for a single attack becomes 1.5. Use this with Paralysis on enemy generals for best results. Can gain loads of levels if done right. 15. Weakness. Renders enemy unit pitifully weak if it connects - unfortunately, does not do so often. Use with caution. However, if it does, the defense and attack of that unit drop to really low levels, making them Centaur target practice material... 16. Dimension. Teleports one unit anywhere on the map (location is random) Excellent - and I mean *excellent* - at taking out key units and diverting enemy defense. Trouble is it doesn't hit often. To maximize effectiveness, only have powerful units cast it and try to target weak ones. 17. Meteor Doom. Still haven't tested this yet, but reports say that giving a Gigas or Satan this spell makes for a lot of dead enemies - not much use giving troops such as Witches or Necromancers, since it's a frontline spell (read : because of wide area of effect, has to be used as close to the enemy as possible so as not to waste your own troops) Deals massive damage. 18. Necro Rebirth. Ressurects one killed enemy unit on your side (the casting unit need not have dealt the killing blow) Damn useful as you can grab that pesky Fafnir after you've wasted it... 19. Power. Raises unit attack strength for one turn. Seems to do it by a percentage figure (I'd guess half) so try to stick your main damage-dealing units with it. Can be *devastating* if used well - once did over 400 damage to an enemy mage. A good strategy is sticking a heavy unit like a Loki or Tiamat with it; with luck, a single strike could kill an enemy general. 20. Venom. Does moderate damage and then maybe poisons enemy unit. Useful to weaken strong foes or to kill off retreating enemies. (has long range - 5 hexes I think) 21. React. One of the best spells in the game - lets a given unit act again. Multiple uses of this spell on your mage units can rip the whole enemy force to bits in second (watch the MP though) and of course, there's always the expected use of that very last hit to kill the escaping general... ****** Tactics : 1. Let them come to you. (This works extremely well in concert with point 2 below) Find a good location and defend it - the enemy will most times send out generals singly, where you can engage and destroy them one by one. The computer also has a tendency to dispatch flying units to attack you first - shred them. 2. Form a defensive line. IMHO this is the single most effective and important battle tactic in Brigandine; powerful units in front, generals slightly behind and support troops to the back. This way, you can block any advance and chew through the enemy assualt waves slowly and systematically - support ensures that your line is not breached while flying units quickly stop up gaps; meanwhile, your mages and other units kill the enemy. Try it - it works. Well. 3. Kill mages. Most will take heavy damage from physical units such as Giants - hit them a few times then send in flying units for the kill. Or use magic. Or skills. JUST KILL MAGES. Why? Because, and not to be redundant here - MAGES USE MAGIC. (Another good reason to use Pixies BTW.) Area-effect spells like the Geno-type ones will seriously mess up any formation such as the above-mentioned defensive line; (no, this is NOT a good reason to abandon my earlier strategy - just try it and see why) so kill them. 4. Kill generals. Yes, I know this is patently obvious, but listen anyway. When a general dies, his\her troops either vanish from the battlefield or stay and become vastly weaker. And can be captured. Either way it's good for you, so - you guessed it - KILL GENERALS. The same goes for your forces - don't let your generals die. The one month it takes from them to get back into action is Not a Good Thing. If the going gets bad, retreat. (You might want to let all your troops act first and THEN let the general commanding them issue the retreat order - you can kill off some extra baddies and\or grab a little bit more experience.) 4a. There is, however, an important collorary to this strategy. Promoted monsters are more powerful than generals - and they can die permanently. So when push comes to shove I usually prefer to save my monsters instead; when it's the choice between a puny Level 6 Fighter and mighty Salamander ALWAYS pick the second. 5. Lure. The enemies will make a beeline for your weaker and\or unable to counterattack units (such as Jinns) You can use this to your advantage by stationing a Centaur or Unicorn near the front line, which the enemy's attention will be diverted too. You'll probably use the unit but this strategy can be very useful is applied correctly. ****** Conquest I've covered some of this in the earlier sections of the FAQ, but here is where I focus on the nitty-gritty of continued assualt and siege of opposing nations. 1. Choke point. If a defensive line is the best combat strategy in the game the tactical equivalent has got to be this. Find key castles which possession of stave off ALL enemy attacks into your area and secure them with your most powerful generals. From here on, you can... 2. Advance. But slowly. Always keep your key castles well-stocked and ready so you can beat back a hasty retreat and not lose too much ground. Still, careful advancing has it's benefits; as you secure more and more castles, the enemy will have less Mana with which to create monsters, leading us to the strategy of - 3. Selective Slaying. Once you've established a foothold in the enemy's territory, begin killing off all their powerful monster units since - you guessed it - they don't regenerate. Especially the second and third level ones. When used in concert with point 2 above, this will allow you to deal lasting damage to an enemy nation. 4. Once you're pretty certain that victory is at hand, begin striking at their generals. Hopefully, you've thinned their monster ranks enough so much that they can only muster a token defense. This is your chance to aim and put those powerful enemy generals out of comission. Even if that's only for one month, it's more than enough time to - 5. Deal the finishing blow. Encircle the enemy so that he has at most 2-3 castles - which he shouldn't even have if you've followed the steps above. Attack and destroy. 6. On the easier levels (especially Easy) their seems to be a lull in nation activity sometimes when they will not attack your castles even if an excellent opportunity presents itself - make use of this. Now we move on to the Castle Breakdown section. Unfinished at present, but as I play further I'll write more on those outlying regional castles as well as finishing the list. Cadbury : Not essential to controlling the middle part of the continient, but when combined with Toria and Dilworth it'll give you more or less some hold on the situation there. Calmary : Defend like hell if playing Almekia, otherwise, its either the eventual goal of any nation taking the three-castles route down or at the end of massive continental contest. Orkney : Key city. Provides routes into and out of Norgard, Almekia and Esgares - vital if fighting in that area. Lidney : Basically a bridge between Norgard and Esgares. Important in any northern assaults though. Toria : Will stave off Caerleon's invasions as well as give your main units support when fighting in the map center. Kardiff : City that controls all movement over the western sections. Prevents Norgard\Almekia attacks. Also useful with to launch strikes against Norgard. Allryme : One of the cities on the "three-castles" path. No importance besides that. Gorule. Last castle on the path. Effective staging into Almekian territory can be made from here, either that or you need to protect it as a last-resort measure. Bayford : Useless unless fighting against Caerleon - in that case, stops all western activity of that nation. Logres : Almekia's former capital is a major source of income as well as boasting a good and varied troop selection - make it a point to control it if possible. Any kind of assualt on New Almekia and\or Esgares will have to entail taking his castle, so factor that into any long-term plans of conquest you might make. It's middle location is also useful. Caelsent : Having this means either 1) Iscalio goes boom next turn or 2) You're Iscalio and you're a sucky player. ^_^ With only one castle behind this capital city isn't of no importance strategically unless you've attacked Iscalio only through one city route; in that case securing it is probably a wise move. (Which will hopefully lead to 1 above) Broceliade : One of the two castles leading to Caelsent and inner Iscalian territory, you'll have to break this one down in order to get to the capital. If you're playing Mr Peacock Feathers, though, protecting both routes is essential and you won't want anyone breaking through. Letishnote : Basically the same as Broceliade above. It's sister city along another route. Xanas : This castle typically comes under heavy fire from Caerleon and Esgares early in the game - protect it. When not playing Iscalio, though, it provides a secure foothold with which to assualt the nation. Asten : The other Iscalian frontier city. Basically treat the same way as Xanas. Humber : Prevents any troops from entering Leonia to Norgard and vice versa. Essential when playing or attacking either of those nations. Tallas : Leonia's capital city isn't of terrible strategic importance, but it will allow control of the eastern area of the continent quite well. Like all capital cities' though, the income it provides is pretty hefty. Senadon : Functions like Humber but allows attacks into Norgard as well. Flogeru : Essential for any conquest of Norgard. Excellent for control of the northern area as well. Karnabone : Too far to the east and being sequestered in a mountain area doesn't do much for it's tactical strength, but controlling this one lends some kind of support to any fighting going on in the map middle. Listinoise : Provides inroads into Norgard from the south as well as entry to Almekian\Esgardian territory. ****** Ruler Walkthroughs Under heavy construction; I'm only going to write a walkthrough when I've completed the scenario of that ruler, and playing through all 5 will take me some time...also, because each game varies, (differing difficulty levels, nation strategies etc) the strategy outlined here will not necessarily work for you. In that case, don't sue me. ^_^ Lance - Kingdom of New Almekia Probably the best kingdom to start out with, Lance gets some pretty powerful generals in the beginning of the game (Coel, Meleagant and Geraint come to mind) and their alliance with Caerleon ensures some early-game support. Heck, you can probably just use all your Level 20+ guys to win the game... Anyway, once you've started, two first priorities include taking Kardiff to prevent any attacks from Norgard and striking at the Esgares Empire, your main baddy. Initial assualts will be difficult as Zemeckis and Cador are tough to beat, but as Caerleon expands and in-fighting at the eastern part of the continent continues (Iscalion, Leonia), you should be able to take enough castles in the middle area to prevent any further Esgardian expansion. Sit back and take a breather, concentrate on training Lance a bit further, send generals on some quests and then get back into the action. Note : Do NOT under ANY circumstance attempt to attack Caerleon during the game! This will do nothing except earn you a strong foe (Cai has a Magic rating of *10*) and make life much harder. In you cam, try to synch your asaults with Caerleon's and be sure to lend them decent support; if done right, they will dominate the entire southern region of the continent and save you a lot of trouble. Halley should join you sometime around the middle game, lending you additional support. (Note that she will leave later though - about a year or so.) Finish destroying the Empire by taking it's central castles; hopefully, Norgard's and Caerleon's continued attacks have done something to cut it down somewhat. Once Esgares is gone, begin direct assualts on Lidney and then later, Senadon, to stave off Norgard's and Leonia's attacks. (I assume you have Orkney and Kardiff covered, no?) From there, with the additional generals garnered from Esgares's fall, it should be easy enough to wipe out Norgard and Leonia in a year or two. Your good buddy Caerleon hopefully should have finished off Iscalio and tada - victory! Almekian General Breakdown (I'm only breaking down the GOOD generals in the game, not the lousy Level 1-5 ones...) Geraint : He makes a great attack general, and starts off only one level from Shogun. Frequent criticals and Iai Slash are damn useful, man. Meleagant : Somewhat low Rune Power, but high attack and regeneration are good. Don't forget he can use Curse to deal a single heavy-damage blow. Lance : Not too good in the early parts of the game, but high Rune Power and Geno-Flame later on are things to watch out for. Low defense means no frontal assualts though. Coel : Good healing. Starts with some hefty units, too. (You did see the Salamander Lance has didn't you?) Halley : Two words (no pun intended) : Holy Word. She deals heavy damage and the aforementioned spell is good in a pinch. Gilsus (and Carlotta and Aphelia) : These guys make a great trio. Plunk them in the middle of your units and let rip with twin Genos and an Area Heal. Iscalio Walkthrough So, you've decided to play The Fancy Hat Man. Well, you're in for a tough time because, as Ulster says right at the beginning, Dryst wants to attack all 3 countries at the same time! Stupid. My advice would be to immediately consolidate Xanas and Asten (the only two castles that block entrance to your terrain) and strike at Leonia immediately, argubly the weakest nation in the game. In-fighting in Leonian territory, especially around the vicinity of Tallas, might prove a challenge, but with strong generals (just use 3 and keep on attacking - Dryst, Iria and Camden are good) you'll beat them even if they retake one or two. Don't take Humber just yet; chase and Norgard will do it for you, letting you finish off Lyonesse easily. If you really must, divert one or two generals from your Xanas or Asten garrison to deal the last blow, but be sure that your home ground defense is tight. Hopefully, Esgares, Almekia and Caerleon are so busy whacking at each other that few invasions will be made. Now you're at a crossroads. Striking at Norgard will be difficult at this time (it's a big country; bigger with Vaynard breathing down your throat) and any thing which involves Caerleon and\or Esgares would be short of sheer suicide. So what's to do? Well, the main reason for your conquest of Leonia was to curtail the assaults of one kindgom (now you have Norgard, but Norgard's attentions are divided by Almekia and Esgares) and provide enough income to build a steady campaign. Let's survey. Sitting tight and questing for upgrades is an option, though not a good long-term one (you'll be crushed) so whether or not you decide to do so, any further actions will have to be accompanied by conquest. Which and who are now the questions - Norgard will require manpower to control the mass of castles in it's middle, or you could simply try to expand outwards, not directly attacking any nation. The choice is really up to you here, though there are two things to keep in mind 1) Iscalio has a lack of good generals, so your main attacks will be with powerful monsters 2) don't leave your prior castles while advancing. Point 1 also means that manpower is scarce... However way you manage it, you've eventually be facing down Esgares sooner or later. Try to surround them with the key cities in the middle and if possible force them into Norgard and\or Almekia if you haven't already conquered them. That should assure you the victory sooner or later. Iscalian Good Generals Breakdown 1. Bademagus. Only four levels away from Avenger status and packs a mean axe besides. 2. Dryst. Actually pretty lousy compared to the more powerful monarch classes, his magic does give him an edge in combat, which he's not too much of a slouch at either. 3. Iria. Probably your best bet at early conquest. Be sure to gain two levels soon so Holy Word can be used. 4. Camden. Weak but high INT is very damaging. Good support. Deadly when Necromancer is reached. Caerleon Ruler Walkthrough A tremendous advantage this kingdom has over the others is it's monarch; namely, King Cai. This guy happens to be the most powerful magician in the game (besides Bulnoil) and Dinadan is no slouch and combat either. However, Caerleon's major disadvatage in the amount of kingdoms it borders. Unlike Iscalio who can wall off assault with only two castles, Caerleon needs 3 and at least 4 for any sort of conquest. So start training after an initial strike lands you Salisbury and Xanas. With some work, Merriot, BeauArte, Cierra and Eloute (once you've gotten him) can join Cai and Dinadan to kick some serious ass. *Note : As per Almekia's game, Caerleon will form an alliance with Lance early on in the game. Follow the same precautions outlined in the Almekian walkthrough.* The trouble is where to start. I'd say Leonia once again, of course. (I sorta feel sorry for poor Queen Lyonesse, but it's not MY fault she has only one starting Level 20 general!) Station a decent force at Humber to stave off Norgard, and then turn your sights to either Esgares (hopefully being battered by Almekian invasion) or finish off Vaynard with your own force. By this time, hopefully Almekia has succeeded in making serious inroads into any one of the remaining enemy nations. It should be a simple matter to assit them by first consolidating your hold on your newly-captured territories and then mounting multiple assaults to finish off whoever's remaining. And that really should be it. ****** Miscellaneous Bits and Pieces of Information as well as some Reader Strategies Here are some hints that I found either didn't fit into the rest of the FAQ or that I hadn't had a chance to test out. The strategies are in their original format as sent to me, so expect some messiness : Difficulty Levels - Some differences in the game as observed at different difficulty levels are : 1) The nations become smarter in their attack\defense of castles. They will not leave key ones undefended and advance more cautiously. 2) Movement in combat becomes different. The enemy will stay in place and not rush into your forces at the higher difficulty levels. 3) Probably most importantly, Bulnoil (the magician Halley is after and the one responsible for the continental chaos) will apparently appear if you complete the game on hard. However, many people have reported NOT seeing him - I think only Iscalio's game allows his appearance. Sorry for the misinformation... some information from fellcor - if u didnt notice...sadly the damage is FIXED...so if u trying to kill off that vampire lord if the last man on your team and he misses..ur save game in the attack phase wont help...he will ALWAYS miss....i thought the computer was cheating but i found out that its the way it is built...unless u move another unit in its place and deal the final blow..OR u move the unit to a different hex and try to attack it again...tried 20 times with 3 stone golems trying to hit 1 vampire lord ..damage 112 115 and miss...even the damage is fixed!!...quests are also fixed btw...if u failed to save and lost a battle along with that solomon ring u can reload..that guy will get u the same item...(solomon ring really rocks...by far the most useful item u can equip in the game) Now for some Really Useful Stuff from Jim Irwin : First off whenever you get a Rune Knight by questing or defeating a country it seems at least some of the other countries get extra Rune Knights too. When I got all the ex-Esgares guys Iscalio got a bunch of Rune Knights too. Since the computer doesn't appear to quest at all it must be an automatic thing I guess. Of course at this point Iscalio is the only country left, so maybe that's why. The descriptions of the defeated-country Rune Knights changed, too. *Editor's Note : Yes, I confirmed this. The exact generals who shift allegiance seem to be randomized, though, but within story limits (so you won't find Geraint joining Esgares, for instance)* After you get Shiraha your male characters can change to the Ninja class...the requirements seem to be Lv.10 (it's a 2-star class), 65 STR, 55 INT, and 70 AGI. I'm positive about the AGI and level 10, but the STR and INT may be lower, but not by much. At level 20 if the Ninja class is mastered you should be able to turn into a Ninja Master, but I haven't done that yet - too busy questing :) After you get Millet and Mira, some guy named Rain will join you eventually. I dunno if you have to have both twins in the same town for a month or what, but he just shows up and joins one day. He's Mira's stepbrother and starts as a level 1 Mage. If you have Rain quest he'll get his father Ranguinus (also an ex-Esgares Rune Knight) to join you. Not a bad set of guys to get for beating up on Esgares, eh :) Then sometime Millet and Mira will go on a 2-part quest together. They return to their hometown and save it from a Salamander but one of them gets wounded. Next month they wake up in Carmine's house (he's a doctor) with their nanny. The nanny gives them an item and they come back. About a year later Carmine will join your side as a Rune Knight, no quest necessary. Another person you can get through questing is Layoneil. He's some super-powerful swordsman or something (Lv.16 Samurai when he joined me) but the catch is when he joins you, his rival Helrato joins some other country. Unforunately Helrato is a level 20 Avenger :P If you have Schutleis on your side when you beat Esgares, Soleil will join your side. I dunno if only Norgard can get Shutleis to join them, but he joined me on my second or third turn as Norgard. Soleil is an excellent Rune Knight with like 300 Rune Power, a Rune Area of 5, and he's a Bishop to boot! Once you make Loufal a Cavalier if he quests he'll go home to visit his mother. She's so proud of Loufal that she gives him his father's old sword (Mithril Sword). Some info from Jae Park : (put it here because that was where all the general-getting info was, sorry for the mess) >How to get Ragnious the sorcerer: >As you know he is the father of Rain and forster father of Millet (one >of twins). After destruction of Esgares, Ragnious the level 16 or 18 >sorcerer will be gone. Now in order to get him you must first find Mira >and Millet on Quest. After they join up, Don't MOVE or SEPERATE them!! >let Mira and Millet stay with the ruler (Very important!)for one turn. >In next turn a young mage named Rain (foster brother of Millet) will >join up. Then send Mira and Millet to quest (They both will go on to >Quest), there will be an event to see (Mira and Millet will be condamed >by villagers as child of devils and Both Mira and Millet will be >injured). Then by next turn they will be rescued by Carmine the bishop >(will join up later on) will heal Mira and Millet and they will find >their nanny who will give them the item called "Pin of Defense" (it is >like a Anti Magic ring). >when they return from the quest (Rain must be with Ruler so I hope you >did not send him to quest or moved him) there will be an event for >Millet and Rain. After the event SEND Rain to the Quest and he will go >back to old house to convince his father Ragnious to join up and he will >join up (But you may not find him first time. So keep send Rain to >Quest. he should be find his father by mostly 5 months later or so. But >if you did not find Ragnious, then you did not do as I told you to.) >Ragnious should be level 16-18 (Depends how much battle he fought for >the Esgares) and should be easy to turn him into Wizard. Also if you >did not seperate Mira and Millet (but you are allowed to move BOTH of >them to anywhere.) the Bishop Carmine will join up. I think I've figured out the way stats relate to attack/defense power. ATK seems to be 2xSTR plus some set class bonus (for example, +80 ATK for Paladins). Similarly, DEF seems to be 1/2 of AGI plus some set class bonus. I dunno exactly how INT affects spells but obviously the higher your INT is the more damage spells do. However spells don't seem to get any damage bonuses or penalties depending which class you are, ie if a Mage and a Cavalier with the same INT cast the same spell on the same monster it does the same damage. I forgot to mention that when Shiraha joins your side another Ninja named Kazan joins one of the other countries. Reader\Additonal Strategies Section (feel free to send some in, but make sure they're not modifications of the basic defense line theory or rehashes of the ones below) 1. From Tonya Grady : Like you, I noticed that the defensive line with support units allowed me to beat the computer 99% of the time. I think I agree with your assessment of all of the units. One thing I did notice, a general like a mage or archer with all centaurs (and maybe a unicorn) can be devastating in the back row. Towards the end of the game, I had a general with 4 high centaurs and they were able to take apart almost any creature so that with the help of my other troops, like rocs and griffins, I was able to kill creatures like a fafnir (the white dragon version of a salamander) which had 800+ hit points in one and a half turns. The the key is to have them right behind the dragons or rocs so that they are protected. If the line crumbles, they better retreat fast. Another thing I noticed is that golems are good for defensive line, but not good at attacking. (I use the same strategy on attack and defense). Giants on the other hand, are great for attacking (capable of doing 100+ to dragons), but are not the greatest defenders. Another general strategy I noticed is if you are attacked and don't have any healers or your healers are all out of magic points, have your units wait rather than attack. I seem to attack and miss and then get hit by a critical attack at the most inopportune times. When I waited and let the computer attack me, I was able to counterattack and save hit points. Also, the computer seemed to be fair about spreading out the misses and critical counterattacks, because I was saved on more than one occasion by this. Some of the higher level units have significant differences. For example, the griffin and the holygriff, and the pixie and the fairy. The higher level ones are significantly better. The downside is the increased rune cost. This is usually worth it though, as you saw with one salamander being able to hold of a small army. My army of a salamander, a fafnir and four high centaurs, along with some other minor units, was all but unstoppable. Finally, don't overlook maps with water. If you use hydras or mermen to attack or especially to defend, it gives them significant advantages compared to when they are on land. They regenerate and can move farther. 2. From Dong K. Choy >dependent on what city you are on. You'll notice that cities nearby >water will always allow you to summon a Hydra or water based creatures >like Lizards and Mermaids. > > War. > Definitely take on the defense, and form a line with centaurs >as secondary, as well as your mages. I normally set up my knights, and >paladins up in the front intersperced between my dragons. since they can >offer offense and defense. And use spells often.. I found the Angels, >and Unicorn's "Halo" spell a neccessity, because this will allow you to >gain the fastest experience on unit cast. When I used Norgard.. I had a >bulldozer team of Vaynard, Guilard? (Forgot his name), and a Mage??. I >had a White dragon, Hydra, 2 Dragons, 2 Centaurs, a Unicorn, a Golem, >and an Angel... or something like that! I went through the mountainist >terrain. in no time.. and nerver had a single death. The dragons.. held >everbody and have the special of acid breath. If you setup your team in >a v pattern.. you can set your enemy up for crossfires. Roc\Centaur Brigade Defense I came up with this one myself while fighting a seemingly desperate battle. With only a bunch of lousy generals to defend a key castle, I gave all of them a mix of Rocs and Centaurs in the hopes that their petrifying\sniping abilities would manage to kill at least a few enemy monsters. Well, when I routed the entire enemy force I was a bit surprised. Heavy casualties on both sides, of course, but I was the victor. What this means is : when you've got absolutely no way to defend something that must be, use one of the two above troops in a mass group to hopefully do some lasting damage. 6 or more Centaurs can rip advancing units to shreds (or kill the commander, which is their prime use. Think about it; if you command 6 or more, what's the chance that the commander gets to heal before you kill him\her?) Rocs can stop an attack cold with their high HP and petrify ability. So pick. As an aside, an archer-type generals commanding only High Centaurs (usually 4) can be pretty darn effective - 5 long-range, unreturnable attacks per turn. Think about it. And from Jae Park, Monster Theft. Now I will tell you my "Monster Theft". Case you are wondering "Monster Theft" is effective way to capture the high level monsters. But before that, you know how to capture monsters by either destroy the generals or if all the generals pulled out. Now if you ever wanted high level monster such as Tiamat, Vampire Lord or any high level monsters, this is how you do it. Depends whom you play the effectiveness might be different. I play Norgard when i do a "Monster Theft". I used Guinglain, Vaynard, and Brigeint as heroes. Anyway you need at least 5 high level monsters such as Tiamat, Salamander, or Fafnir or any high or semi high level monsters. Also the heroes (or ruler in any case) must be very strong. at lest level 20 and the heroes must changed to Max such as Artemis or Paladin or any others. Now (I am going to tell how to do with Vaynard, Guinglain and Bringient)make sure that any heroes have a fairy because of react spell (This is deadly for any body who is able to do two Geno spells. Vaynard was level 29 who was able to cast two geno-frost because of react spell) and when any high level monsters that belong to enemies approached to close to ruler or generals, use your high level monsters to beat the opponents but do not kill it and make sure you surround it with any high level monsters. Then kill He/She whomever has the high level monster. (I dont think I have to tell you how to kill the general) But it all depends on the level of the enemy generals (make sure you have two higher level general or ruler than enemies. Also have one lower level general) and your battle formations. with my battle formations and generals, 8 out of 10 times I captured some very high level monsters such as Salamander or Vampire lord. Try this on your own and decide for yourself. ****** Quests Here's a list of all the Quests I've managed to get so far and their myriad permutations (so to speak ^_^) Info on any special or hard-to-get ones is appreciated. 1. Flower Girl. Gives you a variety of flowers (rose, sunflower, lily) etc, which results in attribute gains. 2. Dwarf. Gives you mushroom which either raises attributes, does nothing or lets you understand animal speech (leading to getting a weapon) 3. Drunk Man. Gives you a weapon when he punches you, drinks get you nothing. 4. Soothsayer. Same as Flower Girl above. 5. Fountain. Results in either attribute gains from the water or the Fairy cursing you, which is the same as being Wounded. (Funnier though. ^_^) She occasionally also gives you a kiss and good weapon. 6. Flying Dragon. Drops weapon. Can also join you if your questing general's level is high enough. 7. Castle full of ghosts. Gain a weapon. 8. Talking Rabbit. You either get Wounded or gain a (usually) rare item. 9. Protecting a village. If you're lucky, you gain a monster ally - if not, you get squat. Dogal and Aldis will get the monster (which is always a promoted one) no matter what level they are - otherwise, other low-level generals have little to no chance of obtaining one. 10. Boat near island takes you to 1) maidens (plus 12 MP) 2) dancing fairies (plus 3 AGI) You might also get one of the final-class promoting items here, but that's a rare occurence. (Which sucks because this is the only place in the game to get one!) 11. Kettle found on ground. Bee gets you HP Bonus. 12. Dark Cave. Often results in gaining a black-elemental weapon. You can also get a Level 1 monster or Wounded. 13. Tower. Find Lost Text = MP or INT increase, while the bomb Wounds you. 14. Tomb. Gain a rare weapon or stat-raising item. (This seems to be the most hazard-friendly of all the item-gaining quests) 15. Ghost girl near tree. Gain item. 16. Cursed sandstone. Gain either Strength or HP. 17. Old man's warning at bridge. (INT up) 18. Eight-legged horse (Slepnir from Norse mythology if anyone cares) which gives you a 2-4 AGI bonus. 19. Old Man in Tree. 8-12 Rune Power. 20. Merchant meeting. Gets you a random Accessory. Character Quests : 1. Mira and Millet. 2. Dogal. (Highest Rune Power of any of the gained generals. The fact that he's Level 2 and can gain loads more levels - leading to more Power - is an added benefit.) 3. Limlight. (takes 2-3 months) 4. Cathleen and Klaques (takes 3 months) 5. Shiraha. (After fall of Esgares) 6. Balder. 7. Cortina. (High INT and Rune Power - good choice.) 8. Hyude (who goes off on a quest the moment he joins BTW. Will get Limlight to join if questing later.) 9. Aldis. (Getting her results in a Level 20 Gold Dragon joining as well) 10. Rain joins after Mira and Millet do. (About a month later.) The List of Generals who join after their country is beaten : Iscalio: Daffy and Victoria (Probably the best two) Caerleon: Janfadar and Bilcock New Almekia: Carlota and Loufal Norgard: Kirkmond and Dillard (Next best) Esgares: Fiel and Ivan (Wouldn't know how good they are because I got them last) ****** Items\Armor\Weapons Lists Whole dang thing sent by the indomitable Jim Irwin. Give him a big hand, now, boys and girls! Brigandine Item List Class Key: Fighter - just the Fighter class Barbarians - Barbarian and Berserker classes Mages - Mage, Sorcerer, Druid, Wizard and Necromancer classes Rangers - Ranger, Monk, Grappler, Guardian and Champion classes Priests - Priest, Bishop and Cardinal classes Scouts - Scout, Archer and Artemis classes Enchantresses - Enchantress, Sorceress and Witch classes Cleric - Cleric, Lector and Saint classes High Knights - Cavalier, Paladin and Avenger classes Samurai - Samurai and Shogun classes Ninja - Ninja and Ninja Master classes Lancers - Lancer and Valkyrie classes Mystics - Mystic and Sage classes Lords - all the "special" classes that the kings of the countries are Item Name (who can equip) Effect --------- ------ Useable Items: Power Potion STR+3 Wisdom Potion INT+3 Speed Potion AGI+3 Life Potion HP+~18 Magic Potion MP+~14 Rune Potion (Rune Knights only) RunePow+~10 Rune-A Potion (Rune Knights only) RuneArea+1 Fruit of Vice Change Seraph to Lucifer Liquor of Charm Change Satan to Lilith Rage Lightning Change Titan to Thor Wisdom Seed Change Gigas to Loki WEAPONS Swords (High Knights): Laevatein ATK+20, Hit-5, Element:Red Gram ATK+18 Tyrhung ATK+14, Hit+5, Element: Black Answeller ATK+14, Element: White Mithril Sword MP+20, ATK+10, INT+4 Ice Sword ATK+8, Element: Blue Flame Edge ATK+8, Element: Red Bastard Sword ATK+6 Claimh Solais MP+30, Element: White Big Swords (Fighter): Death Master ATK+22, Hit-10 Evil Buster ATK+12,Hit+5,Element:White Claymore ATK+10 Giant Sword ATK-6, Hit5, DEF+6, RunePow+15 Katanas (Samurai): Tsuki ATK+19,Hit+5,Element:Blue Kokoro ATK+16, Hit+10, RunePow-30 Kusanagi ???? Kaze ATK+10, Element: Black Tora ATK+8 Axes (Barbarians): Balor ATK+18, Element: Black Revolving Axe ATK+14, Hit+8 Flame Axe ATK+10, Element: Red Beheading Axe ATK+8, Element: Black Dwarf Axe ATK+6, Hit+5 Spears (Lancers): Gungnir ???? Gae Bolg ATK+18, Hit+10 Brionac ATK+16 Mithril Spear MP+20, ATK+12, INT+2 Ice Javelin ATK+10, Element: Blue Goddess Spear ATK+8, Element: White Black Spear ATK+6, Element: Black Bows (Scouts): Crescent Bow ATK+19, INT+2, Hit+8 Heaven Bow ATK+15, Element: White Mithril Bow MP+20, ATK+10, INT+4 Flame Bow ATK+8, Element: Red Elven Bow ATK+6, Hit+5 Staves (Mages): Ganbantein ATK+8, INT+8 Striking Staff ATK+10 Red Staff INT+4, Element: Red Blue Staff INT+4, Element: Blue Rods (Clerics): Telesis ATK+18, Hit+5 Death Rod ATK+12, INT+2, Element: Black Mithril Rod MP+20, ATK+6, INT+4 Madonna's Rod INT+4, Element: White Maces (Priests): Skull Flail ATK+18, Element: Black Gravity Mace ATK+12 Brave Hammer HP+10, ATK+10 Mithril Mace MP+20, ATK+8, INT+4 Judgement Mace ATK+6, Element: White Whips (Enchantresses): Cat O' Nine Tail ATK+12 Love Whip ATK-10, Hit-10, RunePow+10 Snake Tongue ATK+8, Hit+10, Element:Red Thorn Whip ATK+6 Knuckles (Rangers): Blast Knuckle ATK+18, Element: Red Wind Knuckle ATK+16, Element: Blue Ogre Knuckle ATK+13, Element: Black Speed Knuckle ATK+9, Hit+10 Rivet Knuckle ATK+6 Knives (Ninja): The Ripper MP-20, ATK+19, INT-10, Element: Black Shock Knife ATK+14, Hit+10,Element:Red Painless Knife ATK+8 ARMOR Shields (Priests, Clerics, High Knights) Aegis DEF+16, White resist up Battle Shield ATK+4, DEF+8 Flame Shield DEF+7, Red resist up Ice Shield DEF+7, Blue resist up Large Shield DEF+5 Plate Mail (All except Mages, Rangers, Enchantresses, Mystics, Ninja and Lords): Diamond Mail Evade-30, DEF+22, MOV:down, Red resist down Volcano Armor DEF+15, Element: Red Holy Armor DEF+12, Element: White Evil Armor DEF+12, Element: Black Ice Mail DEF+10, Element: Blue Heavy Armor DEF+6 Robes (All except Lords): Light Robe DEF+8, White resist up Dark Robe DEF+8, Black resist up Mirage Robe Evade+10, DEF+4 Solar Robe DEF+6, Red resist up IcyFog Robe DEF+6, Blue resist up Star Robe Evade+5, DEF+5 Helmets (Fighter, Barbarians, High Knights, Samurai, Lancers): Rune Helm DEF+4, RuneArea+1 Aiguil Helm HP+10, DEF+10 Horned Helm DEF+5 Brute Mask HP+30, ATK+4, INT-8 Hats (All except Lords): Circlet of Wits INT+6 Fairy Crown INT+4, DEF+1 Pixie Hat INT+2, DEF+2 Cool Hat DEF+3, Blue resist up Gloves (All except Mages, Enchantresses, Mystics and Lords): Ruby Glove MP+20,DEF+8,Red resist up Precise Glove Hit+15, DEF+6 Power Glove ATK+8, DEF+4 Boots (All except Lords): Speed Boots MOV:Up Fairy Pumps Evade+5, MOV:Up Valient's Wing Move type: High Sky Wing Shoes DEF+2, MOV:Down, Move type: High Sky Aqua Shoes Move type: Shoal Flipper Boots DEF+3, Move type: Water Accessories (All): Solomon's Ring RunePow+30, Rune Area +1 AntiMagic Ring Lowers the damage caused by magic Heal Ring Regain 20HP every turn Allmighty Ring STR+3, INT+3, AGI+3, DEF+3 Pin of Defense (Mira & Millet's quest item) DEF+8, Lowers the damage caused by magic Ring of Sorcery MP+30, INT+4 Earring of Sea DEF+2, Blue resist up Bell of Comfort RunePow+15 Apostle's Horn RuneArea+1 Talisman Stops status effects* Pirate's Medal AGI+2 Soldier's Medal HP+20, STR+2 Wiseman's Medal MP+10, INT+2 Wind Armband AGI+5 Rune Armband RunePow+25 Ancient Book INT+6 Ice Amulet Blue resist up Fire Amulet Red resist up Sacred Amulet White resist up Black Amulet Black resist up Forest Amulet Green resist up * - I dunno if the Talisman stops positive AND negative status effects, or just negative ones. ****** Questions This is the stuff I want answered. Do that me and you get a better FAQ - a fair trade if you ask me. ^_^ 1.Does it influence the game much if you let key generals fight each other? For instance, will Ivan join New Almekia if his friend Geraint does not fight him? (This has since been answered - there seem to be SOME definite differences in battle