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Brigandine (e)

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Brigandine FAQ Version 1.3
by Zhou Tai An (kain@pacific.net.sg)

Disclaimer (after 10 or so FAQs, I'm getting slightly tired of writing these
but here goes anyway) : this FAQ and all contents are the property of Zhou 
Tai An. Wanna use it? Mail me or I WILL get you. ^_^

Second disclaimer has been removed since I have since decided that the game 
is worth writing a semi-detailed FAQ about after all...and all that help
from my fellow gamers sure helped! Thanks guys. ^_^

Finally...

Although it appears that the FAQ has gained considerable structure (having
your mom nagging you about a messy desk seems to have had some rather deep
psychological effects...^_^) it's still under heavy construction. Watch out
for falling word endings!

******

On with the show!

******

The Basics :

First, let's tackle the Organize phase of the game. This is where you move 
people around, give quests and the like. Some hints :

1. Move well. If you move, you can't attack in the same turn - if you do want
to just attack, it would make a lot more sense to simply attack and forego 
the move. You can also move as many units as you want in a single phase, with
no time restrictions - make use of this. But you can only attack adjacent
enemy castles; noto bene!

2. Quests. Things to remember about quests include the fact that :

a) Generals who go on quests DO NOT RETURN FOR A WHILE. This is IMPORTANT. This
means that your castles will go unguarded (unless you have someone else 
inside them) you will not be able to move them, they can't be assigned 
troops; in other words, temporarily MIA. Because quests have indefinite time
periods, don't send your most important generals on them since there's no 
guarantee that they will return in time for whatever you're planning.

b) That aside, quests are still good 'cause they net you stuff. MP bonuses, 
more Rune Power etc - sometimes quite hefty ones. So if you have a spare 
general lying around who isn't vital to your war effort, send him\her 
somewhere to power up a bit. Of course, there are also bad effects, but hey,
rough with the smooth and all that no?

c) Some quests are essential...well, sorta. Examples include Coel's first
quest, which should be to recruit Glauze to your side - things like that. 
Defeating an enemy nation also scatters some of their former generals across
the continent, and then can only return to the fray (on your side, of course)
after a correct quest has been undertaken. Don't ignore potentially very 
useful opportunites such as these.

d) It seems I missed out a key detail in section a) above (and since I'm 
using Notepad to write this I don't get word wrap, so it's here instead)
namely, that quests also net you important items such as Rage Lightning 
(Titans into Thors) and Level 10+ monster units. 

3. Get your country in order. Immediately move powerful and to-be-trained generals
(such as weak leaders like Lance or Lyonesse) to the front lines so they
can repulse enemy invasions and\or level up - throw your spare or recuperating
generals to backwater castles or the other outlying areas. Find choke points
at the crossroads of several paths to block off - if you keep the enemy from
coming into your territory there won't be any need to defend it. Try to 
control as many places as possible so it's easier to stage attacks and add
Mana to your reserves. Be sure to shore up the frontier with enough 
reinforcements. A suggested strategy is main generals and your leader at
the front choke points with support\questing generals right behind. Feed your
dog.

4. Watch out for elemental differences. Black units deal heavy damage to 
white ones and vice versa; same goes for red\blue and all the rest. Certain
units (such as the Wyvern) don't seem to have any elemental alignment though.
The amount of orbs each unit has is also important - a three-red unit
(a Phoenix, for example) will do massive damage to a Hydra (two-blue) but
will take a lot in return as well - conversely, if Dryst (one black one red)
were to hit the same Hydra he wouldn't take as much since only his red 
affects the elemental difference.

5. One thing which has probably escaped your notice (but which I'm bringing
to your attention) is that attacks that have a range of more than 2 hexes
(Middle Shot, Killer Shot, Bat Attack etc) can't be counterattacked EVEN if 
the defending unit is normally able to. This doesn't work if the attack is
made front a one-hex distance of course.

******

Combat

Indubitably the singular aspect of gameplay that makes or breaks an RPG, 
IMHO. While not exactly boasting the most innovative system of battle ever,
Brigandine's is decent if not much else. Now, on to the hints...

Detailed Unit Breakdown : (more info will be added as I play further)

(Note : I realize that this list isn't complete; if anyone could send me 
notes on the later class changes or their own opinions on the units I would
be most welcome. I might have mislisted some of the Costs here as well. I'm
not including Upkeep costs for no reason other than because I don't feel 
like it.)

1. Ghoul. Cheap, good cannon fodder. Low Rune and Mana cost as well as fast
leveling-up makes Ghouls good shock troopers - unfortunately, their weak
attacks and low life doesn't make them much else. A few are good to stop
gaps and use for initial attack\defense; but sticking to the more powerful 
troops is generally a better idea. They also level up damn fast and become
the deadly Vampire Lords - another thing to keep in mind.

Cost 15\60 (First digit is Rune Power cost, next is Mana)

1b. Vampire. Treat as a better Ghoul with Life Drain capability. Not too 
useful, but they do become...

Cost 30

1c. Vampire Lords. Great stuff. Regenerative ability combined with nifty 
magic and skills (Necro Rebirth in particular) make them excellent support\
front line units. Use well.

Cost 70

2. Centaur. Pretty fast moving decent sniper who can hold his own in direct
confrontation, placing one or two in key locations of the battlefield and
sealing off the gaps with strong troops such as Dragons can be a devastating
strategy. One or two to even out your forces, but be wary that their low
HP and average attacks make them less useful in some situations.

Cost 35\160

2b. High Centaur. Strong backup; their three-square shot range is invaluable
for sniping and finishing attacks. A good solid line of these can make
a SERIOUS enemy deterrent.

Cost 50

3. Pixie. Strictly a support troop, (their Stick Tap is absolutely USELESS)
good movement range, Protect and Silence make at least one or two a welcome
addition to your side - any more is wasting space. However, these level
up damn fast to become -

Cost 30/120

3b. Fairy. An essential support unit. More MP than a Pegasus combined with
React, (one of the best spells in the game - using it on a mage unit is 
DEADLY) Paralyze and the other spells will cement your defense line together
like glue. Still hopeless at melee combat but it's critical attack seems
to be kinda useful.

Cost 45

4. Angel. I like these guys. Good defense, high MP, and they fly. Don't use
them to attack (though they can harrow enemy mages and finish off weak foes),
but instead use them as blockers - who can blow the opposition to pieces with
Divine Word and render battlefield assistance with Heal. Only their high Rune
and Mana costs make them somewhat costly; but they are good, no doubt about
it.

Cost 85/500

4b. Archangel. I was initially a bit disappointed with the promoted Angel
(hey, with an attack name like Cross Blitz I expect damage!) but their Holy
Word makes their blocking capabilites damn powerful - more MP doesn't hurt 
either.

Cost 100

4c. Seraph. Basically a better Archangel with yet more MP and spells - among
them Area Heal. They also have a two-hex range attack usable after moving,
so they can be effectively mobile as well.

4d. Lucifer. Appears to be the same but with Meteor Doom added. Haven't 
gotten one yet.

Cost 120

5. Dragon. Absolutely the BEST attack troop in the beginning of the game -
Terror Jaw packs a wallop and Acid Breath can be downright devastating. 
Relatively low Rune and Mana costs make them THE troop to level enemies with;
good support essentially assures you the victory.

Cost 75/420

5b. You can either go to White or Red Dragon here - I opt for Red because
that troop can become a rockin' Salamander. (Believe me, you don't know what
satisfaction is until you see a Grand Flame rip half your enemy's army apart)
Regardless of which you pick though, use them as a more powerful version of
the basic Dragon. White also flies but Red walks.

Cost 90

5c. Salamanders rock. They also eat mages for breakfast and blast armies
to kingdom come. Use them as all-purpose badass buggers. ^_^ Fafnirs can
be used in the same way; in fact, their flying ability edges them out a bit
over the land-bound Salamanders.

Cost 115

5x. Gold Dragon. Supposed to be identical to any of the third-class dragons
but with a different elemental class. Haven't gotten one.

6. Giant. Works basically like a Golem for the most part. Use both of them
the same way - as your frontal attack forces with adequate support. 

Cost 60\280

6b. Gigas or Titan. Bigger, stronger - not faster, but who cares. Treat as 
better Giants. With a Power spell cast on them, these guys can do serious
damage to the enemy ranks.

6c. Thor. Only with Rage Lightning. Note that only Titans become this class;
with no added bonus from being a Gigas you had may as well let all Level 10
Giants be Titans.

Cost 85

7. Clay Golem. See above. A great difference between Golems and Giants is that
the latter has a *crappy* hit rate - high defense makes them unequalled 
blockers though.

Cost 45/240

7b. Stone Golem. As per Golem - Stone Throw is useless. These guys can absorb
tons of damage, though, which is something to think about.

Cost 70

7c. Bronze Golem.

8. Unicorn. I use them basically as support (for Heal) but they can provide
defense and last-minute rushes if needed. Two or three (less if you have
healing generals on your side) make good support troops.

Cost 40/220

8b. Unicorns become either Nightmares or Pegasi - Pegasi all the way. Though
they don't gain more attack power or spells (Halo doesn't really count)
they can fly - meaning that getting to key areas of the battlefield is 
easier. Nightmares only have the risky Dimension spell instead and LOSE
their prior healing spells. Let's face it - you want to KILL enemies, not
weaken them.

Cost 55

9. Wyvern. Use them the same way as Rocs - frontal attack flying troops. I
usually have Dragons\Giants\Golem fight the main battles and use Wyverns\Rocs
to snipe dying enemies\whack the mages. 

Cost 60/320

9b. Couati. Treat as better Wyvern until they become Bahamuts. Dragon Roar
is pretty much useless.

Cost 80

9c. Bahamut. I really prefer the Dragon versions of this class due to their
higher life total - the Bahamut's tradeoff of better speed isn't that
useful. However, any third-level unit in the game kicks serious ass and this 
one is no exception.

10. Rocs. See above. Upon further thought, their ability to stone enemy
troops makes them an overall better choice than Wyverns (I like Gryphons 
though) and their Cry Bird ability is excellent especially as they're able to
fly right into the middle of the enemy force and use it to devastating
effect.

Cost 75/360

10b. Phoenix. More good stuff. Their regeneration capability makes for
the hardiest second-level unit in the game (60-70+ HP Recovery) and their
attack strength is nothing to scoff at either.

Cost 90

11. Demon. Works like an evil Angel (which it is) Use accordingly. Venom 
and Curse make good blasting magic.

Cost 85/480

11b. Arch Demon. More good blasting magic, and at a high enough level their
Weakness and Dimension hit most of the time. But for me it's the ability
to cast 3 Curses that makes their 100 Rune Power cost worthwhile. Criticals
by them also paralyze the enemy.

Cost 100

11c. Satan. Get them. They rule. A whole LOAD of magic and decent physical
ability to boot (and they have Meteor Doom...) The only problem with these
guys is that it takes practically AGES to advance a Demon far enough.

Cost 115

11d. Lilith. Obtained by Charm Liquor. Has all the above besides a 
charm-causing critical attack and some good Angel spells.

Cost 120

12. Mandrake. Good blockers (600+ Hp for starting unit) and paralysis make
them adequate front-liners, but their damage sucks. 

Cost 35/220

12b. Man-Eater. 

Cost 50

13. G-Scorpion. Basically the same assessment as the above - poison is useful
but Scorpions have HORRIBLE HP.

Cost 20/180

13b. Death Needle. Treat as better Scorpion. One advantage with Scorpions
is that they're defense is higher than other similar units; (though they
have a low HP values) a single Heal spell will restore more than half of 
total HP! Something to think about when planning a defense.

Cost 35

14. Merman. Strictly a water unit. I tend to use power units such as Hydras
more than these guys when fighting on water, though, mostly due to the 
latter's breath weapon.

14b. Triton. Water *only*. Maelstorm can't even be used on land! Once again,
I find Hydras much better.

Cost 40

15. Hydra. The aquatical equivalent of a Dragon. Not so much use on land, 
but with the 20% fighting advantage and 5% recovery being on water gives,
Hydras are effective indeed on their chosen terrain. If you can get Tiamats,
they become so damn strong ground-fighting is fine too.

Cost 80/460

15b. Tiamat. A whole load of HP and 5-hex breath weapon range, not to 
mention killer attack, make this an excellent combat unit in or out of
water. It's slow though; be careful. Also, these guys will take tremendous
damage fron fire-based units (though they will deal back the same) so watch
out. (Hydras too of course.)

Cost 110

16. Hellhound. Probably the best ability of this unit is moving again after
an attack - unfortunately, their weak attack makes them kinda useless in the
front line and lack of distance capability the same at the back. You might
find some kind of niche use for them; I haven't.

Cost 35/180

16a. Fenrir. Not too useful. Better mobility and greater breath weapon range,
but the same disadvantages that plague the Hellhound are here too.

Cost 50

17. Griffin. Rocs are a better bet thanks to their petrifying and area-attack
abilites, but Griffins tend to be more readily available (more castles have
them) and are cheaper. Also, Holy Griffins deal tremendous damage to enemy
undead. The final analysis has them a close second to Rocs though, at least
IMHO.

Cost 55/300

17b. Holy Griffin. Undead\mage killers who make pretty good all-round 
fighting units as well. Feather Storm is good for knocking out those guys in
the back or dealing death blows to escaping enemy troops.

Cost 80

18. Lizardman. Stick with Hydras IMHO. Though they fight better than Mermen
on land, the superiority isn't exactly tremendous either. 

Cost 30

18b. Lizard Guard. Basically a beefed-up Lizardman. Poison Breath is useful
but not awfully so. One thing about this unit, though, it it's excellent
hit rate - it seems to never miss!

Cost 45

19. Jinn. Think of them as movable support units. Not being able to 
counterattack sucks (big time) but their Air Storm is good in a pinch and
can be used after moving as well.

Cost 30

19b. Efreeti, Dao, Marid and Djinni.  Still can't counterattack, but 
X/Storms and more MP to use it aren't bad either. If you have one (I don't,
I'm a blow-the-front-door down kinda guy) then be sure use it judiciously.

General Type Breakdown (still not complete - haven't gotten all the units)

Before I start on this section, I'd like to take some time to thank Jim
Irwin - I'd better, because the entire next section of text is his alone. 
^_^

Well, in addition to very helpfully answered my questions about Expert status
and stars, he's actually done it so well that there was no need for me to
re-format or edit anything! (Well, besides a few cosmetic modifications...)
Thanks a lot man!

The number of stars is how many levels that character has earned while being
whatever class he/she is.  When a character has gained 5 levels in a certain
class they become an "EXPERT!" and ALL spells and/or skills will now 
permanently remain with them no matter what class you change them to.  In my 
experience you can switch classes back and forth as much as you want; the 
computer will keep track of your stars in each class even if you change 
before "EXPERT!" - although once you choose a path of advancement (i.e either
Sorceror or Druid in the Mage advancement tree) you won't be able to pick the
other one even if you gain no levels in the Sorceror/Druid class.  Also, 
you won't be able to change back to a Mage of course :)

Then, when you reach levels 10, 20, and 30 you can advance to higher ranks in
classes, but only those you've become an expert in.  i.e even if you're level
20, if you haven't mastered Priest you can't become a Bishop/Monk or 
Cardinal/Guardian until you become an expert in the lower versions of the 
class.

I don't know why some characters can change to a bunch of different classes 
and some can't...maybe it's stat based or something (like Ogre Battle).

So basically, once you master a class if you still have levels to go until
10, 20, or 30 it's a waste to stay as the same class, since you could
effectively master 6 different classes if you start at level 1 with a star in
your class by spending 5 levels at each of the classes, and even if you don't
master the class you might as well change your mage into a fighter just so he
has better defense until you can change to a sorceror/druid.  Of course, the
class you are when you level up affects your stat increases, but if you choose
similar stuff like Mage/Priests or Ranger/Barbarians you should end up with a
really powerful character with lots of useful Spells/Skills.

Now, on the classes themselves :

We'll start with the female units. (BTW, if you can be bothered, go read my
Tactics Ogre FAQ for a quick, purel humourous in-joke on my chauvinistic 
propensities. ^_^)

Female units start as either;

1) Scouts. Basic female attack unit. Treat as hardier Centaur.

2) Clerics.  Basic female healing unit. Treat as Unicorn with less movement
and more magic.

or

3) Enchantresses. Basic - you know the drill. The female equivalent of a 
Mage.

>From then on we go to 4 and 5 : Scouts promote to either Archers or Lancers.
I say Archers as they can attack after moving; (besides having more magic)
however, Lancers are hardier and can become Valkyries who possess the deadly 
Holy Word spell.

However, if you're following the magic-users' advancement tree, Clerics become
Lector (and from then on to Cardinal) whereas Enchantresses become 
Sorceresses who can command greater magical might. One difference of note
between the male and female classes at this point is that Mage start as red
units whereas Enchantresses are blue; keep that in mind when planning a 
force. Mystics are sorta like a go-between these with both blue and white
spells. An important note about this class is that once changed into, a
Mystic cannot become any other class except a Level 20 Sage.

Now for the boys. The standard male fighting unit is a Fighter (whose weapon
is a Fighter Blade; omigod, the tautology is killing me) who progress\changes
to a Grappler, Ranger, Cavalier or Berserker. More precisely, a Ranger 
becomes a Grappler while a Fighter goes to either Cavail or Berserk. 
The path of light beckons with the Heal spell; however, darkness offers 
higher attack and HP and well as 5% regeneration as recompense. Your pick.
I'd say can the Rangers because their 5% plus to the critical rate is 
nothing much; neither do Grapplers have any special abilities.

A Cavalier eventually becomes a Paladin, able to cast Holy Word in addition
to his normal heal - Avenger's, on the other hand, gain their regeneration,
Curse and Weakness. Finally, becoming a Samurai and from there to Shogun
is also a possibility; you lose the regeneration and\or magic spells but
gain a massive bonus to Hit Rate and Iai Slash - useful for killing guys
in the back with a low MP cost to boot. Of course, Ninja are also an option
as magic-users with Hit and Away, but only after you get Shiraha can male
generals shift to this class.

As for the "king"-type units such as Tyrant, Lord etc in the game, I'm afraid
they can't promote until they reach Level 30 - the payoff is that their 
innate abilities and level-ups are much better than normal classes. However,
once reaching that limit, they will change to a new class they very next 
month and receive bonuses to attack\defense as well as new and better 
spells.

Spell Breakdown : (note that all area-effect spells' range is determined by
a general's Rune Area stat)

1. Protect. Halves all physical damage done to one unit for one turn, 
quarters it the next and does nada on the third. Not terribly useful but good
for bolstering your front line's defense.

2. Silence. Prevents one unit for casting any magic for 3-5 turns. Good 
against mage units (duh!) - it's long range is also a plus.

3. Accel. Increases movement for one turn. Don't use it much, but hastening
slow but powerful units (Gigas etc) towards the front line is aways good.
On second thoughts, why didn't you just develop your front line further 
back so they wouldn't have to catch up in the first place?

4. Fog. Decreases hit rate for one unit. Very effective against low Agility
units such as Golems - they will whiff practically everything with this
cast on them. Has limited use on the more dextrous enemies.

5. Flame. Standard attack magic. Does decent damage.

6. Thunder. Treat as better Flame with longer reach.

7. Frost. Blue version of Flame.

8. Curse\Divine Ray. Heavy damage single-attack spell, especially 
effective against undead\holy units. Great for breaking through front
lines or killing specific units. Watch for the short (2 hex) range
though.

9. Holy Word\Geno Flame\Geno Frost. Area-effect blasts, very effective
against their opposite elements. Save MP for them and let rip when in the
enemies' midst for best results. Love 'em. ^_^

10. Exa-Blast\Fall Berg. Function like Curse and Divine Ray; slightly 
more powerful though. 

11. Heal. Standard healing.

12. Cure. Remedies any adverse condition.

13. Area Heal. Has lesser range than Genos; be careful of it's usage. Also,
heals less damage than a regular Heal.

14. Halo. Doubles gained experience for a single attack. Use this with 
Paralysis on enemy generals for best results. Can gain loads of levels if 
done right.

15. Weakness. Renders enemy unit pitifully weak if it connects - unfortunately,
does not do so often. Use with caution.

16. Dimension. Teleports one unit anywhere on the map (location is random) 
Excellent - and I mean *excellent* - at taking out key units and diverting enemy
defense. Trouble is it doesn't hit often. To maximize effectiveness, only have 
powerful units cast it and try to target weak ones.

17. Meteor Doom. Haven't tested this yet, but it looks scary...

18. Necro Rebirth. Ressurects one killed enemy unit on your side (the 
casting unit need not have dealt the killing blow) Damn useful as you can
grab that pesky Fafnir after you've wasted it...

19. Raises unit attack strength for one turn. Seems to do it by a percentage
figure (I'd guess half) so try to stick your main damage-dealing units with
it. Can be *devastating* if used well - once did over 400 damage to an enemy
mage.

20. Venom. Does moderate damage and then maybe poisons enemy unit. Useful to
weaken strong foes or to kill off retreating enemies. (has long range - 5
hexes I think)

21. React. One of the best spells in the game - lets a given unit act again.
Multiple uses of this spell on your mage units can rip the whole enemy 
force to bits in second (watch the MP though) and of course, there's always
the expected use of that very last hit to kill the escaping general...

******

Tactics :

1. Let them come to you. (This works extremely well in concert with point
2 below) Find a good location and defend it - the enemy will most times send 
out generals singly, where you can engage and destroy them one by one. 
The computer also has a tendency to dispatch flying units to attack you first
 - shred them. 

2. Form a defensive line. IMHO this is the single most effective and important
battle tactic in Brigandine; powerful units in front, generals slightly behind
and support troops to the back. This way, you can block any advance and chew
through the enemy assualt waves slowly and systematically - support ensures
that your line is not breached while flying units quickly stop up gaps;
meanwhile, your mages and other units kill the enemy. Try it - it works. 
Well.

3. Kill mages. Most will take heavy damage from physical units such as 
Giants - hit them a few times then send in flying units for the kill. Or use
magic. Or skills. JUST KILL MAGES. Why? Because, and not to be redundant 
here - MAGES USE MAGIC. (Another good reason to use Pixies BTW.) Area-effect
spells like the Geno-type ones will seriously mess up any formation such
as the above-mentioned defensive line; (no, this is NOT a good reason to
abandon my earlier strategy - just try it and see why) so kill them.

4. Kill generals. Yes, I know this is patently obvious, but listen anyway.
When a general dies, his\her troops either vanish from the battlefield or
stay and become vastly weaker. And can be captured. Either way it's good for
you, so - you guessed it - KILL GENERALS. The same goes for your forces - 
don't let your generals die. The one month it takes from them to get back
into action is Not a Good Thing. If the going gets bad, retreat. (You might 
want to let all your troops act first and THEN let the general commanding 
them issue the retreat order - you can kill off some extra baddies and\or 
grab a little bit more experience.)

4a. There is, however, an important collorary to this strategy. Promoted
monsters are more powerful than generals - and they can die permanently. So
when push comes to shove I usually prefer to save my monsters instead; when
it's the choice between a puny Level 6 Fighter and mighty Salamander ALWAYS
pick the second.

5. Lure. The enemies will make a beeline for your weaker and\or unable to
counterattack units (such as Jinns) You can use this to your advantage by
stationing a Centaur or Unicorn near the front line, which the enemy's 
attention will be diverted too. You'll probably use the unit but this 
strategy can be very useful is applied correctly.

******

Conquest 

I've covered some of this in the earlier sections of the FAQ, but here is 
where I focus on the nitty-gritty of continued assualt and siege of
opposing nations.

1. Choke point. If a defensive line is the best combat strategy in the game
the tactical equivalent has got to be this. Find key castles which possession
of stave off ALL enemy attacks into your area and secure them with your
most powerful generals. From here on, you can...

2. Advance. But slowly. Always keep your key castles well-stocked and ready
so you can beat back a hasty retreat and not lose too much ground. Still,
careful advancing has it's benefits; as you secure more and more castles,
the enemy will have less Mana with which to create monsters, leading us to
the strategy of -

3. Selective Slaying. Once you've established a foothold in the enemy's
territory, begin killing off all their powerful monster units since - you
guessed it - they don't regenerate. Especially the second and third level 
ones. When used in concert with point 2 above, this will allow you to deal
lasting damage to an enemy nation.

4. Once you're pretty certain that victory is at hand, begin striking at 
their generals. Hopefully, you've thinned their monster ranks enough so much
that they can only muster a token defense. This is your chance to aim and
put those powerful enemy generals out of comission. Even if that's only for 
one month, it's more than enough time to -

5. Deal the finishing blow. Encircle the enemy so that he has at most 2-3
castles - which he shouldn't even have if you've followed the steps above.
Attack and destroy.

6. On the easier levels (especially Easy) their seems to be a lull in 
nation activity sometimes when they will not attack your castles even if an
excellent opportunity presents itself - make use of this.

Now we move on to the Castle Breakdown section. Unfinished at present, but
as I play further I'll write more on those outlying regional castles as 
well as finishing the list.

Cadbury : Not essential to controlling the middle part of the continient, but
when combined with Toria and Dilworth it'll give you more or less some hold
on the situation there.

Calmary : Defend like hell if playing Almekia, otherwise, its either the 
eventual goal of any nation taking the three-castles route down or at the
end of massive continental contest. 

Orkney : Key city. Provides routes into and out of Norgard, Almekia and
Esgares - vital if fighting in that area. 

Lidney : Basically a bridge between Norgard and Esgares. Important in
any northern assaults though.

Toria : Will stave off Caerleon's invasions as well as give your main units
support when fighting in the map center.

Kardiff : City that controls all movement over the western sections.
Prevents Norgard\Almekia attacks. Also useful with to launch strikes against
Norgard.

Allryme : One of the cities on the "three-castles" path. No importance
besides that.

Gorule. Last castle on the path. Effective staging into Almekian territory
can be made from here, either that or you need to protect it as a last-resort
measure.

Bayford : Useless unless fighting against Caerleon - in that case, stops 
all western activity of that nation.

Logres : Almekia's former capital is a major source of income as well as 
boasting a good and varied troop selection - make it a point to control it
if possible. Any kind of assualt on New Almekia and\or Esgares will have to
entail taking his castle, so factor that into any long-term plans of conquest
you might make. It's middle location is also useful.

Caelsent : Having this means either 1)  Iscalio goes boom next turn or 2)
You're Iscalio and you're a sucky player. ^_^ With only one castle behind
this capital city isn't of no importance strategically unless you've attacked
Iscalio only through one city route; in that case securing it is probably a
wise move. (Which will hopefully lead to 1 above)

Broceliade : One of the two castles leading to Caelsent and inner Iscalian
territory, you'll have to break this one down in order to get to the 
capital. If you're playing Mr Peacock Feathers, though, protecting both
routes is essential and you won't want anyone breaking through.

Letishnote : Basically the same as Broceliade above. It's sister city along
another route.

Xanas : This castle typically comes under heavy fire from Caerleon and 
Esgares early in the game - protect it. When not playing Iscalio, though, it
provides a secure foothold with which to assualt the nation.

Asten : The other Iscalian frontier city. Basically treat the same way
as Xanas.

Humber : Prevents any troops from entering Leonia to Norgard and vice versa.
Essential when playing or attacking either of those nations.

Tallas : Leonia's capital city isn't of terrible strategic importance, but
it will allow control of the eastern area of the continent quite well. Like
all capital cities' though, the income it provides is pretty hefty.

Senadon : Functions like Humber but allows attacks into Norgard as well.

Flogeru : Essential for any conquest of Norgard. Excellent for control of 
the northern area as well.

Karnabone : Too far to the east and being sequestered in a mountain area 
doesn't do much for it's tactical strength, but controlling this one lends
some kind of support to any fighting going on in the map middle.

Listinoise : Provides inroads into Norgard from the south as well as entry
to Almekian\Esgardian territory.

******

Ruler Walkthroughs 

Under heavy construction; I'm only going to write a walkthrough when I've 
completed the scenario of that ruler, and playing through all 5 will take me
some time...also, because each game varies, (differing difficulty levels, 
nation strategies etc) the strategy outlined here will not necessarily work 
for you. In that case, don't sue me. ^_^

Lance - Kingdom of New Almekia

Probably the best kingdom to start out with, Lance gets some pretty powerful
generals in the beginning of the game (Coel, Meleagant and Geraint come to
mind) and their alliance with Caerleon ensures some early-game support. 
Heck, you can probably just use all your Level 20+ guys to win the game...

Anyway, once you've started, two first priorities include taking Kardiff to
prevent any attacks from Norgard and striking at the Esgares Empire, your
main baddy. Initial assualts will be difficult as Zemeckis and Cador are 
tough to beat, but as Caerleon expands and in-fighting at the eastern part of
the continent continues (Iscalion, Leonia), you should be able to take 
enough castles in the middle area to prevent any further Esgardian expansion.
Sit back and take a breather, concentrate on training Lance a bit further,
send generals on some quests and then get back into the action.

Note : Do NOT under ANY circumstance attempt to attack Caerleon during the 
game! This will do nothing except earn you a strong foe (Cai has a Magic
rating of *10*) and make life much harder. In you cam, try to synch your
asaults with Caerleon's and be sure to lend them decent support; if done
right, they will dominate the entire southern region of the continent and 
save you a lot of trouble.

Halley should join you sometime around the middle game, lending you 
additional support. (Note that she will leave later though - about a year or
so.) Finish destroying the Empire by taking it's central castles; hopefully,
Norgard's and Caerleon's continued attacks have done something to cut it
down somewhat. Once Esgares is gone, begin direct assualts on Lidney and then
later, Senadon, to stave off Norgard's and Leonia's attacks. (I assume you
have Orkney and Kardiff covered, no?) From there, with the additional
generals garnered from Esgares's fall, it should be easy enough to wipe
out Norgard and Leonia in a year or two. Your good buddy Caerleon hopefully
should have finished off Iscalio and tada - victory!

Almekian General Breakdown (I'm only breaking down the GOOD generals in the
game, not the lousy Level 1-5 ones...)

Geraint : He makes a great attack general, and starts off only one level
from Shogun. Frequent criticals and Iai Slash are damn useful, man.

Meleagant : Somewhat low Rune Power, but high attack and regeneration are 
good. Don't forget he can use Curse to deal a single heavy-damage blow.

Lance : Not too good in the early parts of the game, but high Rune Power and
Geno-Flame later on are things to watch out for. Low defense means no
frontal assualts though.

Coel : Good healing. Starts with some hefty units, too. (You did see the
Salamander Lance has didn't you?)

Halley : Two words (no pun intended) : Holy Word. She deals heavy damage and
the aforementioned spell is good in a pinch.

Gilsus (and Carlotta and Aphelia) : These guys make a great trio. Plunk them
in the middle of your units and let rip with twin Genos and an Area Heal.

Iscalio Walkthrough 

So, you've decided to play The Fancy Hat Man. Well, you're in for a tough
time because, as Ulster says right at the beginning, Dryst wants to attack
all 3 countries at the same time! Stupid. My advice would be to immediately
consolidate Xanas and Asten (the only two castles that block entrance to
your terrain) and strike at Leonia immediately, argubly the weakest nation
in the game. 

In-fighting in Leonian territory, especially around the vicinity of Tallas,
might prove a challenge, but with strong generals (just use 3 and keep on
attacking - Dryst, Iria and Camden are good) you'll beat them even if they 
retake one or two. Don't take Humber just yet; chase and Norgard will do it
for you, letting you finish off Lyonesse easily. If you really must, divert
one or two generals from your Xanas or Asten garrison to deal the last blow,
but be sure that your home ground defense is tight. Hopefully, Esgares,
Almekia and Caerleon are so busy whacking at each other that few invasions
will be made.

Now you're at a crossroads. Striking at Norgard will be difficult at this 
time (it's a big country; bigger with Vaynard breathing down your throat)
and any thing which involves Caerleon and\or Esgares would be short of 
sheer suicide. So what's to do? Well, the main reason for your conquest of 
Leonia was to curtail the assaults of one kindgom (now you have Norgard, but
Norgard's attentions are divided by Almekia and Esgares) and provide enough
income to build a steady campaign. 

Let's survey. Sitting tight and questing for upgrades is an option, though 
not a good long-term one (you'll be crushed) so whether or not you decide to
do so, any further actions will have to be accompanied by conquest. Which
and who are now the questions - Norgard will require manpower to control
the mass of castles in it's middle, or you could simply try to expand 
outwards, not directly attacking any nation. The choice is really up to you
here, though there are two things to keep in mind 1) Iscalio has a lack
of good generals, so your main attacks will be with powerful monsters 
2) don't leave your prior castles while advancing. Point 1 also means that
manpower is scarce...

However way you manage it, you've eventually be facing down Esgares sooner
or later. Try to surround them with the key cities in the middle and if
possible force them into Norgard and\or Almekia if you haven't already 
conquered them. That should assure you the victory sooner or later.

Iscalian Good Generals Breakdown 

1. Bademagus. Only four levels away from Avenger status and packs a mean
axe besides.

2. Dryst. Actually pretty lousy compared to the more powerful monarch 
classes, his magic does give him an edge in combat, which he's not too much
of a slouch at either.

3. Iria. Probably your best bet at early conquest. Be sure to gain two levels
soon so Holy Word can be used.

4. Camden. Weak but high INT is very damaging. Good support. Deadly when
Necromancer is reached.

Caerleon Ruler Walkthrough

A tremendous advantage this kingdom has over the others is it's monarch;
namely, King Cai. This guy happens to be the most powerful magician in the 
game (besides Bulnoil) and Dinadan is no slouch and combat either. 

However, Caerleon's major disadvatage in the amount of kingdoms it borders.
Unlike Iscalio who can wall off assault with only two castles, Caerleon needs
3 and at least 4 for any sort of conquest. So start training after an 
initial strike lands you Salisbury and Xanas. With some work, Merriot,
BeauArte, Cierra and Eloute (once you've gotten him) can join Cai and Dinadan
to kick some serious ass. 

*Note : As per Almekia's game, Caerleon will form an alliance with Lance
early on in the game. Follow the same precautions outlined in the Almekian
walkthrough.*

The trouble is where to start. I'd say Leonia once again, of course. (I
sorta feel sorry for poor Queen Lyonesse, but it's not MY fault she has only
one starting Level 20 general!) Station a decent force at Humber to stave 
off Norgard, and then turn your sights to either Esgares (hopefully being
battered by Almekian invasion) or finish off Vaynard with your own force.

(Unfinished)

******

Miscellaneous Bits and Pieces of Information as well as some Reader 
Strategies

Here are some hints that I found either didn't fit into the rest of the FAQ
or that I hadn't had a chance to test out. The strategies are in their 
original format as sent to me, so expect some messiness :

Difficulty Levels  - Some differences in the game as observed at different
difficulty levels are :

1) The nations become smarter in their attack\defense of castles. They will
not leave key ones undefended and advance more cautiously.

2) Movement in combat becomes different. The enemy will stay in place and
not rush into your forces at the higher difficulty levels.

3) Probably most importantly, Bulnoil (the magician Halley is after and the
one responsible for the continental chaos) will apparently appear if you 
complete the game on hard. He is terribly difficult to defeat (in addition
to having Cador on his side) so be prepared for a tough fight...

Bulnoil info. See above.

some information from fellcor -

if u didnt notice...sadly the damage is FIXED...so if u trying to kill off that
vampire lord if the last man on your team and he misses..ur save game in the attack
phase wont help...he will ALWAYS miss....i thought the computer was cheating but i
found out that its the way it is built...unless u move another unit in its place and
deal the final blow..OR u move the unit to a different hex and try to attack it
again...tried 20 times with 3 stone golems trying to hit 1 vampire lord ..damage 112
115 and miss...even the damage is fixed!!...quests are also fixed btw...if u failed
to save and lost a battle along with that solomon ring u can reload..that guy will
get u the same item...(solomon ring really rocks...by far the most useful item u can
equip in the game)

Now for some Really Useful Stuff from Jim Irwin :

First off whenever you get a Rune Knight by questing or defeating a country
it seems at least some of the other countries get extra Rune Knights too.
When I got all the ex-Esgares guys Iscalio got a bunch of Rune Knights too.
Since the computer doesn't appear to quest at all it must be an automatic thing
I guess.  Of course at this point Iscalio is the only country left, so maybe
that's why.  The descriptions of the defeated-country Rune Knights changed, 
too.

*Editor's Note : Yes, I confirmed this. The exact generals who shift 
allegiance seem to be randomized, though, but within story limits (so you
won't find Geraint joining Esgares, for instance)*

After you get Shiraha your male characters can change to the Ninja class...the
requirements seem to be Lv.10 (it's a 2-star class), 65 STR, 55 INT, and 70 AGI.
I'm positive about the AGI and level 10, but the STR and INT may be lower, but
not by much.  At level 20 if the Ninja class is mastered you should be able to
turn into a Ninja Master, but I haven't done that yet - too busy questing :)

After you get Millet and Mira, some guy named Rain will join you eventually.
I dunno if you have to have both twins in the same town for a month or what,
but he just shows up and joins one day.  He's Mira's stepbrother and starts as
a level 1 Mage.  If you have Rain quest he'll get his father Ranguinus (also an
ex-Esgares Rune Knight) to join you.  Not a bad set of guys to get for beating
up on Esgares, eh :)

Then sometime Millet and Mira will go on a 2-part quest together.  They return
to their hometown and save it from a Salamander but one of them gets wounded.
Next month they wake up in Carmine's house (he's a doctor) with their nanny.
The nanny gives them an item and they come back.  About a year later Carmine
will join your side as a Rune Knight, no quest necessary.

Another person you can get through questing is Layoneil.  He's some
super-powerful swordsman or something (Lv.16 Samurai when he joined me) but
the catch is when he joins you, his rival Helrato joins some other country.
Unforunately Helrato is a level 20 Avenger :P

If you have Schutleis on your side when you beat Esgares, Soleil will join
your side.  I dunno if only Norgard can get Shutleis to join them, but he
joined me on my second or third turn as Norgard.  Soleil is an excellent Rune
Knight with like 300 Rune Power, a Rune Area of 5, and he's a Bishop to 
boot!

Once you make Loufal a Cavalier if he quests he'll go home to visit his mother.
She's so proud of Loufal that she gives him his father's old sword (Mithril
Sword).

I think I've figured out the way stats relate to attack/defense power.  ATK
seems to be 2xSTR plus some set class bonus (for example, +80 ATK for 
Paladins). Similarly, DEF seems to be 1/2 of AGI plus some set class bonus.

I dunno exactly how INT affects spells but obviously the higher your INT is 
the more damage spells do.  However spells don't seem to get any damage 
bonuses or penalties depending which class you are, ie if a Mage and a 
Cavalier with the same INT cast the same spell on the same monster it does 
the same damage.

I forgot to mention that when Shiraha joins your side another Ninja named
Kazan joins one of the other countries.

Reader\Additonal Strategies Section (feel free to send some in, but make 
sure they're not modifications of the basic defense line theory or rehashes
of the ones below)

1. From Tonya Grady :

    Like you, I noticed that the defensive line with support units
allowed me to beat the computer 99% of the time.  I think I agree with
your assessment of all of the units.  One thing I did notice, a general
like a mage or archer with all centaurs (and maybe a unicorn) can be
devastating in the back row.  Towards the end of the game, I had a
general with 4 high centaurs and they were able to take apart almost any
creature so that with the help of my other troops, like rocs and
griffins, I was able to kill creatures like a fafnir (the white dragon
version of a salamander) which had 800+ hit points in one and a half
turns.  The the key is to have them right behind the dragons or rocs so
that they are protected.  If the line crumbles, they better retreat
fast.  Another thing I noticed is that golems are good for defensive
line, but not good at attacking.  (I use the same strategy on attack and
defense).  Giants on the other hand, are great for attacking (capable of
doing 100+ to dragons), but are not the greatest defenders.

    Another general strategy I noticed is if you are attacked and don't
have any healers or your healers are all out of magic points, have your
units wait rather than attack.  I seem to attack and miss and then get
hit by a critical attack at the most inopportune times.  When I waited
and let the computer attack me, I was able to counterattack and save hit
points.  Also, the computer seemed to be fair about spreading out the
misses and critical counterattacks, because I was saved on more than one
occasion by this.

	Some of the higher level units have significant differences. For
example, the griffin and the holygriff, and the pixie and the fairy.
The higher level ones are significantly better.  The downside is the
increased rune cost.  This is usually worth it though, as you saw with
one salamander being able to hold of a small army.  My army of a
salamander, a fafnir and four high centaurs, along with some other minor
units, was all but unstoppable.

    Finally, don't overlook maps with water.  If you use hydras or
mermen to attack or especially to defend, it gives them significant
advantages compared to when they are on land.  They regenerate and can
move farther.

2. From Dong K. Choy

>dependent on what city you are on.  You'll notice that cities nearby
>water will always allow you to summon a Hydra or water based creatures
>like Lizards and Mermaids.
>
>    War.
>           Definitely take on the defense, and form a line with centaurs
>as secondary, as well as your mages.  I normally set up my knights, and
>paladins up in the front intersperced between my dragons. since they can
>offer offense and defense.  And use spells often.. I found the Angels,
>and Unicorn's "Halo" spell a neccessity, because this will allow you to
>gain the fastest experience on unit cast.  When I used Norgard.. I had a
>bulldozer team of Vaynard, Guilard? (Forgot his name), and a Mage??.  I
>had a White dragon, Hydra, 2 Dragons, 2 Centaurs, a Unicorn, a Golem,
>and an Angel... or something like that!  I went through the mountainist
>terrain. in no time.. and nerver had a single death.  The dragons.. held
>everbody and have the special of acid breath. If you setup your team in
>a v pattern.. you can set your enemy up for crossfires.

Roc\Centaur Brigade Defense

I came up with this one myself while fighting a seemingly desperate battle.
With only a bunch of lousy generals to defend a key castle, I gave all of
them a mix of Rocs and Centaurs in the hopes that their petrifying\sniping
abilities would manage to kill at least a few enemy monsters.

Well, when I routed the entire enemy force I was a bit surprised. Heavy 
casualties on both sides, of course, but I was the victor. What this means 
is : when you've got absolutely no way to defend something that must be, use
one of the two above troops in a mass group to hopefully do some lasting 
damage. 6 or more Centaurs can rip advancing units to shreds (or kill the
commander, which is their prime use. Think about it; if you command 6 or
more, what's the chance that the commander gets to heal before you kill 
him\her?) Rocs can stop an attack cold with their high HP and petrify 
ability. So pick.

As an aside, an archer-type generals commanding only High Centaurs (usually 
4) can be pretty darn effective - 5 long-range, unreturnable attacks per 
turn. Think about it.

******

Quests

Here's a list of all the Quests I've managed to get so far and their myriad
permutations (so to speak ^_^) Info on any special or hard-to-get ones is
appreciated.

1. Flower Girl. Gives you a variety of flowers (rose, sunflower, lily) etc,
which results in attribute gains.

2. Dwarf. Gives you mushroom which either raises attributes, does nothing or
lets you understand animal speech (leading to getting a weapon)

3. Drunk Man. Gives you a weapon when he punches you, drinks get you 
nothing.

4. Soothsayer. Same as Flower Girl above.

5. Fountain. Results in either attribute gains from the water or the Fairy
cursing you, which is the same as being Wounded. (Funnier though. ^_^)

6. Flying Dragon. Drops weapon.

7. Castle full of ghosts. Gain a weapon.

8. Talking Rabbit. You either get Wounded or gain an item.

9. Protecting a village. If you're lucky, you gain a monster ally - if not,
you get squat.

10. Boat near island takes you to 1) maidens (plus 12 MP) 2) dancing fairies
(plus 3 AGI)

11. Kettle found on ground. Bee gets you HP Bonus.

12. Dark Cave. Often results in gaining a black-elemental weapon.

13. Tower. Find Lost Text = MP or INT increase, while the bomb Wounds you.

14. Tomb. Gain a weapon. (This seems to be the most hazard-friendly of all 
the weapon-gaining quests)

15. Ghost girl near tree. Gain item.

16. Cursed sandstone. Gain either Strength or HP.

17. Old man's warning at bridge. (INT up)

Character Quests :

1. Mira and Millet. 

2. Dogal.

3. Limlight. (takes 2-3 months)

4. Cathleen and Klaques (takes 3 months)

5. Shiraha. (After fall of Esgares)

6. Balder.

7. Cortina.

8. Hyude (who goes off on a quest the moment he joins BTW)

9. Aldis. (Getting her results in a Level 20 Gold Dragon joining as well)

******

Items\Armor\Weapons Lists

Whole dang thing sent by the indomitable Jim Irwin. Give him a big hand, 
now, boys and girls!

Class Key:
Fighter - just the Fighter class
Barbarians - Barbarian and Berserker classes 
Mages - Mage, Sorcerer, Druid, Wizard and Necromancer classes
Rangers - Ranger, Monk, Grappler, Guardian and Champion classes
Priests - Priest, Bishop and Cardinal classes
Scouts - Scout, Archer and Artemis classes
Enchantresses - Enchantress, Sorceress and Witch classes
Cleric - Cleric, Lector and Saint classes
High Knights - Cavalier, Paladin and Avenger classes
Samurai - Samurai and Shogun classes
Ninja - Ninja and Ninja Master classes
Lancers - Lancer and Valkyrie classes
Mystics - Mystic and Sage classes
Lords - all the "special" classes that the kings of the countries are

Item Name (who can equip)                       Effect
---------                                       ------
Useable Items:

Power Potion                                    STR+3
Wisdom Potion                                   INT+3
Speed Potion                                    AGI+3
Life Potion                                     HP+~18
Magic Potion                                    MP+~14
Rune Potion                                     RunePow+~10 (Rune Knights only)
????                                            Rune Area+1 (Rune Knights only)
Fruit of Vice                                   Change Seraph to Lucifer
????                                            Change Satan to Lilith
Wisdom Seed                                     Change Gigas to Loki
????                                            Change Titan to Thor

WEAPONS

Swords (High Knights):

Laevatein                                       ATK+20, Hit-5, Element: Red
Answeller                                       ATK+14, Element: White
Mithril Sword                                   MP+20, ATK+10, INT+4
Flame Edge                                      ATK+8, Element: Red
Bastard Sword                                   ATK+6
Claimh Solais                                   MP+30, Element: White

Big Swords (Fighter):

Death Master                                    ATK+22, Hit-10
Evil Buster                                     ATK+12, Hit+5, Element: White
Claymore                                        ATK+10
Giant Sword                                     ATK-6, Hit-5, DEF+6, RunePow+15

Katanas (Samurai):

Kokoro                                          ATK+16, Hit+10, RunePow-30
Kusanagi                                        ????
Kaze                                            ATK+10, Element: Black
Tora                                            ATK+8

Axes (Barbarians):

Balor                                           ATK+18, Element: Black
Revolving Axe                                   ATK+14, Hit+8
Flame Axe                                       ATK+10, Element: Red
Beheading Axe                                   ATK+8, Element: Black
Dwarf Axe                                       ATK+6, Hit+5

Spears (Lancers):

Gae Bolg                                        ATK+18, Hit+10
Goddess Spear                                   ATK+8, Element: White
Black Spear                                     ATK+6, Element: Black

Bows (Scouts):

Crescent Bow                                    ATK+19, INT+2, Hit+8
Heaven Bow                                      ATK+15, Element: White
Mithril Bow                                     MP+20, ATK+10, INT+4
Flame Bow                                       ATK+8, Element: Red
Elven Bow                                       ATK+6, Hit+5

Staves (Mages):

Striking Staff                                  ATK+10
Red Staff                                       INT+4, Element: Red
Blue Staff                                      ????

Rods (Clerics):

Telesis                                         ATK+18, Hit+5
Mithril Rod                                     MP+20, ATK+6, INT+4
Madonna's Rod                                   INT+4, Element: White

Maces (Priests):

Gravity Mace                                    ATK+12
Justice? Mace                                   ????

Whips (Enchantresses):

Cat O' Nine Tail                                ATK+12
Love Whip                                       ATK-10, Hit-10, RunePow+10
Thorn Whip                                      ATK+6

Knuckles (Rangers):

Blast Knuckle                                   ATK+18, Element: Red
Speed Knuckle                                   ATK+9, Hit+10
Rivet Knuckle                                   ATK+6

Knives (Ninja):

Shock Knife                                     ATK+14, Hit+10, Element: Red
Painless Knife                                  ATK+8

ARMOR

Shields (Priests, Clerics, High Knights)

Battle Shield                                   ATK+4, DEF+8
Flame Shield                                    DEF+7, Red resist up
Ice Shield                                      DEF+7, Blue resist up
Large Shield                                    DEF+5

Plate Mail (All except Mages, Rangers, Enchantresses, Mystics, Ninja and Lords):

Diamond Mail                                    Evade-30, DEF+22, MOV: down,
                                                Red resist down
Volcano Armor                                   DEF+15, Element: Red
Holy Armor                                      DEF+12, Element: White
Evil Armor                                      DEF+12, Element: Black
Ice Mail                                        DEF+10, Element: Blue
Heavy Armor                                     DEF+6

Robes (All except Lords):

Light Robe                                      DEF+8, White resist up
Dark Robe                                       DEF+8, Black resist up
Mirage Robe                                     Evade+10, DEF+4
Solar Robe                                      DEF+6, Red resist up
IcyFog Robe                                     DEF+6, Blue resist up

Helmets (Fighter, Barbarians, High Knights, Samurai, Lancers):

Rune Helm                                       DEF+4, RuneArea+1
Horned Helm                                     DEF+5

Hats (All except Lords):

Circlet of Wits                                 INT+6
Fairy Crown                                     INT+4, DEF+1
Pixie Hat                                       INT+2, DEF+2

Gloves (All except Mages, Enchantresses, Mystics and Lords):

Precise Glove                                   Hit+15, DEF+6
Power Glove                                     ATK+6?

Boots (All except Lords):

Fairy Pumps                                     Evade+5, MOV:Up
Wing Shoes                                      DEF+2, MOV:Down,
                                                Move type: High Sky
Aqua Shoes                                      Move type: Shoal
Flipper Boots                                   DEF+3, Move type: Water

Accessories (All):

Solomon's Ring                                  RunePow+30, Rune Area +1
AntiMagic Ring                                  Lowers damage from enemy magic
Heal Ring                                       Gain 20HP every turn
Allmighty Ring                                  STR+3, INT+3, AGI+3, DEF+3
Pin of Defense (Mira & Millet's quest item)     DEF+8, Lower enemy magic damage
Ring of Sorcery                                 MP+30, INT+4
Earring of Sea                                  DEF+2, Blue resist up
Talisman                                        Stops status effects*
Soldier's Medal                                 HP+20, STR+2
Wiseman's Medal                                 MP+10, INT+2
Wind Armband                                    AGI+5
Rune Armband                                    RunePow+25
Ancient Book                                    INT+6
Sacred Amulet                                   White resist up
Black Amulet                                    Black resist up
Forest Amulet                                   Green resist up

* - I dunno if the Talisman stops positive AND negative status effects, or just
negative ones.

And more!

Item Name (type)                                        Effects
----------------                                        -------
Bell of Comfort (accessory)                             RunePow+15
Pirate's Medal (accessory)                              AGI+2
Gram (sword)                                            ATK+18
Wind Knuckle (knuckle)                                  ATK+16, Element: Blue
Ogre Knuckle (knuckle)                                  ATK+13, Element: Black
Star Robe (robe)                                        Evade+5, DEF+5
Aiguil Helm (helmet)                                    HP+10, DEF+10
Power Glove (glove)                                     ATK+8, DEF+4

******

Questions

This is the stuff I want answered. Do that me and you get a better FAQ - a 
fair trade if you ask me. ^_^

1. Is there any way to play as the Esgares Empire?

2. Does it influence the game much if you let key generals fight each other?
For instance, will Ivan join New Almekia if his friend Geraint does not
fight him?

3. Does anyone know of any more differences the three difficulty levels 
have on the game?

4. Help me complete my General and Unit Breakdowns. I haven't gotten all the
classes yet!

More to come...

******

Codes

A big hand for Jeremy-san for these! (Although he DID get them off 
www.gameshark.com AND make me reformat the whole darn thing. ^_^) And yes, 
you need a Game\Shark Action Replay for them to work.

999 HP Vaynard 
80076e7803e7
999 MP Vaynard
80076e7a03e7
Super Strength Vaynard
30076e7c00ff
Super Intelligence Vaynard
30076e7d00ff
Super Agility Vaynard
30076e7e00ff
999 Rune Power Vaynard
80076e8003e7
999 HP Brangien
80077c3803e7
999 MP Brangien
80077c3a03e7
Super Strength Brangien
30077c3c00ff
Super Intelligence Brangien
30077c3d00ff
Super Agility Brangien
30077c3e00ff
999 Rune Power Brangien
80077c4003e7
999 HP Lance
80076e2803e7
999 MP Lance
80076e2a03e7
Super Strength Lance
30076e2c00ff
Super Intelligence Lance
30076e2d00ff
Super Agility Lance
30076e2e00ff
999 Rune Power Lance
80076e3003e7
999 HP Cai
80076ea003e7
999 MP Cai
80076ea203e7
Super Strength Cai
30076ea400ff
Super Intelligence Cai
30076ea500ff
Super Agility Cai
30076ea600ff
999 Rune Power Cai
80076ea803e7
999 HP Dryst
80076ef003e7
999 MP Dryst
80076ef203e7
Super Strength Dryst
30076ef400ff
Super Intelligence Dryst
30076ef500ff
Super Agility Dryst
30076ef600ff
999 Rune Power Dryst
80076ef803e7
999 HP Lyonesse
80076e5003e7
999 MP Lyonesse
80076e5203e7
Super Strength Lyonesse
30076e5400ff
Super Intelligence Lyonesse
30076e5500ff
Super Agility Lyonesse
30076e5600ff
999 Rune Power Lyonesse
80076e5803e7
999 HP Kiloph
8007700803e7
999 MP Kiloph
8007700a03e7
Super Strength Kiloph
3007700c00ff
Super Intelligence Kiloph
3007700d00ff
Super Agility Kiloph
3007700e00ff
999 Rune Power Kiloph
8007701003e7
999 HP Asmit
8007721003e7
999 MP Asmit
8007721203e7
Super Strength Asmit
3007721400ff
Super Intelligence Asmit
3007721500ff
Super Agility Asmit
3007721600ff
999 Rune Power Asmit
8007721803e7
999 HP Iria
80076f9003e7
999 MP Iria
80076f9203e7
Super Strength Iria
30076f9400ff
Super Intelligence Iria
30076f9500ff
Super Agility Iria
30076f9600ff
999 Rune Power Iria
80076f9803e7
999 HP Camden
8007780003e7
999 MP Camden
8007780203e7
Super Strength Camden
3007780400ff
Super Intelligence Camden
3007780500ff
Super Agility Camden
3007780600ff
999 Rune Power Camden
8007780803e7
999 HP Ulster
800777d803e7
999 MP Ulster
800777da03e7
Super Strength Ulster
300777dc00ff
Super Intelligence Ulster
300777dd00ff
Super Agility Ulster
300777de00ff
999 Rune Power Ulster
800777e003e7
999 HP Hula
800776e803e7
999 MP Hula
800776ea03e7
Super Strength Hula
300776ec00ff
Super Intelligence Hula
300776ed00ff
Super Agility Hula
300776ee00ff
999 Rune Power Hula
800776f003e7
999 HP Merriot
80076f6803e7
999 MP Merriot
80076f6a03e7
Super Strength Merriot
30076f6c00ff
Super Intelligence Merriot
30076f6d00ff
Super Agility Merriot
30076f6e00ff
999 Rune Power Merriot
80076f7003e7
999 HP Dinadan
8007705803e7
999 MP Dinadan
8007705a03e7
Super Strength Dinadan
3007705c00ff
Super Intelligence Dinadan
3007705d00ff
Super Agility Dinadan
3007705e00ff
999 Rune Power Dinadan
8007706003e7
999 HP BeauArte
800777b003e7
999 MP BeauArte
800777b203e7
Super Strength BeauArte
300777b400ff
Super Intelligence BeauArte
300777b500ff
Super Agility BeauArte
300777b600f
999 Rune Power BeauArte
800777b803e
999 HP Gereint
80076fb803e7
999 MP Gereint
80076fba03e7
Super Strength Gereint
30076fbc00ff
Super Intelligence Gereint
30076fbd00ff
Super Agility Gereint
30076fbe00ff
999 Rune Power Gereint
80076fc003e7
999 HP Coel
8007714803e7
999 MP Coel
8007714a03e7
Super Strength Coel
3007714c00ff
Super Intelligence Coel
3007714d00ff
Super Agility Coel
3007714e00ff
999 Rune Power Coel
8007715003e7
999 HP Meleagant
80076fe003e7
999 MP Meleagant
80076fe203e7
Super Strength Meleagant
30076fe400ff
Super Intelligence Meleagant
30076fe500ff
Super Agility Meleagant
30076fe600ff
999 Rune Power Meleagant
80076fe803e7
999 HP Carlota
8007741803e7
999 MP Carlota
8007741a03e7
Super Strength Carlota
3007741c00ff
Super Intelligence Carlota
3007741d00ff
Super Agility Carlota
3007741e00ff
999 Rune Power Carlota
8007742003e7

These were hacked by him :

To give ______ max experience 
subtract 1 digit from the 8th number eg carlota

80077417 ffff

for character change 
subtract 4 digits from the 8th number.

80077414 00??

Can't give you all so I'll give you the more note-worthy ones

06 paladin
07 avenger
0a wizard
0c necomancer
0f cardinal
11 guardian
14 champion
16 ninjamaster
19 artemis
1b valkyrie
1f mystic
23 saint
25 lord
26 queen
27 warlock
29 emperor 
2a death knight
2b claimer
66 king
67 super tyrant
65 (It glitches up the grapics but something still appears in 3-D so they
could have finished it but didn't have the time)

******

Credits : Everyone who's listed in the Reader Strategies section, as well as
PaTsPro, CIGAM12@aol.com andVertigo for miscellaneous assistance. Jeremy
(suesung@mbox2.singnet.com) supplied the codes, fellcor gave some much-needed
help and information, Mul the Ogre for the same, BadtzMiku@aol.com (isn't
that that cute punk-haired black thing or something?) for class info, 
and eveuhsi@okay.net for clarification about the difficulty levels. Thanks, 
guys!

Finally, I have an *extra-special* thanks for Jim Irwin - this guy not only
did the whole star and expert section, but compiled item lists, lots more 
info and generally was like really damn helpful, useful and nice besides.
Thanks a lot; I really appreciate it. ^_^