The Basics of Combat

By Camille, Lancing Instructor of the Liberation Army

Alright, you Furfurs, listen up! So, you think YOU can cut it in the Liberation Army? Hah! Don't make me laugh! But there is hope. It's my job to whip you sorry excuses for soldiers into lean, mean, Imperial-killing-engines of destruction! So shut up, pay attention, and listen good!

Basic Combat Tactics

Parties are composed of up to six characters. They will be divided into a front and back row of three characters each. You are able at arrange who is in the front or rear row in the Formation menu.

There are three types of weapons: Short range, Medium range, and Long range. The weapon1s range determines where in your party the character can attack from, and which enemies they are capable of hitting. these ranges are represented by three letters: S, M, and L, and are displayed with the character1s stats in the Formation menu.

• S -- Short range attacker: These characters have to be positioned in your front row to be able to attack, and can only hit enemies in the enemy's front row. These weapons are usually close-quarters weapons like short swords, clubs, claws, etc.

• M -- Medium range attacker: These characters can be placed in your front or back row and still be able to attack, but can only reach the enemy1s front row. These weapons are usually spears, pole-arms, staffs, etc.

• L -- Long range attacker: These characters should be placed in your back row, but are capable of reaching any enemy, front or rear row. These weapons are usually ranged weapons like darts, throwing knives, bow and arrows, etc.

One of the few problems with this game is that when a character is automatically added to your party, they also tend to be automatically placed in your rear row. Make sure to check their range to make sure that they can attack before continuing.

Combat is broken up into rounds. At the start of each round, you give orders to your party on what you want them to do. Once that1s done, sit back and watch the action unfold. Each member of both parties has one action per round. Once everyone is finished, the round is over and a new one starts.

You1ll have 4 options presented at the start of each round which direct your entire party1s actions:

• Fight: Attack the enemy

• Run: Discretion is often the better part of valor. If you1re faced with overwhelming odds, run. There1s no sense in dying. However, sometimes your enemies will have you surrounded, forcing you to fight. You can't run from bosses, so don't even try. All it will do is waste your time and allow them to get the first attack in. When your party is fairly stronger than the enemy party, Run is replaced by Let Go, in which case you show mercy and leave. Unlike Run, this always works.

• Bribe: Money makes the world go round. Many monsters would rather make some cash than fight and will let you go for the right price.

• Free Will: The computer takes over and controls your party for you. Party members will always attack with weapons.

If you chose to Fight, a new menu appears displaying commands for an individual member of your party. you will have five options:

• Attack: The character attacks the targeted enemy with his or her weapon

• Defend: The character takes a defensive stance and will receive only half-damage if attacked

• Rune: Brings up the Rune menu if the character has one attached (for more info go to The 27 True Runes: A Study of Magic)

• Item: Brings up the Item menu if the character is carrying a usable item

• Unite: Special multi-character attack (see bottom of page for further details)

Once you've made your command the menu for the next member in your party comes up. If you aren1t happy with your orders, you can backtrack one menu by pressing the 32 button.

Another thing to remember is the character1s speed and in what order your party attack. The faster the character, the sooner in the order they attack. Characters who have similar speeds will be attack at the same time, so try to assign them different targets. Two characters can not hit the same target at the same time, so one will have to wait for the other to get out of the way before they attack. (While not all that vital, it does speed things up and produces the coolest looking battle scenes, with characters leaping and slashing everywhere and arrows and knives criss-crossing across the screen =).

It is also important to watch when your enemies attack. This is especially important when healing injured characters. If you assign one of your slower characters to heal them, a faster enemy might attack before they are able to be healed and kill the injured character.

United Attacks

Due to similar fighting styles, years of training together, or who knows why, some characters will be able to combine their attacks into a powerful technique. When these characters are together in the same party, the option 3Unite3 becomes available. These are some of the characters who can Unite:

• Gremio and Pahn: Talisman Attack -- 2x damage

• Tai Ho and Yam Koo: Fisherman Attack -- 3x damage, unbalanced next round

• Lepant and Eileen: Couple Attack -- 2x damage

• Lepant, Eileen, and Sheena: Family Attack -- 2.5x damage

• Jupo and Meg: Trick Attack -- 1.5x damage, attacks all enemies

• Varkas and Sydonia: Bandit Attack -- 2.5x damage

• Kirkis and Sylvina or Stallion or Rubi: Wild Arrow Attack -- attacks all enemies, unbalanced next round

• Kirkis, Sylvina, and Stallion: Elf Attack -- 2x damage

• Kuromimi and Gon: Kobold Attack -- 2x damage

• Kuromimi, Gon, and Fu Su Lu: Kobold + 1 Attack -- 3x damage

• Krin and Humphry: Bumpy Attack -- 2x damage

• Hero and Kai: Master Pupil Attack -- 2x damage, attacks all enemies

• Gen and Kamandol: Fatal Attack -- 2x damage

• Gen and Sansuke: Carpenter1s Attack -- 2x damage

• Flik, Alen, and Grenseal: Pretty Boy Attack -- 2x damage

• Kai, Liukan, and Fukien: Flash Attack -- 3x damage, unbalanced next round

• Hix and Tengaar: Warrior Attack -- 2x damage

• Camille, Kasumi, and Tengaar: Pretty Girl Attack -- 2.5x damage, unbalanced next round

• Milia and Futch: Dragon Attack: -- 2x damage

• Anji, Kanak, and Leonardo: Pirate Attack -- 2.5x damage

• Kasumi, Kage, and Fuma: Ninja Attack -- 2.5x damage

• Cleo, Eileen, and Valeria or Sonya: Beauty Attack -- 3x damage, attacks all

• Pahn, Eieki, and Morgan: Martial Arts Attack -- attacks all enemies (not all that useful, but fun to watch :)

• Meese, Maas, Moose, Mose, and Mace: Blacksmith Attack -- 3.5x damage

• Pahn and Ronnie: Beat 'Em Up Attack

Guardians

Sometimes a character will have a special bond or relationship with another. Brother to brother, lover to lover, mother to son. When that character is close to dying, the other will selflessly guard the injured character and take the hit. These are some of the characters fortunate enough to have a guardian:

• Guardian to Guarded

• Gremio to Hero

• Pahn to Hero

• Cleo to Hero

• Kasumi to Hero

• Pahn to Cleo

• Camille to Gremio

• Tai Ho to Yam Koo

• Yam Koo to Tai Ho

• Kimberly to Tai Ho

• Lepant to Eileen

• Eileen to Lepant

• Eileen to Sheena

• Kirkis to Sylvina

• Gon to Kuromimi

• Hix to Tengaar

© 1997 chockbrd@lava.net

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