Deathlike2's Ogre Battle Unit Analysis
Version 2.12
dlfaqs@gmail.com
first posted on 6/25/07
last updated on 1/20/09
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Introduction
------------
There hasn't been many guides for this game dealing unit analysis. I hope
someone would find this useful and hopefully some really dumb rumors get
squashed in the process. Also, I would like to give certain underrated units
a bit more attention than they normally would. Here's a quick list of what
I will be touching on the following in regards to this game:
Unit strengths and weaknesses
Ideal scenarios for unit placement
Perspective on groups with units of different ALI
Importance of formation and flexibility
ALI manipulation - creating holy or evil units early on
Ideal method of recruiting or creating a unit
Recruiting (money) vs Training from level 1 (stats) and its impact
Before reading further, here is my recommendation to everyone.
I suggest you use supplemental FAQs such as DAnzulovic's FAQ and BSulpher's FAQ
for information that is more specific to this game.
There are three versions of this game as far as I know.
SNES - This is the original version. It had 3 different releases. There was
a Japanese and English release. There was a special version that was modified
from the Japanese version that used some expansion cart and had the ability
to save one active game on any map.
PSX - This was a port of the original game that added a lot of better
cosmetic changes like keeping the palette swaps between the characters and
had the ability to save any active game. However, there were a few bugs and
changes that were made.
Sega Saturn - This was another port of this game. It had a number of changes
including adding a few extra hidden maps. I know nothing more than that.
This guide will specifically cover the SNES version, but it will occasionally
have some PSX information provided whenever it is applicable.
Now onto the guide!
Stat Info
---------
HP - This should be obvious. The more a unit has, the longer it will survive.
0 HP means death, unless it is Undead. You know if your unit is dead
(especially Undead units) when the HP bar is empty.
STR - Strength
Every fighter type of unit and most front row attacks base their damage on
this attribute. The more STR a unit has, the better it is at dealing and
taking STR based damage. Most melee attacks use the physical elemental.
All melee attacks (except for one) can be modified to use a different elemental
to increase overall damage and is recommended since most classes have their
physical elemental resistance increased. This is done by equipping weapons,
charms, or rings on that unit.
AGI - Agility
This stat exclusively determines whether or not a unit will successfully
hit a target with a STR based attack or evade a unit that uses a STR based
attack. The more AGI a unit has, the more success it has at hitting the
target and at evading an attack. Also, AGI determines the order of when a unit
attacks. Units with a high AGI have a tendency to attack first.
INT - Intelligence
Every wizard type unit base their damage on this attribute with magic attacks
that generally come from the back row. The more INT the unit has, the better
it is at dealing and taking magical damage. Additionally, it dictates how
successful a magical attack will hit its target and the chance a magical
attack can be evaded. You know an attack is INT based when an attack misses
your party while the World Tarot is in play.
CHA - Charisma
This stat serves two major purposes. The most notable property is that it
is used as a unit promotion requirement for small units. The secondary purpose
is to determine the probability of success for a unit leader to recruit
a neutral unit. The more CHA a unit leader has, the chances for success
of recruiting a neutral unit increases. The higher the CHA the neutral unit
has, the more difficult it is to recruit it. Also, this serves a similar
purpose for the Charm item where the Opinion Leader's CHA is tested against
every member of an opposing group's CHA to determine whether that unit switches
over to your side. CHA is primarily gained by killing targets that have a
higher level than the unit that killed them. CHA is lost by killing targets
that have a longer level than the unit than the unit that killed them or by
running away.
ALI - Alignment
This stat determines what side of the scale a unit is when it comes to being
evil or good. 0 ALI means pure evil whereas 100 ALI means pure good. 50 ALI
means that you are balanced. Every unit has a default ALI when they are
created. ALI is also used for promotion requirements. It is a tough act to
maintain ALI neutrality as you progress through the game. This stat also
affects the damage output you deal during the time of day. Low ALI units fight
better at night and holy units fight better in the daytime.
This shouldn't be too hard to grasp. Note that once you reach a certain
point of the ALI scale (30 for evil, 70 for good), ALI changes tend to shift
shift to one end per enemy killed. Killing holy units also tips the ALI for
evil and killing evil units tips the ALI for good. Killing low level units tips
the ALI for evil and killing high level units tips the ALI for good, so
keep that in mind.
LUK - Luck
This stat has an effect on evasion for both STR and INT based attacks. However,
this stat tends to be static unless Fool tarot bonuses are applied. The most
significant benefit of increasing this stat is to increase the chances of
receiving an item when a city or temple is liberated.
This is a stat worth paying some attention to, but not all units have it
naturally. Don't overvalue it too much as most of the units that have obscenely
high luck are those that aren't that good or are special characters.
Unit Movement:
--------------
Every unit has a movement type. It serves two purposes.
1) In battle, the current battlefield terrain alters the damage dealt
and received by units. A High Fly unit would not suffer any penalties, whereas
a Ocean unit would suffer from dealing damage on land. The unit movement
rates on each terrain also serve as damage bonus or penalties (however you
want to look at it) for those units.
2) On the field, the unit that has the greatest priority controls the movement
the entire units takes. This is prioritized in a simple generalized formula:
Beasts > Fighters > Wizards
To be more clear cut, this is a bit more specific (listing from priorities):
(Beasts always have the greatest priority, day Vampyres with the least)
Upper Echelon Dragons - Dragons that use a special icon denoting its alignment
(Plains > Mountains > Snow > Marsh)
Octopus classes
Wyvern
First Level Dragon classes - Silver, Red, Black
(Plains > Mountain > Snow)
Wyrm
Dragon
Gryphon classes
Thunder Lord
Every other large beast not listed up to this point
(Plains > Mountain > Snow)
Devil and any Hawk Men classes
Most final Fighter type Fighter/Amazon classes (and some special units)
[list includes Iainuki Lord unit, and General]
(Plains > Forest > Mountains > Snow)
Imp/Demons
Most initial fighter type Fighter/Amazon classes (and some special units)
[list includes Princess, Dragoon, entire Beastman class, Skeleton class, and
Icecloud/Phantom Lord]
(Plains > Forest)
All Wizard type units (and some special units)
[list includes Pumpkin class]
(Low Sky > Plains > Forest > Shallows)
Entire Faerie class
Vampyres in the daytime
Quick Level Gain Analysis:
--------------------------
Rather than repeating the same info for every unit, here is my quick analysis
of what this unit will evolve into when leveling up according to their base
stat gain.
HP:
0   - The guy's Undead, enough said.
2-4 - This unit is a small wizard type or Golem. You will find that it will
cost you a lot to upgrade this stat for Liches and Princesses late game.
4-6 - This unit is a small fighter unit. You generally won't have to worry
about this unit going forward as long it isn't the solo unit in the
front row.
6+  - This unit is a large beast. The unit by itself is able to take tank
for any physical damage up front under most circumstances.
STR:
1 - This unit is strictly a wizard. There's absolutely no reason to keep this
unit in the front row.
2 - This unit is semi-competent in the front row, but probably isn't going
to stay in the front row for long periods. Don't expect too much here.
3 - This unit is a designated standard fighter that should be more than
competent at defending itself against STR based attacks.
4 - This unit is very likely a large beast unit that can dish and take even
more STR based attacks.
5 - This unit is an ultimate Dragon, the toughest of all large beasts
to take down with STR based attacks.
AGI:
1 - This unit is either a Golem or a member of the Wizard classes.
STR based hits will be less than successful. It will also guarantee that
this unit will go last in the order of attacks.
2 - This unit should be ok for the most part in dealing STR based damage.
3 - This unit in generally successful at hitting its targets, and should be
pretty quick to make that happen too.
4 - This unit will almost always be the first to lead off with their attack,
which generally is a physical attack. This can be nifty for hit and run
attacks.
5 - Members of the Faerie class fall into this category. You will be assured
that this unit will go first in virtually any regular battle.
INT:
1 - This unit is itching to take a beating against any sort of magic. This
unit could not be any more vulnerable than it currently is.
2 - This unit should be pretty ok vs any magic. Don't expect too much from
units that attack with magic.
3 - This unit probably won't have the strongest magic, but it will be
reasonably effective under most circumstances.
4 - This unit pretty much controls magic extraordinarily well, usually in the
form of a hit all. Battles are usually won or lost with these units.
Why does this matter?
---------------------
With the Merchant item, you can spend money on upgrading key important
stats for the final battle.
Here's a quick list:
STR - 15000
INT - 15000
AGI - 17000
HP  - 20000
LUK - 21000
AGI is at a premium, moreso for fighting units since AGI is required to
land a good hit. However, HP is virtually at a premium, especially when you
are building a final group with Liches or Princesses in it. Units that do the
most damage have low HP (and AGI for the Wizard classes), so spend wisely.
LUK is an interesting case, because you only need to buy so few of them.
It may actually benefit you because you will increase the chances of obtaining
more items to sell off.
Class Changing
--------------
This applies mainly to Fighter and Amazon classes, but also applies to any unit
that can be promoted. When you can change a unit's class, the following
also changes:
Resistances
Attacks (both front and back)
What it can recruit (if it is a leader)
The following doesn't change:
Stats (there are a few notable exceptions)
Cost (in terms of how much you are paying them now, their current class
only alters how much you will have to pay them in the future when leveling up).
Note: The only stats that change are HP (if you're dumb enough to change
a Lich into a Skeleton) and STR, AGI, and INT if the unit is currently in
a group. Every unit has an affinity or class compatibility value... which
leads me to the next topic...
Leader Compatibility
--------------------
There are two different factors at work, and both of them combine to altering
stats of members that follow under the leader.
1) Unit Compatibility
Every unit has an affinity or class compatibility value. The greater
the difference between the leader and the member's value, the greater the
penalty for the member unit. More compatible units will have a lesser penalty.
Instant class compatibility can be achieved with units that are the same as its
leader like a unit full of Knights or Valkyries.
To properly calculate this for the SNES version, for every 10 points (except
for the first 10 points), subtract 1 point from every stat (STR, AGI, INT)
to that member for the affinity difference.
I understand the PSX version of this game applied this differently, in the form
of a -3 point stat loss (to STR, AGI, and INT)
2) Stat Compatibility
When you pick a leader, you want the leader to be stronger than the units
leading it (it's a simple concept after all).
If the leader has a stat that is greater than the member, add 1 point to
the member's stat. For every 10 points afterwards, add another point to that
member's stat.
If the leader has a stat that is weaker than the member, there is no initial
penalty. For every 10 point difference though, subtract a point from that
member's stat.
When you combine the two factors together, the TOTAL change that can be made
for any member under the leader can be -3 to +4 for STR, AGI, and INT.
Ultimately, this makes virtually little impact late game. If you really want
to play around with compatibility early game, just check a unit's stats once
they join a new group in order to maximize their potential.
Class Compatibility Chart
-------------------------
I got this info from here: http://www.carbuncle.jp/og5/aisyo.html
I've updated this list with the internal data.
100 Platinum Dragon
96  Zombie Dragon
95  Salamand
94  Dragon Master
94  Dragoon
90  Vampyre
89  Gold Dragon
88  Tiamat
87  Red Dragon II
81  Dragoner
80  Red Dragon
80  Silver Dragon
80  Black Dragon
79  Sylph
76  Dragon
75  Thunder Lord
70  Cerberus
68  Beast Master
68  IceGiant
66  Hellhound
66  Pixie
65  Muse
65  Witch
65  Tigerman
65  FireGiant
64  Cockatris
63  Eagleman
62  Beastman
62  Pumpkin
61  Halloween
61  Wyvern
60  Paladin
60  Tristan
59  Ninja Master
59  Valkyrie
58  Wyrm
56  Gryphon
55  Knight
55  Iainuki Lord
55  Debonair
54  Ninja
54  Monk
53  Amazon
53  Shaman
53  Icecloud Lord
52  Cleric
52  Seraphim
50  Fighter
50  Beastman (daytime Werewolf/Tigerman form)
50  Vampyre (daytime coffin icon form)
50  Giant
50  Cherubim
50  Faerie
47  Hawk Man
47  Angel
45  Wild Man
45  Princess
44  Samurai
43  Titan
41  Doll Master
40  Evil One
39  Wizard
39  Werewolf
38  Samurai Master
38  Mermaid
38  Octopus
38  Ghost
37  Ravenman
35  Mage
35  Kraken
35  Imp
35  Phantom Lord
34  Nixie
29  Golem
29  Phantom
28  Demon
27  Sorcerer
26  Dollmage
26  Skeleton
24  IronGolem
23  RockGolem
21  Wraith
20  Lich
20  Devil
Here's a quick summary (give or take 5 points either way):
75-100 - The bulk of the units are Dragon class and compatible leaders.
Oddball units include the Vampyre and Sylph.
45-75  - Most fighters and beasts are in this area. This includes every member
of the Amazon class, Angel class, Tigermen, and the Ninja class.
20-45  - Primarily evil units and units with hit alls fall into this category.
This group also includes the water units, Samurai class, and Golem
class.
Common Misconceptions To Clear Up
---------------------------------
1) There is no anti-male hate/dislike/weakness by Amazons.
My guess is that this rumor was started by the Prima guide.
2) Beastmen LOVE most beasts, not hate them. Their whips do not do super damage
to beasts... it just happens that Beast Masters get beast type STR.
This rumor was probably started by the Prima guide.
3) Wyrms and Wyverns are not dragons. The common confusion stems from Dragoners
and Dragoons being able to recruit Wyvern.
Note: Simply because a leader can recruit a different unit, it doesn't mean
they are class compatible.
4) There is no "penalty" for mixing units of different ALI ranges. You are
free to mix and match units however you like. However, you will probably
want dedicated liberation units, so you want to build units that tend to
require high ALI for unit promotions or units that are in their final class.
5) There are so many different attacks that effectively do the same thing...
like the Tiamat's Evilring and the Mage's Phantom spell. If the stats for both
units were exactly the same (STR or INT based on the attack, ALI,
and movement type, the damage is the same. A Sylph's Missile attack is
effectively same as a Seraphim's Jihad attack if the INT and ALI match up.
The whole issue is simply COSMETIC. It is possible to have a Beast Master's
Whip attack do the same damage as a Wizard's Hit if they both have the same
stats (particularly STR and AGI). Another way of looking at this are the
Gryphon and Titan units. Their back row attack is essentially the same as
their front row attack used on every target. An even better example is
the Baron Apros (Dandy unit). This boss uses only Black elemental attacks.
All three attacks (Nitemare, Meteor, Phantom) do effectively the same damage.
In general, the look of an attack is primarily cosmetic.
Note: Iainuki, Sonic, Gemini, and other unique attacks use special damage
algos or modifiers.
6) Stun, Charm (both Vampyre and Cerberus), Pumpkin elements are merely
cosmetic as elemental resistances are not taken into account when used.
Note: Petrify does follow in one aspect in that it automatically kills Undead.
The Physical property is definitely factored into the damage algo. However,
the hit rate algo used is special.
7) Sirius is not the last unit on earth that can convert your Fighters into
Werewolves. In fact, ANY Werewolf or Tigerman can convert your Fighters into
those units. The reported chance of infection is 1/8 which is pretty low.
However, it may be a better idea to recruit Werewolves due to their
naturally better stats and well, it takes less effort.
Tactics
-------
The tactics you set for a group generally dictates how damage is dealt to
a group. On the other hand, it also dictates how much damage your units take.
Here's a quick breakdown of each tactic.
Best   - A group will attempt to deal the BEST amount of damage it can in
order to win the battle. It is unclear how that is determined,
but there are some peculiarities to this including targeting Undead.
Large units tend to get the most attention due to the overwhelming
amounts of HP they have.
Strong - A group will attempt to target the units with the greatest amount of
HP. This tactic is generally used to whittle down units slowly in
order to finish them off later. This tactic also prevents your units
from attacking the opposing Undead. Damage dealt and taken will be
less than usual as it can serve to be a defensive strategy. This is
helpful against units that have large beast units. They tend to have
great amounts of HP and take longer to take down. There are times
where you don't want the leader to be killed immediately, but rather
you want the enemy group to die at the same time.
Leader - A group will focus its efforts on killing the leader. STR based melee
attacks will attempt to target units blocking their direct line to
the leader. This tactic allows for two key usages. When an enemy
unit leader dies with at least one other member in it,  the group
goes all the way back to the boss's location to create a new leader.
If for any reason your group wants to minimize conflict due to health
reasons, this is ideal if you have units with ranged attacks.
It also serves to enable unit harvesting by design since killing
off a group decrements this group's deployment counter.
There is a finite number of groups that can be deployed for a stage.
This tactic is also ideal for boss battles where the Leader is in
the back row with front row protection.
Weak   - A group will focus its efforts on killing targets with the least
amount of HP. When used properly, you can almost manipulate which unit
would be making the final kill on a particular target. Undead are
the first to be targeted with this tactic so be weary when wizard
type units are wasting their attacks. Ideally, you want to use this
tactic to finish off groups. This tactic increases the damage dealt
and taken. For leaders that are alone, this tactic will accelerate
the leader's death.
Remember that tactics can be changed at virtually any point of the battle
unless tarots are used. When a tarot is used, you lose the ability to
control the tactics for one enemy/ally attack. If you have a good
idea which unit goes on what turn (which is solely based on their AGI), you
can manipulate the battle's outcome significantly. It is easier with an
emulator of course, but it should be obvious that a Wizard goes last more
often than not and something as fast as a Sylph or even a Gryphon tends to
go first.
Special Items
-------------
There are a number of items I will be referencing in the guide. These will
help you improve your army in some way shape or form.
Stone of Dragos - This is used for promoting Beast Masters into Dragoners.
Undead Staff - This is used to promote Mages into Sorcerors.
Undead Ring - This is used to convert Sorcerors into Liches and Tiamats
into Zombie Dragons.
Blood Spell - This is used to convert Knights or Evil Ones into Vampyres.
Dream Crown - This is used to promote Amazons into Princesses.
Rotten Pumpkin (Pumpkin+) - This is used to promote Pumpkins into Halloweens.
Glass Pumpkin (Pumpkin) - This is used to give a Witch the ability to recruit
Pumpkins.
Persuasion Spell (Charm) - When used on an enemy group, the Opinion Leader or
Lord unit attempts to recruit every member of the group excluding the enemy
leader to join your army. It follows the same tests for recruiting neutral
units. You can buy this at Organa, Muspelm, and the City of Malano.
Egg of Wonder (Beast) - When used on an empty spot of a group, 1 of 4 creatures
will appear in the unit. The creatures that can be spawned are Faeries, Imps,
Dragons, and Golems. These units will always be 2 levels under the Opinion
Leader. A unit will not be created if there is no room for them in the group.
Full Moon Stone (Fullmoon) - This item will attempt to create 1 Tigerman
that is 2 levels under the Opinion Leader. The unit will not be created if
there is no room for them in the group.
Werewolf Virus - This is used to convert Fighters into Werewolves.
Joker Tarot - You can use this to create a Tarot to add into your inventory.
This item will not give the bonuses that liberating towns would offer.
You can start buying this at Shangrila.
Determining Recruited Unit Stats
--------------------------------
When you recruit a unit by whatever means (other than the special characters)
they will always have different random stats. Here's a quick way of determining
what they are...
HP   = base HP   + (level-1) * base HP growth  + random (0, 4)
STR  = base STR  + (level-1) * base STR growth + random (0, 2)
AGI  = base AGI  + (level-1) * base AGI growth + random (0, 2)
INT  = base INT  + (level-1) * base INT growth + random (0, 2)
COST = base COST + (level-1) * base COST increase
Many websites that have reported the HP growth potential of a unit are
incorrect. It only applies to the randomized values for units that you
recruit or the units the enemy would deploy. Also, Lexar (FIRESEAL cheat
leader) follows this rule.
Level Bonus Ranges:
-------------------
I will be using some simple notation for level bonuses, and there is a
range for each stat bonus as those are random.
HP   - (base level gain) to (base level gain+2)
STR  - (base level gain) to (base level gain+2)
AGI  - (base level gain) to (base level gain+2)
INT  - (base level gain) to (base level gain+2)
So if I say the base HP gain was +2, the range is 2-4. Note that the HP gain
stat is non-existent for Undead, so don't worry about it! Over time, a unit
will gain 1 point more for all stats on average than one you recruit from
scratch. You can easily compare the stat differences when you recruit. Don't
take these words lightly. This doesn't even factor in bonuses from Tarots
after liberating towns!
Quick notation:
P - Physical   S - STR based attack
F - Fire       I - INT based attack
C - Cold       H - Healing  - unit is healed with this command
L - Lightning  T - Targeted - unit attacks any target on field
B - Black      A - Hit All  - unit attack hits all enemy targets
W - White      U - unique attack, to be described in detail
M - Modifiable - unit's elemental attribute can be changed with equipped item
The unit attacks a target that is physically accessible.
All STR based melee hits can be modified. (M implies S)
O - Optimal elementals (any elemental except for White) will be selected for
units in the Wizard classes to deal damage against a selected target.
N - Ninjutsu elementals (Fire, Cold, Lightning) will be selected for
units in the Ninja classes to deal damage against a selected target.
Onto the units!
Fighter
-------
HP   - 77  +5
STR  - 45  +2
AGI  - 47  +2
INT  - 40  +1
COST - 100 +20
Front - Slice (2) [PM]
Back  - Slice (1) [PM]
Movement - Plains
Leader?  - No
CHA - 46       P - 44       F - 36
ALI - 50       B - 40       C - 40
LUK - 45       W - 40       L - 34 [ON]
Pros: This unit is the most versatile due to class changing.
Cons: This unit should not be used past level 5.
Bottom Line:
You should be able to find something for this unit to do in your army.
Make sure to plan accordingly.
Ideal unit building scenario:
You have the option to keep all the level 2 fighters you get from Warren,
or you could hire a new batch of level 1 fighters from level 2/3 Beastmen
or level 2/3 Wizards.
Formation:
Front - This is the unit's optimal position.
Back  - This is only useful to rotate the unit out for health.
Subclasses:
Knight   - level 5+, CHA 50+, ALI 50-100, holy fighter
Samurai  - level 7+, CHA 50+, ALI 50-100, holy fighter
Beastman - level 5+, CHA 50+, ALI 25-65,  neutral fighter
Wild Man - level 6+, CHA 50+, ALI  0-50,  evil fighter
Ninja    - level 6+, CHA 50+, ALI  0-50,  evil fighter
Dollmage - level 5+, CHA 50+, ALI 30-70,  holy wizard
Wizard   - level 4+, CHA 50+, ALI 10-60,  evil wizard
Special Classes (to be described separately)
Promotion->Werewolf - requires Werewolf Virus or
fighter must be killed by this unit at night for a
chance to be converted into this unit
Promotion->Tigerman - fighter must be killed by this unit at night for a
chance to be converted into this unit
If there are units in transition, you have some slim room to remake certain
units under this class into "reclamation projects"...
Final Class Possibilities:
Paladin        - level 15+, CHA 60+, ALI 70-100, fighters getting too holy
Samurai Master - level 15+, CHA 60+, ALI 70-100, fighters getting too holy
Dragon Master  - level 20+, CHA 65+, ALI 40-50,  if you're lucky (Dragos req)
Evil One       - level 16+, CHA 60+, ALI  0-30,  try Vampyre or Ninja Master
*Ninja Master  - level 15+, CHA 60+, ALI  0-30,  see note
Doll Master    - level 14+, CHA 60+, ALI 50-70,  Wizard getting too holy
Mage           - level 10+, CHA 60+, ALI 10-35,  Dollmage getting too unholy
Note: The Ninja Master is perfect for those fighters that have dropped too
far to the evil side, and either wizard that has gotten too evil or have
missed the "Mage" opportunity.
Knight
------
HP   - 76  +5
STR  - 49  +3
AGI  - 52  +2
INT  - 44  +1
COST - 600 +90
Front - Slice (2) [PM]
Back  - Slice (1) [PM]
Movement - Plains
Leader?  - Ok
CHA - 55       P - 47       F - 39
ALI - 62       B - 34 [O]   C - 43
LUK - 50       W - 46       L - 37 [N]
Pros: This unit can lead and is a very competent fighter. He's good as a
liberating unit.
Cons: This unit's INT Growth stinks, so change to the Samurai class
upon reaching level 7.
Bottom Line:
This is a solid unit, but you need to migrate to a Samurai to improve
this unit's future potential.
Ideal unit building scenario:
If you've followed my Fighter's suggestion, you should be fine.
Kill off any Knights that come with Ashe or Aisha.
Formation:
Front - This is the unit's optimal position.
Back  - Rotate this unit here for health reasons.
Promotion->Paladin - level 15+, CHA 60+, ALI 70+
->Vampire - requires Blood Spell
Paladin
-------
HP   - 67   +6
STR  - 56   +3
AGI  - 56   +2
INT  - 45   +2
COST - 1100 +170
Front - Slice   (3) [PM]
Back  - Healing (1) [WIAU] against Undead
[HITU] on your own units
*Healing will attempt to kill enemy Undead on the field. Your unit will not do
this if the "Strong" tactic is used, however that will not stop enemy attacks
on your Undead. If there are no enemy Undead, Healing will target your unit
that does not have full HP and has the least amount of HP of the group.
Note: Healing does not factor into winning or losing battles.
Movement - Plains
Leader?  - Ok
CHA - 62       P - 53       F - 41
ALI - 78       B - 26 [O]   C - 46
LUK - 60       W - 54       L - 40 [N]
Pros: This unit is a great front row holy fighter and can kill Undead without
needing to equip holy weapons.
Cons: This unit is not a Cleric class replacement. The INT growth makes it
difficult to kill the Ghost class of units.
Bottom Line:
Here's the best holy fighter you can get from this area of fighter tree.
Ideal unit building scenario:
If you build these from trained Samurai, you should be fine.
Formation:
Front - This unit is optimally put here.
Back  - You could do some "cheap" healing and Undead killing, but that's it.
Samurai
-------
HP   - 85  +5
STR  - 50  +3
AGI  - 54  +2
INT  - 51  +2
COST - 700 +100
Front - Slash   (2) [PM]
Back  - Iainuki (1) [PSTU]
*Iainuki channels the unit's STR to deal a vicious attack on a target. The raw
attack damage will be 50% stronger than a regular physical attack. However,
this does not mean 50% more damage is dealt. If the attack connects, the force
of the attack will hurt the unit, relative to 1/3 of the raw attack damage.
Movement - Plains
Leader?  - Ok
CHA - 56       P - 46       F - 32 [ON]
ALI - 61       B - 39       C - 37
LUK - 47       W - 51       L - 34
Pros: This unit's extra INT is the difference maker. Iainuki is a decent
attack to deal good concentrated damage. This unit makes a good city
defender.
Cons: Iainuki hurts the attacker when the hit is successful... which may
require more healing attention. Resistances are overall weaker than a
Knight.
Bottom Line:
This class is best used as a transition class for the best possible holy
fighter.
Ideal unit building scenario:
If you're converting level 7 Knights that were formerly Fighters or Knights
that you got from Warren, you should be fine. You may be fortunate to get
one free from Warren.
Formation:
Front - This is the unit's optimal position.
Back  - If you need a strong targeted hit, be prepared to consume some HP to
deal some decent damage.
Promotion->Samurai Master - level 15+, CHA 60+, ALI 70+
Samurai Master
--------------
HP   - 96   +5
STR  - 55   +3
AGI  - 59   +2
INT  - 54   +2
COST - 1200 +180
Front - Slash   (3) [PM]
Back  - Iainuki (1) [PSTU]
Movement - Plains
Leader?  - Ok
CHA - 64       P - 52       F - 34 [N]
ALI - 79       B - 21 [O]   C - 35
LUK - 54       W - 69       L - 37
Pros: I don't have any, unfortunately.
Cons: This unit is primarily favorable for an enemy spawned unit.
Resistances are not that much better than the regular Samurai and there
is absolutely nothing that distinguishes this unit from its previous
class, and the Paladin is a better overall unit for attacking in the
front row!
Bottom Line:
This unit is pretty much the same as the Samurai, except it costs more per
level and it has different resistances.
Ideal unit building scenario:
If you groomed him like you would do a Paladin, then you should be fine.
Formation:
Front - This is the optimal position for this unit.
Back  - This is no different than a Samurai really...
Beastman
--------
HP   - 85  +5
STR  - 51  +3
AGI  - 47  +2
INT  - 38  +1
COST - 350 +50
Front - Whip (2) [PM]
Back  - Whip (2) [PM]
Movement - Plains
Leader?  - Ok
CHA - 50       P - 44       F - 28 [ON]
ALI - 45       B - 46       C - 31
LUK - 43       W - 34       L - 35
Pros: This unit has an awesome starting base HP to work in addition to
being able to hit from the back row w/o a penalty.
Cons: This unit's starting INT sucks. This section of the fighter class
really sucks and doesn't gain you much in the end.
Bottom Line:
This is a great transition unit for evil fighters before they become Wild Men
or Ninjas, preferably speaking.
Ideal unit building scenario:
If you train them from Fighters or keep the Beastmen you get from Warren,
you should be fine. Also, this is cheapest unit you can deploy to hire
Fighters, so if you need them at level 1, here is your best choice.
Formation:
Front - It doesn't really matter if you want him here... he's flexible.
Back  - This unit is a bit fragile to its other fighter counterparts, so
keeping him here doesn't hurt you.
Promotion->Beast Master - level 12+, CHA 60+, ALI 10-50
Beast Master
------------
HP   - 79  +5
STR  - 53  +4
AGI  - 49  +2
INT  - 36  +1
COST - 850 +130
Front - Whip (2) [PM]
Back  - Whip (2) [PM]
Movement - Plains
Leader?  - Ok
CHA - 56       P - 48       F - 27 [N]
ALI - 33       B - 55       C - 35
LUK - 46       W - 25 [O]   L - 39
Pros: It's an interesting promotion as you are giving a small unit leader the
potential to gain beast STR. In a way, it can trend well for bulking up
to become a Dragon Master in the future. You can recruit level 10 Wyrms
at the earliest here.
Cons: The lack of good INT growth makes this unit much more vulnerable to
magic.
Bottom Line:
This is a unique intermediate class that gives you a unique opportunity.
There are some benefits to having this class, but ultimately you will want
to move on pretty soon.
Ideal unit building scenario:
I guess it is better to train Fighters through the Beastman path, but the
best benefit is being able to recruit Wyrms at the lowest recruitable level
possible (a method that doesn't involve the Charm item).
Formation:
Front - It is the same as the Beastman...
Back  - I don't see why you should not place the Beastman here.
Promotion->Dragoner - requires Stone of Dragos
Dragoner
--------
HP   - 83   +4
STR  - 48   +3
AGI  - 51   +2
INT  - 49   +2
COST - 1370 +200
Front - Slice (2) [PM]
Back  - Slice (2) [PM]
Movement - Plains
Leader?  - Ok
CHA - 55       P - 43       F - 26 [ON]
ALI - 50       B - 40       C - 54
LUK - 58       W - 40       L - 40
Pros: The best benefit of this class is being able to recruit Wyvern
at level 10. Otherwise, this class is not worth writing home about.
The natural Luck stat might be nifty.
Cons: This unit seems a little "backwards" to say the least. If you trained
this unit from a fighter, it's INT is pretty awful by now, so it will
take some time to repair that. Also, you may have wanted more STR for
this unit when it becomes a Dragon Master... a tradeoff of mass
annoyance IMO.
Bottom Line:
This is another mixed bag, but if you are planning to take advantage
of the recruiting and natural luck, then it may be worth something to you.
Otherwise, it's not worth obtaining in the first place.
Ideal unit building scenario:
Since you want to use Dragons, you particularly want to use Lyon as he provides
the best statistical option for pairing with a future ultimate dragon.
An alternative method is to spend money for a Charm and steal some of these
unit from the Kalbain Peninsula, which avoids all the lame runaround work
and special item requirement. This also allows you to get them with their
naturally high luck. The costs will be high though, and you will have a
weaker fighter unit with less than desirable HP...
Formation:
Front - Like the Beastman, I don't see the difference.
Back  - The weaker HP growth makes putting this unit in the back row a
more attractive option.
Promotion->Dragon Master - level 20+, CHA 65+, ALI 40-60
Dragon Master
-------------
HP   - 85   +3
STR  - 52   +3
AGI  - 53   +3
INT  - 51   +2
COST - 2000 +250
Front - Slice    (2) [PM]
Back  - Icefield (2) [CIT]
Movement - Plains
Leader?  - Ok
CHA - 63       P - 45       F - 22 [ON]
ALI - 50       B - 40       C - 58
LUK - 65       W - 40       L - 47
Pros: Even I wish I had one.
Cons: Who's dumb idea was to make this unit more than irrelevant than
comparable classes?
Bottom Line:
This is a unit that you look in the opposing enemy army and say, "Wow, this
unit is cool". Then, you try to make one yourself and say, "Wow, this is
a waste of my time", and disappointment is an understatement.
I guess it looks cool when you try them out with the FIRESEAL cheat, but
this unit is as disappointing as its costs and stat growth. Why bother?
Ideal unit building scenario:
Under the proposed Dragoner scenarios, it may be difficult to manage neutral
ALI to get here. but you will get a reasonable ok unit.
Ultimately the FIRESEAL version of these guys are better if you want to take
advantage of the unit's luck.
Formation:
Front - This is only helpful if it was promoted from a special unit, because
this unit is not meant to take a lot of damage.
Back  - The horrible part is that this attack is INT based, and since growth
up to this point is paltry, you might as well cry.
Wild Man
--------
HP   - 71  +6
STR  - 52  +3
AGI  - 53  +2
INT  - 41  +1
COST - 400 +50
Front - Smash (2) [PM]
Back  - Smash (1) [PM]
Movement - Plains
Leader?  - Ok
CHA - 54       P - 48       F - 43
ALI - 41       B - 46       C - 38
LUK - 54       W - 34       L - 36 [ON]
Pros: This is the stronger evil unit that is tougher to take down
Cons: The lack of good INT growth makes this unit weaker for its final class.
Bottom Line:
This is a fine unit, for the most part, since it is tougher physically
speaking.
Ideal unit building scenario:
It should follow the Fighter path while briefly transitioning through
1 level as a Beastman.
Formation:
Front - Similar to the Fighter, this is the optimal position.
Back  - Keeping this unit healthy in the back row is an option.
Promotion->Evil One - level 16+, CHA 60+, ALI 0-30
Evil One
--------
HP   - 74  +6
STR  - 58  +3
AGI  - 57  +2
INT  - 42  +2
COST - 900 +130
Front - Chop     (2) [PM]
Back  - Fireball (2) [FIT]
Movement - Plains
Leader?  - Ok
CHA - 58       P - 54       F - 46
ALI - 23       B - 55       C - 40
LUK - 62       W - 25       L - 39 [ON]
Pros: If not for the abnormally high natural luck, this unit is not
very good at all. This unit is reasonably priced for its offensive
output.
Cons: This unit simply does not compare against its holy brethren, or the
Ninja classes. You wonder why the Empire deploys these units.
Bottom Line:
This unit is not worth your time unless you are trying to convert hired
Evil Ones into something more useful.
Ideal unit building scenario:
If you had to build one yourself, the suggested progression is as follows...
Fighter->Beastman->Ninja->Ninja Master->Evil One
Alternatively, you could recruit them from Debonair to get the lucky
(or unlucky) Evil Ones... if only for converting purposes.
Formation:
Front - This is probably the best place to put the unit.
Back  - There are a pretty high number of targets that can be exposed of their
fire weakness, but the weak INT growth getting up to this point can
only be as amusing as the Dragon Master class.
Promotion->Vampire - requires Blood Spell
Ninja
-----
HP   - 76  +4
STR  - 46  +3
AGI  - 50  +3
INT  - 50  +2
COST - 500 +110
Front - Shuriken (3) [PM]
Back  - Ninjutsu (2) [NIT]
*Ninjutsu is a spell attack that revolves around the basic elementals:
Fire (Katon), Cold (Suiton), and Lightning (Ikazuchi)
The unit will choose the appropriate elemental that the target is weak
against based on their resistances and use that elemental to attack.
Movement - Forest
Leader?  - No
CHA - 47       P - 45       F - 50
ALI - 38       B - 43       C - 44
LUK - 48       W - 37       L - 43 [ON]
Pros: It doesn't look like a great unit on the surface, but when you properly
train this unit, it will become the best fighter class that does not
require an item. It is already ahead of the game with 3 physical attacks
has some nifty magic in the back row. It only gets better from here.
Cons: When you have best, it will cost you an arm and a leg. The costs
add up quickly. Also, the HP growth is a bit disappointing. The magical
attack in the back row won't be that great for a while anyways.
The only headache is that this unit cannot be a leader, yet.
Bottom Line:
This is just a nice stepping stone to become even better later in the game.
It is worth the best bang for the buck.
Ideal unit building scenario:
It is worth training a number of level 1 or 2 fighters to be bred for evil.
You can also convert many existing Beastmen leaders, especially Gilbert and
Lyon for the best results.
Formation:
Front - This is the unit's optimal position for dealing damage.
Back  - Keeping this unit in the back row won't hinder overall damage output
too much.
Promotion->Ninja Master, level 15+, CHA 60+, ALI 0-30
Ninja Master
------------
HP   - 77   +5
STR  - 51   +3
AGI  - 52   +4
INT  - 55   +3
COST - 1300 +190
Front - Shuriken (3) [PM]
Back  - Ninjutsu (1) [NIA]
*Ninjutsu is a spell attack that revolves around the basic elementals:
Fire (Katon), Cold (Suiton), and Lightning (Ikazuchi)
The unit will choose the appropriate elemental for a selected target (based
on currently selected Tactics for your units) using their weakness based on
that unit's resistances. This version attacks all units unlike the Ninja.
Movement - Forest
Leader?  - Ok
CHA - 56       P - 47       F - 52
ALI - 22       B - 68       C - 46
LUK - 56       W - 2        L - 45 [ON]
Pros: I cannot say enough good things about this unit. You can deal 3 good
physical hits, deal a nice quick hit all, and still be the toughest
fighter on the field that does not disappoint. Oh, it can lead too!
This is a great unit to attempt a hit and run with...
Cons: This unit is highly susceptible to White attacks, but consider that
the bulk of this threat comes from the Angel class, Sylphs very late
in the game (that has a very small number of formations, any member
of the Cleric class in the front row, and Princesses that only appear
in Dragon's Haven.
Bottom Line:
This is the best Fighter class that doesn't involve a special item.
Period, end of story.
Ideal unit building scenario:
You have a many paths to get to here..
1) If you progress from a basic Fighter or special character and work
them up to this class, you're doing pretty well for yourself.
2) If you miss the boat on making a Doll Master or Mage, this class will
allow the INT gained to be maximized.
3) If you don't mind spending money on hiring Evil Ones to take advantage of,
their high luck, you can easily convert them to this class to be used in the
front row for dealing damage.
Formation:
Front - If the primary focus of this unit is to be a fighter, then this is
the best option.
Back  - If the primary focus of this unit is to be a nice wizard backup, then
this is the best option.
Dollmage
--------
HP   - 78   +3
STR  - 40   +1
AGI  - 54   +2
INT  - 53   +3
COST - 1280 +160
Front - Puppet (2) [PM]
Back  - Acid   (1) [PIA]
Movement - Plains
Leader?  - Ok
*Acid is an INT based Physical hit all attack. Doll Masters (and other
Wizard classes) use this same attack. Don't confuse this with the Black
Dragon class's Acid attack.
CHA - 52       P - 28       F - 44
ALI - 53       B - 37       C - 39
LUK - 47       W - 43       L - 27 [ON]
Pros: This is the only unit that provides a hit all very early in the game.
This unit is more than capable of winning a battle.
Ideally, this unit is the Wizard killer.
Cons: The cost of maintaining this unit is pretty high and adds up pretty
quickly. Relatively speaking, a Nixie is more expensive to maintain
over time. Also, you need to pay close attention to CHA and ALI changes
due to killing a unit. You need to properly balance the usage of this
unit to get it to its next promotion.
Bottom Line:
Having a powerful, but expensive wizard is not a bad thing.
Ideal unit building scenario:
It may be worth converting some of the special character units to this class
as the eventual promotion will provide some decent impact late game.
You may be able to get one of these units from Warren.
While creating these units from the Fighter class, there are two things to
keep in mind. They will be stronger than their natural Dollmage counterparts
in terms of starting HP and STR. It will take some time to catch up in AGI,
but they won't ever quite keep up with the INT growth that a natural Dollmage
would have due to their starting base stats.
Formation:
Front - For wizard types, the front row is only useful for ALI manipulation
via killing Undead
Back  - This is where every wizard unit should be at almost all times.
Promotion->Doll Master - level 14+, CHA 60+, ALI 50-80
Doll Master
-----------
HP   - 78   +3
STR  - 38   +1
AGI  - 57   +3
INT  - 57   +3
COST - 1280 +190
Front - Puppet (2) [PM]
Back  - Acid   (2) [PIA]
Movement - Plains
Leader?  - Ok
CHA - 58       P - 26       F - 47
ALI - 69       B - 21 [O]   C - 41
LUK - 42       W - 59       L - 29 [N]
Pros: This unit is slightly a notch below the Muse in terms of damage output.
This is the only Fighter class that has a dual hit all that doesn't
require a special item. This unit is even more effective at killing
Wizards due to its blazing AGI gains.
Cons: Physical resistance increases for most units, so the damage output is
not usually going to be where you would like it to be.
Bottom Line:
This effective, productive, and expensive unit is always a great difference
maker for the outcome of a battle, and this unit continues to deliver.
Ideal unit building scenario:
If you've trained this unit properly from a Dollmage, this unit should be
very productive.
If you stink at producing these units, Debonair allows you the chance at
having them, at a really high cost.
Formation:
Front - Just like any wizard type, don't bother.
Back  - The optimal position for any wizard type is here.
Wizard
------
HP   - 86  +2
STR  - 37  +1
AGI  - 51  +1
INT  - 45  +4
COST - 400 +70
Front - Hit   (2) [PM]
Back  - Magic (2) [OIT]
*Magic selects the most effective elemental excluding White based on
the target's resistances to damage the selected target. The spells used
are Tornado (Physical), Fireball (Fire), Icefield (Ice), Bolt (Lightning),
and Nitemare (Black).
Movement - Plains
Leader?  - Ok
CHA - 50       P - 20 [O]   F - 32 [N]
ALI - 45       B - 45       C - 32
LUK - 50       W - 35       L - 37
Pros: This is the most damage efficient class track vs most units. The INT
stat, unlike the STR stat deals with both hit rate and damage. Magic
is pretty much effective all game, so it is worth your time to invest
in this class.
Cons: This unit provides the worst stat growth overall. This unit is
extremely fragile, in addition to be one of the slowest units in this
game. It is also very easy to screw up a Wizard's ALI so you need to
pay close attention to the unit's ALI changes when it kills something.
Bottom Line:
Once you use this unit, you will understand why this class becomes awesome
throughout the game.
Ideal unit building scenario:
There are a few scenarios that are worth looking at...
1) You will almost always get a Wizard in a starting group. These units will
always be strongest Wizards (other than Warren and Saradin) and will serve
you well, regardless of the situation.
2) If you build a Wizard from a Fighter, this unit will benefit from having
some extra HP, STR, and AGI. However, this unit will never be as strong
magically as a natural Wizard.
3) If you are fortunate to obtain the Egg of Wonder aka "Beast" item, you can
you can create level 1 Wizards. A level 5 Lord/Opinion Leader is required for
this to create a level 3 Imp (a level 3 Lord can create a level 1 Imp) which
will allow you to create as many level 1 Wizards as you desire.