TACTICS OGRE: KNIGHT OF LODIS Version 3.1 Last Updated: 8/9/2002 Presented by bearsman6 The Guide to Questions We Know You Want to Ask, but Shouldn't... A Complete Guide >>>>>TABLE OF CONTENTS<<<<< I. Revision History II. Introduction to the Guide III. Back story... IV. Characters V. Game Controls VI. The Walkthrough! 1. Let it begin! 2. The chosen path... A 3. Chapter 2 (Path A) 4. Chapter 3 (Path A) 5. The chosen path... B 6. Chapter 2 (Path B) 7. Chapter 3 (Path B) 8. ENDINGS... **MAJOR SPOILERS** VII. Quest Mode VIII. Class Details IX. Emblems X. Items XI. Cheats XII. Misc. Questions XIII. Credits and Disclaimer ----------------------------------------------------------------------- --------I. Revision History, Because History is Good For You!---------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- VERSION 1.0 (4/24/2002) - First version! Wow... this will take lots of work... - I am still missing... mostly everything. Just beginning some of the walkthrough segments, so bear with me... Oh wait, this version won't ever be posted. HAH! SCORE! VERSION 1.1 (4/30/2002) - Well, the progress has to start somewhere. Started adding characters, while also trying to learn more of their back stories... Not the most simple task, especially since the English version isn't even out yet... - Walkthrough now includes TWO WHOLE BATTLES! Whee... Now if only that was a good thing. I can tell this will take a _very_ long time. Still, any progress is good progress! - Still filling out the class section. Seems like that's all I'm doing of late: filling out. I can't call anything completed, because it isn't. Oi. VERSION 1.2 (5/1/2002) - Added a lot more to the character/class sections, including the new section dedicated to enemy-only classes. Finished, now, with all of the human classes... about time really. - Began reworking the beast classes, including more 'species' as well as complete descriptions and 'talents' sections. - Reformatted a few of the other sections, including some to the 'history of the series' introduction, but it was MAINLY a day spent on classes... VERSION 1.3 (5/2/2002) - Updated parts of the walkthrough, especially the battles previously "completed." Basically completed a few more battles, too. If only I could read what the dialogues were saying. - Realized that I really *don't* have to give complete commentaries on what happens after the battles... at least not in this version. So, from now on, the guide will likely be a bit more trimmed in those sections. It should work out for the best. - Hope to finish the class section (as finished as can be expected that is) today... some time. - Added a few extra categories for each class, so as to make the section more thorough... Movement type, a section of just commentary, etc. - Reformatted some more... Still trying to find something that is both appealing to the eye AND EASY TO READ/DIFFERENTIATE. This is, and has always been, the biggest challenge... blah.... VERSION 1.4 (5/6/2002) - Game was delayed, so it will be a while before this goes public... as in, longer than previously thought. Seems the new release date is the 9th... - Added lots of good stuff into the classes section. Mainly, put in level bonuses. This should take me lots of time to get around to... yay. - Also finalized third battle, thinking of adding another today. Maybe... - Getting pretty far in this translation, and it's still enthralling, despite the language barrier. The hard part is explaining some of the more complicated ideas, like persuasion. Tried that section today. Hah. Not happening... - Proceeded to the more tedious work on the emblem section. Working amazingly well so far, again, despite translation problems. Still, pretty nice. - As if that wasn't enough, added a bit more about persuasion, mostly to the "random questions" section of the guide. It fit there... sort of. (5/7/2002) - Not worthy of another version number, so... finished some minor work on emblems... mostly the appearance and complete descriptions. - Went through another battle, completing write-up (totalling... four...) VERSION 1.5 (5/10/2002) - GAME RELEASED (and bought)! Touched up character section, added few more detail, etc., while actually fixing some of the English translation deals... - Filled in a bit of the story, not to mention add a lot about some of the larger, key characters. This will be fun! - Redoing all of my walkthrough, since lots of things need a touch-up due to English translation differences. Also will help fill in gaps in story... - Retouching emblem and class sections for translation differences. - Filling in Quest Mode section with actual information (lol). - Completely redid the controls (thanks to the game's manual). The section now actually makes sense. O_o - Pulled the Emblems out into their own section (which should have been done long ago, I realize, but oh well)... VERSION 1.6 (5/11/2002) - <6 AM> Pulling an all-nighter due to work, so I might as well work on this... - Added a bit more to story, specifically surrounding some key characters and the second, third, third prime, and fourth battles... Yay. - Added section on items... specifically curatives and expendables. - Finished through fourth battle now... Still no sleep <10 AM> (5/12/2002) - Finished with current lists of items and spells... gave descriptions and uses along with other pertinent information. - Continuing with walkthrough, now up to another few battles. - Adding contributions (and credits) from others to provide alternate opinions. - Began Quest Mode walkthrough, but only did first level. Need to find more books to continue on... - Wrote up more for classes and items/spells. I must just be masochistic... VERSION 1.7 (5/13/2002) - Getting very close to submission... - Added lots more to items sections, especially thanks to goukei. ... correction, nearly COMPLETED items section. HUGE thanks to goukei ^_^ - Added a few more story battles to the walkthrough, and as always included the events between the battles, too. - Got up through The Choice of Urodela... Now the work will split along two paths... Yay. Twice as much to do -_-'' - Updated a few character sections, including Cybil. Finally filling it in. - It's Official... After this update, and this version is finished, it will be submitted... It's just nasty to think about, but necessary... Even in this state, the guide might help someone... or a lot of someones... VERSION 2.0 (5/14/2002) - Retooled the formatting, making it SOMEWHAT balanced on the edges... - Retouched character profiles from early segment. - Submitted! Now to get back to work! lol... - Added a few more items and spells/abilities. - With contributions from Landon, now 3/4 done with class level bonuses. - Continued walkthrough... Got a few more battles done on both paths... - Reformatted after seeing the posted FAQ on GameFAQs... It needed to have the edges more even... so I fixed it. - Proofreading now.. Gah, how this part of the process blows. Basically, though, it's giving me a little break from just straight gameplay... I DESPERATELY need that... VERSION 2.1 (5/15/2002) - Continuing work on the walkthrough... Added another few battles to the path with Cybil and Shiven. Yay. Chapter 2 shall now begin. - Compiled more info on hidded items (thanks to DeadSs' contribution) - Filled in more information about classes, spells, and items. - Generally just continued with the formatting flaws... I hate this part. - Done for the night... (1:30 AM on the 16th) VERSION 2.2 (5/16/2002) - Continuing where I left off, filling in Unique Classes thanks to some help from mikee83. Very nice, in-depth FAQ on special characters. - Continuing walkthrough... now a few battles further. - Added Battle 2 to Quest Mode. Yay for tediousness incarnate... - Added another huge chunk to the "hidden items" section, as well as a coordinate grid system. Whee... VERSION 2.3 (5/20/2002) - Slowing down due to current location (out of state) and inability to play the game currently. Still, lots of contributions have made this a much better guide, and more complete... - Added more spells (notable Bane and Virtue) to make list nearly complete. - Added a few more items that others found, either from Quest Mode or a Versus Game (yes, that's right... another thing to cover... later). - Answered quite a few emails, and hopefully a few more questions on the boards. If only this FAQ was as easy... - Updated a few character sections... namely Euphaire and Elrik. I still have lots to do there, however. - Added some ROUGH levels to walkthrough. When I have time, I'll go back and make them all pretty and such... Ugh. It will take me HOURS to do, however. - Also added a few more "game text" descriptions, both to spells and emblems... VERSION 2.4 (5/22/2002) - Finishing touches on a few walkthrough battles (A Path). - Added info for witch class, undead classes, and redid organization there... - Checked through and verified a few "hidden items" levels. - Slimmed down revision history a bit (Masvega would be proud...) - Updated the info on Deneb and fairies thanks to a contribution from an email by Austerity. Check those corrections out... (5/24/2002) - Added a few abilities discovered in recent battles. Also updated sections in spells, adding in "Summons" - Updated character info on Euphaire, as well as class data on her Shaman, along with the Dragon Zombie, Warlock, and Giant. VERSION 2.5 (5/25/2002) - Complete overhaul of hidden items section, mainly thanks to Terence, who put coordinates in system where (0,0) is BOTTOM corner of map. Very nice, and now COMPLETE! - Walkthrough progressing slowly... (5/26/2002) - Updated random questions section, mainly biorhythm and mental gauge Qs. - Added another few battles to Path A. No progress on Path B as of yet. - Fixed a few minor details, while adding new ones... - Corrected something in the "hidden items" section. (5/27/2002) - Added another battle, updating info on Giants, Elrik, and a few spells. - Also added the game text for a few emblems, updating that section. - Added the Summoner class to the 'Unique Classes' sub-section. - Thanks to a contribution, added a way for Alphonse to get the Archangel's Feather emblem! - Added info in two places about the Star Tiara ability... - Clarified info on Lubina and how to get her to join. VERSION 2.6 (5/28/2002) - Added questions to the end about Angel Knights, transmigration, and also the "Item Sets." - Continued walkthrough Path A... Just trying to flesh out what beyowulf contributed (some huge thanks go out to him!) - Revived the section on Quest Mode, including more details on Battle 2. - Updated the "Items" section to include new items, while also added the elemental properties to weapons. Yay. (5/30/2002) - Updated "Items" section again, included more items and reformatted a few of the sections alphabetically. - Started work again on Path B walkthrough (at a request). (6/6/2002 - 6/13/2002) - Added another few battles to Path B, finishing Path A with beyowulf's basic outlines and just filling in personality and format. - Updated some wrongs in the hidden items section (thanks Terence). - Added another question about Angel Knights to the 'random' section. - Added a few abilities, items, and random questions. - Validating hidden items as I go along. whee... VERSION 3.0 (7/2/2002) - Finally updated on sites again! Not yet finished with Path A, nor B, but getting much closer... - Updated 'item set' information. VERSION 3.1 (7/6/2002 - 8/9/2002) - Added three supplemental location-events at beginning of chapter 3. - Been adding battles to the B route lately... Still need to finish A... - Reformatted a LOT, to fit the screen better on GameFAQs. - Added more battles to Part A. - Updated the classes section, adding a few computer-only classes. - Lots of corrections, thanks to Tetra (again ^_^) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- II. Introduction to the Ogre Battle Saga: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This FAQ is actually going to be a complete rundown of the major points this game has to offer. Why? Because it desperately needs one, especially to help people with absolutely no idea how to figure out their own tactics. This guide also should only be found on the following sites. Please note, if you find it elsewhere, please email me, since i will then need to contact someone about a little copyright problem. Thanks for your help. www.gamefaqs.com www.tacticsogre.com www.gamespot.com www.neoseeker.com www.cheathappens.com www.ign.com www.mmxt.cjb.net However, let me not digress. This FAQ is made for YOU. For anyone and everyone who has a question about the game, I hope to be able to provide some relief. But before we get straight into it, a few pieces of advice that apply to MANY questions: (1) THIS IS NOT THE SAME AS THE TACTICS OGRE FOR THE PLAYSTATION!! Please, do not ask this question again. It has been overdone. It was overdone two days after the game was released in English. Hell, it was overdone days BEFORE it was released. So, please note: all of the people answering questions ANYWHERE about this game are tired of answering that question. It is a completely different game. Related, yes, but a new and different game.... completely... 100%... all of it and, if possible, even more. Thanks. (2) Play through the game with the Help Messages on for the first few battles. Think tutorial. Then, if you still have questions, check with the "Pumpkinhead Help" set of menus. They are, by far, the best introductory tools the game provides (unless you have the original Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together). These 'Tutorial' aids will teach you basically all you need to know about navigating through menus, going through battles, and even attacking, guarding, class changes, etc. So, final thought: JUST USE THEM!! Save us the trouble of telling you something that is obviously found there. (3) Read through the instruction booklet. If you don't have one, then this doesn't apply to you. However, if you DO, and you don't read it, that is about as bad as ignoring the Tutorial. Both of those tools are very helpful to someone who has never played an Ogre Battle game before, and, honestly, they can teach you everything you know about the basic game (not the total game, but how to start, how to play, just not strategy). (4) To save yourself some time, get used to the Ctrl-F function -- FIND. All it requires is that you hold down the Ctrl key and hit F. A new window will appear where you can type in a word, a set of words, etc. and it will search the entire document for those words. This is VERY helpful on a long page (such as this, or other FAQs)... Just keep these basic lessons in mind, and now, let the learning begin! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- III. Only through knowledge of the past can you be prepared... ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Long ago, there was a time when strength ruled and evil held the world in its vile clutches... The age of Zeteginia... The story is set TWENTY-THREE years before the events of Ogre Battle 64 (Chapter 6 in the grand saga) and the original Tactics Ogre (Chapter 7), both of which occur at almost the same time. Its main focus will be on the island nation of Lodis as well as the enigmatic land of Ovis. A traditional antagonist that we all know and hate by now, Lodis is known in the other games as the Holy Lodis Empire, where the church seems to be the true behind any and all power that the nation has. The church itself is centered on the worship of St. Lodis, who we will learn more about later. Here is a general timeline, just to clarify a few of the dates... P.Y.227 The Zeteginian Empire, founding of the country P.Y.231 TO:tKoL P.Y.250 OB:MoBQ P.Y.251 the New Zenobian Kingdom, founding of the country Located northwest of Galicia, Lodis has been trying to "enlighten" its fellow men lately, using horribly brutal tactics. This has been continuing for nearly 15 years and has involved the conquering of many surrounding lands and converting them to its religion, Lodisism. Fun stuff, don't you agree? Anyway, the southern region of Ovis, Anser, initially resisted the changes and forced conversion, it has actually grown to flourish due to the trade with the mainland that Lodis provided. The northern region, Rananculus, which is surrounded by lots of mountains and rivers (effectively hampering communications and trade) accepted the subjugation without a fight. It is now settled mostly by the aristocrats or landed elite, with inhabitable land being a scarcity. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- IV. Getting to know your army: the players ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ALPHONSE LOEHER A member of the Empire's top unit of knights, the Order of the Sacred Flame at the quest's beginning, the 15-year-old Alphonse is only a new recruit. He began his military training at 12, however, and became a knight at 14, but this was the 'normal' path for the son of an aristocrat. He has trouble accepting his 'new' family name, and is constantly forced to deal with the problems within his family. Sent to Rananculus with his good friend, and commander, Rictor Lasanti supposedly to investigate an unusual occurrence and aid the southern territory of Anser, he doesn't know that this will begin a journey to forever change his path in life. Alphonse knows of war, but is still naiive. The good guy, and your main character, Alphonse just wants to bring justice to his island home of Ovis and figure out who he really is. Class: Soldier Description: A young man with blue/purple hair, light armor, and a blue sash. To Recruit: Begin a new game (Actual birthday: Tierra 22) Element: Varies Alignment: Varies Fortune: Idleness. Don't slack off too much. Remember your original purpose. Thoughts: Your basic hero, Alphonse has the potential to be one of the strongest fighters in the land. He starts off doing relatively well in the soldier class, which should tell you something right off the bat. He can be a damned fine fighter in ANY class, and that says a lot about him. RICTOR LASANTI A very proud, young, and strong swordsman, Rictor is also a friend to Alphonse. Though only recently appointed to a commanding position, he believes strongly in the goals of the Holy Lodis Empire, as well as their practices. At times, he is known to disagree with Alphonse, especially about matters of the aristocracy and the way things should be, but the two are still very close. Very capable in the realm of fencing, and by far no stranger with the foil, Rictor also has decent skill with magic, which he uses as an attack or curatively. Lone son to the Duke of Felis, the young Rictor doesn't quite know what his future will hold. Though he once dreamt of becoming a priest of Lodis, now his future is cloudy. Perhaps he will take the title of Duke after his father, and he seems to want Alphonse by his side in that event as an advisor. Class: High Priest Description: A young, blonde man in a blue cloak/tunic and hair tied back in a very proper manner behind his head. To Recruit: Take Path B in Urodela, after siege of Castle Ostorea Rictor will ask to join you. Birthday: Treva 6 Element: Earth Alignment: L Fortune: Thoughts: A man who knows how to kick ass, unfortunately Rictor doesn't seem to want to disobey orders, meaning that you won't get him. He has a great attack, though, which is a shame, since later on it's only directed at your people. Oh well... ELEANOR OLATO She first meets our hero, Alphonse, in the beginning of the game, lying on a beach and near dead courtesy of an arrow wound. Eleanor cares a lot about her new friend, but also wants to see him become something truly great, as she knows he can. Originally a nun, aiding Father Hamen of the church in Solea, her foster father, she truly is an innocent amongst warriors... She was an orphan who never knew her real parents. She was raised by step-parents in the town of Sotavento, after being found by a mermaid and delivered to them... Perhaps this is why she loves to be alone on the beach... hoping that her childhood playmate, that mermaid, might return... Her relationship with Alphonse Loeher began when she found him lying nearly dead upon a beach at the Church at Solea, but blossoms into much more. Though slowly, she eventually becomes an advisor, and confidant, for the young knight, a source of confidence and strength. What more could Eleanor and Alphonse become? Only time can tell. !!!SPOILER!!! Eleanor is the sister of Cybil, the sorceress! Class: Soldier Description: A young, blonde girl wearing a white dress, trimmed with blue and green. Also wearing a green ribbon in her hair. To Recruit: Finish Chapter 1 on Path A (Cybil's path). Birthday: Sombra 7 Element: Water Alignment: N Fortune: Endurance. Personal glory isn't everything. Think about what's important. Thoughts: Overall, not THAT bad... She comes equipped with a pearl necklace but no weapon. She's helpless for the first little while, but then she does get better. A natural warrior once she gets into it, you won't regret using her in your party at all! Final Note: If you get her INT above 170, she learns a special/super technique called Star Tiara. It's incredibly powerful (like an Orb), but is limited to one use per 'learning.' To relearn this spell, just level up or beat a Quest (or battle, or training fight). IVANNA BATRAAL The daughter of the previous Lord of Rananculus and an ex-member of the White Fang Troops, Ivanna knows how to fight, and she does it very well. She first meets Alphonse when he is rescued from the surf by Eleanor, after the first battle in the Lutra Islands. She later joins him on his mission in Ovis, seeing that his path may well be the one she needs to help uncover the truth of her father's death. Like Alphonse, she is a very capable Knight, dressed in red, and her determination to uncover the truth of the events from 15 years ago (when her father died, presumably by the hand of her uncle, Naris) only make her the more deadly. She escaped both her uncle and the White Fang Troops through the aid of her weapons instructor...Perhaps her most useful talent early on in the game is her ability to heal, but do not underestimate her prowess physically. Class: Knight Description: A raven-haired woman clad in red armor. To Recruit: Complete battle 3 (Vespa Hill) and Ivanna will ask to join you. Birthday: Deus 9 Element: Earth Alignment: L Fortune: Self-contempt. Ignore the small things. Forget about your worries. Thoughts: A very capable fighter, and a welcomed addition to your army, especially so early in the game. With the added bonus of being able to cast a healing spell (courtesty of her knight class), she is incredibly versitile. Keep her around and you won't regret it! FATHER HAMEN Over-protective and often deluded priest who looks over Eleanor as if she was his own daughter. He has cared for her since she was young, making sure that she learned her lessons while also watching out for her well being. He doesn't know about her past, but always looks toward her future. Though he means only for the best, his judgement is often clouded by bouts of selfish behavior and pride. ORSON LAMIES An archer who is traveling with Rictor and Alphonse on their mission in Ovis, Orson stays alongside Rictor. He joins and splits with Alphonse a number of times, but every time, he makes the most out of his experience and skill with the bow. A valuable warrior within Lodis' Army. Class: Archer Description: An old man wearing a green headband and blue clothes. To Recruit: Choose path B at Urodela, going in search of Rictor. During the next fight, Orson will offer to join you. Birthday: Deus 20 Element: Wind Alignment: L Fortune: Discontent. Things may seem rather ordinary, but your comrades will pull you through! Thoughts: Any person that comes as an archer is either insanely good to pull it off, or just crappy enough to fit the archer class. Orson is actually good enough to pull this class off. Scary, isn't it? NARIS BATRAAL Current Lord of Rananculus, Naris used to be the head knight of the White Fang Troops. He inherited the title of Lord from his brother, as the position has been in their family for generations. The uncle of Ivanna, his relationship with his neice is very shaky, especially since it is questionable concerning his involvement with the previous Lord's death. His intentions are unknown, but it is certain of his involvement in the continuation of the war between Rananculus and Anser. NICHART BRIFFAUT Current leader of the White Fang Troops and a knight of Rananculus, Nichart is striving to follow the orders issued down to him by Naris Batraal. A devoted knight in the midst of a war between two adjoining nations, Nichart just does what he is ordered to do, but he does it well. MALICIA BATRAAL A young, raven-haired woman. She hates her uncle, Naris Batraal, for reasons not quite known yet. She calls him arrogant and greedy (pretty accurate, really). Seemingly unknown to her, she is Naris' dead brother's daughter -- Ivanna's sister. She seems to have a very strong interest in Rictor Lasanti, romantic, and the two are engaged for marriage in the undisclosed future. We shall just have to see how that develops... ...Malicia Batraal died years ago, when she was 13 years old. BERNARD LASANTI Leader of the Knights of Felis during the Reformation 15 years ago, he was believed to have been present, with the Order of the Sacred Flame, to sign the treaty with the kingdoms of Ovis, or force their decision. Father to Rictor, Bernard also seems to have ties with Naris Batraal, Lord of Rananculus. GLYCINIA A fairy who decides to join Alphonse on his quest for justice after he saves her life from attackers. Normally from the forest that separates the two warring countries of Rananculus and Anser, Glycinia only left to search for her sister, Lubina, who ran away from the forest a while ago. (She thought it was boring there, go figure!) Although a fairy, Glycinia still has some decent items equipped, and seems to just show that fairies can TRY to pull their own weight. Class: Fairy Description: A fairy clad in a blue dress and with purple hair. To Recruit: Return to Vespa Hill after battle 3 and another battle will take place. Win this battle, while saving Glicina, and she will ask to join your troops. Birthday: Oceano 21 Element: Wind Alignment: L Fortune: Vivacity. Many opportunities to use your talents. Always do your best. Thoughts: Oi. You really can't expect that much from a fairy. I know this, but she is a special character. Wouldn't you expect that to make her at least a bit better? I would, but she isn't. Her only benefit is that she comes with a glass pumpkin and some other decent equipment. Blah. She learns a decent special talent after level 10, but by that time, you'll have far more capable fighters. LUBINA Another fairy, a friend to Glycinia, and, depending on your path, someone who might join with Alphonse. Hidden in a gremlin costume, Lubina ran away from her life, and Glycinia, to have fun. She got bored. That's it. The definition of a free spirit, Lubina and Glycinia have been best friends for longer than they can remember, and together make an incredible team (for fairies). Class: Fairy Description: A fairy, dressed in red and with purple hair. To Recruit: In Graculla (Volcano area), defeat every enemy EXCEPT the lone gremlin who won't attack your troops, named Lubinnia. Then, with Glycinia in your party, move Glycinia right beside the lone gremlin and Lubina will offer her services to join you! Birthday: Oceano 21 Element: Water Alignment: N Thoughts: Another fairy? I already have ONE... and I really don't want to have to take care of another... Gah. Oh well. Together the fairy duo has one decent attack, but that really isn't worth using them for. I guess they were just thrown in to increase the number of hidden characters. Useful for bragging rights... CYBIL ALINDA Another early member of the party, Cybil rescues Alphonse from a cell at Fort Formido. A war orphan sent to Galius at age 6 and educated to become a member of the Hand of the Pope, Cybil has dedicated her life to the Church, and is unafraid to show her strong will, overbearing personality, or incredible abilities in battle to further the Pope's cause. She, unlike Alphonse, is very in-touch with the current state of things, realizing how the Pope, the Duke, and more are all in a politically destructive conflict. She is sent to Ovis to retrieve its secret, and believes that the mermaids might hold the key. Cybil lost her hometown during the Reformation. Born and raised on the island, she joined Lodis out of faith, and because she had the skill. Her determination also played a large part in this, though. She was driven from her home after her parents were burned to death in front of her young eyes... Now unafraid to devastate her opponents with her wind-elemental magic, Cybil can be a good addition to any party. !!!SPOILER!!! Cybil is the older sister of Eleanor! Class: Sorceress Description: A strong, brunette wearing a long, purple dress. To Recruit: Choose path A at Urodela, then after the siege of Castle Ostorea she will offer to join you. Birthday: Preta 22 Element: Wind Alignment: N Fortune: Thoughts: A very good character, if only for her spells. She can devastate her enemies, and is immediately one of the strongest members of your army when she joins you. SHIVEN Second in command to Cybil and one of the few people she trusts, Shiven is skilled as both an assassin and in reconnaissance. Often used on intelligence missions of great importance, Shiven follows Cybil wherever she goes. When Cybil's path crosses with that of Alphonse, how will Shiven react, and will he join the young knight who he might not always agree with? Class: Ninja Description: A ninja-like character in gray pants, a blue headband, and strawberry blonde hair. To Recruit: Choose path A at Urodela, and after the fight at Bison, he appears and offers to join your troops. Birthday: Tierra 8 Element: Fire Alignment: C Fortune: Overconfidence. Don't overestimate yourself or you may get hurt. Decide carefully. Thoughts: Getting another ninja is never a bad thing, but when he also comes with a Kagari-bi and pre-equipped spell, it's that much sweeter. Shiven is a great addition to any team, especially due to his skills as a ninja. However, he can become an even greater Swordmaster if you build him up that way. Still, he loses his unique appearance outside of the ninja class, so I typically leave him there. ^_^ AERIAL The strongest mermaid warrior still alive, Aerial is one heck of a powder keg in terms of personality. She meets Alphonse and company at Rana, after he saved the life of another mermaid. Even after this, however, Aerial mistakes his intentions as purely greedy (which she views as how ALL humans are), and attacks you. After her defeat, and a conference, however, she asks to join his cause, hoping to one day undestand how someone can love so deeply as to sacrifice the thing that means the most to them. Class: Mermaid Description: Mermaid with blue hair, golden horn-like ears, and a red lower body of a fish... To Recruit: Choose path A at Urodela, and after the long talk and battle at Rana, she offers to join you in a cutscene at Arena. However, she will NOT offer to join if Minerva died in the previous battle. Birthday: Branca 2 Element: Wind Alignment: N Fortune: A strong will. You will bear many hardships, but do not dwell on them. Thoughts: A typical mermaid. Unfortunately, that isn't a good thing. She's excellent in water combat situations, but on dry land Aerial just cannot hold her own against such other attackers (like Shiven). Still, what she lacks in physical skill she almost makes up for with her Lullaby and Cheer talents... almost. EUPHAIRE The talented daughter of Elrik, Euphaire was born with a gift, magically blessed beyond what most people dream of. However, this exceptional youth is plagued by the choices of her father. All too recently, Elrik forced the spirit of his departed wife, Euphaire's mother, into the body of the young shaman. She then ran into hiding, haunting the region of her old home. Euphaire decides to join Alphonse on his mission after he defeats her in a battle, thus freeing her of her mother's influence. A decent magical attacker, Euphaire also has the ability to heal her allies, but she must trade some of her own livelihood to do so. Class: Shaman Description: Another blonde girl in a blue and white dress, but also wearing a green hair band. To Recruit: Choose Path A in Urodela and ... Birthday: Ouro 11 Element: Fire Alignment: C Fortune: Slump. Relax and think things over. Sometimes it's better to wait. Thoughts: A decent character, with good offensive magic capabilities. What really makes Euphaire shine, however, is her unique ability, which allows her to transfer MP to another character... at the cost of her own HP. It is a great deal, though. It often allows for a huge tactical advantage, granting a summon spell your very first turn! ELRIK A very talented warlock who joins Alphonse early on, Elrik uses a doll to attack his foes when not conjuring powerful spells. Unusual for men of the age, Elrik can even call forth summons, to destroy his foes. Some people wonder how this mere man can conjure forth mighty golems from at a whim, but they never really last long enough to get an answer. Also of note, Elrik is the father of Euphaire, another strong ally. Unfortunately, there is a tragic story behind this powerful man. Long ago, he lost his beloved wife to death. Grieving her loss to an unhealthy degree, he summoned her spirit to return... into the body of his daughter, Euphaire. Too late, he now regrets the decision, but he is forced to live with it. In joining Alphonse's troops he hopes to make up for past mistakes, while righting things yet to come. Class: Summoner Description: A tall, blonde man wearing green shoes with white and blue robes. To Recruit: Choose Path A in Urodela, at the beginning of Chapter 2, he will offer to join after the Belleza (optional) battle. Birthday: Fogo 24 Element: Water Alignment: C Fortune: Misunderstanding. Be cautious. Good intentions may be misinterpreted. Thoughts: Too sweet for words. This man can do it all, literally. He can cast almost any spell in the game, including summons. He's one of the best natural mages in the game. Use him, and use him often. CIRVANTE A powerful sorcerer, known for researching problems and finding solutions. Twin to Lethe, together the twins make a formidably duo. Clad in all blue, including a cape and turban-like hat, this blonde-haired twin holds his own in any battle. Hired by Naris Batraal to research the Sacred Spear, Lonicolnis, particularly in the folklore of the island, his primary concern is to find and recover the spear. LETHE When we are first told of the sorcerer Lethe, she is away, thinking about something. Twin to Cirvante, she wears the exact same colors. Wow... SAIA Saia is definitely an interesting, complex character. A daemon from the underworld, he was actually drawn to Rebanada by the fallen angel, and the monstrosity that lived there, Rimmon. Class: Lesser Daemon Description: A gargoyle-looking demon with gray skin and green wings >;) To Recruit: After the battle at Rebanada with Rimmon (in Chapter 3), return to fight against Saia. Defeat him, then tell him that you fight for yourself and he will offer to join you. You cannot have Lobelia in your group and have Saia offer to join. Birthday: Sombra 16 Element: Bane Sex: -- Fortune: Misjudgement. Your actions may be for naught. Keep an eye on your enemies. Thoughts: LOBELIA Another interesting story, Lobelia was drawn by the power of the fallen angel to our plane. Class: Angel Knight Description: Just your ordinary girl... with a halo over her head... white wings on her back, and in a blue dress with blue shoes (which match!) To Recruit: At the beginning of Chapter 3, go to Ardea and Lobelia will ask to join you. You cannot have Saia in your group and have Lobelia offer to join. Birthday: Agua 14 Element: Virtue Thoughts: DENEB RHODE Class: Witch* Description: A young witch with brown hair, beautiful face, but clad in RED! To Recruit: (see cheats and tricks section!) Birthday: Varies Element: Varies Alignment: C - N Thoughts: Yes, it's official. Deneb has found her way into yet ANOTHER game of this series. However, in this one, she was actually toned down a little bit. Still a huge upgrade over the normal witch, Deneb can cast summon spells(!) as well as the normal support spells all witches use. She's definitely worth acquiring, especially seeing as how that can be done as early as Battle 3. Worth adding to any army! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- V. For those who've lost control, or never had it... ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Basic Controls: - L button - Shortcut function on the field map. In conjunction with A and/or B buttons can ease character selection. - R button - From any screen, displays Command Menu. Allows you to give orders to troops, access help screens, options screens, etc. General use button that brings up ANY menu bar. Love this button! - Control Pad - Move characters or icons around on the screen (duh). Use to select items, commands, characters, or position them. - Start button - Used to suspend data during a battle (save mid battle). Also used to display a character's status. - Select button - Used to display Help messages on any screen. In conjunction with A, can tell more about items, characters, abilities, or literally anything you would like to know more about. - A button - Used to scroll messages, confirm choices, etc. Your basic control button, along with B, this is the "positive" button. - B button - Used to cancel messages, cancel choices, etc. Your basic control button, along with A, this is tthe "negative" button. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- VI. All you must do is walk this path.... ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ------PART 1------ < < LET IT BEGIN! > > *** As the game begins, you are shown a scene where a young, dark-haired warrior is walking down the street, accompanied by an older, well-dressed knight. They carry on a conversation in the town's market, immediately showing off the vibrant color scheme the game will use, as well as the style of characters to expect. Near the base of the stairs, the conversation will veer off as a hooded fortune teller asks if you would like your fortune told. After a bit more dialogue between Rictor and the blue-haired knight, and a bit of concern from Rictor over your current state of being, he decides to leave you. The warrior then talks to the fortune teller (with a nice background score, might I add), who asks for your name and date of birth. "Six fates determine your path in life, whispering in the recesses of your mind... They take form and scream out, 'Let it begin!'" Ah, you thought you got off that easy? As with ALL of the Ogre Battle and Tactics Ogre games, the next step is the infamous "Questions." These will determine a lot about what happens to you, initially at least. As you might expect, these answers will be very important. >>Guide to the Questions<< I know there will be a few questions, so here you go. I'm going to outline what each answer to each question will actually do. Each answer will give you a specific point value, or lack thereof. Here's what each answer is worth, and what the points finally do: Question 1 (Knight) The Bearer asks: "Bear which burden?" Resolve = 0 points, Fire *Truth = -1 point, Wind Sacrifice = 1 point, Earth Affection = -1 point, Water Question 2 (Horse) The Wanderer asks: "Walk which path?" *Belief = -1 point, Neutral Freedom = 0 points, Neutral Wealth = 0 points, Lawful Longevity = 1 point, Chaotic Question 3 (Tower) The Builder asks: "Design which plan?" Strife = 1 point, Wind *Wisdom = 1 point, Water Hatred = -1 point, Fire Prosperity = 0 points, Earth Question 4 (Magician) The Sage asks: "Swear which oath?" *Purity = -1 point, Lawful Revenge = 1 point, Chaotic Victory = 1 point, Neutral Fuition = 0 points, Chaotic Question 5 (King) The Leader asks: "Share which vision?" *Sadness = 0 points, Neutral Mercy = -1 point, Lawful Bliss = -1 point, Chaotic Terror = 1 point, Lawful Question 6 (Queen) The Almighty asks: "Shape which future?" Glory = 1 point, Fire Peace = 0 points, Water *Change = 0 points, Wind Control = -1 point, Earth (*Indicates which I chose my first game...) Once the set of figures is complete, and the answers are given, the crystal ball vanishes. What you don't yet know, is that the points you just accumulated will go toward your later stats (for the hero), troops, and items! 6 to 4 points < Hero Stats > HP + 10, STR + 10, AGI + 4 < Troops > Ninja, Archer, 2 Soldiers < Items > Long sword, 20 cure leaves, 2 cure seeds, 3 altars of resurrection 3 to 1 point < Hero Stats > HP + 4, MP + 6, STR + 4, INT + 4, AGI + 6 < Troops > Wizard, Archer, 2 Soldiers < Items > 20 Cure leaves, 2 magic leaves, 3 altars of resurrection **0 to -3 points < Hero Stats > HP + 4, MP + 6, STR + 4, INT + 4, AGI + 6 < Troops > Cleric, Ninja, 2 Soldiers < Items > Rapier, 10 cure leaves, 4 magic leaves, 3 altars of resurrection -4 to -6 points < Hero Stats > MP + 10, INT + 10, AGI + 4 < Troops > Wizard, Ninja, 2 Soldiers < Items > 10 cure leaves, 6 magic leaves, 3 altars of resurrection Begin the opening sequence! "A new day dawns, as roots dig deep into the earth and water flows from its source... Many years ago, the Lodis Empire began its imposition of Lodisism. Troops from Galius andvanced into the regions that resisted. It was more of an invasion than a reformation. Many conflicts erupted as these territories were conquered. But, some countries submitted and accepted Lodis' conditions. Although supervised by Lodis, they were able to maintain autonomy. The empire also pledged aid if problems were to arise. Some rulers chose to surrender to avoid pointless sacrifice. It was no surprised that they made that decision... ...although that did not stop small conflicts from occurring. However, compared to the rest of the era, it was a time of peace." Welcome to Tactics Ogre: the Knight of Lodis, an excerpt of the Ogre Battle Saga. Once again, we are taken to our hero, Alphonse, who we find on a docked ship. He's concerned about the weather, and insists that they won't make it to the island if it persists as it is. The ship is in need of repair, and it will take some time... Rictor, agrees to the delay, but admits that they've been drifting for so long that he's lost, and didn't expect the storms so soon. Then, a normal soldiern rushes in. Unfortunately, he brings with him some bad news.... "We're being attaced!" --- BATTLE 1: LUTRA ISLANDS --- Suggested Level: N/A **Enemy Units** L - Bandit (M) Soldiers (M) x 2 Soldier (F) **Friendly Units** Rictor (Guest), Orson (Guest), female Soldier (Guest), male Soldier (Guest) As it turns out, your enemies are mercenaries, hired specifically to give your group a warm welcome... Wonderful, isn't it? Still, it won't be too much of a pain... When the enemies get their first phase to move, Stan (the bandit leader) begins to badmouth Alphonse, calling him a kid. Obviously, we won't take that, so now we have some REAL incentive to kick his merc butt! However, Rictor, the voice of reason, tells us to calm down, right before Stan calls us chicken... Oh, he will die... painfully. In this battle, the only one you can control is Alphonse, so it's pretty much a piece of cake. All you really have to do is keep yourself alive. Now, of important note is that the two teams take TURNS in moving. Of course, your allies and Alphonse move first, but then, after their turns, all of the enemies move. It takes a bit of the strategy of TIMING out of the game. The battle ends when you kill the bandit, punk that he is. Victory Conditions: Defeat the Leader! War Trophies: 0 Goth, Francisca. ------------ After the battle is over, Alphonse has some words with Rictor. Giving a bit of history, Rictor explains that they were requested by the people of Anser, and it must have been Northern forces of Rananculus that sent such a loving welcome. Apparently, these two sectors have been at war for quite some time, and only a forest (though sizable) separates the two forces. In fact, this attitude and conflict has been going for hundreds of years... If that wasn't enough, you learn that your mission is basically one to hold steady the situation, and that your force is so small because Rictor's father didn't feel that it required the main force. Lovely, eh? Still, you always have the option to hire new soldiers, so in the end, the size of your force doesn't really matter. Rictor closes by saying he isn't very inspired by his father of late, especially since his stinginess after becoming Duke. Then, however, another bandit shows up out of nowhere with a bow in his hands. He aims his arrow carefully, then lets it fly. Alphonse, at the last second, manages to push Rictor out of the way, but takes the bolt square in the chest. He falls backward into the waters of below him... One of the knights of your company sneaks up behind the bandit, killing him, but the damage has been done. Rictor yells out for his company to find you, but Alphonse is too far gone. As the screen fades to black, all you hear is the whispering of the tides and the sound of Rictor yelling your name... The color arises again and you see two birds flying over a small church. A girl then walks out of the church and down toward the beach where we see... Alphonse! When next we see our hero, he is awakening in a bed inside a small room of the church. The girl who saved him from the surf greets him, and after a bit of small talk, she introduces herself as Eleanor. Explaining that you're in the church in Solea, she continues, saying that she's a nun, aiding the priest of the church. She then suggests that a mermaid might have saved you, especially after your own admission that you aren't much of a swimmer... Keep in mind the fact that there aren't many mermaids left... It will be vital later. Just then, a silver-haired, softspoken woman walks in, clad in red. The woman, Ivanna explains that she was once a soldier of Rananculus, but now she has gone out on her own. Asking Eleanor to leave, Alphonse asks if Ivanna was a member of the White Fang Troops, "the cause of this island's troubles." Replying that that was 10 years ago, Ivanna, then gives you a glimmer of hope. She reports that there have been sightings of men in unfamiliar armor in Scabellum, suggesting that you head there to seek your friends. Also, she tells that there are no organized troops in the South... Interesting. When both of women leave, you are taken out to the world map. Now, unlike many RPGs, you only get to see a literal map with lots of lines and dots on it. The dots represent castles, towns, and strongholds. The lines are the possible roads between them. Your position is shown by the hand icon, and normally in blue. Blue icons are 'safe' havens, while a red one means that you will have to do something there. Now is a very good time to get accustomed to the menu system, though, so hit L. You will really need to know this button well, since it will do a LOT for you. Hitting L on the world map brings up the root menu. The first option is to SAVE your game (red arrow pointing toward a box). The second is to LOAD a game (both will be helpful). The third box is sort of like your tutorial. You get to take lessons from a cool pumpkinhead. ^_^ The fourth option is the OPTION menu. There you can control text speed along with a million other things. The final box is RESET the game. I suggest you just take my word on that. ^_^'' Normally, you would also have the option in the root menu to edit your party or train, but since you don't HAVE a party, and you're just getting started, the game doesn't think you really need that yet. So, now that you're a bit more used to gameplay, it's time to throw you to the wolves. Proceed to your next destination, Scabellum, shown in red on the map and let's "FIGHT IT OUT!" --- BATTLE 2: PORT SCABELLUM --- Suggested Level: 2-3 **Enemy Units** L - Wizard (F) Soldier (M) x 2 Soldier (F) **Friendly Units** Ivanna (Guest) ... later ... Rictor (Guest) Orson (Guest) Upon arriving at the port city of Scabellum, you notice that it's very quiet... A bit TOO quiet in fact. Before the battle actually starts, you'll be introduced to Mullin, the leader and generally evil wizard. Ivanna explains that she is likely a knight from Rananculus, a spellcaster (duh). However, you're presented with a choice now about elements. You can take advantage and question Ivanna about elements, or just go on with it. Either way, the battle will begin, and it doesn't look like Ivanna and Alphonse will get an easy time. Outnumbered, you will have to coordinate your attack well. Unfortunately for you, Ivanna has the guest AI, which means she is rather useless (except for healing). On the bright side, however, the two soldiers and the archer don't have that much offensive capability (your attacks do twice as much damage as theirs, easily), and they start relatively far away from you. Also, the AI for the siren seems rather... stupid... to be nice about it. She loves to move away from you without attacking. Yay for idiotic bosses! If all that weren't enough, at the beginning of your third turn, Rictor and Orson show up to help you out. The battle just became ridiculously easy, didn't it? Heh. You have to love it. Either way, don't slack off. The boss can still cast one of two rather devastating spells, so beware. Victory Conditions: Defeat the Leader! War Trophies: 0 Goth, Thunder Flare (attack spell), Stone of Swiftness, Healing Leaf, (one more from the archer I didn't get). ------------ After the battle, you have a long dialogue with Rictor. Apparentlly the Lord of Rananculus, Lord Batraal, is directly responsible for the actions of the White Fang Troops. The Batraals have ruled Rananculus for generations, and currently Naris Batraal resides in the throne. Rictor then unfolds his plan, which is basically to split up your forces for a while, with Alphonse going through Vespa Hill and acting like a flank from the west, while Rictor attacks from the southeast hoping to pinch on the White Fang Troops. Rictor then gives you 3500 Goth to further the cause! He says it's for supplies, but you might also want to consider hiring some extra help. Let's do that later. From now on, you can go through the main menu on the world map, which includes MORE than just the save, load, tutorial, reset that you had before this mission. From now on, you can train, shop (in towns), and even edit your units. Sweet! Also note, as of now you actually HAVE units. Refer to the "Fortuneteller's questions" mentioned earlier if you want to know what units you will get. Now, before you do anything else, get very accustomed to the edit screens, the shop system (where you can RECRUIT people... hint hint: *hawkman*!!!), and you might also want to equip some of the stuff you've won on one of your new friends. ^_^ Yes, when you check out your unit screen, you see that you've been assigned your own unit! Awesome, isn't it? --- BATTLE 3: VESPA HILLS --- Suggested Level: 3-4 **Enemy Units** L - archer (F) soldier (M) x 2 soldier (F) x 2 bandit x 2 **Friendly Units** Ivanna (Guest) party members (limit 8) When you first march into the Hills of Vespa, you're greeted by Cressida, an archer from Rananculus. However, she has a good reason to want you dead. She blames you (as a knight of Lodis) for the destruction of her village and the deaths of her parents, which all happened 15 years ago. Needless to say, she is a BIT upset. Her one quote that really stands out, however is in reference to Alphonse telling her that it was a long time ago: "It was a long time for the victor, but we still indure the painful memories... Words can't describe it." She then accuses you, and all people in Lodis, of being without remorse for what their ancestors did. How dare we repeat the same mistakes again? And then, in the final truth of the matter, she realizes that, in the end, the teachings of Lodis are just another way to subjugate the people. Now, we deserve to die... etc, etc, etc. This battle is another fairly open one. The level is long and sprawling, but without too many obstructions and obstacles. In fact, there are only a few shrubs and rocks on this plain, so it is a very simple map. Just a note to those keeping track: wide open maps normally mean little to no advantage can be gained by positioning alone. Still, if you manage to, you can hide your flank by sitting beside a rock and not allowing for back attacks that way. Introduced to you this battle is the idea of Persuading! As Ivanna tells you, each of your characters actually has the ability to 'persuade' an enemy to join your army. However, the process is a bit more complicated than just that, but I'll go into that later (in the random questions section). Allow me to give a few notes of caution here. The enemy party is surprisingly balanced, and unless you've gone out and bought some backup (which I do suggest you do, in the form of hawkment ^_^), you will be outnumbered. As before, the female soldiers use bows to strike at you from long distance, as does the archer (obviously). The two male soldiers both carry decent swords, too, so their attacks are going to be stronger than yours. Also, the two bandits pack axes, so be prepared to take some serious damage... As you defeat the Cressida, she has one last thing to say: "Never forget... You can fool yourself with your rationalizations, but eventuallym you'll suffer the consequences." How wise... This may come to haunt you in the future, don't you think? Victory Conditions: Defeat the Leader! War Trophies: 500 Goth, Great Bow, Healing Leaf x 2, Stone of Swiftness, Sword Emblem, Cup of Life, Crown of Intellect. ------------ After the battle, you see a small scene in camp. Alphonse is sitting by a fire when Ivanna comes out of her tent to discuss a few... matters of importance... Ivanna tells you that she used to not only be in the White Fang Troops, but she knows a great deal about them. They're the personal troops of the Lord of Rananculus. Ivanna also gives a glimmer of truth into her character... She left the Troops to learn about her father's death, and to avenge him. Her full name: Ivanna Batraal. She is a member of the ruling family of Rananculus and daughter of the Former Lord! This means that Naris is her uncle! Basically cutting out the 'blah blah blah' for those of you not interested in history (shame on you), you're given the choice to take Ivanna along. In other words, she finally joins you as a controllable member of your party (getting rid of that damned Guest AI). She starts as merely a strong knight, but don't sweat it, she can become so much more... Now, if you want some real fun, leave the battlesite and go down to the castle (either to buy supplies or something... just do it). Now, when you are good and ready, walk back up to Vespa Hill again. When you get there, you'll notice that "Fight it out" appears, as though it was another story battle. Well, hold on to your socks, boys and girls, it is! --- BATTLE 3s: VESPA HILLS II --- Suggested Level: 4-5 **Enemy Units** Griffin x 3 Gremlin x 2 Fairy x 2 **Friendly Units** Glycinia (Guest) party members (limit 8) **NOTE: From now on, the limit on the number of characters you can** **bring into any battle (not counting guests) will be 8.** Now, the entire premise behind this fight is that you've stumbled upon the poor, defenseless, and miserably small fairy who is about to get destroyed by all the bad creatures that just don't like her. < Sniffle > I feel for the girl, ya know? So we're gonna save her! Yah! Anyway, this battle is full of beasts, and as you will soon find out, they deal considerably more damage than your normal human characters would. Then, as if things needed to get worse, they can all fly as well. Wonderful, isn't it? So just prepare to cover your own backs, and let's get this battle under way! Now, assuming you have a hawkman, this battle will be much easier. They generally have a greater attack than your normal human warrior, and they also have larger movement. Also, if you have a ninja, they will come in VERY useful, since their greater movement range is also a great benefit. The easiest way to beat this battle, that I have found, is to just focus on the bigger enemies first. In other words, kill the griffins, then the gremlins, and then the fairies (unless you can get a fairy the first turn...). The griffins will do the most damage to you, so it might be a big help to get them out of the way first... (Still, the griffins aren't even that big a deal, since their level is as low as yours...) After that, the battle is smooth sailing. Also, if you have to, remember to use Ivanna to heal! It's a great ability, especially if you didn't get a cleric in your original army. Victory Conditions: Defeat All Enemies! War Trophies: 200 Goth, Cup of Life x 4, Stone of Swiftness x 4, ------------ After the battle you're treated to a small scene where Alphonse talks to Glycinia. Basically, she's thankful to you for saving her from all the evil beasties... Aren't you nice? She says that she comes from the forest, searching for her sister. After all that jibba-jabba, it all boils down to one thing: "Can I join you?" Though she is a fairy, she comes equipped with some decent armaments. I would suggest taking her, since you have nowhere near your maximum number of characters yet, and you can always take more. Besides, get her for he equipment if nothing else. ^_~ Just say "Yes!" Heh. Now, however, we get back to the normal swing of things. If you're anything like me, you are probably taking your sweet time in getting to the next stage, making sure that your army is balanced in levels. This is a good practice, and one which might just save your life later. You see, the enemies you face in any battle will be about the level of your highest character. Therefore, if you have someone just falling behind, you're really in trouble, unless you train them up to snuff. So now, head on out to face your next story battle! --- BATTLE 4: FORMIDO FORTRESS --- Suggested Level: 6-7 **Enemy Units** L - Knight (M) Soldier (M) x 3 Archer (M) Archer (F) Cleric (F) Wizard (M) **Friendly Units** party members (limit 8) Prelude Story: Before the battle begins, you'll be introduced to an imposing knight in purple-blue armor. He tells the knight to expect the Knights of Lodis, and then proceeds to deliver a few more orders. Most notably, he tells Grimal that HE hired the pirates to attack you earlier, and then orders Grimal to 'defend the fortress.' In other words, you've just been ordered to your death... again. Finally, when Grimal begins to speak again, we learn the identity of our tormentor: Nichart Briffaut himself! After Nichart insults Alphonse by calling him yount, who appears but our hero himself! Nichart laughs at you (mean bastard), refusing to withdraw to Naja, and leaves, telling Grimal that this fortress is vital to their movement in the South. If that weren't bad enough, Nichart then flatly says, "Shut up kid. I have no time for you." Someone deserves an ass kicking! Let the battle begin! Tactics: In this battle, the terrain is definitely not your friend. You begin in the lower right corner of the map, and immediately notice that you're going to have to climb both up hill and toward a fortress. Yay. Still, my advice is to take a hawkman (which you REALLY SHOULD HAVE RECRUITED BY NOW) and fly up toward the archers and wizard. They have the capacity to hurt you from a distance for good damage. Notably, the wizard has TWO spells, one earth elemental and one water. Be very careful of how you deal with him... He can be trouble after he charges enough MP. Also, don't underestimate the knight, or any of the soldiers actually. The soldier on the far right has a bow equipped, but they all have decent attack. Also, let's not forget the fact that they're equipped pretty well (all CPU- controlled enemies are). If you really want to have a bit of fun, try and persuade the wizard... That should ease the battle quite a bit... Tactically, you're not only at a disadvantage by terrain, but as soon as the battle starts, the computer sometimes sends a few soldiers and the wizard to flank you to your left. This can be a huge problem if you don't take care of it quickly. Either take out some archers, or the soldiers, but things WILL get ugly. After you take care of the distance attackers, the battle proceeds much more smoothly. If you need to, have Ivanna heal (a lot), or just use a cleric, if you've got one. If not, I seriously recommend levelling up a character until they meet the requirements. A cleric is _invaluable_ in the early stages... Victory Conditions: Defeat the Leader! War Trophies: 1500 Goth, Chain Mail, Healing Leaf, Crown of Intellect, Sword Emblem, Cup of Life, Crag Crush (spell), Cleanse (spell). Special Bonus: Numida Chronology. ------------ After the battle, you find a small green book, the Numida Chronology, lying on the battle field. This is your first book to allow you into Quest Mode, as the game explains: "Each text you acquire will open a new area in Quest Mode where you can explore/earn treasure." However, more on that in the Quest Mode section (after the Walkthrough)... Alphonse begins talking to Ivanna about whether she recognized the warrior. As it turns out, Grimal must have joined after she left. Either way, Alphonse is worried about Rictor, and decides that there's nothing more you can do unless you enter the fortress... You find it in shambles. It looks as though they messily scrambled to remove what things of value they could before you took it. As Alphonse heads toward the window, a young sorceress casts Slumber Mist on him, putting him to sleep. As the screen fades to black, you're left wondering the fate of our hero. Luckily for us, the screen arises moments later, but only to find Alphonse chained to a wall in a very dirty dungeon cell. "...I guess I was a little careless." You think? Heh. These villains never think to clean, do they? Oh well. Still, as he awakens, Alphonse is joined by Nichart and the sorceress. Nichart loves to mock Alphonse, who struggles to free himself, but to no avail. He, like us, has to sit through this boring questioning, of course not telling anything. Then, as though things couldn't get worse, Nichart decides it will be fun to WHIP the poor boy, hoping to loosen his tongue. Yay and stuff. Needless to say, Alphonse eventually passes out, and as the screen fades to black, the sorceress slips him a potion to make him talk... Awakening again, Alphonse's cell has now been flooded, but just up to his chest... for now. This boy is going through a lot, don't ya think? Anyway, a mysterious woman in a purple dress eventually appears. As is customary, they have an incredibly long dialogue, including such events as how at high tide you will DIE. She then tells you that she needs you, or more honestly a soldier, but Alphonse will do. If you cooperate, she will FREE you. I think you just got a sweet deal. Lucky bum. The woman tells you her name is Cybil Alinda and that she enjoyed watching you fight today... Interesting. She also summons a servant, Shiven, to report the current state of some situation, likely the one you will be aiding with. He says that a force has retreated to the north, and that Rictor's troops, supposedly attacking from the south entered the Forest of Gryllus, but then retreated to Scabellum. There is no explanation as to why... Cybil sends him back to HQ to pass on his information, and then tells you to rest... You'll be crossing the Meleagris Mountains at dawn. Without further reasons, she leaves. Now, as that scene finally comes to a close, you are returned to the world map. If you decide to move to the next location, you will have to travel over Vespa. This time, however, you'll be taken to a scene from inside the throne room of Ostorea Castle where Naris Batraal, Ivanna's father and also the head of the governing body of Ovis, and a Young Sorceress are in conference... The sorceress reports the situation to Naris, who then inquires about Rictor. This is when you learn a little bit of the back story to what actually happened 15 years ago. As it turns out, 15 years ago the forces of Lodis stormed the village of Blete, a town of "worshippers of nature" according to Naris. That was the scene in the introduction... The forces of Lodis burned down the village as a warning to others that might resist. Nearly all of the villagers escaped to the forest, however, thinking they were safe. As if only to prove their point, Lodis' forces then set the forest itself ablaze. According to myth, the souls of those burnt to death still wander the forest... You then get a bit of an inkling as to the true purpose of Lodis in this region when Naris mysteriously refers to some 'it' that he's looking for. Then, Naris is told of your escape, and unphased inquires about someone named Malicia. When the scene finishes, you can FINALLY continue on to your next area, Ardea! --- BATTLE 5: LAKE ARDEA --- Suggested Level: 7-8 **Enemy Units** Hawkman x 3 Griffin x 2 Fairy x 2 **Friendly Units** Cybil (Guest) party members (limit 8) By far the most difficult battle so far, as the screen brightens, you will note that nearly ALL of the terrain is covered by water. This will be a test of strategy. Be ready! [Tactics Contributed by Haunter12O, but edited slightly to fit my style] The enemies usually take a defensive stance to begin with, since they have the low ground. However, on the second turn they'll start moving toward you. Cybil is very good as she can do upwards of 80 damage to either a single enemy or a group of enemies with her spells, just don't get her in enemy hitting range =). You'll actually have a pretty hard time with this battle due to your accuracy and movement slightly decreasing due to water penalties. All the enemies can fly, so it won't bother their movement. The fairies will stay in the back and fire arrows at you, while the griffins and hawk men get in your attack range. I would suggest you don't surround a group of bunched up enemies because (1)you probably have a low chance of hitting them, and (2)Cybil won't use her spells on them since it might hit allies in the range. You should have some new classes by now, so try not to have more than two generic soldiers (change their classes, duh!) and if you can't, have them be at least a high enough level so that they will deal decent damage to your enemies. Stay alive and do your best! [/Haunter12O's section] Most of what Haunter says is VERY good advice, and wise counselling. However, one thing I have found to be a fairly effective strategy is to head toward the larger land mass to the right of your initial position. On the second turn, when the enemies begin to charge you, your troops will by then have reached solid ground again, and won't be at quite so large a disadvantage. Another thing to think about is whether you'd rather attack from behind and in water, or from on land, risking a counter. In the water, your characters will suffer a rather significant stat reduction, which might sway your thinking. Oh well, just more to mull over during the battle. ^_^ Victory Conditions: Defeat all enemies! War Trophies: xxx Goth, Heal Leaf, Crown of Intellect, Stone of Swiftness, Cup of Life, Sword Emblem, Crown of Intellect, Sorcerer's Cup, Savage Bugle. ------------ After that battle, Alphonse confronts Cybil alone, on the lake's edge. Basically, Alphonse just wants to know what exactly is going on, where they're headed, what they're doing, etc. This is when Cybil reveals a bit more about herself: she serves the Church of Lodis, and she's carrying the Mark of the Pope. Now that she has your attention, she explains that you're headed to the west, to the Tinea region, sometimes called the "Paradise of the Beasts." In further detail, you're going northwest to Urodela Cape at the foot of the Meleagris Mountains. Cutting through the rest of it, you're going there to search for a mermaid. Yielding yet another hint, she tells the story from an old manuscript, saying: "Beams of light from the Sacred Spear, wielded by a beautiful mermaid sent hundreds of soldiers to their graves..." She is on the island, and has been for a while, searching for such a spear. Unfortunately, your group from Lodis, along with others, are after it. Just then, Shiven reappears from his mission, telling you both that armed soldiers, likely of Rananculus, have already arrived at Urodela Cape ahead of you. Your new plan will involve driving away the soldiers so the locals will aid you... Violent, but plausible... I like it! Before heading back to the map, Alphonse seems to make another connection about the true face of the Church of Lodis... to which Cybil only replies, "...It's better that you don't know." She then walks off after a few more words... After making whatever preparations you want to do (which might include some serious purchasing in the local shop!), make your way over to Urodela, where your next story battle awaits! --- BATTLE 6: CAPE URODELA --- Suggested Level: 9-11 **Enemy Units** L - Ninja (M) Ninja (M) x 3 Ninja (F) x 2 Witch **Friendly Units** Cybil (Guest) party members (limit 8) Prelude Story: Before the battle, you see a small dialogue between Cybil and Alphonse, mostly dealing with your unfortunate timing. Apparently, Cybil really didn't want to get to Urodela after sunset... And soon you will see why. As the characters leap out of the shadows, you will notice that most of them are ninjas. This should automatically tell you that they are (1) fast and (2) going to have some serious long-range attacks. The black ninja and leader, Sitri, tells you that the mermaids' spear is a treasure of the Batraal family, so of course they won't just let you have it. Sitri then continues to ramble on about how his family was killed by Lodis, etc, etc, etc... He has a lot of pent up rage. ^_~ I say we just put him, and all of his groupies, out of their misery! Tactics: Ouch, you have another tactical nightmare ahead of you. You're climbing up a hill, again, and, as always, your adversaries have the advantage over you in terms of terrain. Since almost all of the enemies have some form of long range attack, I would suggest closing the gap between yourself and them as QUICKLY as possible. As you might have noticed with your own experience with ninjas, their spells and shurikens tend to deal more damage than their swords... Oh, final note here: some ninjas in this level equipped bows... Watch for the long range attacks. Next off, you have to worry about the witch. Once she charges up enough MP, she can, and will, start unleashing status affecting spells upon your party. As if that wasn't bad enough, her INT is high enough that her Slumber Mist affects 5 squares... Ugh. Just stay out of her range, if at all possible. When you finally decide to kill off the leader (hopefully after killing all his compatriots to get their items), he dies with a call to his lost love on his lips. Pathetic... Victory Conditions: Defeat the Leader! War Trophies: 500 Goth, Matsukaze, Healing Seed, Altar of Resurrection, Cup of Life, Sword Emblem, Magic Seed, Necklace of Resistance. ------------ After the battle, Rictor and Orson show up. They're astounded to see you are in Urodela, and actually seem pleased to see you. However, Alphonse by now is a little bit wiser to the workings of Lodis, and asks about Rictor, how he came to be there, and what his goals are. You're told about how the undead from the Forest of Gryllus attacked and wounded lots of his soldiers, how he retreated, and lots of other things you had actually already heard from Cybil and Shiven. Then, Alphonse asks the big question: "What exactly are they looking for, and what is your true mission?" To this, Rictor only dodges the question, saying he's glad you're safe... Ugh. How predictably political. He merely says to talk to him later. Finally, it seems, Alphonse has seen the truth. Enjoy this little cinema on your own, because from now on, Alphonse has his destiny in his own hands! After Cybil and Alphonse have had their little confrontation with Rictor, you now understand how dispicable Rictor truly can be. He is really just blinded by position, and ambition... It's sad that Alphonse didn't see it sooner. Cybil and Alphonse hold a meeting in a small shed, discussing the current situation. You learn that you need to find a boat, then head down to the Rana Sea to find the mermaids' sanctuary. Your goal is, as it will be for a while, to find the Sacred Spear. Unfortunately, Alphonse still has his mind on Rictor, and makes up some excuse about sailing in the rain. To this, Cybil merely responds that he needs to take responsibility for his actions. Wise words... "You can't have freedom without bearing the responsibility." "Choosing not to decide is still a choice." After that little pep talk, you're given a brief lecture by some fisherman who basically tells you that the mermaids, and the sea, are not to be taken lightly. He believes the mermaids are monsters... Bleh. He does give ONE useful piece of advice though. If you want to meet the mermaids, capture one. When she calls for help, just follow them to the sanctuary. Guess what we get to do... WRONG! You finally get a choice. And now, this is a HUGE choice. A: "I've no better ideas..." B: "It doesn't seem right." Will you follow her plan just to follow it, or will you go off and be a 'hero?' It's crunch time kiddies, and NEITHER answer is "better" than the other. What will you choose? ______________________________________________________________________________ ------PART 2------ < < THE CHOSEN PATH: A > > "I've no better ideas..." For the time being, yoiu've chosen answer A. It seems to match his style at the moment, and I know that I'll just replay the game and choose B. So, now that you've passed your first branch of destiny, let's continue... Basically, from now on, you're looking for a way to prevent this, but since you don't know exactly what to do, you just promise that you'll try and find some way. Your next scene is Alphonse talking with Ivanna, mostly about the weather. It doesn't bode well for our hero-to-be. You'll head toward the Rana Sea, through Bison, but you aren't sure what to expect. At least you won't be tracked, or expected... Finally, you get a little dialogue telling a bit more about who Ivanna is, and you see that she believes in both Alphonse and what he will do... Awwww... Touching. But enough of that. Time to get going! As you notice when you return to the world map screen, a new path has opened up for you west of Urodela, leading to Bison. --- BATTLE 7A: BISON SWAMP --- Suggested Level: 10-11 **Enemy Units** Blue Dragon x 2 Hawkman x 3 Fairy x 2 **Friendly Units** party members (limit 8) This battle is fought entirely over a swamp. There are only a few outlying panels of relative stability and safety. My strategy here was almost always to let the beasts come to me. Sure, the hawkmen and dragons hit hard, but with a priest, Ivanna, and Alphonse as a knight, that's 3 healers. Besides, you also deal out better damage from more solid ground. On the enemy's first turn, they will likely just full-out charge your party. Unlike us, they don't have any tactics worth mentioning, except full frontal assault. This makes them easy targets for sniping action, either with a bow- equipped character, or just with magic. Take your pick. On the second turn, after you've damaged the beasts decently, and they've finally closed the gap with your characters, it's time to take a bit of a punishing. See, they all hit rather hard (well, except for the fairies which CAN'T hit hard), and they tend to enjoy doing just that. Have a healer or two ready, and just bear with the battle. Eventually, without healers, the opposing force will die off. That's about all it takes in this battle: endurance. With one healer, or two, this battle is a snap. Just outlast your opponents and you'll finish with no problem. Victory Conditions: Defeat All Enemies! War Trophies: 100 Goth, Tower Shield, Healing Seed, Antidote, Coral Harp, Dragon Eyes, Crown of Intellect, Sword Emblem. ------------ After the battle, a familiar voice catches up with Alphonse. As it turns out, it's Shiven (the messenger that Cybil relied upon so much). Basically, Cybil didn't quite trust us, so she sent Shiven along to babysit and watch over us. How nice of her, or at least that's what Alphonse believes at first. However, it's all good, because now you get another character! --- BATTLE 8A: ARENA COAST --- Suggested Level: 14-15 **Enemy Units** L - Damiel (Cleric - M) Cassini (Knight - M) Lendanto (Bandit - M) Archer (M) x 2 Knight (M) Bandit (M) **Friendly Units** Minerva (Guest) Alphonse Ivanna 6 party members Prelude Story: Before the battle, you have a scene between Alphonse and Ivanna, commenting on the situation, and how close they are to the Sea. However, Ivanna spots something a bit out of place... a boat flying the flag of Felis. You decide it can't be Rictor, so who is it? Going in for a closer look, all of a sudden Alphonse gets the "bad vibe" feeling going on. No sooner do you look up than you see a Robed Man, a knight, and a bandit all crouching over a lone mermaid. However, they all seem disgusted by the creature. Poor thing is basically being tortured, all because of the RUMORS of what her kind does! We won't stand for that! However, after a bit more dialogue, we get a big shock. Damiel (the Cleric) iss waiting for orders from "Commander Lasanti!" Could Rictor really be so cruel as to be behind this?! I say it's time to find out! (Especially since Lendanto the Bandit thinks the mermaid looks appetising O_o) Alphonse steps out into sight, calling out all of his ex-teammates. They all seem to love him as much as they love the mermaid. How could Alphonse ever bear to put up with them at all? Still, it's time for battle, so the pansies call out reinforcements. Typical... Just before the battle really begins, however, you learn one piece of information that is interesting. According to the records, Alphonse is "already dead." Is THAT how the justified his leaving the Order of the Sacred Flame? That's it. No one calls ME dead!! Fight it out! Tactics: This entire battle is geared toward taking down Damiel, however, it is by NO means an easy task. With lots of backup, as well as the Heal Plus spell (which will hit 5 squares), it will be pretty hard to kill ANYONE this battle, unless you're very good at ganging up. In that one tactic lies the key to this battle. Your first turn or so, you'll only be closing the gap between the two forces, and basically crossing the river. However, you'll be taking decent cover fire from the archers, so fast characters (or fliers) are valuable assets. This is a great time to give Shiven a trial run. ^_^ If the fact that you'll be a sitting duck in the river after your first turn wasn't enough, just look at who's waiting for you on the other side. Yay. Get ready to feel the burn, because those knights and bandits pack a _serious_ punch. Just weather the damage, and take a cleric or priest in with you, and you'll be fine. Just remember, however, that the enemies also have a healer this round, so you have to FINISH an opponent, or they'll just be healed. To top matters off, you have to PROTECT THE MERMAID. Now, as long as she's in the water, that really isn't that hard a thing to do. Amazingly, she is as decent in the water as you are out of it. Cool, eh? Still, you have to make sure that you heal her, otherwise Minerva won't survive, and you'll fail... Ugh... Just hold your own, eventually taking down Damiel, and you'll have faced one of the longer battles... Oh, and you'll have protected the mermaid, too. Aren't you nice? Before the fool dies, Damiel can only wonder how he lost to you again... Heh. Good old Alphonse must have been his "rival," or that's what HE thought. Too bad, really. Alphonse was ALWAYS out of his league. Victory Conditions: Defeat the Leader War Trophies: 1000 Goth, Robe of the Wise, Cup of Life, Sword Emblem, Tome of Discipline, Crown of Intellect, Armlet of Agility, Stone of Swiftness. ------------ After the end of the battle, you get a scene where Alphonse comforts Minerva, making sure she's ok. Why he just lets her go, I don't really know, but I suppose he isn't really into Cybil's plan... He had the perfect opportunity. Anyway, on we go! Continuing north, we head toward Rana, and hopefully some mermaids... --- BATTLE 9A: RANA SEA --- Suggested Level: 15-16 **Enemy Units** **Friendly Units** 8 Party Members Prelude Story: As Alphonse finally approaches the coast, he sees that it's unlikely that you'll be able to cross by boat. However, that's the least of your problems! The camera whips to your right where, out of nowhere, 4 mermaids, 2 fairies, and 2 octopi have just appeared. The leader, Aerial seems disgusted... How dare she call US vulgar?! Did she even see the other losers we just beat down? Anyway, she basically wants to know why we're on their turf... but it's unlikely that she will like our answer. Aerial makes it blatantly obvious that we're not welcome... Alphonse, however, tries to talk with the bloodthristy mermaid. Boy is he smart or what? (Actually, I think it's more masochistic) He tries reasoning with them, saying that he doesn't want to fight, but Aerial will have none of it. She blames US for the wounding of Minerva!! How rude! So, guess what that means for you and me? Yep! Battle time... Fight it out! (Small note: Aerial loves to brag... or at least just inject a bit of fear with the, "I am the strongest of our kind" speech, but she isn't all that bad...) Tactics: Lovely, once again, you're outmatched in terms of terrain advantage. Not only do all of your opponents LOVE the water, but they also have the higher ground at the battle's start. Kind of makes you wonder, "Why me," doesn't it? Still, let's continue... This is one of the few battles where I even considered using my fairy, since her floating ability would help a lot... But then I thought better of it. I just used my ninjas instead >;) Basically, you want either flyers or ninjas who can move freely regardless of the water. Then, you want some heavy hitters to take the landed routes, hopefully taking care of the mermaids and occasional octopus you'll meet on the way. Once you get to the higher ground, though, this battle becomes cake. Therefore, I suggest you start your troops as far over to the right as you can, and just make a mad dash for the natural bridge-thing. Another thing to notice, or else figure out on your own (painfully) later is that all the mermaids have SPEARS equipped. That means that you need to stagger your troops when you close in on the enemy. Otherwise, you'll be giving them an easy way to damage two of your characters at one time... That's a very bad thing. They don't need any help killing you. Well, maybe the octopi and fairies do, but still... I finished this battle in X turns, which is actually way over my average. Now, I might have been a bit under leveled, or it could just be that every beast I fought had insanely high HP, but still... It will take a while to beat this battle. Just stick with it, and you'll be rewarded. Unlike all the bosses before her, you don't actually have to take Aerial down to 0 HP. Instead, just get her to under 10 or 15 and she will give up... As her "last breath," she asks forgiveness of some Lady Chloeri Victory Conditions: Defeat the Leader! War Trophies: 2200 Goth, , Stone of Swiftness, Sword Emblem, Cassowary Feather, Cup of Life, Crown of Intellect, Healing Seed, Sorcerer's Cup. ------------ After the battle, however, you notice a VERY unusual scene. For once, the victim is asking to die... I mean, when was the last time you heard any sane person shout "Kill me now!!!"? The whole hitch, however, is that Aerial just doesn't want to reveal the location of the sanctuary, especially not to humans. That would be the ultimate disgrace, and the only one she will not bear. Alphonse acts like a hero again, promising not to kill her. Predictable? I think so. Then, he insists with his original claim, that he merely wants to speak with the leader of the mermaids. Aerial mistakes this generosity as a display of pity, but Alphonse sets her straight, saying he just wants to do this peacefully... only to be insulted for being soft. (Do we see a pattern yet? Alphonse acts like a softy, then gets slammed for it... By now, wouldn't he have learned??) Just then, however, a normal mermaid swims up and says the leader agrees to meet with you. O_O Aerial is in a state of denial. You're to be treated like a guest, so behave! ^_^ You're taken before a beautiful blonde mermaid, Chloeri, the leader of the mermaids (in that region of the ocean). Alphonse now tells her of his mission, about his vow to Cybil, and how he is searching for the Sacred Spear. When she hears this, Chloeri begins to rant about the short lifespan of a human, and how easily they make mistakes. What is her point? We shall soon see. "Forgetting permits hope to return and strength to be rebuilt." After a bit more small talk, Alphonse asks to hear the story of the Sacred Spear. Now, pay attention little ones... This is important! ******Interlude: Story of the Sacred Spear****** 400 years ago, mermaids lived peacefully around this island. That changed when people arrived. They burned forests and built villages. Conflicts erupted that disturbed our quiet ocean. The quarreling never ceased and finally a battle began for control of the island. I took up arms alongside my fellow mermaids. Mermaid Soldier: Commander, the humans have already entered the southern sea. Mermaid Leader: "If I surrender, do you think the war will end?" Soldier: "No. Even with your life in their hands, they'd continue to attack. They are blood-thirsty goblins. They think everything in this world is theirs for the taking. Why?! Why does God allow such creatures to exist on this earth?" "Don't do anything rash. We'll stand by you and protect this ocean." Leader: "Chloeri, that kind of thinking will get us nowhere. What will remain when the fighting is over? Instead, we must find a way to survive." Chloeri (Soldier): "Are you saying that we should let hte humans win, that we should endure that kind of humiliation?" "God! Do you only side with humans? It is we who are the soul of the sea. As such, we will eventually become one again with the water and wind. Are we so insignificant? Answer me!!! Is there no place for us on this earth? Will you turn your back on us and let us fade from existance?" Later, when I returned from battle, our leader was gone, but instead I found a spear. It was a beautiful black spear, bestowed upon us by God. It threw out thunder and lightning, and could pierce metal armor. The war started anew, and ten years passed... Soldier 2: "We can't find it anywhere." Chloeri: "Look once more." "I doubt any human could have entered this sanctuary. Who took the spear from here, then? And why?" Soldier 2: "Has someone betrayed us? They may have conspired with the humans." Chloeri: "Impossible... Why would anyone want to risk their life for the enemy?! Our leader sacrificed herself for our sake. The spear is the key to our victory!" Soldier 3: "...We're being attacked!!!" Chloeri: "Protect our ocean! I'll be right there..." During the lengthy war, there was a mermaid who fell in love with a human. But, such love was forbidden. She hoped that hostilities would subside if the war ended, so, one night, she entered the sanctuary and stole the Sacred Spear for her loved one. ******End Interlude****** Long and drawn out, I know, but it's worth reading in full, and I typed it up just for you, so READ IT ALL!! ~_~ Basically, after losing the spear, the mermaids couldn't hold out any longer, and they were forced to escape to the west where they have lived, protected by nature, for so long. Long story short, "we don't have the Spear any more." So, being naturally inquisitive, Alphonse asks about what happened to the mermaid who fell in love with the human. Unfortunately, Chloeri doesn't know. Wonderful. On a bright note, it was never heard from that the humans found the spear, so it might still be safe. Your only clue is a feeling Chloeri has... that the mermaid who stole the spear is still alive and can lead you to it. Her name is Berevra, and she had golden scales... Chloeri's sister. ((Dun Dun DUNNNNNNNNN!)) After a LITTLE more dialogue, you're off, with a mermaid guide, to Urodela. You have someone to speak to there *cough*Cybil*cough*. However, backtracking over Arena, you run into a little cinema. As it turns out, Aerial isn't quite through with you yet. This time, though, she's much more understanding, and is actually trying to figure out how the Chloeri's sister could care so much for someone as to sacrifice her own kind... Then, she THANKS you for saving Minerva! "I think I misjudged you." No, you think? Then, as if to just make it official (hey, any character with this much development is important), she says: "I'm going with you." And that, as they say, is that. With one more small threat, you're on your way again with a new ally. Arriving at Urodela, you go back to where you left Cybil in the storage facility, and you report your findings. Apologizing for the amount of time you took, you ask about Berevra, to which Cybil has no specific information. Wonderful. It's sort of funny, though. You're looking for a mermaid, with golden scales, who loves a human and wields a divine weapon of God... and no one knows anything. Heh. After more talking and telling of events passed, Cybil inquires why Alphonse is even still here. Basically, you don't have anywhere else to go: "They don't mean anything to me anymore." Following that comment, Alphonse has a veyr deep realization about his own character, and seems to already be trying to fix it. Our little hero is all growing up on us! ^_^ Then, of course, Cybil has some further words of wisdom, but we've already gone into enough detail on that... Long convo short: Cybil says, "We are now equals, and I'll help you if you need it." Cool. Time to go looking for our golden mermaid... Which is when Alphonse remembers the story that Eleanor once told him, when you first met her... "It was a long time ago, but one i saw a beautiful mermaid. Her whole body was covered in gold..." That MUST be Berevra! It's time we headed to Solea (and Eleanor ^_~). Maybe we'll find something there... Now, you encounter a scene when you move, the area DIRECTLY after Arena and on the way back to talk to Cybil. You encounter a fairy that has a Dowsing Rod. She has 2 Blue Dragons and a Dragon tamer with her... As far as I know, it is IMPOSSIBLE to persuade her without the persuasion + emblem, but you can still get the Dowsing Rod as her drop treasure. Just FYI. --- BATTLE 10A: SOLEA BEACH --- Suggested Level: 15-16 **Enemy Units** L - Dragoon (Karcist) Archer (F) x 2 Thunder Dragon Blue Dragon Red Dragon Earth Dragon **Friendly Units** Eleanor (Guest) Alphonse 7 Party Members Prelude Story: When you arrive at Solea, it's late at night, but for some reason, Eleanor is still up, and Alphonse finds her standing by the ocean. She's surprised to see you, too, so she asks about what's going on... What you couldn't see, but Alphonse asks about, is that Eleanor is bleeding. Being the kind hero (and maybe more ^_~), you take care of her and listen. When the screen rises again, Alphonse is asking about Father Hamen, because apparently he hit her, or caused her to bleed somehow. Still, as with most victims, Eleanor says it was her fault... She didn't do what she was supposed to do, or something. Then there's a dialogue about how long you'll stay, where you tell Eleanor that you're no longer a knight, about Cybil and your current situation. Then, as if to cut right to it, you ask about the golden mermaid she told you about long ago. However, that was the wrong move... Insulted, Eleanor says she has nothing to tell you. You came only to ask about that mermaid (heartless!!). You're using her, and saying so, she storms out of the room. Then, as if things couldnt get worse, Cybil tells you that the White Fang Troops have arrived. Great... Outside, Eleanor is met by a dragoon (Karcist), two archers, and a few dragons. Confronted, they say that they want her to speak to Commander Briffaut. Then, they try to abduct her! This is when Alphonse shows up and yells for them to stop. Basically, he uses the overdone line, "you'll have to go through me first," to which the dragoon just laughs and says OK. Oh boy, this is gonna get nasty... Tactics: This battle introduces you to a new, and devastatingly powerful, class: the dragoon. Do not underestimate Karcist. He has the ability to do some major damage to ANYONE, and his level is normally around 19 or 20. Also, since the goal of the battle is to protect Eleanor, you have to think about it as "Defeat all Enemies" with a handicap. My first suggestion is to bum rush a few of the dragons, before they get enough SP charged to hit you with their breath attacks. Then, take out the archers. (I hate snipers!!) Still, the entire time, you need to know exactly where Karcist is, because a dragoon is always bad news (when an opponent). Keep a healer handy; you'll need one. Victory Conditions: Protect Eleanor! War Trophies: 1000 Goth, Sherwood Hat, Sword Emblem, Cup of Life, Dragom Eyes, Altar of Resurrection, Stone of Swiftness, Fafnir! ------------ Just before you kill the bastard, the dragoon asks you if Eleanor is worth protecting. Is she worth making Briffaut your enemy? Of course, you know the RIGHT answer, but does Alphonse? As he dies (and leaves you the Fafnir), Alphonse goes to check up on Eleanor... who still seems upset at you. Next, you see a scene where Alphonse and Eleanor get a little bit of a heart to heart talk... About time. As it turns out, Cybil helped clear a few things up, so you're not in hot water any more. Cool of her, I say. As it turns out, Eleanor actually knows Berevra, and more imporantly, she knows where the golden mermaid is! She shows you a necklace that Berevra gave to Eleanor, and we learn a bit more about Eleanor's character. She then tells you where Berevra went all those years ago... but only after you tell her that you're going to go alone, that you care for her well being. One of the more interesting sequences, however, comes when you say, "Don't worry, Eleanor. I'll come back. I promise..." Eleanor doesn't take that the right way, though. She won't stay, waiting for you again. She won't go through it all again. In other words, "I want to be with you..." Now, you're given another IMPORTANT choice. Do you take her with you, or do you continue to be a jerk and reject her? I'm sorry, but even I'm not mean enough to say no to her. I mean, she is OBVIOUSLY the love interest, so why not? ^_~ Still, here is the choice: A: "OK. Let's go together." B: "If you are so serious..." Do me a favor... Don't choose B. If you do, I won't have any specifics for you, so you might be a bit out of luck if it changes the ending too much... Sooo, without further ado, we just got another party member! Not only do you take Eleanor with you, though, but she insists that you teach her how to fight. In other words, she's going to be a good, strong, and versitile character. Now, take it back out to the world map and let's check out how things stand! As you'll notice, a new area has appeared (Aquila) just to the East of the fortress of Formido. Guess where you're going? Yep! Now, what makes me a bit ill is that, despite that whole conversation, and the emphasis placed on Eleanor coming with you, she isn't a controllable member of your team yet. Ugh. Oh well, prepare for the next battle and walk over to Aquila. FIGHT IT OUT!! --- BATTLE 11A: AQUILA VOLCANO --- Suggested Level: 17-19 **Enemy Units** Hawkman x 2 Gremlin x 2 Red Dragon x 2 Cerberus **Friendly Units** Eleanor (Guest) Alphonse 7 Party Members Prelude Story: When you arrive at the volcano, Alphonse and Eleanor have a small dialogue about the fact that they are PASSING THROUGH A VOLCANO. You know, I'm with Alphonse here... It sounds _really_ insane. Still, Eleanor asserts that it is necessary, as it's the shortest route. Tactics: The most imporant thing to notice about this level is all the LAVA. Lava is an awful thing to have on a map, since no one can walk over it unless they float. Therefore, the gremlins have a huge advantage in that respect, but otherwise, they still suck. Don't worry too much about them, as they are merely minor annoyances. On a positive note, you're tactically in good standing (beside the lava), especially since you have the higher ground on the volcano. All you have to do is worry about the people who can close the gap on you quickly (any flying enemy). The real enemies to concern yourself with in this battle are the dragons, especially since by the time the two forces clash, they will likely be ready to hit someone with their fire breath attacks. This will be bad news if you're not ready for it. Also, as usual the hawkmen are serious threats, since they have strong attack as well as flight, so they can come right at you immediately. In this battle, you'll also be introduced to the Cerberus unit. With above-average attack, but sub-average movement, they're very similar to the dragons. Beware when they get close, but you will have some time to prepare for that. Basically, I suggest taking out the hawkmen first, which should be rather easy seeing as they will bum-rush you. Then, focus on the cerberus, with that annoyingly effective mesmerize... After they're all gone, the dragons, with their insanely high HP and all, are ready to get their butts handed to them. Who are we to say no? Then, finally, the annoying gremlins (who are just one SMALL step above fairies in usefulness). Still, if your team is strong enough, you might be able to take out the gremlins before the dragons even reach you. In that case, by all means take them out. No gremlins deserve to live for too long. Victory Conditions: Defeat All Enemies! War Trophies: 200 Goth, Healing Seed, Sorcerer's Cup, Crown of Intellect, Cup of Life, Mirror of the Gods, Sword Emblem, Stone of Swiftness. Special Trophy: EPIC OF TINEA... ------------ After the battle, Eleanor is overlooking a cliff, and she knows that somewhere near there is where the golden mermaid went. "East of Aquila, where the mid- summer sun warms the ocean." However, just then a very familiar voice chimes in... demanding for you to hand over Eleanor! As it turns out, Rictor followed you!! Well, more specifically, Father Hamen asked him to find Eleanor... Damnit. It was all in good intentions, but this is very bad. Then, Father Hamen himself appears, validating everything that Rictor has been saying. Doh. To make matters a bit worse, he accuses Alphonse of subverting her, saying that we must have said something to bring her along with us. He just out and assumes we're the bad guys! How rude of him! The only thing you can do is to ... ask her. Then, that bastard Hamen starts talking trash about you. He says that it was a bad idea to save your life from the surf. Oh, I'm really starting to hate this guy... First hurting Eleanor, now this? To further my point, Hamen won't accept Eleanor's answer: "I'm not coming back to the church." Then all hell breaks loose (or it SHOULD). Father Hamen smacks Eleanor. Somehow, until this point, Alphonse remains motionless throughout this act. What kind of father figure is this man? He loves her more than anyone? That's bull, I say. Finally, Alphonse approaches Hamen and gives him a piece of his mind... only to be lectured, then commanded to "give my Eleanor back to me." This man is so clueless, it's almost funny. Even after all the dialogue, though, Hamen is as determined as ever. He will not let this reckless youth take his beloved daughter from him. He asks Rictor to take Eleanor FOR HIM. Oh no he did not. Rictor seems to reassess you now, though. He realizes just how knowledgeable you are of the situation. Furthermore, he seems to understand just how determined you are, but unsure about on what PATH you lie. You learn a bit of useful knowledge from this talk, though: - The Sacred Spear is called the Longicolnis... (Why did they have to name it so horribly?) and it was created from the horn of a fallen angel! - It has actually pierced the Sacred Demon. - Rictor's actual mission, the entire time on the island, was to find the spear. He just withheld that information from you... Now for the real shocker... - Berevra is Eleanor's MOTHER!! O_o Just then, a soldier approaches Eleanor, and Alphonse cries out. After some bragging from Rictor, a second soldier approaches him and swings a sword at him. Then, as if the situation needed no more excitement, Eleanor screams... A tear drops from her face and all of a sudden, a purple-pink bubble envelops her. All three foes are affected, blinking momentarily, and then collapsing (presumably asleep). Alphonse walks over to the now frightened Eleanor whose necklace, it seems, is blinking. What power is this? Eleanor doesn't even complete a sentence before Rictor stands again and two more soldires appear, ready for battle. As Eleanor and Alphonse are backed up against the cliff, one question is all that's needed: "Can you swim?" The answer isn't really important, as both jump off the cliff and into the water below anyway. When the screen rises again, you see them both in a cave, safe, and with a mermaid! It gets better though, as the mermaid is GOLDEN... Berevra! She thanks you for protecting Eleanor, but denies what Rictor says about her being Eleanor's mother. She then proceeds to tell you her history. (You all can read it for yourselves =Þ) One bit worth noting: she witnessed the burning of the town 10 years ago... This was also when she found Eleanor, as a crying baby, wrapped in a blanket. After yet MORE talk of history and origins, the issue of the Sacred Spear is brought to light, and you're asked why you desire it. This is yet ANOTHER important choice, as its answer may well determine how things END for you. A: "I seek its power." B: "Because of a promise." Now, if you're honest, you'll choose B. I did, so that's how this guide is going to be written. Still, if you want to be a powerhungry bum, choose A. I don't know what happens, so let me know when you do. ^_~ After you choose *B*, Alphonse gives a little shpeal about his promise, and about how he trusts Cybil. He also goes on about how the world is, how the island is, and why he can't let anyone have it outside of those he trusts. After hearing all of this, you're told that it's hidden in a small shrine at a beach, just north of your current location... You're only getting it, though, because you cared enough for Eleanor to protect her. Awwww ^_^ Guess where we're going? Just not before we deliver one final message. After all that, Alphonse tells Berevra that she can finally go home. This is such good news that Berevra actually cries, thanking her sister for being so kind. It is quite a touching scene... and it's also the end of the first chapter. Congratulations, you've made it this far! ------PART 3------ < < CHAPTER 2 (Path A) > > Introdution: Rictor Lasanti, visiting as a representative of Felis, announced in the month of Oceano that the White Fang Troops of Rananculus had withdrawn from Anser. Although the plans of the Batraals and their troops were never discovered, since they had retreated, the issuea was assumed to have been resolved. For the time being, the Order of the Sacred Flame was station in Scabellum, preparing to return to Felis. Meanwhile, after meeting the golden mermaid, Berevra, Alphonse and Eleanor rejoined Cybil. Alphonse and the others were stationed at Formido, the former stronghold of the troops of Rananculus, resesarching the history of the spear. The Batraals have a long history on this island. They rose to power after the war with the mermaids and relocated to the northern part of the island. It would come as no surprised if their heirs of the Batraals knew of the Sacred Spear. The island's stormy season was quickly coming to an end, and it would soon be replaced by calmer autumn weather. We first rejoin our hero in a meeting with Cybil a few advisors. As it turns out, Rictor is moving north with a few subordinates, headed toward Naja. The scout also reports that the rest of his troops not travelling with him will return to Felis when the next boat arrives... What this indicates, Cybil says, is that he is now acting on his own... and that Felis was also looking for the spear (duh). After a bit more talk of politics (which I never really enjoyed anyway), you learn that a war might start between Felis and the Church over this spear, if it's put into the wrong hands. To further the depth of all the scheming, it's now very possible that the Duke of Felis was in league with with Lord of Rananculus. Otherwise, how could Felis have ordered so many troops to the island to "quell the rebellion?" The whole situation reeks of politics and lies. Ugh. But then again, all of this is guesstimation (though rather good guesstimation, might I add). From Ivanna, we learn that one of the Batraals of old was actually the Lucius who Berevra fell in love with! Wow, the twists the family trees have around here. O_o To just emphasize the Batraal way, though, he wasn't talked about much. 'Lucius' was seen as a coward for condemning war... A few final notes: - Some survivors are currently living in Blete again (the town that was burned down 10 years ago, during the Reformation). - There's a skilled magician living in the ruins north of Tinea. (Hint HINT: special character who might join you!) As it stands, you're headed north, supposedly after Rictor, and not very well- informed, but that's just the way it's going to be. Let's see if we can't stop in on that magician to see what's up, shall we? We're moving out! One last cinema awaits us, though, before we can go. We catch up to Eleanor and Alphonse, talking about the plans for movement. Apparently, Eleanor isn't too crazy about going through the Naja Forest. She just says that Rananculus, and the territory north of the forest, is VERY different. You don't know the half of it, yet. Think snow... lots of snow.... Still, THIS whole conversation just boils down to ANOTHER question, one that we've heard all too often. "Can I come with you still?" Of course, choose option A, which allows her to join you, and you'll FINALLY get to control Eleanor. Yay. When you take it back out to the world map, though, you notice something new. All of a sudden, you have a CHOICE of where to go! You can go to any of three locations... But I'm going to have to do this one way... From Formido, you now have the choice of going either south to Gryllus or west to Vespa (which is your next 'official' destination, designated by the blinking red pole). *I* Chose to go south first, since I will have to pass through Vespa later anyway. I suggest you do the same... The other path that opened up was to Belleza, north of Ardea, but since we can't get there now, let's just leave that in the back of our minds for a bit later. For now, head toward Gryllus, but beware. It might be useful to buy a virtue spell or two in preparation for killing undead... (hint hint: buy Exorcism or Faith) ---BATTLE 12A: GRYLLUS FOREST --- Suggested Level: 19-20 **Enemy Units** Ghost x 2 Undead Soldier (M) x 2 Undead Soldier (F) x 2 Undead Wizard (M) x 2 **Friendly Units** Party Members (limit 8) This is what you call an OPTIONAL battle. It isn't required, and yet it's a very good idea to go through it. Trust me. Still, it's also quite difficult, and not for obvious reasons. You shall see what I mean, though... Just before the battle begins, you get a hint as to why things will be nasty in this forsaken place as Alphonse comments about the souls of the dead gathering here. Then he hints at something: you can't afford to stay long... Figure it out (if you don't now, you will later). Tactics: Many of the little undead buggers you encounter will have bows equipped, so be ready to deal with mid-range attacks. Also, the ghosts can teleport, which means that nothing you can do will be able to "trap" them in a spot. Back attacks galore from them should be expected. On a brighter note, the river running through the battle field will slow down all the normal undead enemies, leaving you plenty of time (normally) to deal with the ghosts and first soldiers. However, the wizards do get pretty into it once their magic charges. The real challenge of this battle comes in the form of RESURRECTION. If you take too long after felling one undead, it will revive itself a few turns later, giving you fits (let me assure you). The best way to beat this level is to weaken all the opponents you can without killing them. Then, all in one turn, do a "blitzkrieg" style attack, killing everything. (Or re-killing if you wish... get it? ghosts...) Oh, and if you didn't listen to me before, the Exorcism spell would do WONDERS if you have it... When the battle finally ends, you see a few lines by Alphonse, and then get your cheesy reward... Victory Conditions: Defeat All Enemies! War Trophies: 100 Goth. (Definitely not worth what we just did...) ------------ Well, again, you have the choice to go to another 'out of the way' battle, in Blete, or to head on to Vespa, again. As I will ALWAYS suggest, go to the optional battle. These normally yeild good results, though last time was a definite fluke... FIGHT IT OUT!! --- BATTLE 13A: BLETE RUINS --- [Rough outline contributed by beyowulf] Suggested Level: 20-21 **Enemy Units** Euphaire Warlock Undead Knight x 3 Undead Wizard x 2 Zombie Dragon **Friendly Units** Party Members (limit 8) Prelude: As you enter the field of battle, you're met by a proud young spellcaster, Euphaire. She seems a bit surprised that we've gone through the forest of Gryllus unharmed, but she plans to make up for that. Wonderful, isn't she? Then, Alphonse has one of those killer lines that makes you want to just die laughing. "...You smell like... death. Are you... alive?" Heh. Funny enough, though, it is a good question. You see, Euphaire actually has the soul of her dead mother inside her (long story). She, however, just returns that he has the smell of blood on him as well. Finally, someone who doesn't assume we're rookies, fresh for a beating. Anyway, she's freaky, Alphonse is getting impatient, and the battle begins. Let's do it! Tactics: First off, I want to point out that Euphaire has the Salamander summon spell, and the wizards have Firestorm and Ice Field. To make the magical fun all the more enjoyable, the Warlock has Flow Magic, which is used either to charge up the magic of Euphaire (think SUMMON) or the other wizards (which hit multiple targets). Also Euphaire can charge up the wizards as well, leaving the warlock to charge her up, and then ALL be able to cast Salamander and a various ensemble of quite painful spells their next turn. Be prepared to get hit HARD quickly. Needless to say, play this one defensively. You start off at a rather large terrain disadvantage, having to climb up the fortress to Euphaire and her wizards. My suggestion for party building would be, "think flight." If you don't have the flight, get speed. Ninjas and hawkmen will do wonders on this relatively small field. Another good addition to this battle, as I always say, is a priest. You will need all the healing you can get (so you might want a knight, too). As I said earlier, you will take damage, so prepare adequately for it. Finally, I suggest taking a few strong elemental magicians. Euphaire and several of her other associates are of the Fire element, so a Water wizard or siren would be good. Basically, just go after Euphaire (or if you want the treasures, don't). In all likelihood, you will want to take down the Knights first, while trying to stay away from the Dragon Zombie. Then, focus all your forces on the warlock and wizards. They're very capable of dealing huge damage to your party. If during any part of the battle, you really are on the ropes, change all of your character strategies toward attacking Euphaire. She loves to use Energy Transfer, which takes some of her HP, so she will be weakened. This isn't that hard a battle, but it can take some time... Victory Conditions: Defeat the Leader! War Trophies: 0 Goth, Salamander (Summon), Sword Emblem ------------ After the battle, you get a dialogue between Euphaire, Ivanna, and Alphonse. Basically, her mother's spirit left her body (the puff of smoke) and now she is normal again. To make things even better, she offers to join you for all your troubles! She asks to go with you to see her father, but still, it's another great ally to add to your forces. Say yes before you do anything crazy! The next day, you see Eleanor and Alphonse walking through Blete, the town she was born in. Not much to look at, is it? "If something is forgotten, is it like it never existed?" This is what prompts Alphonse to think of his father, who he had allowed to fade from his thoughts. He doesn't remember him well, nor does he really choose to remember him at all, but some day he will... oh yes, he will. Now, however, it's time to proceed to Vespa (again) so that we can get back on the track for story progression. --- BATTLE 14A: VESPA HILLS III --- [Rough outline contributed by beyowulf] Suggested Level: 21-22 **Enemy Units** L - Beastmaster (Surgat) Cerberus x 3 Griffin x 2 Cockatrice x 2 **Friendly Units** Party Members (limit 8) Prelude: When you get to Vespa Hills, another poor fool tries to hinder your progress. The beast master is basically just a merc, hired by either Rananculus (or maybe Rictor) solely to keep you back in Anser. He brought quite a few beasts with him, so be prepared. Tactics: This is a deceptively hard battle. Why? Well the beastmaster will occasionally lend support to the beasts, but also because of the beasts special abilities themselves. The Cerberus can use a fire breath attack that can cause sleep while damaging multipe enemies in a 4-panel T shape. Likewise the Cokatrices can petrify multiple enemies in the same way (4 panel AOE). To make matters ever worse, the Griffins also have a special attack, which can damage multiple enemies, but it's also *long_range*. The petrification is especially annoying, since it will put a charcter out of the battle, unless you cure them. Either bring a cleric/priest with 'Cleanse', or a fairy with the status cure special ability. You will take pretty good damage this fight, unless you're of high enough level (as suggested). My best suggestion is to focus on taking out the death chickens before they gather enough SP to hit you with Petrifying Breath. This will take one of your characters out of the fight for good (unless you cure with an item or Cleanse). It's also a good idea to take out the hellhounds, since they can put people to sleep. The griffins and beast master are of little threat, since they only deal physical damage... Pretty simply put, this battle isn't that hard. Just keep someone around who can heal status ailments, or can heal (one or both works just as well), and you'll breeze through it. Victory Conditions: Defeat the Leader! War Trophies: 500 Goth, Beast Whip, Urn of Chaos, Tome of Discipline, Sword Emblem, Stone of Swiftness, Wisdom Fruit, Cup of Life, Crown of Intellect. ------------ After the battle, you see Alphonse issue some quick orders to the troops, emphasizing both the need for speed and to stick together. You're then taken to Naja Forest, where you see a scene with Rictor (who is accompanied by two knights). Rictor meets up with a "Mysterious Girl" with short blue hair, who he apparently knows and calls Malicia. However, when he approaches her, she runs off into the forest. --- BATTLE 15A: BELLEZA --- [Rough outline contributed by beyowulf] Suggested Level: 21-22 **Enemy Units** L - Elrik Ninja (F) x 3 Valkerie x 2 Witch x 2 **Friendly Units** Euphaire (suggested) Other Party Members (limit 7) Prelude: Surprisingly enough, the prelude here is rather short. Basically, you're given a small glimpse at the fact that Elrik and Euphaire have LOTS of business to discuss, but no more than that, really. Elrik says that he knows mistakes were made, and that he must correct them. Unfortunately for our team, he thinks the only way to do this is to kill poor Euphaire. Quite a loving father, isn't he? Tactics: Somewhat easier than your previous battles, your main concern will be with the enemy leader, Elrik. The ninjas will rush you while the rest tend to pull back and defend Elrik. The ninjas should be easily dealt with, primarily due to their lower defense. Elrik will be on a higher elvation than you, and he uses the Fenrir (water) summon! It might take a while to get to him, especially with most of his troops deployed in his defense, but bear with the attack... Flying units, ninjas,and valkeries will be very handy here. He has a Golem summon, but it's really more of a normal attack, as it doesn't hit but one character (though with a range of 7 and decent power, it is still impressive). It appears as though Euphaire is one of the primary targets in this battle, which does make sense if you think about it. Still, just be cognicent that most of the long-range attackers will aim for her. Another VERY noteworthy problem with this battle is that you cannot allow it to drag on too long. As your scouting should have shown you, Elrik has TWO summon abilities at his disposal. One, Fenrir, is similar to the Salamander spell you already have, while the other, Summon Golem, is only a single-target style attack, with only one very powerful summon attacker. Elrik _will_ cast at least two summons in this battle, one on each of the second and third turn (much thanks to the witches who use fluid magic for the bum). However, its up to you whether he will cast another after that. My strongest advice is to take out the WITCHES FIRST. Without them, Elrik loses an extra 20 MP each turn. In other words, he can't summon every turn. Similarly, keep Euphaire and a priest in your ranks, allong with whoever has the Salamander summon, so you can fight fire with fire. After your second phase, Elrik taunts Euphaire a little bit, but only then do we get the impression that he still mistakes her for her mother. He says that she doesn't belong here... thinking that she's still undead. Now this is starting to make more sense... Anyway, the battle shouldn't take too long after the witches are gone, and after that, your priest will be lazy for lack of work. Still, it is worth your effort to keep one with you, just for the Salamander-per-turn advantage. It took me 4 turns to kill every enemy and collect every treasure. If you aren't intereseted in that, it should take maybe 3. Good luck! Victory Conditions: Defeat the Leader! War Trophies: 0 Goth, Fenrir (Summon), Sword Emblem, Warp Shoes(!), Stone of Swiftness, Spell Robe, Pointy Hat, Plumed Headband, Trident. ------------ After the battle, Elrik converses with both Euphaire and Alphonse (well, it's more like Alphonse just observes the other two). Elrik says we have the right to kill him, but asks if Euphaire is upset with him. When Euphaire responds innocently and inquires about what he means, calling him "Father," it finally dawns on Elrik that she is no longer possessed. He has his little girl back again... After another bit of conversation, where you learn that he was experimenting with a spell of spiritual transference, he states that, "It's futuile to keep the souls of the dead in this world." No, really? A bit more touching dialogue follows, and blah blah blah... ...Elrik offers to join you. THIS is why this OPTIONAL battle is so worth your effort! (Like you didn't see it coming though) Take note, for almost ALL optional battles are VERY worthwhile in the long run. Don't be too quick to progress the story. Note: the next "story progression" battle is always marked with a RED POLE. ** All other battles before that will be optional, and it is my strong ** suggestion that you visit these BEFORE proceeding. Interesting note, after battle, in the shop here, you can recruit Giants. I myself didn't as I was short of cash, but it will be interesting to see what they can do, later... Further notes: Fairies are now decently useful. Their first special ability cures any abnormal status, and their second gives a character an extra turn. Decent, but not worth bringing a fairy into battle for... --- BATTLE 16A: NAJA FOREST --- [Rough outline contributed by beyowulf] Suggested Level: 22-23 **Enemy Units** L - Siren (Grevis) Wizard (F) x 2 Knight (F) x 2 Cleric (F) Soldier (F) Witch **Friendly Units** Party Members (limit 8) Prelude: When you arrive at Naja, you're greeted by a Siren, Grevis, who apparently has some history with Alphonse. As it turns out, she's now with Rictor, and her orders are, prepare to be shocked, to kill you! Wow, we didn't see that one coming. < Sighs > As predicted, though, Rictor went to meet the Lord of Rananculus, and he left these troops behind under Grevis knowing full well you would follow him. In short, we walked into an ambush. Still, we expected nothing less. Let's do this! Tactics: Unfortunately, there isn't much to help you in this level. You have scattered trees, a river, and a little bit of terrain height variance, but generally, this is a simple map. As always, you start at a slightly lower altitude, but in this fight that won't be of too much concern. Still, it is a rather large map, and the clash between the armies will take some time... (normally on the second or third player phase) Now, on to the major concerns. Grevis packs some major firepower, but it's all in the form of ONE SPELL. Yep, you've probably guessed it by now, but she also carries a summon: Gnome. Also, if you scan the rest of her units (as you should every battle), you'll see that she has a witch (which WILL do fluid magic the second turn, readying Grevis for the 35 MP Gnome). As with all of the Summon fights, take out that witch first, if you'd like the battle to be greatly shortened. Since the troops here are all female, if you have the inclination (and a few male characters of corresponding classes), this would be an especially good time to be persuading enemies. The knights themselves have decent equipment. Platemail and Earth Shields to be exact (the latter of which you get as a war trophy). The wizards only have (that are worth mentioning) their wands and their spells. You get the Earth and Ice Wands as war trophies, so unless you want to persuade just for spells... Still, you might consider persuading the Witch, since you could really use a good Fluid Magic spell... Euphaire is good and all, but having another magic juicer would be great! Victory Conditions: Defeat the Leader! War Trophies: 500 Goth, Gnome (Summon), Earth Shield, Earth Wand, Ice Wand, Cleanse (Spell), Sword Emblem, Water Garb. ------------ In her dying breath, Grevis comments on your strength and wonders why you didn't join Rictor. Then we are taken to a scene in Ostorea Castle. Rictor appears before both Lord Naris Batraal and Nichart. It seems Nichart is a bit worried about Rictor, but Naris doesn't seem to fear him. He points out that Rictor only came with a few body guards... commenting that "He has no inkling of the spear's true power." As it turns out, Naris is willing to cooperate with Rictor, but only to gain the spear. Once that happens, we will see... This is also when we get a very brief introduction to 'the Twins,' Lethe and Cirvante, both sorcerers. Nichart is apparently apprehensive about them as well, but Naris has had enough of the incompetent general. --- BATTLE 17A: SOTAVENTO --- Suggested Level: 22-23 **Enemy Units** L - Esquire (Nichart) Knight (M) x 2 Valkerie x 3 Witch Priest (M) **Friendly Units** Party Members (limit 8) When you show up at the Sotavento, Nichart immediately recognizes you as "that kid from the ruins." He could at least know the name of the guy destroying all of his plans! He does seem to know lots ELSE about Alphonse, like where his loyalties lie (with Cybil of Galius instead of Rictor of Felis). Then, we share a few mutually stupid insults, and the battle begins. Yay. One thing, though. Nichart makes one comment that might be more than just foreboding: "finding the Sacred Spear is just the beginning." I wonder what he meant... Tactics: As you should know very well by now, the Euphaire-Summoner combo is something to use EVERY battle. Keep this in mind also if you've managed to acquire a Fluid Magic spell. They are very helpful! Now, you're at another disadvantage in terms of terrain, but by now you should have a good method for dealing with that (think flyers and magic). Also notice that we're fighting right through the middle of a town, so you won't see too many magic boosts by terrain. These are just more things to keep in mind... The priest has a 'Resurrection' spell on him, so its a VERY good idea to persuade him to your side before defeating any other characters. If you fail to do this, however, and attack him hard instead, you still won't expect to see many of these characters over and over again (because they won't be raised by the priest once he builds the needed MP). However, if you leave the priest alone, prepare for this fight to drag out for quite some time... [Note that he drops the Resurrection spell as his war trophy!] This battle really isn't that difficult, especially once you do something with the priest. Just stick with it and cluster around any particular enemies that you're having trouble with. Oh, and it might be wise to rid yourself of the witch, since she loves to paralyze your party members. Good luck! When you drop his HP down to 20 or below, Nichart does his usual thing and flees. Pansy. However, he does challenge you to go to Ostorea Castle. He says we will find the truth there. I think we'll find a trap, but oh well... Victory Conditions: Defeat the Leader! War Trophies: 2000 Goth, Resurrection (Spell), Earth Garb, Sword Emblem x2, Stone of Swiftness x2, Altar of Resurrection, ------------ After the battle trophies are allotted, Eleanor takes Alphonse to her old house. Remember, she originally lived in Sotavento... You learn a bit more about her past, like how she was bullied by people because she wasn't the real child of her two parents. Then, when they died, it only got worse... Cut scene time!! *** - 4 years ago - *** Eleanor: Dimitri, where are you taking me in the middle of the night? It's dark out here. I want to go home. < Dimitri turns but continues on, until... > Eleanor: Allen, Mirrick...?! < The two new boys crowd in on Eleanor > Eleanor: Stop! Stay away! Dimitri... Why?! Allen: Shut up, already! Who else would take care of an orphan like you? You shoudl be more thankful. Merrick: What's this...? A pearl necklace? Pretty fancy for an orphan! Eleanor: Don't...Please...It's my only treasure... Someone, help! Merrick: What is that light? < A bright light surrounds Eleanor and knocks Merrick out > Dimitri: Allen, look! He's dead. Allen: Whoa! She's a monster! She's going to kill us!!! Eleanor: But, I didn't do anything... Dimitri: You...You're not human after all. That rumor about you being the child of a mermaid was true!!! Eleanor: That's not true! I'm...I'm...!!! < Allen throws a rock at her > Allen: Why don't you leave this town, monster!!! < Allen continues to throw rocks as she runs away > ****************** Now you see why she is so alone and afraid at times... Poor Eleanor. She can only say that she wasn't running away, though. She was running for her life. That day, she ran so far that she ran straight through the evil forest and ended up in Solea, at Father Hamen's church. We then see some more mushy stuff between Alphonse and Eleanor ^_^ It all ends, though, with Eleanor offering you the necklace Berevra gave to her all too long ago... Strange, but what a show of love, or trust... You're then taken to a smaller cinema between Cybil and Alphonse, outside in the midst of the town. Cybil inquires about Eleanor, tells you how good a man you are, etc. Then, when you both leave, the snow begins to fall. The two of you walk into a shring (the one Berevra said she hid the Spear in). Apparently, though, someone has already found it... All you run across is a small dagger. However, Alphonse has a plan... He tells Cybil to spread the rumor that he found the Sacred Spear, hoping to attract the attention of both Naris and Rictor. Then, as she goes off on her mission, he says that he is headed to Ostorea, to see Rictor... --- BATTLE 18A: HAENA --- Suggested Level: 23-25 **Enemy Units** L - Orson (Archer) Archer (M) x 2 Ninja (M) x 2 Sword master x 2 Thunder Dragon **Friendly Units** Party Members (limit 8) Prelude: As you can bet, there is a decent bit of anger between Alphonse and Orson. Orson, you see, has always been a very loyal man to Rictor. In fact, it is surprising that Rictor sees you as so great a threat as to send Orson after you. Still, the situation is better than that... Orson himself is not TOO disagreeable. He is at least kind enough to recognize the skill of at least arriving at Haena, especially in one piece. However, he also has another order to deal with. Not only can you not pass through, but he was ordered to take the Sacred Spear from you, at any cost. Of course, being our little hero that he is, Alphonse says that he is here only to reveal the conspiracy between Rictor and the Duke of Felis. He then makes a bit more conversation, ending in the fact that, should Rictor and the Duke get the Spear, they would rebel against Lodis, which Orson just won't accept. In the end, Orson says we should retreat, and as a friend, he won't stop us. Too bad for him, but that just isn't in our game plan... "It is an honor to fight with you, but I won't lose." -- Alphonse Tactics: First of all, I, as usual, suggest you bring a good priest into this battle. You will take some good damage, and you will really want to have a priest around to heal you up. Also, as usual, bring the Euphaire-Summoner combo to make this battle move more swiftly. A few enemies have some nice items here.  An archer has a Flame Leather(Armor), a ninja has an Yomogi-U (Earth Katana), and, above all others on this map, a sword master has the Teleport spell!! This automatically makes him worth persuading if you don't have this spell already, which you likely won't, and besides that, he's a sword master! Still, should you chose NOT to, he will drop the spell anyway... You start at a very low elevation.  The enemy is higher ground.  You can try to go right, but the incline is quite steep and not all characters can make it.  It is preferable to head along the right hand side of the map to assault your foes, unless you have the flyers, or teleport boots, to assault from the right side. At the start, as the elevation is more gradual, you won't have much trouble, but eventually, you will have to worry about where your characters can move to... However, from the very first turn, you will need to take a defense-relative position. Remember that you enemies have THREE archers, including Orson, as well as their two ninjas and two sword masters. In other words, almost all of the opponents can hit you from long range. They will do so. Keep that in mind, especially since you will not get close enough to hit them in your first turn. Also, this means that the enemies, save the dragon, are all quite FAST. This is just another thing to keep in mind... It would be a wise suggestion also to bring several magicians with you beside Euphaire and your summoner, because then you can also show a strong front from a distance, and then later close the gap. Still, that is about all I can say to help for this level, except that these bastards like to use curative items to heal themselves... Good luck to you! Victory Conditions: Defeat the Leader! War Trophies: 700 Goth, Thunder Bow, Teleport (Spell), Thunder Chain, Yomogi-U, Flame Leather, Forest Boots, Sorcerer's Cup, Crown of Intellect ------------ After the battle, you see a dialoge between Orson and Alphonse. You see, even though they were enemies by orders, Orson always respected Alphonse... A truly noble warrior, though naive. To these praises, Alphonse can only come back with praise of Orson's archery skills. It would have been nice had these two been allies, but fate determined that not to be... or did YOU? In either case, Orson dies. It is truly a shame that such a warrior should fall simply because he knew no better, but that is how it goes... You later join Alphonse and Cybil in a dialogue at their pitched-tent HQ. She basically wants to know what the strategy will be. Being the fool that he is, though, Alphonse plans to charge in straight away. Then, you're hit with a small twist: Cybil wants to leave you. Alphonse rants for about 10 message boxes, which really is important, but you CAN read... In the end, Cybil is leaving her job up to you. Strange... She says not to take offense, but she has one other matter to investigate while on this, her home island. Finally, with a few 'be careful's, she leaves. When you are finally taken back out to the map screen, you might not notice that, in actuality, TWO paths have opened up to you to explore. The obvious, story-advancing level branches off directly from Haena to the northeast, taking you to Ostorea Castle. However, for now we shall take the OTHER level, which is a branch off from Formido (also to the northeast), taking us to Gracula. Sure, it involves a bit of backtracking, but it's well worth it... Remember, all optional battles have good rewards. I wonder what this one will offer up... Fight it out! --- BATTLE 19A: MOUNT GRACULA --- Suggested Level: 23-25 **Enemy Units** Cerberus x 2 Red Dragon x 2 Cockatrice Gremlin x 2 Gremlin 3 (Lubinnya) ---> _Special_Note_: do not kill this gremlin, as it is really Glycinia's friend in disguise. Also, make sure to bring Glycinia into this fight or you might not get her to join. In other words, just make sure that Glycinia joined your team and is still alive... **Friendly Units** Glycinia Party Members (limit 7) Despite the fact that this isn't a required stage, it still doesn't look very special at all upon first glance. However, if you read my introduction to the battle, you will see why it's worth visiting. Also, if that wasn't enough, the fact that Glycinia tells you about as much with her introduction to the level might just hint at the true purpose of the level... There are no special challenges here. Flying units are good , and fairies, priests/clerics with Cleanse are useful due to the petrification attacks. Lubina joins after the battle if you have Glycinia with you. Also, have either Glycinia attack Lubina (as the gremlin) or simply stand besideher to have the identity of the mystery gremlin revealed! The most interesting aspect to this level is likely the terrain. You go from active volcano on one end to a river. This makes for a wide variety of problems when considering troop movement. Also, the way the opponents are spread out makes it very easy to separate your own troops. I strongly suggest against this, as it makes it much more difficult to recover either HP or from a status affect. Finally, I would suggest to get Glycinnia beside Lubina as quickly as possible. At least in that case you get a Guest who will aid in the battle. Also, she has the tendency to aim for the Cockatrice, which is a GOOD idea. That punk, when charged with enough SP, can be a handful... If you need more tactical help, I'm really sorry... This isn't really that hard of a battle. Good luck... Just try not to die. A priest would help a lot with that. Victory Conditions: Defeat All Enemies! War Trophies: 200 GP ------------ Now, back to the story... Be prepared... The next battle will actually be more than just that. You see, you're walking directly into an ambush. Congratulations. However, nothing you can do will stop that from happening. Too late for that, but let's just get ready. If you have not yet done so, organize your troops. Also, balance out their levels as best you can through training. You will need to have TWO SQUADS of troops ready. One can be stronger than the other, that's fine. Still, trust me here... Plan out these squads carefully, because you may live to regret your decisions. Pre-fight Prelude: You're greeted with a fairly cool scene between an 'Elegantly Dressed Woman,' called Lady Malicia, and Rictor. Malicia is the neice of Naris Batraal, which is why she resembles Ivanna in her picture... She wants to talk to Rictor, apparently about nothings, though the conversation soon turns to the Sacred Spear, and Rictor's failed attempts to gain its power. The conversation then turns to betrayal. Malicia warns that Naris might try something funny, to gain the power all for himself, but that she will always be on Rictor's side. Could there be some sort of relationship between Malicia and Rictor? I think Malicia would like for there to be, heh. Just as they are about to take a romantic walk outside, Naris appears to talk with Rictor. Malicia leaves them to go outside and wait for Rictor. However, inside, Naris tells of his proctective position over Malicia, that he is all the family she has. Then, they go to business (finally). Rictor is told of Nichart's defeat at Sotavento, which somehow he can't believe. Naris then turns the conversation toward Alphonse, asking if Rictor and he were not old friends. After some more talking and insults, you learn of some unknown enemy, Margret, who is waiting for your arrival. Rictor, it seems, will also protect the castle. Yikes, this will be bad... Finally, we are taken to a scene with Ivanna and Alphonse. You're told that there are two separate entrances to the castle, and you'll be hitting both of them at once. However, this means you'll have to divide into two parties. I hope your troops are evenly balanced, because you will need strength in BOTH parties here. --- BATTLE 20A: WEST OSTOREA --- Suggested Level: 24-26 **Enemy Units** L - Sword master (Margret) Duke Knight x 2 Archer (M) x 2 Hawkman x 2 Warlock **Friendly Units** Ivanna Party Members (limit 7) Prelude: (Part Two) You are taken to a screen where Ivanna and Alphonse stand alone against snow- covered ground. To the east, you see a fortress wall, where a lone woman calls you out... or actually, calls Ivanna out! Yes, that's right. Margret is the sword instructor Ivanna cared so much for and talks so much about. This will be an interesting fight... The fight commences after only a brief talk between Ivanna and Margret. Even though the two share a great friendship, one has orders, and the other knows what is best. Ivanna says she will not stand down. Let the fight begin! Tactics: This is a really tough battle, and there is no two ways about that. The archers targeted my priest every single round. One of the archers has a tundra bow which does lots of damage. Also, be weary of the following: - One, they're shooting from a very high elevation, and from that height they can target -anyone- on the screen! - Two, the ground is 60% covered by snow. This will severely inhibit your troops' movements. - Three, the Tundra Bow in particular is ice elemental. Fire-elemental troops will take more damage, as wellas those on snow covered ground... I strongly suggest you leave your healer out of this battle, if you only have one. If you are smart enough to have two, then by all means, split them between the two missions. Still, should you only have one, you might not need that boost of HP here. Save it for your next battle. Besides, Ivanna has the capacity to heal, if you left her in her knight class (which I REALLY hope you did). With that in mind, however, you need to build this team so that your OTHER team will still be strong. You really don't want the second battle to get your units killed, and it will have that possibility. I might suggest using a few of your flyers here, because in the next battle they won't be needed quite so much. Also you need people with strong magic resistance in the NEXT battle, so plan for that according to your own tastes... For the record, I left my Euphaire-Summoner combo for the second fight, and was quite glad I did, too... (another good reason to leave your priest for the next battle, might I add). A good strategy for this battle is to bring your troops to the bridge in the center of the stage. Positions your front-liners there. Do not go past the center of the bridge, which will otherwise cause Margret to walk towards your location. Other troops however will move towards you. When they get to you, pull back a few squares. When they again move forward, surround them and finish them. The archers will tend to hang back though. Once you've taken care of everyone else, and Margret is already on her way towards you, send a flying unit up there to take care of the archers. I would also suggest trying to persuade the Warlock because he has both decent equipment and a good spell. Not only that, you never know when another good character will come in handy. If for nothing else, just liquidate his items, general inventory, and dismiss him. Still, try to persuade, as it will also help ease this battle... Victory Conditions: Defeat the Leader! War Trophies: 600 Goth, Notos, Atropos, Saint's Shield, Healing Salve, Stone of Swiftness, Grincer Coat, Sum Mannus, Crown of Intellect, Sacred Ring. ------------ When Margret falls, she congratulates Ivanna on becoming so strong, telling her to learn the truth of her past, but that only Naris can give her the answers she seeks. As a token of her friendship, though, she gives up both her sword, the Notos, and teaches one party member her prized sword technique, Atropo. I strongly suggest teaching that to your strongest swordsman, normally Alphonse himself. --- BATTLE 21A: SOUTH OSTOREA --- Suggested Level: 25-26 **Enemy Units** L - Esquire (Nichart) L - Venefika (Lethe) "An intelligent and deceptive sorceress with a brazen attitude. It seems she only uses her power for her own gain." Duke Knight x 2 Siren x 2 Priest (F) Witch **Friendly Units** Party Members (limit 8) >>note that these cannot include any of the 8 party members used above<< Prelude: Cirvante and Lethe accompany Nichart to this battle field, though it appears they aren't quite content with what they find. Cirvante comments on the absence of Alphonse, and seems very disappointed. Lethe seems to mirror that, telling about her knowledge of Alphonse. Nichart then chimes in, telling them that they aren't really needed and that he can take care of things now that Alphonse isn't around, but the Twins promptly remind him that he has already lost twice... In other words, they're threatening him. Tisk tisk, Nichart, you're a loser... After a bit more dialogue, Cirvante, who is obviously put off by the absence of Alphonse, leaves the battle field, saying that Lethe can have fun playing with your troops. How rude! Still, it is good to see him go, because the Twins when together are incredibly nasty foes to deal with. Tactics: This battle is somewhat easier than I though it would be, but only because we came here second... Try to have a few flying units for this stage and send them to deal with Lethe, who'll probably go either to either side of the stage. While you're heading to the side Lethe chooses, harass the magic users there as well. The Duke Knights are a threat, but not as a great as the mages. Send maybe 2 front-liners after them, or as many as you feel you can spare. The battle field is very similar to the West entrance, except with less snow and an opposing orientation. A few things to keep in mind here: As with the last battle, you need to pick up all the hidden items NOW, because you won't be able to return to this area in training or neutral encounters to do so later. Also, Nichart knows he has nothing to lose, and therein gives everything he has to stop you. He uses magic from the safety of his elevated wall, but when approached, weilds Osiric's Spear with deadly force, even from two spaces away. Lethe is also a threat, if you don't get her out of the way early. She can hit you in one of two ways: (1) charge up the MP of the other spell casters around her... (2) smack your troops with the Thunder Flare ability. I'm not actually sure which is worse, because her fluid magic will provide so much MP to her allies that they won't ever have to worry about that again. Still, her Thunder Flare is very strong, thanks to her high INT. Great, isn't it? Still, knock her HP down to 0 as quickly as possible and she simply teleports out. The Duke Knights seem big and impressive, but they really more a distraction. They both have heal spells and both will use them. A good strategy is knock them down a bit, and use summon magic to one first then the other to finish them off. This ensures a kill, a prevents waste. Victory Conditions: Defeat the Leader! (Nichart) War Trophies: 2400 Goth, Osric's Sphere, Firedrake Sword, Caldia, Healing Salve, Cloak of Authority, Stone of Swiftness, Divine Radiance (Spell). ------------ Ready for the third part of this marathon? Well, you'd better be. We're now entering the throne room. Be prepared! The good news, however, is that you have access to all your troops again, so it isn't nearly as difficult. You can just use your super-powerful team of kick-ass warriors. --- BATTLE 22A: THRONE ROOM --- Sugested Level: 26-27 **Enemy Units** L - High Priest (Rictor) Knight (M) Knight (F) Duke's Knight x 2 Wizard (M) x 2 Witch **Friendly Units** Party Members (limit 8) Prelude: When you enter the throne room, you are met by Rictor, and Alphonse is NOT glad to see that, let me tell you. However, Rictor is in a giving mood now, and since we've made it this far, he says he will tell you everything: "15 years ago, William, the former Lord of Rananculus, told my father about the Sacred Spear. Since then, my father has been researching it secretly. Naris Batraal knew nothing of the spear at that time, but at some point, someone told him of its existence. This led to the incidents involving the White Fang Troops. Meanwhile, my father sent me to this island using the conflict as a cover, and I began my search for the spear... This much, you must have guessed. Well, now I'll tell you an older story. There was a man named Lucius in the Batraal Family. He was the one who ran off with a mermaid a few hundred years ago. Information regarding the stolen spear was recorded by her child." (Yes, I'm typed all this up for a reason. Remember, Berevra said she didn't HAVE a child, right?) "That's right... There is no member of the Batraal Family who is half human, half mermaid. The mermaid didn't know it, but Lucius had a child with a human. After that child became the 4th lord, the document containing the secret of the spear was passed down to each successor. If the Duke, Naris Batraal, had killed his brother, he would have never have received that information." Then, your old friend, fool that he is, asks for Sacred Spear. Too bad we won't give up what we don't have. Fight it out! Tactics: Not a hard battle, if you're prepared, just long and with lots of damage involved.In my opinion, it is easily one of the most annoying in the game. Rictor is still a high priest and therefore has the healing capability that will make you hate him more than 1337-sp33k and al bhed combined. However, on top of this, he also has the Ignis Fatuus Summon, which he uses mercilessly, compliments of the witch's constant use of the Fluid Magic spell. He also has two knights capable of casting heal, and they'll definetly cast it if anyone even comes close to about half HP. Use a couple troops to distract the Duke Knights, while one at a time try to take out the spellcasters. Once that's done, concentrate on Rictor. Still, the best approach might just be to take out Rictor first off, but I wouldn't suggest it. You'll want some of the extra items dropped by the foes here. Head for magicians first, especially the witch, and THEN take out the knights. From there, you're free to have all the fun you're up for. It's just getting past the initial onslought that might be a problem. Have at least one good healer ready for some incredibly busy times. Interlude: One of the interesting parts to this battle is when Rictor moves beside Alphonse, you see a small dialogue where Alphonse asks if he was just being deceived the whole time, was it intentional, etc. Rictor responds that he never even meant to deceive you, and that he would have told you should the need arise, but you were the one who left! (He's still pretty upset over that). Also, at the beginning of the second phase, Alphonse asks another question: "Are your father's orders the only reason you're here?" His response is actually pretty interesting. He says that he wouldn't even give the Spear to his own father, because all he wants are money and power. Instead, he says, he would create his own country, defeating anyone who resisted. His dream, basically, is for a paradise of both land, people, and a strong belief in God and his teachings. To this, Alphonse finally sees that even Rictor has been blinded by the Spear's power, and now he can't give it to him, or anyone. "It has powers that transcend those of humankind." He's planning to take it to the Church of Lodis, to prevent its misuse. Of course, the Church might misuse it, but he just can't see that. Oh well... With one final insult from Rictor, the battle resumes... Victory Conditions: Defeat the Leader! War Trophies: 3500 Goth, Petrifying Cloud (Spell), Dragon Helm, Warp Ring, Water Garb, Dragon Shield, Sorcerer's Cup. ------------ Just want to point out that in the previous battle, the Throne Room, it seems that the regular knights in addition to Duke knights cannot be persuaded. I'm not sure about anyone else, but I just couldn't even get close to persuading one. Anyway, after the battle, Alphonse hold usthe Spear, showing it to Rictor, but does something quite weird. He throws it beside Rictor, challenging him to see if it was made by God. However, he soon reveals that it's just a normal spear, made of iron. In other words, he told Rictor the truth, and that he was fooled by rumor. Then, Rictor's told about how someone had already taken the spear, that all we found was the rose crest.... the Lasanti Family Crest!! This is the serious part of the conversation now. Alphonse is telling Rictor that he has been to the shrine outside Sotavento before! However, at the very instant when Rictor might figure it out, Malicia walks in telling him to 'pull himself together.' This is when Ivanna sees her... Unfortunately, Alphonse either can't see her, or she is a ghost. You see, Malicia is Rictor's fiancee, but Alphonse can't see her! Ivanna and Rictor don't know how to explain it (nor do I, really, yet...). In a few more moments, Ivanna finally realizes that even Malicia isn't the real Malicia, and is only an illusion. That's when the fake Malicia hits Ivanna and Alphonse with a shock wave, knocking them back. She then escorts Rictor out of the chamber. Now, for the final battle of Ostorea Castle, you're headed to the Crypt. This will be another trying battle, with enough healing on the opposition side to drive a sane mad to the brink. Now entering the Ostorea Crypt: sealed by Naris 15 years ago, and for good reason. --- BATTLE 23A: OSTOREA CRYPT --- Suggested Level: 26-28 **Enemy Units** L - Rictor (High Priest) Angel Knight x 2 Knight (M) x 2 Valkerie x 2 Warlock **Friendly Units** Ivanna Party Members (limit 7) Prelude: You see a scene with Alphonse and Ivanna, standing outside the doors to the Crypt, wondering if Rictor really was taken in there. Unfortunately, we all know the answers to that. This is the crypt where the Batraal Family buries their dead, which might just include someone we know... For some reason, Naris ordered it closed 15 years ago, after the death of Ivanna's father. This is also when we learn that Malicia died 7 years ago. The girl we saw was either a ghost or an illusion of some other sort. Also, Alphonse wonders if the Sacred Spear isn't buried in the crypt with the Batraal Family members. What's more, we still can't forget that Rictor is in there with the impostor... So we go to that scene. 'Malicia' and Rictor are in the crypt, and Malicia trying to push him to remember the summer so many years ago, on the beach. He says that he dropped it in the castle, all that time ago. Then, Malicia starts glowwing, a blue- black flame surrounds her. Then, she starts to go insane. She yells for Rictor to give the Sacred Spear back to her at once. This isn't good... ....which is why, just at that moment, Alphonse charges into the crypt, demanding to know who she really is. That's when she leaves the fake body of Malicia behind, turning into a blue fireball, and heads into Rictor's body. Oh boy... When Rictor rises, he is possessed by a demon calling himself Shaher. "I DWELL IN THE DARKNESS OF THE HEART, PROJECTING ILLUSIONS FROM WITHIN. LONG HAVE I WAITED IN THAT GIRL'S BODY. I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING... FOR THE BLACK FRAGMENT OF LONGICOLNIS, WHICH WAS BROKEN AWAY FROM MY BODY." Yes, it was all in caps, and it's that annoying... Still, we learn a bit more about the Sacred Spear from this: that it was a part of Shaher not too long ago. We also learn that, with the Spear, Shaher will resurrect himself and destroy all humans. If that wasn't enough, he then summons some menions to help him out. Get ready to fight! Interlude: At the beginning of the second phase, Alphonse asks what happened to Rictor, to which Shaher's only reply is "I HAVE RELEASED THE PAIN IN HIS HEART..." I don't know about you, but I hate the guy now merely for the constant caps! The fact that he's pure evil doesn't register until *after* that... Actually, though, that isn't all that Shaher says. He tells that Rictor was actually jealous of Alphonse, for his lack of concern with status, for his ability to express himself, and for his knowledge and morality. It goes without saying, though, that all of that was in caps, so I'll spare you me telling you what you are bound to see anyway.... Heh. Tactics: No particular challenge here. One of the Male Knights has Cleanse, the other has Heal. They're tending to heal itself alot making the battle a longer one than normal. Still, just sticking with the Euphaire-Summoner combo and using the Atropos skill (which you just got!) will make this battle go smoothly. Also, if you rememeber to heal your own troops, this battle will go without too much of a struggle. Worth noting is that your troops are separated from Alphonse at the battle's start, with the rest of them up on the steps. You're going to be at a large disadvantage, especially with Alphonse out there by himself. The best strategy will be to get rid of the knights first, then the angel knights. Still, remember that Rictor/Shaher still has the Healing abilities and Ignis Fatuus Summon from last time, which will always make the battle interesting. One more difficulty to notice is that the knight with Cleanse also has a Warp Ring equipped. This effectively negates the idea of 'surround for safety.' Still, it is always best to swarm the enemies with numbers, so he should be no problem. The next is that darned warlock. Like the witch from the previous battle, his sole purpose for living is to use Fluid Magic and charge Rictor's summon. Of course, this means that you'll see Ignis Fatuus (the awesome squirrel!) multiple times, or at least until you take out the Warlock. Do that ASAP! The summon can tear through your lines with the efficiency of a starved wolf seeing his first meal in days... Also worth noting here, because you CANNOT GO BACK is that you need to pick up the Ring of the Dead NOW! It's located on tile (12,8) using the system explained below in the Hidden Items section of the guide. Get it. Now. It's one of the few you will ever see and it leads to the creation of a lich! Victory Conditions: Defeat the Leader! War Trophies: 0 Goth, Ignis Fatuus (Summon), Cave Exploration (Quest), Crown of Intellect, Earth Javelin, Plumed Headband, Earth Shield, Needle of Light, Healing Salve, Warp Ring. ------------ After the battle, Shaher apparently has some problems with Rictor, his host. You see, we see an internal dialogue of sorts wherein Shaher claims that even Rictor's heart is denying him. Then, we see the proof, as Rictor wants the demon out of his body. Unfortunately, the only way Rictor knows of to do that is... suicide. In the end, the black flame of Shaher hovers over the slumped body of Rictor, fallen because of his valiant fight against evil. Shaher then charges Alphonse with a task: to go north, use the black fragment to break the seal guarding his body, and free him. Hah. Alphonse scoffs, but then Shaher wonders why. Even he can feel that Alphonse wants power, offering him all that he has to offer. It's quite an impressive speech, though all in caps. Read it carefully, because it's amazingly persuading... ...In fact, it's so persuasive that Naris can't help but take Shaher up on it. Yes, that's right, both Naris and Cirvante materialize and take the fragment from Rictor's fallen body. Then, Cirvante teleports them both away. Rictor appears to be not QUITE dead yet, though, so Alphonse and Ivanna go to him. Still, all they hear are his last words. Sad, really, that so proud a warrior had to fall like this. Still, due to the fact that Shaher did possess his body for a while, he knows an awful lot about the current situation. As it turns out, the black fragment was one that Rictor found in the temple when playing with Malicia 15 years ago. However, he dropped it into the crypt -- through the floor (don't ask, I don't know) -- and forgot about it. However the fragment was itself a piece of the Sacred Spear, and now Shaher needs both to return to his body. You see, he needs every piece of himself, and without the fragment, he would have been lacking. Your mission, choose to accept it or not, is to find Shaher's body and destroy it before he can return and destroy all of humankind everywhere. With Rictor dying in Alphonse's arms and Ivanna merely looking on, then the screen fades to black and you end the chapter. ------PART 4------ < < CHAPTER 3 (Path A) > > "After the Sunset..." Alphonse and his troops, after following Rictor Lasanti to Rananculus, were eventually able to force the surrender of Ostorea Castle. In Ostorea Castle, there were startling events. The rumors regarding the murder of Lord William, and the Lady Malicia being possessed, caused a state of panic. However, the superstitious people of Rananculus gave a warm reception to Alphonse and his comrades for exorcising the evil spirit from the castle. Ivanna Baraal, the oldest daughter of former lord, William,helped to calm peple's fears. Alphonse and his comrades, stationed at Ostorea Castle, were searching for Naris and researching the history of the island, the Batraals, and the Spear. Alphonse was deeply upset over the loss of his friend, Rictor, despite their falling out. However, if Rictor's father, the Duke, learned of Rictor's death he would surely take some kind of action. Alphonse was running out of times. Meanwhile, a new year had begun. One winter day, under a rare blue sky, Alphonse tracked down the whereabouts of Lord Naris and prepared to chase after him. Naris, on the run with the spear fragment... The peculiar twins helping him... The Sacred Spear , Longicolnis, that has lost its power... The enigmatic being that possessed Rictor. Alphonse headed for the snow-capped mountains of the North to solve these mysteries. No one knows what awaits him there... Once through that set of scenes, you're taken back to Ostorea Castle where our hero is asking Ivanna for any more information she might have. You hear a bit about her past, which is good for those of you who missed it before. Also, you learn a bit more about Lethe and Cirvante, like how Naris must trust them an awful lot to be giving them such important positions. But that really doesn't help much. Oh well... The scene then goes to a 'scholar' who was researching in the castle library, and they actually found some interesting things. You hear a bit more about the Batraal geneology, about Lucius and his wife Celena. These two had a child, who later became lord when Lucius fell in love with Berevra and left. This is, however, when you learn that the spear itself was BLACK. Doesn't quite sound as holy any more, eh? Then, a soldier has a bit more to add. According to legend, the island of Ovis was created by God as a PRISON. Guessing what we've been through, the answer to the obvious question (for who/what?) is obvious: Shaher. Shaher was a 'sinful angel' who now sleeps in the mountain range in the north, behind a wall of ice. Now, cut to a scene between Alphonse and Eleanor on a balcony. How cute. Well, it also turns out that Shaher was the legendary archangel, but he betrayed God for some unknown reason. Gee, that sounds like fun... In fact, the theory that the two of them come up with sounds a LOT like what Bartleby discovers at the end of the movie Dogma. Shaher was the closest being to God, the most brilliant, but he was confined to his job as an emissary to the humans. Now do you see why he might hate us a bit? The angels fought _with_ the humans during the legendary Ogre Battle, but even that might have caused a bit of resentment. During this conversation, though, is when Cybil returns! She is a close member of the Church, remember, and so sheds some valuable light on the subject further. "The decent to earth means the loss of both power and beauty... It must be the most shameful punishment the residents of heaven can receive." As Eleanor eventually figures out, Shaher wanted to be loved by God as much as the humans, and started a rebellion for no better reason than to grab attention. Sad, really, that for wanting to be more in God's favor, he disobeyed God, and thus was cast out of favor, and out of heaven. Shaher envied humans, and that jealousy turned his heart black, leading to hatred. "...And hatred leads to the dark side..." -- Yoda Still, out of all of this, there is something to be gained. Cybil requests to join you, and permanently this time. You will have complete control, finally, over one of the game's best spellcasters! After all of that, we're finally taken back to the map screen. However, as you see, we have an optional battle to go through, before we just jump into it, though, let's take on a few extra tasks! > First of all, if you head to Ardea, you will encounter a scene where an Angel Knight will fly down toward Alphonse and basically offer her services to you. Her name is Lobellia, and it's generally a good idea to take her (if only to turn her into a snapdragon weapon later). > Secondly, head to Arena if you haven't already to collect the spear from the queen of the mermaids. > Finally, head to Solea (where Eleanor's old church is), and you will be shown a scene between Eleanor and Alphonse. You'll also be presented with a choice. Either way, you'll get a decent item, but one way is OBVIOUSLY more caring than the other... The choice is yours (don't blow it ~_~). After all that is done, you now have my permission to proceed on to the next battle, even though it isn't a story battle. Also, yes, you needed my permission, get over it, ok? Head up to Rebanada, and fight it out! --- BATTLE 24A: REBANADA CAVERNS --- Suggested Level: 28-30 **Enemy Units** Rimmon(???/Unknown) 2 Male Zombie Knights 2 Zombie Dragons 3 Ghosts **Friendly Units** Elrik Party Members (limit 7) Prelude: When you walk into the cave, Alphonse comments that it can't possibly be natural, to which Elrik responds by telling a story. Apparently, the company passed by an abandoned town on their way to Rebanada. There was once a man who lived there, but he lost his wife and sister to sickness. Apparently, he was pretty distraught and cursed God for not caring, etc. Then, he took himself into a form of exile, isolating himself from the world he no longer cared to be a part of, ever cursing God. Finally, the man went insane, ran screaming from his house, and began killing villagers like a demon. Luckily, a priest was able to seal him.... in this cave. Yay. Guess who we get to fight now! He's turned into some kind of 'abomination,' but it's still that man-demon, a being without a soul... Sad. Fight it out! Tactics: Nothing really tough about this stage. The undead are high level, but fall easily to exorcism or banish. Rimmon is freakishly strong, but he can only attack one character at a time. Patience will win the day here, assuming you've got the healing capability to stay alive. As usual, use the timeless Euphaire-Summoner trick, or now that you have Cybil, you could just give her teleport and send in your strongest character (preferably with Atropos) to take out the enemies as they come. Also worth noting is that the undead leave lots of room for 'banish' and 'exorcism.' Treasures to know about: One of the dragon zombies has a necklace of resist... This will make it much more difficult to get rid of, as it is now immune to all spells and effects... Also, the ghosts easch have status-affecting spells, which do a great job of annoying me... Still, a few summons and an Atropos should finish this battle rather quickly. Victory Conditions: Defeat the Leader! War Trophies: 200 Goth, Goblin Helm (unsure if more, other enemies are undead) ------------ As you deliver the final blow, it seems that Rimmon gets his human heart back after all, realizing that his conscience has been ignored and screaming. After the battle, Elrik has some sage words to give, but they're really just his pity directed at the fool of a man who traded his soul for power. It is now suggested that you backtrack at least one level. You'll understand why in a little bit. You see, by doing so, you unlock another secret battle, except this time it occurs where you just fought. The new enemy that you find there is none other than the infamous demon SAIA! He's drawn to the caves by their last occupant, who you so politely destroyed. Now, however, he's ready to fight you, to test your might, if you will. There are two possible options here. One is that he CAN join your forces, and the other, obviously, is that he dies. Now, the choice is up to you, except it is a bit more complicated than normal. You have to make a decision about who you want: Saia, the unique demon, or Lobelia, the angel knight. They cannot coexist, and Saia won't offer to join you if Lobelia is on your team. For all intents and purposes, we will assume that you (somehow) got rid of Lobelia for this battle, and that Saia can join you. My suggested method for this is to turn her into a snapdragon sword. Having a virtue-element sword later on will be a GREAT asset. Trust me... --- BATTLE 25A: REBANADA CAVERS, REVISITED --- Suggested Level: 29-30 **Enemy Units** L - Lesser Daemon (Saia) Hawkman x 2 Gorgon x 3 Vrtra x 2 **Friendly Units** Party Members (limit 8) Tactics: One thing to remember here is that the gorgons can paralyze anyone in their sight path, thanks to their lovely Evil Eye ability. The only way to stop this effect, however, is to equip a shield... Just keep that in mind. My advice is to take out the Gorgons first. If you wish to make any sort of run at winning this battle, take them out ASAP! Victory Conditions: Defeat the Leader! War Trophies: ------------ --- BATTLE 26A: HARMONIA --- Suggested Level: 30-31 **Enemy Units** L - Venefic (Cirvante) L - Venefica (Lethe) Daemon x 2 Gorgon x 2 Giant x 2 **Friendly Units** Party Members (limit 8) Prelude: You finally meet up with the two Twins together. Lucky you... Tactics: An easy battle. The Daemons fall easily enough, especially to any magical barrage, and the Giants can hardly hit -anything-. What you may have to watch for is the Gorgons who have an attack that affects all they face, though it misses enough that its not really a cause for worry. Still, keep an eye on them, and try to spread your units out on the field. Cirvante has Fiend's Grip and Lethe has Fluid Magic, a dangerous combo. What's more annoying than anything is that the two bosses have monstrous agility. They will block most physical attacks, even from behind. Use anyone you have with area effect spells(which have 100% effectiveness always). That tactic will make the battle go 100 times faster. One other possible method is to try and paralyze the Twins, but if you actually get one of those spells to hit, you're lucky enough to not have to worry about the effect... Still, a well-placed swallow's daze might just work! NOTE! You can get a RARE Ring of the Dead from one of the demons! Simply kill them with a virtue attack! Victory Conditions: War Trophies: 500 Goth, Sugar Cane, Fiend's Grip, Ring of the Dead ------------ --- BATTLE 27A: CHARADRIUS --- Suggested Level: **Enemy Units** L - General (Naris Batraal) "The current lord of Northern Ovis, Naris Batraal, has been proclaimed 'Lord Protector' of Rananculus in honor of his bravery. Weapons: Axe" Duke's Kight x 3 Dragon Tamer Mushu Priest (F) x 2 **Friendly Units** Party Members (limit 8) Not an especially hard battle, but gets tricky because of the presence of the two priests. Either persuade them to your side, or get rid of them, but they will otherwise make this harder than it should be. Naris himself strikes hard, and has a few multi-target attacks, one which causes damage and sometimes sleep, plus he's also has at his disposal Ray Of Paralysis. Recruiting a gorgon from the previous battle, and using her in this battle helped immensely. I am unsure whether or not if it was luck, but on the first time I used petrifying gaze, it stoned, both Priests, the Mushus, and two Duke's Knights. The remaining Duke's Knight used items to return his comrades to normal but it still gave me a leg-up in this battle. Victory Conditions: Defeat the Leader! War Trophies: 1000 Goth, Bloody Cleaver, ------------ --- BATTLE 28A: ANGEL'S HEADSTONE --- Suggested Level: **Enemy Units** L - Lich (Mycale) Dragon Zombie Undead Wizard (F) Undead Knight (M) x 2 Ghost x 2 Daemon **Friendly Units** Party Members (limit 8) Victory Conditions: War Trophies: 0 Goth, ------------ --- BATTLE 29A: GARDEN OF MEMORIES --- Suggested Level: **Enemy Units** L - Female Angel Knight (Judecca) Warlock x 2 Angel Knight (M) x 2 Daemon x 2 Giant **Friendly Units** Party Members (limit 8) Victory Conditions: War Trophies: 0 Goth, ------------ --- BATTLE 30A: HALL OF CORRUPTION --- Suggested Level: **Enemy Units** L - Daemon (Rahouart) Fallen Angel (M) Fallen Angel (F) Swordmaster x 2 Gorgon x 2 Vrtra **Friendly Units** Party Members (limit 8) Watch out for the Gorgons. They're the only ones who represent any really significant danger to your troops. Victory Condtions: War Trophies: 0 Goth, ------------ ---BATTLE 31A: HALL OF CONVICTION --- Suggested Level: **Enemy Units** L - Fallen Angel (Shaher) Daemon x 3 Angel Knight (M) Angel Knight (F) Fallen Angel (M) - (Cirvante) Fallen Angel (F) - (Lethe) **Friendly Units** Party Members (limit 8) Some friendly advice. Between here and the next stage, you won't be able to change party members, so do yourself a favor, bring two priests to this battle. You'll need it for the next stage. Also, you don't need the Sacred Spear to damage Shaher at this stage, normal attacks will work. You will need it next stage though... Victory Conditions: War Trophies: 0 Goth, Anbicion, ------------ --- BATTLE 32A: THE NETHERWORLD --- [Basic outline contributed by beyowulf] Suggested Level: **Enemy Units** L - Sacred Demon (Shaher) "The embodiment of evil, residing in an unknown realm, he weilds the power of bane and blankets light with his black wings" Dark Stalker x 2 "An invisible evil assailant that camouflages itself in darkness and attacks unexpectedly. It is said that Dark Stalkers are kin to vampires and werewolves, but no one knows the truth." Hell Gigantes x 2 "Summoned from the depths of darkness in an unknown realm, the Hell Gigantes is a blood-thirsty giant with terrifying destructive power. Its iron-like body and powerful fists more than compensate for its low intelligence." **Friendly Units** Party Members (from last battle) Shaher will need to be hit with the Secret Spear before his barrier will come down. Once thats done, normal attacks will work on him. I suggest using Atropos on him, preferably having someone strictly dedicated to healing the person using Atropos. Shaher has 5 abilities. 'Shear', which does 50-100 damage to those standing right next to him. 'Day Of Judgement' which attempt to afflict everyone with a status ailment. Those with shields will automatically resist this, those without shields may resist anyway. 'Apocalyspe,' which hits one person for about 80-90 damage, and 'Cataclysm,' which hits *everybody*, even enemies, for 80-100 damage. Victory Conditions: War Trophies: 0 Goth, ------------ [FULL WALKTHROUGH NOW, BUT MUCH MORE EDITING TO COME IN FURTHER UPDATES!!!] ***just remember: im only human, and this is a LONG process*** ______________________________________________________________________________ ------PART 5------ < < THE CHOSEN PATH: B > > "It doesn't seem right." Like many other before you, you've taken the "heroic" route. Congratulations. You want a cookie? < mumbles > do-gooder punk < /mumbles > Anyway, what happens is that Alphonse says he's tired of putting up with the secrecy, the unexplained orders, and all of what Cybil is doing. He basically says that he will repay his debt to her, but he is not her puppet (bravo)! Finally, he'll find the sanctuary on his own, then return to her with details about the spear. Cybil, who is awfully quiet during that rant, merely says that she will trust you, but you don't have any time to waste. Alphonse then makes clear that, after this mission, you will part company. Ouch, insulting! I like it!! As with path A, your next scene is Alphonse talking with Ivanna, mostly about the weather. However, on this path, you'll be heading toward the Temple of Sufrir, off the tip of the Numida Peninsula. Ivanna then recalls that it once sank into the ocean... Finally, you get a little dialogue telling a bit more about who Ivanna is, as well as the REAL reason you might be heading this way, you see that she believes in both Alphonse and what he will do... Awwww... Touching. But enough of that. Time to get going. We have still to reconcile with Rictor, then fulfill our promise to Cybil! Once you go back out to the world map, you'll notice that a new path opened up to the south, beside Solea. When you head in that direction, you will pass over Solea itself, and get stopped by a story event... You find Alphonse and Eleanor talking outside the church. Eleanor simply wonders why you've returned. Alphonse, giving the MOST OFTEN USED LINE IN RPG HISTORY, says, and I quote: "......" Wow. Isn't it amazing? Seriously though, the conversation does go places, despite Alphonse being anti- social. Eleanor thinks something must have happened, and appears to hug our hero. Do I detect a love interest?? ^_~ When the screen rises again, apparently Alphonse told Eleanor everything, and she just wonders if he's sure about himself. Of course he isn't, but he won't admit it... He explains his reasonings, and even tells a lot about his past, and she listens attentively. "You can't always run away from difficult situations." Then, as if to confirm the obvious, he suggests that talking with her makes him want to stay there forever (awwww), but he has obligations still to fulfill. So, like the typical guy, he just leaves Eleanor after having HIS problems solved, leaving her wondering if she will ever see him again. Poor thing... However, the game does have a heart, and gives you a RATHER EASY CHOICE: A: "Of course I'll be back." B: "I make no promises..." If you have a heart, you'll choose the first one. Obviously. Eleanor seems very content by this, and asks that you take care. It is apparent that there will be MUCH more to this love story than was disclosed here... As you walk off, Eleanor whispers to herself something that should only prove the above all the more blatantly... However, should you choose the other option, you'll just make the poor girl cry... Heartless bastard! Anyway, I hope you are only reading this for kicks, because otherwise, you're just mean. *sniffle* Still, the journey must continue. --- BATTLE 7B: SUFRIR --- Suggested Level: 10-11 **Enemy Units** Gremlin x 3 Thunder Dragon x 2 Earth Dragon x 2 **Friendly Units** Orson (Guest) Party Members (limit 8) Prelude: When you enter into the dark catacombs, Alphonse sees his foes and makes a rather dumb comment. However, he is then met by a 'familiar voice.' It appears that Orson has finally caught up with your unit, hoping to help in your travels! Actually, it seems that Rictor sent him to help you out, which is rather kind of him. However, you have this battle to deal with first off, and those dragons don't seem to happy... Tactics: It is strongly suggested that you bring a cleric/priest into this battle, since your troops are still rather weak. Beware the long range attacks of the gremlins, who will likely be doing the majority of the damage to your troops. The dragons are very slow, but have decent strength when they get in close. Also, be wary of their breath attacks, which affect a 'T-shaped' set of four panels in front of them. When they charge up enough SP, this battle really gets tough. Stick with what works here. Attack the beasts with long range spells or bows if possible, then move in to start pounding. When the worst comes to worst, use your healer until exhaustion, and don't be afraid to use items (if you really have to, though, you are too low in level). Hawkmen are a blessing, as are faster classes, like ninjas and valkyries. Final thought here: take out the dragons before they can charge their breath attacks. The gremlins just do too little damage to hit them first. The battle took me just over 6 turns. It isn't that hard with good tactics. Good luck! Victory Conditions: Defeat All Enemies! War Trophies: 500 Goth, Mirror of the Gods, Cup of Life, Sword Emblem, Crown of Intellect, Stone of Swiftness x2, Sorcerer's Cup. ------------ After the battle, Orson offers to join you for good. It seems that Rictor sent him after he learned we had left Urodela. Apparently, Orson was dismissed from the troops so that he could join you without penalty. Rictor's last order was for Orson to help you, "even though you made yourself [Rictor's] enemy." --- BATTLE 8B: ARENA --- Suggested Level: **Enemy Units** L - Mermaid (Minerva) Mermaid x 3 Hawkman x 2 Octopus x 2 **Friendly Units** Party Members (limit 8) This is tough battle, mostly fought in water, while raining, facing sea enemies. Do yourself a favor, and go straight for the boss. However, do not kill her! Trust me on that... Victory Conditions: Defeat the Leader! War Trophies: 200 Goth, ------------ --- BATTLE 9B: RANA SEA --- Suggested Level: **Enemy Units** L- Mermaid (Aerial) 3 Mermaids 2 Octopi 2 Fairies **Friendly Units** Party Members (limit 8) Park your party on the island to your right, and wait for the enemy to come to you. Use range attacks to weaken the leader. If your lucky, she'll pop up onto the island where you are and give you a chance to nail her. Victory Conditions: Defeat the Leader! War Trophies: 2200 Goth, ------------ --- BATTLE 10B: SOLEA BEACH --- Suggested Level: **Enemy Units** L - Dragoon (Karcist) Archer (F) x 2 Thunder Dragon Blue Dragon Earth Dragon Red Dragon **Friendly Units** Party Members (limit 8) Another tough battle with dragons. Concentrate on them one at a time. Since the Water Dragon has the Dragon Eyes equipped, it can't be charmed, and is immune to all other status ailments. Make sure you heal Eleanor and keep her out of harms way. One of the archers has a Sherwood Hat. The Water Dragon has the Dragon Eyes, so either persuade, or kill them. Victory Conditions: Defeat the Leader! War Trophies: 1000 Goth, Fafnir, Dragon Eyes, ------------ --- BATTLE 11B: MOUNT AQUILA --- Suggested Level: **Enemy Units** Red Dragon x 2 Gremlin x 2 Hawkman x 2 Cerberus **Friendly Units** Party Members (limit 8) A mostly fire stage, with some fire creatures, so you might even the odds with Summon Tempest. Other than that, a mostly straightforward battle. Victory Conditions: Defeat All Enemies! War Trophies: 200 Goth, ------------ --- BATTLE 12B: GRYLLUS FOREST --- Suggested Level: **Enemy Units** Undead Wizard (M) x 2 Undead Soldier (M) x 2 Undead Soldier (F) x 2 Ghost x 2 **Friendly Units** Party Members (limit 8) What seems a straightforward battle, after a few turns more undead will appear in the form of either ghosts, or male or female undead soldiers. You will need either Exorcism or Faith to finish this battle. Victory Conditions: Defeat All Enemies! War Trophies: 100 Goth, ------------ --- BATTLE 13B: VESPA HILLS III --- Suggested Level: 21-22 **Enemy Units** L - Beastmaster (Surgat) Cerberus x 3 Griffin x 2 Cockatrice x 2 **Friendly Units** Party Members (limit 8) Prelude: When you get to Vespa Hills, another poor fool tries to hinder your progress. The beast master is basically just a merc, hired by either Rananculus (or maybe Rictor) solely to keep you back in Anser. He brought quite a few beasts with him, so be prepared. Tactics: This is a deceptively hard battle. Why? Well the beastmaster will occasionally lend support to the beasts, but also because of the beasts special abilities themselves. The Cerberus can use a fire breath attack that can cause sleep while damaging multipe enemies in a 4-panel T shape. Likewise the Cokatrices can petrify multiple enemies in the same way (4 panel AOE). To make matters ever worse, the Griffins also have a special attack, which can damage multiple enemies, but it's also *long_range*. The petrification is especially annoying, since it will put a charcter out of the battle, unless you cure them. Either bring a cleric/priest with 'Cleanse', or a fairy with the status cure special ability. You will take pretty good damage this fight, unless you're of high enough level (as suggested). My best suggestion is to focus on taking out the death chickens before they gather enough SP to hit you with Petrifying Breath. This will take one of your characters out of the fight for good (unless you cure with an item or Cleanse). It's also a good idea to take out the hellhounds, since they can put people to sleep. The griffins and beast master are of little threat, since they only deal physical damage... Pretty simply put, this battle isn't that hard. Just keep someone around who can heal status ailments, or can heal (one or both works just as well), and you'll breeze through it. Victory Conditions: Defeat the Leader! War Trophies: 500 Goth, Beast Whip, Urn of Chaos, Tome of Discipline, Sword Emblem, Stone of Swiftness, Wisdom Fruit, Cup of Life, Crown of Intellect. ------------ --- BATTLE 14B: BELLEZA --- Suggested Level: 21-22 **Enemy Units** L - Elrik Ninja (F) x 3 Valkerie x 2 Witch x 2 **Friendly Units** Euphaire (suggested) Other Party Members (limit 7) Prelude: Surprisingly enough, the prelude here is rather short. Basically, you're given a small glimpse at the fact that Elrik and Euphaire have LOTS of business to discuss, but no more than that, really. Elrik says that he knows mistakes were made, and that he must correct them. Unfortunately for our team, he thinks the only way to do this is to kill poor Euphaire. Quite a loving father, isn't he? Tactics: Somewhat easier than your previous battles, your main concern will be with the enemy leader, Elrik. The ninjas will rush you while the rest tend to pull back and defend Elrik. The ninjas should be easily dealt with, primarily due to their lower defense. Elrik will be on a higher elvation than you, and he uses the Fenrir (water) summon! It might take a while to get to him, especially with most of his troops deployed in his defense, but bear with the attack... Flying units, ninjas,and valkeries will be very handy here. He has a Golem summon, but it's really more of a normal attack, as it doesn't hit but one character (though with a range of 7 and decent power, it is still impressive). It appears as though Euphaire is one of the primary targets in this battle, which does make sense if you think about it. Still, just be cognicent that most of the long-range attackers will aim for her. Another VERY noteworthy problem with this battle is that you cannot allow it to drag on too long. As your scouting should have shown you, Elrik has TWO summon abilities at his disposal. One, Fenrir, is similar to the Salamander spell you already have, while the other, Summon Golem, is only a single-target style attack, with only one very powerful summon attacker. Elrik _will_ cast at least two summons in this battle, one on each of the second and third turn (much thanks to the witches who use fluid magic for the bum). However, its up to you whether he will cast another after that. My strongest advice is to take out the WITCHES FIRST. Without them, Elrik loses an extra 20 MP each turn. In other words, he can't summon every turn. Similarly, keep Euphaire and a priest in your ranks, allong with whoever has the Salamander summon, so you can fight fire with fire. After your second phase, Elrik taunts Euphaire a little bit, but only then do we get the impression that he still mistakes her for her mother. He says that she doesn't belong here... thinking that she's still undead. Now this is starting to make more sense... Anyway, the battle shouldn't take too long after the witches are gone, and after that, your priest will be lazy for lack of work. Still, it is worth your effort to keep one with you, just for the Salamander-per-turn advantage. It took me 4 turns to kill every enemy and collect every treasure. If you aren't intereseted in that, it should take maybe 3. Good luck! Victory Conditions: Defeat the Leader! War Trophies: 0 Goth, Fenrir (Summon), Sword Emblem, Warp Shoes(!), Stone of Swiftness, Spell Robe, Pointy Hat, Plumed Headband, Trident. ------------ After the battle, Elrik converses with both Euphaire and Alphonse (well, it's more like Alphonse just observes the other two). Elrik says we have the right to kill him, but asks if Euphaire is upset with him. When Euphaire responds innocently and inquires about what he means, calling him "Father," it finally dawns on Elrik that she is no longer possessed. He has his little girl back again... After another bit of conversation, where you learn that he was experimenting with a spell of spiritual transference, he states that, "It's futuile to keep the souls of the dead in this world." No, really? A bit more touching dialogue follows, and blah blah blah... ...Elrik offers to join you. THIS is why this OPTIONAL battle is so worth your effort! (Like you didn't see it coming though) Take note, for almost ALL optional battles are VERY worthwhile in the long run. Don't be too quick to progress the story. Note: the next "story progression" battle is always marked with a RED POLE. ** All other battles before that will be optional, and it is my strong ** suggestion that you visit these BEFORE proceeding. Interesting note, after battle, in the shop here, you can recruit Giants. I myself didn't as I was short of cash, but it will be interesting to see what they can do, later... Further notes: Fairies are now decently useful. Their first special ability cures any abnormal status, and their second gives a character an extra turn. Decent, but not worth bringing a fairy into battle for... --- BATTLE 15B: BLETE RUINS --- Suggested Level: 20-21 **Enemy Units** Euphaire Warlock Undead Knight x 3 Undead Wizard x 2 Zombie Dragon **Friendly Units** Party Members (limit 8) Prelude: As you enter the field of battle, you're met by a proud young spellcaster, Euphaire. She seems a bit surprised that we've gone through the forest of Gryllus unharmed, but she plans to make up for that. Wonderful, isn't she? Then, Alphonse has one of those killer lines that makes you want to just die laughing. "...You smell like... death. Are you... alive?" Heh. Funny enough, though, it is a good question. You see, Euphaire actually has the soul of her dead mother inside her (long story). She, however, just returns that he has the smell of blood on him as well. Finally, someone who doesn't assume we're rookies, fresh for a beating. Anyway, she's freaky, Alphonse is getting impatient, and the battle begins. Let's do it! Tactics: First off, I want to point out that Euphaire has the Salamander summon spell, and the wizards have Firestorm and Ice Field. To make the magical fun all the more enjoyable, the Warlock has Flow Magic, which is used either to charge up the magic of Euphaire (think SUMMON) or the other wizards (which hit multiple targets). Also Euphaire can charge up the wizards as well, leaving the warlock to charge her up, and then ALL be able to cast Salamander and a various ensemble of quite painful spells their next turn. Be prepared to get hit HARD quickly. Needless to say, play this one defensively. You start off at a rather large terrain disadvantage, having to climb up the fortress to Euphaire and her wizards. My suggestion for party building would be, "think flight." If you don't have the flight, get speed. Ninjas and hawkmen will do wonders on this relatively small field. Another good addition to this battle, as I always say, is a priest. You will need all the healing you can get (so you might want a knight, too). As I said earlier, you will take damage, so prepare adequately for it. Finally, I suggest taking a few strong elemental magicians. Euphaire and several of her other associates are of the Fire element, so a Water wizard or siren would be good. Basically, just go after Euphaire (or if you want the treasures, don't). In all likelihood, you will want to take down the Knights first, while trying to stay away from the Dragon Zombie. Then, focus all your forces on the warlock and wizards. They're very capable of dealing huge damage to your party. If during any part of the battle, you really are on the ropes, change all of your character strategies toward attacking Euphaire. She loves to use Energy Transfer, which takes some of her HP, so she will be weakened. This isn't that hard a battle, but it can take some time... Victory Conditions: Defeat the Leader! War Trophies: 0 Goth, Salamander (Summon), Sword Emblem ------------ After the battle, you get a dialogue between Euphaire, Ivanna, and Alphonse. Basically, her mother's spirit left her body (the puff of smoke) and now she is normal again. To make things even better, she offers to join you for all your troubles! She asks to go with you to see her father, but still, it's another great ally to add to your forces. Say yes before you do anything crazy! The next day, you see Eleanor and Alphonse walking through Blete, the town she was born in. Not much to look at, is it? "If something is forgotten, is it like it never existed?" This is what prompts Alphonse to think of his father, who he had allowed to fade from his thoughts. He doesn't remember him well, nor does he really choose to remember him at all, but some day he will... oh yes, he will. --- BATTLE XB: NAJA --- Suggested Level: 21-22 **Enemy Units** L - Siren (Grevis) Knight (F) x 2 Soldier (F) Wizard (F) x2 Witch Cleric (F) **Friendly Units** Party Members (limit 8) Unlike the 'A' route, this time enemies have a stronger magical offense than physical, by replacing the ninjas with wizards. Try to bring two clerics into this battle, as the witch will use 'Fluid Magic' on Grevis to charge up her Gnome summon, and the other wizards are nothing to sniff at. Like on 'A' route, the enemy has good equipment so persuade some enemies if you can. Victory Conditions: Defeat the Leader! War Trophies: 500 Goth, Gnome (Summon), ------------ --- BATTLE XB: HAENA --- [Rough outline contributed by ultron] Suggested Level: 22-23 **Enemy Units** L - Duke Knight (Khodar) Duke Knight x 3 Earth Dragon Dragon Tamer Dragoon x 2 **Friendly Units** Party Members (limit 8) Prelude: ... Tactics: __Information on Khodar__ Class: Duke Knight Level: 20 (max, which is why suggested is 22+) Element: Earth Alignment: Lawful Equipment: Gram, Tower Shield, Brigandine // Exorcism, Heal A battle of medium complexity, this should be rather simple if you've got any skilled spellcasters. As you see, the enemy has no spellcasters at all (worth mentioning is that the Dragoons can cast spells, but not very well), and only one of the Duke Knights carries a bow. This means you've only got to get close to your foes for them to be able to touch you! However, this battle can be quite difficult, because all these guys have high defense, lots of HP, and most if not all of the Duke Knights have the Heal spell equipped. To simplify fighting this battle, bring in the now-infamous Euphaire-Summoner team. Have two characters equipped with Fluid Magic if you want the battle to go even faster still, and charge Euphaire or the summoner up so that they can use their Summons. Target one enemy at a time and they should be toast in no time. Side Note: ALL of the enemy characters have pretty nice equipment, so I very strongly suggest you take them all out. Here is a list, though, so you can pick and choose which ones are the most important to you: Dragoon1 - Dragon armor Dragoon2 - Ice blade Earth Dragon - Dragon eyes Dragon Tamer - Dragon Gem sword Duke Knight1 - Ice shield Duke knight2 - Winged shoes Duke knight3 - Heavy armor Victory Conditions: War Trophies: 1000 Goth, Gram, Dragon Armor, Ice Blade, Dragon Eyes, Dragon Gem Sword, Ice Shield, Winged Shoes, Heavy Armor. ------------ --- BATTLE XB: WEST OSTOREA --- Suggested Level: **Enemy Units** L - Swordmaster (Margret) Duke Knight x2 Archer (M) x2 Hawkman x 2 Warlock **Friendly Units** Ivanna Party Members (limit 7) Tactics: This is a really tough battle, and there is no two ways about that. The archers targeted my priest every single round. One of the archers has a tundra bow which does lots of damage. Also, be weary of the following: - One, they're shooting from a very high elevation, and from that height they can target -anyone- on the screen! - Two, the ground is 60% covered by snow. This will severely inhibit your troops' movements. - Three, the Tundra Bow in particular is ice elemental. Fire-elemental troops will take more damage, as wellas those on snow covered ground... I strongly suggest you leave your healer out of this battle, if you only have one. If you are smart enough to have two, then by all means, split them between the two missions. Still, should you only have one, you might not need that boost of HP here. Save it for your next battle. Besides, Ivanna has the capacity to heal, if you left her in her knight class (which I REALLY hope you did). With that in mind, however, you need to build this team so that your OTHER team will still be strong. You really don't want the second battle to get your units killed, and it will have that possibility. I might suggest using a few of your flyers here, because in the next battle they won't be needed quite so much. Also you need people with strong magic resistance in the NEXT battle, so plan for that according to your own tastes... For the record, I left my Euphaire-Summoner combo for the second fight, and was quite glad I did, too... (another good reason to leave your priest for the next battle, might I add). A good strategy for this battle is to bring your troops to the bridge in the center of the stage. Positions your front-liners there. Do not go past the center of the bridge, which will otherwise cause Margret to walk towards your location. Other troops however will move towards you. When they get to you, pull back a few squares. When they again move forward, surround them and finish them. The archers will tend to hang back though. Once you've taken care of everyone else, and Margret is already on her way towards you, send a flying unit up there to take care of the archers. I would also suggest trying to persuade the Warlock because he has both decent equipment and a good spell. Not only that, you never know when another good character will come in handy. If for nothing else, just liquidate his inventory and dismiss him. Still, try to persuade, as it will also help ease this battle... Victory Conditions: Defeat the Leader! War Trophies: 600 Goth, Notos, Atropos (technique), Saint's Shield, Healing Salve, Stone of Swiftness, Grincer Coat, Sum Mannus, Crown of Intellect, Sacred Ring. ------------ --- BATTLE XB: SOUTH OSTOREA --- Suggested Level: **Enemy Units** L - Esquire (Nichart) L - Venefica (Lethe) Priest (F) x 2 Duke Knight x 2 Siren x 2 Witch **Friendly Units** Party Members (limit 8) >>note that these cannot include any of the 8 party members used above<< Prelude: Cirvante and Lethe accompany Nichart to this battle field, though it appears they aren't quite content with what they find. Cirvante comments on the absence of Alphonse, and seems very disappointed. Lethe seems to mirror that, telling about her knowledge of Alphonse. Nichart then chimes in, telling them that they aren't really needed and that he can take care of things now that Alphonse isn't around, but the Twins promptly remind him that he has already lost twice... In other words, they're threatening him. Tisk tisk, Nichart, you're a loser... After a bit more dialogue, Cirvante, who is obviously put off by the absence of Alphonse, leaves the battle field, saying that Lethe can have fun playing with your troops. How rude! Still, it is good to see him go, because the Twins when together are incredibly nasty foes to deal with. Tactics: This battle is somewhat easier than I though it would be, but only because we came here second... Try to have a few flying units for this stage and send them to deal with Lethe, who'll probably go either to either side of the stage. While you're heading to the side Lethe chooses, harass the magic users there as well. The Duke Knights are a threat, but not as a great as the mages. Send maybe 2 front-liners after them, or as many as you feel you can spare. The battle field is very similar to the West entrance, except with less snow and an opposing orientation. A few things to keep in mind here: As with the last battle, you need to pick up all the hidden items NOW, because you won't be able to return to this area in training or neutral encounters to do so later. Also, Nichart knows he has nothing to lose, and therein gives everything he has to stop you. He uses magic from the safety of his elevated wall, but when approached, weilds Osiric's Spear with deadly force, even from two spaces away. Lethe is also a threat, if you don't get her out of the way early. She can hit you in one of two ways: (1) charge up the MP of the other spell casters around her... (2) smack your troops with the Thunder Flare ability. I'm not actually sure which is worse, because her fluid magic will provide so much MP to her allies that they won't ever have to worry about that again. Still, her Thunder Flare is very strong, thanks to her high INT. Great, isn't it? Still, knock her HP down to 0 as quickly as possible and she simply teleports out. The Duke Knights seem big and impressive, but they really more a distraction. They both have heal spells and both will use them. A good strategy is knock them down a bit, and use summon magic to one first then the other to finish them off. This ensures a kill, a prevents waste. Victory Conditions: Defeat the Leader! (Nichart) War Trophies: 2400 Goth, Osric's Sphere, Firedrake Sword, Caldia, Healing Salve, Cloak of Authority, Stone of Swiftness, Divine Radiance (Spell) ------------ --- BATTLE XB: THRONE ROOM --- Suggested Level: **Enemy Units** L - High Priest (Rictor) Knight (M) Knight (F) Duke Knight x 2 Wizard (M) x 2 Witch **Friendly Units** Party Members (limit 8) Prelude: When you enter the throne room, you are met by Rictor, and Alphonse is NOT glad to see that, let me tell you. However, Rictor is in a giving mood now, and since we've made it this far, he says he will tell you everything: "15 years ago, William, the former Lord of Rananculus, told my father about the Sacred Spear. Since then, my father has been researching it secretly. Naris Batraal knew nothing of the spear at that time, but at some point, someone told him of its existence. This led to the incidents involving the White Fang Troops. Meanwhile, my father sent me to this island using the conflict as a cover, and I began my search for the spear... This much, you must have guessed. Well, now I'll tell you an older story. There was a man named Lucius in the Batraal Family. He was the one who ran off with a mermaid a few hundred years ago. Information regarding the stolen spear was recorded by her child." (Yes, I'm typed all this up for a reason. Remember, Berevra said she didn't HAVE a child, right?) "That's right... There is no member of the Batraal Family who is half human, half mermaid. The mermaid didn't know it, but Lucius had a child with a human. After that child became the 4th lord, the document containing the secret of the spear was passed down to each successor. If the Duke, Naris Batraal, had killed his brother, he would have never have received that information." Then, your old friend, fool that he is, asks for Sacred Spear. Too bad we won't give up what we don't have. Fight it out! Tactics: --Both the Male & Female Knights are special characters. They have death --poses and death quotes. They can't be recruited, and the Female Knight has --the Dragon Shield, and the Male Knight has the Dragon Helm. The witch has --the petrifying cloud spell, so don't miss that. Not a hard battle, if you're prepared, just long and with lots of damage involved.In my opinion, it is easily one of the most annoying in the game. Rictor is still a high priest and therefore has the healing capability that will make you hate him more than 1337-sp33k and al bhed combined. However, on top of this, he also has the Ignis Fatuus Summon, which he uses mercilessly, compliments of the witch's constant use of the Fluid Magic spell. He also has two knights capable of casting heal, and they'll definetly cast it if anyone even comes close to about half HP. Use a couple troops to distract the Duke Knights, while one at a time try to take out the spellcasters. Once that's done, concentrate on Rictor. Still, the best approach might just be to take out Rictor first off, but I wouldn't suggest it. You'll want some of the extra items dropped by the foes here. Head for magicians first, especially the witch, and THEN take out the knights. From there, you're free to have all the fun you're up for. It's just getting past the initial onslought that might be a problem. Have at least one good healer ready for some incredibly busy times. Interlude: One of the interesting parts to this battle is when Rictor moves beside Alphonse, you see a small dialogue where Alphonse asks if he was just being deceived the whole time, was it intentional, etc. Rictor responds that he never even meant to deceive you, and that he would have told you should the need arise, but you were the one who left! (He's still pretty upset over that). Also, at the beginning of the second phase, Alphonse asks another question: "Are your father's orders the only reason you're here?" His response is actually pretty interesting. He says that he wouldn't even give the Spear to his own father, because all he wants are money and power. Instead, he says, he would create his own country, defeating anyone who resisted. His dream, basically, is for a paradise of both land, people, and a strong belief in God and his teachings. To this, Alphonse finally sees that even Rictor has been blinded by the Spear's power, and now he can't give it to him, or anyone. "It has powers that transcend those of humankind." He's planning to take it to the Church of Lodis, to prevent its misuse. Of course, the Church might misuse it, but he just can't see that. Oh well... With one final insult from Rictor, the battle resumes... Victory Conditions: Defeat the Leader! War Trophies: 3500 Goth, Petrifying Cloud (Spell), Dragon Helm, Warp Ring, Water Garb, Dragon Shield, Sorcerer's Cup. ------------ --- BATTLE XB: OSTOREA CRYPT --- Suggested Level: **Enemy Units** L - General (Naris) Duke Knight x 4 Priest (F) Knight (F) Knight (M) **Friendly Units** Party Members (limit 8) Tactics: Not a difficult battle, but keep the balance of your party favored towards melee fighter, as a number of the enemy are equipped with powerful elemental weapons. Naris himself likes to use Ray Of Paralysis, and it works enough of the time to be a threat, so bring a priest with Cleanse, and Heal Plus. As usual, I highly recommend bringing a Summoner to this party. Be careful and you should have no trouble. Victory Condiditons: Defeat the Leader! War Trophies: 0 Goth, Bloody Cleaver, Cave Exploration, ------------ [MUCH MORE TO COME IN FURTHER UPDATES!!!] ***just remember: im only human, and this is a LONG process*** ______________________________________________________________________________ ------ PART 8: ENDINGS!! ------ [From paths A and B -- SPOILERS!] Now, the tricky part to this section is figuring out what endings you could get. There are a total of 3 separate endings you could get simply from making different decisions from the Angel Headstone battle onward, which is why this section is here. Below I will detail every ending, as well as how to get it. Be warned once again, however, that there are MASSIVE spoilers below: ENDING A Requirements: Path A, have Eleanor in your party for the final battle. Game Text: ENDING B Requirements: Path B, have Eleanor in your party for the final battle. Game Text: ENDING C Requirements: Path A, but without Eleanor in the final battle. Game Text: ENDING D Requirements: Lose the final battle to Shaher... Game Text: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- VII. Quest Mode (or how to get the items hidden on secret maps) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Well, I would give you a general rundown of what Quest Mode is exactly, but the game itself does a fine job of that... So here is what it has to say! "Quest Mode is an optional mode based on your saved data from the central adventure. The purpose of this mode is to explore and strengthen your troops while collecting treasure. On the map, numerous enemies will block your path. The treasure you earn depends on the outcome of the battle. If you defeat the enemy quickly, without taking much damage, you will be better rewarded. Experience points cannot be earned in this mode." Pretty self-explanatory, isn't it? Anyway, this section isn't over yet! We still have lots more to cover, especially since I know that there will be lots of questions still... Also, I'll give you a bit of a walkthrough eventually (I hope). When? After you've beaten the second battle (Port Scabellum) and save your game, on the main menu screen, before you even say to continue your game, you are presented with a new option: Quest Mode! What? Basically, this is just a way for you to go back and explore maps you've already battled on, finding hidden items, etc. It's a very nice addition to the play mode options, and it allows for some very powerful stuff early on... How? Quest mode can be accessed only in a special manner. By clearing some battles, you have a chance of obtaining a special book. Books will allow you to explore lots of different scenarios, which is what Quest Mode is. So? In Quest mode, you have the chance to find rare items and build up your funds. Also, these items return to your saved data file, so you can use them in your normal games. And? Another bonus for Quest mode is the ability to exchange items and characters with other players by way of the game link cable. Nice eh? NOTE: After you complete each stage the first time, the enemy party will change for each subsequent visit. One last thing, contributed by fenrir knight: "This isn't super obvious and isn't in the manual so I thought I'd post it for those that don't know. In quest mode you can change the rule from defeat leader to deafeat all. The reward for doing so is you get 3 items instead of 1 and they seem to be higher quality. on the first quest, defeating all enemies in 10 turns got me a tundra bow, leviathan mail, and abyss robe. I thought that was pretty good. Better than the rings and wands I was getting from just defeating the leader ^_^" Well said, and an excellent tip... Besides, it's worth it, even though it will take you longer, for the extra prizes. < STAGE 1: > "...once fruitful land swallowed by swamp." --NUMIDA CHRONOLOGY Cost: 0 Goth Level: Swamp Victory Condition: Defeat the Leader (or) Defeat All! Default Limit: 20 Turns Party Maximum: 5 characters Opponents' Level: 15 Suggested Level: 14+ Opposing Leader: Calais Class: Ninja (F) Talents: Ice Field, Shuriken Barrage Element: Water Equipment: Yu-giri, Ice Chain, Leather Hat As the level opens, the ninja leader, Calais, wonders if you came to the swamp by way of hearing the rumor of the treasure. She then tells the obvious, that she won't just give it to you. Well, I was sort of hoping not. ^_^ Fight it out! If you've done any scouting at all (read: looked at the level), you'll see that the majority of the battlefield is composed of one massive swamp, typically 2 steps deep. This can be a MAJOR problem tactically, unless you brought some flyers with you (which I suggest). Also note that the opponents are all level 15! However, there was one bright spot. For me, all but ONE character (the archer) was of the water element. Fire spells anyone? Still, getting started, you'll see that the opposing force is content just staying where they are, and where they have the advantage. My suggestion is taking a few characters equipped with bows, a magician (or two), and a healer. You will NEED the healer, if for no reason other than any archer or ninja will do some heavy damage early. Another problem here is that these classes are insanely fast. But then again, that could just be the fact that she's LEVEL 15, and you won't be anywhere near that when you first get the Numida Chron. No matter what, I strongly suggest you focus all your attacks on the ninja (leader). Your only goal is to defeat her, and once you do, you'll be rewarded greatly! I did it my first time with the 20 day option, finishing WELL under that time limit, and got 200 Goth and a Fire Wand. Completion Chart, Defeat Leader: 20 Turn Setting --- 200 Goth, Fire Wand 10 Turn Setting --- 400 Goth, Beast Whip 7 Turn Setting ---- 700 Goth, Flame Bow 2 Turn Setting --- 1200 Goth, Flame Bow For a more complete chart, this was contributed by Terence of GameFAQs: Defeat Leader: 1- 3 Turns: Level 5 Prize, 1200 goth 4- 5 Turns: Level 5 Prize, 1000 goth 6- 7 Turns: Level 5 Prize, 700 goth 8- 9 Turns: Level 4 Prize, 500 goth 10-11 Turns: Level 4 Prize, 400 goth 12-15 Turns: Level 3 Prize, 300 goth 16-20 Turns: Level 3 Prize, 200 goth 21-25 Turns: Level 2 Prize, 100 goth 26-30 Turns: Level 1 Prize, 50 goth 31-99 Turns: Level 1 Prize, 25 goth Defeat All: 1- 9 Turns: 2x Level 4 Prize, 1x Level 3 Prize, 1200 goth 10-12 Turns: 2x Level 4 Prize, 1x Level 3 Prize, 1000 goth 13-15 Turns: 1x Level 4 Prize, 2x Level 3 Prize, 700 goth 16-18 Turns: 2x Level 3 Prize, 1x Level 2 Prize, 500 goth 19-21 Turns: 1x Level 3 Prize, 2x Level 2 Prize, 400 goth 22-25 Turns: 2x Level 2 Prize, 1x Level 1 Prize, 300 goth 26-30 Turns: 1x Level 2 Prize, 2x Level 1 Prize, 200 goth 31-99 Turns: 1x Level 2 Prize, 2x Level 1 Prize, 150 goth So, to summarise... you will never get the top, level 5 prizes for your quest if you pick Defeat All. It's good if you want lots of half decent items, but if you want the best (Glass Pumpkins from the 2nd quest, for example), you want a low turn Defeat Leader. Thanks Terence! < STAGE 2: > "...golden place in the highlands...dragon..." --EPIC OF TINEA Cost: 3000 Goth Level: Volcano Victory Condition: Defeat the Leader (or) Defeat All! Default Limit: 20 Turns Party Maximum: 5 Opponents' Level: 20 Suggested Level: 21+ Opposing Leader: Khiel Class: Valkyrie Talents: Firestorm Element: Fire Equipment: Earth Javelin, Flame Leather, Plumed Headband, Greasy Boots This battle is only difficult because of the lava dripping down the volcano's surface (and subsequently filling lots of places on the battle field). My best suggestion to anyone on this level is to use FLYING characters, or the warp shoes/ring (if you have them). The enemies all start off to the right hand side of the volcano, with your troops gathering on the left. Really, just move as quickly toward the other side as you can, then just unleash any attacks you know of or have. There really isn't much strategy to this quest, but that's not really news... A very good strategy is to take Euphaire and ANYONE with a Summon spell into this battle. Euphaire's Shaman skill, energy transfer, allows for a first turn summon if you do it right. Still, you won't be able to reach the opponents until your second turn, so youre just building more MP (never a bad thing). Then, with your second turn, the Summon alone should be able to take down the relatively weak valkyrie... Piece of cake! Defeat All: 1-2 Turns: 2x Level 4 Prize, 1x Level 3 Prize, 5000 goth < STAGE 3: > "...streams flowing east deep within a cave..." --Cave Exploration Cost: 6000 Goth Level: Cave Victory Condition: Defeat the Leader (or) Defeat All! Default Limit: 20 Turns Party Maximum: 5 Opponents' Level: 25 Suggested Level: 27+ Opposing Leader: Zweig Class: Warlock Talents: Petrifying Cloud, Ray of Paralysis, Barren Soul Element: Fire Equipment: Balmung, Nathalork Mail, Sacrificial Doll *NOTE: You can only get ONE Necromancy Spell by any method in this Quest. Also, this spell is only acquired once you win 10k Goth in one Quest. - On the first successful completion of this Quest, you get the book for the Batraal Chronology! Defeat Leader: 1-3 Turns: Level 3 Item, Necromancy*, 10000 Goth* 5-10 Turns: Level 2 Item, Necromancy*, 5500 Goth For this battle, I turned to one method: Teleport-Atropos. I got Euphaire into the battle to give MP to a spellcaster with Teleport on the first turn. Then, that spellcaster would teleport my character with Atropos (Alphonse in my case) to the enemy leader. In one hit, Alphonse would take all but 20-30 HP away from the enemy leader. In one more turn, it is quite simple to finish the job. This method is also wonderful because it NO LONGER MATTERS WHERE YOU SET UP YOUR TROOPS! The teleportation will take your character to any part of the map, regardless of distance. Then, just hack away at the leader and enjoy the benefits! Defeat All: 1-3 Turns: 2x Level 3 Prize, 1x Level 2 Prize, Necromancy*, 10000 Goth*. < STAGE 4: > "...a caveuntouched and forgotten..." --Batraal Chronology Cost: 15000 Goth Level: Cave Victory Condition: Defeat the Leader (or) Defeat All! Default Limit: 20 Turns Party Maximum: 5 Opponents' Level: 30 Suggested Level: 32+ Opposing Leader: Byron Class: Swordmaster Talents: Ray of Paralysis, Pelting Fury, Swallow's Daze Element: Wind Equipment: Notos, Leviathan Mail, Armlet of Agility, Dragon Eyes. Defeat Leader: 1-3 Turns: 22000 Goth, Lachesis*, random item. 10 Turns: 12000 Goth, Lachesis*, random item. The strategy for this battle was the exact same as with Quest 3. Teleport your Atropos swordsman to the leader and in two turns, he should be dead (the enemy leader I mean...) *NOTE: You can only get as many Lachesis Scrolls from this Quest as you need. However, you can teach it to only one character. This is the tricky bit: When you beat the level, you get the scroll, but if you use it, you cannot get it again... Lachesis is a skill for bows. < STAGE 5: > "...at the bottom of a crevasse, shielded by ice." --Tundra Geology Cost: 28000 Goth Level: Cave Victory Condition: Defeat the Leader (or) Defeat All! Default Limit: 20 Turns Party Maximum: 5 Opponents' Level: 35 Suggested Level: 40+ Opposing Leader: Dionyde Class: Priest Talents: Divine Radiance, Heal Plus Element: Earth Equipment: Saint's Shield, Southern Cross, Holy Comet, Firecrest Defeat Leader: 1-3 Turns: 40,000 Goth, Clotho*, random item. 6 Turns: 30,000 Goth, Clotho*, random item. Easily the hardest part of this battle is the fact that the priest has a Firecrest equipped. Add this to her shield and very strong defensive items and high level, well, you've got a good bit of work cut out for you. Still, use the Teleport-Atropos method and this will go smoothly. Also worth noting, the Gorgon can be a problem if the battle doesn't end quickly, so again, I strongly suggest the Teleport-Atropos method. It might seem cheap (because it is), but it will guarantee you a victory. This battle is easily won, even at a slightly lower level than 35, if you remember to bring in a few summoners with you. Then, after the initial turn's Teleport-Atropos, you can charge them up (and by the third turn, they should be in range). *NOTE: You can only get as many Clotho Scrolls from this Quest as you need. However, you can teach it to only one character. This is the tricky bit: When you beat the level, you get the scroll, but if you use it, you cannot get it again... Clotho is a skill for spears and thrusting swords. Here is another suggestion, submitted to me by ROGUE-Gladiator! It will pretty much work with any of the maps... Anyway, here we go [edited for style]: --- Team --- -Deneb (Any witch will do, I just use Deneb) Class: Witch Spells- Teleport, Fluid Magic, Temptation Equipment- (Irrelevant) -Euphaire Class: Shaman Spells: Firestorm, Salamander, Energy Transfer Equipment: (Irrelevant) -Alphonse Class: Swordmaster Spells: Constrain, Pelting Fury, Swallow's Blade (I didn't give Atropos to him...) Equipment: High Defens Armor (Movement isn't very important), Same Element Katana -Another Swordmaster or Dragoon Class: ...look above Spells: My Dragoon has Atropos Equipment: A strong weapon, Good Defensive Armor - your Summoner Class: anything that can summon Spells:...Summons Equipment: Intellegence Raising items --- Strategy --- Your Turn: DO THIS FIRST, get Eupharie to energy Transfer your Witch. Once your witch has its energy, move it to either Your Draggon or Swordmaster, or to Alphonse and teleport him to right beside the Leader of the enemy group. When you're next to the enemy, use either a swallow's Daze (Paralyse the enemy), Atropos, or Just a Regular attack. Maybe move your summoner in some if you have a teleporting summoner or flying. DO NOT MOVE YOUR OTHER MELEE CHARACTER!! End your turn. Their turn: Everyone on the other team (unless they're alot of magic users) should attack the guy next to the leader. This is why i use a Dragoon. Every hit should be weak because of his insane defense, so he'll sit there, wondering why the enemy doesn't attack him. if the leader attacks you, then you'll whittle his health down even more (he just is asking for death). Your turn: If the map is small and easy for your summoner to navigate, get Euphaire to Energy transfer your summoner. Now, get your summoner into a close enough position, if you can. SUMMON THE LEADER!! If the leader is still alive, get your witch to teleport the other melee character in, and attack the leader. IF HE IS STILL ALIVE, hit him with Atropos. IF HE IS ALIVE AFTER ALL THAT... you shouldn't be trying to beat this quest yet. It is amazing if any character can withstand 2 ATROPOS, and a Strong atack, and a SUMMON! If you wanna keep going, fine. Just be warned... some of your people may die, especially if you use two atropos, thus cutting the efficency of the your killing ability. If you think this is the case, you may wanna subsitute the summoner for a priest, and heal your front liners. This is a good Strategy to get the leader killed in 1-3 turns (If you're Strong enough). You get your troops in their, and deal high level damage, and the first three quests (I haven't tried the batrall Chronology, wanna save up for Firecrest first) Have pretty weak leaders in terms of abilities. this also, if your fast enough, keeps wizards and warlocks from charging up and using spells on you, mainly because they, or their leader, is dead before they can even say hocus-pocus, and shoot magic at you. This, however, isn't a good Defeat all strategy (I haven't tried it on defeat all at least). < END OF CONTRIBUTION > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- VIII. Character development... How do I...? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- < < CLASS CHANGE REQUIREMENTS > > ***Please Note: For all Stat Gains/Level Bonus ± 1 swing on every stat! ***Do not tell me that my gains are wrong unless you note a change that ***is OUTSIDE THE ALLOWED ± 1 RANGE. Thank you. For the record, and because many people have asked for this information, the classes that allow for the greatest stat growth are as follows: Please note, however, that these may not be the most USEFUL classes when it comes to battle, but they are merely the classes that offer the greatest bonuses (for level building)... Male: The Warlock class allows for likely the most balanced stat growth of any, as well as boasting some of the higher gains. It can handle itself well in the magical realm as well as being an adept swordsman. Female: There are actually two classes, each devoted to different things, that best suite female growth. The first, the knight class, is easily the best class for a female fighter. The second, the siren class, is one of the best spellcasting classes in the game. They aren't very well balanced, and in the case of the physical class, a Valkyrie normally is more useful, but for stat-boosting alone, the knight and siren classes are better. -- Soldier -- Appearance: Much like the soldiers from the N64 incarnation of the series, soldiers are just humans, lightly armored (more like padded), and with a hat, which is actually how you differentiate between the two sexes. Males have a blue hat while females wear silver. Game Text: The basic class where all characters begin. With evenly distributed abilities, these characters are quite versitile. Requirements: Available to any human character Alignment: L, N, C Movement Type: Walking/Wading (M), Walking/Semiaquatic (F) Base Move: 5 Preferred Weapon: Sword or Bow Talents: None Thoughts: The soldier is the basic class for all human characters. It has fairly balanced stats, and is accessible to either sex. Unfortunately, the soldier class allows for no strengths, but that also implies no true weaknesses (save its low stat bonuses). Keep this in mind, because it will definitely limit how much time you leave a character there. In my opinion, soldiers are good for the first few battles and that's it... *Level Bonuses* HP: +8 MP: +2 STR: +3 INT: +4 AGI: +5 PAttack: +3 PDefense: +4 MAttack: +4 MDefense: +4 -- Archer -- Appearance: Very similar to the soldier in terms of appearance, archers appear as very lightly armored troops, seen with (again) funky caps on their heads. For males, the cat looks like a hunter's floppy hat, including the neck flap. For females, there is a bit more style. They sport a blue, rimmed hat with a feather! Game Text: Skilled rear support characters who excel at shooting arrows. Useful in many situations. Requirements: 37 Agility Alignment: L, N, C Movement Type: Walking/Semiaquatic Base Move: 6 Preferred Weapon: Bow Talents: Thoughts: Also similar to soldiers in this category, archers have fairly weak stat gains, special abilities, and talents. Their only true advantage lies in the fact that they can use distance weapons (like bows, and later guns). Still, you might find use for them because of their range. I didn't. *Level Bonuses* HP: +7 MP: +3 STR: +4 INT: +3 AGI: +7 PAttack: +4 PDefense: +4 MAttack: +3 MDefense: +3 -- Ninja -- Appearance: As always, the ninja is the stereotypically shadowed fighter. In this game, they're normally clad in green, with a mask to cover their mouth and face (female) or simply the hood on their necks and back (male). Typical ninja, really. Game Text: Highly trained spies who act aunder a veil of secrecy. Ninjas are experts in martial arts and can cast low level spells. They can move up to 3 steps up or 4 steps down and can walk unhindered on water. Requirements: 36 Strength, 37 Agility Alignment: L, N, C Movement Type: Acrobatic/Waterwalking Base Move: 7 Preferred Weapon: Katana Talents: Shuriken sBarrage, (Attack Spell) Thoughts: With the ability to throw shurikens at its opponents, both of the two talent slots for the ninja are pretty helpful (especially the firstr, which is an attack spell). The ninja is also pretty darn fast, with a movement rate much faster than many other classes, averaging at about 7... Unfortunately, it becomes overpowered later in the game, especially once other chaotic classes become available. Still, it's a very good class for a chaotic character. *Level Bonuses* HP: +5 MP: +3 STR: +4 INT: +5 AGI: +6 PAttack: +4 PDefense: +4 MAttack: +4 MDefense: +4 -- Wizard -- Appearance: Another simple class description, the wizard dons a hooded Cloak (male) or just a cape (female), grabs a staff, and goes to work casting all sorts of wonderful magic. Dressed primarily in green, this class is very easy to spot. Game Text: Wizards typically attack from a distance using magic and are not very good at hand-to-hand combat. They are most effective at the rear, supporting the troops and using lower level attack spells. Requirements: 16 MP, 26 Intelligence Alignment: N, C Movement Type: Trudging/Wading Base Move: 4 Preferred Weapon: Wand Talents: (Attack Spell) x 3 Thoughts: The wizard is your basic magical attacker. They can equip 3 spells, preferably of their own element (but not necessarily), to deal out massive damage to the opponent. At close range, wizards use their puny wands to try and make their opponents die of laughter (giving them enough time to move back and blast everyone with enough attack magic to drown a hippo). *Level Bonuses* HP: +5 MP: +6 STR: +3 INT: +6 AGI: +4 PAttack: +3 PDefense: +3 MAttack: +7 MDefense: +7 -- Cleric -- Appearance: Annoying little buggers (only when on the opposing team), dressed in blue, with a circular, dome-like hat over pig- tails (female), or just a blue, collared suit (male). Game Text: Clerics rely on God for strength, miraculously healing comrades and helping lost souls return to heaven. One of the few classes that can use healing spells. Requirements: 18 MP, 28 Intelligence Alignment: L, N Movement Type: Base Move: 4 Preferred Weapon: Staff Talents: (Healing Spell) x 3 Thoughts: The cleric is your healer, plain and simple. They cast magic, sure, but all that magic is good for is to heal. They have ZERO offensive capability, except for when they strike with their puny little staves. Still, despite all that, they are _immensely_ useful throughout the game with their 3 talent slots dedicated to white magic spells. Trust me, get a cleric (or later a priest) and keep them. You will NEED a healer! *Level Bonuses* HP: +5 MP: +5 STR: +3 INT: +6 AGI: +4 PAttack: +3 PDefense: +3 MAttack: +7 MDefense: +7 -- Knight -- Appearance: Armored up and ready to brawl, the knight looks his role. They're equipped in heavy mail, which slows them down a bit, but are all shiny and use big swords! Oh, and don't forget the plume on the back of their visored helmets... SWEEEEET! Game Text: Knights display unwavering courage and value courtesy, honor, and pride. They surpass normal soldiers in ability and can cast certain spells of virtue. Requirements: 51 Strength, 53 Agility Alignment: L, N Special Reqs: Knight's Certificate Emblem Movement Type: Walking/Wading Base Move: 5 Preferred Weapon: Sword (or Thrusting Sword) Talents: The knight actually has a talent slot, which is used as support to heal themselves and then lay even more devastation down upon their enemies. Thoughts: The actual talent of the knight lies solely in its ability to kick SERIOUS ass physically, while not being TOO slow (like beasts). Sure, they don't counter as often as other classes, and by the end of the game they're replaced by sword masters in terms of dominance (who isn't?), but they're about as well rounded as you can get without being completely useless. *Level Bonuses* HP: +8 MP: +3 STR: +6 INT: +4 AGI: +6 PAttack: +7 PDefense: +9 MAttack: +4 MDefense: +4 -- Priest -- Appearance: When you upgrade your cleric to a priest, they decide to change colors on you. Going from blue to green, the priest decides that they need a more uniform look, donning a collar (like a real priest, wow), and making their hats edged with white. They still love those robes though... Game Text: Priests are trained in the use of higher level spells of virtue. Only this class can cast Resurrection, a spell that retrieves the souls of the dead adn revives their flesh. Requirements: 76 MP, 96 Intelligence Alignment: L, N Special Reqs: Heavenly Spirit emblem, only have killed at MOST 10 enemies Movement Type: Trudging/Wading Base Move: 4 Preferred Weapon: Staff or Cane Talents: (Healing Magic) x 3 Thoughts: Basically just an upgraded cleric (go figure), and therefore the fact that the priest can use 3 talents, all dedicated to white magic, should be of no surprise to you. They, unlike a cleric, actually do get decent stat bonuses. No wonder they're the upgraded form... Keep them as your utility healer once you can get them. They just make clerics obsolete, and you WILL need good healers in this game. Trust me. *Level Bonuses* HP: +6 MP: +6 STR: +4 INT: +6 AGI: +4 PAttack: +4 PDefense: +4 MAttack: +6 MDefense: +6 <-< MALE CLASSES >-> -- Beast Tamer -- Appearance: An old, balding man with a silver beard, the beast Tamer walks around with a blue shirt on green pants. Hey, don't blame his fashion sense on him, it's all The programmers. Game Text: Beast Tamers are among the few humans that magic beasts such as Griffins will open their hearts to. These male warriors enhance magic beasts' power when they are in close proximity. Requirements: 142 HP, 34 Strength Alignment: L, N, C Special Reqs: Male only, killed AT MOST ONE beast Movement Type: Walking/Wading Base Move: 6 Preferred Weapon: Whip Talents: None Thoughts: Equipped with his trust whip, the beast master gets no truly valuable talents, except that all your beasts within a 3 square radius around him get an attack increase. In all honesty, they're not very good at any one area, and are actually about even with a soldier in terms of stat growth. Sad, isn't it? Experiment with one, but trade it in for a decent class later...or sooner, if possible. *Level Bonuses* HP: +6 MP: +2 STR: +5 INT: +3 AGI: +5 PAttack: +5 PDefense: +5 MAttack: +3 MDefense: +3 -- Warlock -- Appearance: These look a LOT like the old doll mage classes from The N64 version of Ogre Battle. Clad in a green jacket, a green headband is the identifying feature of this class, holding back the long hair. Game Text: A male spellcaster, deceivingly harmless in appearance, who in reality manipulates awesome magical power. A Warlock can fight bravely at the front lines or sustain the troops with support spells from the rear. Requirements: 78 MP, 90 Strength, 76 Intelligence Alignment: L, N Special Reqs: Male only, The Pen and the Sword Emblem Movement Type: Walking/Wading Base Move: 4 Preferred Weapon: Sword Talents: Barren Soul, (Supplemental Spell) x 2 Thoughts: Surprisingly enough, the Warlock reprises his role from the original game as a decent combination fighter. With 2 talent slots available for support magic to slow and inhibit your foes, another slot used for an attack, which automatically deals damage to the target of its opposite element, and surprisingly decent physical attack, the warlock is one of the most balanced classes in terms of ways of inflicting damage. He can immobilize, burn you with magic, or just flat out pound you physically. Think of him as your utility infielder... a character that can do it all pretty well, but none of it really spectacularly. *Level Bonuses* HP: +7 MP: +5 STR: +5 INT: +5 AGI: +5 PAttack: +5 PDefense: +6 MAttack: +5 MDefense: +5 -- Swordmaster -- Appearance: Looking surprisingly older than many of the other classes (except of course the male wizard who I swear must be 80), the sword master has silver hair with a goatee, a green shirt, and blue fencing pants. Rather cool looking, actually, but I miss the closer cut hair they used to have... Game Text: Swordmasters can swiftly strike down opponents with blindingly fast sword-handling, and they can also use support spells. Requirements: 95 Strength, 111 Agility Alignment: L, N, C Special Reqs: Male only, Book of Initiation Emblem Movement Type: Walking/Wading Base Move: 6 Preferred Weapon: Sword, Katana Talents: (Supplemental Spell), Pelting Fury, Swallow's Daze (lvl 20) Thoughts: Like the ninja, the sword master can throw weapons at his opponent, but he is much stronger, and more versatile than that. They can also use one slot for supplemental magic, outdoing the warlock at his own game. Also of note: the sword masters just OWN in this game. Powerful, fast, and with good magic resistance, these are your strongest (non- magical) male characters... Very close with the dragoon, but still edging it out as the title-holder! *Level Bonuses* HP: +6 MP: +3 STR: +6 INT: +3 AGI: +5 PAttack: +5 PDefense: +5 MAttack: +3 MDefense: +3 -- Dragoon -- Appearance: By far the coolest looking class in the game, the dragoon comes styling in his GOLD armor, complete with full helmet adorned with two feathers about the ears (like wings). They also have a blue cloth around their waste, but generally, if you see gold, it's likely a dragoon. Game Text: Also known as dragon slayers, these powerful male warriors can overwhelm dragons, or any creature, for that matter. They can use missile type spells. Requirements: 215 HP, 109 Strength, 94 Agility Alignment: N, C Special Reqs: Male only, Dragon's Scale Emblem Movement Type: Walking/Wading Base Move: 5 Preferred Weapon: Sword or Spear Talents: (Attack Spell) Thoughts: Dear lord, these guys are sweet. Equipped with either a spear or sword (they're good with either), the dragoon can also use an attack spell. They also do increased damage to dragons (a definite plus), and have probably the highest strength and defense of any human class in the game. However, they do fall down in one respect: their magical attack and defense are a bit weak, so the sword master may actually win this battle... O_o *Level Bonuses* HP: +7 MP: +2 STR: +6 INT: +3 AGI: +5 PAttack: +6 PDefense: +7 MAttack: +3 MDefense: +3 <-< FEMALE CLASSES >-> -- Valkyrie -- Appearance: Like an amazon with wings in her hair, the valkyrie dresses lightly, with a blue skirt and green tunic. The wings on their heads are definitely the defining feature. Game Text: Valkyries are versatile female warriors who fight well both on land and water. They supplement their physical abilities with low level attack magic. Requirements: 38 Strength, 41 Intelligence Alignment: L, N Special Reqs: female only, Lancer Emblem Movement Type: Snow-Walking/Semiaquatic Base Move: 6 Preferred Weapon: Spear Talents: (Attack Spell) x 2 Thoughts: Doing fair amounts of damage with a spear, the valkyrie also gets two talent slots devoted to attack magic! These gals are easily the best female attacking class, and are also amazingly well rounded. Use them, especially if you want a physical- attacking female. Also worth noting: all male allies withing 3 panels of a valkyrie get +1 on their mental gauge. *Level Bonuses* HP: +6 MP: +3 STR: +5 INT: +5 AGI: +5 PAttack: +6 PDefense: +6 MAttack: +5 MDefense: +5 -- Siren -- Appearance: Very stylish! The siren comes dressed to kill in a blue, feather-trimmed dress and coat ensemble. With long flowing hair, it's obvious that they don't expect to do much physical fighting. Game Text: A stunningly beautiful spellcaster that is well acquainted with all kinds of powerful attack spells. Her INT and MP increase faster than a wizard's. Requirements: 60 MP, 60 Intelligence Alignment: L, N, C Special Reqs: female only, Philosopher's Stone Emblem Movement Type: Trudging/Wading Base Move: 4 Preferred Weapon: Fan Talents: (Attack Spell) x 3 Thoughts: Much like the wizard, the siren gets 3 talent slots for purely offensive magic. Whatever you thought you had in the wizard, the siren is better. They're only really limited by their smaller number of spells they can use. Still, definitely worth using in ANY army. Stronger than a wizard, but not as good as a lich. Great intermediate class! *Level Bonuses* HP: +5 MP: +7 STR: +3 INT: +7 AGI: +3 PAttack: +3 PDefense: +2 MAttack: +7 MDefense: +7 -- Witch -- Appearance: Picture perfect witch, complete with a blue-black, pointy hat, skimpy mini-skirt, and cute chick! ^_^'' Game Text: Witches specialize in using supporting spells such as Ray of Paralysis. They do not have strong attack spells and make poor fighters. A witch's beauty may be her strongest weapon. Requirements: 38 MP, 35 Intelligence Alignment: N, C Special Reqs: female only, Vixen's Whisper Emblem Movement Type: Trudging/Wading Base Move: 5 Preferred Weapon: Wand or Staff Talents: Charm, (Supplemental Spell) Thoughts: The witch is not just any other spell-caster. She has some of the better rounded level up stats of a magical class, but her main problem is that she cannot cast offensive magic. *Sighs* Still, with slots for 2 Talents, one of which charms an enemy, the witch is still SLIGHTLY useful. Oh well, her supplemental magic is decent, and an enemy that can't hurt you is only one step away from the grave. *Level Bonuses* HP: +5 MP: +6 STR: +3 INT: +4 AGI: +6 PAttack: + PDefense: + MAttack: + MDefense: + -- Dragon Tamer -- Appearance: A cute little girl with a dragon's... skull... on her... head. Ok, maybe not so cute any more. The dragon tamers also dress in blue (a remarkable trend, lol) and have long golden hair. Game Text: Dragon Tamers handle dragons gently and will enhance the power of dragons within a range of 3 panels. This female class can cast missile type magic and are unforgiving to those that would hurt a dragon. Requirements: 140 HP, 12 MP Alignment: L, N, C Special Reqs: female only, killed AT MOST ONE dragon Movement Type: Walking/Wading Base Move: 6 Preferred Weapon: Thrusting Sword Talents: (Missile Spell) Thoughts: With her thrusting spear, the dragon tamer is ready to give women their own version of a beast tamer. Similar to a beast tamer, dragon tamers give DRAGONS within 3 squares a power up (big whoop). Unfortunately, they are too much like beast tamers for their own good, and should be experimented with, but still upgraded to better class. Their only positive note is that they do get one spell slot, but only for a lower level missile spell... This gives them a decent ranged attack ability, somewhat increasing their effectiveness, but not much. Thrusting swords are decent... *Level Bonuses* HP: +6 MP: +3 STR: +4 INT: +4 AGI: +5 PAttack: +4 PDefense: +4 MAttack: +4 MDefense: +4 -- SPECIAL CLASSES -- -- Angel Knight -- Appearance: If you want to know, just think of it as a knight with a halo and wings. They're not as obviously clad in armor, but instead dressed in blue tunics. Rather innocent looking, actually. Still, don't let that appearance fool you... Game Text: Only a seasoned warrior with a pure heart can transmigrate to become an Angel Knight. These flying characters have the ability to cast spells of virtue. Requirements: 215 HP, 66 MP, 89 Strength, 81 Intelligence, 88 Agility Alignment: L Special Reqs: Archangel's Feather emblem, die in battle to have a chance of transforming into one... the % is higher for a character with a greater biorhythm... Movement Type: Flying/Wading Base Move: 6 Preferred Weapon: Thrusting Sword Talents: Poignant Melody, Banish (lvl 15+) Thoughts: All angel knights are blessed with two holy abilities, both of which do nothing but complement their already good standing as a powerful character in your army. The first skill is curative in nature, restoring HP and MP to the caster, while the second is like an exorcism attack. Overall, stronger than a knight, especially with the banish special, but still nothing too special in terms of strength or speed. A very solid class. *Level Bonuses* HP: +6 MP: +3 STR: +5 INT: +6 AGI: +6 PAttack: +5 PDefense: +5 MAttack: +5 MDefense: +5 **for more info on this class, see the Random Questions section** -- Lich -- Appearance: Think walking pile of bones, hidden underneath a very sweet black cloak, and there is your lich. They have a golden ring encircling their heads, with a streak of blue down the front of their robes, but otherwise, black. Evil, hehe. Game Text: Requirements: 118 MP, 134 Intelligence Alignment: C Special Reqs: have a Ring of the Dead equipped, then die in battle Movement Type: Base Move: Preferred Weapon: Wand Talents: (Attack Spell+) x 3 --> Includes Necromancy Thoughts: Wow. The undead wizard of the game is also one of the most badass classes, period. The lich has the unique ability to equip 3 talents which can range from ANY of the schools of attack spells (including even necromancy!). In all honesty, a lich can wipe out the enemy with such raw efficiency that you might wet yourself in ecstasy. It is the best unit in the game, especially when you just want pure devastation. Get one. Now. *Level Bonuses* HP: +4 MP: +6 STR: +2 INT: +7 AGI: +4 PAttack: + PDefense: + MAttack: + MDefense: + -- UNDEAD CLASSES -- -- Ghost -- Appearance: Game Text: An undead character whose soul exists outside of a physical body. Ghosts are unaffected by physical attacks. They can use low level bane spells, and though they may run out of HP, they will resurrect after a certain amount of time. Requirements: Transforms when Necromancy is cast on a knocked out character. Alignment: L, N, C Movement Type: Teleporting/Floating Base Move: 7 Preferred Weapon: Staff Talents: (Bane Spell) x 3, Life Suck Thoughts: Another ick. If you should happen to lose a character to a ghost, it really is an awful loss. Sure, they can fly, but that's about their only advantage. They have two taltent slots with are used on a pathetic bane attack spell (pathetic due to their stats), and life suck, which is only decent if you're getting rocked in the HP damage. *Level Bonuses* HP: +5 MP: +5 STR: +4 INT: +6 AGI: +4 PAttack: + PDefense: + MAttack: + MDefense: + Undead Soldier Appearance: Same as the normal soldier, except all colors are turned to grays. Game Text: Undead soldiers are restless souls which hae been granted the power of darkness and the ability to resurrect. While they have the same abilities as they possessed before death, their first attacks now have poison. Requirements: Transforms when Necromancy is cast on a knocked out character. Alignment: L, N, C Movement Type: (Same as normal soldier) Base Move: (Same as normal soldier) Preferred Weapon: Sword, Bow Talents: None Thoughts: The only thing worse than a soldier is an undead soldier. Wow, these guys suck awfully. Their sole benefit is the ability to inflict poison damage with their swords or bows. Yay.... Undead Wizard Appearance: Same as the normal wizard, except all colors are turned to grays. Game Text: Undead wizards are restless souls which have been granted the power of darkness and the ability to resurrect. While they have the same abilities as they possessed before death, their first attacks now have poison. Requirements: N/A Alignment: L, N, C Movement Type: (Same as normal wizard) Base Move: (Same as normal wizard) Preferred Weapon: Staff or Wand Talents: (Attack Spell) x 3 Thoughts: Surprisingly good for an undead class, it is a shame you can't get one. Oh wait, no it isn't... Undead characters suck. Similarly to Undead Soldiers, these bastards can inflict poison with their physical attacks. Boooo to that. -- DEMI-HUMAN CLASSES -- -- Hawkmen -- Appearance: With a blue headband under some scraggly hair and a pair of wings on their backs, hawkmen are pretty easy to spot... Game Text: These valiant, winged fighters crave battle. They live much longer than humans, but maintain a youthful appearance. Because of their wings, terrain is not a factor. Requirements: Hire, Persuade Alignment: L, N, C Movement Type: Flying/Wading Base Move: 6 Preferred Weapon: Hammer Talents: Thunder Arrow (level 10+) Thoughts: Flight! This is by far their most useful ability, that they can soar above any obstacle and land further away on the map. Another advantage to the hawkman is that he is treated basically like a human warrior, but with wings. Sure, he can't equip as much armor, and his customization is limited, but still! Hawkmen can also learn the thunder arrow talent, which only make them that much more useful! Definitely get one! *Level Bonuses* HP: +7 MP: +2 STR: +6 INT: +3 AGI: +5 PAttack: +6 PDefense: +6 MAttack: +3 MDefense: +3 -- Fairy -- Appearance: Tiny floating cocoon-like things with wings. Think of a fairy as a very small person, normally wearing blue or green with closely cut hair. They remind me of dolls... Game Text: Tiny, flying demi-humans. Though they're not very impressive at fighting, Faries make cute mascots on the battlefield. Requirements: Persuade, (Special Character) Movement Type: Flying/Floating Base Move: 6 Preferred Weapon: Bow Talents: Fairy's Kiss (level 10+), Fairy's Embrace (level 15+), Magic Missile (level 20+) Thoughts: Ick. Unfortunately, fairies aren't overly powerful (actually I wouldn't even use the word powerful to describe them). They have decent MP stats, though, and a few useful skills... They can heal status ailments, cure a bit of HP, but their best skill by far is the Fairy's Embrace, granting the target an extra turn in combat! Don't bother attacking normally, they suck at that. Badly. They're only worth attacking with once they've learned the magic missle skill, which STILL sucks. *Level Bonuses* HP: +3 MP: +6 STR: +3 INT: +4 AGI: +8 PAttack: +3 PDefense: +2 MAttack: +4 MDefense: +4 -- Gremlin -- Appearance: Ugly little green dude, about the size of a fairy, but with horns, a tail, and some evil-looking bat wings. Game Text: Requirements: Persuade Movement Type: Flying/Floating Base Move: Talents: Abyss Thoughts: Without the fact that the gremlin flies, it would be terrible. It relies upon two talents, both of which are weak, that can cause confusion or petrify the opponent. Wow < sarcasm >. Awful in combat, except for their status effects. *Level Bonuses* HP: +4 MP: +5 STR: +4 INT: +4 AGI: +7 PAttack: + PDefense: + MAttack: + MDefense: + -- Mermaid -- Appearance: Half fish, half woman, and with some coral sticking out above her ears. Typical mermaid, really. Game Text: A demi-human whose upper body is human and lower body is fish. Mermaids live in the sea and can swim competently. Echoing from craggy shorelines, their voices can revitalize listeners. Requirements: Persuade, (special character) Movement Type: Snow-Trudging/Aquatic Base Move: 4 Preferred Weapon: Spear Talents: Speed Up, Lullaby (level 10+) Thoughts: A class that, unfortunately, only does really well in water. The mermaid has one talent slot for a skill that increases speed, while another uses a lullaby (guess what that does). Not amazing, and actually rather disappointing. Oh well... *Level Bonuses*18 HP: +6 MP: +2 STR: +4 INT: +4 AGI: +4 PAttack: + (142) PDefense: + (102) MAttack: + (106) MDefense: + (147) -- Gorgon -- Appearance: Think Medusa. The gorgon has snakes for hair and a body (below the torso) to match. Half snake, half woman, and all evil. Game Text: A monster with a snake-like body and snakes protruding from its head. Gorgons have the power to petrify enemies. Don't forget to equip a shield when facing them. Requirements: Persuade Preferred Weapon: Bow Movement Type: Base Move: 5 Talents: Evil Eye Thoughts: The gorgon actually is a decent character. In fact, they are some of the FEW demihumans even remotely worth your time in adding to your army. With their Evil Eye ability, they can petrify even the worst of baddies. *Level Bonuses* HP: +5 MP: +4 STR: +5 INT: +6 AGI: +4 PAttack: + PDefense: + MAttack: + MDefense: + -- Giant -- [contributed by Invisible] Appearance: A giant, muscular man who wears a bear skin. Game Text: Giants, while not intelligent enough to equip weapons, can swing their arms like logs and their fists like rocks to wreak havoc among the enemy. Requirements: Persuade, Hire Preferred Weapon: (Can only equip accessories) Movement Type: Snow-Trudging/Wading Base Move: 3 Talents: Titan Crush Thoughts: ...No. Please, don't bother, unless you just want one for the sake of 'completeness.' They don't equip anything, save accessories, and even those can't make them worthwhile. Just let them be... Awful. *Level Bonuses* HP: + MP: + STR: + INT: + AGI: + PAttack: + PDefense: + MAttack: + MDefense: + -- BEAST CLASSES -- -- Octopus -- Appearance: Umm... I hope you're joking... It's red, and... well, an Octopus. Tentacles and stuff... Requirements: Persuade, Hire Movement Type: Trudging/Aquatic Base Move: 3 Talents: Strangling Tentacles Thoughts: The octopus does very well in water, but if you remove it onto dry its slightly higher-than-normal strength to good use. It is slowed, however, since it has a slightly lower movement rate on dry land, and its one talent is rather mediocre, requiring LOTS of SP to perform... Not worth your Goth or the turn to persuade. -- Griffin -- Appearance: Think about a lion with an eagle's head and wings. They're a smooth golden color, save their white heads and yellow beaks. Cool looking, but hardly worthwhile... Game Text: A magical winged beast with the body of a lion and head of an eagle. Through Griffins' attack power is not high, they have a unique attack, Windstorm, that draws on the power of their wings. They are unaffected by terrain type. Requirements: Persuade, Hire Movement Type: Flying/Wading Base Move: 4 Talents: Windstorm (level 10+) Thoughts: With one talent slot devoted to wind storm (a decent, ranged area-effect skill), griffins can be useful at times. They have similar attack power to humans or hawkmen, and generally are less versatile. Get a hawkman if you want a flying attacker... *Level Bonuses* HP: +7 MP: +3 STR: +4 INT: +5 AGI: +3 PAttack: + PDefense: + MAttack: + MDefense: + -- Cockatrice -- Appearance: Weird looking! Think of a chicken, but with a funky, dragon-like tail. The cockatrice is one ugly... yeah. Game Text: A magical beast with the body of a chicken, a snake's tail, and scales. Since Cockatrices can fly, they're unaffected by terrain type. Their petrifying breath attack turns foes to stone. Requirements: Persuade, Hire Movement Type: Flying/Wading Base Move: 5 Talents: Petrifying Breath Thoughts: Hehe, chickens (as I like to call them) have the annoying ability to PETRIFY. Add this to their flight, however, and you can see why they are somewhat decent additions to your own army. Still, not nearly as good as a hawkman, and only slightly better than a griffin. *Level Bonuses* HP: +8 MP: +3 STR: +4 INT: +3 AGI: +5 PAttack: + PDefense: + MAttack: + MDefense: + --- Cerberus -- Appearance: Think two-headed dog and you will soon get the picture. Very purple, with a sweet, fire-like mane. Game Text: A mythical two-headed, four-legged canine whose breath can put foes to sleep. Requirements: Persuade/Hire Movement Type: Walking/Wading Base Move: 5 Talents: Mesmerize Thoughts: Another large character that is only decent, the cerebrus uses its one talent on a fire mesmerize attack that can also induce sleep. Like all beasts, stronger attack than a human, but otherwise less useful... *Level Bonuses* HP: +6 MP: +3 STR: +6 INT: +5 AGI: +4 PAttack: + PDefense: + MAttack: + MDefense: + -- DRAGON CLASSES -- -- Thunder Dragon -- Appearance: A very typical dragon. It is focused on the Wind element, which means lots of thunder and lightning (hence the name). It's a beautiful shade of *purplish-blue* Sweet! Requirements: Wind elemental Alignment: L, N, C Movement Type: Trudging/Wading Base Move: 3 Talents: Thunder Breath Thoughts: *Level Bonuses* HP: +8 MP: +4 STR: +8 INT: +4 AGI: +3 PAttack: +8 PDefense: +9 MAttack: +4 MDefense: +4 -- Earth Dragon -- Appearance: Think about the typical Dragon, except this one is GREEN, and it is centered on the Earth element. Hmm... Difficult, I know, but you can do it. Requirements: Earth elemental Alignment: L, N, C Movement Type: Trudging/Wading Base Move: 3 Talents: Thoughts: *Level Bonuses* [ SAME AS THUNDER DRAGON ] HP: MP: STR: INT: AGI: PAttack: PDefense: MAttack: MDefense: -- Red Dragon -- Appearance: If you really need a description here, it's a bit sad... It's a basic dragon, with a red color scheme, and it has a strong tie with the fire element. Shoots fire, breathes fire, and might even live in fire. It's a RED DRAGON... Requirements: Fire elemental Alignment: L, N, C Movement Type: Trudging/Wading Base Move: 3 Talents: Fire Breath Thoughts: *Level Bonuses* [ SAME AS THUNDER DRAGON ] HP: MP: STR: INT: AGI: PAttack: PDefense: MAttack: MDefense: -- Blue Dragon -- Appearance: See Red Dragon, except replace all instances of the words "Red" with "Blue," and "Fire" with "Water." Done! Requirements: Water elemental Alignment: L, N, C Movement Type: Trudging/Wading Base Move: 3 Talents: Cold Breath Thoughts: *Level Bonuses* [ SAME AS THUNDER DRAGON ] HP: MP: STR: INT: AGI: PAttack: PDefense: MAttack: MDefense: **SPECIAL NOTE** The following dragons are evolutions of the 'base level' dragons. As such, they automatically have the skill of whatever class they were previously. Therefore, if a Thunder Dragon evolves into a Vrtra, it will retain the Thunder Breath attack of the Thunder Dragon, even in the Vrtra form. [Thanks to Questionable for that information!] -- Mushus -- Appearance: Requirements: dragon, 259 HP, 130 Strength, 69 Agility Alignment: L Movement Type: Trudging/Wading Base Move: Talents: Automatically comes with Charisma emblem. Thoughts: *Level Bonuses* HP: +9 MP: +4 STR: +8 INT: +5 AGI: +4 PAttack: +7 PDefense: +8 MAttack: +5 MDefense: +5 -- Naga -- Appearance: A golden, snake-like dragon. The naga has scales running down its spine as well as a mane-like array of scales. Very cool. ^_^ Requirements: dragon, 259 HP, 130 Strength, 69 Agility Alignment: N Movement Type: Trudging/Wading Base Move: Talents: Thoughts: *Level Bonuses* HP: +9 MP: +4 STR: +8 INT: +5 AGI: +4 PAttack: +7 PDefense: +8 MAttack: +5 MDefense: +5 -- Vrtra -- Appearance: A purplish dragon, standing on his hind legs, and with two powerful wings behind him. Game Text: An evil dragon with pitch black scales, Vrtra inspires fear with its daunting wings. Its breath has the power of its element. Requirements: Dragon, 259 HP, 130 Strength, 69 Agility Alignment: C Movement Type: Trudging/Wading Base Move: 6 Talents: Flight! That's right, the Vrtra can fly! Also, it has the breath- attack according to its element and comes with the Blood Reign emblem preloaded. Thoughts: A decent ally, but an even better foe. Yes, the Vrtra is another of those creatures where the computer seems to get an upgraded version of what we get. Unfortunate, but true, these things rock for the computer and are only marginal for us... *Level Bonuses* HP: +10 MP: +4 STR: +7 INT: +5 AGI: +4 PAttack: +8 PDefense: +9 MAttack: +5 MDefense: +5 -- Dragon Zombie -- Appearance: A large, pruple dragon, complete with freaky eyes and a boney structure. Walking on all fours, the wings on its back are very pronounced, flapping up and down as it moves. Game Text: A dragon that's been revived after death. Terrifying and violent, Dragon Zombies attack using venom. They will also resurrect after being slain in battle. Requirements: Transforms when Necromancy is cast upon knocked out dragon Alignment: N/A Element: Bane Movement Type: Trudging/Wading Base Move: 4 Talents: Rotten Breath Thoughts: Think undead version of a dragon. That's what this is. It has the slightly worse stat growth, as well as Rotten Breath as its sole talent, but it automatically revives after a few turns of death. Nice, if you think about it. Still, I prefer the normal, living, regular and GOOD dragons. This is just if one happens to die... *Level Bonuses* HP: +7 MP: +4 STR: +7 INT: +4 AGI: +3 PAttack: + PDefense: + MAttack: + MDefense: + -- UNIQUE CLASSES -- -- Sorceress (Cybil Alinda) -- Appearance: In a long and flowing purple dress to compliment her long blonde hair, cybil is both beautiful, and imposing. Her eyes are stern, as is her control over the wind elemental spells... Game Text: Beautiful, solitary, and wise, a Sorceress is experienced in casting elemental and high level bane spells. Requirements: Only Cybil can be of this class. Alignment: L, N, C Movement Type: Walking/Wading Base Move: 5 Preferred Weapon: Fan (or Wand) Talents: (Attack Spell) x 3 Thoughts: Simply amazing. The fact that you get Cybil early in the game only makes her that much more incredible. WIth three openings for attack spells and strong stats in a lot of areas, she is easily one of the more useful characters you find. *Level Bonuses* 6 HP: + 157 MP: + 58 STR: + 41 INT: + 88 AGI: + 47 PAttack: + 60 PDefense: + 44 MAttack: + 88 MDefense: + 98 -- High Priest (Rictor Lasanti) -- Appearance: Well groomed, this tall, blonde man is an imposing sight to behold on the battlefield. Though a priest by trade, his blue and white robes also hide a fencing sword, capable of destroying his enemies. He chooses to tie his hair back behind his head. Game Text: High-ranking priests who have dedicated themselves absolutely to the teachings of the god Filarhh, for whom they receive protection. High Priests can use all spells of virtue. Requirements: Only Rictor can be of this class. Alignment: N/A Movement Type: Base Move: 5 Preferred Weapon: Sword (Foil) Talents: (Virtue Spell) x 3 Thoughts: Depending on which path you choose, you might be blessed enough to have this powerhouse join you. Pray that you do. Basically an upgraged priest who can also FIGHT, Rictor is a serious threat on the battlefield. Get him, if you can. -- Shaman (Euphaire) -- Appearance: A bouncing, blonde-haired young woman with a rather conservative dress of blues and greens. Game Text: One who can hear the voices of the spirits that dwell in nature. Shaman are both with the ability to use elemental and summon spells. Requirements: Only Euphaire can be of this class. Alignment: L,N,C Movement Type: Walking/Wading Base Move: 5 Preferred Weapon: Staff (or Wand) Talents: (Attack or Summon Spell) x 3, Magic Flow Thoughts: The shaman's magic flow ability, letting her transfer her own HP to an ally to heal them, only adds to her already useful skills (namely the summons). A great mage, decent fighter, and overall EXTREMELY useful when building a small party, the shaman class is very valuable, but that's just Euphaire, so it's no surprise. As a healer, however, she will require a bit of help, since a shaman can't equip a healing skill like clerics and priests. Still, worth having in any party. -- Summoner (Elrik) -- Appearance: Similar at first glance to a cleric, the Summoner is dressed in a blue cloak with white trim. He wears his long, brown hair down his back, freely. He also has flecks of green in his appearance, making him look very similar to Euphaire (go figure). Game Text: By meticulously researching spells, Summoners can call on the power of many spirits and demons. They can use all elemental and summon spells. Requirements: Only Elrik can be of this class. Alignment: L,N,C Movement Type: Base Move: Preferred Weapon: Staff (or Wand) Talents: (Any Elemental or Summon Spell) x 2, Summon Golem Thoughts: SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET. This is what all of your spell casters should be like... in their dreams. Elrik can use ANY spell in the game, including summons. He has some great stat bonuses, too. If all that wasn't enough, just think that you can get him relatively early in the game! w00t! Get him to join you. Soon. Then, you can watch as he sends his little sacrificial doll tottering out toward the enemy, just to blow up with them as they start to laugh. Heh, suckers... -- Witch* (Deneb Rhode) -- Appearance: Dressed all in red, stylishly might I add, Deneb isn't an uncommon sight in ANY Ogre Battle or Tactics Ogre game. In fact, she has been in ALL of them. Still, her regular witch attire is merely complemented by the fact that its ALLLLLL RED! Very nice. Game Text: A Witch and THE Witch, Deneb, are totally different, as different as pumpkin and squash! Do you understand how different they are? Don't get confused! Requirements: Only Deneb can be of this class, though there is no "obvious" difference between this and the 'normal' witch class. Alignment: N,C Movement Type: Trudging/Wading Base Move: 4 Preferred Weapon: Staff (or Wand) Talents: Temptation, (Status or Summon Spell) x 2 Thoughts: She has slightly better level up gains than do normal witches, and she can also cast summon spells. If that weren't enough, with Deneb in your army, you now have access to a "secret shop" where you can sell some items for MUCH LARGER PRICES (read: glass pumpkins)! The shop also carries items found nowhere else, so check that out. Oh and Deneb is no slouch in battle either. To make her even better, Deneb also gets an incredibly useful (and effective) 'super-charm' type skill. See for yourself, but it hits multiple targets and with above average accuracy. Very nice indeed! -- Lesser Daemon (Saia) -- Appearance: Looks pretty much like a gargoyle, complete with two small horns atop his completely slate-gray appearance. The two wings mounted on his back only make him look all that much cooler. Game Text: Evil warriors that are loyal only to their own desires. Lesser Daemons are not as powerful as other daemons and can only use lower level bane spells. They are about as intelligent as humans. Requirements: Only Saia can be of this class. Alignment: N/A Movement Type: Snow-Walking/Wading Base Move: 6 Preferred Weapon: Hammer, Axe Talents: (Bane Spell) x 2 Thoughts: Better than Lobelia, and since that's your choice, get him. In fact, get him and turn Lobelia into a snapdragon sword. YES! -- ENEMY CLASSES -- For the record, all of the classes in this section can only be accessed by the computer enemy. Please, do not ask me how to acquire them. Also, notice that NONE OF THEM HAVE REQUIREMENTS. That is, again, because you cannot get them. Don't try to persuade them, it will not work. Thanks in advance... -- Bandit -- Appearance: The first boss of the game, Stan, is a bandit. As you soon see, these guys are very... purple. They look like Vikings, complete with their own set of horns on their helmets. Yay for ugly costumes! Movement Type: Walking/Semiaquatic Base Move: 5 Preferred Weapon: Axe Thoughts: Even equipped with an axe, the bandit doesn't have incredibly high attack. Still, his defense is decent, and he is a worthy adversary... sort of. -- Duke Knight -- Appearance: Very similar to a knight, meaning that they are clad from head to toe in silver armor. The duke's knight, however, has no opening for his face to shine through (probably lucky for us). They also wear a blue cape on their back. Game Text: A knight that serves and defends the family of the Duke of Rananculus. Duke Knights are loyal retainers and well acquainted with both sword technique and spell casting. They cannot be persuaded. Movement Type: Walking/Wading Base Move: 6 Preferred Weapon: Sword Thoughts: Interesting enough, these guys are pretty good foes. Strong, decently fast, and evil as all get out, a duke knight is no force to be ignored... at first. -- Esquire (Nichart) -- Appearance: A tall, blonde man, heavily armored in various blues and black. Game Text: A servant of Naris Batraal, this knight is a master of the spear, which he proudly uses to salute his lord. Movement Type: Walking/Wading Base Move: 6 Preferred Weapon: Spear Element: Water Thoughts: An imposing foe, Nichart uses his mastery of the spear to strike both swiftly and powerfully at his enemies. Armed with attack magic also, the Esquire can be a hand full at times. -- Swordmaster (Margret) -- Appearance: A fair-haired woman, clad in silver plate mail, but wearing a red dress with white trim underneath. Game Text: Because of her rare talent with the sword, she has been educated in even the most coveted sword techniques. A swordsman like her only comes along once in a generation. Movement Type: Snow-Walking/Wading Base Move: 7 Preferred Weapon: Sword Element: Wind Thoughts: She comes with the Atropos skill. What do you think I think of her? Margret is incredible, but especially with her sword. Her reputation is not without cause, as you will learn before she is done with you. Trying to stay away is the best course of action, but she will hit you, and when it happens, you will hurt. A lot. -- Venefika (Lethe,Cirvante) -- Appearance: A fair-haired woman, clad in silver plate mail, but wearing a red dress with white trim underneath. Game Text: An intelligent and deceptive sorceress with a brazen attitude. It seems she only uses her power for her own gain. -- (Lethe) - A deceptive two faced sorceror who only acts in his own best interest. He is an intelligent and powerful foe. -- (Cirvante) Movement Type: Walking/Wading Base Move: 6 Preferred Weapon: Wand Element: Wind Thoughts: The Twins are two of the strongest spellcasters in the game. Both are adepts, and they seem to function the best when together. Luckily you won't see that often, assuming that you make the right choices. -- ??? Unknown (Rimmon) -- Appearance: The boss from the Rebanada Caverns, this is your typical ugly demon. Possessed by pure evil, this brute has transformed into a gray-skinned killing machine with no soul. At least he still has that cool looking set of shackles (or whatever they are) and shredded cloak. Game Text: Once human, Rimmon was driven to the brink of insanity where he was possessed by an evil fiend, a demon that clashed with humans in ancient times over rule of the land. Movement Type: Snow-Trudging/Wading Base Move: 5 Preferred Weapon: None (fists) Thoughts: Even without any weapon of sorts, this demon has 315 STR (at level 32). He will hit your troops hard, but luckily he only can hit one at a time. He also has equipped the Goblin Helm and some Heavy Armor, so he's pretty well suited for defense. He's truly a bastard, dishing out lots of damage just because he can... Still, killing him is that much more gratifying. -- Daemon -- Appearance: Game Text: Denizens of the Netherworld that can be summoned by wizards. Their evil spirited nature, rather than their grotesque appearance, causes aversion Movement Type: Walking/Wading Base Move: 5 Preferred Weapon: Axes, Hammers Thoughts: With average stats in most areas, including some pretty monumental HP, probably the worst aspect of these dudes is that they have the ability to equip any spell. Luckily, you won't see them with that much variety. -- Dark Angel -- Appearance: Game Text: A fallen angel at odds with God and exiled from heaven. Their feathers, like their hearts, have been stained black with corruption. Movement Type: Flying/Wading Base Move: 5 Preferred Weapon: Thrusting Swords Thoughts: Unlike their holy counterparts, these badboys (and girls) use MP in the place of SP in their spells. They also come with pretty good stats, which isn't fair considering all we losers get is the Angel Knight... Why couldn't the Angel Knight use real spells? Dang... -- Dark Stalker -- Appearance: Game Text: An invisible, evil assailant that camouflages itself in darkness and attacks unexpectedly. It is said that Dark Stalkers are kin to vampires and werewolves, but no one knows the truth. Movement Type: Acrobatic/Water-walking Base Move: 7 Preferred Weapon: Katana Thoughts: Think the evil version of the ninja, and that's what these buggers are. Luckily, they have fairly low strength, which also mimics the ninja. Of course, they're weak against virtue attacks, but they dodge damned near everything, so they can be large pains in the ass... -- Hell Gigantes -- Appearance: Game Text: Summoned from the depths of darkness in an unknown realm, the Hell Gigantes is a blood-thirsty giant with terrifying destructive power. Its iron-like body and powerful fists more than compensate for its low intelligence. Movement Type: Trudging/Wading Base Move: 4 Preferred Weapon: None (fists) Thoughts: Oi... So this is what happens when giants use steroids? These punks have way more strength than they will ever need, and they like to use it... a lot. Luckily, they're slower than molasses on a cold day, so you should be able to avoid their blows. If they land them, though, you'll wish that they had been a tank instead... ----------------------------------------------------------------------- IX. All you ever wanted to know about EMBLEMS!! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Emblems are one basic way of increasing a character's cool points. ^_^ No really, emblems are earned occasionally, along with experience points and levels, for performing extraordinary actions on the battle field. There are 32 emblems in total, some good, some bad. No one character can have all of them (since some vary from species to species), but humans can have some shape or form of all 32. Still, some emblems are negative, so why would you desire those, besides for bragging rights? While some emblems are awarded for disgraceful deeds, most are very noble rewards, and worth collecting. In fact, many are prerequisites for specific class changes. If you want to be a sword master, for example, you must have the Book of Initiation emblem to access the class. That said, here are the emblems! Animal Hunter Appearance: A white-bladed sword sinking into a black paw print. Game Text: Honors one who slays 5 ferocious beasts. Trust from beasts will be lost. Requires: Defeat 5 beasts Effect: 50% penalty when persuading beast classes. Arbitration Appearance: A white piece of parchment with a quill writing across it, an ink bottle off to the upper left. Game Text: Awarded for persuading enemies to have a change of heart, without resorting to fighting. Increases persuasiveness. Requires: Successfully persuade 5 times. (For Alphonse, possible through the fortune teller's questions) Effect: 30% bonus when persuading. Archangel's Feather Appearance: Two white, feathered wings, placed side by side (as if arranged on a person's back, with a halo above... Game Text: Presented by Archangel when dead are revived. Required to become an Angel Knight. Requires: Return to battle (from knocked out condition) with Resurrection spell or Altar of Resurrection, or other item. Effect: Prerequisite for Angel Knight class. --->As one helpful contributor just pointed out to me, it seems nearly impossible to get this for Alphonse. However, here is a guaranteed strategy! Buy a Sacred Stone of Bliss from Pumpky's shop and give it to Alphonse. Kill him in actual battle and he will automatically revive (the game will not end) and get the emblem. It is sort of depressing paying 6400 goth for an emblem, but it is a guaranteed way to get it to work, without the threat of seeing "GAME OVER." Berserk Appearance: An ungly brown hood, made of furs, with the mouth of some animal opening up. Game Text: Awarded in praise of ability to kill with one stroke. Affects changes in luck. Requires: Defeat an enemy at full HP with one strike from a weapon. **NOTE** An instant kill will also work here. Effect: Lengthens the period of biorhythm. Blood Reign Appearance: A blood-red sword with purple hand-guard and red hilt... Game Text: Award for killing 25 foes. It terrifies enemies within 3 panels of the owner. Requires: Kill 25 enemies Effect: Drops Mental Gauge by 1 for all enemies within 3 panels of character. Bogus Hero Appearance: A sword broken sword, surrounded by red streaks. Game Text: Requires: Level up 20 times in Training. Effects: No critical hits occur. Book of Initiation Appearance: Golden scroll, bound by a red ribbon. Game Text: Awarded for skill in dodging enemies' attacks. Required to become a Swordmaster. Requires: Block or evade 3 physical attacks IN A ROW. These do not have to all be in one battle. Training is acceptable. Effect: Prerequisite for Sword master class. Broken Heart Appearance: Game Text: Requires: Fail to persuade female enemies 10 times Effect: Decrease average biorhythm value Bullpen Ace Appearance: A spear overlayed on a soldier's helmet/shoulder pads. Game Text: Requires: Defeat 20 targets in Training. Effects: Increase damage done by character in Training by 25%. Centurion Appearance: A blue banner flag, lined with gold, and flapping in the wind on a golden pole. Game Text: A tribute to one who defeats all enemies on the battlefield. Increase power. Requires: Have one character deliver finishing blow to all enemies in a stage (In Vs. Battle, opposing team must consist of at LEAST 3 characters). Effect: Strength +20. Charisma Appearance: A red ring-looking object, encrested with a white jewel. Game Text: Requires: Have either Strength, Intelligence, or Agility of 350. Effects: Raise Mental Gauge by 1 for all comrades within 3 panels of character. Don Quixote Appearance: Yellow-bladed windmill with a red roof and white base. Game Text: Warning for those who rush into battle hastily, suffering a brutal counterattack. Are they playing a few cards short of a full deck? Requires: Receive damage of 2/3 (of character's maximum HP) from a target's counterattack. Effect: Intelligence -10. Dragon's Scale Appearance: A light green fin-looking scale, semi-triangular, sort of. Game Text: Honors one who slays at least 5 dragons. Required to change to Dragoon, but the trust of dragons will be lost. Requires: Defeat 5 dragons Effect: Prerequisite for Dragoon class, 50% penalty when persuading beast classes. Embodiment of Desires Appearance: Purple treasure chest with an open lid and sparkling golden coins inside! Game Text: Recognizes expert treasure-hunting ability. Requires: Pick up treasure 5 times (can be buried or war trophy). Effect: Increase buried treasure's rank by one. Exorcist Appearance: A golden cross held upon a white ribbon. Game Text: Requires: Banish 5 undead Effect: Drops Mental Gauge by 1 for all undead enemies within 3 panels of character. Fist Fight Appearance: A purple-gloved fist, balled and ready to strike. Game Text: Awarded to heroes who defeat enemies with bare fists and no equipment. Their fists become even more lethal. Requires: Defeat a target in battle without any equipment. Effect: Increases damage done by bare hands. Gibe of Fallen Angel Appearance: A folded, single, white angel's wing... Game Text: Dishonorable emblem for clergy members who slay numerous living beings despite their sworn duty. Requires: Defeat 3 enemies with physical attacks as either a Cleric or a Priest. (NOTE: Atropos, Lachesis, and Clotho do not count!) Effect: Alignment moves toward Chaotic by one level. Grozz Nuy's Emblem Appearance: Game Text: Requires: Go through all 8 classes; Dragons only. Effects: Mental Gauge becomes permanently fixed at +2. Heavenly Spirit Appearance: 2 Green-edged snowflakes with blue interior coloring. Game Text: Awarded to healing comrades on the battlefield. Required to become a Priest. Requires: Use healing spells or specials 20 times. Training is acceptable. (NOTE: You can also use Sacred Rings 20 times for the emblem.) Effect: Prerequisite for Priest class. Knight's Certificate Appearance: Red-plumed knight helmet, visor open. Game Text: Awarded to courageous warriors who attack head on. Required to become a Knight. Requires: Perform 15 physical attack from front or side (not behind or from a distance). Training is acceptable. Effect: Prerequisite for Knight class. Lancer Appearance: A white-tipped, brown-shafted spear, wrapped in a green cloth or scarf near the head. Game Text: Awarded for striking 2 enemies with one piercing attack. Required to become a Valkyrie. Requires: Damage 2 enemies with one attack from a piercing weapon. Training is acceptable. Effect: Prerequisite for Valkyrie class. Lucky Soldier Appearance: A bright green, three-leafed clover. Game Text: Awarded for returning from a battle in VS Mode unscathed. Increases luck. Requires: Go through Vs. Battle without taking any damage. Effects: Increase average value of biorhythm. Mark of the Elite Appearance: A white, tied scarf. Game Text: Praises those who fulfill the Winning Condition with only a few characters. Requires: Clear a stage with 2 or fewer characters in your Attack Team... Guest characters count toward that number. Effect: Gain 100 EXP and Increase level by 1. Mark of Valor Appearance: A simple white flag/banner. Game Text: Honors heroes who fulfill the Winning Condition in VS Mode. Stabilizes luck. Requires: Win a Vs. Battle. Effects: Decrease amplitude of biorhythm. Miracle Appearance: White-blue circle surrounding a sword's blade. Game Text: Praises the miraculous dodging of an attack when nearing death. One miracle leads to another. Requires: Block or evade a physical attack when severely wounded... HP is at 5% of maximum or less... Effect: Increase probability of critical hits; Negates effect of Bogus Hero Emblem. Philosopher's Stone Appearance: A funky purple rock, shaped sort of like a diamond. Game Text: Presented to spellcasters who effectively use area-effect spells and defeat many foes. Required to become a Siren. Requires: Defeat 2 enemies with one spell or special attack. Effect: Prerequisite for Siren class. ***It is also possible to get this emblem by using an Orb ***and killing two foes. Relix's Emblem [Contributed by mogmaster] Appearance: Game Text: Prestigious for men who use their talents effectively and gain experience in all classes. Recovers fear and fosters success in battle. Requires: Go through all 14 classes; Male characters only. (for Alphonse only, clear the game) Effects: Mental Gauge becomes permanently fixed at +2. Ripple's Emblem [Contributed by Terence] Appearance: Game Text: A tribute to women who use their talents effectively and gain experience in all classes. Removes fear and fosters success in battle. Requires: Go through all 14 classes; Female characters only. Effects: Mental Gauge becomes permanently fixed at +2. Self Preservation Appearance: Blue medal with a golden square in the middle and a silver clasp. Game Text: Awarded for using a counterattack to finish off a foe. Increases counterattack ability. Requires: Defeat an enemy with a counterattack. Effect: Increases damage done by character's counterattacks. Sniper Appearance: Red apple being struck by a blue-feathered arrow. Game Text: Awarded for accuracy in missile attacks, Increases agility. Requires: Hit target(s) with bow or crossbow 5 times IN A ROW. *Will work in Training Mode* Effect: Agility +10. The Cycle of Life Appearance: A purple Mobius band with a red sparkle in the middle. Game Text: Requires: Use Reincarnation when in Ghost or Dragon Zombie form (For Alphonse only, go through the "bad" ending) Effect: Raise Mental Gauge by 1 for all undead comrades within 3 panels of character. The Pen and the Sword Appearance: A white-bladed dagger overlayed on a red bound book. Game Text: Awarded for experience in hand to hand combat as well as the use of destructive magic. Required to become a Warlock. Requires: Defeat 4 enemies with physical attacks as well as 4 enemies with spells or specials. Effect: Prerequisite for Warlock class. Veteran Soldier Appearance: A blue, cracked armlet in front of an old brown shield. Game Text: Awarded to all charcters in a victorious battle in VS Mode. Increases the basic stats. Requires: Defeat an enemy in Vs. Battle. Effects: Strength +15, Intelligence +15, Agility +15. Vixen's Whisper Appearance: Purple witch's hat with a red brim and a red heart floating off to the upper left of the hat. Game Text: Awarded for using feminine persuasions to befriend enemies. Required to become a Witch. Requires: Successfully persuade a Male enemy; Accessible to female characters only Effect: Prerequisite for Witch class. War God Appearance: A grey, dragon-like mask. Game Text: Honors those who deal ferocious blows to their foes. Increases strength at the expense of intelligence. Requires: Deliver 200+ damage with a single physical attack. Effect: Intelligence -30 and Strength +30. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- X. Everything you hoped you'd never know about Items or Magic ----------------------------------------------------------------------- < < EXPENDABLE ITEMS > > - SNAPDRAGON - Drakonite Spellbook. Permanentely changes the caster into a sword. Found as buried treasure or recieved from fallen foes, the weapons forged from these books are the most powerful in the game. *** Curatives *** - Healing Leaf - Curative herb that restores 50 HP to a single character. - Healing Seed - Herb used to restore 100 HP to a single character. - Healing Salve - Herb salve used to restore 150 HP to a single character. - Healing Essence - Curative extract that restores single character to full HP. - Magic Leaf - Curative herb that restores 25 MP to a single character. - Magic Seed - Herb used to restore 50 MP to a single character. - Magic Salve - Herb salve used to restore 150 MP to a single character. - Wisdom Fruit - Fruit that restores 100 HP and 100 MP to a single character. - Angel Fruit - Fruit that restores full HP and MP. - Altar of Resurrection - Ancient altar used to bring back dead characters. - Antidote - Herb used to cure Poison. - Revive Stone - Chimera tail/dragon fang pill that cures Petrification. - Sacred Stone of Bliss - Sacred gem that retrieves the wearer's soul upon death with full HP. - Sacrificial Doll - Item that can be equipped to prevent Instant Death. - Spirit Fruit - Fruit of Titania the Fairy Queen that cures abnormal status. - Transferring Stone - Gem that allows the user to exit a battle. *** Offensive *** - Dowsing Rod - One-handed weapon, Power 0. Strange wooden rod that senses the number of hidden treasures on the satage and deals corresponding damage. - Orb - Crystal orb containing the formidable power of the elements. (Found only in the Secret Shop, accessed with Deneb, or as a very rare item in Quest Mode) - Savage Bugle - Bugle of barbaric Gallaba Trive that summons a storm. - Tathlum - Two-handed missile attack (Bane); Range 7, Power 44; Magic Stone whose name means "Light Speed." *** Stat Enhancing *** - Stone of Swiftness - Magic stone that raises AGI, increases speed. - Sword Emblem - Sword-shaped item that raises STR, increasing power of attack. - Cup of Life - Cup of mysterious liquid that increases the max HP of the user. - Crown of Intellect - Crown that raises INT, affecting the soul. - Sorcerer's Cup - Cup of mysterious liquid that increases the max MP of the user. - Urn of Chaos - Causes pandemonium and lowers user's alignment. - Tome of Discipline - Lawful scroll that raises reader's alignment. - Mirror of the Gods - Mirror that reflects the user's element on the target. < < EQUIPMENT > > *** Weapons *** [SWORDS/GREATSWORDS] - Short Sword - One-handed; Power 30; Good sword for beginners. - Long Sword - One-handed; Power 40; A large hacking sword. - Claymore - Two-handed; Power 48; A ring is attached to the hilt of this large Sword with V-shaped hilt. - Ice Blade - One-handed (Water); Power 52, Fire RES +5; Frozen sword of ice. - Sum Mannus - One-handed (Wind); Power 54, Earth RES +5; A lightning sword. - Firedrake Sword - One-handed (Fire); Power 56, Water RES +5; A flaming sword. - Gram - One-handed (Earth); Power 58, Wind RES +5; Elven sword that shines because of its unique forging. - Fafnir - One-handed; Power 58, Attack PWR up VS dragons; Used by Sigurd to defeat the dragon Fafnir. - Laevateinn - One-handed (Fire); Power 60, Water RES +5; Flaming sword of Surt, destine to consume the world in fire. - Notos - One-handed (Wind); Power 62, Earth RES +5; Double-edged sword of Notos, god of the South Wind. 1 of 4 Relics of the Wind. - Oracion - One-handed (Virtue); Power 71, INT +8, Bane RES+5, Banish effect; Rumored to allow communication with the gods. 1 of 4 Divine Armaments. [RAPIERS] - Rapier - One-handed; Power 35; Flexible sword designed to pierce armor joints. - Estoc - One-handed; Power 40; Slender thrusting sword with a knuckle guard on the hilt to protect user's hand. - Dragon Gem Sword - One-handed; Power 48, Dragon handling; Sword with dragon's gem adorning the hilt and enables communication with dragons. - Inca Rose - One-handed (Fire); Power 52, Water RES +5; Thrusting sword known as the "Rose of the Desert." - Peridot Sword - One-handed (Water); Power 60, Fire RES +5; One-handed cold peridot sword. - Needle of Light - One-handed (Virtue); Power 60, Bane RES +5; Thrusting sword that draws on sacred energy and light. - Sword of Tiamat - One-handed; Power 60, Attack PWR up VS dragons; Dragonslayer created from the fangs of Tiamat. - Balmung - One-handed; Power 64, Attack PWR up VS dragons; Dragonslayer created from the claws of the dragon Fafnir. [KATANAS] - Kagari-bi - Two-handed (Fire); Power 52, AGI +4, Water RES +5; Far Eastern katana that glows with searing flames. - Matsukaze - Two-handed (Wind); Power 52, AGI +4, Earth RES +5; Far Eastern katana that produces blades of wind. - Yomugi-u - Two-handed (Earth); Power 52, AGI +4, Wind RES +5; Far Eastern katana that intensifies the user's power. - Yu-giri - Two-handed (Water); Power 52, Fire RES+5; Far Eastern katana that gleams with dew. - Answere - One-handed (Bane); Power 68, Virtue RES +5, Bane RES -5; Assassin sword whose name means "to answer." 1 of the 4 Netherworld Weapons. [BOWS] - Short Bow - One-handed missile attack; Range 5, Power 20; Wooden bow that isn't exceptionally powerful, but lightweight. - Bow Gun - One-handed missile attack; Range 6, Power 30, AGI +1; Accurate wooden bow. - Great Bow - Two-handed missile attack; Range 5, Power 35; Yak horn bow. - Composite Bow - Two-handed missile attack; Range 7, Power 44, AGI +1; Bow reinforced by flexible metal. - Sandstorm Bow - Two-handed missile attack (Earth); Range 6, Power 48, Wind RES +5; Bow passed on from the time the ancient kingdom Habiram sank into the desert. - Thunder Bow - Two-handed missile attack (Wind); Range 6, Power 50, Earth RES +5; Bow of Thor, god of thunder. - Flame Bow - Two-handed missile attack (Fire); Range 6, Power 52, Water RES +5; Arrows so fast that they burst into flame. - Tundra Bow - Two-handed missile attack (Water); Range 6, Power 54, Fire RES +5; Bow found in a pillar of ice and freezes foes instantly. - Sherwood Bow - Two-handed missile attack; Range x, Power 54, PWR up VS beasts & dragons; Wooden bow that masks the bowman's presence, leaving target off guard. One of 4 Enchanted Hunting Wares. - Crescente - Two-handed missile attack (Virtue); Range x, Power 60, AGI +8, Bane RES +5, Paralysis effect; Bow once used by a lovestruck girl to send a love letter to the stars. [STAVES/WANDS] - Sugar Cane - One-handed; Power 16; Sweet candy cane, decorated with red and white food coloring, that tickles the minds and tastebuds of small children. Be careful not to gain too much weight! - Scipplay's Staff - One-handed; Power 20, INT +10; Wooden staff made from Scipplay Cypress. - Ice Wand - One-handed (Water); Power 20, INT +20, Fire RES +5, Ice Field effect; Magic staff that Ice King Horribus is sealed in. Fixed chance of breaking. - Wind Wand - One-handed (Wind); Power 24, INT +19, Earth RES +5, Thunder Flare effect, fixed chance of breaking; Staff used by fairies. - Fire Wand - One-handed (Fire); Power 26, INT +17, Water RES +5, Firestorm effect; Magical staff that Firebird, the spirit of fire, is sealed in. Fixed chance of breaking. - Earth Wand - One-handed (Earth); Power 26, INT +18, Fire RES +5; Staff that draws on the spiritual power of the Earth. - Kerykeion - One-handed (Bane); Power 32, INT +28, Virtue RES +5, Dark Quest effect; Staff of the god Hermes, decorated with entwined serpents. [FANS] - Battle Fan - One-handed; Power 44,; Iron-plated fan. - Caldia - One-handed (Virtue); Power 52, AGI +8, Bane RES +5; Heart-shaped fan used by dancing maidens to worship the goddess of beauty. - Hyacinth Fan - One-handed (Wind); Power 54, Earth RES +5; Translucent hyacinth metal fan that shines gold in sunshine. [AXES/HAMMERS] - Francisca - One-handed; Power 40; Small, light axe. - Halt Hammer - One-handed; Power 40; Stone-crushing hammer. - Frozen Axe - One-handed (Water); Power 56, Fire RES +5; Shining silver axe known as the "Winter General" and useful in cold. - Hammer of Tears Two-handed (Water); Power 62, Fire RES +5; Stunning hammer formed from a tear of Basque, god of the sea. - Euros - [Contributed by NeoFlare] Two-handed (Wind); Power 62, Earth RES+5; Hammer with the power of Euros, god of the East Wind. 1 of 4 Relics of Wind. - Prox - Two-handed (Fire); Power 64, Water RES +5; Two-handed flaming axe. - Earth Dragon Axe - One-handed (Earth); Power 68, Wind RES +5, Attack PWR up VS dragons; Wide blade used for decapitation. - Boreas - One-handed (Wind); Power 70, Earth RES +5; Deadly axe with the power of Boreas, god of the North Wind. 1 of 4 Relics of the Wind. - Bloody Cleaver - One-handed (Bane); Power 72, Virtue RES +5, LifeForce effect; A huge butcher's knife with the LifeForce effect. [WHIPS/FLAILS] - Leather Whip - Two-handed; Power 45; Leather whip. - Beast Whip - Two-handed; Power 52, Range 2, Beast handling effect; Whip that allows communication with beasts. - Flame Flail - Two-handed (Fire); Power 60, Water RES +5; Two-handed chain flail. - Rapture Rose - Two-handed (Bane); Power 66, Virtue RES +5; Thorn whip made from rose vines. - Holy Comet - Two-handed (Virtue); Power 62, Range 2, Bane RES +5; Sacred whip that emits a brilliant light. [SPEARS] - Pike - Two-handed piercing; Power 42; Metal spear with high attack power, despite its slenderness. - Trident - Two-handed piercing; Power 55, AGI +3; Spear with 3-pronged tip. - Volcaetus - Two-handed piercing (Fire); Power 64, Water RES +5; Spear retrieved from the once active volcano of Mt. Aquila. - Osric's Spear - Two-handed piercing (Water); Power 66, Fire RES +5; King Zamora's ice spear. - Earth Javelin - Two-handed piercing (Earth); Power 68, Wind RES +5; Spear that draws its power from the Earth. - Zephyrus - Two-handed piercing (Wind); Power 70, Earth RES +5; Spear of Zephyrus, god of the West Wind, which never misses. 1 of 4 Relics of the Wind. - Longicolnis - Two-handed piercing; power 74; Black spear created from the horn of the fallen angel. It can pierce the skin of the Sacred Demon. *** Shields *** - Chocolate Shield - One-handed; PHYS DEF 10, Spell DEF 5, PHYS RES +15; Shield made from sugar and cocoa beans. - Tower Shield - One-handed; PHYS DEF 15, Spell DEF 5, PHYS RES +10; High defensive power, but slows movement. - Dragon Shield - One-handed; PHYS DEF 20, Spell DEF 5, PHYS RES +20; Def up VS dragons; When equipped, user is transformed into a dragon. - Ice Shield - One-handed (Water); PHYS DEF 20, Spell DEF 10, PHYS RES +25, Fire RES +20; Shield of the frost giant Firbolg. - Flame Shield - One-handed (Fire); PHYS DEF 20, Spell DEF 10, PHYS RES +25, Water RES +20; Shield forged by the fire djinn Efreet. - Earth Shield - One-handed (Earth); PHYS DEF 20, Spell DEF 10, PHYS RES +25, Wind RES +20; Shield of Dryad, the forest nymph. - Thunder Shield - One-handed (Wind); PHYS DEF 20, Spell DEF 10, PHYS RES +25, Earth RES +20; Shield of the thunder beast Nue. - Saint's Shield - One-handed (Virtue); PHYS DEF 20, Spell DEF 15, PHYS RES +25, Bane RES +25; Shield protected by Oberon. 1 of 4 Divine Armaments. *** Armor *** - Hard Leather - Armor made of an animal hide. PHYS DEF 9, Spell DEF 5, PHYS RES +3. - Robe - Light robe that isn't very durable. PHYS DEF 3, Spell DEF 10, PHYS RES +1. - Spell Robe - Heavy cloak woven with metal fibers; Enhances spell power. PHYS DEF 12, Spell DEF 15, INT +5, PHYS RES +4. - Fur Coat - Expensive coat made from animal pelts. PHYS DEF 15, Spell DEF 5, INT +5, PHYS RES +5. - Robe of Abyss - Robe of vast darkness. PHYS DEF 15, Spell DEF 20. - Cloak of Oath - Cloak given to those ordained as saints. PHYS DEF 15, Spell DEF 20. - Earth Garb - Robe with the power of the Earth. PHYS DEF 15, Spell DEF 20, INT +5, PHYS RES +5, Wind RES +10. - Wind Garb - Replica of the robe worn by Skyfarer, as depicated in an ancient relief. PHYS DEF 15, Spell DEF 20, INT+5 PHYS +5, Earth RES+10. - Fire Garb - Robe which was found buried in volcanic ash. PHYS DEF 15, Spell DEF 20, INT +5, PHYS RES +5, Water RES +10. - Water Garb - Garmet worn by priests of Titania, queen of the fairies, protected by the spirit of water. PHYS DEF 15, Spell DEF 20, INT +5, PHYS RES +5, Fire RES +10. - Cloak of Authority - Cloak designed to resist the effects of elements. PHYS DEF 15, Spell DEF 30, PHYS RES +5, Wind RES +5, Fire RES +5, Earth RES +5, Water RES +5. - Pure-White Dress - White dress worn only by noble, purehearted women (Virtue). Its godliness repels impurity. PHYS DEF 15, Spell DEF 25. INT+15, PHYS RES+5, Virtue RES+5, Bane RES+10. - Chain Mail - Armor made of woven chain links and reinforced iron plates. PHYS DEF 18, Spell DEF 5, PHYS RES +6. - Grincer Coat - Camouflage cloak dyed in the colors of the forest; 1 of 4 Enchanted Hunting Wares; PHYS DEF 18, Spell DEF 5, PHYS RES +6, Earth RES +2, DEF up VS beasts. - Saint's Garb - Blessed clothing tailored by the disciples of light. PHYS DEF 18, Spell DEF 10. - Earth Leather - Enchanted hard leather bearing the emblem of Earth. PHYS DEF 18, Spell DEF 10, PHYS RES +6, Wind RES +10. - Ice Chain - Enchanted chain mail that uses the strength of Ice. PHYS DEF 18, Spell DEF 10, PHYS RES +6, Fire RES +10. - Thunder Chain - Enchanted chain mail that uses the power of Lightning. PHYS DEF 18, Spell DEF 10, PHYS RES +6, Earth RES +10. - Flame Leather - Enchanted armor that uses the power of Fire. PHYS DEF 18, Spell DEF 10, PHYS RES +6, Water RES +10. - Cursed Garment - Cursed clothing tailored by the disciples of darkness. PHYS DEF 18, Spell DEF 10, PHYS RES +6, Virtue RES +10. - Robe of the Wise - Cloak that enhances spell PWR with interwoven crystals. PHYS DEF 18, Spell DEF 25, INT +5, PHYS RES +6. - Candy Armor - Delectable armor made from hardened sugar. PHYS DEF 24, Spell DEF 5, PHYS RES +8. - Plate Mail - Upper-body armor composed of iron plates. PHYS DEF 30, Spell DEF 10. - Brigandine - Armor made of leather and plate, but lighter than plate. PHYS DEF 30, Spell DEF 10, AGI +5, PHYS RES +10. - Southern Cross - Lucky armor with the emblem of the Southern Cross, rumored to have been worn by the gods. 1 of 4 Divine Armaments. PHYS DEF 30, Spell DEF 30. - Heavy Armor - Heavy plate armor reinforced with additional plates. PHYS DEF 39, Spell DEF 10, PHYS RES +13. - Black Armor - Armor stained in black blood and guarded by evil spirits. PHYS DEF 39, Spell DEF 15, PHYS RES +13, Virtue RES +15. - Rune Plate - Blessed, full-body armor with runic inscriptions. PHYS DEF 39, Spell DEF 15, PHYS RES +13, Bane RES +15. - Leviathan Mail - Armor modeled after Leviathan, an enormous creature of the Oberron Sea. PHYS DEF 39, Spell DEF 15, PHYS RES +13, Fire RES +15. - Phoenix Mail - Armor hewned from the legendary Phoenix. PHYS DEF 39, Spell DEF 15, PHYS RES +13, Water RES +15. - Peregrine Mail - Armor made of the feathers of the eagle Hraesvelg. PHYS DEF 39, Spell DEF 15, PHYS RES +13, Earth RES +15. - Nathalork Mail - Armor fashioned from the hide of the ferocious Nathalork. PHYS DEF 39, Spell DEF 15, PHYS RES +13, Wind RES +15. *** Helmets *** - Bandanna - A light, cloth headwrap. PHYS DEF 3, Spell DEF 2, INT +5, PHYS RES +1. - Leather Hat - A tanned leather hat. PHYS Def 6, Spell DEF 2, PHYS REF +2. - Sherwood Hat - Hat adorned with a branch from Sherwood Forest. 1 of 4 Enchanted Hunting Wares. Improves attentiveness. PHYS Def 6, Spell DEF 5, AGI +5, PHYS RES +2. - Plumed Headband - Lucky plumed headband. PHYS DEF 6, Spell DEF 5, AGI +5, PHYS RES +2, Bane RES +4. - Pointy Hat - Wide-brimmed, conical hat. PHYS DEF 6, Spell DEF 10, INT +5, PHYS RES +2. - Candy Helm - Sweet helm made of hardened honey. PHYS DEF 21, Spell DEF 2, PHYS RES +7. - Holy Crown - Blessed crown used by priests. PHYS DEF 21, Spell DEF 10, INT +5, PHYS RES +7, Bane RES +5. - Goblin Helm - Helmet worn by a legendary sword master who defeated 100 foes. PHYS DEF 21, STR +20, AGI +5, PHYS RES +7, Virtue RES +20. - Iron Helm - Iron helmet that leaves portions of the head unprotected. PHYS DEF 30, Spell DEF 2, PHYS RES +10. - Dragon Helm - Helmet crafted from the skull of a dragon. Transforms user into a dragon. PHYS DEF 30, Spell DEF 5, PHYS RES +10, repels dragon breath attacks. - Freude Helm - Sacred helm of Filarhh. 1 of 4 Divine Armaments. PHYS DEF 30, Spell DEF 10, PHYS RES +10, BANE RES +10, repels darkness. *** Accessories *** - Amulet - Necklace known as the "Eye of the Basilisk." Prevents petrification; Spell DEF 20, INT +7. - Armlet of Wisdom - Bracelet that enlightens its wearer. Spell DEF 10, INT +15. - Circlet of Wisdom - Circlet adorned with a crest of wisdom. PHYS DEF 15, Spell DEF 15, INT +10, PHYS RES +5. - Cassowary Feather - Feather of extinct Cassowary. Beast handling effect; Spell DEF 10. - Dark Ring - Ring confining a fairy who fell victim to evil temptation (Bane). Spell DEF 10, INT+8, Virtue RES+5, Dark Quest effect. Fixed Chance of breaking (**Note** Dark Quest is Fiend's Grip**) - Dragon Eyes - Gem ring resembling dragon eyes. Wearer transforms into a dragon. Prevents abnormal status; Spell DEF 15, INT +8. - Dragon Gem - Orb created by the Drakonites and used to communicate with dragons. Dragon handling effect; Spell DEF 10. - Earth Ring - Earth crystal ring (Earth). Spell DEF 10, STR+4, INT +4, Wind RES+5, Crag Crush Effect. Fixed chance of breaking. - Firecrest - Red gem confining the soul of the Divine Dragon. A sacred treasure. PHYS RES +30, Wind RES +30, Fire RES +30, Earth RES +30, Water RES +30, Virtue RES +30, Bane RES +30. (Found only in the Secret Shop for 32000 Goth) - Firedrake Ring - Fire crystal ring (Fire). Spell DEF 10, STR+4, INT +4, Water RES+5, Firestorm Effect. Fixed chance of breaking. - Forest Boots - Silent walking boots. 1 of 4 Enchanted Hunting Wares. PHYS DEF 9, Spell DEF 2, AGI +4, PHYS RES +3. - Glass Pumpkin - The witch Deneb's lucky magic pumpkin. Rumor has it that one shop in particular will buy it for a good price. PHYS DEF 15, Spell DEF 15, PHYS RES +5, Wind RES +5, Fire RES +5, Earth RES +5, Water RES +5, Virtue RES +5, Bane RES +5. - Greasy Boots - Boots known as "black beetle feet." Enable water walking; AGI +4, PHYS RES +3. - Necklace of Resistance - Far Eastern necklace said to resist spell effects. INT +10, Bane RES +5. - Pearl Necklace - Rare lavender pearl necklace that gleams softly. Prevents abnormal status; Spell DEF 20, Fire RES +10. - Ring of Flight - Ring crafted from the wings of a Chimera. Enables wearer to fly; Spell DEF 5, INT +3, AGI +4. - Ring of Flotation - Ring crafted by priests of the Basque Sect which enables wearer to walk on water; Spell DEF 5, INT+3, AGI+4. - Ring of the Dead - Ring granting immortality. Allows for transformation into Lich class, Spell DEF 10, INT +8. - Sacred Ring - Healing ring blessed by the Archangel Eustus. Spell DEF 10, INT +8, Bane RES +5, Heal effect. - Snow Boots - Leather-soled boots that prevent slipping on ice. PHYS DEF 9, Spell DEF 2, AGI +4, PHYS RES +3. - Warp Ring - Ring made by fairies that enables movement between dimensions. Allow teleport-style movement; Spell DEF 5, INT +3, AGI +4. - Warp Shoes - Shoes crafted by mischievous fairies. Allow teleport-style movement; PHYS DEF 9, Spell DEF 2, AGI +4, PHYS RES +3. - Wind Ring - Wind crystal ring. Spell DEF 10, INT +4, AGI +4, Earth RES +5, Thunder Flare effect. < < MAGIC SPELLS > > Worth Noting: All Area-Effect spells increase from 1 to 5 panels affected when the caster's INT passes 70. (Thanks to Questionable for verifying!) *** Wind Elemental *** - Air Blade - Missile; 6 MP, Range 7, Area of Effect (AOE) 1; Spinning ring of wind. - Harnella's Influence - Global Support; 10 MP; Strengthens Wind, weakens Earth. - Thunder Flare - Area-Effect; 12 MP, Range 6, AOE 1-5; Lightning strike damages foes... AOE increases with caster's INT. - Summon Tempest - Global Support; 15 MP; Summons storm. - Haste - Support; 20 MP, Range 7, AOE 1; Temporarily increases speed and allows movement beyond normal range. - Teleport - Support; 25 MP, Range 1, AOE 1; Teleports ally. *** Fire Elemental *** - Fireball - Missile; 6 MP, Range7, AOE 1; Fireball that damages foes, burns fields, and melts snow. - Zoshonel's Influence - Global Support; 10 MP; Strengthens Fire, weakens Water. - Firestorm - Area-Effect; 12 MP, Range 6, AOE 1-5; Pillars of fire damage foes, burn fields, and melt snow. Area of Effect increases with caster's INT. - Ray of Paralysis - Support; 15 MP, Range 7, AOE 1-5; Paralyzing ray... Area of Effect increases with caster's INT. - Clear Sky - Global Support; 15 MP; Drives away wind and rain. - Molten Blade - Support; 20 MP, Range 7, AOE 1; Temporarily strengthen ally's weapon. *** Earth Elemental *** - Acid Vapor - Missile; 6 MP, Range 7, AOE 1; Vapor that corrodes target. - Berthe's Influence - Global Support; 10 MP; Strengthens Earth, weakens Wind. - Crag Crush - Area-Effect; 12 MP, Range 6, AOE 1-5; Damages foes with falling boulder. Area of Effect increases with caster's INT. - Constrain - Support; 20 MP, Range 7, AOE 1; Temporarily lowers speed and restricts movement by changing target's movement type. - Hurdle Wall - Support; 20 MP, Range 7, AOE 1; Moves ally to adjacent panel regardless of elevation. *** Water Elemental *** - Ice Javelin - Missile; 6 MP, Range 7, AOE 1; Piercing ice spear. - Purify - Support; 10 MP, Range 7, AOE 1; Recovers target from abnormal status (paralysis, charm, sleep, confusion, poison). - Grueza's Influence - Global Support; 10 MP; Strengthens Water, weakens Fire. - Ice Field - Area-Effect; 12 MP, Range 6, AOE 1-5; Damages foes by freezing the air. Area of Effect increases with caster's INT. - Slumber Mist - Support; 15 MP, Range 7, AOE 1-5; Foes lured to sleep by chilling breeze. Area of Effect increases with caster's INT. - Poison Squall - Support; 20 MP, Range 6, AOE 1-5; Saturates air with toxic elements, damaging and poisoning foes. Area of Effect increases with caster's INT. *** Virtue Elemental *** - Lightning Bow - Missile; 6 MP. Range 7, AOE 1; Bolt of electrical energy hits target. - Heal - Support; 8 MP, Range 7, AOE 1; Recovers HP of living character, excludes undead. - Cleanse - Support; 10 MP, Range 7, AOE 1; Recover from abnormal status. (stone, paralysis, charm, sleep, or confusion) - Heal Plus - Support; 12 MP, Range 6, AOE 1-5; Multiple characters recover HP, excludes undead. Area of Effect increases with caster's INT. - Faith - Global Support; 15 MP; Hearts are purified by God's greace, and the undead that are about to revive are banished. - Tranquillize - Global Support; 15 MP; Negates support/fear effects. - Full Heal - Support; 18 MP, Range 1, AOE 1; Recovers target's HP fully (not undead). - Exorcism - Area-Effect; 25 MP, Range 5, AOE 1-5; Banishes undead (can't resurrect). Spell does not affect undead that are reviving. Area of Effect increases with caster's INT. - Divine Radiance - Effect; 30 MP, Range 7, AOE 1; Delivers massive damage. - Ignis Fatuus - Summon; 35 MP, Range 5, AOE 13; Summons Ignis Fatuus, the spirit of light. Number of summons depends on caster's INT. *** Bane Elemental *** - Nightmare - Area-Effect; 8 MP, Range 7, AOE 1; Foe drifts into unconsciousness and is damaged by malignant visions. - Fluid Magic - Support; 8 MP, Range 7, AOE 1; Transfers MP to an ally. - Cursed Existence - Global Support; 15 MP; The undead are immediately resurrected by the evil god, Asmodee. - Brain Sap - Area-Effect; 15 MP, Range 4, AOE 1; Absorbs MP. - Enfeeble - Area-Effect; 15 MP, Range 4, AOE 1; Absorbs HP. - Fiend's Grip - Area-Effect; 18 MP, Range 6, AOE 1-5; Damages foes by the hand of an evil spirit. Area of Effect increases with caster's INT. - Time Flux - Support; 25 MP, Range 6, AOE 1; Allow second turn. - Necromancy - Support; 25 MP; When cast before battle's end, revives dead characters as undead. < < SUMMONS > > *NOTE* For all summons, the number to be expected will be one for each 20 INT of the caster. - Salamander - Summon (Fire); 35 MP, Range 5, AOE 13; Summons Salamander, spirit of Fire. Number of summons depends on user's INT. - Fenrir - Summon (Water); 35 MP, Range 5, AOE 13; Summons Fenrir, the spirit of Ice. Number of summons depends on user's INT. - Thunderbird - Summon (Wind); 35 MP, RNG 5, AOE 13; Summons Thunderbird, the spirit of lightning. Number of summons depends on user's INT. - Gnome - Summon (Earth); 35 MP, RNG 5, AOE 13; Summons Gnome, the spirit of earth. Number of summons depends on user's INT. - Ignis Fatuus - Summon (Virtue); 35 MP, RNG 5, AOE 13; Summons Ignis Fatuus, the spirit of light. Number of summons depends on user's INT. < < ABILITIES > > - Atropos - Power 60; Special sword technique (sword/katana/axe) in exchange for HP. - Banish (Angel Knight lvl 15) - Area-Effect (Virtue); 25 SP, Range 6, AOE 1-5; Sacred prayer that damages foes mentally and banishes the unnatural. Area of Effect increases with user's INT. - Barren Soul (Warlock) - Direct Attack (All Elements); 25 MP, Range 1, AOE 1; Attacks with a sword that has materialized from the element opposite of your foe's. - Cheer (Mermaid lvl 15) - Effect (Wind); 22 SP, Range 5, AOE 1; Listeners are temporarily uplifted by this lively, booming voice. - Cold Breath - Breath Attack (Water); 20 SP, AOE 1-4; Damages foes with breath of cold. Fixed chance of sleep. Area of Effect increases with caster's INT. - Energy Transfer (Shaman) - Effect (Bane); Range 7, AOE 1; Recover MP in exchange for HP. - Evil Eye (Gorgon) - Effect (Bane); 30 SP, unlimited range; A deadly gaze that petrifies foes who are not protected by shields. - Fairy's Embrace (Fairy lvl 15) - Affect (Virtue); 25 SP, Range 1, AOE 1; Allows second turn while recovering HP with the healing power of a fairy. - Fairy's Kiss (Fairy lvl 10) - Effect (Virtue); 15 SP, Range 1, AOE 1; Cures abnormal status while recovering HP with the healing power of a fairy. - Fascination (Witch) - Area-Effect (Bane); 15 MP, Range 7, AOE 1-5; Charms enemies with a little flirtatious batting of the eye lashes so that they join your troops. Area of Effect increases with caster's INT. - Fire Breath - Breath Attack (Fire); 20 SP, AOE 1-4; Damages foes with breath of fire. Fixed chance of confusion. Area of Effect increases with caster's INT. - Lullaby (Mermaid) - Effect (Wind); 15 SP, Range 6, AOE 1-5; Listeners will be lulled to sleep by this peaceful melody. Area of Effect increases with caster's INT. - Magic Missile (Fairy lvl 20) - Missile (Virtue); 15 SP, Range 7, AOE 1; Sacred pellet. - Mesmerize (Cerberus lvl 10) - Breath Attack (Fire); 20 SP, AOE 1-4; Damages foes with dark fire. Fixed chance of sleep. Area of Effect increases with user's INT. - Pelting Fury (Swordmaster) - Missile; Range 7, AOE 1; Hurls a stone at the enemy. - Petrifying Breath (Cockatrice lvl 10) - Breath Attack; 25 SP, AOE 1-4, Fixed chance of stone; Damages foes with petrifying breath. Area of Effect increases with user's INT. - Poignant Melody (Angel Knight) - Area-Effect (Virtue); 20 SP, Range 6, AOE 1-5; A requiem in the language of angels. Undead will recover HP/MP/SP. Area of Effect increases with user's INT. - Poison Breath - Breath Attack (Earth); 20 SP, AOE 1-4; Damages foes with toxic breath. Fixed chance of poison. Area of Effect increases with caster's INT. - Rotten Breath - Breath Attack (Bane); 20 SP, AOE 1-4; Damages foes with putrid breath. Fixed chance of decreased equipment ability. Area of Effect increases with caster's INT. - Shuriken Barrage (Ninja) - Missile; Range 7, AOE 1; Small weapons thrown at a foe with decent accuracy. - Star Tiara (Eleanor) - Eleanor's Special Technique; 60 MP; Gathers the light of the stars to damage foes and banish the undead. The caster forgets this spell after use. NOTE: It returns after she levels up or beats a Quest or battle. - Strangling Tentacles (Octopus lvl 10) - Tentacle Attack; 25 SP, AOE 2; Furious 8-appendage attack. Fixed chance of confusion. - Summon Golem (Summoner) - Summon (Earth); 20 MP, Range 7, AOE 1; Summons Golem, an enchanted mud doll that can be unleashed on the enemy. - Swallow's Daze (Swordmaster) - Direct Attack; Forfeit HP, Range 1, AOE 1; Topples and paralyzes foe with the force of sword-wind (katana). - Temptation (Deneb only) - Deneb's special skill; 15 MP, Range 7, AOE 1-5; Being in the service of Deneb is a dream come true, no matter how brief! (Think of Fascination, but much better -- more effective) Area of Effect increases with Deneb's INT. - Thunder Arrow (Hawkman lvl 10) - Missile (Wind); 15 SP, Range 7, AOE 1; Bolt of lightning shocks enemy. - Thunder Breath - Breath Attack (Wind); 20 SP, AOE 1-4; Damages foes with breath of lightning. Fixed chance of paralysis. AOE increases with caster's INT. - Titan Crush (Giant lvl 10) - Missile; 20 SP, Range 7, AOE 1; Crushes foe with gigantic boulder. Powerful, but not always accurate. 90 power. - Windstorm (Griffin lvl 10) - Area-Effect (Wind); 20 SP, Range 7, AOE 5; Tiny tornado hits target. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- XI. Cheaters do prosper, at least in this game... ----------------------------------------------------------------------- - DENEB - One of the major secrets in the Knight of Lodis is the ability to recruit Deneb, the seeminly immortal witch who has appeared in every Ogre Battle and Tactics Ogre game to date. How does this trick work? Well, simple: (1) Begin by recruiting a female soldier, making sure her alignment is chaotic (or neutral will also work). Her element is up to you. Then, name here Deneb. (2) Next, in battle, persuade a male character to join your forces, giving Deneb the Charm Emblem necessary to become a Witch. (3) Finally, gain the necessary stats for the Witch class transformation, and go through with it. Upon completion, the portrait picture for the witch should change, and you no longer have just any old character. Congratulations! You now have added Deneb Rhode to your squad. She has slightly better level up gains than do normal witches, and she also has extra abilities. If that weren't enough, with Deneb in your army, you now have access to a "secret shop." *NOTE* Once you change the character into the Witch class, you will be UNABLE to undo the change. You do get a pretty funny comment from the Witch herself, though, should you try it. Check it out, if you so desire... - SECRET SHOP! - First of all, this trick can only be accomplished after you have added Deneb to your army, which means you have to have done the above (hint hint). After that has been done, go to the Scabellum level on the world map. Entering into the Shop command with Deneb in your army, you will notice some changes. Most notably, there is now a Pumpkinhead behind the counter of the shop Also, the inventory of the shop will have changed quite a bit... Particularly worth noting in the inventory are the items known as Orbs. Yes, they are very expensive, but they're worth every Goth... Trust me. Also worth noting: Once you have Deneb, you can access the secret shop at any time, even if the Deneb character dies. Don't ask me how or why, I merely report the facts. Still, this is rather good news... to some. - Quick, Painless, Effortless Powerup - [Contributed by Zach Collins] First, you'll need 2 clerics with heal. This needs to be their only spell (or at least no attack spells). Next, unequip them of all their weapons and shields. Now, start training mode with one cleric per side and no one else. Set them both to computer players and let it play. Your clerics won't do near enough damage to come close to killing each other, and if they ever DO, the computer AI will probably just use cure and recover it all anyways. You can leave this on as long as you want, you don't need to worry at all. They'll continue to gain experience from curing and hitting each other, AND in the meantime pick up several medals and hidden items throughout the level, and without a hint of thought from the player. After they've reached a desirable level, press R and leave training. Now startup training again with the two clerics on a team, and your other characters on another team (Make sure you control both sides and that everyone is unequiped of weapons). Have the team of non-clerics simply attack the clerics from behind. If the clerics get low on life, make them cure themselves. In no time at all, all your characters will be at equal levels to your clerics. Just remember to requip everyone after battle ;) **My Thoughts:** Yes, very simple to do, but very time consuming... Quick might not be the appropriate word... - GAME NAMES - And now, a few minor codes, that everyone typically knows, but still need to be included... Yay! For both of these, you simply need to name your MAIN CHARACTER or any RECRUITED CHARACTER the following... I believe that the caps are also important, so keep the caps lock on. MUSIC_ON Allows for you to enter into the music test option. (If you don't know what that does, it basically allows you to preview/hear all the songs and musical tracks in the game) ***NOTE!!! THIS CODE ONLY WORKS ON THE JAPANESE VERSION OF THE GAME*** MUSIC.ON Allows for you to enter into the music test option. American version. DEL_DATA Deletes all saved data. Pretty self-explanatory... I would hope. ***NOTE!!! THIS CODE ONLY WORKS ON THE JAPANESE VERSION OF THE GAME*** DEL.DATA Deletes all saved data. Pretty self-explanatory... American version. - HIDDEN ITEMS - [Contributed by DeadS and Terence and DeadS] *NOTES:* All coordinates take the BOTTOMMOST corner of the map to be (0,0) On some maps, (0,0) will be impossible to get to; if this is the case, then the co-ordinate for the bottommost deployment square will be given to the right of the dimensions of the map; you must then use that as an offset to find the correct tiles. Also, the coordinate system reads as follows: (X,Y) = (push UP X times, push LEFT Y times) for Type A (X,Y) = (push RIGHT X times, push UP Y times) for Type B Each co-ordinate can give you a certain treasure. Most of the time, you will find one of the three groups of Random Treasure; these groups give you different items depending on your biorhythm and the actual group. Group 1 is mainly low- level weapons with a few healing items. Group 2 is mainly items that can raise your stats permenantly, but you will still find a few healing items and rarely one or two weapons. Group 3 is the rarest and has the most expensive and interesting items; you will find stuff that can change elements and alignments here, as well as Seraph's Plumes (increases movement), Orbs and so on. Locations that will always yeild the SAME TREASURE are marked with ALL CAPS!! Levels that have been checked over and are correct have been marked with a *. Lutra (14x13)* ( 2, 1): Group 1 Random Treasure (2s Ground) ( 7, 7): Group 1 Random Treasure (2s Ground) (13, 4): Group 1 Random Treasure (2s Rocks) (13,10): GLASS PUMPKIN (7s Ground) Scabellum (18x16)* (6,12): Group 2 Random Treasure (9s Ground) (8, 2): Group 1 Random Treasure (2s Stone Floor) (12,6): Group 1 Random Treasure (7s Ground) (15,2): DRAGON SHIELD (4s Ground) Solea (22x13)* (13,1): Group 1 Random Treasure (2s Sand) (15,7): Group 3 Random Treasure (8s Plain, BURN) (19,0): Group 1 Random Treasure (4s Ground) Vespa (14x18)* ( 2,11): Group 2 Random Treasure (3s Plain, BURN) ( 6, 3): GLASS PUMPKIN (3s Ground) ( 6,13): Group 2 Random Treasure (6s Plain, BURN) (11, 9): Group 2 Random Treasure (7s Plain, BURN) Formido (13x13)* ( 0, 6): Group 2 Random Treasure (4s Plain, BURN) ( 3, 1): Group 1 Random Treasure (2s Rocks) ( 9, 6): Group 1 Random Treasure (9s Ground) (12,12): DRAGON GEM SWORD (18s Stone Floor) Ardea (18x14)* ( 3,11): Group 1 Random Treasure (6s Ground) ( 4, 0): Group 2 Random Treasure (3s Plain, BURN) (17, 5): Group 1 Random Treasure (5s Gravel) Urodela (13x15)* (3,13): HYACINTH FAN (2s Ground) (7, 5): Group 1 Random Treasure (5s Ground) (7,12): Group 3 Random Treasure (8s Plain, BURN) (12,0): Group 1 Random Treasure (5s Ground) Bison (13x19)* ( 0, 1): Group 1 Random Treasure (3s Ground) ( 0, 7): Group 1 Random Treasure (3s Ground) ( 0,12): Group 3 Random Treasure (2s Plain, BURN) ( 1,18): Group 1 Random Treasure (3s Ground) (12,12): Group 2 Random Treasure (2s Plain, BURN) Sufrir (13x19)* ( 0,10): Group 3 Random Treasure (6s Stone Floor) ( 1,13): Group 1 Random Treasure (9s Rocks) ( 3, 6): Group 1 Random Treasure (4s Rocks) ( 8, 9): Group 1 Random Treasure (6s Rocks) (11,16): ICE WAND (16s Rocks) Arena (15x13)* (2,11): Group 2 Random Treasure (3s Ground) (7, 1): Group 1 Random Treasure (2s Ground) (11,8): Group 1 Random Treasure (3s Gravel) (12,1): Group 1 Random Treasure (2s Ocean) Rana (21x17)* ( 3,15): Group 1 Random Treasure (2s Rocks) (11,10): Group 1 Random Treasure (2s Ground) (16, 1): ICE BLADE (2s Ground) (16,13): Group 3 Random Treasure (3s Ground) Aquila (17x15)* ( 2, 2): VOLCAETUS (2s Ground) ( 8,11): Group 2 Random Treasure (14s Ground) ( 9, 3): Group 2 Random Treasure (7s Ground) (11, 7): Group 1 Random Treasure (14s Ground) Gryllus (13x20)* (1,17): Group 2 Random Treasure (7s Plain, BURN) (5, 7): GLASS PUMPKIN (3s River/Lake) (6, 2): Group 1 Random Treasure (3s Gravel) (7, 6): Group 1 Random Treasure (3s River/Lake) (9, 9): Group 2 Random Treasure (5s Plain, BURN) Blete (18x14)* ( 6, 6): Group 1 Random Treasure (9s Rocks) ( 7,12): Group 2 Random Treasure (12s Plain, BURN) (10, 1): Group 2 Random Treasure (3s Ground) (17, 1): Group 1 Random Treasure (8s Rocks) Belleza (14x12)* ( 0,11): SNAPDRAGON (4s Plain, BURN) ( 1, 7): Group 2 Random Treasure (4s Ground) ( 3, 2): Group 3 Random Treasure (3s Ground) ( 6, 9): Group 3 Random Treasure (11s Ground) (11, 0): Group 2 Random Treasure (4s Ground) Naja (22x16)* ( 4, 1): Group 1 Random Treasure (2s Ground) ( 7,13): Group 1 Random Treasure (4s Plain, BURN) (13, 2): Group 1 Random Treasure (2s Gravel) (18,14): Group 1 Random Treasure (5s Gravel) Sotavento (14x13)* ( 0,12): Group 3 Random Treasure (8s Ground) ( 3, 6): Group 1 Random Treasure (4s Gravel) ( 9, 6): Group 1 Random Treasure (7s Ground) (12, 0): SNAPDRAGON (6s Gravel) (13,10): Group 2 Random Treasure (11s Ground) Haena (19x13)* ( 0, 5): Group 1 Random Treasure (6s Ground) ( 6,10): Group 1 Random Treasure (11s Ground) (12, 8): Group 1 Random Treasure (14s Ground) (14, 0): Group 3 Random Treasure (13s Plain, BURN) Gracula (16x22)* ( 2,11): Group 2 Random Treasure (3s Ground) ( 4, 3): Group 3 Random Treasure (2s Ground) ( 5,17): Group 1 Random Treasure (8s Ground) (14, 8): Group 2 Random Treasure (10s Ground) >West Ostorea (23x16)* ( 2, 1): Group 3 Random Treasure (4s Stone Floor) (10, 4): Group 1 Random Treasure (7s Snowy Plain, BURN) (10,15): Group 1 Random Treasure (7s Ground) (16, 6): Group 3 Random Treasure (10s Snowy Plain, BURN) (20, 1): PHOENIX MAIL (21s Stone Floor) >South Ostorea (23x16)* ( 0,15): LEVIATHAN MAIL (11s Snowy Plain, BURN) ( 1, 0): Group 2 Random Treasure (4s Snowy Plain, BURN) ( 8, 7): Group 2 Random Treasure (8s Snowy Plain, BURN) (13, 3): Group 1 Random Treasure (7s Stone Floor) (22, 7): Group 1 Random Treasure (12s Stone Floor) Throne Room (13x21) No Treasures >Crypt (20x16)* (12, 8): RING OF THE DEAD (1s Stone Floor) >Ostorea (18x14)* ( 6, 7): Group 1 Random Treasure (3s Ground) (12, 4): Group 1 Random Treasure (4s Ground) >>NOTE:<< Ostorea is the training version of Ostorea. Ostorea West, Ostorea South and Crypt cannot be returned to (at least that I know of); you must get the items during your battles there. Rebanada (17x16)* ( 5, 6): Group 3 Random Treasure (8s Ground) ( 7,14): Group 3 Random Treasure (14s Ground) (15, 2): TATHLUM (9s Ground) Harmonia (17x21) ( 3, 4): Group 3 Random Treasure (4s Snowy Field, BURN) ( 7,10): Group 1 Random Treasure (4s Ground) ( 9,16): Group 1 Random Treasure (5s Snowy Plain, BURN) (14, 3): Group 3 Random Treasure (5s Snowy Field, BURN) Charadrius (14x19) ( 2,17): Group 3 Random Treasure (11s Snowy Plain) ( 3, 5): Group 3 Random Treasure (8s Snowy/Icy Plain) ( 9, 4): Group 3 Random Treasure (8s Snowy/Icy Plain) ( 9,11): Group 3 Random Treasure (10s Snowy/Icy Plain) (13, 5): Group 3 Random Treasure (13s Snowy Plain) Angel's Headstone (23x15) (Bottommost deployment is: 1, 5) ( 9, 7): Group 3 Random Treasure (16s Snowy Field, BURN) (14,12): Group 3 Random Treasure (21s Snowy Field, BURN) (15, 5): Group 3 Random Treasure (20s Snowy Pavement, BURN) Hall of Corruption (15x21) No Treasures Garden of Memories (18x18) (Bottommost deployment is: 2, 1) ( 4,11): Group 3 Random Treasure (14s Snowy Field, BURN) (10,17): Group 3 Random Treasure (23s Snowy Field, BURN) (15, 3): Group 3 Random Treasure (13s Snowy Field, BURN) Hall of Conviction (22x14) No Treasures ??? (12x12) No Treasures [/Massively important contribution ^_^] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- XII. All your random questions are belonging HERE! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ______ Q: "Mental Gauge?!?! What is it? What does it do? Etc!" A: From my play experience, and what I have read, the mental gauge is more than just luck, it's a measure of attitude of the character. It works on a scale from -2 to +2, measuring the character's possible performance in a battle situation. The (+) numbers run more along the lines of bravery, meaning that the character will deal higher damage, might counter more often, and might evade more. The (-) numbers imply cowardice, which would be the opposite of the effects I just mentioned ^_~ And now, to quote from the Manual itself... "The mental gauge represents a character's state of mind. When the character is in proimity to certain comrades or enemies, the gague level increases or decreases in relation to the character's confidence or fearfulness. Each character's mental state affects his/her ability to attack and defend." Now, for some of the true definitions... (+) = Improved fighting ability, greater chance of a critical hit... 0 = Fighting ability unaffected (-) = Increased fear, take more damage, get less critical hits. Q: "What does this have to do with a character's biorhythm?" A: Absolutely nothing. A huge rumor about the biorhythm concept is that it's the same as the mental gauge, which I have found to be incorrect (with a little bit of help, mind you). The two concepts are not related, in any way. Sorry for the confusion. For some facts, however: You can, or your characters can, through different acts and numbers of battles, increase or decrease their biorhythm. Also, as is evident in the above sections, you can get emblems which affect the biorhythm OR mental gauge, either increasing, decreasing, or fixing them, but the two are SEPARATE and NOT EQUIVALENT. Q: "What is biorhythm then?" A: Oh boy... For this answer, I'm going to go straight to Terence, who just gave a damned fine answer on the GameFAQs boards. "The biorhythm in KoL is thus a hidden sine wave whose statistics are different for each character. Some character's have a sine wave that repeats more often, some have one that varies more, some have one that start at a different date, etc., etc. Thus, there are three definitions that are important here: Biorhythm: The above hidden sine wave thingimajig. By using your biorhythm and the current date, you determine your Luck. Luck: A hidden stat that is *never* told to you and the results of which are never shown to you *before* you make a move. For example, a 99% hit rate might be a lot lower if you had bad Luck, but it would still show 99%. Fortune: What you see when you press Select on someone's name. This is not the same as Luck. It is not the same as Biorhythm. What it does is give you an indication of what your current position along the biorhythm is (but only roughly), as well as give you basic stats on what your biorhythm is set up as. Of course, most of this information is useless unless you know the whole list of fortunes, but the FAQ I just submitted should change that." [Note to all -- see his FAQ for future information on this subject] ______ Q: "What is the training mode? How does it work?" A: Training is basically a way for you to level up your troops by pitting them against each other. I know that sounds a bit weird, but in reality, it's an awesome tool. Instead of actual combat, though, you don't have to worry about some uncertainties... You can make it so you control both teams, or just one, or even neither. It's all up to you. You also get to choose the teams. It's really a great way to level build. You can train in any location that you've visited, assuming that you are currently standing there... The training mode is only available upon completion of your second battle. Don't ask about it, or even try to train before then. Still, after those twenty minutes it takes to go through those two battles, you can train whenever you like. ______ Q: "Can you permanently lose any of your characters (should they die) while training? Also, can you gain exp in this manner? items?" A: Ok, this will be a long explanation... Unlike a normal battle, when a character "dies" in training, they merely vanish, assumedly returning to your HQ. All that means is that it's the end of training for them. They're fine... no harm done... and lots of experience gained! ^_^ Similarly, because the characters don't actually die, you don't get the typical 'war bonus' (which is normally just taken from their equipment anyway). You don't get items from training, just experience, and occasionally Emblems. ______ Q: "I don't understand the significance of the fortuneteller. What does it do, and what affect does it have on the game?" A: The fortuneteller is at the very beginning of the game, following the introductory scene with Alphonse and Rictor. Not only does she ask the question that leads you to entering your key information (name and birthday), but she also asks the 'main questions,' which have been a big deal in every Ogre Battle or Tactics Ogre game. You know, the questions that determine your element, what your initial units will be, and your main character's starting stats. Needless to say, it's a fairly important thing, at least until you get deep into the game. ______ Q: "What is persuasion and how does it work?" A: Well, similar to recruiting in a manner of speaking, persuasion is another way of bolstering the ranks of your army. However, persuading a character is MUCH more difficult than just going to a shop and recruiting one. Why, do you ask? Simple... let's begin the lesson! ^_~ To persuade an enemy, you have to follow these simple steps: 1 - weaken 2 - confront 3 - flirt Now I realize how simple that looks, but let's still go through it in more detail. First, you have to weaken him/her. Yes, much like in that darned pokemon game, you can only persuade when the HP of your target is low. I think this is because you're showing your strength to the opponent, making them want to join such a strong group. Second, you have to confront them. Now, what this basically means is that you have to be standing beside them. You cannot persuade from 2 squares away, 3 squares away, or even 20 squares away. You have to be right next to them. Finally, and here's the really hard part (right...), you have to talk to them. Now, the reason I called this "flirt" was simple: it is always easier to persuade with a member of the opposite sex. ALWAYS. (Sort of makes sense though, doesn't it?) This will count as your action for the turn, and you cannot change your direction afterward, but trust me, if successful, that won't really be a concern. Another kinky twist in this system seems to, yet again, follow the "flirt" method. Creatures and characters of like species seem to persuade others of their species well. For example, use a hawkman to persuade a hawkman. Also, humans of similar classes will persuade each other much more effectively. In other words, trying to persuade a magic user (e.g. a wizard) with a soldier will not work as well as trying to persuade the same wizard with a siren, or witch, or wizard of your own. I guess the whole "flirt" thing really DOES work well ^_~ I'm brilliant! Now, if all of that has been done correctly, and the target is low enough HP, you'll get a new addition to your army! Congratulations! One more detail brought up recently by a lucky contributor (goes by Michael S) is that the 'magic number' for persuasion seems to be 5 HP. At that point, you have a MUCH IMPROVED chance of persuasion. However, at 6+ HP, your percentage, and therefore your actual rate, will be diminished. Aim for 5 HP and you'll be good to go. ______ Q: "What are some of the advantages/disadvantages of persuading an enemy?" A: Besides the addition of another person to your army, you get a few perks. For example, when you persuade a person in battle, they IMMEDIATELY join you, which means that they can then help you win the REST of the battle. This is a huge benefit, especially if you have already lost a character, or are merely outnumbered. Another very important benefit is that they come FULLY EQUIPPED. That's right, anything that the character has on them, or has learned, comes with them when persuaded. This is a huge deal, especially when, later in the game, the enemies have incredible weapons to steal and such. The only real disadvantage that I see from persuading is that, for the rest of the battle, the persuaded character has the Guest AI and with the low HP you've given... Yes, the Guest AI really bugs me, as it should you. Even with that, however, you've now got another person to fight with you, so that will always be good... ______ Q: "Can you connect the English version of TO:KoL with the Japanese version of the game? If so, what are the limitations?" A: [Contributed by evilwasabi] "I have both and tried it, and for switching all items, except the Longiculnis, it works. You cannot switch players though, even if the name of the player on the japanese version is in english. Versus is bugged. You can make it so player 1 will always win and player b will get a draw if you do the following: Have the player 1 part of the link plugged into the system running a US cart, and plug the 2nd player part into the japanese, then in setting up the fight, make the japanese unit go first. The battle will begin, but immediately flake out, and all the players on the US side will get lucky soldier emblems, if they haven't already recieved them, and the fight will end. If you try hooking them up any other way the game will simply conk out." [/Contribution] ______ Q: "What do all the different types of Movements mean? How do they work? And what's with the second movement type?" A: There are two categories of movement: Active and Passive. Each of these is the subdivided again into 5 different categories. Just for simplicity's sake, here they all are: ACTIVE MOVEMENT: 1 - Walking Walking characters are your basic kind of movement. They can move vertically 2 steps up or drop 3 steps down. Thee warrior classes generally take this movement style. These are just your simple style of walking, like a soldier has. 2 - Trudging The second most common style of active movement, trudging characters are generally heavier and have less movement. Dragons, beasts, and spellcasters generally fall into the trudging category. They are limited in vertical movement to 1 step up and dropping only 2 steps. 3 - Acrobatic The most nimble of characters fit into this style of active movement. These characters can jump up to 3 steps upward and drop up to 4 down. Ninjas are the most common example of this category. 4 - Flying Winged creatures and characters employ this style of active movement. Very helpful in combat, flying characters don't have to worry about height at all when moving. They do have to worry about walls and rocks, however, which might block their paths of movement. 5 - Warping The ability to move to any destination instantly, and that with no movement cost, warping avoids terrain, obstacles, and ANYTHING in its path. A character with this movement style can move freely to anywhere withing their movement range. Unfortunately no ordinary human has this ability... PASSIVE MOVEMENT: 1 - Wading The most typical category, characters are not very good at moving in water, although they sure try their hardest and can move up to one step below the water's surface. Movement in water will make their attack and defense greatly drop. 2 - Semi-Aquatic Characters in this category are able to move in water up to one step below the surface (like wading), except that their attack and defense only go down slightly, as compared to wading characters which go down significantly. 3 - Waterwalking Instead of sinking in water, these characters have the ability to stand on its surface as though it was land. Still, as with semi-aquatic characters, the attack and defense do suffere a bit from this exertion. (Walking on water is not easy work!) Ninjas are the prime example of this category. 4 - Aquatic Aquatic characters specialize in movement in water. They can move one step below the surface without losing much energy. However, they are not capable when it comes to movement OUTSIDE of the water. Mermaids and octopi are examples... 5 - Floating As this type sounds, characters do not touch the land they are on. They never touch ground, even over water, and can move and stop anywhere, except where there are obstacles. Fairies, gremlins, and ghosts are examples... ______ Q: "What are the elements in this game? How are they used?" A: Ok, there are 6 key elements in any Ogre Battle game. They've been the same in all of them, and this is no different. However, just to humor you, here they all are: - Wind - Goddess Harnella (goddess of the sea) controls this element. Mainly, it influences a character's agility and the weather. Wind is opposite the Earth element, so it does more damage to (but also recieves more damage from) earth. - Fire - Goddess Zoshonel controls this element. It influences the weather along with all things created by humans. It strongly opposes Water... - Earth - Goddess Berthe (goddess of the harvest) leads the Earth. It influences the land and stongly opposes Wind... - Water - Goddess Grueza is the embodiment of Water. It controls rivers and oceans as well as having the effect of purifying, driving evil away. It strongly opposes the Fire element. - Virtue - Ishtalle, goddess of light and war, controls Virtue. It gives "new life to people and repels the poewr of darkness (bane)." - Bane - The only male god, Asmodee, controls the powers of Bane. This element can influence the very essence of time, also capable of bending people's minds against their wills (or the wills of the gods). It strongly opposes Virtue. ______ Q: "Where do you get necromancy? I can't find it anywhere!" A: [Contributed by evilwasabi] One confirmed location for the necromancy spell was found in Quest Mode, In the Batraal Crypt. Some have said that you need to Defeat Leader in under 10 rounds (which is rather simple). ______ Q: "What can you tell me about angel knights?" A: [Contributed by TetraFluoride] On Transmigration When a character transmigrates he/she does receive a small amount of experience points. This does not happen when a character is normally revived. I had my priest with 0 biorhythm transmigrate 6 out of 12 times, that seems about right. Angel Knights use SP so any current MP the character had is converted into SP. Also, all spells that were equipped are removed and placed in the inventory. On Angel Knights An Angel Knight has no alignment, only an element. One really weird thing involves giving an Angel Knight the dragon equipment (Dragon Shield, Dragon Armor, Dragon Helm, Dragon Eyes). Normally this gives the user the corresponding elemental breath attack at the price of 20 MP/SP. They are: Wind- Thunder Breath, Water- Cold Breath, Fire- Fire Breath and Earth- Poison Breath. Because the Angel Knight is Virtue I wasn't sure what was going to happen but after transmigrating/testing/resetting five times she had the Thunder Breath each time. My priest was Water elemental which makes me believe that Thunder Breath is the "default." As you probably know, Alphonse cannot become an Angel Knight, but he can still get the emblem. Alas, when he dies you get a game over screen before anything else can happen. Alphonse (and any other character) can get the Archangel's Feather emblem in Training mode with any of the normal ways to revive. Therefore, there is no need to waste a Sacred Stone of the Bliss (which is quite expensive...) One more thing that you probably want or need to know: Angel Knights cannot use the Mirror of the Gods or have them used on them. Similarly, the alignment altering items cannot be used on them. They will forever be missing any alignment and Virtue in element. Q: "Ok, so how do I GET an angel knight?" A: This is more of a list than I care for, but here we go: (1) - Meet the stat requirements for the class... 215 HP, 66 MP, 89 Strength, 81 Intelligence, 88 Agility, Lawful (2) - Get the Archangel's Feather emblem for your character... (kill the character in a REAL battle and then revive them in some way) (3) - Kill the character in a REAL battle, and pray. That's it, unfortunately. After their 'death message,' you will either see, or not see, another text box pop up, indicating their transmigration to the angel knight class. If no such box pops up, revive your character again and keep on trying. Sooner or later, the odds favor the change to angel knight. Sooner or later... ______ Q: "Where can I find a Ring of the Dead?" A: [Taken from the message boards, posted by Destin] There are three Rings of the Dead. - Buried treasure in Ostorea Castle [Crypt] (Chapter 2) (12, 8) 1 Step, Stone Floor - Dropped by a Daemon in Harmonia (Chapter 3) - After defeating Rimmon at Rebanada (Chapter 3), return to Rebanada and fight Saia. After the battle, tell Saia that you fight for peace (Choice B) and he will give you the ring. Doing this means you CAN NOT get Saia, you MUST do this before getting Lobelia in Ardea. If Lobelia is with you when you begin this battle Saia just dies at the end and you can't get Saia or the ring. ______ Q: "How do I get the emblems that require you to be all the classes? For humans, doesn't that require you to be both a lich and angel knight? Help!" A: Yes, it does require just that. Here is one set of solutions, provided by a nice contributor. Keep in mind that this is NOT the only way to do it, but it is one way... To get a Grozz Nuy's Emblem (Dragon) 1. Start with a lvl 19 dragon, Try to get it to be lawful or choatic 2. Use 3 mirror of the gods to change it to each element 3. Make it level-up in training 4. Change it's alignment with the urn of chaos or tome of displince. (If the dragon is neutral, you'll have to use three items instead of two.) 5. kill it in training and revive it into a zombie dragon. 6. Use recarnation... 7. Emblem recieved To get a Ripple's Emblem (Human) 1. Start out with a lvl 10 female soldier(Neutral). 2. Get it a sniper emblem. 3. Change it to archer, ninja, wizard, dragon tamer and cleric. 4. Level it up until it meets the stats for siren/cleric. 5. Get knight emblem and change to knight 6. Change back to cleric. 7. Get Heaven's Blessing Emblem 8. Change it to priest. 9. Change it to a wizard. 10. Kill two enimies with the wizard. 11. Change to Siren. 12. Get Lancer Emblem. 13. Change to Valkyire. 14. Get Vixen's Whisper 15. Change to witch. 16. Change alignment to lawful. 17. Get stuff to become angel knight. 18. Change to angel knight. 19. Kill the angel knight in training. 20. Change it to a ghost with necomancy. 21. Use reincarnation to change it back to a soldier 22. Change it to a lich. 23. Recieve emblem ______ Q: "What do people mean when they refer to 'Set Items?'" A: The so-called Set Items are the items that come IN SETS. Here, the easiest way to explain this is to just list them all, and their benefits. - Divine Armaments Set - Effect: Provides wearer complete protection from the Bane element. Includes: Oracion Saint's Shield Southern Cross Freude Helm - Dragon Set - **Contributed by Tetra via email (who is the MAN)** Effect: Gives the user the 'breath attack' of their element. A character that wears the Dragon Set also gives dragons and other wearers of the Dragon Set that are on the same team +1 to their mental gauges if they are within 3 spaces. This is identical to the Dragon Tamer's ability. In fact, if a Dragon Tamer adorns the Dragon Set she will give +2 to her corresponding allies! **NOTE: For Bane- and Virtue-elemental characters, the breath attack will depend on the terrain they're standing on.** Fire Breath -- Gravel, Tar Cold Breath -- River/Lake, Ocean, Channel, Ice Field, Snowy/Ice Plain Poison Breath -- Ground, Stone Floor, Stone Roof, Rocks Thunder Breath -- Plain, Swamp Includes: Dragon Shield Dragon Armor Dragon Helm Dragon Eyes - Enchanted Hunting Set - Effect: Gives the user a large boost in speed and accuracy of attacks. It also increases the user's movement by 2.0 (which is partly how it does the above...) *** Thanks to Tetra and Almasy for the further information! *** Includes: Sherwood Bow Sherwood Hat Grincer Coat Forest Boots - Candy Set - Effect: Restores to the user 10% of max HP after any turn (when damaged). *** Thanks to Mike82819 and Tetra for confirming this! *** Includes: Sugar Cane Candy Armor Chocolate Shield Candy Helm -- Ummm, yeah! -- For right now, just the randomness of these comments will have to do! -- w00t! I'll update later! ________________________________________________________________________ ************************************************************************ ************** (XIII) A Few Final Comments to All of You ************** ************************************************************************ ________________________________________________________________________ If you have an idea for a question to add, or just have a question you want answered, before you submit them to me, make sure you check to make sure they are not already in the FAQ. I'll be more than happy to take any questions and answers that you may find useful, but please, make sure, before you send it my way, that I don't already have it in here. It is such a pain to sort through all the mail as it is. ## Contributors, and Thanks: ## Yes, most definitely, thanks deserve to be given to many people. But where do I start? That is the hardest part. One of the first people to really help me out gave me a bit of info on both the story and the introductory segments. Landon (from www.tacticsogre.com) helped me by giving the numbers and points for the Fortune Teller questions as well as their effects. He has also provided an extra host for the FAQ. If that wasn't enough, the simple maintenance of his site, and the continual update of information on there has been of insanely high value to me. Then, to top all that off, he contributed almost an entire set of class level-up bonuses. Wow. I just don't know what I would have done without his extra resources. Thanks Landon!! Another huge figure in this, with lots of knowledge on the OB/TO universe and a near-encyclopedic obsession with figuring it all out, Rashidi has been invaluable. He knows, easily, the most on this series I have ever witnessed, except perhaps goukei (with whom I talk very little, unfortunately). Still, he has been a great help, especially filling me in on what history I really should know. Thanks a million Rashidi! As if my list were to have no end (which is a good thing), another large contributor, especially early on when I needed just basic information on levels, as well as alternative tactics, was Haunter12O. He helped give me a different look at some levels, showing me some things I might otherwise have overlooked. He also wrote a few segments for me, giving a slightly more tactical approach to some battles. Overall, his contributions have been invaluable. Haunter, I salute you! ^_^ As if to finish what Haunter started, beyowulf came along and began doing a really great job with some of the battles, greatly aiding my walkthrough progress. All in all, he actually took the A Path through to completion in a much shorter time than I did. However, he also added significantly less commentary. Still, he did a GREAT job, and he really helped me out... Throughout the FAQ-writing process, goukei's website has been an INCREDIBLE resource. Not only was it the inspiration for the OB Encyclopedia that Destin and Rashidi have been working on for so long, but it also had an incredible list of items that was nearly complete, and complimented what I had already gathered to do almost EVERYTHING for that section. His hard work on that page has made this FAQ so much easier to write, it's incredible... A million thanks go out to goukei! More great help came from both DeadS and Terence, who wrote up a lot of the hidden item locations for me. Without that, I am SURE it would have taken a lot longer to put in this guide... Both of you did an outstanding job, and thank you so much! Another notorious shout out is for the man called Questionable. Especially after the first release of the FAQ (version 2.0), he did some hardcore gaming to help fill in the gaps for stat increases. Going beyond the call of duty, he gave complete stats for several questions, as well as a few item descriptions. Then, as if he was just a contributing machine, he aided me in lots of other ways, such as finding flaws in the guide, filling in more spells that I had missed, and just generally doing LOTS of useful things, all to make this more complete. Overall, he was just a great contributor! And now, due to a MAJOR oversight, I am quite pleased to add to this list the man known as Tetra! He has provided far too many contributions for me to list, but among the list should be a serious job of editing, some outstanding emblem contributions, and even more that I just can't remember due to my own small memory. ^_~ Either way, huge amounts of thanks to Tetra, and an apology for not doing this earlier! I suppose after that it is only right to thank the major contributors, who I have taken quotes from or asked specific help of: Destin, fenrir knight, aragornanduril, Id of Ith, Dakotazout, Jarek, Nico Silius, mikee83, Michael S, mogmaster, Austerity, Zach Collins, Neoflare, ROGUE-Gladiator... ...and everyone else who helped me compile questions, answers, and just generally, on both the GameFAQs boards or those who just contributed ideas in emails and IMs. Last but definitely not least, I'd also like to thank every member of the two Ogre Battle and Tactics Ogre Boards on GameFAQs.com, for either directly or indirectly you have contributed to this. Even if you just asked one simple question once, or flamed someone else, you have helped me somehow. One final note: You could take all my advice and just take my word for everything, but still, I learned all this from going out and doing it, playing the game, and having fun. That is, and has always been, the best way to figure out the answers to your own questions. I suggest you get to it. good luck Have fun! That is what this game is meant for. If you find yourself starting to hurt your controllers and throwing them across the room in a fit of anger, why not take a break for a bit? Come online, go to the boards, and let the vets flame your aggression out of you. It will be fun (for us), I promise. If that doesn't float your boat, then just remember: This FAQ is designed to help the individual, over-asked questions as well as provide a basic walkthrough. If you want one with a bit more depth, check some of the other FAQs, but don't expect too much. That's about it... except for the legal stuff. This guide should only be found on the following sites. Please please please let me know if you find it elsewhere, since i will then need to contact someone about a little problem... www.gamefaqs.com www.tacticsogre.com www.gamespot.com www.neoseeker.com www.cheathappens.com www.ign.com www.mmxt.cjb.net This FAQ is the property of bearsman6, Sean Sexton, and the rest of his numerous personalities. Any use of this FAQ without his (our) permission is strictly prohibited. If you would like to get in touch with him, please direct all comments and email to bearsman6@hotmail.com. If that wasn't enough, you can almost always find me on the game boards at www.gamefaqs.com. I am constantly patrolling the board for this game, especially, though under various names. If you have a question, just post there and address it to bearsman6 and I will answer in one of my many forms. Fine fine, here is the list so far: bearsman6 (the obvious choice of champions), Sixx, BLEEP (don't ask, please), prose, Iguana Lightblade, nine11, something xzotic, and another, but you don't need to know that one. Thank you again, to all that contributed and helped along the way, especially all my awesome vets at the OB boards. Without you, I would never have cared enough, really(c) to write this... Thanks again.