Langrisser I & II Gameplay

The following is an introduction to various gameplay mechanics found in Langrisser I & II.

Overview
Langrisser I & II is a tactical role-playing game that features turn-based strategy, an array of playable commander units, mercenary squads, and numerous branching storylines. Battles take place on a grid pattern map, similar to chess, where the player will take turns against an enemy army, moving each individual unit and using various tactics to attack or defend against the opposing forces. Langrisser I and Langrisser II are both divided into chapters, with each chapter featuring a scenario where the storyline will progress and a new battle will begin. With each new battle map, the player will select their commanders, hire mercenaries, and engage with enemy forces, meeting the specified win conditions in order to claim victory. Though the maps and commanders vary between titles, the game mechanics are shared, thus the following information, as well as any tactics and strategies learned will aid the player as they progress through the chapters of both entries.

Commanders
The player’s army, as well as the allied and enemy forces, are comprised of characters known as commanders. All characters featured in the player’s party appear within the story, each having a unique array of strengths and abilities. These units are able to lead their own mercenary squads within battle, and may be customized to the player’s preferences by utilizing various classes, skills, and equipment--all of which may impact a commander’s stats and abilities.

As the story progresses, the chosen routes and events may cause different commanders to join or leave the player’s party.

The current party members and their stats can be viewed from the Commanders tab on the main menu of each chapter. Classes, spells, mercenaries, skills and equipment may be changed or viewed at any time outside of battle. This information, including spells, may also be referenced during a battle by selecting Details while the cursor is over any player, ally, or enemy commander. No further adjustments can be made to the player’s units at this point, however.

Should a commander unit be defeated during battle, that commander will retreat for the remainder of the fight, and their squad will be eliminated. However, in the case of the player, the defeated unit will not leave the party permanently and will participate in future battles.

While most commanders are able to retreat as many times as necessary, being defeated three or more times may affect a character’s fate in the epilogue. Additionally, certain maps or branches in the story require a specific commander, or commanders, to complete a battle without retreating.

Experience Points & Leveling Up
When the player’s commander units or their mercenaries defeat an enemy unit in battle, the victorious commander will be rewarded with experience points and gold. EXP can be gained either by defeating enemy commanders or their squad units. Note that experience is not gained unless the unit is eliminated, meaning damage alone will not earn EXP.

Should an enemy commander be defeated, their remaining squad will be dismissed from battle. Taking this into account, it’s possible for the player to gain more EXP by defeating squad units before targeting their commander.

Conversely, enemy and ally units will not gain EXP when opposing units are defeated. Should an ally unit eliminate a mutual foe, the player will not be rewarded any gold or EXP.

For the player’s army, earning EXP will allow commanders to level up, further boosting their stats with each level gained. Additionally, a character’s HP and MP will be fully restored upon leveling up, thus doing so in a pinch could turn the tide of battle.

CP & Class Tree
Along with stat boosts, CP is earned by a commander when they level up. CP is used to unlock new classes on a commander’s Class Tree, a branching selection of classes unique to each character. As with EXP, every commander accrues their CP individually. Bonus CP will also be awarded to a battle’s MVP, determined by the total number of enemies each commander eliminated during a chapter.

A commander’s Class Tree has up to five tiers, with each tier unlocking more powerful classes, mercenaries, skills, and spells. A unit’s initial class is unlocked when they join the party, though additional classes may be automatically unlocked depending upon the character’s level.

Once something has been unlocked, it is available permanently. Meaning that if a commander learns a skill or a spell, for example, they are still able to be used regardless of the character's current class.

Classes are able to be changed at any point outside of battle. There is no cost to reclass a commander, so the player may do so as they see fit.

Skills and Equipment
See List of Skills & List of Items

Unlocked through the Class Tree, skills have a variety of effects on a commander’s stats. Commanders are able to equip two skills at a time.

Additionally, one weapon, armor, and an accessory are also able to be equipped. These items are able to be purchased through the shop or by finding treasure on maps during battle (denoted by a sparkling tile). Skills and items may raise certain stats while lowering others, so the player is advised to take this into account before equipping them.

Mercenaries
For a complete list, see List of Mercenaries.

Each commander has the ability to recruit and lead their own squad of expendable mercenary units during battle. Depending upon a commander’s currently selected class, the maximum hire count will vary from two to six mercenaries, though this amount may be further impacted by certain skills or items. Each mercenary type costs a set fee of gold to recruit per unit, with the amount required being reflective of that mercenary’s strength. Thus, the stronger the mercenary, the more gold it will cost to recruit. While each commander is able to unlock a variety of mercenary types via the Class Tree, only one type may be hired per commander at a time, meaning the player cannot mix multiple mercenary types and assign them to the same commander.

Unlike commanders, mercenaries do not gain experience EXP or level up, and will be dismissed at the end of the battle. As such, if a mercenary defeats an enemy unit in combat, the EXP gained will instead be rewarded to its respective commander. Additionally, the player does not face any lasting consequences if any or all mercenaries fall during combat, aside from losing the unit(s) for the duration of the battle.

Though hiring mercenaries is optional, doing so offers a tactical advantage to the player, as mercenary units are able to defend commanders, act as a first line of attack, scout ahead, or lure the enemy into a more vulnerable position--among other tactics. Depending upon the player’s strategy or preference, mercenaries are able to move and attack manually, as with commander units, but may also act automatically according to their commander’s set orders, known as a Command setting. There are four different Command settings a commander unit may assign to their respective mercenary squads:


 * Attack: Move in a balanced way, equal parts offense and defense.
 * Charge: Advance offensively, prioritizing attack over defense.
 * Defend: Protect the commander, prioritizing defense over offense.
 * Standby: Mercenaries will not act, remaining in their current position.

Command settings are able to be changed at any point during the player’s phase in battle by selecting a commander unit, even after a commander unit has finished their turn. Any mercenaries that have not been moved manually will act according to their commander’s orders once the player has ended their phase Furthermore, each Command setting applies only to the squad of the individual commander unit, meaning the squads of different commanders are able to be set to various Command settings and can act independently of each other.

Command Ability
The Area of Command is the zone directly surrounding a commander unit where the stats of their mercenaries are increased. The exact range will vary between characters and it is represented by white squares in battle. Keeping mercenaries close to their commanders enables not only a boost in their stats, but the ability to heal a small amount of HP at the start of the player's phase as well. As with stats, various items and skills can impact the effects of a character's Area of Command.

Battle Preparations
Before deploying, a pre-battle summary with participating units and battle tips can be seen on the main menu. The player is advised to use this information to their advantage, as tactical hints, as well as references to branching storylines, may appear in this section.

In addition to unit customization from the Commander menu, equipment can be bought and sold from the Shop menu at this time. The items available from the shop will gradually be replaced with more valuable equipment as the chapters progress.

Once deployed, the player will be taken to the Battle Preparations menu. By selecting Recruit Mercenaries, the player can choose mercenary units to hire, manually deciding upon the mercenary type and the number recruited per commander. Alternatively, selecting Auto Formation will automatically assign the maximum hire count of the suggested mercenary type to each commander. Should the player wish to start over or commence a battle without mercenaries, the Discharge option will dismiss any selected mercenaries, as well as refund any gold spent on recruitment fees.

If the commanders in the player’s party exceed the map’s allotted number, or exceed the maximum total of eight, the player may select which commanders will participate in the battle by switching out units from the Reserves section found at the bottom of the menu.

By selecting Change Positions, most maps allow the starting position of the commander units to be switched, and doing so may give the player strategic advantages or disadvantages depending upon each unit’s placement on the map. The entirety of the map may be viewed either from this setting or by extending the map on the main Battle Preparations menu, displaying the location of enemy units, ally units (if applicable), and item tiles.

Note that the main menu, and thus the Commander and Shop menus, cannot be accessed after a battle has started. Any preparations must be completed beforehand, as returning to the main menu or title screen will cause the player’s progress in battle to be lost. Additionally, any gold spent on hiring mercenaries will not be refunded once the battle has commenced.

Battles & Combat
Once a battle has commenced, it will begin with the player’s phase. During this phase, a player may move their units within each unit’s range of movement (MOV), indicated by blue-colored spaces. Factors such as class, skills, terrain or items can affect a unit’s MOV. Each unit, whether it is a commander or a mercenary, may move once per phase. If the player chooses, each unit has the ability to directly attack one enemy unit during their turn, so long as the enemy is within the player unit’s range of movement or their strike zone, indicated by red. Either attacking or casting a spell will conclude a commander’s turn, graying out player units until the player manually ends their phase by selecting End Phase from the battle menu..

Terrain
For all units on the map, different terrains may have an impact on DEF or DEX stats. By having these stats raised, a unit will take less damage and be harder to strike, giving a unit a slight advantage. However, certain terrains may have a negative effect on one or both stats. The effect of terrain is displayed at the center top of the screen while the cursor is over a particular space. Note that flying units are unaffected by terrain.

Combat
Before engaging an attack, the player is able to see a Combat Prediction. These predictions calculate a unit’s likelihood for success in battle, taking unit types and advantages into account, and project the estimated amount of damage that may be dealt to the opposing unit.

All units have types, based upon class, and thus hold various advantages and disadvantages when facing enemies in combat or traversing certain terrains. Before engaging an enemy, the player will be see an icon over the opposing units:


 * Orange Up-Facing Arrow: Player’s unit has type advantage.
 * Blue Down-Facing Arrow: Player’s unit has type disadvantage.
 * Yellow Scale: No advantage or disadvantage. The two opposing units are equal.

Unit Characteristics
Certain units types hold advantages and disadvantages in battle. For example:


 * Infantry: Balanced fighters, hold advantage over spearmen.
 * Spearmen: Higher defense, hold advantage over cavalry.
 * Cavalry: Strong offense and higher MOV, hold advantage over infantry.

All units excel in certain areas. The placement of units can greatly impact their success in battle. The player should consider the following:


 * Marines: Increased MOV in water. Certain spells have increased potency on marines and other aquatic units.
 * Sky Knight: Unaffected by terrain and high MOV. Weak against archers and, as with marines, are more susceptible to certain spells.
 * Archers: Able to hit enemies from two spaces away and have increased attack against Sky Knights. Weak in direct combat.

Spells
For a complete list, see List of Spells

Spells are magic unique to commander units and require a specified amount of MP to cast, with more powerful spells consuming a larger amount of MP. The player’s commanders can learn new spells by unlocking additional classes on their respective Class Trees. Similar to how ATK determines the strength of a physical attack, a commander's MAG stat will determine how powerful a spell will be. When defending against a spell, MGR will affect how much damage is taken. The lower a character's MGR, the more HP will be lost.

Note that once spells are unlocked, a commander may cast them regardless of their currently selected class. However, certain spells have a level requirement the commander must reach before the spell may be used.

There are four types of magic in Langrisser I & II:


 * Attack Spells: Offensive magic used to inflict damage upon enemy units. Certain spells have increased potency on specific types of units, such as aquatic or flying units.
 * Support Spells: Support magic used to restore HP, temporarily increase a player unit’s stats, or temporarily decrease an enemy’s stats.
 * Special Magic: Unique spells that have a variety of effects.
 * Summon Magic: Spells that will call upon a summon unit to assist the player in battle.

Magic must be cast from the commander’s current position, meaning all commander units, player or otherwise, are unable to move to a different space on the map and cast a spell within the same phase. Taking this into account, each spell has its own unique range and area. Range denotes the number of spaces away from the commander where the magic can be cast. The area of a spell is the surrounding number of spaces the magic will affect.

Should the player cast an offensive spell, it will not harm any player nor any allied units. Similarly, the player’s healing spells and stat-boosting support magic will not affect enemy units.

Note that there are no consumable restorative items, thus both HP and MP may only be restored via magic.

Summons

Summons are units that can be called upon by magic to assist the player in battle. These units are under the player's control and are to move and attack manually. Each commander may only have one summon at a time. These units are able to attack as well as cast spells, pulling from their own MP. Should a summoned unit fall in battle, its respective commander is able to call upon either the same or new summon, MP allowing.