************************* SPOILER WARNING ********************************************************* SPOILER WARNING ********************************

This walkthrough contains spoilers related to Suikoden III. The spoilers havebeen put in so that nothing that happens later in the story is mentioned in anearlier section of the walkthrough. However, later sections of the walkthroughmay mention key previous events as reference points. If you'd rather not riskhaving something related to the story ruined for you, stop reading now.

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Legal Junk:

Whatever you do with this Walkthrough in terms of private use is no concern ofmine. Please do not alter it, distribute it, post it, or do anything relatedto public use without permission. If you intend to print it out, make sureyour printer/word processor's option for word wrap is off.

This Walkthrough should only be posted at gamefaqs.com. If you see thisdocument posted anywhere else in part or in its entirety, it is without theauthor's permission.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Contact info:

I WILL NOT reply to any e-mails that ask questions already answered in thisdocument. This applies especially to recruiting questions.

Comments, suggestions, corrections are welcome as long as they pertain to thisdocument. It's very helpful if you put "Suikoden" in the e-mail's subjectheader so I'll know it's related to this document. Any information you provideto me will be properly credited via e-mail name (minus the domain name) unlessyou prefer another way to be credited or do not wish to be credited at all. Iwill credit such information as from "anonymous".

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Update info:

The changes for this version:

-Added Chris level 99 trick in detail per e-mail requests. Credit and many thanks to Blue Moon for permitting me to put the trick in this document

This document contains all the content I planned for it (and then some). Anyfurther updates, beyond some minor clarifications/corrections, are not plannedunless a major secret is discovered.

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---------------------------------------- Part I: Introduction and Walkthrough ----------------------------------------

1. Introduction (How do I find stuff in this document?)

2. Top 10 e-Mail Questions 2a. What do I get for loading Suikoden II data? 2b. Should I play Suikoden I and II first? 2c. How long does this game take to complete? 2d. All about recruiting 2e. What skills should my characters learn? 2f. Why do you recommend doing...? 2g. Agh! I can't get [Recruit/Item] and I'm going to smash my PS2! 2h. Why can't I go to chapter 4? 2i. Why aren't the lottery results switching like you said? 2j. Where can I get a Statue S?

3. General Questions 3a. Introduction 3b. The Trinity Sight System 3c. Why this order of play? 3d. Skills/Stats 3e. Support Characters 3f. Runes and Magic 3g. Battle Formations/The Pair System 3h. Strategy Battles 3i. Duels 3j. Character Types 3k. Treasure bosses 3l. Recipes, Old Books, Medal Sets, Antiques, Bath Items, and Scripts 3m. What's the Chris Level 99 trick? Should I do it? 3n. What is the stat stones trick? 3o. I need money and lots of it! 3p. I was just walking around minding my own business, then the screen turned yellow and this funny music played and this monster killed me! 3q. Looting corpses 3r. What's a Tank? 3s. What are the Armor Sets and what do they do? 3t. Where do I get the Blinking Mirror? 3u. No offense, but can you suggest another Walkthrough?

4. Walkthrough 4a. Introduction 4b. Hugo Chapter 1 4c. Chris Chapter 1 4d. Geddoe Chapter 1 4e. Break--Time to Decide about Thomas 4f. Chris Chapter 2 4g. Hugo Chapter 2 4h. Geddoe Chapter 2 4i. Geddoe Chapter 3 4j. Hugo Chapter 3 4k. Chris Chapter 3 4l. Thomas Chapter 1 (Optional) 4m. Thomas Chapter 2 (Optional) 4n. Interlude--The Big Question (Spoilers) 4o. Chapter 4 4p. Chapter 5

---------------------------------------- Part II: Reference Guide (Spoilers) ----------------------------------------

5. 108 Stars of Destiny Recruit List

6. My Really Important Items List 6a. Introduction 6b. Runes 6c. Armor 6d. Hammers 6e. Medal Sets 6f. Accessories 6g. Scripts

7. Duels

8. Ernie's Quiz

9. Boss/Battle Strategies

---------------------------------------- Part III: Secrets (HUGE SPOILERS) ----------------------------------------

10. 108 Stars of Destiny Bonus

11. Miscellaneous Q&A's

12. So why did you choose this play and recruiting order?

---------------------------------------- Part IV: Thanks and Version History ----------------------------------------

13. Acknowledgements

14. Version History

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---------------------------------------- Part I: Introduction and Walkthrough ----------------------------------------

1. Introduction (How do I find stuff in this document?)

This Walkthrough covers how to get through Suikoden III with detailed contenton how to make the story advance, battle and recruiting strategies, and lots ofother stuff. What it does NOT include are comprehensive lists for the itemsin the game such as recipes, old books, runes, etc. I cover how to get most ofthese items in the Walkthrough with a mini-list of important items, but forcomprehensive lists, I refer you to Ryvius' FAQ here at gamefaqs and to thelists available at suikosource.com.

This document is broken up into four parts. Part I has general questions alongwith the actual Walkthrough. *Please* check the questions in sections 2 and 3before e-mailing me about something.

Part II is the Reference Guide. I put this in mainly for people who have aspecific question about how to recruit someone, how to beat a certain boss, orhow to get an item without having to plow through the Walkthrough. There arespoilers here but only minor ones for sections 5-8. Beyond some very minorstory points and the character names, nothing is revealed. Because section 9details the main boss/strategy battles in the game, key story events ARErevealed in this section. To reduce spoilers, an expanded content list forPart II is not in the main Table of Contents but instead placed at the start ofPart II.

Part III covers the Secrets of the game. Needless to say, the biggest spoilersare in this section. If you really want to know the reasons why I chose theplay and recruiting order of this Walkthrough, check section 12 in this part.

Part IV has the Acknowledgements and Version History sections.

If you want to zip to a part of this document quickly, open it up in WordPad orNotePad+ and make use of the Find tool. Activate both Match whole word andMatch case by checking them. Type in the following keywords in the quote marksthen hit Find Next until you get to each topic. You will have to hit Find Nexta few times before you get to the actual topic content:

"4. Walkthrough" --goes to the actual Walkthrough"5. 108 Stars" --goes to the Recruit List"6. My Really" --goes to the mini-list of Items"7. Duels" --goes to the Duels section"9. Boss/Battle" --goes to boss/strategy battles section"Part III:" --goes to Secrets section

You can do this with any other keyword topic you want such as the name of aparticular rune, character, item, boss, etc. If you'd like to go to a maincharacter's specific chapter, type in the phrase:

"[character name] [chapter] [chapter #]"

To get to Geddoe's chapter 2, for example, you'd type "Geddoe chapter 2" thenhit Find Next until you got to the actual content. Using the Find Tool is alot better than scrolling with your mouse or using the Page Up/Down keys.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************2. Top 10 e-Mail Questions

2a. What do I get for loading Suikoden II data?

The only things you get for loading Suikoden II data into Suikoden III are twoextra scripts (with plays related to events in Suikoden I and II), boostedlevels for three characters, and references to the names you gave to the heroesand armies of the previous games. The Suikoden II data you load must be a savegame after defeating the final boss in that game. To load Suikoden II data,insert the PSOne memory card with the data into one of the slots in your PS2with a PS2 memory card in the other slot. Access the PS2 browser and copy theSuikoden II data from the PSOne memory card to the PS2 memory card. At thestart of Suikoden III you will be prompted to load Suikoden II data and can doso at that time. I have written this walkthrough to include the minor

differences if you did or did not load Suikoden II data.

Suikoden II data that meets the requirements for Suikoden III is available fordownload via the DexDrive at gamefaqs. Go to the PSOne/PSX section, then toSuikoden II, then Game Saves. The Game Save by CDexter will enable you to getthe Scripts, which is the biggest reason to load Suikoden II data, really.Download this file to your hard drive, then copy it to a PSOne memory card viathe DexDrive. AFAIK, the DexDrives for the PSOne and PS2 are NOT compatible.If you have to spend more than $5 on this endeavor (in terms of getting a PSOneMemory Card and PSOne DexDrive), it's not worth it, IMO.

Thanks to CDexter for providing the Suikoden II game save.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------2b. Should I play Suikoden I and II first?

Suikoden III can be enjoyed as a standalone game-its story and characters haveonly very minor ties to the previous two games. I suggest you play Suikoden Iand II moreso because they are great games (better than Suikoden III, IMHO)rather than as an issue of continuity. Blue Moon's web site, suikosource.com,has story summaries of the first two games if you're interested.

In terms of acquiring the old games, your best bet is the bargain bin/usedsection of a local retailer. A couple of friends of mine have been able to getthe old games by asking their local store to hold on to a copy if someonetrades it in. Your other avenue is ebay or half.com, but I imagine because oftheir scarcity you'll have to pay more than the original price.

nihon e-mailed me about a site called gametz.com where you may also be able toget a copy of Suikoden I and II. I don't know too much about this site norhave I ever tried it, but I am including it for those who'd like to look intoit further. In no way am I endorsing gametz.com or suggesting you go there-I'mputting it in here mainly because 1/3 of the e-mails I get are related to howsomeone can get a hold of the older games outside of ebay or half.com. Use itat your own risk. Thanks to nihon for providing info. about gametz.com.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------2c. How long does this game take to complete?

If you blew through the game with the sole intent of beating it, probably 40hours or so. If you take the time to do all the mini-games, level up, get allthe recruits, etc., it will take at least 60 hours I believe. I wrote thisWalkthrough as I was playing the game and it took me 52 hours. Keep in mindthat this was my fourth play through so I knew ahead of time where everythingwas, how to get set up for battles, and so forth.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------2d. All about recruiting

A major gameplay/story device for Suikoden III is the 108 Stars of Destiny.These are the main figures of the story who determine the ultimate course ofhistory and the world's fate. Over the course of the game, you will have thechance to gather all 108 Stars with your main characters. The 108 Stars canbe separated into two groups, Automatic Stars and Non-Automatic Stars. As youwould guess, the Automatic Stars are the recruits who will join you for storyreasons so you won't have to do anything special to get them. The Non-Automatic Stars will need to be recruited with some effort and it's possibleyou can miss out on getting them.

To start recruiting any of the non-automatic stars, you need to visit Lake

Castle first. Therefore, Geddoe can start recruiting in his chapter 1, Chriscan start recruiting in her chapter 2, and Hugo can recruit starting in hischapter 3. Hugo can technically get 1 recruit in his chapter 2 but for allintents and purposes, chapter 3 is when he can really start to recruit.Thanks to SimUser for providing info. on when Hugo can start recruiting.

If you want to get all the Stars of Destiny without having to check this guidefurther, recruit Kidd and make use of his Scout option. Kidd will gatherdetailed information for you on how to get all the possible Stars. It's how Iwas able to figure out how to recruit everyone on my own.

An important thing to keep in mind is that you can only use characters with theperson who recruited them until ch. 4. That is, if you recruit someone inGeddoe's chapter 1, only Geddoe can put that character into his party untilch. 4. Chris and Hugo will not have access to that recruit until then. Ifa recruit is someone who runs a shop, the other characters can still visitthem at their shop but they cannot put them in their party.

You can recruit all the way up until the very last boss battle in ch. 5. Thereis also no restriction on who can recruit who-I suggest a recruiting order inthe actual Walkthrough but there's no one that can't be recruited by Chris,Hugo, or Geddoe. If you can't recruit someone because they're either not thereor they're not giving you the option to recruit, just try again in a laterchapter. Some non-automatic stars will not show up or join until you havegathered a certain number of recruits (similar to Bob in Suikoden II).

The level of the non-automatic stars is either preset or it's dependent on thelevel of the person recruiting them. Mel, for example, will always be atlevel 32 when you recruit her. Sanae Y, on the other hand, will be 1 levellower than whoever recruited her. To avoid too many spoilers, I've put acomplete list of which category the non-automatic stars fall under in section5e.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------2e. What skills should my characters learn?

I'm reluctant to answer this since a lot of the fun from the game involvescustomizing your roster the way you see fit through the skills system. I willgo ahead and make a few comments on it, though. A good "default" skill,meaning if you don't have any real preference for anything, in the earlychapters is Accuracy. This is because the SKL stat of your characters is lowat the start and they'll have a hard time hitting enemies with good Repelrates, especially the Golem bosses. Later on, this skill isn't real necessaryfor characters with SKL stats topping 125. For the later chapters, two gooddefault skills are Armor Protect and Magic Resistance. This mainly applies forstrategy and boss battles.

The best advice I can give you is just to try everything. You'll have a greatopportunity for this in chapters 4 and 5. A good method for experimenting isto gather skill points for your characters then saving before visiting theTutor or bujutsu teacher. Add some skills you want to try out and if you likethem, keep them. If not, just reload and try something else out. The gamebalances it out so you can never have uberwarriors like McDohl from the firsttwo Suikodens. However, with the skills system there's no one in the game youcan't make strong enough to deserve a spot in your regular party.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------2f. Why do you recommend doing...?

If I don't clearly state why I suggest you do something, it's for spoiler

reasons. I say it a bunch of times in this Walkthrough but it's worth it-allmy suggestions are just that. If you've found a better way or rather do ita different way than I recommend, by all means, do so. If you'd really like toknow the reason behind a recommendation and don't mind being spoiled about it,feel free to e-mail me and please be as specific as possible.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------2g. Agh! I can't get [Recruit/Item] and I'm going to smash my PS2!

This game can certainly cause a lot of frustration in terms of a few recruitsand rare items you try to pick up. I don't compare it on the level of some ofthe extras in the Final Fantasy series (dodging 200 lightning bolts, anyone?)but you may hit some rough patches to be sure. Keep in mind that in MOST casesyou can come back to getting a recruit or an item in a later part of the game.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------2h. Why can't I go to chapter 4?

In order to proceed to chapter 4, you must complete Geddoe, Chris, and Hugo'schapter 3's first. Thomas' chapters are completely optional and you do nothave to play his story to complete the game. If you want to play Thomas'story, you must do so before advancing to chapter 4.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------2i. Why aren't the lottery results switching like you said?

The way I suggest to play the lottery is:

-Buy 10 tickets, 5 sequential and 5 random-Kill 20-30 minutes of real time by doing random battles, story events, etc.-Come back to the town with the lottery and SAVE your game-Check the lottery board-If the results aren't up yet, go back out and kill 5 minutes then come back, SAVE again, then check the results. Keep repeating this until the results are posted-If you did not get the results you wanted, soft reset by pressing the shoulder buttons plus Start & Select then check the results again. Keep soft resetting until you get the desired results

The lottery results are totally random until:

-You check the board-You talk to the lottery seller, who tells you "Current winning numbers are up"

The numbers will also be set if:

-You waited until the next chapter to check the results-You waited TWO more lottery periods to check your tickets (i.e. you bought tickets for lottery period #1 but don't check until lottery #3 is already up)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------2j. Where can I get a Statue S?

If you fight the treasure bosses in each character's chapter, eventually youwill get items that are marked ?Statue and ?Figurine. These items need to beappraised to find out what they actually are. You can get items appraised byvisiting Appraisal Shops located at Vinay del Zexay, Duck Village, Chisha, andIksay. Once you recruit the Appraiser you can visit him at Lake Castle to getthis done as well.

I've been able to confirm two guaranteed Statue S from treasure bosses:

-?Statue from first OR second battle with Mt. Path treasure boss, Hex Doll S-?Statue from first OR second battle with Sindar Ruins treasure boss, usually the second time, Dragon Statue S

You can also get a Knight Statue S and a Goddess Statue S by fighting all thepossible treasure bosses at least once during each main characters' chapters.In addition, you can get a Hex Doll S as a random prize for winning Kathy'sraces. The winning times for each of her races are:

No obstacles: 49-50 secs, default prize is Deer Antler (49.677)Some obstacles: 49-51 secs, default prize is Mini-Cactus (49.853)Lots of obstacles: 49-52 secs, default prize is Mini-Cactus (49.677)

These are just estimates based on my experience. The times in parentheses aremy personal bests. Start with the no obstacles course and work your way up.The only strategy I can really give you is to stay to the inside of the trackand don't take really wide turns. Lame advice, I know, but that's all therereally is to it.

Note that if you use Hugo to run these races and Fubar is in your party, Hugowill race with Fubar instead of a horse. The times and prizes I mention areonly with the horse, not Fubar. To race Hugo without Fubar, just take Fubarout of your active party. If you keep getting the default prize more thantwice in a row, then you've exhausted the prizes for that course so try thenext one higher up. You will eventually get a Hex Doll S in one of the threeraces.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************3. General Questions

3a. Introduction

This section covers aspects of game play that include and go beyond what's inthe instruction manual as well as some general questions you may have. Ifinformation on a topic is readily available in the instruction manual, I willnot cover it. If you're renting this game or borrowing it and don't have themanual, you'll still be able to complete the game fine with this walkthrough.The information below is really just supplementary content. If you feel likeyou already have a good grasp of the game mechanics, just skip ahead to thewalkthrough.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------3b. The Trinity Sight System

Suikoden III employs a gameplay device called the Trinity Sight System. Thissimply means that the overall story is played through the perspective ofseveral different characters. At the start of the game, you can elect tochoose the perspective of Hugo, Chris, or Geddoe. After completing a chapter,you can continue with that character or switch to somebody else. That is, youcould choose to do Hugo's chapter 1-3 or alternate chapter 1's or go back andforth. This Walkthrough is written as a first play through and goes the routeof alternating characters from one chapter to the next.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------3c. Why this order of play?

The order of play I have used for this walkthrough is meant for players who areplaying the game for the first time. This order gives the player the chance tosee as much of the story as possible while being given options for duels anddialogue choices. Thomas' chapters are entirely optional and something of anacquired taste. I have put his chapters at the end in case the reader triesout his scenario and doesn't care for it. Parts of his story WILL be revealedin the other main characters' stories so if you're the type that hates anyspoilers at all, you should play his chapter 1 after completing Geddoe'schapter 1. I have written the walkthrough with this option in mind. Iactually think people will want to play his chapters more after going throughthe suggested order because the events pique their curiosity.

I highly recommend that if you've already played through the game to play eachcharacter's story in blocks (1-3 consecutively for each) the second timearound. Doing it this way gives you a much better feel for each individualcharacter and you may be surprised how your opinion of them can change by doingit this way.

The Trinity Sight System also lends itself to built-in difficulty levels. Inthis way, Chris is the "Easy" mode, Hugo "Medium", and Geddoe "Hard". I'veused this order for the walkthrough with players who are either new to theseries or new to RPG's in general in mind.

If you want to know my personal opinion of the super-duper, all story, mostminimal spoilers order of play, it would be:

Hugo 1Chris 1Geddoe 1Thomas 1Chris 2Hugo 2Geddoe 2Hugo 3Thomas 2Geddoe 3Chris 3Chapter 4Chapter 5

I gave it a lot of thought before deciding the Walkthrough's order and havechosen the one in section 4. If you're _really_ curious as to know why Ichose the play/recruiting order for the Walkthrough, go to section 12. Bewarned that it does contain some spoilers, including a really big one. Theexplanation is meant for people who are at least on chapter 5 already.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------3d. Skills/Stats

Skills and stats are essential to winning the game so I'm going to take sometime to discuss them in detail. Skills are abilities that provide specificbenefits for each character. No character has access to all the skills in thegame and some characters can acquire only a few of them. Stats are the numericmeasure of the 8 general abilities every character possesses. You can view acharacter's skills and their stats by choosing the status option from the mainoptions menu.

You can raise a character's stats through two ways-by using Stones that booststats (usually by 1-3 points) or the more common way by winning battles to getexperience and raising your level. Every time your characters go up a level

they will get an increase to their stats. The amount of experience you gainper encounter is based on a comparison between your level and the level of themonster you are fighting, without taking the number of party members intoaccount. An example:

You have a party of 4, 3 of them are at level 27 and the other is at level 60.You face the monster Copper Sun, whose level is 54, and win. The 3 charactersat level 27 get a few thousand experience points and gain 4 levels each to getto level 31. Your level 60 character, however, gets only a handful ofexperience points. Note that you can't see a monster's level (or any of theirother stats for that matter). The way the AI computes how many experiencepoints you get _is_ based on this type of formula, though. I have no idea ifthe Copper Sun's level is really 54, but based on how much experience you getfor him, the above example is an accurate analogy. The amount of experienceand how they're distributed is the same regardless of how many people you hadin your party.

Skills work a little differently. Each skill that a character can acquire haslevels that tell you how good they are in that skill. These levels are notedby a simple grading scale that goes from "E" (practically no talent in thatskill) to "S" (godlike with that skill). The only way to raise skill levels isby acquiring skill points then visiting a bujutsu teacher or Tutor to raise thelevels. A character's ability to activate the skill as well as how powerfulthe skill is depends on their grade level.

For example, let's say you have a character with the skill Lightning Magic. Acharacter whose rank is a "B" will take about a turn and a half to cast theSoaring Bolt spell which will do about 900 points of damage. A character withsimilar stats but who has an "A+" in Lightning Magic casting the same spellwill only take a half a turn to get the spell off and will do about 1400 pointsof damage.

Another example is if a character has the ability Adrenaline Power. When acharacter's Hit Points reach 0, this skill will bring them back to life, albeitwith only a few Hit Points. If a character has a "C" in this skill, it willactivate maybe 5-10% of the time. A character who has an "A+" with similarstats will activate this skill closer to 30-50% of the time.

The examples I used are based on experience. Because I don't know the exactformula for calculating the differences in letter grades, the numbers I usedin the examples are meant only as a general guide. I _have_ noticed verydramatic differences between the higher level grades. That is, there's a bigimprovement between going from an "A" to an "A+" and going from an "A+" to an"S". Certain skills are also affected by the general stats, such as Swingbeing influenced by a character's SPD.

There are two types of skills in the game: physical and magical. Physicalskills are learned and improved by visiting a bujutsu teacher. Magical skillsare likewise the domain of tutors. There are certain skills that everycharacter can learn. Conversely, there are some skills that are available onlyto specific characters. In addition, each character has a natural terminalgrade they can achieve in each skill. Lastly, each character has a speedmeasuring how quickly they can move up in skill level. Let's take an exampleto make sense of this:

Hugo comes with the abilities Swing and Heavy Damage. The Swing ability can belearned by any of the characters in the game by going to a bujutsu teacher. Onthe other hand, the Heavy Damage skill cannot be learned by every one and isactivated when a character reaches a certain experience level. Hugo comes withit automatically but he has not yet reached the level necessary to activate

another skill, Continual Attack. Hugo's Swing ability naturally tops out at an"A". Because this is a pretty good match for him, he will need to investaround 750 skill points to reach that "A" level from his starting "E" level.

When you visit a bujutsu teacher or tutor, you can select the "Test" option.This will give you a general idea of the terminal grade and speed of learningfor a character's skill level. The comments and what they mean:

-Perfect Match! = S-Fairly Good Match = A to A+-Natural Ability Exists = B+-Average = B-It Will Take Time = C

I stress the words "general idea"-some characters who test at "Perfect Match!"will only go up to a B+ and others who test at "It Will Take Time" can go up toan A+. The vast majority of the time, however, the test results coincide withthe guide above.

As far as acquiring skill points, each monster you encounter has a set amountof skill points that they are worth. After winning a battle, these skillpoints are divided up among the surviving party members, regardless of yourexperience level. An example to illustrate:

You have a party of 4 and you face the Twin-Head Snake boss, who is worth 800skill points. You defeat it but 2 of your members got knocked out and areunconscious when you win. The 2 conscious party members each get 400 skillpoints. If you had been able to win with all 4 party members still conscious,each member would've gotten 200 skill points. The amount of skill points andhow they are distributed is the same no matter if you were at level 30 when youwon or if you were at level 60.

The instruction manual has a detailed list of the skills and what they do. Forthe purpose of this walkthrough, I will suggest certain skills to learn as wellas point out some other character-specific comments but that's the extent ofit. Because the general stats aren't described in the instruction manual, Ihave listed them below and what they mean:

-PWR (Power): Measures how much damage you give for a successful melee attack.

-SKL (Skill): Measures a character's ability to get past an enemy's defensesto land a successful attack. Goes hand in hand with the Accuracy skill.

-MGC (Magic): Primarily measures the number of spells per level and how higha level of spell a character can cast. For example, the character below onthe left has a MGC stat of 84 and the character on the right has a stat of152, both are equipped with a Lightning Rune and neither has any skill inLightning Magic. You can see the difference in the number of spells per leveleach can cast and that the character with the higher MGC stat has access to the4th level spell.

Character A: Character B:

Level 1 6 9Level 2 3 6Level 3 1 3Level 4 0 1

The skills for specific magic, like Fire Magic and Water Magic skill, primarilymeasure how fast a spell is cast and how much damage it will do.

-REP (Repel): Measures a character's natural evade ability to avoid enemymelee attacks. Goes with the Repel skill.

-PDF (Physical Defense): Determines how much damage a character will receivewhen an enemy lands a successful melee attack. Monster characters like Fubarwill have a natural PDF rating since they can't wear armor. Everyone else'sPDF starts at 0 because this is determined by what armor and accessories theyare wearing. The skills Armor Protect and Shield Protect will enhance PDF.Note that some characters can get much more mileage out of armor than others.

-MDF (Magic Defense): Determines how much damage a character will receive whenan enemy lands a successful magic attack. The skills Magic Resistance andMagic Repel can enhance MDF.

-SPD (Speed): This influences how many physical actions a character canperform during their turn, specifically running and attacking. A characterwith good speed can run up to an enemy far away and still get off their normalnumber of attacks. Others who are slow will have a hard time just getting intoposition to attack or delivering their usual number of hits. The skills HolyDash and Swing can augment speedy characters and aid slower ones.

-LUK (Luck): Not too sure about this because it's a stat that I haven't paidmuch attention to. Piccolo mentions in the game that characters with low lucktend to be targeted first by the enemy but I haven't seen enough evidence tosuggest this is definitely true.

You do not acquire skill points through strategy battles, only through theregular field battles in boss fights and random encounters. With the exceptionof one unique strategy battle, this is also true for experience points. Interms of what's more important, skills or stats, my own experience clearlypoints to skills. Using the stat stones trick (described below in part 3n.),I boosted Chris' REP stat up to 503, with her Repel skill at a "B". In aa series of battles, the enemy was still able to hit her a few times. On theother hand, Hugo had a REP stat of 169 with a Repel skill at "A+" and he didn'tget hit once in those same battles. This is just one example, I know, but I'mvery confident that if you have a level 60 character with great stats and onlymediocre skill levels, they're likely to be on par with or below a level 45character with outstanding skill levels.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------3e. Support Characters

These are characters who are in your party but do not show up on screen whenyou have a random encounter or run into a boss fight. The instruction manualprovides detailed descriptions of the support skills and what they do so I'mnot going to cover them here. Note that some characters that are active duringthe regular battles, such as Juan and Ace, also have support skills. While allsupport skills provide some benefit, others can also be accessed directly to beused just like their equivalents at a shop.

For example, Jeane has the Rune Sage support skill. This benefits spellcasting during battles. In addition to this, if you access this skill throughthe skills option, you can remove and affix runes on your characters just likeyou would at a Rune Shop. Similarly, Juan has the Bujutsu Teacher supportskill. By accessing this skill, you can test, forget, and get lessons anywhereat any time as long as Juan is in your party. There is no way to boost theskill level of characters who are only support characters. There's only oneinstance I know of where you can boost the support skill of one of the regularcharacters, which is Sanae Y's Healing support skill through one of Jefferson's

appointments.

The effects of support skills are not cumulative. For example, Ace and Marthaboth have the Discount support skills. You can have both of them in your partyat the same time but only the person with the higher grade in the support skill(in this case Martha) will have any effect.

For those characters who have either the Tutor or Bujutsu Teacher supportskill, the grades for these abilities only affect battle encounters. That is,regardless of the grade, if you access these skills to Learn, Forget, or Testskills it's all the same. For example, Ernie has a higher grade in Tutor thanNadir. If you have her in your party during random battles, she does a betterjob of aiding your magic attacks than Nadir. However, if you were to accessthe Tutor skill from the main Skills option, their abilities in Lesson, Forget,and Test are completely the same-you would not have to invest more skill pointsto learn a skill from Nadir than you would from Ernie or anything else relatedto skills.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------3f. Runes and Magic

All magical ability in Suikoden III revolves around runes. Basically, magicalpower is stored in rune crystals. Rune sages can unseal the crystals andembed characters with the runes inside and the magical properties that comewith them. A description of 12 of the major runes in the game is included inthe instruction manual. I will note the relevant runes as they come up duringthe course of the walkthrough. As a general rule, I'm heavily biased againstusing Fire and Earth Magic. The first because it has a tendency to hit yourown party members and the latter because it's virtually useless until very latein the game.

The only way to replenish your spells is by resting at an Inn and when storyelements dictate (usually when a chapter turns over).

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------3g. Battle Formation/The Pairs System

When you access the formation screen from the main options menu, it shows 7slots like this:

------ ------ (Pair 1, bottom left on battle screen) ------ ------ (Pair 2, middle on the battle screen) ------ ------ (Pair 3, top right on battle screen)------(Support Character)

You can have up to six party members in your group plus one support person.The pairs system means that during a random encounter or boss battle, you willgive only 3 commands for all six characters. You never give commands during abattle to support characters. Item use is restricted to each individual pair.That is, someone in Pair 1 can never use Medicine or a similar item on someonewho is in Pair 2 or 3. This also dictates that it's a bad idea to pair 2magic users together. Since you can only give one command to both of them perturn, you negate their ability to both cast spells during the same turn.

By pairing certain characters together, you can access combos. These combosrange from the 2-person variety all the way to combos that involve up to 5characters. In addition, you can pair 3 characters with their mounts in orderto form a mounted unit. To not spoil anything, I will mention these charactersin turn during the course of the walkthrough.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------3h. Strategy Battles

These battles represent confrontations between entire armies rather than therandom/boss battles involving small groups. Strategy battles are initiatedonly by the story, meaning there are no "random" strategy battles in the game.Each strategy battle has a specific goal given to you, such as staying alivefor [X] amount of turns or defeating a certain enemy unit. Depending on howwell you did in accomplishing the given goal, you may receive loot afterwards.You do not receive skill points for fighting these battles. With the exceptionof the first strategy battle in Chris' chapter 1 (which involves the level 99trick), you do not gain experience or levels either.

The most important thing to note about these strategy battles is that certaincharacters can die permanently in them. The way you can tell if someone hasdied forever is if they meet ALL the following criteria:

-They are not a unit leader-Their HP are reduced to 0 _and_ the unit leader's HP were reduced to 0 in the same field battle-They have a dialogue box after the battle and say something. This comes after the unit leader's dialogue box which always pops up if a unit is defeated

If a character dies permanently in these strategy battles, you will not receivethe 108 Stars of Destiny bonus at the end of the game and you can't use them inyour party again. One of the options for the formation setup screen, which Idiscuss in detail later in this section, is Story VIPs. To see if someone isvulnerable to dying permanently in battle, select this option then Confirm.The characters that get switched into the Reserve boxes are the ones that candie forever in the strategy battles. Note that the Story VIPs can change frombattle to battle.

The actual gameplay for these battles is highly simplified. The battlefield isrepresented by a group of circles connected together by dotted lines. Thestarting position of your Army units and the enemy's is preset before eachbattle. Actions are turn-based, meaning you will do everything you want withyour units then end your turn then the AI will do the same. You can only give1 command to each unit per turn. When a unit is moved into a circle occupiedby an opposing unit, a field battle will commence. The field battle screen isthe same as those for random/boss battles, except you only have commands toAttack, Defend, and Retreat. The field battle ends if 1 of the 3 occurs:

1. A unit leader's HP is reduced to 0 or2. A unit chooses the retreat option or3. Three turns elapse and 1 or 2 did not occur

From the main battlefield screen, you will have the option to Move (the Bootsymbol), Defend (the Shield symbol), or use a Special Skill (the Lightning Boltsymbol). Moving is self-explanatory. Choosing Defend will reduce a unit'sdamage taken by 1/2 if they're attacked and get into a field battle. Specialskills are various offensive and defensive abilities that affect entire units.Certain characters on your roster possess these skills. The most notableSpecial Skills are:

-Lightning. Reduces each member of a target unit's HP by 1/3. Affects only one individual unit and has a range of two connected circles.-Fire. Reduces each member of a target unit's HP by 1/5. Affects ALL units in the target circle and has a range of one connected circle.-Water. Heals all of a unit's HP and has a range of one connected circle.-Heal. Heals 1/2 of each member's HP in the target unit. Can only be cast on a unit in the same circle.

Some battlefield circles also have effects. To check what these effects maybe, move the pointer over a circle. Some Plains circles, for examples, healthe HP of an occupying unit. You can view what comprises an enemy unit byplacing the pointer over them and hitting X. If more than one enemy unit isstacked together on the same circle, you can switch to the one you want totarget/view by hitting X then moving the D-Pad left or right.

If you're able to flank an enemy unit, you can put your teams into a Coverposition. When you do this, you bolster the damage down by the attacking unitwho's being covered. The more units covering from different circles, the moredamage. Each cover unit bolsters damage done by about 50%. Putting units intoa Cover position does not influence the Retreat success of the enemy nor doesit bolster your attacking units' defense. In the strategy battles in chapters4 and 5, moving your units into Cover positions can mean the difference betweenVictories and Major Victories.

During the actual field battle, you have three available commands: Attack,Defend, and Retreat. If you choose Attack, your unit will do just that.However, you have no control over their actions after that, meaning you can'tchoose who they attack, what type of attack they will use, or anything else.Choosing Defend will boost your characters' defenses as they normally would ina regular battle. Unless your characters are stunned or unbalanced, there isno reason to ever choose the Defend option. Retreat will cause your unit toleave the field. Most of the time when you do this, the enemy will get a freeturn to attack you. Note that you cannot Retreat if there is no open circle togo to on the main strategy battle screen.

Before most, but not all, strategy battles you will talk to either Salome orCaesar and they will ask you to organize your units. This screen is differentfrom the main formation screen used for regular/boss battles. You will begiven the options of Alter, Auto, Story VIPs, and AllReserve. Alter allows youto swap your characters around. Auto allows the AI to organize your units foryou. NEVER pick this option. Story VIPs will put all characters who can diepermanently in the upcoming strategy battle into reserve to keep them safe.AllReserve will empty all the units out except the unit commanders. A veryimportant thing to remember about organizing your units is that after you tellSalome or Caesar that you're ready to battle, you cannot go back to change theformation again. As long as you tell them to wait or you're not ready toproceed, you can talk to them again to change the formation.

In terms of individual unit formation, it looks like this:

-------- (Slot 1)-------- (Slot 2)-------- (Slot 3)-------- (Slot 4)-------- (Support)

Like in regular/boss battles, the Support character does not show up on thefield battle screen but provides some benefit to the unit. Slot 1 will be atthe front of the unit on the field battle screen and will be the first choice

of an enemy attack. This changes if you have special runes or items thataffect the enemy's choice of target such as Blue Ribbons, Skunk Runes, andFirefly Runes. Slot 4 is usually occupied by the unit leader. The unitleader's position can never be changed. Slots 1 & 2 and slots 3 & 4 areconsidered pairs to a certain extent. No unite attacks or mounted units willbe in effect but how each character reacts will still be dictated by the pairssystem. That is, if you place a Berserker type character who always attacksinto Slot 3, they will drag up the person in Slot 4 with them, just like ifthey're paired in a regular or boss battle.

This watered down version of the pairs system affects your formation choice ina few ways. First, the person in Slot 1 should have good defense and, if atall possible, high attack skills as well. This is because they're usually thefirst person to attack as well as be attacked. If the unit leader is in Slot4, it's a bad idea to put a magic user or archer in Slot 3. This is becausethe enemy always starts far away from you in the field battle and only thefastest unit leaders will be able to drag up the magic user/archer with them.Slot 2 is the best for magic users and archers since it's close enough to theenemy to allow the person in Slot 1 to still attack.

The best way to ensure your success in these strategy battles is to train upand properly equip the characters who will participate in them. It's reallynot more complicated than that until the game's last strategy battle.Strategies are provided for each of the battles in the Walkthrough itself andin section 9.

The most useful items for strategy battles are Sacrificial Jizos, FireflyRunes, Skunk Runes, and Haziness Runes. Sacrificial Jizos need to be equippedin a character's personal inventory. They essentially add 1/3 of the wearer'sHP to their total HP. For example, a character with 300 HP wearing aSacrificial Jizo would really have 400 HP. When a character's HP are reducedto 0, the Jizo will activate and restore that 1/3 of HP back. However, if acharacter receives a damage amount that exceeds what the Jizo can provide, theywill still get knocked out. To take the above example further, let's say thewearer is down to 100 HP. They get hit for 400 HP of damage--200 HP more thanwhat the Jizo provides for. They would then get knocked out. However, if theygot hit for exactly 200 HP, they would get 100 HP back and not get knocked out.This is not the exact formula for Jizos, but it is an accurate analogy. Jizosare active during strategy battles and you can equip up to three of them on oneperson.

Firefly Runes make the wearer the first choice of an enemy attack. This isinvaluable when placed on a Tank (characters who receive very little damagefrom melee attacks). Because most of the field battles involve melee attacks,the enemy will go after the Tank first and ignore everyone else, even if therest of the Tank's unit is ripping them to shreds. You can recruit someone whohas a removable Firefly Rune. In Thomas' chapters 1 and 2, the Purple Creepersin the North Cavern drop them.

Skunk Runes are the opposite of Firefly Runes. The wearer is the last choiceof an enemy melee attack. This is not a 100% guarantee, though. I have foundthat it's fairly effective but I highly recommend that you don't take theapproach of equipping everyone except a Tank with a Skunk Rune. I just haven'tseen this work consistently enough. It is a good choice for more vulnerablecharacters, though. Skunk Runes can be bought at the Duck Village Rune Shopfrom chapter 3 onward. Blue Ribbons are an accessory that function like SkunkRunes but have a higher rate of success. Only females can wear them. They area Rarity at the Duck Village Item Shop from chapter 3 onward.

Haziness Runes improve the wearer's chances of evading an enemy melee attack.

I've probably fought around 50 strategy battles and these Runes activate quiteoften, probably around 1/4 to 1/3 of the time. Best used for characters withlow HP or bad defense but who are really good attackers. It seems to activatemore often for characters with good Repel, Armor Protect, Shield Protect, andParry skills. They are a Rarity at the Duck Village and Le Buque Item Storesfrom chapter 3 onward.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------3i. Duels

Duels are one-on-one contests where you are given 3 options: Defend, Attack,or Deathblow. It's a rock-paper-scissors type battle with an advantage meterthrown in. Basically:

When your Enemy does: You Should:

Attack DeathblowDefend AttackDeathblow Defend

You'll note a small green circle at the bottom near the duel gauge. Thisindicates a DISadvantage. That means if the circle is under your character'sportrait, your enemy has the upper hand. In this case, the usual rules abovewill be bent somewhat in favor of the person with the advantage. For example,normally if you Deathblow when your enemy Attacks, you take no damage. On theother hand, if they have the advantage, they will still get in an Attack andcause you damage. Therefore, if the advantage is totally in your favor, youhave some leeway to make a mistake and not pay for it. It works the other wayas well.

An important thing to remember about duels is that some Runes that affect yourstatus will be in effect when you duel. This can be good in the case if youhave something like a Fury Rune or very bad if you forgot to remove thatHunter Rune you were messing around with. I've covered every winnable duel inthe game to let you know what your enemy's comments mean so you can counteraccordingly. I probably have missed a few of the comments but have suppliedmore than enough so you can win every duel.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------3j. Character Types

Each character has a personality "type" that describes their tendency inbattle. The manual describes these tendencies on page 24. The vast majorityof your non-support characters are Offensive Fighters. The two classes to noteare Berserkers and Magic Users. Berserkers will always attack even if you givethem the Defend command. Magic Users are the opposite--they almost never do amelee attack even if you give them the Attack command. This is especially truefor Magic Users if they're paired with someone else. To avoid spoilers, I havenoted which characters are Berserkers and Magic Users in the 108 Stars ofDestiny section. When I make suggestions for formations in the walkthrough, Itake the various character types into account.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------3k. Treasure bosses

During the course of the game, you will run into monsters that are guardingtreasure chests. Each of these treasure bosses are located in a specific areaand by the end of the game there are 6 of them in all. When you defeat theboss, there's usually around 2-24 items in the chest plus a nice cash reward.If you loot the entire contents of a chest, that treasure boss will re-spawn

after about 30-45 minutes, with more loot in the chest and more cash. If youdon't loot all the contents, it will take _much_ longer for the treasure boss(and his treasure) to re-appear, usually at least a few hours. There arebenefits to doing one or the other depending on whether or not you want tokeep fighting a certain boss.

The location of the treasure bosses and the earliest chapter they appear foreach character in parentheses:

1. Mt. Hei-Tou, Geddoe (1), Chris (2), Hugo (3)2. North Cavern, Geddoe (2), Chris (2), Hugo (3), Thomas (1)3. Mt. Path, Geddoe (1), Chris (3), Hugo (3)4. Mt. Senai, Geddoe (2), Chris (4), Hugo (4)5. Hideaway, All (3)6. Cyndar Ruins, All (5)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------3l. Recipes, Old Books, Medal Sets, Antiques, Bath Items, and Scripts

-Once you recruit the chef character in the game, you can give this person theRecipes you find from corpses, treasure bosses, and lottery prizes. With theserecipes and the right spices, you can put together usable food items that healHit Points as well as put your character into various states.

-Once you get the librarian character, you can give them Old Books and readthem. The Old Books contain various information such as a bestiary, listingwhere to find rare items, histories on the Suikoden world, and so forth.

-Once you get the Appointer, you can give him Medal Sets. These Sets containTitles (like "Top Commander") that give boosts to your characters' skills suchas Accuracy, Swing, etc.

-Antiques include Paintings, Statues (big and small), and Figurines such asvases and urns. You can place all these items for display at Lake Castle. Toplace a Painting, walk up to an empty picture frame and hit X. To displayStatues, go up the stairs to the 2nd floor and go to the first room on theleft. This is the statue room with several pedestals where you can place theStatues. For Figurines, walk up to any of the desks inside the Castle and hitX to display them. Most of the time when you first get an antique, it willhave a ? symbol next to it, meaning it needs to be identified first. Take theitem to an appraiser shop and they will identify it for you.

-Once you get the bath character, you can take a soak in the bath house at LakeCastle. If you equip your character with a bath item, you will see differenteffects while in the bath house.

-Once you get the theater director, you can put on plays at Lake Castle. Thedirector comes with one script but you can find others to give him to performdifferent plays.

As I stated earlier, this walkthrough isn't intended to grab all these items.I haven't included it because Ryvius' FAQ here on gamefaqs covers it quitecomprehensively. During the course of the walkthrough, you will get most ofthe items but I don't make it a point to get _all_ of them.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------3m. What's the Chris Level 99 trick? Should I do it?

This trick was first posted by Blue Moon at his site, suikosource.com. Manythanks to him for graciously permitting me to include it in this Walkthrough

with some of my own additions.

As the question title suggests, this is a gameplay trick that allows the playerto get Chris up to level 99. Like past Suikoden games, the ceiling experiencelevel is around 60 for Suikoden III. That is, when you reach level 60 you'llonly gain a few experience points for even the toughest random battles. As forthe trick itself, there's a battle that Chris can win in her chapter 1 thatgives her a boost of 2 experience levels every time she wins it. This boost isstill given even at the highest levels so it overcomes the ceiling problem forher.

In terms of should or should you not do it, here's some pros and cons:

Pros:-----

1. Allows you to get up to 16 characters at level 99 or very close to it2. Along with #1, this means you get to see these characters at their maxed out stat levels. One big benefit of this is that Chris will be able to cast level 4 spells3. Makes most strategy battles ridiculously easy4. You can breeze through Chris' chapters in terms of random battles as well because she can win most of them outright or Let Go of them

Cons:-----

1. Removes a lot of the challenge out of the game2. Takes a good 12-20 hours to complete3. Is extremely tedious, as you'll be viewing the same cutscene and fighting the same battles ad nauseum4. It's difficult at the outset to do and the frustration level can be very high, especially watching the AI cost you the win over and over again by controlling your units in the stupidest ways possible

It's up to you if you want to try it. I'm not one of those people who say thatit's cheating or you're taking advantage of a game loophole. It's YOUR gamethat you paid for so you should play it any way you darn well please. I didn'tdo it until my second playthrough and thought it was worth it because itallowed me to try some things that would not have been possible otherwise. Iwill never do it again though because it's just too tedious and time consuming.You absolutely do NOT need to do it to win any of the battles in the game.Practically all of them are still relatively easy as long you prepare for them.

I cover the trick in-depth below and it does contain some minor story spoilersfor Chris' chapter 1 & 2 so be warned. *Please* read through the whole sectionon how to do the trick before e-mailing me about something. The trick as itwas originally posted by Blue Moon can be found here:

http://suikosource.com/games/gs3/secrets/level.php

Before actually doing the trick in Chris' chapter 1, do these things:

-Get a radio, CD, or MP3 player. You're going to need it later while doing the trick or there's a good chance you will die from boredom. If you see this light and a dead relative beckoning to you, it's time to put down your controller and step slowly away from the console.

-When you get Borus, Salome, and Roland in your party, go to the Vinay del Zexay Guild Hall. Upgrade all of your equipment possible, including Winged

Boots, Fine Helms, and Fine Casques. Sell any of the old gear you replaced. If they have better Chainmail for Roland, buy that for him, too. Remove Roland's Great Hawk Rune. Buy a Sacrificial Jizo for everyone but don't equip them. Leave the Guild Hall and buy 3 Earth Runes at the regular Rune Shop but only affix one to Salome.

-Exit VdZ and go to Brass Castle. Head east to get a cutscene. After that, go to the east courtyard for another cutscene. Go up to the knights' parlor and talk to Salome. Put Roland and Borus in your party. -Head back to the east courtyard and sharpen their weapons to level 8. If they have Flame Amulets at the Item Stand, buy those for Roland and Chris and replace their Gauntlet/Power Gloves with it. Go to the inn and SAVE.

-Go to Chris' room and tell Louis you want to rest. An extended cutscene will follow and a strategy battle will commence.

This is it-winning this battle by eliminating all the enemy units will boostChris, Roland, Borus, and Salome's levels by 2 every time. It is next toimpossible to actually win this battle the first time you play it--a reasonablelevel for your characters at this point is level 23. You'll need to be atleast level 32 to win it and I recommend being at level 34. Therefore, thefirst time you get into this battle, just go for the Safe Retreat with thisstrategy:

-During the first turn, move Roland and the other Zexen unit into the same circle as Chris. End your turn. During the Grasslanders' turn, Lucia and Beecham will show up with some Karaya Units. Salome will then suggest you break through. Use Roland's unit to attack the Karayan Unit (Unit #12) that's blocking your exit. If you didn't win, or somehow lost, send the mounted unit (Unit #4) after them. This should take out the Karayan Unit. Send Chris into the now empty circle that the Karayans were occupying. Defend with the remaining Zexen units. The Grasslanders will no doubt attack you in the next turn. Just pick the retreat option. You'll get attacked most of the time but should make it into Chris' circle without much problems. When your turn comes up again, move any of the Zexen units into the exit circle (it doesn't have to be Chris' unit). This will conclude the strategy battle.

You will end up at Plain Amur. Do NOT save on this screen or exit north on themini-map. Stay on this screen and fight the random battles until you get toat least level 32. As I stated earlier, I recommend level 34 at least or evenbetter 35 if you have the patience. This will take you a good few hoursbecause after you reach level 30, the amount of experience points you get willdrop off dramatically. Your best bets for experience are the Dark Hares andthe Troll Dragon rare encounter.

Once you reach the level you want, remove everyone's armor/accessories anddiscard them. Don't worry because you'll be getting it all back soon. Diefrom a random battle. When you get to the Continue screen, choose No Way!You will be back at the Brass Castle inn with your levels and skill pointsintact from the random battles at Plain Amur. Go talk to the Bujutsu Teacherto bump up your skills. The most important to get are Swing for all of themand Armor Protect for Chris and Borus. After that, Accuracy, Heavy Damage, andDamage. NEVER bump up their Repel or Parry skills. Equip the SacrificialJizos you got earlier on them. Affix the Earth runes you got earlier on Chrisand Roland.

From here on out, you will repeat the following steps until you get to level 99or however high you want to get Chris' level:

-Save at the Brass Castle inn. Talk to Louis and pick Rest.

-When the strategy battle starts, your goal is now to win it. An important thing to keep in mind is that only Chris has to survive to win. You can lose everyone else, including Borus, and still get the victory. Also, Chris' unit will get HP back (about 1/5) for each member of her unit at the start of her turn. Dupa is the most dangerous because of his Fury rune. Removing Lucia ASAP is the key to winning. Without her, the enemy can only move 3 units a turn. Because Chris is the most important unit, everyone else is just fodder.

-Here's a diagram for the areas of note:

A-----B / \ \ / \ Exit / \ C ------ D

During your first turn, move Chris and Unit #4 into circle D. Move Roland and the other Zexen unit into circle A. Use Chris' unit if you get attacked in circle D. During the next turn, send Roland's unit to circle B to clear out the Karayan unit and send Chris' unit into circle D. Almost always the AI will use Lucia to meet her. If you were able to take down Lucia, congrats-- this battle is now 100x easier.

-Whether or not Lucia went down, your strategy now is to maintain at least circles A & B so you'll have a safe place to retreat. Note that you can move off circle B once you touch it and it will still count as an occupied circle.

-Once Lucia is gone, the enemy can only move 3 units a turn, making it a lot easier to shuffle your troops around so that Chris can attack and take attacks until her HP get low. You can then use another unit to take an attack for her until she gets HP back at the start of your turn. The first time I won this battle, I had to retreat my units all the way to circle B and only Chris was left standing at the end.

-Later on when your levels are higher, instead of retreating to circles A & B, take out all the enemy units SE of circle D. By maintaining circles A & D, you put your teams in a Cover position to attack the enemy in circle C.

-If it looks like you definitely won't win, just go for the Safe Retreat again. At Plain Amur, get some more skill points and levels if you didn't already get to level 34. With a Swing grade of B and in the low 30's level, Chris will get two attacks/turn. Getting this is critical to winning the actual strategy battle. Once you get the levels you want at Plain Amur, die again and repeat.

-If you were able to wipe out all the Grasslanders, move any of the surviving units to the Exit. Your party will chat and you'll get the message that Chris, Borus, Roland, and Salome gained two levels.

-At Plain Amur, discard all their armor and gear. Die in a random battle and repeat from the top, starting with saving at the inn.

Now for the dying part in detail. Once all their armor is gone, you'll want tofind a random battle with a Wild Boar. Anyone else will take you much longerto die, especially once you get to the 50's level or so. I recommend thisformation for your troops:

Chris-----

Borus-----RolandSalome

Have Chris and Roland cast the 3rd level Earth Magic spell and have Borus castthe 2nd level Sword of Magic spell. Casting these spells will make your partytotally vulnerable to attacks. For every turn thereafter, choose to recast theEarth spells with Chris and Roland so they start over again--doing this willprevent them from ever getting off their spells and keep them vulnerable. ForBorus, once he runs out of the 2nd level Sword of Magic spell, choose to graban item from the bag. You can do this 3 times if you emptied out his itemslots and have some Medicine in the main inventory. If he's still alive afterdoing that, just have him defend. Once Roland's gone, have Salome cast anyEarth Magic spell that takes more than 1 turn to complete. Keep doing thisuntil everyone dies.

Once you reach higher levels, in the mid-40's or so, the strategy battle can bewon with just Chris. In addition, Borus and Roland will be a big help oncethey're leveled up and you can use Roland's unit to help out with the attacks.Also, in the low 60's level, Roland will get 2 attacks a turn if his Swing is aB. At that time, put the Great Hawk Rune back on him.

To see which characters you should recruit with Chris so their levels are alsoaround 99, check section 5e.

There's an alternate way to doing a part of this trick that can save you acouple of hours. The only drawback to this method is that Salome will not goup to level 99 like the others. Instead, he'll be about 12-16 levels lower.To do it this alternate way, the first time you get to Plain Amur (after theSafe Retreat) go up to level 28, which shouldn't take too long by fighting theDark Hares.

Leave Plain Amur and go to Karaya to proceed with the story. Keep progressingwith the story until you end it by going to Chris' house in VdZ. When you getto the Trinity Site, pick Chris' chapter 2. DO NOT SAVE at any time--your lastsave should still be the one at the Brass Castle inn. Keep proceeding withChris' chapter 2 until after the knights have had dinner and Chris gives themtheir new orders. The next day, talk to Salome and choose organize formation.Put Borus and Roland in your party.

Fight random battles at Yaza Plain. In about 15-20 minutes, you'll be at level34. You can spend another 10 minutes out there and get to level 36. Once youreach the level you want, discard all their armor and die. Make sure Borus andRoland are in your party when you die. Select No Way! at the Continue screenand you'll be back at the Brass Castle inn in chapter 1 with your boostedlevels/skills.

Doing it this way will save you at least an hour or two from leveling all theway up to the mid-30's level at Plain Amur. With this method, from the timeyou get to level 28 at Plain Amur until you die will not take more than anhour and 15 minutes.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------3n. What's the stat stones trick?

This trick takes advantage of the same gameplay mechanism that makes the Chrislevel 99 trick work. Save your game with some Stat Stones in your inventory.Use the Stat Stones to boost some stats. Die, then select No Way! when you'reasked if you want to give up. When you continue from the save point, you will

still have the Stat Stones along with the boosted stats. Keep repeating asmany times as you want. As I mentioned in the Skills/Stats section, it appearsthat Skills are much more important than Stats.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------3o. I need money and lots of it!

The best way to earn money early in the game with Hugo, Geddoe, and Thomas isthrough the lottery. Later on, treasure boss monsters are the best way to gofor Geddoe and Hugo. Chris starts with 200,000 potch so money isn't really anissue for her. Later on in the game (chapter 4) you'll have the opportunity toacquire the Prosperity Set, a group of items that includes the Tunic ofProsperity, the Prosperity Hat, and the Prosperity Ring. I have described thismethod in detail in the Walkthrough. Full credit for the Prosperity Set methodgoes to Abraxas from the gamefaqs message board who first posted about it.

As for the lottery, buy 5 Sequential tickets and 5 Random tickets. The lotteryresults turn over every 20-50 minutes of real time. BEFORE checking theresults on the lottery board, save your game. Check the board and if you didnot get the prize you wanted, soft reset by pressing all shoulder buttons alongwith Start and Select. Check the board and keep repeating until you get whatyou want. On average, it takes me 5-10 minutes before getting the 2nd prize(100,000 potch). I've hit the 500,000 prize a few times. I have never hit thegrand prize so I don't know what it is.

sim st-pierre e-mailed me with this helpful tip to get money in chapters 4-5:

"hi, i checked a bit ur walkthrough. i just want to say that when it comes to money, there's something really really easy to do. with the trade centers. simply buy a lot of gold bars and pearls. lets say 15 gold bars and 30 pearls. gold bars can be bought at caleria and vinay del zexay and pearls at budehuc and another place. anyway, get as much as u can and go to caleria.( for the pearls, if u can have the rumor about a town being a sea something,cant remember, u can get a lot of pearls for less than 10000)

sell all ur gold bar and buy all the pearls at caleria(do the oposite if gold bars are low, 25000 and below) well when u come back in, lets say, 10 minutes, the ones u sold will be pretty low(gold bars are suposed to be 15000 and pearls are 13333, depends which u sold) and the other should be high. anyway i was doing, one time i was selling my gold bar a around 60000 and buying the pearls at 13333, and when i come back, i was selling my pearls at 30000 and buying my gold bars at 15000. so with not much time, u can get a lot of money. if u want u can do the same thing with deer antlers, then are sold a 2500 and bought at 7000-10000.

the trick is that the trade is having a lot of one item so they drop the price and when its very low u buy it, after it will rise greatly. takes not much time for the price to change. so u do something, u teleport to caleria, u buy/sell u come back. takes about 10 minutes for each set of cash. i was doing this at the same time i was forging everyone and equiping after. it works as long as u want, the game is too stupid. (at one point, i had 25 gold bars and 40 pearls, i was selling like 23 goldbars and i had 1 million this include the rebuy of the pearls. same thing with pearls, selling 35 and had 1 million with the rebuy of the gold bars.)

this is the easiest and fastest way i think to make money, because the card games sucks. u get the hang of it pretty fast(i had the pearls and gold barsaccumulated since the beginning of the game.)"

Thanks to sim st-pierre for this tip.

The method I have laid out in the Walkthrough is to play the lottery in theearly chapters then get money by way of treasure bosses from chapter 3 onward.With this method, I _never_ had to play Mike at Kabu to get cash.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------3p. I was just walking around minding my own business, then the screen turned yellow and this funny music played and this monster killed me!

Yes, you ran into a rare encounter. On most of the areas where random battlescan occur, there is a monster that will show up about 5-10% of the time. Youcan tell because the screen will fade out in white and yellow before going tothe battle screen. The bad news is that these monsters are usually super toughand can wipe out your entire party pretty easily. The good news is thatthey're worth a ton of skill points and give a nice load of cash. I willmention these as they come up in the Walkthrough section.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------3q. Looting corpses

It used to be you got random treasure by finding treasure chests in theSuikoden world but I suppose Konami thought it was unrealistic that shiny metaltreasure boxes were just lying around everywhere. Instead, they've replacedthe treasure chests with corpses you can loot. Amazingly enough, after youloot these corpses someone else will come around and die in the exact samespot, leaving more loot! I like to think they were philanthropists who justcontinue to give from the great beyond.

Most of the time, the first item you can get for looting a corpse is a fixeditem. After that, the item is random. I'm quite sure although not 100% thatthe items you can get rotate after 30-45 minutes. That is, it doesn't worklike the lottery where you can save your game, check the corpse, then re-loadif you didn't get what you want. Instead, the random items that are there justnaturally turn over after a period of time.

Some of the better runes and items you can get will be found as random itemson the corpses, but they're very rare. I will note the good stuff in thecourse of the Walkthrough section. Hugo and Geddoe can loot any time all thetime. Chris takes some time to get over her squeaky clean image and will lootcorpses from her chapter 3 onward. Thomas will never loot corpses but I lovetrying to get him to do it anyway because he says, "What? Oh, cruel world!"which never fails to crack me up (it reminds me of an associate over in theEnglish department).

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------3r. What's a Tank?

The term "Tank" was coined a while ago to describe characters who take verylittle damage from physical attacks. These characters were ideal for puttingon the front line to absorb enemy attacks. In Suikoden III, the value of thesecharacters has been drastically increased because of certain skills and runes.Specifically, the skills Armor Protect, Shield Protect, and Adrenaline Power.The first two skills are self-explanatory and the third automatically revivesa character if their HP go down to 0. Characters like Leo and Fred can go uppretty far with Adrenaline Power and one of Jefferson's appointments will boostthis grade by two levels.

With regard to runes, Firefly and Double-Strike are of particular note. TheFirefly Rune makes the wearer the first choice of enemy attacks. In strategybattles where most of the attackers do melee damage, a Tank with Firefly can

take all the hits while the rest of your party destroys the enemy. It's thesame in boss battles where the enemy primarily deals melee damage. The Double-Strike Rune multiplies the damage given and received by 2 for the wearer.Because Tank characters receive 0 or 1 damage from physical attacks, this Runeonly benefits them without the inherent penalty from melee damage.

The primary drawback to Tank characters is they generally have horrible magicdefense, and this is true for the most part in Suikoden III. In addition,they generally can't equip more than 1 Rune even at the highest levels (60+).Finally, their speed is usually way below average or just plain average,meaning they will never get more than 1 or 2 attacks per turn. This speedproblem is made worse if your enemy is lined up far away and your charactershave to run a long way to attack them.

To avoid spoilers, I have denoted which characters are Tanks in section 5.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------3s. What are the Armor Sets and what do they do?

There are five Armor Sets in Suikoden III. When a complete set is equipped ona character in the active party, it gives certain bonuses. The sets and whatthey do:

-Prosperity Set. Includes Prosperity Hat, Tunic of Prosperity, and Prosperity Ring. Money from battles is x7. The Hat is a Rarity at Chisha's Armor Shop. Estella comes with it. The Tunic is a random prize for the 5,000 bet in Billy's card game. The Ring is a Rarity at Chisha's Item Shop. Placing someone with the support skill Potch Finder into the party raises the amount of potch received further.

-Destiny Set. Includes Crown of Destiny, Robe of Destiny, and Gloves of Destiny. Money from battles is x3. The Crown is a Rarity at the Great Hollow Armor Shop. Estella comes with the Robe. The Gloves are a Rarity at the Caleria Armor Shop. Chris automatically gets them at the end of her chapter 2. Placing someone with the support skill Potch Finder into the party raises the amount of potch received further.

-Pale Moon Set. Includes Pale Moon Casque, Pale Moon Leather, and Pale Moon Necklace. Adds 25% of melee damage done back to HP. For example, if you hit for 240 pts. of damage, you get 60 HP back. The Casque is a Rarity at the Le Buque Armor Stand. Landis also comes with it. The Leather is a prize for Kathy's races. The Necklace is a Rarity at the Le Buque Item Stand. It can also be won as a random prize for Kathy's races.

-Guardian Set. Includes the Guardian Casque, Guardian Chainmail, and Guardian Shield. Boosts Counterattack rate. Yumi and Yuiri come with the Casque. The Chainmail is a Rarity at the Caleria Armor Shop. The Shield is a Rarity at the Vinay del Zexay Guild Hall Armor Stand. Mua also comes with it.

-Mole Set. Includes the Mole Helm, Mole Armor, Mole Shield, and Mole Gloves. Makes squishy noises when you walk and may boost the occurrence of random battles (not sure). The Helm is a random item for the Magician treasure boss in Thomas' chapters. It is also a random treasure for the corpse closest to the Blue Mantrix at Mt. Hei-Tou. The Armor can be bought for 40,000 potch from Dominic. The Shield is a Rarity at the Le Buque Armor Stand. Twaikin also comes with it. Cecile comes with the Gloves.

Credit and thanks to TexasAndroid who provided most of the content for thissection.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------3t. Where do I get the Blinking Mirror?

You can obtain it in chapter 4 after visiting Lake Castle. To avoid spoilers,check the recruit list in section 5c and entries 100 to 101 to find out.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------3u. No offense, but can you suggest another Walkthrough?

No offense taken. To the best of my knowledge, neither Prima nor Brady areplanning an official strategy guide for the US version. The Japanese strategyguide is the only one I know of. In terms of other available resources, I'veheard good things about Ruse's Walkthrough/FAQ here at gamefaqs on the messageboards but I've never checked it out. Ryvius' FAQ also here at gamefaqs isgreat if you want to know where to get items and has a spoiler-free recruitlist. The best internet resource for all things Suikoden is definitely BlueMoon's web site, suikosource.com. The site contains comprehensive lists,story summaries for the games, secrets, links to other useful Suikoden sites,and lots of other goodies.

If you have a quick question, the message boards at gamefaqs and suikosourceare both great resources. Be warned that you may see spoilers in the topicheaders at both places and please avoid doing the same with any questions youmay ask there.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************4. Walkthrough

4a. Introduction

The Walkthrough is intended mainly to get you through the story with somehelpful suggestions thrown in. If you want to deviate from it to level up,walk around and talk to the townspeople, watch some plays, and so on, by allmeans, do so. I have clearly noted what will make the story advance so if youdon't want to proceed at that time to do something else, go for it. If you'vegot a radio, CD, or MP3 player handy, it makes getting through some of theleveling up/lottery sequences much easier. This is especially true if you'regoing for the Chris Level 99 trick.

In terms of skill selection, I have a tendency to go for physical skills thenhealing magic. I am severely biased against Fire and Earth Magic-the first onebecause it generally will hit your own group and the second because it's onlyuseful in a fight at the very end. I go for physical skills first because yourcharacters will either be too low of a level to effectively use most offensivemagic or you won't get better magic users until later in the game. The skillssystem is meant so you can customize your characters the way you see fit so theultimate decisions are up to you. When I mention what skills to boost, theyare also just meant as recommendations.

I have denoted when you recruit and how many stars with brackets [ ] at the endof each chapter so as to avoid spoilers before they happen. If a character ismarked with an asterisk (*) it means they are one of the NON-automatic stars.In terms of when you should save, I will mention it at key times but othertimes I leave it up to your common sense. It goes without saying but it's theangriest player who beats the Super-Mega Boss From Hell then the console resetsand 40 hours of game play time are lost forever.

It is always a good idea to fight all the possible treasure bosses in a chapter

at least once. To make them re-spawn after 30-45 minutes, loot the entirechest. The only time you don't want them to do that is if you really don'twant to fight them again-leaving some items in the chest will make the bossesre-spawn at a much slower rate (usually a few hours). Fighting treasure bossmonsters is a great way to make a lot of money not to mention getting a nicestash of skill points. In my walkthrough I generally suggest fighting thesebosses at least more than once per chapter.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------4b. Hugo Chapter 1

Pick Hugo's story from the Trinity Site. After the cutscene, pick his storyagain to start playing. When the conversation's done between Hugo, Lulu, andSgt. Joe, I suggest you put and keep your team in this formation:

HugoFubar----------LuluSgt. Joe(No Support)

Walk to the right of the screen to talk to the man with his arms folded outsideof the hut. This is the bujutsu teacher. Talk to him and select Notes to geta quick primer on how skills work. Select lesson next and raise these skillsfor your characters:

Hugo-Swing up to a D, Accuracy up to a CFubar-Accuracy up to a CLulu-Repel up to a CSgt. Joe-Accuracy up to a C

Hugo's Repel skill (which you'd have to add for him) can naturally go up to anS but I don't give him this skill until chapter 3 at the earliest. He is athis best when paired with Fubar. Lulu is similar to Hugo in that his bestasset is his speed. Sgt. Joe is a serviceable healer and his melee attacks dogood damage but his speed, like all duck characters, is below average.

You can walk around and talk to all the villagers if you like. Talk to thelittle girl running around up the main street outside to get an Antitoxin. Youcan also talk to a duck clan member inside the inn to get a Medicine D. Go tothe item hut and buy another Medicine D and also an Antitoxin. To make thestory progress, go to the front of the village and talk to the man shining somearmor outside his hut. This is Jimba and he will (not) tell you the storyabout the armor.

Luce and Lucia come out at this time to tell Hugo to deliver a message. Cyclethrough the dialogue options from top to bottom to get filled in on themission. When you're given the choice of whether or not to accept Lucia'srequest, you can pick the top choice if you're confident ("I'm up to it") orthe second choice ("Um...") if you want some encouragement. When Lulu says hewants to go, too, you can say that you'll look out for him or that everyonewill be fine together. After everyone's done talking, you'll receive the!Letter to Zexen. You can wander around the village some more if you like butyou can't exit. When you're ready to make the story progress, enter the tophut on your mini-map and choose "I suppose so."

The next morning everyone will gather to give your group a proper send off.When Lucia gives Hugo a hug, you can pick the first choice ("Well then, I'm

off") to properly say goodbye or pick the second choice ("I'll be fine!") toact snippy with Lucia. When you exit the village, you'll run into Jimba, whowill ask you to do a favor for him. Hugo will accept and you'll receive theitem !Pentacle. After you leave the village the world map will open up. Goback to Karaya and save at the inn or at Lucia's house. Exit Karaya again.

Here's the first lull in the game when I recommend taking some time to get somemoney. As I said before, the first chapters for each character except Chriswill be similar to this. It really pays off to take the time to do this nowrather than later but again it's up to you. Head to Plain of Amur-North. Ifyou run into some spiders and get poisoned, wait until after the battle toheal. Access Sgt. Joe's Water Rune by going into the Rune options and healwith the Kindness Drops. If you run out of that spell then use the Antitoxin.Cross the plains to get to Duck Village.

Time to play the lottery! You have an option here. I like to go to the RuneShop and remove the Sword of Cyclone Rune from Lulu and sell it at the itemshop. All the Magic Sword runes have 2 spells-the first level one addselemental damage to your attacks and the other reduces elemental damage. Youcan tell what element each Magic Sword rune corresponds to by its name. TheMagic Sword runes aren't that great until later in the game when yourcharacters can deal more damage so I feel it's pretty worthless early. If you_really_ want to hang on to it, then you can go back out to the Plains andfight until you get 1,000 potch.

Either way, when you get the money, go to the lottery board and hit X. A duckin a boat will come up. Buy 5 Sequential tickets and 5 Random tickets. Fromhere on, when I say buy tickets for the lottery, this is what I mean. You cango around the village talking to the ducks if you want but I suggest you don'tpick up anything they offer you. This is because Hugo has limited inventoryspace compared to the other main characters and he'll need it later on. If youneed to rest up to replenish spells, go to the inn and rest/save.

You need to kill about 20-30 minutes for the lottery to turn over. I spendthis time going out and fighting random battles to get experience and skillpoints. I recommend you do so because they'll come in handy. If you don'tcare to do that, send Hugo out to Plain Amur North and let the console sitwhile you talk on the phone or watch TV. Your best bets for exp/skill pointsis fighting the yellow spiders at Plain Amur North and the Purple Creepers atjust Plain Amur. The Blade Bunnies drop Gale Runes, which boosts the SPD statof the wearer by 50%, but this is a very rare event. The Purple Creepers willsometimes drop an item called a !Screw. If you get one of these, hang on toit-you'll need it to recruit a character later. You only need one !Screw so ifyou get more just toss the extras.

The rare encounter for the Plains is the Wild Boar. If you run into him, Irecommend that you be at least level 14 with all your characters. Just defendwith Lulu and Sgt. Joe and attack with Hugo/Fubar. When anyone gets hurtpretty bad, use Sgt. Joe's water rune to cast Kindness Drops. Use your healingitems once that spell runs out. You can get up to level 15 by just fightingthe yellow spiders for a while.

After 20 minutes is up, go back to Duck Village and save at the Inn. Check thelottery board. If the results aren't in yet, go back out and check back inafter every 5 minutes or so. When the results are up, check through yourtickets. If you didn't get at least 2nd prize (100,000 potch) soft reset byholding down the shoulder buttons plus Start and Select. You should then loadyour most recent game which is the one at the inn. Check the board again andkeep soft resetting until you get at least 2nd prize. It usually takes me onaverage 5-10 minutes to get the 2nd prize but it may take you longer some

times. I've won the 1st prize (500,000 potch) a few times but it'll probablytake you considerably longer before hitting it. There's no reason to keeplosing lottery tickets so just discard those.

The complimentary lottery prize for Duck Village is Recipe #3. After you getthat, the complimentary prize will always be a Fish Badge, which you can buy atitem stores later on and isn't that great. If you were lucky (or patient)enough to get the 500,000 potch prize, congrats-you won't have to worry aboutmoney for Hugo again until his chapter 3! The 100,000 potch prize will do youjust fine for now, though.

After you get the money, save your game. Go to the item shop and buy Sgt. Joea Silver Beak. Buy a couple of Escape Scrolls as well. Escape Scrolls arevery handy items. Any time you're in a dungeon area, you can use an EscapeScroll to immediately go back to the exit regardless of where you are. Verynice for leaving quickly after beating a tough boss all the way at the end of adungeon. Try to always have one or two of these in your party inventory foreach of your characters.

Head out of Duck Village and go to Brass Castle. At the first screen of BrassCastle, there will be a man with a black turban standing around by theeasternmost bench. Talk to him and buy any Ancient Texts and Salt he has. TheAncient Texts are a rare item so he usually won't have it. Keep going westanother screen and you'll come to an area with a Blacksmith, an Armor Shop, andan Item Store. Go to the Blacksmith and sharpen Sgt. Joe, Lulu, and Hugo'sweapons up to level 7. Go to the Armor Shop and check their Rarity section.If they have Byakko Chainmail, get it for Sgt. Joe. Buy Boots for Hugo andLulu each (replace their sandals). Go to the Item Store and buy a Belt ofStrength for Hugo and Lulu each.

You can talk to all the people if you like. Most of them don't say anythinginteresting but some of it is kind of funny. Head west one more screen andyou'll trigger a cutscene. When Hugo's given the option to respond, pick thefirst choice ("And who might YOU be?"). After everyone's done talking headeast to go back inside the castle. In case you're wondering, there's nothingyou can do with the hungry knight outside the dining hall who likes SuperPickles. Just trust me on that and don't go out of your way to get SuperPickles. Head to the bottom of the screen and go into the last room on theright. Walk up to the man behind the desk-this is the bujutsu teacher. Theseare the skills I suggest you get:

Sgt. Joe-Accuracy and Damage up to C, Accuracy to a B after thatLulu-Swing and Repel up to C, if possible get Repel up to B after thatHugo-Accuracy up to a B, focus on Swing after thatFubar-Accuracy up to a B, Damage up to a B, focus on Accuracy after that

There's a reason why I choose to focus on Accuracy and you'll find out why inchapter 2. Whatever you do, I highly recommend that you don't train up anyskill magic-related. This includes Sgt. Joe's Water ability and Hugo's Windability. If you took time out to level up a lot in the Plains area you mayhave more skill points left over even after getting the above. Spend it onwhatever else you want except magic and don't bother to add new skills.

Head back out west and you'll be in the western courtyard. In this area is aRune Shop and a Tutor, but there's nothing to do at either place so keepheading west until you get to the blue save point. Save then exit west to getback to the world map.

Head to the Zexen Forest and you'll trigger another cutscene. You'll noticeherbs growing in certain areas of the forest. I never bother to pick them. In

the Zexen Forest, these herbs include Medicine and AsianHerbs. Depending onhow far along they are, you can get these items at A, B, C, and D level. Youcan sell the AsianHerbs to the Trader at Brass Castle and later on at anotherlocation in chapter 2. The rare encounter for Zexen Forest is the FatherHolly, who is super dangerous. If you run into him go for Escape ASAP. He canwipe out your characters at this point in a hurry.

At the first fork, take the bottom path. The top path leads to the same spotbut I usually take the other out of habit. Keep heading west another couple ofscreens until you get to an area where there's three paths on your mini-map.You will see a small sliver of yellow on the center bottom of the mini-map,indicating a small pathway. Head towards it and you'll trigger a cutscenewhere you meet Fred and Rico. When he asks if you know anything about evilbrewing, pick either choice, it doesn't really matter. After that encounter,head to the small pathway where you'll find your first corpse. You can loot itto get Recipe #2. Head back and take the bottom exit this time. Continue onthe path and you'll be back on the World Map.

Head to Vinay del Zexay (VdZ) to trigger yet another cutscene. Head into townand you'll trigger still another cutscene. After this, you can walk around totalk to the townspeople. Again, if anyone offers you something, I recommendyou not take it yet. From the entrance where you came in, go to the lowerleft exit on the mini-map. On this next screen, head to the small gate to theleft and hit X to enter. This is Chris Lightfellow's house. You will triggera cutscene where Hugo delivers Jimba's pentacle to Chris' butler. When thebutler asks if you want anything, you can pick money and he'll give you potch.Pick food and you'll get some food items. I always refuse both since theKarayans are an honorable people -_^ Plus, you don't need either reward.

After you're done with that, exit and head to the large red building in thecenter of the mini-map (it's the building with steps leading up to it and thebig fountain outside). This is the Guild Hall where you need to go to deliverLucia's letter. Walk up to it to trigger a cutscene with the guard. Aftereveryone's done talking, head to the middle bottom exit on the mini-map. Thisnext screen is the area with all of the city's shops, including a Blacksmith,an Item Shop, a Trade Shop, an Appraiser, an Armor Shop, a Rune Shop, and aLottery Stand.

If you didn't get the 500,000 potch prize in Duck Village, buy 10 more lotterytickets here. Head to the Trade Shop. Go up to the counter and hit X to callthe Trader. Sell any Ancient Text and Salt you bought before. Buy any DeerAntler and Crystal Balls they may have. Head to the Armor Shop and check theirRarity Section. If they have Turtle Tunics or New Leather/Chainmail buy thosefor Lulu and Hugo. Exit this screen to the bottom right.

The next screen you see should have a red building in the lower right corner onyour mini-map. This is the inn but you don't want to go there yet. Head tothe middle area in the center of all the stands to see a cutscene betweenMelville and Guillaume. After this, exit the screen to the lower left on themini-map to get back to the area with all the shops. Keep heading left andyou'll see a little girl in a red outfit outside the Rune Shop. Get close toher and you'll trigger a cutscene. The little girl is Alanis and she meetswith her friend Elliot.

After they're done talking, follow them into the alley on the top right beforethe exit at the very top on the mini-map. Head into the alley until you cometo a dead end. Walk up to the ladder at the center top of the screen and hitX then up for Hugo to climb. Climb up another ladder and make your way to thewindow. Hit X and choose "The Three Knights of Zexen". After Melville showsup and everything gets straightened out, just pick all three dialogue options

one at a time from top to bottom.

Exit the Saint Loa Knights' hideaway. If you need to replenish your spells orHP, go to the inn and rest. Make your way back to the city entrance. You'llsee the 3 kids standing next to the guard. Walk up and talk to them. Afterthe talking is over, set up your formation like this:

HugoLuluSgt. Joe-----MelvilleAlanisElliot (Support-this is automatic)

Leave the city and save at the blue crystal before going to the World Map.When you get out to the World Map, a new area has opened up-The North Cavern.Go there and you'll see some more conversation with your group. After that'sover, head inside. The Cavern is completely straightforward with no pathbranches so just keep heading straight through. During random battles, alwaysuse Melville and Alanis' Child Combo attack. Not only is it hilarious, butit's quite useful once they get up some levels. They'll have a hard timesurviving some of the early battles, but once they level up they'll be fine.There are no rare encounters in the North Cavern.

Once you reach a clearing, your group will decide to make camp. Head up thevery long circular pathway. Go through the next tunnel. At the screen afteryou'll see some more dialogue. When you're given the choice pick the top one("We better go in, too"). Now head down this equally long circular pathway.At the bottom you'll fight a battle with some of the bandits. If you're atlevel 18 or so you shouldn't have any problems. Head into the tunnel. Midwaythrough here you'll see a blue crystal save point. Save your game then keepgoing forward.

You'll see another cutscene where you find out the truth about Guillaume. Afterthat, Hugo, Lulu, and Sgt. Joe will fight 4 bandits. You shouldn't have muchproblems with them-concentrate on taking them down one at a time. Once thatbattle is over, Melville will duel Guillaume. There's no way to win this duelso pick whatever choices you like and it will end shortly. After it's over,you'll see another series of dialogue between your characters.

Once that's through, you'll be outside the North Cavern. If you didn't levelup to at least 20 with Lulu, Sgt. Joe, and Hugo, go back inside and do it now.It shouldn't take too long with the Banshee and Dark Wings. Don't bother toget Melville and Alanis up to that level, though. Just keep heading as far asyou want inside the Cavern. Once you're done leveling up, use one of yourEscape Scrolls to get back to the exit. In case you're wondering, there'susually a treasure boss at the very end of the Cavern (where you confrontedGuillaume) but there isn't one in this chapter.

After you're done leveling up, check your skill points for Hugo, Lulu, and Sgt.Joe by going to the status menu option. You should have enough points toboost some of their physical skills. If so, go back to VdZ first and save atthe blue crystal outside of the city. Head to the Zexen Forest and go back toBrass Castle to get to the bujutsu teacher. These were the skills I had atthis point after visiting the teacher:

Hugo: Sgt. Joe: Lulu:

Heavy Damage-D Damage-C Continual Attack-E

Counter Attack-D Accuracy-B Swing-BContinual Attack-E Water Magic-C Repel-BSwing-BAccuracy-BWind Magic-E

If you want, you can continue fighting some more to level Sgt. Joe's Damage toa B as well but that's only if you like leveling up. It's not necessary tolevel up anything for Alanis or Melville since they'll be leaving your partyshortly. Leave Brass Castle and enter Zexen Forest.

Go through it again to get to VdZ. Enter the city and you'll see some dialoguewith the kids. After that's over, you'll be outside the inn. Go inside, talkto the man behind the counter and select Stay. Head back outside and you'llget more dialogue with your party. Instead of going to the Guild Hall, go backto the inn and just Save, don't pick Stay again. Head to the lottery board andkeep soft resetting again until you get the 100,000 prize or better again. Thecomplimentary prize for the VdZ lottery is one of the Old Books. After you winthat, it's a regular Knight Statue. After getting the potch, check the ArmorShop again to see what Rarity items they may have. If you can buy better armorfor your party, go ahead and do it. Go back to the Trade Shop and buy any DeerAntler or Crystal Balls they may have again. Once you're done go back to theGuild Hall.

Once inside, you'll see a conversation between a Zexen messenger and yourparty. When you get a dialogue option, just pick "Here it is". If you keepinsisting on meeting with the Council in person, you'll just get more tickedoff and they're not worth the trouble. Once you get control of Hugo, head tothe inn and you'll get another cutscene.

Head west to exit the screen. Keep going straight and you'll run into a groupof 3 Zexen regulars. The soldiers in orange will take damage for the armoredknight so take them out first. After the battle, heal with Medicine if youneed to and head for the northwest exit on your mini-map. Continue up the rampand you'll get into a fight with 4 Zexen regulars. Use the same strategy asbefore and you won't have a problem. If you have a problem winning thesefights, you can cast Hugo's Wind of Sleep spell from his Wind Rune to softenthem up but you probably won't need to do that. Continue toward the city gateand you'll be confronted by Percival and Leo. They'll fill you in on someinteresting developments and why they came to arrest you.

When you're given the dialogue option, I highly advise you to pick the bottomchoice ("There's no reason to believe you!"). After that, set up your originalformation:

HugoFubar----------LuluSgt. Joe(No support)

Go through Zexen Forest and back to Brass Castle. Keep going east and yourparty will stop to talk. When they're done, keep heading east until you get tothe screen where the Super Pickles knight is standing. Make a left and you'llsee a set of stairs. To the left of that screen is the entrance to the inn.Go there and save your game. Afterward, go back out to the main hall and gosouth on the screen toward the checkpoint, triggering another cutscene. Whenyou can move Hugo again, just head north down the hallway until you get to the

end. The rare encounter for this hallway is the Devil Eye with a couple ofMega Watts. They're not too tough. When you get to the door, you'll get somemore talk from your party and you'll exit.

Talk to the Trader again and buy any Ancient Text he may have, don't botherwith the Salt this time. If you picked any AsianHerbs in Zexen Forest, you cansell them to him now. Exit the screen to the east to get back to the WorldMap. Go to Plain Amur. The enemies have changed to include Wolves, DarkBunnies, and Wild Boars. None of them should give your party much of a hassle.I believe the rare encounter for this area now is the Troll Dragon but I'm notsure. You can deal with him without too much fuss. I know the Dark Bunniesgive you a lot of experience but don't spend time leveling up here-there'sreally no point.

When you reach the second screen of Plain Amur, you'll see a quick conversationwith your party. Save at the blue crystal. Unequip all of Lulu's equipment.Exit the screen north to get to the World Map. You'll automatically go toKaraya Village. After everyone's done talking, head into the village. Afteranother brief talk with Sgt. Joe, proceed into the village.

After Lulu's confrontation with Chris, you will have two options with Hugo.Picking "Why?!" will result in an angry conversation with Chris. Choosing theother option pits Hugo in a duel with her. You can choose whatever option youfeel like. If you choose to duel, you'll get 3 rounds to do so. Whether youwin, lose, or draw, the scene that follows is always the same. After theZexen group leaves, you will immediately go to another cutscene and Hugo'schapter 1 will come to an end and you'll be back at the Trinity Site. Saveyour game then pick Chris' chapter 1.

Hugo [1/108]Sgt. Joe [2/108]Fubar [3/108]Jimba [4/108]Lucia [5/108]Luce [6/108]Anne [7/108]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------4c. Chris Chapter 1

After the opening cutscene, pick Chris' story again to start playing. You'llsee another extended cutscene with Louis and Chris meeting the Zexen Council.When you are given the dialogue option, picking the first choice, "Certainly"and Chris will agree without question. Picking the second choice, "Certainly,but..." will have Chris question the Council's decision. I go for the secondchoice but it really doesn't change anything. After this meeting, Borus andSalome will drop you off back at your house. Go ahead and enter the gate.Pick "I need some rest..." to make the story progress. Save if you want butit's not necessary. You can't play the lottery with Chris until her Chapter 3but you really don't need to until then (if at all) anyway. Chris also won'tloot corpses until Chapter 3.

You will then see a scene where the Six Mighty Knights of Zexen are at thefront gate. When you're given the dialogue option, pick the second choice, "Idon't mind..." to put Percival in his place. Pick the first choice if you'drather demure. After that scene, you will head out the front gate. Insteadof going out, go back into the city.

If you talk to the townspeople, their reaction to you is quite different thanwhen you played as Hugo, huh? From the screen with the city gate, head to the

southwest exit on your mini-map. Along the way you will see a tubby Zexen manin a dark green outfit. Talk to him to get Recipe #12. Exit down the ramp tothe southwest. Enter the Guild Hall. Inbetween the two stairways are threedoors. Take the one on the left and talk to the bujutsu teacher (he's the onein armor). Raise whatever skills you like. I tend to raise each skill so thegrades are equal for Chris' group (i.e. raise all skills to a D, then a C,etc.). I go for Accuracy and Damage first for the most part. After you'redone there, take the far right door and you'll enter the shops area.

Here is a Rune Shop, an Armor Shop, and an Item Shop. Go to the Armor Shop andreplace their Boots with Winged Boots. Buy Power Gloves for Chris, Roland, andSalome. Buy a Fine Casque for Salome. Buy Fine Helms for Chris, Roland, andBorus. If you want, you can remove Borus' Sword of Rage rune and sell it. Buya Sacrificial Jizo at the Item Shop but don't equip it on anyone yet.

Exit the Guild Hall and go to the screen with the inn. Go to where themusicians are performing. You should see an old tubby lady with a canestanding with two kids. Talk to her to get Herb Seeds. Enter the inn. Youshould see a little girl going up and down the stairs. Talk to her and you'llget Script #2. Exit the inn and go to the screen with all the shops. Visitthe Blacksmith and sharpen everyone's weapon to level 7. Go to the Item Shopand buy a couple of Medicine D and Antitoxin. Go to the Trade Shop and buy aGrapeC. They almost always have it, but if they don't just check back in alater chapter. Once you're done, head for the city gate and exit VdZ. Save atthe blue crystal then go on to the World Map. Head to Zexen Forest.

I recommend you set up your formation like this:

Chris----------RolandBorusSalomeLouis (Support)

The Father Holly is the rare encounter again. You have a decent shot to takehim down but I wouldn't go out of my way to try and run into him. Just headeast through Zexen Forest to get to Brass Castle. When you arrive, keep goingeast until you reach the inside of the castle. You will see the same scenein Hugo's chapter 1 but from Chris' perspective this time. After that sceneand when you're done talking to Louis, exit and head to the east courtyard.

You will see a cutscene with Chris and Dupa, a member of the Lizard Clan. Whenyou're given a dialogue option, you can pick the first choice ("What is hesaying?") and Salome will explain it to you. Pick the second choice and Chriswill agree; Salome will then explain to Borus what Dupa meant. Head backinside and up the stairs to the hallway where Chris' room was. Instead ofgoing in there, go into the room with the double doors-this is the Knights'Parlor/Tea Room. Talk to Salome and put Borus and Roland in your party.

Head downstairs back out to the east courtyard. Go to the Blacksmith there andsharpen their weapons to level 8. This should pretty much be it for yourspending-you'll want to keep your money around 50,000 potch or more forsomething in Chris' chapter 2. If you have enough skill points to upgrade yourskills, go ahead and do so with the bujutsu teacher.

In the same room as that teacher is a warehouse keeper-he's hard to see buthe's to the far right of where the bujutsu teacher is sitting. You can storeup to 24 items in this mini-warehouse. Later on when you have access to Lake

Castle's warehouse, they will function like the magic boxes in Resident Evil.That is, any item you put in one area will be available in the other, althoughthe maximum capacity will stay at 24 until ch. 4.

When you're done walking around Brass Castle, save at the inn. To make thestory progress, go back to Chris' room and talk to Louis. Pick the firstoption ("I think I will rest"). An extended cutscene follows. When Chrismentions the Zexen Rune, this is a mistranslation according to Blue Moon atsuikosource.com. It's actually supposed to say Zexen Crest.

After everyone's done talking, you'll be thrown into your first strategybattle. During the first turn, move Roland and the other Zexen unit into thesame circle as Chris. End your turn. During the Grasslanders' turn, Luciaand Beecham will show up with some Karaya Units. Salome will then suggest youbreak through. Use Roland's unit to attack the Karayan Unit (Unit #12) that'sblocking your exit. If you didn't win, or somehow lost, send the mounted Zexenunit (Unit #4) after them. This should take out the Karayan Unit. Send Chrisinto the now empty circle that the Karayans were occupying. Defend with theremaining Zexen units. The Grasslanders will no doubt attack you in the nextturn. Just pick the retreat option. You'll get attacked most of the time butshould make it into Chris' circle without much problems. When your turn comesup again, move any of the Zexen units into the exit circle (it doesn't have tobe Chris' unit). This will conclude the strategy battle.

You will then see a brief cutscene at Plain Amur. You can spend some time outhere to level up if you like but it's not necessary (unless you're going forthe Chris level 99 trick). Put the Sacrificial Jizo you bought earlier onSalome to replace his Medicine A. Save at the blue crystal and continue tohead north. When you get to the World Map, head to Karaya Village.

After everyone leaves, head into the village. There will be a cutscene and youwill see the confrontation in Hugo's chapter 1 from Chris' perspective. Whenthat's over, just keep the computer's default formation. Head to the back ofthe village. You'll have to fight 2 groups of Karayan fighters but they aren'tmuch trouble. When you reach the back of the village there will be anothershort cutscene and Chris will order the Zexens to pull out. Another series ofcutscenes detailing the aftermath follows.

When you get control of Chris, head to the Knights' Parlor. View the scenethere then head downstairs toward the west courtyard. You'll run into Leo andPercival and have a brief chat. Go out to the west courtyard and meet up withBorus. Pick the second choice if you want the story to progress. If you wantto do other things, pick the first choice instead.

Exit Brass Castle to the west and go through Zexen Forest. You'll run intoFred and Rico again (the face Louis makes when he thinks of what Borus was likeas a kid is priceless). Continue to VdZ. You'll see a brief conversationbetween Chris and Borus outside the city. Enter the city and head to theGuild Hall. You'll get more storyline here and another meeting with the ZexenCouncil. You probably now have to resist a conditioned response to hurlsomething at your TV whenever someone from the Council opens their mouth. Whenthe meeting's over, you'll talk to Borus and Louis. To make the story move on,simply go to Chris' house. You will see a cutscene where her butler deliversJimba's pentacle to Chris. Chris' chapter 1 will then end you'll be back atthe Trinity Site. Pick Geddoe's chapter 1 next.

Chris [8/108]Borus [9/108]Percival [10/108]Salome [11/108]

Leo [12/108]Roland [13/108]Louis [14/108]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------4d. Geddoe Chapter 1

After the cutscene, pick Geddoe's chapter 1 again to start playing. When youget the dialogue option for Geddoe, pick the first choice ("It's necessary,right?"). Walk downstairs and your group will decide to head to the LizardClan. Once you leave the inn, set up your formation like this:

QueenGeddoe-----JacquesAceJoker(No Support)

Unless you _really_ want to use Fire Magic, I suggest you go to the Rune Shopand remove the Fire rune from Joker. Buy a Water Rune and affix it to him.Go to the lottery stand and buy 10 tickets. Go to the item shop and buy aBelt of Strength for Geddoe and Jacques. Use what money you have left over tobuy an Antitoxin and Medicine. Don't worry if you spend all your cash. ExitVdZ and save outside the city. Go to the World Map and cross Zexen Forest.When you encounter a clump of weak enemies like Holly Boys or Vermitors, useAce and Joker's Mercenary A combo-it will take them out or put them close todeath. The rare encounter is the Father Holly again and he can wipe out yourteam at this point so just Escape.

Go to Yaza Plains to fight random battles to kill time so the lottery will turnover. The VdZ lottery can really be annoying because it seems to take longerto roll over during Geddoe's story. I've had to wait 45-50 minutes some timesbut I suggest you check in after 25 minutes or so. Your best bets for skilland experience points are the Wild Boars and Arachnivores.

The rare encounter for Yaza Plains is a gray boar called Peckles, along with 3Blade Bunnies. He's pretty tough but beatable. Use the Mercenary A comboto take out the Bunnies. Have Geddoe cast Soaring Bolt and have Jacquesattack. The Peckles will usually charge Jacques since he's in the middle.At the start of your turn, take note of who the Peckles is facing-this is theperson he will attack when it's his turn. If he's facing Jacques, have himdefend. When Ace can act again, use his Double Tusk Rune. Heal when you needto with your food items or Joker's Kindness Drops if you took my advice to getthe Water Rune. In the next rounds, use Geddoe's Berserk Blow. Geddoe'sspells at this point will take 2 rounds to complete so just continue castingthem until he gets them off. After about 5-6 turns, you'll kill him. The nicething about the Peckles is he'll bump you up a few levels every time you killhim until about level 28. When Queen has 235 Skill points, head to BrassCastle to boost your skills.

Go to the Tutor in the west courtyard first. If you put the Water Rune onJoker, choose to Forget Fire Magic and Learn Water Magic to add it. Aftervisiting the Tutor and bujutsu teacher, this is what my skills looked like:

Queen Geddoe Jacques Ace Joker

Swing-D Parry-C Sharpshoot-C Accuracy-C Accuracy-EAccuracy-C Damage-D Accuracy-C Repel-C Repel-D

Repel-B Accuracy-E Damage-C Water-B Lightning-B Repel-E

After enough time has passed, head back to VdZ to check the lottery. Once youget the 100,000 potch prize, go to the Blacksmith and upgrade everyone'sweapon to level 7. Go to the Trade Shop and buy a Deer Antler if they have it.You can buy another 10 lottery tickets if you like but it's not essential.Exit VdZ, go through Zexen Forest, past Yaza Plain to get to the Great Hollow.When you arrive, you'll be greeted by Shiba and some Lizard fighters. Afterentering, just follow Shiba around until you get to the room of the Chief,Zepon.

After some cutscenes/dialogue, you're given freedom to roam the Great Hollow.The second floor has a Trade Shop (where you can sell any AsianHerbs youpicked in Zexen Forest), a bujutsu teacher, and the Chief's room which isalways guarded by two lizard fighters. On the first floor is an Inn, an ItemShop, an Armor Shop, and a Blacksmith.

Talk to the lizard fighter on the right guarding the Chief's room to get aSunbeam Rune. Talk to the lizard outside the bujutsu teacher room to get OldBook Vol. 3. Talk to the lizard inside the Armor Shop/Blacksmith to get GrapeSeeds. You can talk to the human inside the Trade Shop to get the Iron Hammerbut don't do this yet. Visit the Blacksmith to sharpen everyone's weapon tolevel 8. At the Armor Shop, buy Geddoe Byakko Chainmail if they have it in theRarity Section. Buy a Gauntlet for Queen to replace her Gloves. Buy NewLeather for Joker.

To make the story advance, head to the southeast corner of the first floor onyour mini-map. You'll overhear some lizard fighters talking. Follow theminto the tunnel. When you get midway through, you'll get into a fight with 3lizards. Just use your melee attacks and you should be fine. Afterward, Shibawill fill you in on what's happening. I recommend setting up your formationlike this:

JacquesJokerQueenGeddoeAceShiba(No Support)

Head north on the mini-map and you'll exit the tunnel. Head to the northwestexit on your mini-map. It will trigger a cutscene with another lizard fighter.

Here's a decision option for you. The next fight you get into is probably thehardest in the game because it's all a matter of luck whether you win or not.If you're one of those players that likes to be able to win every battle, Isuggest you go back to the inn now and save. Keep in mind that it doesn'tmatter if you win or lose this next fight. If it's not a big deal, proceedto the northwest exit on the mini-map. Either way, once you go through thisexit you'll end up in another tunnel. This tunnel has random encounters thatgive very nice boosts to your experience and skills. You can run around alittle to level up if you like. Follow this tunnel to its exit and you'll getthe fight I mentioned before.

After Chris and Shiba discuss their differences, you'll get into a battle withChris and 5 Zexen Regulars. The reason I say this battle is all luck isbecause it all depends on whether or not Chris casts the Breath of Ice spell.If she does, your party is dead meat-it will knock out most of your party

outright and only Shiba and Geddoe will probably still be alive. Not only doesthis spell do tons of damage, Chris can get it off before anyone in your partycan act. In order to win this battle, you just have to hope she attacks withher sword or casts a healing spell first. If so, you can use the followingstrategy:

Have Geddoe cast Soaring Bolt. Have Ace do his Double Tusk attack on Chris.Have Jacques attack Chris as well. After that, concentrate your attacks onChris-she can cast Kindness Rain which heals all of her troops. Use onlyItems and Joker's Kindness Drops spell to heal. If you kept Joker's Fire Rune,you can try to get off some spells but keep in mind that most of those spellswill hit your own troops. It usually takes about 3-5 turns before you win.The loot you get is a few thousand potch and a nice bit of skill points. Allmy guys were at level 24 when I won and I didn't get enough experience pointsto go up any levels. The best items I ever got were some Damaged Helms, NewChainmail, and Mega Medicine D, so nothing all that great.

If you won the battle, Chris tells Geddoe he's tough and wants to know hisname. If you lost, Chris simply sheathes her sword and says this was enough.Either way, she and the Zexen Knights then walk away without further incident.You're probably confused at this point about what's going on. Don't worry,everything will get explained in due time. Make note of Jacques' comment abouthow the Knights' tracks were too light. After Geddoe and his group talk itover, head back up to Zepon's room. Your group will then decide to head toKaraya Village.

Leave the Great Hollow and go to Plain Amur. I recommend taking the time tofight random battles to get up to level 26. It shouldn't take long with theDark Bunnies in this area. When you reach that point, head back to BrassCastle to visit the Tutor and bujutsu teacher. Here's how my skills lookedafter this visit:

Queen Geddoe Jacques Ace Joker

Swing-C Parry-C Sharpshoot-B Accuracy-B Counter-EAccuracy-B Damage-D Accuracy-B Repel-C Accuracy-CRepel-B Accuracy-D Damage-C Repel-C Lightning-B+ Repel-E Water-B

If you bought 10 more lottery tickets earlier at VdZ, go back there to checkthe results now. While you're there, if you didn't get a Deer Antler from theTrade Shop before, try to buy one while you're there. After you're done withthis, head back to Plain Amur and save at the blue crystal right before you getto the World Map. If you haven't already, put your team back in the originalformation I suggested:

QueenGeddoe-----JacquesAceJoker(No Support)

Make sure all your guys are healed up. Head to Karaya Village. As you enter,you'll be greeted by Aila and 4 Karaya Fighters. This battle is prettystraightforward-use the Mercenary A combo, have Jacques attack Aila, and haveGeddoe use Soaring Bolt. In the 2nd round, heal Queen and finish off Aila.

Once things get squared away, you'll have control of Geddoe again. Avoid the

back of the village for right now-going back there will make the storyadvance. Go to the inn and Stay/Save. Visit the Item Shop/Armor Shop hut.Buy a Sacrificial Jizo for Queen and replace her Gauntlet with it. Buyanother one for Geddoe and replace his Belt of Strength with it. The ArmorShop some times has Winged Boots in their Rarity section. You can buy some ofthose for your guys if you like. Visit the bujutsu teacher (the guy with hisarms folded standing outside) if you want to level up some skills. When you'reready to advance the story, head to the back of the village. Enter the hut tothe far northwest on your mini-map.

Your group will have a talk then you'll get control of Ace. Head to the frontof the village to make the story progress. You'll see Aila confronting avisitor at the gate. Run after her and head to Plain Amur. When you can moveAce again, go to the right where two stone pillars are leaning against eachother (you should see Aila next to them crouched on the ground).

You'll then see a bunch of cutscenes in a row. When you get control of Ace,head toward Karaya Village and save at the blue crystal. Go to Karaya Village.You will then pick a formation for Queen and Geddoe. I suggest this one:

QueenGeddoe--------------------(No Support)

You'll see a scene in the village then be given two choices. Picking the firstoption ("I have an inkling...") will put you in a fight against Borus and 2Zexen Knights. Picking the second choice avoids this fight altogether. Isuggest you go ahead and fight-the experience and skill points are quite good.

If you fight, I used the following strategy. In the first round, cast SoaringBolt with Geddoe. Thereafter, heal with Queen's Medicine items (Geddoe willattack automatically). If Borus misses or doesn't do too much damage, useGeddoe to cast Berserk Blow during the next turn. It usually takes me 5-6turns to take him out. At level 26, I go up to level 28-29 and get about 100skill points.

After your confrontation with Borus, you'll see an extended cutscene withGeddoe and his group. When you're given the dialogue choice, pick the firstoption ("Let's head back to Caleria"). Here's the formation I used:

QueenGeddoeJacquesAilaAceJoker(No Support)

When the World Map opens again, four new places have opened: Mt. Hei-Tou, LakeCastle, Mt. Path, and Caleria. To make the story advance, you would go toCaleria. There's a lot of other stuff I highly recommend you do beforethis. First, stop at Plain Amur and take the time to level up Aila so she'sclose in level to the rest of your team. Fighting the Dark Bunnies will makethis a fairly quick task.

Next, head to Mt. Hei-Tou. Because of what happened with Borus at Karaya

Village, you cannot visit the middle of Brass Castle (the area with the bujutsuteacher) for a while. It doesn't matter if you chose to fight Borus or not.You can still visit the eastern and western portions of the castle, though. Ifyou didn't have to use the Sacrificial Jizos during the fight with Borus,replace them in Geddoe and Queen's inventories with the Belt of Strength andGauntlet. Before going to Mt. Hei-Tou, make sure you rest at the inn at GreatHollow to replenish Geddoe's spells and to sharpen Aila's weapon up to level 8.Sell off any non-special loot (like armor and whatnot) you got from your randombattles that you're not using.

At Mt. Hei-Tou, keep heading right until you reach a blue save crystal. Takethe path up on this screen. Follow the path up and you'll come to a corpse.Loot it to get the Yellow Kennel. Go back and save at the blue crystal. Goleft one screen then head up. At the fork, go left to find another corpse withRecipe #14. Go back and take the right path this time. At the next screen,head right (both paths go the same place). Head up a little on this screento see yet another corpse. Loot it to get Recipe #5. Head to the exit path atthe top of the screen. At the end of this path is your first treasure boss, agiant blue crab called the Blue Mantrix. Here's my strategy:

The Blue Mantrix has a couple of attacks of note. The first is a beam attackthat hits a single person. He usually goes for Aila or Jacques with this inthis battle. The other is an attack where these multi-colored bubbles come outfrom him and hits any one within hand-to-hand attack range. It doesn't do muchdamage but there's a slight chance it will paralyze your guys. In the firstround, cast Soaring Bolt with Geddoe. Have Aila cast Battle Oath from herShield Rune. Send Ace and Joker in for a regular melee attack. Heal whennecessary with items or Joker's Kindness Drops (which also heals Paralysis).After the first round, use Geddoe's Berserk Blow spell and have everyone elseattack normally. If it goes like it usually does for me, you'll take him outin about 3-4 rounds and he'll usually target Aila with the beam attack.

The noteworthy loot I got from the chest was:

Melon SeedsOld Book Vol. 12Wall RuneBlinking Rune

Plus a bunch of other regular armor like Chainmail, Tulip Hat, etc. The lootin these chests generally vary so if what you got is different, don't worryabout it. The major items all eventually show up during one of the treasureboss encounters. I suggest you loot the entire chest, which likely means youwill have to drop some items from your inventory. Unless you've been hoardingeverything from random battles, you should only have to discard medicine andantitoxin that you haven't used.

As a general rule, sell any of the excess armor and equipment you get from thetreasure bosses that your group can't wear. I will note the exceptions as theycome up but in the first chapters you won't be able to get any of the reallygreat gear yet. Any time you come back to Mt. Hei-Tou, there's a rare chancethat the loot on the corpse closest to the Blue Mantrix will be a Fury Rune.Credit suikosource.com for that info. You can exit Mt. Hei-Tou with an EscapeScroll just like any other dungeon.

If you come across a Statue with the letter "S" following it (and you shouldeventually if you use Geddoe to fight all the possible treasure monsters) holdon to it. When you get the chance, place it in the Statue Room at Lake Castle.You can get to this room by going to the main house and taking the stairs up tothe second floor. Make a left and it's the door in the corner. The Statue "S"

you usually get is a Hex Doll S. Place it on the middle pedestal. Leave theroom AND DON'T GO BACK TO THAT ROOM. You'll want to wait until Hugo's chapter3 to do that so he can recruit someone.

Any antiques you get as Hugo, Geddoe, and Chris, especially the pricey stufflike Sunset Paintings and Plant Vases, you'll want to display at Lake Castle.This isn't for decorative purposes but will give Thomas a financial advantageif you elect to play through his chapters.

You're done with Mt. Hei-Tou, so let's cross Yaza Plain and go to Lake Castle.When you arrive there, you'll meet the castle master, Thomas, and the castleguard commander, Cecile. They fill you in on what's happening with the castleand how they've opened it up as a free trade zone. You can now recruitcharacters with Geddoe and that is exactly what I suggest you do now.

An important thing to know about Geddoe is that he can't switch out the sixparty members he has now until chapter 4. Well, he can but it's only in a fewspots and in that time it's only for a few seconds so his six primary membersare locked in. This is why I recommend only getting support characters for themost part with Geddoe.

Before recruiting, head back into the main house Geddoe is standing in frontof. Head to the right of the main staircase inside of the house, there is astairway down. Go downstairs and go left of the screen. You'll see Muto,the warehouse keeper. Talk to him and leave all the stuff you won't be usingany time soon, this includes recipes, seeds, kennels, and any other stuff youknow you won't be using. Keep any Old Books you have-you can deliver them tothe librarian in a second. Just like Chris, Geddoe also has his own mini-warehouse back in Caleria.

Go back the way you came and go up the main staircase. Head to the right ofthe screen through the door at the end of the hall. Talk to Eike, the palefaced gent with the brown outfit on. You will automatically deliver any OldBooks you have to him. He will then show you a list of the Old Book articlesyou can read. That's it for Lake Castle for now. Exit the house the way youcame in then just keep exiting to the bottom of the mini-map. At the exit tothe castle, you'll see a couple of cutscenes and your party will be backtogether again. After this, Thomas' flame at the Trinity Site will be lit.

The next place to go is VdZ. When you enter through the city gate, you'll seeGuillaume running around chasing a little girl. Just ignore him and don't gonear the front of the Guild Hall. Instead, head to the area with all theshops. Go to the Armor Shop and talk to Dominic, the man at the counter. Whenhe asks if you know art, pick the first choice to agree with him. The buywindow will then pop up with one item, Mole Armor which costs 37,200 potch.Select Buy and pay for it. You have successfully recruited Dominic. If you'rewondering what good the Mole Armor is, it's part of a set that when equipped ona character you'll hear squishy noises when you walk. Other than that, I haveno clue what other special properties it gives you.

Walk outside and talk to the guy with the black hat on. This is Augustine andhe'll explain his situation to you but you're going to recruit him with someoneelse. If you're wondering what's the deal with Guillaume running by, I thinkit's implying he's the one who stole Augustine's Rose Brooch. If you didn'tget a Deer Antler yet, go to the Trade Shop and buy one now. I've never hada problem getting one in previous playthroughs during my two visits to VdZ,but if you haven't got one yet you can come back and try again later.

Exit VdZ and head for the western side of Brass Castle. Head east two screens.Right before you get to the gate, you'll see a man with a red hat and a parrot.

Talk to him. This is Scott and he's a Trader. When he asks if you know abouttrading, pick the first choice to agree with him. When the parrot asks thesame thing, pick the first choice again. If you have a Deer Antler on you,talk to him again. When he offers to buy the Deer Antler from you, pick thesecond choice to accept his offer and you'll recruit him. If you don't have aDeer Antler handy, just come back some time later (in this chapter or someoneelse's) and he'll still be there.

Head east one more screen to get to the courtyard area with the Rune Shop andTutor. Enter the Rune Shop and talk to the Rune Sage, Jeane. Pick the firstchoice and you'll recruit her.

Head to the Tutor and go to the adjoining room. You'll see a little girlwearing a cap and gown. This is Ernie. Talk with her a little and you'llfind out she's a scholar/tutor. When you're given the choice, pick the seconddialogue option ("Budehuc castle has rooms"). She'll ask you a series of fiverandom questions. You have to get all of them correct and she'll join. Notethat each question has about a 5 second time limit after you've viewed thequestion. You can take as long as you like to look at the question beforeviewing the answer list, though. The possible questions with their correctanswers are:

Which musical ensemble only uses wind instruments? 3. Brass BandWhich of the following cannot fly? 1. DuckWhich one of these fruits grows on a tree? 2. PomegranatesWhich statement is false? 2. Rice cleaned with soapWhich of these has nothing to do with farming? 3. QuiverWhat is the pattern on Karayan horses? 1. Zebra patternWhat is the Duck Clan Chief's special characteristic? 1. Amazing tailWhich is the correct spelling? 1. Sea breamWhich of the following phrases is not possible? 3. I ate cactus for dinnerWhich of these sounds is threatening? 2. GggrrrWhich skill can make a magical spell bounce back at its caster? 2. ReflectWhat are the colors of the Kamaro Free Knights' uniform? 2. Green/YellowOf the following, which does not exist in blood? 2. Blue blood cellsWhat is paper made from? 3. WoodWhich of these cannot be found at any defensive gear shop? Bizarre ChainmailWhere is the decorative feather worn on the head of the Flame Champ? 3. LeftWhich cannot be part of a string ensemble? 2. BodhranWhich one of these is a lizard man? 2. ShibaOf the following which one is not an insect? 3. SerpentWhat do Lizard Men do when they're surprised? 3. Nothing

There may be a few questions I missed but this should be enough for you torecruit her. If you miss a question you can take her quiz as many times as youneed until you recruit her. Exit Brass Castle to the west.

Cross Yaza Plain to get to the Great Hollow. Go to the Trade Shop there andtalk to the human customer in a blue outfit. He will give you the Iron Hammer.Take it and go down to the Blacksmith. Talk to the smith, whose name is Peggi.Pick the first choice ("Can you sharpen my weapon?") when he first talks toyou. After that, pick the second choice ("This should be handy") to give himthe Iron Hammer. You've successfully recruited him. Now's a good time to headback to Lake Castle to make use of their shops.

If you're like me and you've been ignoring leveling up your skills, now's agood time to do it. Ernie is the Tutor and she can be found in the 2nd floorroom where you gave the Old Books to Eike. Juan is the bujutsu teacher. Fromthe first screen where you enter Lake Castle's courtyard (where Cecile isstanding), head to the west exit on your mini-map to take some stairs down. In

the middle of the next screen will be a blond man with a blade of grasssticking out of his mouth. This is Juan.

Juan and Ernie's comments are different from the standard Tutors and teachers.What they say and what they mean:

Standard Juan Ernie

Perfect Match! The Results are Amazing! Unbridled Potential!Fairly good match Competent There's no denying talentNatural ability exists It could be much worse Your mother would be proudAverage Absolutely average WOW! Just kidding-AverageIt will take time It won't be easy It won't be easy

Farther to the top of the screen where Juan is will be Peggi, who can nowsharpen your weapons to level 9. Do so. Next to Peggi will be some stairs upwhich lead to Dominic's Armor Shop.

A word about the Armor Shop, Rune Shop, and Item Shop (which you'll get in alater chapter). In order for these shops at Lake Castle to have any stock, youhave to visit the related shops in other towns on the World Map and view theiritems for sale. The shops at Lake Castle will never have any Rarity items,but any regular items you've viewed at other stores will automatically beavailable. You have to do this with each of the main characters. That is, ifGeddoe has visited the Great Hollow Armor Shop and viewed their inventory, allthese items will be available at Dominic's shop during Geddoe's scenario. Theywill not be available for Thomas, Chris, or Hugo until they've done the same intheir chapters.

From the screen where Peggi and Juan are standing, head to the left of thescreen. Keep going and you'll see a Trade Shop which Scott has set up. Goinside and buy any Pearls he may have for sale. From now on, I will leave itup primarily to you to decide on when you want to upgrade Armor and Accessoriesfor your teams. The best stuff is always in the Rarity section and I will notesome of the better gear in the chapters. For the most part, though, I leave itup to your own personal tastes from now on.

In terms of what skills I had after this visit, here's what it looked like:

Queen: Geddoe: Jacques:Swing-B+ Parry-C Sharpshoot-B+Accuracy-B+ Damage-C Accuracy-BRepel-B Accuracy-B Damage-B Lightning-A Repel-E

Aila: Ace: Joker:Accuracy-B Thief-C Counter-Attack-E Repel-C Accuracy-B+ Accuracy-BShield Magic-B+ Repel-B Repel-C Water-B+

As I said before, I'm biased against Earth Magic. The best offensive spellsit has only hits enemies who are on the ground. The best defensive spellsaren't worth the time it takes to cast them with the exception of a battle atthe very end of the game. This is why I choose to forget it for Aila to picksomething else. I also removed her Earth Rune by visiting Jeane's Rune Shop(it's in the main courtyard). It's up to you if you want to keep it.

In terms of support characters, keep in mind that if you take one of them withyou in your party, they may not be available to your other characters duringtheir chapters. For example, if you took Jeane with you in this chapter forsupport, she won't be in Thomas' chapter 1, Hugo's chapter 2, or Chris' chapter2 depending on whose chapter you play next. I keep this in mind when choosingparties so you don't have to worry about it too much. When you want to makeany changes to your roster, visit the Inn in the main courtyard. Talk toSebastian, the man with the Hitler moustache at the counter, and pick thesecond choice "Organize Party." My formation leaving Lake Castle:

QueenGeddoeJacquesAilaAceJoker(No Support)

The complimentary lottery prize at Lake Castle is one of the Old Books. Afterthat it's a Mini-Cactus (an antique worth 5,500 potch).

After you're done with Lake Castle, head back to Mt. Hei-Tou. On the firstscreen where you can head north on the mini-map, do so. Take a left at thenext screen. This leads to one of the corpses you looted earlier. To theleft of the corpse hiding in the tall grass will be an orange-colored dog,Koroku. Talk to him and pick the first choice ("Adopt") to recruit him.

Remember that Yellow Kennel you picked up? Outside of Lake Castle's mainhouse, to the left of that screen, you will see Koroku sitting next to a doghouse. If you have a Kennel in your inventory, you can go up to the dog houseand hit X to place a Kennel. You can do that if you like on a future visit toLake Castle.

For now, head back the way you came and keep going north to fight the BlueMantrix treasure boss again. You should have killed enough time for him to re-spawn. If he's not there, fight random battles for a few minutes and keepchecking back. You don't have to leave Mt. Hei-Tou to make him re-spawn. Usethe same strategy as before and you won't have any problems. Loot the entirechest again. This time around, the notable treasure I got was:

Medal Set #3? Painting

Again, your items may vary but all the good treasure boss loot will eventuallypop up. To identify any antique with the ?, just visit an appraiser (there'sone in VdZ in this chapter). Exit Mt. Hei-Tou. If you bought more lotterytickets at VdZ or Lake Castle, you should pass the time to check the resultsnow because we'll be heading to the end of the chapter. Any lottery ticketsyou buy and didn't check by the end of a chapter become automatic losers.

Stop by the Great Hollow to sell off anything you don't really need like excessarmor and items. I'd advise you to have at least 6 Medicine (36 total) and 2Antitoxin in your main inventory. Cross Plain Amur to get to the Mt. Path.When you first enter, you'll see a blue save crystal. Save your game now. Theenemies you'll be facing in random encounters here are pretty tough. Here'ssome strategies for taking down the enemy groups you may encounter:

NEVER use Geddoe's lightning magic. You'll be needing it for a treasure bossfight later. Try to use only Medicine to heal instead of Joker's Water Rune or

Aila's Shield Rune. If you encounter a group of butterflies or the YellowSirven (serpents), use the Mercenary A combo with Jacques' Boronda Hawk Rune tosoften them up and then use everyone else to take them down. If you encounterSalamanders, concentrate on taking them down one at a time. Use Ace's DoubleTusk Rune and have everyone else attack normally. If you encounter a group ofDevil Eyes, it's better to use Geddoe and Queen against one of them, thenAila/Jacques and Ace/Joker after one of the other ones. For the most part,it's just a matter of taking down these enemies one at a time during the randomencounters on the Mt. Path. I've never run into a rare encounter on the Mt.Path. You can also use Escape Scrolls to take you back to where you entered onthe Mt. Path.

From the blue save crystal, head for the northwest exit on the mini-map. Thenortheast exit just dead ends if you're wondering. From the next screen, takethe east exit on your mini-map. The north exit from this screen leads to someherbs. From here on, just follow the path on the mini-map. When you reach theblue save crystal after crossing the waterfalls, definitely save it here. Keepfollowing the path to exit this screen. If you keep going right, you'll seeanother treasure boss, the Twin Head Snake. Before getting close to him toactivate the fight, heal up all your guys. All my guys were level 30 (exceptAila, who was 28) with the skills I mentioned previously. This is the strategyI use:

This boss has four attacks. The Left Head uses Wind Magic and casts healingmagic. The Right Head casts Fire Magic. The main head has a rather grosslooking tongue attack that hits those within hand-to-hand attack range. Itsmost dangerous attack is a combination magic attack that involves all threeheads. My strategy is to focus on taking out the Left Head first so it can'tregenerate HP or use the combination magic attack.

I cast Berserk Blow on the Left Head with Geddoe and use the archers' regularmelee attacks on it, too. I then use Ace's Double Tusk Rune on the Left Head.After that, I use Great Blessing with Aila to heal if everyone's hurt orMedicine/Joker's Kindness Drops to heal if only a certain pair are hurt.Following the first round, I focus my attacks on the Left Head again, usingBerserk Blow with Geddoe and the archers' melee attacks. Once the Left Head isgone, I cast Soaring Bolt with Geddoe and focus on the Right Head. When onlythe main head is left, I cast Battle Oath with Aila and mop up with meleeattacks from there. On occasion, I lose Queen or Aila because of their low HPbut as long as you keep everyone healed properly, that shouldn't be a problem.This battle usually takes me 4-6 rounds to finish.

The notable loot I got after this fight was:

? Figurine? Statue

The rest was just regular armor and medicine. If you want, you can loot theentire chest and wander around until the treasure boss re-spawns. The nexttime around it will be a different creature, the Rock Golem. There's no needto do this and I suggest you just take what you want and move on.

Instead of heading to Caleria, take the northeast exit on the mini-map. On thenext screen, check your mini-map to see that the road leads to a dead end tothe south and an exit to the north. You want to follow the mini-map to get tothe dead end to the south. You'll find a corpse there that has Recipe #7.Make your way back to the clearing where you fought the Twin-Head Snake. Takethe east path on your mini-map (where the Calerian man is standing). On thenext screen, just follow the path to the exit. You'll end up back on the WorldMap. Head to Caleria.

When you enter, you'll see a brief cutscene. Ace will point out where the HQis. To advance the story, this is where you should go. I suggest you do someother things first. Head to the inn, which is located in the right middle ofthe mini-map. Stay and Save. There's a man with a theater mask on the secondfloor of the inn, Nadir, but you can't recruit him yet. Exit the inn and headto the Trade Shop, it's located in the upper left of the mini-map right beforeyou enter the open doorway.

Inside the Trade Shop, to the bottom left of the screen is a man named Mike.He will join your party if you can beat him at a game of cards. The name ofthe game is Kabu, which is essentially Blackjack but with the number "9"instead of "21". You can listen to his explanation of the rules to get a graspof the game.

One facet of the game you may have a hard time understanding (like I did) iswhat happens when you go over 9 and how the point total is scored. Basically,if any number you get is over 10, the count starts over at 0. Let's say youstart with a 4 then get a 6. This equals 10. Your total then is 0. Let's nowsay that you start with a 4 then turn up a 10, giving you 14. Your score isthen 4. To calculate what your score is if you go over 10 simply subtract 10from it. To view what the special scores are (such as Shippin), just pressSquare at any time. The dealer's special score, Kuppin, which is an Ace and a9, will beat pretty much any score, including Shippin.

Keep playing Mike until you get 20,000 potch. It usually takes me a few triesbut I've heard of many people going crazy because he beats them every time. Irecommend soft-resetting if you lose more than 10,000 potch and simply tryingagain. Most of the time when I win I go for Shippin. That is, I go with the9,000 bet and go for the 4 or Ace when it turns up. If you get Shippin withthis bet your win is automatically 27,000 and you can recruit him.

Mike will now be located at Lake Castle and you can play Kabu with him to earnmoney. His room is on the first floor to the right as you come in through themain entrance (next to the elevator). One of the major things I took intoconsideration when writing this Walkthrough was to have it so you never have toplay Mike for money. It's just not worth the aggravation. A decent averageyou can expect is 100,000-200,000 potch after an hour of playing him with lotsof soft resetting. Most of the time, though, you'll just lose money and wastea lot of time you'll never get back. Mike is quite useful as a supportcharacter, though.

After you get Mike, sell any Pearls you may have bought at Lake Castle at thisTrade Shop. Exit and head to the Item Stand. Check the Rarity section and buya couple of Soaring Bolt if they have it. Also buy 3 Escape Scrolls. Buy 2Sacrificial Jizos, one for Queen and the other for Aila. Head to the Armor/Blacksmith Shop located to the lower left of the mini-map. Talk to the littleCalerian boy and he'll give you Tomato Seeds. Unless you've been on a spendingfrenzy and have been hoarding all your loot, you should have the money toupgrade everyone's weapon to level 10 here. Head left to the Armor Shop toupgrade whatever you like. When you're done there, exit and head to the top ofthe mini-map and through the open doorway.

You'll trigger a cutscene and Ace will leave your party. There's a bujutsuteacher here if you want to upgrade your physical skills. To the top left ofthe screen by the training dummies is another man with his arms folded. Thisis the other warehouse keeper that only Geddoe can use. Talk to him if youwant to adjust your inventory. If you have a bunch of items with ?, you canleave them at the warehouse or take them with you, keeping in mind that onlyVdZ has an appraiser right now (you can visit VdZ in Geddoe's next chapter as

well so don't think you have to do it right this instant).

Head to the inn to advance the story and trigger another cutscene. You'll meetDuke and his team for the first time. Pick whatever dialogue option you wantwhen the choices come up, it doesn't really affect anything. The cutscene willcontinue then Geddoe's chapter will come to an end. At the Trinity Site, saveyour game and do not overwrite this save game-it's critical if you decide toplay Thomas' chapter now and choose not to play through it.

Geddoe [15/108]Ace [16/108]Joker [17/108]Queen [18/108]Jacques [19/108]Aila [20/108]Dominic [21/108]*Scott [22/108]*Jeane [23/108]*Ernie [24/108]*Peggi [25/108]*Koroku [26/108]*Mike [27/108]*

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------4e. Break--Time to Decide about Thomas

You can now decide whether or not you wish to try out Thomas' chapters now orlater. Keep in mind that if you put off playing his chapters as I've suggestedyou will see chunks of his story revealed in the other 3 main characters'chapters. Some of it is definitely spoilers. I gave it a lot of thought andstill decided to put it at the end because I believe it'll actually make youwant to play his story after viewing bits of it to get an idea of what you'rein for. However, I certainly understand if you'd rather not want to know aboutanything that happens in his chapters ahead of time. It's up to you and you'vebeen given fair warning. His chapters are entirely optional and something ofan acquired taste. There's a possibility you may _really_ dislike it and notcare to play through it. You won't lose any Stars of Destiny if you skip it.

In the Walkthrough I've kept his chapters in mind in terms of recruiting andwhatnot. One big advantage of putting off Thomas' chapters until later is youcan give him a nice financial advantage if you wait as I've recommended. Ifyou want to do Thomas' chapters now, skip ahead to his section. I've broken itoff farther away from Chris' chapter 3 so you don't inadvertently see somethingfrom her chapter. If you'd rather put it off until later, go ahead andcontinue with Chris' Chapter 2.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------4f. Chris Chapter 2

Select Chris' Chapter 2 from the Trinity Site.

A couple of friendly reminders. Chris can't play the lottery until Chapter 3and try to keep your money level at around 50,000 potch. Also, don't botherupgrading Leo, Borus, or Percival's armor-they'll automatically get really goodarmor later in the game (not in this chapter though). At the start of Chris'chapter, you'll see a brief scene with her butler. Once you get control ofher, head to the Guild Hall area where you would normally enter to go to thearea with the shops (the middle bottom exit on your mini-map). You'll see anextended cutscene where Alanis, Melville, and Elliot say goodbye to each other.If you didn't get a GrapeC from the Trade Shop in the last chapter check back

there now for one. To make the story advance, head to the front gate. You'llmeet up with Borus and Louis. Leave the city and save at the blue crystal.

Head past Zexen Forest and Yaza Plain to get to Lake Castle. The rareencounter for the Forest is still the Father Holly. For the Yaza Plain, it'sa Gold Boar with two Dark Bunnies. I recommend you run from both of those fornow. Once you arrive at Lake Castle, you'll see another extended cutscenewhere Thomas and Chris chat. When that's over, you'll be back on the World Mapand Chris can now recruit. If you go back to Lake Castle, you can make use ofthe characters you recruited during Geddoe's Chapter 1. Note that you can'tput anyone he recruited in your party, though. This is how it will work untilChapter 4-your main characters can only put the characters they recruitedthemselves in their party.

Cross Yaza Plain and head to Brass Castle to make the story progress. Afteryou're done talking with Borus, head to the Knights' Parlor. After conferringwith Salome and Percival, go to Chris' room. Talk to Louis and pick the firstchoice. You'll see another extended scene where Chris gives the other Knightstheir new orders.

When you get control of Chris, head to the Knights' Parlor again. Talk toSalome and pick the 3rd option ("I need to plan our formation"). I use thissetup:

ChrisLeo-----RolandBorusPercivalLouis (Support)

You can advance the story now by talking to Salome again but I suggest you takesome time to level up your party first. You can check with the Trader on thefar east side of Brass Castle to see if he has any Ancient Text, but again thisis a rare occurrence.

Exit Brass Castle and head to Yaza Plain to level up. In about 10 minutes youshould be able to get everyone to level 32 by fighting the monsters out there.If you run into the Gold Boar/Dark Bunnies rare encounter, use Roland's GreatHawk to make sure you hit the Bunnies to prevent them from casting lightningspells. Go after the Bunnies first with the other 2 units then focus on theGold Boar with your melee attacks. Heal with your items and Percival'sKindness Drops from his Water rune. You can get everyone up to level 34 withabout another 10-15 minutes of running around for random encounters if youlike. When you're done, head to Lake Castle to level up your skills. This ishow my party looked afterward:

Chris: Leo: Roland:Parry-C Damage-B Sharpshoot-CSwing-C Armor Protect-B+ Accuracy-CDamage-C Damage-CRepel-C Repel-CArmor Protect-CHeavy Damage-CAccuracy-C

Borus: Percival:Accuracy-C Parry-CArmor Protect-C Swing-C

Heavy Damage-C Repel-CDamage-C Accuracy-BRepel-C

Exit Lake Castle and head for the North Cavern. Just make your way to the veryend. The Bone Soldiers are a particular concern here because they can do agood deal of damage while your guys can't do the same. Do your best toconcentrate on them one at a time and you'll get through it okay. Don't be shyto heal if someone gets really banged up. Before you reach the very end of thecavern, save at the blue crystal. There's a treasure boss here now and it's aChimera. Nothing special, really-it has some damaging attacks but nothing youcan't handle. Just use your melee attacks and heal when necessary. Thenotable loot I got this time was:

MangoshHerb SeedsMother Earth RuneScript #3Old Book Vol. 11Medal Set #5Blessed Helm

Loot everything if you want to fight the treasure boss again later (I recommendthat you do). Exit the cavern and head to VdZ. When you get past the CityGate, you'll see Guillaume chasing after a little girl again just like inGeddoe's Chapter 1. Head to the screen with the inn. At the top left portionof this screen, talk to Nei and Toppo, who will tell you that the 3rd member oftheir Busker Troupe, Shabon, is missing. Head to the front of the Guild Hallwhere you'll see Guillaume chasing after Shabon in circles. You'll get intoyour first winnable duel.

Duels are one-on-one contests where you are given 3 options: Defend, Attack,or Deathblow. It's a rock-paper-scissors type battle with an advantage meterthrown in. Basically:

When your Enemy does: You Should:

Attack DeathblowDefend AttackDeathblow Defend

You'll note a small green circle at the bottom near the duel gauge. Thisindicates a DISadvantage. That means if the circle is under your character'sportrait, your enemy has the upper hand. In this case, the usual rules abovewill be bent somewhat in favor of the person with the advantage. For example,normally if you Deathblow when your enemy Attacks, you take no damage. On theother hand, if they have the advantage, they will still get in an Attack andcause you damage. Therefore, if the advantage is totally in your favor, youhave some leeway to make a mistake and not pay for it. It works the other wayas well.

An important thing to remember about duels is that some Runes that affect yourstatus will be in effect when you duel. This can be good in the case if youhave something like a Fury Rune or very bad if you forgot to remove thatHunter Rune you were messing around with. Some of Guillaume's comments andwhat he'll do:

Attack:-------You've made your uncle very angry!

Ouch, you'll pay for that!Ho, ho, ho. Allow me to make my point.Pesky opponent! The next one won't miss!Ho, ho, ho! Your life is mine!Coward!All this staring at each other. Like a prelude to marriage. But I don't mind.Snap out of it. There's no turning back now.Ho, ho, ho! I am simply too strong!

Defend:-------Ho, ho, ho. Did you think I would only defend?Hmph. Your turn.Careful, careful.I'll take a page from your book!Ouch! I better stop to catch my breath!Ho, ho, ho. I am truly at my best today.Ah, this is really quite comfortable.

Deathblow:----------Deathblow Attack! Furious Flame!Deathblow Attack! Ominous Oceans!Deathblow Attack! The most furious of flames!

There're others but you get the gist of it and can pretty much tell what he'lldo. After the cutscene, pick the first dialogue choice ("How about BudehucCastle?") and you'll recruit Nei, Toppo, and Shabon. If you picked up anyAncient Text at Brass Castle, you can sell them to the Trader here. Sell anyexcess items you may have, too. You can go shopping here (definitely check outthe Guild Hall items) and sharpen your weapons up to level 9 back at LakeCastle. One skill you should definitely invest in is Chris' Swing-try to getit up to a B. In the low to mid-30's level this will give her two attacks perround, which will make the upcoming series of battles much easier.

Exit VdZ and head back to Brass Castle. To advance the story, go to theKnights' Parlor and talk with Salome. Pick the second dialogue option twiceand you'll see a custscene where the Knights prepare to attack the GreatHollow. You will then be taken to a strategy battle. The winning condition isto take out 5 enemy units. The losing condition is losing Chris' unit, so makesure she doesn't go down.

You will likely get annoyed at the computer AI controlling your units duringbattle but don't let it get to you-it'll get better later. There's a fewthings to keep in mind here. Borus and Percival will show up at the start ofyour 3rd turn. The most dangerous units are Dupa's and Bazba's. Dupa has aFury Rune which puts him in Berserk status-if he gets one lucky critical hit,it's lights out for whoever he hit. Bazba will occasionally cast a CycloneMagic spell that can cause "Combat Stifled", which is another automatic lightsout. Unless Dupa's team is damaged pretty well, only use Leo to confront him.As for Bazba, just don't let him engage Chris-anyone else is fine.

To get a Major Victory, avoid losing an entire unit. The prize you get forscoring a Major Victory is an Evasion Ring, which boosts the wearer's Repelskill by 1 grade. Lastly, if you put your units in place to "Cover" this givesyour attacking unit a boost to the damage they do. The more units covering,the more damage.

At the start of the battle, move Chris one circle to the southeast. Move Leoand Roland one circle to the east. Don't move past these circles until Borus

and Percival show up. The computer's strategy can vary pretty wildly but itusually will send the Lizard Units with 3 fighters up to meet your guys. Justuse Roland and Chris at that point to try to take them out. Once Borus andPercival show up, try to put your units in position to cover each other. Leo,Chris, and Borus' units are the best to use for attacking. As long as youdon't put your units in a position where they're attacked a consecutive numberof times, you shouldn't lose an entire unit. If one of the units that's justmade up of Zexen Regulars is attacked by a unit with full health, just havethem retreat. You should be able to get a Major Victory out of this.

After the strategy battle, you'll be asked to set up your formation. I use thesame one as before:

ChrisLeo-----RolandBorusPercivalLouis (Support)

Head toward the front entrance of the Great Hollow. On the way you'll have tobeat 2 waves of 6 lizard fighters. They're not too much trouble-just focus ontaking them down one at a time. You can get some decent loot such as NewChainmail, Damaged Helms, and Mega Medicine D when you win. When you reach thefront, Borus will send out a challenge, to which Shiba and 5 lizard fightersrespond. Same tactics as before and you'll win easily. Do make sure thatChris has all her HP at the end of this fight. You'll then see the Grasslandleaders come out to talk with Chris. When you're given the dialogue option,you can pick the second choice, "...." to which Salome will stand up for Chris.After that, if you pick "But..." Roland will speak up for Chris. If you pickthe other choice regarding duty, Chris will speak up for Zexen.

For the first dialogue choice, if you picked "Stop these foolish accusations!",Lucia will challenge Chris to a duel. If you pick the first choice, "So be it"this is exactly what Chris will do. Picking the second choice, "I cannot" andChris will say it is beneath her to duel in the ways of barbarians. If youopted to duel, the odds are heavily in Chris' favor-she can take down Luciapretty quick whereas Lucia has to get in about 8 hits or more. Lucia'scomments and what she does:

Attack:-------Saucy Knight!Such a lack of passion. I'll spice this up.If that is how you wish to battle...Ha! There's no need for discretion here White Maiden.Let's see what the White Maiden can withstand.It's been an even match. Until now.

Defend:-------I suppose you're good enough to be called White Maiden.A battle of resistance...That won't help us decide who wins.So you are serious after all. But how serious?I'll withstand your worst.Without caution attack is useless!Where's the sport in this? It's not a battle if you don't fight.Hmmm. Too tired to give me your best?

Deathblow:----------By the power of Karaya!Very well, stay like that!Let's make this the final blow.My Karaya brethren lend me your strength!That wasn't very exciting. Try this!Ah, just like a little girl. What about this?

If you won, Beecham and some Karayan fighters come to Lucia's aid. If youlost, the Zexen Knights do likewise for Chris. If you beat Lucia in a duel oryou didn't bother to duel her, a messenger comes up to tell Salome some newsand the Knights withdraw. If you beat Lucia in a duel, she'll tell Chris thatshe won't forget this. If things ended peacefully, Chris simply walks away andasks Lucia to stop calling her White Maiden. If you lost the duel, Chrisorders the Knights to withdraw. Personally, I prefer not to duel Lucia becauseshe's got a good point.

The aftermath is the same regardless of what happened. You'll see a cutscenewith Salome and Chris. To make the story advance, head out to the westerncourtyard of Brass Castle. You'll see Salome talking to a soldier by the gate.When you're given the dialogue choice, pick whichever one you want (I usuallypick the first one). Head out to Zexen Forest-don't worry about randomencounters because you won't get far. Head west a few screens and you'll seea couple of cutscenes. If you've ever fantasized about waking up as a hot babewith a bunch of dudes looking over you, well here ya go.

When you can control Chris again, head to the bujutsu teacher and bump up yourskills. I tend to go with Accuracy, Damage, Armor Protect, and Heavy Damage.To make the story advance, head to the west courtyard and talk to Percival.Pick the first choice and the two of you will head out. Pick the second choicethen say you'd rather not go if you want to do other things first. Exit BrassCastle and Iksay Village will pop up on the World Map.

If you want, you can go to Mt. Hei-Tou to fight the Blue Mantrix. You can winwith just Chris and Percival. Put Percival in a separate slot and have himdefend. If he gets hit have him heal with his items. If Chris gets paralyzedor hurt bad, have Percival heal her with Kindness Drops. Use only Chris toattack. It'll take a little while but you can take him down with just thosetwo. There's a character in Iksay Village that you can recruit if you have100,000 potch. If you don't have that much you can opt to fight the BlueMantrix or just wait until a little later in the chapter. I usually have thecash and fight the Blue Mantrix just for the heck of it. From that fight, Igot 70,000 potch plus a Double-Strike Rune. It's a good idea to loot the wholechest so you can come back to fight it later if you want. You can't enter theGreat Hollow in this chapter, either, if you're wondering.

Heading to Iksay will advance the story. You should know that once you enterthere you can't leave for a while due to story reasons. There's an opportunitywhile you're in Iksay to fight infinite battles, the only place in the gamethat I know of. If you want to get a bunch of skill points cheaply for Nei,Toppo, and/or Shabon, stop at Lake Castle before going to Iksay and put them inyour party by talking to Sebastian at the Inn. I recommend taking at leastNei-she's quite good at higher levels. You don't have to upgrade any of theirgear, weapons, or skills-they won't be doing the fighting. You should go toLake Castle first just to replenish Percival's spells, to bump up skills, andto sell any excess items/store anything you want.

Upon entering Iksay, you'll get a cutscene and learn a little more about

Percival. When you get control of Chris, head to the right of the screen.Between two houses is a ninja in black. This is Watari. If you have the100,000 potch, go ahead and pay him to recruit him. If not, later on you cancome back here once you have the cash. Several people have e-mailed me sayingWatari isn't there. I've never had this problem but if this happens to you,just come back later after the story events in Iksay and try again.

Journeyman sent me this e-mail about getting Watari:

"In Iksay Village- If Watari does not show up instantly, go to the inn to savethen do a soft reset, After loading you should see Watari across from the innbetween the 2 houses."

Thanks to Journeyman for this tip.

If you've already played Thomas' chapter 1, skip to the next paragraph. Go tothe Item Shop. If you have a full party of 6 (not counting Support), you'lltrigger a cutscene with the owner, Gordon. Tell him about Lake Castle andhe'll join. If you don't have a full party right now, just come back laterafter you can leave Iksay to get him. Talk to the little girl in the shop andshe'll give you a Pale Gate Rune--don't sell this or get rid of it, it may bethe only one you get for the entire game.

The Item Shop in Iksay occasionally will have a Rose Brooch in the Raritysection. If you want to go ahead and recruit Augustine (the fellow with thehat standing by the VdZ docks) with Chris buy it and give it to him later. Iprefer to recruit Augustine with Thomas but it's up to you.

If you want to recruit someone with a strong rating in Healing support skill,go to the 2nd floor of the inn. You can leave this person for Thomas if youlike but it's up to you. There's no one else in his chapter with this supportskill. It's useful for both Chris and Thomas but not essential for either.The person is Mio, a nurse. When you go up to the second floor you'll see herwith a doctor, Tuta from Suikoden II. Pick the first dialogue choice ("Excuseme, are you doctors?") to recruit Mio. You'll get Tuta later.

Although you can't play the Iksay Lottery with Chris right now, I'll go aheadand tell you the prizes. The first complimentary prize is a Recipe. Afterthat, it's a SkyOwl Painting. To make the story progress, head all the way tothe back where the windmills are and stand by the back fence. You'll triggera conversation with Nash, the protagonist from the Suikogaiden games. Pickwhatever dialogue you feel like-it doesn't impact anything. You'll then beinterrupted and see a CG cutscene.

Head to the front of the village. If you brought Nei, Toppo, and/or Shabonwith you, put them behind Chris and Nash in a formation like this:

ChrisToppoNeiShabonNash-----(No Support)

Only have Nash and Chris attack. You'll run into a group of 4 lizard fightersat the front of the village. You shouldn't have too many problems-Chris cantake them out all by herself. Percival will then join up with you. If youbrought all the buskers I recommend this formation:

ChrisToppoNeiShabonPercivalNash(No Support)

You'll then run into a group of 2 Karaya Fighters and 2 Lizard Fighters. Again,nothing special. Head to the back where the windmills are. You'll next meetup with Shiba and 5 lizard fighters. Pick the first choice ("I'm ready to takeyou on") to fight-you won't have much problems winning with Chris and Percival.

After this fight is the infinite battles I mentioned earlier. If you want thestory to progress, head back to the windmills. If you want to fight thebattles, head toward the front of the village. The battles always have 2Lizard fighters and 2 Karaya Fighters. These guys aren't tough at all but theyare worth 300 skill points collectively plus 8,800 potch. In about 10-12minutes worth of work, you can get 4,200 skill points to be divided up amonghowever many people are in your party. If you just have Chris, Percival, andNash this means 1,400 skill points each; if you brought all 3 of the buskers,this means about 700 skill points each. You can also get 100,000+ potch inthat time as well. The people to benefit most would be Percival and any of thebuskers you brought with you. Chris and Nash will eventually get more skillpoints than they'll ever need but you can give them an early advantage withthese battles.

When you're ready to head to the back to advance the story, make sure Chris'health is full. You'll run into Dupa and Jimba. After some conversation,you'll get into a duel with Jimba. Again, this duel is in Chris' favor. It'spretty easy to tell what Jimba will do based on his comments so just counteraccordingly. Some of his comments and what he'll do:

Attack:-------Now it's time for me to strike.See how you like this.You're playing it safe. That's fine with me.Strong enough. Let's see how you handle this.You're quite skilled. How about this?We'll lose our audience if we carry on like this.

Defend:-------Go on, take a swing at me!Quite solid, but is it luck or skill?Now it's your turn.I've never had to play it this safe before.Well, well...Having trouble? Maybe next time.Is this a staring match or a battle?Damn! I better take a breather.

Deathblow:----------Let's do this my way.Milady, I will not hold back.Sorry, but I've been doing this a lot longer than you have.This has carried on long enough. I'll finish it quickly.I hope this isn't too much for you.

You'll then see another extended cutscene. When that's over you'll havecontrol of Chris again. If you fought some of the infinite battles, you likelyhave a ton of Damaged Helms and New Chainmail. You can sell those at the ItemShop for a tidy profit. Exit Iksay to see another scene. If you don't wantto play Thomas' chapters, go back to Iksay. Head to the back and on your wayyou'll see a brunette girl with a hand puppet. This is Mel. If you intend toplay Thomas' chapters, I highly recommend you let him recruit her. If not, goahead and talk to her now with Chris to recruit her.

Go to Lake Castle. Upgrade any skills you want. Head to the screen whereScott's Trade Shop is located. Move past it to the left of the screen andyou'll see a gray door. Enter it. In this hallway is Watari. Talk to him andyou'll trigger a cutscene. Go see Sebastian to put Watari in your party.Upgrade Watari's skills however you like and sharpen his weapon to level 9.It's not necessary to upgrade his armor.

Leave Lake Castle and go to the North Cavern next. Head all the way to the endagain and save again at the blue crystal. If your levels are pretty high(my party was 34-36 at this point) you can just "Let Go" of those stupid BoneSoldiers and not have to fight them at all. When you reach the end of theCavern, you'll see the female ninja from Watari's flashback, Ayame. Watariwill then duel her. This is one of the tougher duels in the game so becareful. Her comments and what she'll do:

Attack:-------Let me show you how pleased I am to see you again.Now I'll get you back.If you only defend...When are you going to stand up and fight?Don't feel too good about that.Enough messing around!Here we go...

Defend:-------I believe this is how to properly defend oneself.So, we think alike after all.It's been a while, let's see if you've improved.Are you getting enough to eat? You're not very effective.Sorry, no effect.I wouldn't hold still like that.That was good, but probably the best you can do.At least you don't fight worse than before.This is taking too long.

Deathblow:----------This will let you know how glad I am to see you again.And now, the finishing stroke.Good night, Watari.I'll help you remember your past.

If you lose to her, Watari will say, "Sayonara, witch" and Ayame will leave.It can take a while before Ayame shows up again so do your best to win the duelthe first time. When you beat her, Ayame will join. Heal up Watari and exitthe screen. Go back and the Chimera treasure boss will be there again. Justuse the same tactics as before. The notable loot I got:

Castle Kennel

? Painting

If you want to fight this boss again later, go ahead and take everything. Exitthe North Cavern. Head to the VdZ Trade Shop and buy a GrapeC if you haven'tgot one yet. If you got a Rose Brooch earlier at Iksay you can get Augustinenow. If you're planning on playing Thomas' chapters, I recommend you leavehim so Thomas can get him later. You can also fight the Mt. Hei-Tou boss againif you like (I opt not to since I've got 400,000 potch right now). Buy aSacrificial Jizo from the Guild Hall Item Shop or Lake Castle Item Shop and putit on Percival. Make sure you've done everything you want with him in terms ofhis skills. To make the story progress, head back to the west side of BrassCastle.

At Brass Castle go to the west courtyard to get a cutscene. Head upstairs toChris' room and talk to Louis. Pick the first choice to advance the story.You'll then see a cutscene and a conversation with Salome. When given thechoice, I pick the first option ("Salome...") but it doesn't really matter. Goto Chris' room and check the bookcase. Nash'll pop out and ask you to go withhim. If you pick the first choice, you'll agree and Chris' chapter 2 will beeffectively over. If you'd rather do some other things like fight the treasurebosses again or whatnot, pick the 2nd choice three times. Nash will leave. Hewill then be in the eastern courtyard of Brass Castle to the left of the ItemStand. To advance the story, talk to him again and agree to go with him. Thengo back to Chris' room and elect to rest and you'll leave with Nash.

Once you agree to go with Nash, Chris will change her outfit and you'll proceedto the secret passageway. You'll note that all of Chris' gear has changed-thestuff you put on her previously is now stored at your warehouse. Just followthe passageway to the end-the random monsters won't be any trouble. If you getpoisoned by the spiders, just use Kindness Drops from Nash's water rune toheal. When you reach the exit, there'll be another cutscene and Chris'chapter 2 will end.

Nei [28/108]*Toppo [29/108]*Shabon [30/108]*Watari [31/108]*Gordon [32/108]*Mio [33/108]*Ayame [34/108]*Nash [35/108]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------4g. Hugo Chapter 2

Pick Hugo's story next. You'll be on the World Map. Head to Duck Village toget a cutscene with Rhett and Wilder coming up asking for help. To make thestory go, you can head to the left. Before doing that, I suggest heading tothe right to go to the Item Shop to sell any loot you don't need. Buy 2Sacrificial Jizos and put them on Fubar. Also put the best Medicine you havein Fubar's remaining item slot. If you got any Deer Antler or Crystal Ballsfrom VdZ, you can sell those at the Trade Shop here for a nice profit. Ifyou're like me, you probably have about 150,000-200,000 potch right now. Irecommend you go ahead and play the lottery one more time just to give yourselfa money cushion-Hugo won't be able to fight any treasure bosses until his nextchapter and you'll be able to kill some time quite soon.

When you're done with all that, head to the front of the Rune Shop/Tutor tosee a cutscene with Lilly, whose all grown up since Suikoden II and my personalfavorite character in the game. When she asks for Hugo's identity, you can

pick whatever choice you like. Afterward, everyone runs off. Head to the innto get another scene. When Lilly asks, pick the first choice ("Okay...") toadvance the story. When you're given another dialogue option, you can pick thefirst choice ("Who is the Flame Champion?") to get more background info. on theFlame Champ or the second option to question Lilly's motives. When Lilly asksif you want to join up, you can say no by picking the third choice, askingthe Sgt.'s opinion with the second choice, or agreeing by picking the firstchoice. To make the story advance you'll need to go with Lilly so I just pickthe first choice. I recommend this setup:

LillySamusHugoFubarReedSgt. Joe(No Support)

A couple of notes about what you can do now. You have access to the easterncourtyard of Brass Castle where you can sharpen weapons up to level 7 and visitthe Item Stand and Armor Stand. There's a Tutor in Duck Village but you won'thave access to a bujutsu teacher for a while. Although VdZ, the North Cavern,and the west side of Brass Castle are on the World Map, I don't believe there'sany way to go to those places in this chapter. You're not allowed to passthrough the middle of Brass Castle and trying the secret passageway by theTrader at Brass Castle doesn't work. It's like the Great Hollow showing up inChris' chapter 2 even though she can't go there. Also, Sgt. Joe will likelyget one of the Magic Chant skills soon. I have no clue why this is because hecan't use the Jongleur Rune that goes with Chanting magic. You can't make himforget it, either. I don't know if it's a programming typo and it should beFocus or what.

Exit Duck Village. When you get to the World Map, a new area will open-theAncient Highway. Before going there, I suggest you buy about 3 Antitoxin fromthe Item Shop and head to Brass Castle to sharpen everyone's weapon/upgradearmor. The only skill I would upgrade is Sgt. Joe's Water Magic to a B at DuckVillage. Unless you're really attached to Hugo's Wind Rune, I suggest youremove it from him and sell it. If you do this, you should have him "Forget"his Wind Magic skill. The only reason to keep it this long would be to useWind of Sleep against the Zexens at the end of his chapter 1.

When you're done preparing your party, head to the Ancient Highway. You'll seea cutscene then gain entry inside. The rare encounter for this area is theMalifaux with 3 TerrorKnights. Nothing special and the experience boost youget from that fight is decent. If you go west 3 screens, you'll see a screenwith a circular room in the middle with a path to the north on your mini-map.DO NOT proceed toward that circular room-it will trigger a cutscene and anoptional fight you're not ready to do yet. Instead, roam around the easternpart of the Ancient Highway and level up to 32. This should take you about10-15 minutes. When you're done, head back to Duck Village to save and checkthe lottery results.

The optional fight in the Ancient Highway isn't tough if you've leveled up Hugoand Fubar's physical skills in his chapter 1, particularly their Accuracy. Ifyou want everyone to make it through that fight alive, put a Sacrificial Jizoon them-to win the fight you're really only going to need to use Hugo/Fubar toattack and Sgt. Joe's Water Rune to heal. SAVE at Duck Village again and headon over to the Ancient Highway. Keep proceeding west this time until you getto the circular room. Make sure everyone's health is maximum and you have allyour magic spells. You'll trigger a cutscene.

When Sgt. Joe asks your opinion, pick whatever choice you want-it won't changeanything. From here on, your dialogue choices will determine whether or notyou get into the optional fight. When you're asked what to do, picking thefirst choice ("Let's talk to them") means you WILL fight. Picking the secondchoice ("Hmm, what should we do?") will give you another dialogue option, towhich Lilly will suggest an attack. If you DISagree with her, you WILL get thefight. If you agree with Lilly, this is the only option that leads to avoidingthe fight (as well as a hilarious cutscene). If you avoid the fight, you mustproceed west to make the story progress and won't be able to go back to therest of the World Map for a little while. If you want to see the funny sceneas well as fight, just pick the choices to avoid it the first time, view thescene, then soft reset to come back and do the fight.

The fight itself is against the Man in Black, who Aila, Ace, and Joker met inGeddoe's chapter 1. His best weapon is his Eight-Devil Rune, which will knockout anyone in your party except Hugo/Fubar. He can only use it once during thebattle though. His other weapons are two strong melee attacks and a ThunderRune, which he'll usually use to cast Soaring Bolt although it won't do muchdamage. My strategy for beating him:

In the first round, use the Tinto combo and send the Hugo/Fubar pair in toattack. Rarely will the MIB move before Hugo/Fubar but if he does he'llusually attack the middle where Hugo/Fubar are, which is what you want. TheTinto combo will do very little damage (most of the time only 1 point) butthat's not the point. What you want to do is just attack with Hugo/Fubar andhave the MIB concentrate his attacks on them as well. Heal Hugo/Fubar everyother round with Sgt. Joe's Kindness Drops unless the MIB got lucky and diddouble damage. You should be able to take him down before Sgt. Joe runs out ofKindness Drops. If not, use Samus' Wind Rune to heal them and if you run outof _that_, use the Medicine you equipped on Fubar to heal (Hugo will still getan attack). Using this strategy, I'm able to win every time, although one ofthe Tinto characters or Sgt. Joe may go down if they get hit with theEight-Devil Rune. After you win, you'll get a Gold Emblem and some experience,although usually only enough to bump a few people up 1 level if everyone's atlevel 32.

After you win the battle, you'll learn the MIB's name and continue with yourjourney. If you got into the fight but lost, it'll just trigger anothercutscene but you won't have to start over. The cutscene just shows the MIBstanding over your party's prone bodies then departing. If you like, you canhead back to Duck Village afterwards to replenish spells or do whatever,although you can just proceed west to advance the story.

Keep heading west until you come out of the passageway. You'll see a cutsceneshowing the Zexens' raid on Great Hollow from Chris' chapter 2. When you'regiven the choice, you can pick the first option ("Sgt. we must join!") to getinto some fights or pick the second option to just wait it out. If you opt tofight, you'll battle a group of 4 Zexen Regulars who aren't any trouble. Headto the front of Great Hollow and you'll get into another fight with the samegroup. They're not worth too much in terms of experience or anything else butit's up to you if you want to fight them.

Regardless of what you chose, you'll then see a cutscene play out according towhether or not you opted to duel Lucia with Chris. Enter the Great Hollow andyou'll trigger a scene when you get to the main area. You can pick whateverdialogue option you wish when given the choice. Another cutscene will follow.When given the dialogue option, again you can choose whichever option you seefit. When you get control of Hugo again, head to the 2nd floor where theChief's room is to advance the story. Dupa will give Lilly some background on

the Flame Champion and you'll get another flashback.

Head to the southeast exit on the first floor on your mini-map to get anotherscene. When Lilly asks you about the Flame Champion, you can pick the firstchoice to lie and get called on it by Lilly. Pick the second choice and Lillywill fill you in. When Lilly mentions she's been around someone with a TrueRune before, this is in reference to some events 15 years earlier that playedout in Suikoden II. After this chat, head to the inn and talk to Anne. PutFubar back in your party. You can now upgrade your skills with the bujutsuteacher on the 2nd floor, upgrade your gear, and sharpen your weapons up tolevel 9. I do recommend that you go ahead and "Forget" Samus' Wind Magic andLilly's Sword of Magic skills-you won't get much mileage out of them the restof the way. To advance the story, exit the Great Hollow.

Head to the World Map exit and you'll run into a familiar face. When you get adialogue choice you can again pick whatever option you want. Head back intothe Great Hollow to talk with Lucia, who's standing outside the inn. When youget asked about delivering the pentacle, you can act goofy and pick the secondoption or just tell the truth by picking the first choice. After you talk somemore, you'll be given another dialogue choice. Pick the first one to agree tothe mission or pick the second one if you feel uncertain.

After that's over, you can now close the chapter by leaving the Great Hollowand exiting from there to the World Map. If you like, you can go back throughthe Ancient Highway to get to Duck Village and the other places available. Ijust opt to move ahead but it's up to you if you want to level up and so forth.

There's also one person you can recruit in this chapter, Twaikin the dwarf. Ifyou intend to play Thomas' chapters, I highly recommend you let Thomas recruithim. If you want to get him now, head back to the Great Hollow. At the mainarea with the waterfalls, take the SE exit on your mini-map. Follow this pathto the exit. On the screen after, you'll hear digging noises. Follow the pathto the left and you'll run into Twaikin. Talk to him and when the lizard guardshows up, pick the dialogue choice "Nothing". When Twaikin asks, suggest tohim to join your group and you'll successfully recruit him. You can putTwaikin in your party now if you like by talking to Anne. I don't because I'drather have Fubar. Thanks to SimUser for providing info. on getting Twaikin inthis chapter.

[No new Recruits in this chapter]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------4h. Geddoe Chapter 2

Pick Geddoe from the Trinity Site. Head to the tavern portion of the inn andtalk to Aila and Ace to put them back in your party. Head outside and takethe stairs up that are to the right of the Rune Shop. Go back to the outsideof the inn to view some cutscenes. I guess Sasarai had a hat-ectomy sinceSuikoden II. After that's over, and if you have the money, you can buy GoldBars at the Trade Shop here to sell in VdZ for a profit of 20,000+ potch each.

You'll now have the choice of heading to Le Buque to advance the story but Isuggest you go around the rest of the World Map to fight the treasure bosses atthe North Cavern and Mt. Hei-Tou first. You'll definitely want to check theRarity sections of all the Armor/Item Shops-they've got really good stuff likeBlessed Chainmail at Caleria and Brass Castle as well as Thunderbolt Leather atBrass Castle. I also recommend that you add Swing to Ace's skill set-he canget it up to a B+ with just a small amount of skill points. Unless there's aspecial circumstance, I'm leaving the skill selection/leveling up from here onmainly up to you. Just do your best not to let your skill points pile up (more

than 500)-use them when you can. I do recommend that you leave one empty skillslot for Geddoe.

When you go to the Mt. Path and come to the area where you fought the Twin-HeadSnake boss, you'll notice a new boss-The Rock Golem. You can safely walk pasthim to take the Le Buque route if you want to advance the story. If you wantto fight him (and I recommend you do to get to the other places on the Map),here's the strategy I used:

He's got three noteworthy attacks. The most dangerous is a Fire Rune spellcalled Explosion, which will hit everyone in your party for about 150-200 pts.of damage. It's very difficult to stop him from getting this spell off bydamaging him. His other attacks are punches, one that swings around to hiteveryone in the immediate area and a super punch that targets one person. Inthe first round, cast Geddoe's Soaring Bolt and Aila's Battle Oath spells. UseAce's Double Tusk attack. After that, use Geddoe's Berserk Blow, Ace's DoubleTusk, and everyone else's physical attacks. Heal with Aila's Great Blessingspell (if everyone's hurt) and Joker's Kindness Drops (if only a pair is hurt).It'll take a while (usually 6 rounds for me) but you'll wear him down. If youkeep getting wiped out, consider using the Soaring Bolt items found as Rarityat the Caleria Item shop and/or equipping everyone with a Sacrificial Jizo. Ibeat this battle with everyone at level 32 except Aila who was level 31.

The notable loot I got was:

Stone of MagicBlood ArmorPremier LeatherFine ChainmailBeautiful Kennel? Statue

The Blood Armor is a very nice piece of armor that boosts several of yourstats. It's only problem is that it causes 15 pts. of damage at the end ofevery round. You can counter this by equipping the person wearing Blood Armorwith the Sunbeam Rune you picked up earlier. Only Ace and Geddoe in this partycan wear this armor. Remember that Caleria nearby has a warehouse and a RuneShop if you either stored your Sunbeam Rune or have it attached to someoneelse.

Some things to keep in mind if you opt not to go to Le Buque right away. Going'round the world so to speak to fight the Mt. Hei-Tou and North Cavern treasurebosses and coming back to this spot will take you a solid hour-which is goodbecause it'll give enough time for the Rock Golem to re-spawn. If you boughtGold Bars in Caleria you can sell them at VdZ as well as getting stuffappraised there. While you're in VdZ you can buy some Deer Antler to tradeback at Caleria. When you cross Plain Amur, the Dark Bunnies there may dropthe item !Screw as loot. You can pick it up if you like to recruit Belle-thelittle girl pounding away on a barrel in the eastern courtyard of Brass Castle.I prefer to recruit her with Hugo because their scene is different but it's upto you. The notable loot I got for fighting the treasure bosses:

Blue Mantrix (Mt. Hei-Tou) Chimera (North Cavern) Rock Golem (2nd time)Counter Rune ? Painting Guardian ChainmailFine Armor LightningMagic Ring ? Statue

If you got the LightningMagic Ring as well, slap it on Geddoe. Go back toCaleria to rest up and replenish your spells. Also buy everyone a SacrificialJizo but don't equip them with it yet. After doing all this stuff, everyone

was at level 37. To make the story progress, take the path north from whereyou beat the Rock Golem. Take the path north on your mini-map on the nextscreen. After that, follow the path east to get back to the World Map. Selectto go to Le Buque. You'll have a brief conversation then immediately get intoa fight with three mantor trainers and their mantors. These guys aren't allthat tough-I just use Jacques' Boronda Hawk to soften them up then knock themout with Geddoe's Soaring Bolt. Concentrate the others' attacks on Franzbecause he can use Lightning Magic.

A familiar face will come out to break up the fight. When you're given the 3dialogue options, pick whichever one you like. Head into town and you'll seeanother cutscene. Go to the right over by where the Shops are-you'll set offanother cutscene. Follow Aila over to the Rune Shop. You'll notice a kidstanding outside the shop and we'll deal with him later. Run up to Aila andyou'll eavesdrop on the conversation inside the shop. Head back to the middleof town for, yep, another cutscene. Next, go to the left of the inn at theback of town to overhear a chat between Iku and Franz. When you get insideIku's house you'll be given 2 choices. If you go for the first ("I guess")you'll head outside to do some spying. If you go for the second ("Let's hear")you'll hear Iku talk more about Le Buque's situation and Harmonia. It's up toyou but Iku's talk is pretty redundant, IMHO, so I opt for the spying.

If you decided on the spy option, head to the right of the Armor Stand on theright side of town. Next to it is a ladder. Just get close to the ladder andyou'll trigger a cutscene. Go back to Iku's house. Head to the middle of townfor yet another cutscene. When that's over, you can finally roam around thetown freely without worrying about setting off another cutscene every otherstep. You can get an Arabian Kennel by talking to the villager at the back oftown outside the inn. Inside the inn, you can get Script #4 from the littlekid talking to her grandma. You can get Herb Seeds by talking to the littlegirl sitting to the left of the Item Stand. After you're done shopping andexploring, go to the inn and Stay/Save.

Go to the Rune Shop and talk to the kid standing outside. This is Edge and hewill challenge you to a duel. Accept. He's at level 42 so he's likely at leasta few levels higher than you. His comments and what he'll do:

Attack:-------Don't get cocky.You're better than I thought. Again!What's this? All defense?Don't chicken out on me.You won't win just by defending.I suppose I could go easy on you.You're no slouch, eh?

Defend:-------Come on and take a shot!Nice work.Why don't you show me what you've got?Might as well play it safe.I see we're both cautious.Don't get shaken...i'm not my self today

Deathblow:----------Nice work. Now how about this?

I'll pay you back double.Try defending against this!This should finish it.I'll end this right away.Let's make this interesting.This might just finish it...Time to get serious.Stand still!

If you lose to him you can just challenge him again until you win the duel.Once you beat him you'll recruit Edge. You won't be able to put him in youractive party but no one else has access to Le Buque until chapter 4 so I justgo ahead and recruit him here. There's nothing special about getting him withChris or Hugo, either. When you're ready to make the story advance exit thevillage. You'll chat with Iku then be on your way. When you get to the WorldMap, a new location will open-Mt. Senai. Once you enter Mt. Senai and takecare of business in there, you won't be able to go anywhere else on the WorldMap for the rest of the chapter-this includes fighting the Mt. Path treasureboss again. This is just to let you know in case you really enjoy doing that.When you're ready for the story to advance, head to Mt. Senai.

Go up to the blue crystal and save. There are no rare encounters I'm aware ofhere and the enemies aren't that hard. Head north on the mini-map for 2screens. Eventually you'll set off a cutscene. Head north one more screen andyou'll come to an area with a couple of bridges. Make sure everyone's atmaximum health before you cross and that you've equipped them with SacrificialJizos from before. Cross over and head north-you'll get another cutscene.You get 3 dialogue choices. Here's what they are and what they'll trigger:

A. Sorry but we have to keep going (2 consecutive fights)B. We're both in the defense force (Leads to Choices A & C)C. That Bishop is up to something (No fighting at all)

I always opt for A. The first fight pits you against Duke and his team, thesecond one immediately follows without any break and it puts you up againstthe Masked Bishop and Sarah. My strategy for Duke's team:

Cast Berserk Blow with Geddoe on Duke, have Aila/Jacques attack Elaine, and useAce's Double Tusk on Elaine. DO NOT use Geddoe's Soaring Bolt spell-you'llneed it for the next fight. After that, target Duke and Gau using Geddoe'sBerserk Blow and everyone else's regular attacks. Once their gone, mop upNicolas-he's tough to hit with melee attacks so use Geddoe's level 1 spell andAce's Double Tusk. When you're close to winning, make sure you heal everyonewith Aila's Great Blessing spell since you'll get into another fight rightafter. My strategy for the next fight:

Sarah will either go for Breath of Ice or a Fire spell. The Ice spell is veryquick and will usually happen before you act. On occasion, you might getlucky and Sarah will go for Kindness Rain for her first move or both of themwill opt for melee attacks. This is pretty rare though. The Masked Bishop willgo for either a Pale Gate or Wind spell usually but it'll come after everyonein your group has acted most of the time. I use Soaring Bolt with Geddoe,target Sarah with Aila and Jacques, and have Ace do Double Tusk on her. Mostof your guys will probably be reduced to 0 HP after the first round but that'swhat the Sacrificial Jizos are for. Sarah should've gone down in the firstround. Just repeat what you did before and you should take out the MaskedBishop fine in the next round. You get a nice bump in experience and skillpoints for winning these battles (I went from level 37 to 39).

After you win, the Masked Bishop will knock you out with a spell and Joker will

note what rune he used. When that's over, or if you went for the peacefulchoice, your group will gather outside the altar. For some reason, you can'tjust use an Escape Scroll to zap out to the exit so just walk back. When youreach the exit, your group will discuss their options. Head back to Le Buqueand Stay/Save at the Inn. Go back to Mt. Senai-there'll be a treasure bossnow at the very back where you fought Sarah and the Masked Bishop. It'll bea big guy called Nemesis but he's no tougher than anyone else you've alreadyfaced. Just use the normal attacks (Geddoe with Soaring Bolt, etc.) and you'lltake him down easy. The notable loot I received:

Script #6 (only if you loaded Suikoden II data)Stone of SkillHunter RuneCustom CasqueCustom LeatherCustom TunicMangosh? Statue

When you're done here, use an Escape Scroll and exit. Go back to Le Buque toStay/Save again. To end the chapter, go back to the Mt. Path and keep goingback toward Caleria. Before you get to the treasure boss, you'll see a chatwith your group and a flashback. The chapter will then end.

Edge [36/108]*

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------4i. Geddoe Chapter 3

Pick Geddoe at the Trinity Site. Two things to keep in mind for all threecharacters' chapter 3's-don't bother to try to hoard cash for use later. Keepit at a decent amount (a few hundred thousand) but don't go for having 999,999potch at the end of the chapter. Also, you should have primary armor (such asthe Chainmail, Leather, etc. not accessories) that's at least +60 or better forthem before their chapter 3's are over. With all the treasure boss monstersyou'll be fighting this won't be much of a problem but it's something toremember as you play through everyone's chapter 3. Remember to save an emptyskill slot for Geddoe.

After the opening scene head west through the middle of Brass Castle. You canstop by at the bujutsu teacher to boost the team's physical skills if you like.Head to the west courtyard and you'll see an interesting scene. Keep headingwest until you come to the blue crystal. Save and exit to the World Map. Youhave a little freedom to roam somewhat but I suggest you take care of the storyfirst-there'll be plenty of time to do other stuff later.

Head to Zexen Forest. The most notable enemy here is the Do Re Mi elves, whocan be something of a pain. Use Jacques' Boronda Hawk (hopefully he won't getsilenced) and have everyone else attack normally. You'll also run into a bigorange crab enemy called the Mantikra. If you get a Crab Rice Bowl as lootfrom him, hold on to it.

When you exit Zexen Forest, you can opt to head straight to VdZ to advance thestory or go and fight the treasure boss at the North Cavern. The new treasureboss there will be a Stone Golem. He's a bit tougher than the Rock Golembecause he has more HP and his attacks do a little more damage. With all thetreasure gear you've gotten plus your skills, it should be more of a matter ofhow long it'll take to win rather than if you win or lose. Most of my partywas bumped up 2 levels after beating him and this was the notable loot:

Custom LeatherRobe of MistHerb Seeds? Statue

If you want a real challenge, you can affix that Hunter Rune you got earlierto one of your characters for this fight. The Stone Golem drops Mother Earthrunes so if you're one of those players that really like rare runes, here's achance to get them.

Exit and go to VdZ to make the story advance. When you arrive inside the gateyou'll see a conversation between your party. Head to the inn to make thestory go if you like or check out the shops first. At the Item Shop they'llnow have a Rarity called a Yellow Scarf. This is one of the best accessoriesin the game because it negates status ailments like poison, silent, asleep, andparalysis. I suggest you buy one for Joker, Geddoe, and Aila if they have itand for anyone else in the future who uses magic a lot. Starting in chapter 5this item will be a regular item at this shop. At the Armor Shop they'll nowhave Wizard Hats. I recommend you buy one for Geddoe-this will bump him upanother grade for Lightning Magic and will boost it to an A+ or S depending onwhether or not you got the LightningMagic Ring earlier. Duck Village will beopen to Geddoe later in the chapter so you can pick up Deer Antler and CrystalBalls at the Trade Shop to sell there later.

When you're done shopping, go to the inn. Talk to the man at the counter andpick Stay. You'll then see a series of conversations with different members ofyour team. When you get control of Geddoe, head to the exit and save at theblue crystal right outside VdZ. To advance the story, go to the North Cavern.After a brief scene just head to the end like you normally would. Right beforeyou reach the hallway with the blue crystal, you'll run into an acquaintance.

When you get the dialogue options, pick the first choice if you want to duelright away. Pick the second if you want to heal up first or what have you.Note that you can't get to the blue save crystal-the closest save is the oneright outside of VdZ. If you lose this duel you'll go to the continue screen.The odds are heavily in your favor, though. Your opponent's comments and whatthey mean:

Attack:-------Here we go!I'll return that!Now this is a fight! Here it comes again!Don't put me to sleep, Geddoe.Well, well. Aren't you cunning?Come on now, are you really that meek?What's wrong, Geddoe? You wanted the real thing, right?Not bad at all. I'll go full speed as well.

Defend:-------Don't just stand there-Attack!The next attack is yours. Come on!Nice try. I'll take it as many times as you can bring it.How long do I have to wait!That luck will run out!Hardly felt a thing. Try a little harder.So what do you want to do? I'll give you a chance.maybe i underestimated you. i'll be careful.

Deathblow:----------If that's your game, I've got a little gift for you.Is that all it took? This should finish it.Better than I thought, Geddoe. Now take this.Looking me in the eye won't get you sympathy!Hold still!

You'll see a cutscene after you win. If Geddoe got banged up, don't forget toheal him. Head to the back where you'd normally fight the treasure boss-youhave to go all the way back toward the light. This will trigger a meeting withanother familiar face and you'll get a new mission. You'll then be outside theNorth Cavern. Oddly enough, even though I'd only beat the Stone Golem only25 minutes or so previous, he was there again. No notable loot this time buthe still gave 140,000 potch. To advance the story, head to Lake Castle.

When you arrive, you'll see a cutscene of your party looking at a cutscene.It's essentially pieces of a puzzle that you can see fit together if you playthrough Thomas' chapters. To advance the story, go to the library in the mainhouse where Ernie and Eike are. Before that, you can visit the shops here aswell as the inn. If you're out of Escape Scrolls, make sure to buy some here.

When you enter the library, it's another cutscene. Exit and head down thestairs. If you want to look around some more, pick the second option when thedialogue comes up. If not, just pick the first choice. If you opted to lookaround some more, just come back to the front of these stairs to get the choiceto advance the story again. When the story progresses, you'll see a veryinteresting and revealing conversation between Geddoe and Joker.

When you have control of Geddoe, save at the blue crystal. You'll want to keephis regular Lightning Rune on him, BTW-it may come in handy later. Exit themain house and head to the front gate. When you reach it, you'll see a littlemore of Thomas' story. Next up is a fight with 5 Zexen regulars. Geddoe'slightning magic will take care of them quickly. Head to the main house to getanother fight with 5 Zexen regulars. Continue to the house and you'll see somemore cutscenes before ending up inside. One more battle with 5 more Zexenregulars. You'll get another scene to see how it all plays out.

When you exit Lake Castle, a new spot will open on the World Map, Flame Champion Hideaway. You can head there now to make the story progress but Isuggest you do a bunch of other things first.

If you aren't going to be playing Thomas' chapters, head to the Great Hollow torecruit a dwarf named Twaikin, if you didn't earlier with Hugo. To find him,enter the Great Hollow. At the main area, take the southeast exit on yourmini-map. Follow the tunnel to the end. At the screen with the 3 exits onyour mini-map keep going to the left of the screen. You'll hear some digging.Talk to Twaikin and tell the lizard guard that nothing's going on. SuggestBudehuc Castle and you'll recruit him. If you plan on playing Thomas'scenario, I suggest you wait until then to get Twaikin.

You can fight the Blue Mantrix at Mt. Hei-Tou if you like but I never got anydecent loot for fighting him and I was already at 999,999 potch at this point.Head now to the Mt. Path. The good ol' Rock Golem will still be the treasureboss here. I got another LightningMagic Ring and a ?Statue. Go to Le Buque torest up then head to Mt. Senai to fight Nemesis again. Notable loot from thatwas a Premier Tunic and ?Statue.

Go to Caleria next. Talk to the man at the outside stand to the left of theBlacksmith/Armor Shop. He will give you the Copper Hammer. Head _all_ the way

back to Lake Castle. Give the Copper Hammer to Peggi and sharpen everyone'sweapon up to level 12. Make sure to train up all your _physical_ skills thatyou want. We're heading to the other side of the map where the closest teacheris only the Tutor at Duck Village.

If you haven't got a Yellow Scarf yet, you can try again at VdZ and fight theNorth Cavern boss again if you want (he still gives very good experience/skillpoints). If you've had enough hiking around the World Map, head to DuckVillage. At this point, if you really, really like Geddoe's character, then Irecommend you add Fire Magic to his open slot and train it up (it tops out ata B+). In case you're curious, when I left Lake Castle this is how my skillslooked:

Queen: Geddoe: Jacques:Swing-B+ Parry-A Sharpshoot-SAccuracy-B+ Damage-B+ Accuracy-B+Repel-B+ Freeze-B+ Damage-B+Heavy Damage-A Magic Repel-B Repel-BDamage-B Accuracy-B+ Magic Resistance-B+Magic Resistance-B Lightning-S Swing-C Swing-B+

Aila: Ace: Joker:Acccuracy-B+ Thief-B+ Counter-Attack-A Repel-B+ Accuracy-B+ Continual Attack-EShield Magic-B+ Repel-B Focus-AFreeze-A Swing-B+ Accuracy-BSwing-B+ Magic Resistance-B Repel-ADamage-B+ Water Magic-B+ Magic Resistance-B

On the way to Duck Village, when you get to Plain Amur North you'll see a bunchof horses and a cowgirl with a pink hat. Just run by them-we'll get them in thenext chapter. At Duck Village, go to the Item Shop/Appraiser. A Rarity thereis Haziness Runes which are very nice "default" runes for your characters whoattack up close. That is, if you have nothing else to put on them in an openrune slot, this is a good choice. They may also have Blue Ribbons, which workjust like Skunk Runes (prevent the wearer from being targeted by singleattacks) but they're an accessory. Only females can use them. Buy 1Sacrificial Jizo but don't equip it on anyone.

If you got the Crab Rice Bowl item from the Mantikra earlier, you can talk tothe girl with a Chef's Hat on the second floor of the Item Shop. This isMamie. Give her the Bowl when she asks for it and you'll recruit her. Don'tworry if you don't have it-you'll automatically get a Crab Rice Bowl in Hugo'schapter 3. Once you get Mamie, she will be located to the far left on the samescreen as Scott's Trade Shop. You can give her the recipes you've picked uponce you get her. To make a wider variety of foods, pick up all the spicesfrom the Trade Shops (Salt, Sugar, Mayo, Red Pepper, and Soy Sauce) and bring1 of each to her.

Go to the inn next. You'll notice there's no counter person. Exit to the backof the inn and talk to the fellow with the red hat. This is Hortez VII. Talkto him and give him directions to Budehuc. He's not recruited yet but you'llget him in a later chapter. Talk to the woman in the blue outfit to get OldBook Vol. 5. Go to the top hut to trigger a cutscene. When Kidd asks if youwant to help, pick the 2nd choice ("I'd rather not"). You'll get him in Hugo'schapter 3 for a very good reason. Talk to the Duck next to him-this is the

innkeeper. Go ahead and Stay/Save. Head to the exit. On your way out, talkto the duck sitting by the walkway on the left outside of the Rune Shop/Tutorto get a Toy Duck.

Go to Kuput Forest. Go right at the first screen. At the next screen, the pathto the northwest on your mini-map leads to herbs. If you want to pick them, goahead. If not, head east. At the next screen, the left path will be a deadend so don't bother-you won't be able to take that path until Chris' chapter 3.Take the right path instead. At the next screen, take the northwest path andfollow it to find a corpse. Loot it to get a random item. The rare randomitem for this corpse is a Cyclone rune but you'll get something else the vastmajority of the time. Head back to the previous screen and take the northeastroute this time. Head east on the next screen and you'll be back on the WorldMap. Go to the Flame Champion Hideaway.

When you arrive, a cutscene occurs. We're heading to the end of the chapterjust to let you know. The Bronze Sun monsters in the random encounters aregood for skill points in case you want to boost some of those. Go north. Atthe next screen, take the northeast path. Follow it to find a corpse who hasOld Book Vol. 9. Head back to the previous screen and take the northwest paththis time. At the next screen, you'll notice the northwest path dead ends witha white dot marked on the mini-map. This is your final destination for thischapter but don't go there yet. Instead, head northeast.

On the next screen, take the dead end path to the northeast to loot anothercorpse who has Old Book Vol. 1. When you come back to loot these corpses, thefirst one closer to the entrance will rarely have a Pale Gate Rune. The secondone you just looted rarely has a WaterMagic Ring. Both items are great butagain, they're quite rare. Take the northwest route now on your mini-map.Continue forward and save at the blue crystal. Make sure everyone's at maximumhealth. If you keep going north you'll see a treasure boss, the Azzodess. Mypreparation and strategy:

This boss is invulnerable to Geddoe's lightning magic so don't bother withusing that. She has 3 primary attacks. The first one shoots beams from her atone person, doing some nasty magic damage. The second one she'll summonanother winged creature to damage everyone in your party. In addition, thisattack has a chance to hit everyone with silence status. The third is a heavyduty Lightning magic spell that hits everyone. If you got a Yellow Scarf fromVdZ earlier, it's a good idea to equip them for this fight. If you only haveone, put it on Aila so she can heal everyone with her Great Blessing spell. Ifyou don't have any, equip everyone with medicine and heal that way. In termsof attack, cast Battle Oath with Aila from the start then just use everyone'smelee attacks. It may take 6-8 turns but you'll eventually take her down.Notable loot:

Fire Magic RingCustom TunicStone of PowerWind Hat

If you want to progress the story head to the white dot on the mini-map yousaw earlier. If you want to level up and do some other stuff first, feel free.I'm at level 45 with everyone in Geddoe's party but if you went around to fightthe treasure bosses at the North Cavern, Mt. Path, Mt. Senai, and Flame ChampHideaway again you can easily get it to level 47, not to mention a boatloadmore skill points. It's entirely up to you but level 45 is plenty good.

Before you advance the story by going to the white dot, make sure Geddoe hasall of his spells and that you equip him with the Sacrificial Jizo you bought

at Duck Village earlier (my accessories for him were Iron Boots, LightningMagicRing, and the Jizo).

When you reach the white dot, you'll see it's actually a circle etched in thestone ground. Walk up to it and you'll trigger a cutscene. When you getcontrol of Geddoe, just head north and go through the door. Keep going northand the chapter will end.

[No Characters Recruited]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------4j. Hugo Chapter 3

Hey, whatever happened to that Karayan kid? Pick Hugo's chapter 3 from theTrinity Site. At the start of this chapter, you still can't go to the middleof Brass Castle yet. If you want to play the lottery again go ahead and headthrough the Ancient Highway and buy tickets at Duck Village. It's really notnecessary, though. Also, don't bother upgrading Reed and Samus' gear to thereally expensive stuff. As with Geddoe, save an empty skill slot for Hugountil later in the chapter.

At the start of this chapter, head to Mt. Hei-Tou to fight the Blue Mantrix.Shouldn't be hard-just attack normally with Hugo/Fubar, use the Tinto combo anduse Sgt. Joe to heal. If you were looting the corpses like there's no tomorrowwith Geddoe (like I did) there won't be any treasure on the corpses here. Makesure you empty the chest completely to make the Blue Mantrix re-spawn quickly.Notable items:

Premier ArmorBlessed Leather? Figurine

Hold on to that Premier Armor-you'll get someone soon who can use it. Exit andhead to Lake Castle. Upon arrival, you'll get a brief chat with your party.To make the story advance, head to the screen where the main house is located.You can sharpen weapons up to level 12 although I recommend you only do so forLilly, Hugo, and Sgt. Joe. You also have access to Muto's warehouse now.When you go up to the main house, you'll get another cutscene. You can pickwhatever dialogue choice you want when given the option. Head into the mainhouse and Sebastian will tell you to come back later. Go to the front entranceto advance the story. Follow Cecile to the front of the main house-you'll seeher talking with Thomas to the right of the screen. Walk up to them to getsome more chat. It'll end with your party at the inn.

If you want to advance the story now, talk to Sebastian and elect to rest. Ialways pay him just to make the ol' penny pincher's day. If not, you canexplore some more but not exit the castle. When you elect to advance thestory, everyone turns in for the night and you'll get control of Hugo again thenext morning. Go outside to the front gate to see another confrontation.After your party talks the situation over, head to the front of the main housefor another cutscene. When you get a dialogue choice, pick either one youlike. Go back to the front gate and pick the first dialogue choice. Now goback to the front of the main house again to talk with Thomas' group.

Two new characters will arrive at this time, Apple and Caesar. After that talkis over, head to the main courtyard then come right back to the front of themain house. You'll talk with Apple and Caesar again. Pick the dialogueoptions from bottom to the top when you get the choices. When you're donetalking, go back toward the main courtyard. Hugo will very briefly stop totalk to Thomas. If you wish to continue the story, go to the inn, talk to

Sebastian, and pick the first choice. Another couple of cutscenes followincluding the chat Hugo wanted to have with Thomas earlier.

When you get control of Hugo, go out toward the front gate. When Caesar asks,pick the first choice to move the story ahead. A strategy battle will ensuebut you don't have to do anything-just wait it out. When it's over, exit thecastle to the World Map. Go to Yaza Plain. The object is to cross to thesecond screen of Yaza Plain. On the way you'll go up against 3 groups of 4Zexen fighters-no problems there. Just heal up inbetween the fights. When youreach the second screen, Apple and Caesar will leave your party. You canfinally recruit non-automatic stars with Hugo. To advance the story, go to theGreat Hollow. I recommend you go back to Mt. Hei-Tou to fight the Blue Mantrixagain first though to get some more cash and items.

Now that you've played through this part of Hugo's story and Geddoe's story inchapter 2 when he was at Le Buque, you've got a good idea of what Thomas'chapters are like. The pace of them are slower and it involves a good deal ofcutscenes and storyline. The stories and characters are totally different, ofcourse, but in terms of the overall presentation and what you can expect to bedoing, Hugo's time at Lake Castle and Geddoe's time at Le Buque in his chapter2 are a fair representation of how Thomas' chapters are played out.

After fighting the Blue Mantrix, the notable treasure I got was:

Taikyoku TunicChaos Shield? Figurine

Exit and go to the Great Hollow next. You'll see some cutscenes then the Tintoteam will leave your party. To advance the story, you would go to Brass Castlebut I recommend you do some recruiting first. Save at the inn at Great Hollowthen exit to take the Ancient Highway. Keep going east and you'll findGuillaume at the spot where you spotted the Masked Bishop and co. in Hugo'schapter 2. Walk up to him to set off another duel. He's even easier than hewas the first time you dueled him so no worries. You can refer to Chris'chapter 2 if you need a refresher on his comments but it should be obvious whathis next move will be. When the dialogue option pops up, pick the secondchoice to recruit him. Yes, you have to >_<

Continue east to get to Duck Village. Go to the appraisal shop to ID thefigurines you've been piling up. If you got any urns, vases, or plants hold onto them for later. Go to the area behind the inn and to the top hut where youmet Kidd in Geddoe's chapter 3. He'll still be there. Pick the first choiceto agree to help him this time. When he's done filling you in on the case, check the body on the floor, the window to the left of the screen, and theshelves to the right of the screen. Talk to Kidd again and he'll ask you tolook for more clues.

Exit the hut and talk to the duck janitor right outside. Go back out to themain part of Duck Village and talk to the duck by the waterwheel on the rightside of the mini-map. Go to the Trade Shop and talk to the only customer inthe store. He'll give you the item !Letter Fragment. You're done gatheringclues so go back and talk to Kidd again. Pick whatever choice you like when heasks who the killer is (for the heck of it I always say it's me). When heasks, pick the first choice to recruit him.

Kidd can do investigations for you now. You can find him at Lake Castle's mainhouse. He's in the second basement area where you talked to Watari previously(the floor beneath Muto's warehouse). He can scout any stars your haven'trecruited yet as well as do investigations into your current roster. I have

compiled his investigations into a separate FAQ that's also here on gamefaqs.

More importantly to Hugo, Kidd's support ability is Treasure Hunt and his gradeis a C, the best in the game. This ability increases the chances of the enemydropping items after you win a battle. Later on in this chapter, a monster forrandom encounters will appear in the Ancient Highway called the Bronze Sun.These creatures' drop item is the Fury Rune, which automatically puts a personinto berserk. It turns great fighters into godlike fighters and decentfighters into very good ones. It's definitely one of the better runes in thegame and Hugo's chapter 3 is your best chance to obtain them. Credit tosuikosource.com's Rune List guide which I consulted to find out about theFury Runes.

If you want to know how many Fury Runes you should get, my answer would be asmany as you want. I usually go for six so any time I take out a party eachmember will have one but it's entirely up to you. A reasonable average withKidd in as support is 1 every 10 minutes or so you're in the Ancient Highway.I've restricted the amount of time spent on this while writing the Walkthroughso Hugo's skills won't be skewed. Do whatever else you want in Duck Village,save your game, then exit to Plain Amur North.

If you skipped ahead to Thomas' Chapter 1 after playing Geddoe Chapter 1, justgo to the next paragraph because this covers someone you already recruited.Talk to the cowgirl, Kathy. She will ask you to count how many horses she has.The number is random but always seems to be more than 15. If you get the wrongnumber, I believe Kathy will disappear for a while before showing up again sotry to get it right the first time or just soft reset and come back. After youget the count right, suggest Budehuc Castle and you'll recruit Kathy.

Go to Plain Amur. The drop item for the dark bunnies out here is the !Screwagain. If you didn't get Belle yet, try to get a !Screw some time in thischapter since you'll need it to get her. Most of the time I get the !Screw,it's on the Plain Amur screen with the blue save crystal (the screen closer toKaraya Village). You can go to Great Hollow and talk to Anne at the inn to putKidd in as support to help with this. You can also switch out party members bygoing to Lake Castle and talking to Sebastian at the inn there. You canrecruit Belle with anyone but she has a special scene if you use Hugo.

Cross Plain Amur and head to the eastern side of Brass Castle. Save at theblue crystal. Keep heading west until you reach the east courtyard (Belleisn't here right now but will be later). When you get the dialogue choice,pick either one. Continue to the left of the screen and you'll meet Hallecand Mua. When Hallec talks to you, you can choose whichever option you want.Roland and Leo will then come out. Picking the first option will avoid afight. Picking the second pits you against Leo, Roland, and some Zexenregulars. There's a turn limit on this fight so if you want to try to takethem down, do it within 3 rounds or so. The experience and items you get forwinning aren't that great but it's up to you if you want to fight. Credit MrKO from the gamefaqs message board-I previously thought this fight was notwinnable.

When Hallec and Mua get added, I use this formation:

HugoFubarHallec-----MuaSgt. Joe(No support)

If you check Hallec's inventory list, you'll see he comes with a Crab RiceBowl, the item you need to recruit Mamie the chef. If for some odd reason yousold it or discarded it, you can find another one later off of the Mantikraenemies in Kuput Forest (have Kidd in support to boost your chances of gettingone). In case you forgot, Mamie is on the second floor of the Item Shop atDuck Village. When you want to, go ahead and go there to recruit her. I haveincluded her at the end of this chapter on Hugo's recruit list.

To advance the story, you would go to the Great Hollow but I suggest you takecare of some things first. If you got the same loot I did, put the PremierArmor and Chaos Shield on Mua. Mua is a "tank" character-much like Leo andsome other characters you'll get later. Those who've played Suikoden 2 likelyremember Humphrey and Miklotov. These characters can take a ton of physicalpunishment because they take very little damage. Head to Lake Castle tosharpen his and Hallec's weapons to level 12. If you don't have the money yet,go fight the Blue Mantrix again. Just make sure you keep Sgt. Joe in the backso he can heal. You can also pick out skills for Mua and Hallec while you'reat Lake Castle as well as put in a Support person.

Now's a good time to recruit Billy. If you got an "S" statue in one ofGeddoe's chapters and took my advice about leaving it there, then go to themain house and save at the blue crystal to the left of the stairs. If younever got an "S" statue or accidentally sold it, talk to Sebastian and removeFubar from your party. Head to the area where Juan and Peggi are standing.Exit that screen to the north. On the next screen, keep going right and you'llcome to where Kathy is standing. Talk to her and you can race horses at theCastle's track. The rules are pretty straightforward so I'm not going to gointo details. The times that are good enough for you to get prizes for eachtrack:

No obstacles: 49-50 secs, default prize is Deer AntlerSome obstacles: 49-51 secs, default prize is Mini-CactusLots of obstacles: 49-52 secs, default prize is Mini-Cactus

These are just estimates based on my experience. Start with the no obstaclescourse and work your way up. If you keep getting the default prize more thantwice in a row, then you've exhausted the prizes for that course so try thenext one higher up. Once you get the Hex Doll S, stop racing if you intend toplay Thomas' chapters. If you really want to give him an advantage when youplay his story, you shouldn't race at all because two of the prizes for theraces, Pale Moon Leather and LightningMagic Ring, are very helpful to him.

Some of the other prizes you can get in the races are Pale Moon Necklace,Recipe #8, Haziness rune, Painting: Lady, and Prosperity Hat. The mini-cactusare nice because they're worth 5,500 potch each. If Fubar is in your party andyou're playing as Hugo, you'll use Fubar instead of a horse (this is why Istated earlier to remove him). The prizes for that are different but all Icould ever get was Mega Medicine A. Fubar is fast as heck and can jump a milebut he's incredibly difficult to steer. You can give it a whirl if you like.Once you get the Hex Doll S, place it in the middle pedestal in the statue roomthen exit and save your game.

When you enter the statue room again, you'll meet a cowboy, Billy. He'llchallenge you to a card game called Guppo. As far as strategy goes, I make ita point to go for the really high cards (10 to King) since they can make up forlosing a bunch of the lower cards. Someone's put up an entire FAQ devoted tothis game here on gamefaqs but I haven't checked it out. You may want toconsult it if you're having some trouble winning. Beat Billy at this game andyou'll recruit him. You can now also recruit Melville and Elliot later. If

you lost to Billy, just soft reset and try again.

Billy will be located in the library now along with Eike and Ernie. When youplay him, you can put down a 5,000, 2,000, or 500 potch bet. Before playinghim, make sure you save your game. A random item you can win for the 5,000 betis a Tunic of Prosperity. If you repeatedly get Potted Cactus thenunfortunately you didn't get it. Soft reset and try again. The Tunic is partof the Prosperity Set. You can find the other 2 pieces of the set later on inthis chapter. When the entire set is equipped on a character, the money yourparty receives for battles is multiplied by around 10. Using this set meansyou'll never have to worry about money ever again. Full credit and kudos goesto Abraxas who first posted about this on the gamefaqs message board. Some ofthe other notable prizes you can get for Guppo are Guardian Shield, BlueRibbon, and Blinking Rune. There're others but I always stop after I get theTunic of Prosperity.

Like Belle, I recommend you get Billy with Hugo because his recruiting sceneswith Billy and the Saint Loa Knights is a lot different from the other maincharacters.

Before you leave Lake Castle, make sure you place any figurines like urns andvases. To place them, just walk up to an empty desk on the first or secondfloor, hit X, then choose to place an ornament. Now that you've got Billy, youcan also place regular-sized statues in the statue room as well. Time to go toGreat Hollow. On your way there at Yaza Plain, you'll see a guy with a tanktopstretching.

This is Kenji, the gymnastics teacher. Most people don't like him because he'swell, a gymnastics teacher. If you're going to play Thomas' scenario, I'd holdoff on recruiting him until then. If you prefer to get him now, talk to himand agree to exercise. When he asks what's wrong, pick the second choice toask for water then recruit him. Kenji's actually a decent fighter and magicuser. If you played Thomas' chapters before Hugo's chapter 3 and never gotKenji, go ahead and get him now.

Enter the Great Hollow and head to the northeast corner of the first floor,near the waterfall fountain. You'll see Apple with a group of lizard fighters.Walk up and Apple will explain the situation. Pick the first choice when sheasks if you can be counted on. Head to the area by the entrance and talk toLuce. Exit the Great Hollow. When you get to the World Map, you'll see 4 newplaces have opened: Kuput Forest, Chisha Village, Mt. Path, and Caleria. Now'sa good time to recruit Belle. After you've gotten the !Screw, go to the eastcourtyard of Brass Castle. Talk to Belle and pick the first choice to agree tohelp. Talk to her again and you'll successfully recruit her and Gadget Z. Ifyou loaded Suikoden II data Belle would come in at 5-15 levels higher than theperson who recruited her.

After getting Belle, I recommend that you head to Kuput Forest via the AncientHighway. The Bronze Sun monsters that drop Fury Runes will appear there now.Take Kidd with you, of course. Take about 10 minutes to level up a little inthe Ancient Highway. Fighting the Bronze Sun can easily bump you up a fewlevels if you're like me and everyone's around level 35 or so. After 10minutes of fighting I was up to level 39 with 2 Fury Runes. Note that you canuse Escape Scrolls in the Ancient Highway to zap you back to whichever entranceyou used. I recommend you go back to the Great Hollow to bump up your skillsafter leveling up. You should also go back there to reconfigure your partyso that you have only 5 party members plus Kidd. The open roster slot is soyou can recruit someone in Kuput Forest. My skills in case you wanted to know:

Hugo: Fubar: Hallec:

Heavy Damage-B+ Freeze-B+ Heavy Damage-B+Counter Attack-B+ Accuracy-B+ Damage-AContinual Attack-B+ Damage-B+ Swing-B+Swing-A Repel-B+Accuracy-B+

Mua: Sgt. Joe:Shield Protect-A Damage-B+Armor Protect-A Chanting Volume-B+Damage-B+ Heavy Damage-B+ Accuracy-B Water Magic-B+

Head through the Ancient Highway again to get to Duck Village. If you got anyFury Runes affix them to whoever you like. I put mine on Fubar and Hugo. Headto Kuput Forest. If you've got a radio or CD player handy, now's a good timeto turn it on. The person you're trying to recruit is Landis, a Winghorde likeSid and Chaco from Suikoden II. He'll randomly join your party while you're inKuput Forest. Most people think he joins only during a battle but this isfalse. One time while I was playing I checked my skill points from theformation menu and he was already there even though he wasn't in the lastbattle I'd fought. I've never had a problem getting him and it's never takenlonger than 15 minutes for him to show up. However, I've heard of people notgetting him even after hours of roaming around the forest. I don't doubt thatthey're telling the truth so fair warning to you.

Hitmancf sent me this e-mail regarding getting Landis:

"i remember you saying in your faq about people complaining about how to getLandis. Well finally, I figured it out, and I'm sure you already knew this,and it's easy. All you have to do is have your collective luck at a highnumber. My lowest was with Geddoe at around 120 something, the other 4 partymembers had a luck of higher than 140 or so, after the first battle he alreadyshows up."

I couldn't confirm this because I don't have a save game handy but it makessense and is worth a shot. Thanks to Hitmancf for this info.

wen sent me this e-mail with further information on recruiting Landis:

"as far as i can tell from one of my japanese sui3 guides which covers indepthrecruitments, luck isn't the deciding factor for getting landis. on the secondscreen of the forest (entering from the duck village direction), there is aVERY SPECIFIC area the player needs to run around in- the fork in the road.Keep running around the fork in the road, and ONLY that area, and there's a 10%chance that landis will join your party if there's an open slot. now, it'spossible that it might be higher than 10% if your characters have high luck,but the guide doesn't mention anything about it. i got landis during chapter 5,when my (main character) had high luck, and got him in under 10 minutes just byrunning around where the fork in the road is and waiting until a monsterencounter occured. on the third one, landis joined my party."

Thanks to wen, falcon815, and crystalstar who all provided clarified content onhow to get Landis.

My formation after getting Landis:

HugoFubar

MuaHallecLandisSgt. JoeKidd (Support)

After you cross Kuput Forest, head to Chisha Village. When you arrive, there'sa brief cutscene. Head to the front where the Harmonian soldiers are standing.You'll fight a group of 4 but they're no problem. Head to the back of thetown. On your way you'll meet a group of 5 Harmonian Soldiers and a Le Buqueunit with 2 Mantors and 2 Trainers. Neither battle will challenge you. Oncethat's over, go to the back to activate a confrontation between Hugo and Chris.

If you pick the first choice, "Strike", Hugo will go for his dagger but Nashand Sgt. Joe will put a stop to that quickly. Picking the second choice willresult in Hugo angrily asking Chris what right she has to be here. It's up toyou since whatever choice you pick won't affect anything. Hugo and Sgt. Joewill then have a chat. To advance the story, talk to the woman to the rightoutside of the Inn (the middle building), this is Chisha's leader, Sana. Iadvise you to do a few things before that.

Talk to Hortez VII, the fellow with the red hat you first met at Duck Villagein Geddoe's chapter 3. Give him the directions to Budehuc and he'll wander offagain. You'll get him later in this chapter. Talk to the boy by the cowstanding behind Sana to get Medal Set #2. Go to the Armor/Item Shop. TwoRarities at the Item Shop include Medal Set #4 and the Prosperity Ring. Buyboth if they have it. A Rarity for the Armor Shop is the Prosperity Hat. Ifyou want to use the Prosperity Armor Set this chapter go ahead, but its realusefulness won't be until chapter 4. You'll also be getting a character inChris' chapter 3 that comes with the Prosperity Hat.

Take the stairs down in the Armor/Item Shop. Ignore the tattooed guy on theground-you'll get him in Chris' next chapter. The next screen is a tavernarea. Talk to the redheaded young woman with her chin on the table. This isEmily and pick the first option to agree to an arm wrestling match. After youwin, you'll recruit her. Emily is the second best pure fighter in the entiregame, IMHO, behind only Juan. Head up on the screen and exit through thedouble doors. Go left on the next screen and up the stairs. You'll end up atthe inn counter. Stay and save. When you're done exploring and want to makethe story advance, go talk to Sana.

After she and Hugo have a talk, you can advance the story by going to thefront of the village. You'll get another cutscene at that time and Hugo willchallenge Yuber to a duel. This duel is rigged and you can't win so don't tryhard. When Hugo wakes up, he'll have a very poignant talk with Sgt. Joe andSana about everything that's happened. Exit and head to the middle of thevillage to activate another cutscene. Caesar will fill you in on the problemat hand. If you pick the first choice, "Hold on!" you can go and save first.If you decide to move forward by taking the second choice, you'll go to thefront entrance where you'll be put in a duel.

At the front entrance, you'll see a highly entertaining exchange between Hugoand the Harmonian forces. This scene is my personal favorite in the game. Asfor the duel, you'll have about 10 rounds to duel before it's called a draw.The result of a draw is the same as if you won since all you wanted to do wasstall for time. The odds are heavily in your favor but if you get unlucky andlose, you can just try again from the continue screen. Your opponent'scomments and what they mean:

Attack:

-------Our strategies are similar. Let's see what you make of my next attack.That's wise of you. Keep defending. I'll put you down for a long nap.You've got some talent. But I've also got a few tricks.That was fine work. I'll stop holding back as well.Your skills still need honing. Watch and learn.

Defend:-------Very well, then. Come at me again!You're far too submissive. Try a little aggression.Is that all? I thought you had more in you.I'll stand still. Attack with all your might!Playing it safe, eh? Go on. I'll take what you deliver.What's wrong Flame Champion? It's time to attack.Not bad. I'll take another shot.Maybe I'm trying too hard...A passive champion at best. Come on now, have at me!

Deathblow:----------I won't hold back. Defend yourself!You're a quiet one. Can you withstand this?You're far too predictable. And now...I strike.You carry the name of Flame Champion? I will prove your unworthiness.I don't care to do this all day. Let's finish it.

When it's over, you'll see a series of cutscenes of the aftermath. At the endof those you'll get a chance to put together a party-Sgt. Joe has to be in itbut that's the only restriction and you can change it later if you like. Igo with this line-up:

HugoFubarMuaHallecEmilySgt. JoeKidd (Support)

Along with Anne in the Great Hollow and Sebastian at Lake Castle, you can nowchange parties with Luce here in Chisha-she'll be standing outside the inn. Toadvance the story, head to the World Map where a new location will open-theFlame Champion Hideaway. If you want a challenge you can go there and level upthen take on the Azzodess. It's a little tough but certainly doable. Thenotable loot I got was a Stone of Evasion. Everyone in my group was level 40except Emily, who was level 38 when I won.

At this point in the game, if you really, really like Hugo then add Fire Magicto that empty skill slot of his. If on the other hand you've become veryattached to Geddoe and aren't letting go, add and train up Hugo's LightningMagic skill in that empty slot. If you really, really like Chris then you'reprobably a guy. I was serious about everything except that last sentence.

Before advancing the story by going to the white dot in the Hideaway, there'ssome other business I suggest you take care of. First, anything unfinishedrelated to Belle, Mamie, or Billy. After that, head to the Mt. Path to get toCaleria. The treasure boss there will be the Rock Golem again. The notableloot I got was a ?Statue. Go to Caleria and upgrade any physical skills youwant. On the same screen as the bujutsu teacher, you'll see Hortez VII again.

When he asks, give him directions to Budehuc again and he'll wander off yetagain. If you're wondering about Nadir on the second floor of the inn, there'sno way to get him with Hugo at this point but you'll get him with Chris in hernext chapter.

Exit and go back to Brass Castle. You now have access to the middle portionagain. Go into the dining room where the Super Pickles knight is standing. Tothe bottom right of the screen is a young boy with glasses, Arthur. Talk tohim and pick the second choice, "Tell him" to trigger a brief cutscene. Followhim to the exit and when he asks you what happened, tell the truth by pickingthe first choice, "Tell him". You've successfully recruited Arthur.

You can head to Mt. Hei-Tou to fight the Blue Mantrix if you want. I don'tbother since the skill points boost isn't worth it anymore and I don't need thecash. Go next to the Great Hollow. Talk to Anne at the inn and put in eitherArthur or Guillaume for your support member. Head to Zexen Forest by way ofBrass Castle. At the first fork in the Forest, take the top path. Continueleft on the screen and you'll see a dark-haired man with shorts on. This isGoro. Talk to him and pick the first choice, "I'll help you". When you getanother dialogue option, pick the first choice again, "Okay" to recruit him.

Goro's support ability is Bath and his grade is an A+. Bath is just like thesupport ability Healing except it also will cure the Poison status ailment. Ifyou ever put Goro in as support you'll never need to carry more than a coupleof medicine around in your main inventory if any at all.

Goro is located in the ship at Lake Castle. When you first enter the ship,take the stairs up to the main deck. You'll notice one of the doors is whiteand has a red handle. Enter it and this is where Goro will be standing. Talkto him to take a soak in the bath. If you bring certain party combinationswith you, you will trigger conversations between them. Also, you can equipyour characters with bath items to change the look of the bath view.

Go next to the North Cavern to fight the treasure boss there. It's just theChimera so you won't break a sweat. The only thing of note I got was a?Painting. Exit and head to VdZ. Go to the alley where you climbed up theladders to get to the Saint Loa Knights' hideout. You'll see Melville andElliot running around playing. Talk to them and you'll recruit them. Buy aWizard Hat for Hugo if you really like him (or Geddoe) to boost his Fire andLightning Magic. A friendly reminder that you can find the Yellow Scarf as ararity at the Item Shop. Go to the Blacksmith and talk to the Zexen regularin the orange outfit. He'll give you Medal Set #1. Exit VdZ and cross all theway back to the Great Hollow.

Go to the inn to talk to Anne. Put Melville and Elliot in your party (Elliotis a support character in case you forgot). Walk over to the fountain andyou'll see Alanis. Talk to her to see a reunion. When you get the choice,pick the first option, "I'll try..." and you'll recruit Alanis.

Now that you have a healthy number of usable characters, you may be wonderingwho you should level up. The best time to level up is actually in chapters 4and 5 so don't feel like you have to make sure everyone's trained up right now.When you're done here, head to Lake Castle to sharpen up anyone's weapons youwant, upgrade skills, place antiques, etc. Now that you have Arthur, hisbulletin will be posted on the wall on the second floor just to the right asyou come up the main stairs at the house. The main story is usually somethingrelated to the major recent event of the chapter. If you press right on yourd-pad while viewing the bulletin, you'll see a serial novel called "Erk'sAdventures" written by "Hitman Bravo".

Leave Lake Castle and proceed to Duck Village. Head to the inn and exit outthe back. You'll see Hortez VII again. Talk to him and this time, pick thethird choice, "Lie about location". You have finally succeeded in recruitinghim. In case you messed up, his pattern is always the same:

Duck Village --> Chisha --> Caleria --> Duck Village

When you get the third option to lie to him, pick it to get him. Hortez' shopis in the same spot as Jeane's-he'll be standing right next to her. His jobis to make magic scrolls, which involves taking a Rune Crystal and makingItem Scrolls out of the spells. Only certain Rune Crystals can be made intoscrolls, usually the elemental kind. That is, if you took a Lightning Rune tohim he will make Item Scrolls out of the spells from the first three levels,Thunder Runner, Berserk Blow, and Soaring Bolt. It's definitely a bad idea todo this with the higher order runes like Mother Earth, Thunder, etc. sincethey're so rare. I never used Hortez at all because Item Scrolls generallytake forever to get off in combat, although they guarantee a 100% casting ratesince you can't be interrupted. Hortez' lack of direction is similar to theScroll Maker in Suikoden II, Raura.

Back at Duck Village, on the screen where you got Hortez, you'll notice to thebottom of this screen a little girl talking with a duck clan member. Ignorethem for now because Chris will take care of this. Buy a Sacrificial Jizofor Hugo but don't equip it on him yet. Cross Kuput Forest and head to Chisha.If you didn't get the Medal Set #4 or Prosperity Ring from the Rarity at theItem Shop before, check it again. Just try again later if they're not there.

Talk to Luce outside to set your party. Keep in mind about putting supportcharacters in your party since we're coming to the end of the chapter. Thatis, if you want to make them available for Chris to use at their shops, don'tleave them in Hugo's party now. If you put Guillaume in now, for example, hewon't be at his Appraisal Shop at Lake Castle when Chris goes there in her nextchapter. When you're ready to advance the story, head to the Flame ChampionHideaway. My skills set and party:

Hugo: Fubar: Hallec:Heavy Damage-A Freeze-B+ Heavy Damage-B+Counter Attack-B+ Accuracy-B+ Damage-AContinual Attack-B+ Damage-B+ Swing-SParry-B+ Repel-B+Swing-A Magic Resistance-BAccuracy-AMagic Resistance-B

Mua: Sgt. Joe: Emily:Shield Protect-A Damage-B+ Heavy Damage-B+Armor Protect-A Chanting Volume-B+ Swing-A+Damage-B+ Heavy Damage-B+ Repel-B+Accuracy-B+ Accuracy-BMagic Resistance-B Water Magic-B+ Magic Resistance-B+

You can fight the Azzodess again (or for the first time) if you like. If yougot a Yellow Scarf in VdZ, put it on Sgt. Joe so he can use his healing spells.If not, just use items to heal. The notable loot I got was a Stone of Evasionagain. When you're ready to advance the story, put the Sacrificial Jizo youbought on Hugo and head to the white dot. The same thing will happen as it didwith Geddoe. Follow the path north, go through the door, and continue north.Talk to Sana and the chapter will end.

Apple [37/108]Caesar [38/108]Guillaume [39/108]*Kidd [40/108]*Kathy [41/108]*Hallec [42/108]Mua [43/108]Mamie [44/108]*Billy [45/108]*Belle [46/108]*Gadget Z [47/108]*Landis [48/108]*Emily [49/108]*Arthur [50/108]*Goro [51/108]*Melville [52/108]*Elliot [53/108]*Alanis [54/108]*Hortez VII [55/108]*

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------4k. Chris Chapter 3

Pick Chris from the Trinity Site. Some things to keep in mind first. Chriscan never go to the middle of Brass Castle in this chapter, but she can stillgo to the west and east courtyards to visit the shops. She also cannot enterthe Guild Hall in VdZ. She _can_ go to Great Hollow. When you talk to thetownspeople and other characters, most of them don't recognize Chris. I guessthere's a bunch of other silver-haired babes wearing giant knight swords in theSuikoden world. For this chapter, she won't be able to wear Knight-type armor.

There are three rare encounters worth noting. For Plain Amur North, it's threegreen, bird-like creatures called Horohoro. For the Yaza Plain areas it's twoGolden Boars with three Dark Bunnies. For Kuput Forest, it's the Ghost Holly.All of these rare encounters are worth a total of 600+ skill points divided upamong your party members and aren't very tough.

After Nash and Chris get done talking you'll have control of her again. Younow can opt to take the next part of this chapter in one of two ways. One wayis my recommended approach but it means you'll have more legwork. That is,you're going to have to go to the Mt. Path twice in this chapter as well asvisit the VdZ area in addition to the other places on the map. The second wayis shorter and means you'll only have to visit the Mt. Path once and can skipthe VdZ area (unless you still didn't get a GrapeC).

I can understand if you're tired of roaming around everywhere after doing Hugoand Geddoe's chapters, especially going up and down the Mt. Path but hey, I didwarn you in the introduction -_^ If you opt for the shorter way, you'll bemissing out on a chunk of experience and skill points but you won't miss anyrecruits. The battles later in the chapter will still definitely be winnablebut more challenging. It's up to you in terms of how you want to do it.

I've put the short way in brackets [ ] and the long way right after it. Wherethey meet back up I've marked with ++++ symbols. Regardless of what path youchoose, I recommend you Forget Nash's Water skill and remove the Water Runefrom him. You should also make it a point to visit the Armor Shops at GreatHollow and east Brass Castle to upgrade your armor.

[Head into the village and you'll meet up with Fred and Rico again. When Fred

asks, pick the first choice to tell him he's mistaken Chris for someone else.After that, pick the third choice to say you're just sightseeing. He and Ricowill then depart. To advance the story, head to the left waterwheel and talkto Rhett and Wilder. Before that, let's do some recruiting.]

[Head to the inn and exit out to the back. At the bottom of the screen, you'llsee a young girl with glasses talking with a duck. Walk up to them and hit Xto chat. Pick either the first or second choice to resolve the problem. Askthe girl to join your group and you'll recruit Sanae Y, the daughter of Freed Yand Yoshino from Suikoden II.]

[Go back and talk to Rhett and Wilder now. In order for them to go with you,they'll ask you to talk to the village chief first. Talk to the duck in thegreen outfit outside of the Trade Shop-this is the chief. Talk to Rhett andWilder again and they'll join. I use this formation:]

ChrisNashRhett-----Wilder-----(No support)

[Buy 3 Escape Scrolls and do whatever else you wish here. Make sure that eachmember of your party has healing items in their personal inventory and some inyour main inventory as well. Exit the village. Cross both Plain Amurs andhead to Mt. Hei-Tou to fight the Blue Mantrix. Just use melee attacks and healwhen necessary. It shouldn't take too long with Chris. The notable loot I gotwas ?Figurine.]

[Head to Iksay Village next. Go all the way to the back with the windmill. Tothe right of the screen is a young man with a black bandana-this is Barts. Talkto him and suggest Budehuc castle. Talk to him again and you'll give him theGrapeC. Barts will now be at Lake Castle to the far left of where Juan isstanding. Any seeds you pick up you can give to him. I've never bothered topick up anything he grew. Barts' support skills are Bath and Discount, bothwith a grade of C. He's one of the better support people in the game and he'sthe person I always use for this chapter.]

[Go to Lake Castle. Put Shabon in your party and either Ayame or Nei. If youleveled up Nei or Shabon during the Iksay raid in chapter 2, they probably havea boatload of skill points and are at a decent level (30-ish). Once you raiseNei's magic chant abilities up, she's deadly with a group of fighters such asChris, Juan, Emily, and Hugo/Fubar. One of the spells on her Jongleur Rune isSong of Madness-which allows your party to do insane damage with melee attacks.You'll know what I mean later in chapters 4 and 5 once your guys get moreleveled up. Do whatever else you want at Lake Castle including placing anyantiques you may have. Definitely sharpen up everyone's weapon to level 12 ifyou can afford the price. Put whoever you want in support, Mio or Barts aregood choices, and head out to the Mt. Path. My formation:]

ChrisNashRhettShabonNei/AyameWilderBarts (Support)

[The boss for the Mt. Path is again the Rock Golem. If you brought Nei andhave leveled up her Magic Chant, cast Song of Madness and keep it casted. Ifyou opted for Ayame, use her Shrike Rune. Everyone else can attack normally.Just heal up when you're hurt and you won't have much problems taking him out.The notable item I got was a ?Statue. Head to Caleria afterward.]

[Check the Caleria Armor Shop Rarity for Premier Helm-buy it if they have itbecause you'll get someone later who can use it. Go to the 2nd floor of theinn and talk to Nadir, the gent with the theater mask. You've got the rightmatch for what he's looking for. Suggest Budehuc and you've successfullyrecruited him. Nadir will be in the tavern at Lake Castle, the same room aswhere Nei, Toppo, and Shabon are. It's the far left room on the first floorof the castle. You can give Nadir scripts to perform plays. The theater playsare my favorite gameplay aspect. You can try it out it in this chapter butit'll be a lot more fun once all the characters are recruited.]

[Bump up your physical skills here in Caleria if you want and do anything elseyou like. Cross over the Mt. Path and back to Duck Village. Stay/Save andreplenish your Escape Scrolls. Cross Kuput Forest and head to Chisha. Ifyou've ever gone down the dead end path in Kuput that keeps teleporting youback to the start, you'll be able to get there later in this chapter. When youreach Chisha, Fred and Rico will come out to greet you and join your party. Ifyou brought Nei/Ayame and Shabon, they will be automatically removed.]

[If you got a Premier Helm in Caleria, put it on Fred. Before heading into thevillage, it's a good idea to level up Fred and Rico a little. Take them out toKuput and get them to the low level 30's at the very least. Fred is a tank andRico is a serviceable healer. Rico's Swing skill tops at a C so I just chooseto forget it and add Accuracy instead. I also Forget Fred's Sword of Magicskill and remove his Sword of Thunder rune. It's a good idea to always putFred and Rico together so they can do their Maximillian Combo. After levelingthem up, you can raise their skills via the Tutor at Duck Village (I recommendgetting Rico's Water skill up to its maximum) and the bujutsu teacher at GreatHollow. You can also sharpen their weapons there. You can also do all this aswell as raise their weapons to level 12 by hiking to Lake Castle if you don'tmind the walk. This ends the shorter path for this chapter. Skip ahead to thearea with the ++++ symbols to continue.]

If you're reading this, you've opted for the longer, suggested approach. Headinto Duck Village and you'll run into Fred and Rico again. That's a nicewinged pendant Rico has on her left shoulder. Anyway, when Fred asks, pick thesecond choice, "Now that you mention it" then the first choice "Looking forclues" and finally either choice to recruit Fred and Rico. To advance thestory, you would talk to Rhett and Wilder standing by the left waterwheel. Butfirst, some recruiting.

Head to the inn and exit out to the back. At the bottom of the screen, you'llsee a young girl with glasses talking with a duck. Walk up to them and hit Xto chat. Pick either the first or second choice to resolve the problem. Askthe girl to join your group and you'll recruit Sanae Y, the daughter of Freed Yand Yoshino from Suikoden II.

Buy 3 Escape Scrolls for your party and whatever else you like. Rico's Swingability tops at a C so I usually choose to forget it and add Accuracy the nexttime I visit a bujutsu teacher. I also raised her Water Magic skill to itsmaximum B+ level. For Fred, I chose to Forget his Sword of Magic skill andremove that Rune from him. It's always a good idea to pair Fred with Rico sothey can do their Maximillian combo.

Go back and talk to Rhett and Wilder now. In order for them to go with you,they'll ask you to talk to the village chief first. Talk to the duck in thegreen outfit outside of the Trade Shop-this is the chief. Talk to Rhett andWilder again and they'll join. The formation I used:

ChrisNashRhettWilderFredRico(No Support)

Head to Mt. Hei-Tou to fight the Blue Mantrix. Just use your regular meleeattacks and heal with Rico's Water Rune and your items. The notable loot I gotwas a ?Figurine.

Head to Iksay Village next. Go all the way to the back with the windmill. Tothe right of the screen is a young man with a black bandana-this is Barts. Talkto him and suggest Budehuc castle. Talk to him again and you'll give him theGrapeC. Barts will now be at Lake Castle to the far left of where Juan isstanding. Any seeds you pick up you can give to him. I've never bothered topick up anything he grew. Barts' support skills are Bath and Discount, bothwith a grade of C. He's one of the better support people in the game and he'sthe person I always use for this chapter.

Go to Lake Castle to sharpen everyone's weapon to level 12 if you can affordit. Upgrade whatever skills you want and place any antiques you have in themain house. Leave Lake Castle and head to the North Cavern to fight thetreasure boss there, the Stone Golem. Not too tough but this fight can take alittle while. Use the same tactics with the Blue Mantrix. I don't recommenddoing the Fred/Rico combo just in case you need to use Rico's Water Rune. Itwill take time but eventually you'll take him out. The notable item I got wasa ?Statue.

You can stop in at VdZ if you like. I recommend you do so to check for a YellowScarf at the Item Shop (Rico is the best candidate for it) as well as theRarity in their Armor Shop. The next stop will be all the way on the otherside of the map at the Mt. Path. On the way, you can upgrade your skills atthe Great Hollow or elect to fight the Blue Mantrix again if enough time haspassed. The treasure boss for the Mt. Path is again the Rock Golem. Just usethe same tactics as with the Stone Golem and you should be fine. The notableloot this time was ?Statue. You can now use an Escape Scroll to take you backto the entrance or, if you have the patience, head to Caleria to check theirshops. You'll be coming back to Caleria later to recruit someone so don'tthink you have to do it now.

The next thing to do is to advance the story by heading to Chisha-so if youwant to do any more leveling up and shopping, now's the time. When you'reready to go, stop at Duck Village first to Stay/Save and buy some more EscapeScrolls if you need them. By taking this route you'll have leveled up yourparty by at least a few levels more than using the shorter way as well aspicking up a lot more skill points. My skills at this point:

Chris: Nash: Rhett:Parry-A Heavy Damage-B+ Magic Repel-BSwing-B Accuracy-B+ Accuracy-BDamage-A Repel-A Damage-ARepel-B Swing-B+ Repel-BArmor Protect-B+ Damage-B+ Armor Protect-B

Heavy Damage-A Magic Resistance-BAccuracy-B+ Armor Protect-BMagic Resistance-B

Wilder: Rico: Fred:Magic Repel-B+ Damage-B+ Shield Protect-B+Damage-B+ Shield Magic-E Armor Protect-B+Accuracy-B Fighting Spirit-C Damage-BRepel-B+ Water Magic-B+ Repel-BSwing-B+ Accuracy-B

Cross Kuput Forest and head to Chisha now. You remember that dead end in KuputI mentioned in Geddoe's chapter 3? It's a path that keeps teleporting you backto the start. You'll finally be able to take that path later in this chapter.When you get to Chisha, your party will talk it over for a little and you'llget control of Chris again. This concludes the long way.

++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++

Head to the middle of the village and you'll be greeted by a young girl, Yun.When you get the dialogue choices, pick whichever one you like. Suikoden vetswill no doubt appreciate the third choice. To advance the story, talk to Sana.Some visitors will then arrive. You can check the shops here first and saveif you like. To make the story go, head to the front of the village. You'llsee Sana confronting the visitors. When given the choice, pick the firstoption, "Watch out!" to have Chris stand up for Sana. If you go for the secondchoice, Fred will do it. Either way leads to a fight. You'll then be giventhe option to replace one of your party with Yumi. If she's a higher levelthan Rico, go ahead and swap them-the next fight's not very hard either way.

Afterward, Sana will talk with you. When the talk's over, go to the Item Shopand down the stairs. Talk to the tattooed fellow lying on the ground, Wan Fu.Pick the first dialogue choice to pay 3,000 potch and recruit him. To makethe story progress, head to the exit of the village where Chris and Nash willtalk some more. When that's over, go to the back of the village to talk withYun and Yumi. When Yun asks, pick the first choice, "OK, I'll help you."Picking the other choice just delays the story and you'll have to talk to themagain. Sana will talk to you a little more then it's off to Duck Village. It'sa short trip so pick whatever formation you want. Cross Kuput to get back toDuck Village.

Head to the inn for a cutscene where you'll meet with Apple and Caesar. Dowhatever else you wish then head for the exit, where Rhett and Wilder willjoin you again. Now's a good time to upgrade Yumi's skills if you want via theTutor at Duck Village and the bujutsu teacher at Great Hollow. I always haveher Forget Earth Magic and Add Water Magic plus switching out the runes. Ifyou're one of those players that absolutely _loves_ leveling up, you can goback to Lake Castle, put someone in the empty roster spot, and go fight thetreasure bosses again if you want. It's definitely not necessary (and I don'tdo it) but I wanted to let you know just in case.

To advance the story go back to Chisha. Upon arriving you'll see twocutscenes, one at the entrance then another in the middle of the village. I'mglad Caesar was here because I could never come up with a strategy as brilliantas his (rolls eyes). He'll then ask you to put your troops in formation. Thisis what I picked:

Chris (alone) Rhett Wilder

----- Rico ---------- ----- Yumi----- Fred NashYun Sana Caesar

When he asks if you're ready, pick the first choice to wait a minute. I'malmost certain there's no way anyone can die permanently in this strategybattle. If you want to give yourself some leeway, buy Sacrificial Jizos atthe Item Shop and put them on each person in the battle. You can talk to Sanaat the inn to put Fred and Rico in your party to put the items on them. Whenyou're ready, save then talk to Caesar again.

At the start of the battle, have your three units attack the enemy unit acrossfrom them, including Chris. The Harmonians have an annoying habit of retreatingin this battle so it takes a few turns to finish them up. The only unit ofconcern is Dios' because he has four troops instead of three. At the start ofyour turn, some HP will be healed for each of your units. If you've taken thetime to get good gear and skills for your team, these first four units shouldnot be a problem. Do your best to move your units into position to cover eachothers' attacks and use Chris' unit to heal anyone banged up. If your partyis damaged pretty good, don't hesitate to try for a retreat.

The goal of this battle is just to stay alive, not eliminate the enemy unitsbut I take this approach because the characters match up very well. If you'rehaving trouble with your units going down or losing characters, take a lessaggressive approach and only fight if you're attacked. Don't hesitate to pullback toward the village or retreat if you keep getting banged up because you'llstill satisfy the victory requirement for this battle.

At the start of the fourth round, Sasarai will show up. His unit's plentytough so I wouldn't take him on with any unit except Nash's and only if he'sat full strength with a cover team backing him up. Two turns after Sasaraishows up, Hugo and co. will arrive just like in his chapter 3. If you got aMajor Victory, meaning none of your units were removed from the field, thenyou get Earth ChainMail as a prize.

After the battle, you'll see the same conversation between Hugo and Chris as inhis chapter 3 but from Chris' view. Another cutscene will follow then you'llbe on your way to Alma Kinan. Instead of going there right away, head to theinn and make sure everyone's rested up with all their spells ready to go.When you leave Chisha, you can advance the story by going to Alma Kinan oragain you can walk around the World Map to do what you wish. You should knowthat once you're in Alma Kinan you won't be able to exit and there's a bigfight there. I don't level up any more and just head there but it's up to you.Before going to Alma Kinan, definitely save your game at either Chisha or DuckVillage. If you put Sacrificial Jizos on your characters, replace them withhealing items but leave one on Fred.

To get to Alma Kinan from Chisha, head into Kuput Forest. Go west from thefirst screen then south at the next. At this screen, take the northwest pathon your mini-map. There'll be a cutscene and you'll continue on. Go west fortwo screens. After that, you'll notice on your mini-map that you've come toa clearing. Make sure everyone's health is at maximum before you continue westbecause it will trigger a cutscene followed by a fight with a familiar face.This was my formation for the fight:

ChrisNashYumi

YuiriFredRicoBarts (Support)

This fight is the definition of "straightforward". Just use melee attacks andthe Maximillian combo. Heal when necessary with Rico, Yumi (if you gave her aWater Rune), and your items. Your enemy has a high Repel rate but with Chrisand Nash's Heavy Damage abilities, you shouldn't have any trouble winning.After the battle, continue west and you'll be back on the World Map. Head toAlma Kinan.

If you talk to the duck in the middle of town, he'll give you an Orange Kennel.Talk to the girl in the Item Shop looking at the jars to get Melon Seeds. Ofnote here is that a Rarity in the Item Shop are Killer Runes, which increasethe chances of landing a Heavy Damage attack. Alma Kinan is one of the fewtowns in the game with both a Tutor and bujutsu teacher. To advance the story,head to the house to the left of the Rune Shop. Your party will have aconversation and Yun will leave. Enter the house and Yun will fill you in onwhat she knows. Chris will then leave.

Head back to the house for a quick chat with Nash. Next, go north on yourmini-map to the very back of the village. On the next screen continue forwardto the back to get an extended cutscene. Leave and SAVE YOUR GAME. Go backoutside of Yun's house to talk with your group. If you want to wander aroundsome more, pick the second choice. If you want to advance the story now,select the first choice ("I need some rest").

Once you have control of Chris again, exit the inn and head to the back of thevillage. Another extended cutscene follows with Chris and Yun. Things willthen be interrupted by the Masked Bishop and friends. I use this formation:

FredRicoYuiriYumiChrisNash(No Support)

Your priorities in order are Sarah, Masked Bishop, and Yuber. In the firstround, send the Chris/Nash and Yuiri/Yumi pairs after Sarah-do NOT use the AlmaKinan combo. If you've trained up Yumi's Earth Magic, have her cast Earthquakeinstead. Have Rico cast Kindness Rain and center it on Yuiri. The reason forthis is that this spell comes after Sarah's water attacks but before the MaskedBishop's Pale Gate/Wind attacks. If Sarah hits you with Breath of Ice, it canreally wallop your team but Rico should get her Kindness Rain spell off to healthe damage. You should take out Sarah in the first round with your attacks.In the next round, heal your team with Rico's Kindness Drops or, if Yumi hasWater magic, Kindness Rain and cast it on whoever's at the very center of yourparty. It's hard to go after the Masked Bishop because Yuber will be blockingyou. Try your best though-Fred and Yuiri will automatically attack him sincethe Bishop should be the closest to them. If you target him with Chris/Nash,Nash should be able to hit him as well. If Yuber has gotten in the way, thentake him out but this is dangerous because the Bishop's attacks are verypowerful. Once it's down to the last person, just heal and mop up.

An alternative strategy is if you gave Yumi the Water Rune and trained up herWater Magic skill. If she's at level 38 or higher, she should have the SilentLake spell, which negates all spellcasting for 5 turns. If you want to try

this strategy, do everything else the same (Rico cast Kindness Rain, Nash/Chrisgo after Sarah) but cast Silent Lake with Yumi. Rico should still get herspell off but there's a good chance you'll stop the Masked Bishop's spell.After that first round, heal everyone with your items and start hacking away inthe same order as above.

Whether you win or lose won't affect the story-the game will still continueeither way. This fight is one of the tougher ones in the game and my personalsuccess rate is about 60%, unless you went crazy with leveling up that is. Ibeat it with everyone in the high 30's level and after the fight everyone is atlevel 40 or close to it. A cutscene follows the battle and the story moves tothe next day. Once Rico joins you, head to the very back of the village wherethe altar is. Chris will talk with Nash and come to a life resolution. Headto the front of the village to talk with Yuiri and to gain the location of theFlame Champion. After the World Map pops up, go back to Alma Kinan.

Go to the area outside the inn and you'll see a young man named Rody on abroomstick. Talk to him and pick the first dialogue option. Pick the firstchoice again ("I am looking for men") after that. Go inside the inn and talkwith the woman sitting at the table, Estella. Next, go outside and to the backwhere the altar is. Talk to the little girl on that screen then head to theinn to talk to Estella again. You'll then recruit Estella and Rody, two of thebest magic users in the game.

A quick word about Estella-she's a pathological liar. Have Kidd investigateher or put her and Chris in the bath and you'll see what I mean. While she andRody are great with magic, don't expect any help from them in melee combat.That's the drawback with all the characters who are primarily magic users-they'll rarely attack if you pair them with someone else. Out of all thecharacters with 3 open rune slots, Rody's tops in magic.

Rody also comes equipped with a couple of runes you'll want to take off of himimmediately, the Wall Rune and Firefly Rune. The Wall Rune doubles thewearer's defense rating but they can't do anything else at all-not even useitems. The Firefly Rune makes the wearer the first choice of an enemy attack,making it useful if you put it on a tank character so they take the punishment.If you learn more about Rody and Estella's relationship, it makes sense whyhe'd be wearing this rune combination.

When you remove the Firefly Rune from Rody, keep it in Chris' main inventory-don't sell it, store it, or put it on anyone else.

We're now heading to the end of the chapter. Just like Hugo and Geddoe, toadvance the chapter you would head to the Flame Champion Hideaway and go tothe teleportation circle. It's up to you if you want to go around the worldagain to level up-if you have the patience I do recommend taking on one of theGolems at either the North Cavern or Mt. Path because they give very goodexperience.

I also highly suggest you add Water Magic skill to Chris' skills list and trainit up to its maximum of a B+. Attach a Water Rune to her as well. You'll alsowant to make sure that when she steps on the teleportation circle she'sequipped with a Sacrificial Jizo like Hugo and Geddoe. If you were followingmy skills guide previously, choose to forget Magic Resistance and just addWater Magic. Along with Sebastian at Lake Castle, Sana at Chisha can alsoswitch out your party members for you.

If you took the "long" way earlier in the chapter, go back to Chisha and putAyame and Watari in your party. You don't have to get them new gear or levelthem up. The formation I used was:

ChrisNashAyameWatariFredRicoBarts (Support)

Go all the way to the Mt. Path and head to Caleria. The Rock Golem will bethere again but shouldn't pose a problem. Use Ayame's Shrike Rune and Rico'sKindness Drops to heal Ayame and Watari. The loot I got this time was another?Statue. When you arrive at Caleria, go to the second floor of the inn.You'll see Nadir, the man with the theater mask. Your party fulfills hisrequirement for an acting troupe. When he asks, suggest Budehuc Castle torecruit him. Nadir will be in the tavern at Lake Castle, the same room aswhere Nei, Toppo, and Shabon are. It's the far left room on the first floorof the castle. You can give Nadir scripts to perform plays. The theater playsare my favorite gameplay aspect. You can try it out it in this chapter butit'll be a lot more fun once all the characters are recruited.

After fighting all the treasure bosses again, the good loot I got was ChaosShield (Blue Mantrix), ?Statue and Iron Heel Shoes (Stone Golem), and PremierChainmail and another Stone of Evasion (Azzodess the second time). Everyonewas at level 46 in my party. When you're ready to close the chapter, head tothe familiar teleportation circle, head north, and talk to Sana.

!!!VERY IMPORTANT!!!-If you elected to play Thomas' Optional chapters already,when you've concluded Chris' chapter 3, you'll be taken to the Trinity Site asusual. SAVE NOW AND DO NOT OVERWRITE THIS GAME. Sorry for all the caps, butI can't stress enough how important this is. The biggest decision of the gameoccurs at the start of chapter 4 and you'll definitely want to have a save gamebefore making this decision. Do what you have to do to make sure this savegame is never overwritten-save it in the very first slot or some other spotthat's "safe".

Fred [56/108]Rico [57/108]Sanae Y [58/108]*Wan Fu [59/108]*Barts [60/108]*Yun [61/108]Estella [62/108]*Rody [63/108]*Nadir [64/108]*

There's going to be a big Spoiler gap here in case you jumped ahead to ThomasChapter 1 after Geddoe's Chapter 1.

-----------

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4l. Thomas Chapter 1 (Optional)

Just to keep the Stars count at the end of the chapter straight, I havenumbered them as if you played these chapters in the suggested order. If atany time during Thomas' chapters you feel absolutely sure you don't want toplay through his chapters, just soft reset and go back to your last save beforepicking his story.

Pick Thomas from the Trinity Site. You'll see Thomas walking up to LakeCastle. Move him to the front and you'll see his first meeting with Cecile,the castle guard commander. After she joins, go to the main house and you'llget an extended meet and greet cutscene.

When you get control of Thomas, exit his bedroom to the right of the screen.Head down on the next screen and go down the stairs. Sebastian will suggestto you to meet everyone in the castle. Go back up the stairs. At the top,go right and head through the door at the very end of the hall. This is thelibrary. Talk to Eike, the man in the brown outfit to the right of the screen.Exit and head back down the stairs to the first floor.

To the right of the main stairs is another stairway down-take it. On the nextscreen head left to talk to the Kobold with the blue hat-Muto. He's thewarehouse keeper and he can store up to 24 items for you. Head back the wayyou came but instead of taking the stairs back up, take the stairs down thatare further down the hall (closer to the broken elevator). From this nextscreen, head left and follow the hallway past all the jail cells until youreach a gray door. Walk through it and you'll be outside the house.

Head right to exit this screen. On the next screen, keep going right-just pastthe stone stairs going up you'll see a man lying on the ground-this is Juan,the bujutsu teacher. Talk to him to find out about recent events regarding theownership of the castle. Head up the stone stairs then to the front entranceto talk to Cecile. When you're done, head to the big white tent next to her.Inside is the fortune teller, Piccolo. If you ever want some advice, tips, orto know how to advance the story, pay him 100 potch for his ACME prediction.After talking with him, talk to the woman with the white hair at the lotterystand, Martha. That's everybody, so head back to the main house.

When you enter, Sebastian will tell you that a letter needs to be delivered tothe Zexen Knights. You'll volunteer to take the job and Cecile will accompanyyou. Instead of exiting to the World Map, go back to the main house. To theleft of the main stairs is a blue crystal-save your game. If you're playingthis chapter after playing Chris' chapter 3 then go ahead and read the nextparagraph. If you're playing this chapter after Geddoe's chapter 1, skip pastthe next paragraph.

You'll notice the house is already decorated with all the antiques you've piledup. To give Thomas a hefty financial advantage right from the start, take allthe paintings, urns, statues, and vases-you're going to sell them when you getto Brass Castle. Don't worry about replacing them because you're going to get

plenty of paintings and vases in chapters 4 and 5. Still, if you'd rather notpart with any of this loot, you can wait until you get some more money thenplay the lottery. I suggest you play the lottery anyway even if you do sellthe antiques. Just to let you know, the most common antiques you pick up inthe later chapters will be Sunset, SkyOwl, and Ruins Paintings, Calerian Urns,Hex Dolls, and Knight Statues. It's up to you but giving Thomas lots of moneyearly this way helps a lot in upgrading his gear and weapons, making hischapters _much_ easier.

Exit the castle to the World Map. The formation I use:

CecileThomas--------------------(No Support)

Thomas and Cecile both start at level 1 and, as you'd expect, aren't verypowerful. Their combo, Best Effort, is quite powerful once they're leveled up.Sometimes when they do this combo, you'll see Thomas has his sword stuck inthe ground and has problems getting it out-this is a good thing because itmeans the combo has done double damage. I've never figured out a way to makethis happen more often, unfortunately. In terms of skills, both of them canget very high ranks (A to A+) in several areas each but it takes them a longwhile. The enemies you're going to face will reflect your starting level withThomas so there's not much to worry about. Just heal when you need to and useyour melee attacks in the random battles.

Cross Yaza Plain and enter Brass Castle. Head right two screens until you cometo the west courtyard. Thomas and Cecile will have a brief chat. Go to theright to get another cutscene with one of the Six Mighty Zexen Knights.Proceed to the main part of the castle. Head down on the next screen and toyour left is Roland. Talk to him to get some more information. Continuedown on the screen and take the last door on the right where two armoredknights are standing. Head right toward the stairs to see a cutscene.

If you got a bunch of antiques by playing the suggested chapter order, continuedown on this screen to get to the east courtyard. Sell your antiques at theItem or Armor Stand. I usually make 120,000-200,000 potch. Sharpen yourweapons up to level 5 and buy the best gear you can. If you want, you cancheck to see if the Calerian trader on the far east side of the Castle hasAncient Text to sell. Either way, head back to the open doorway where youtalked with Roland. Head left through the doorway and go up the stairs. Godown on the next screen to see another of the Zexen Knights.

Next, go down and to the right through the double wooden doors. Head to theright on the next screen to trigger a scene with Salome. When that's done,exit Brass Castle to the west. After Cecile and Thomas have a talk, you'll beback on the World Map. Enter Brass Castle again so you can save at the bluecrystal outside. Exit west and cross Yaza Plain to get back to Lake Castle.

After the cutscene and if you have 1,000 potch, go up to the lottery stand andbuy 10 tickets. Head back to the main house. When he enters, Thomas willwonder where Sebastian is but decides to turn in. Head up the stairs to hisbedroom and you'll go to sleep. When Thomas wakes up, head down the stairs andout to the front of the house. A cutscene follows and you learn that a youngboy is missing, whose name is also Thomas. Piccolo and Cecile will join yourparty. Head into the main house and go to the library. Next, go downstairs

and look at the broken elevator to the right of the main stairs. After thecutscene, go downstairs toward Muto's warehouse. Take the passageway rightbefore you come to Muto's counter. Head toward the big opening where rays oflight are coming through. That's it for the house search.

Go back outside and go talk to Juan in his usual spot. He'll explain whathappened and join your party. When you get control of Thomas, head back tothe main house and save at the blue crystal. I use this formation:

CecileThomas----------JuanPiccolo(No Support)

Some words about Juan and Piccolo. Juan is the best pure fighter in the game,IMHO. He comes with a Waking Rune that can't be removed. The bad thing is,he's asleep at the start of a battle. The good thing is, once he wakes up he'sberserk. Once he reaches a higher level, Juan can get an S ranking in bothHeavy Damage and Continual Attack. In the later chapters you'll be able toremedy the sleeping problem with a Yellow Scarf and attach a Rune like Fury orDouble Strike to him. I've beaten the strongest random encounters using justJuan but a lot of people don't like him because he's real irritating at firstwith the Waking Rune. With Juan in your party, you can also do all the actionsrelated to skills at any time, such as Lesson, Test, and Forget. To do this,go to the Skills option, pick Juan, then select Bujutsu Teacher. Piccolo'sstrong suit is Lightning Magic. He can get an A in it but it takes a while.For the purpose of Thomas' chapters, it's the only skill of his I train up.

Two of the non-automatic stars I suggest you recruit in this chapter, Mel andKenji, come equipped with the armor Turtle Tunic. This Tunic negates the sleepstatus that affects Juan. If you want him awake at the start of battles, takethe Tunic from either Mel or Kenji when you get them later and put it on Juan.The armor rating for the Tunic (around +20 DEF) is good enough for Thomas'chapters. If you want to use Juan in chapters 4 and 5, make sure you get himbetter armor and cure his sleep status with the Yellow Scarf item.

Exit Lake Castle and you'll see Mt. Hei-Tou has opened on the World Map. CrossYaza Plain to head there. During random encounters, I attack with Thomas andCecile and just have Juan's pair defend until he gets waken up. Don't use anyof Piccolo's Lightning Magic-you'll need it later. When you get to Mt. Hei-Touyour group will talk it over. Thomas will never loot corpses. He also cannever fight the Blue Mantrix-once you get close he'll simply run away from it.If you run into a green monster called the Creeper, use Thomas and Cecile'sBest Effort combo on it.

Go right and keep going that way until you get to the blue crystal. Save. Ifyou go right one more screen you'll head into a fight-make sure Thomas andCecile are at least level 5 before going there. When you're ready to proceedhead on over. At the next screen, continue all the way to the right toward thedead end on your mini-map. You'll find the boy being cornered by a Wild Boar.This fight isn't too hard-use the Best Effort combo and have Piccolo castBerserk Blow (if you've leveled him up a lot he may have Soaring Bolt-use thatinstead). Alternatively, you could have Piccolo use the Wind of Sleep scrollin his inventory but this only helps a little. Heal when necessary and repeatuntil the Boar is dead-he has about 500 HP.

After you win, go back to Lake Castle. Head into the main area and the kid

will reunite with his mom. When the cutscene ends, a week will pass. When youget control of Thomas again, leave the main house and talk with Cecile,Piccolo, and Martha in their usual places. Then go back to the main house andhead toward the main stairs to trigger another cutscene.

Thomas and Cecile will come up with an idea to make the castle viable. Marthawill then chip in with some more history of the area. When the talking ends,go back up to Thomas' bedroom. Another extended cutscene will follow. You cannow switch out party members by talking with Sebastian but you don't need to dothat yet. Instead, exit the inn and talk with Piccolo and Martha, who'restanding outside of her lottery stand. You'll see the same scene as in Geddoechapter 1 but from Thomas' POV. Head back up to Thomas' bedroom, stand closeto his bed and elect to Rest. If you played Chris' chapter 2 already, you'llsee another cutscene involving her. If not, you may not get it but I'm notsure.

The lottery's probably turned over by now so talk to Sebastian at the inn andsave your game. Check the lottery results and soft reset until you get the100,000 potch prize. If you sold a bunch of antiques earlier and still havearound 200,000 potch after winning the lottery, it's up to you if you want toplay again. It helps but it's not essential. If you're playing this chapterafter Geddoe's chapter 1, then I highly recommend you go ahead and play thelottery one more time.

Now's a good time to do some recruiting. Talk to Sebastian and put Martha inyour party as support. Any time you go shopping, it's a good idea to putMartha in your party because her Discount skill is a B, the best in the game.Exit to the World Map and you'll notice a bunch of places have opened up. Headto Iksay first.

If you like, you can recruit Mio now with Thomas. She's a nurse on the 2ndfloor of the Iksay Inn. Her Healing Support Skill is a B+, one of the best inthe game. Only Chris or Thomas can get her until ch. 4. She's useful to bothbut not essential so it's entirely up to you who you want to use to get her.I've listed her in the recruit list as acquired in Chris' ch. 2 for reference.

Stop by the Item Shop and check their Rarity and buy a Rose Brooch if they haveit. Buy another one if you can afford it. If they don't have it, keepchecking every 25 minutes or so-you'll need it to recruit someone in VdZ. Talkto the little girl in the Item Shop to get a Pale Gate Rune. Don't sell thisthing-it may be the only one you get for the entire game.

Leave the shop. Head to the back of this screen toward the windmill and talkto the young girl with the blue outfit on. This is Mel and her, uh, friendBranky. When you get a dialogue choice, pick the first one to recruit her.If you _love_ playing the lottery you can go ahead and play the one here inIksay.

Go back to Lake Castle. All the shops you acquired previously will now bethere. Now's a good time to advance the story-head to the main house totrigger a brief cutscene and Thomas will go get some sleep. Another cutsceneensues and you learn that Eike is missing. Leave the library and head for thefront entrance outside where Cecile is standing. Shizu will show up to fixyour elevator and you'll automatically recruit her.

It's going to take Shizu some time to complete her work so now's a greatopportunity to do more recruiting. Talk to Sebastian and put together a partylike so:

Cecile

ThomasMel-----JuanPiccoloMartha (Support)

Sharpen everyone's weapon up to at least level 5 except Piccolo-you never needto sharpen his weapon because all of his offense is magic. If you got a ton ofmoney, sharpen all the weapons up as high as you can, up to 8 is plenty forThomas' chapters. Just to let you know, Thomas and Mel's weapons get a bigattack boost at level 11, but it's not necessary to go up that far. Mel willbe your best offensive character (she always comes in at level 32) for Thomas'chapters and is really the only party character you need to recruit for battlesbut we're going to get a few more anyway. Mel's Lightning Magic skill also cannaturally go up to an S but I wait until chapter 4 to add that.

Save your game. Exit to Yaza Plain. If you're playing this chapter in thesuggested order, you should see Kenji still out there on the plains. He's tothe far left of the screen toward the middle if you're coming from Lake Castle.If you're playing this chapter after Geddoe's chapter 1 he may not be thereyet. If he's there, DON'T recruit him yet.

If you're playing this chapter after Chris' chapter 3, skip ahead to the nextparagraph. Head through Brass Castle to get to Plain Amur North. You'llnotice a bunch of horses around here. Ignore them for now and go to DuckVillage. Head to the inn and exit to the back. Go to the top hut to talk tothe little boy in the blue outfit. When he asks if you want to help, declinehis offer-you'll want to save him for one of your other main characters. Talkto the duck standing next to him and save your game. Head back out to PlainAmur North. Talk to the cowgirl, Kathy. She will ask you to count how manyhorses she has. The number is random but always seems to be more than 15. Ifyou get the wrong number, I believe Kathy will disappear for a while beforeshowing up again so try to get it right the first time or just soft reset andcome back. After you get the count right, suggest Budehuc Castle and you'llrecruit Kathy.

Next, go to Zexen Forest. The rare encounter here is two Holly elves and someHolly boys-they can be dangerous because they cast sleep but with Mel youshouldn't have too many problems. It's definitely worth good experience foreveryone else in your party. Head to VdZ and save at the blue crystal outsidethe city. Go to the North Cavern next.

Head to the very back of the cavern where you fought Guillaume in Hugo'schapter 1. The banshee and purple creepers are random encounters here and willboost your party's level up to 14-15 in a hurry. To beat them, just use Meland the Best Effort combo. The purple creepers drop Firefly Runes, which areuseful when put on Tank characters. Save at the blue crystal before you get tothe end of the cavern. There will be a treasure boss there, Magician. It'snot a big deal if everyone's around level 14. Just use Mel and the Best Effortcombo and you can take it down in no more than a few turns.

You don't have to empty the chest unless you really want to fight the Magicianagain-it's not necessary. Do take as much of the armor as you can to sell thestuff you don't want. I didn't get much money for this fight, only 17,000potch or so. Nothing all that great in terms of loot except a Kite Shield forCecile. Exit the North Cavern.

Stop in at VdZ to check out their shops. If you see Guillaume running aroundjust ignore him and avoid the Guild Hall area (you only see him if you're

playing this right after Geddoe's chapter 1). Do some shopping if you want butthe main reason to come here is to recruit Augustine. If you got the RoseBrooch, talk to him (if you've forgotten, he's standing outside the ArmorShop). You'll automatically give him the Rose Brooch. Pick the seconddialogue choice to recruit him.

Augustine's notable skills are his Parry and Swing. His Parry naturally topsout at an S. His Swing tops at a B but his brooches can bump this up to an S.Starting in chapter 4 you'll be able to buy a Rarity item at the Caleria ItemStand called WhiteRose Brooch, which only Augustine can wear and boosts hisSwing skill by two grades. You can equip these in all 3 of his item slots.For some odd reason, he won't have the Rose Brooch you gave him in hisinventory-this is why I suggested you buy 2 of them if you could before.

Go to the Great Hollow next. Enter the main area and take the southeast tunnelexit on your mini-map. Follow the path and exit. At the next screen, you'llhear some digging. Head to the left to follow the path until you see a dwarfwith a yellow helmet, Twaikin. When the lizard guard shows up, pick the firstchoice, "Nothing". Pick the first choice again for the next dialogue option torecruit Twaikin. He's a pretty good tank character. Go back to the main areaof Great Hollow and upgrade as much of everyone's gear as you can. Exit to theWorld Map and head to Yaza Plain.

Check to see if Kenji is here yet. If he is, talk to him and pick the secondchoice to exercise with him. Pick the second choice again to ask for water andhe will join your group. Everyone in your party should now be at around level17 or better except Kenji, who comes in at 2 levels lower than Thomas. To winthe rest of the battles in this chapter, you really only need Thomas, Mel, Juan,Piccolo, and Cecile with the experience levels you have now and with the bettergear/weapon levels available in this chapter. I also recruit Augustine, Kenji,and Twaikin to give you more party members to choose from for battles. Don'tfocus too much on leveling up unless you really like to do it-level 17 is justfine. The best time to level up will come in chapters 4 and 5.

If you're playing this chapter after Geddoe's chapter 1, there's a chance Kenjiwon't be at Yaza Plain at all in this chapter. If that's the case, it's not abig deal because you have enough party members to win all the battles inThomas' chapters. You'll also be able to recruit Kenji later so you'redefinitely not going to miss out on recruiting him.

Hike back to Lake Castle. If you're playing this chapter after Chris' chapter3, skip this paragraph. Once you have Augustine, remove everyone from yourparty except Thomas and put Augustine in as the lone other member. Head toIksay and go to the Item Shop. Talk to Gordon and accept his offer to joinyour group. He will open an Item Shop at Budehuc Castle. Go back to LakeCastle.

The lottery should've turned over by now so go ahead and check the results. Themoney you've made until now (200,000 potch via the lottery if you're playingthis right after Geddoe's chapter 1) is all you really need for both of Thomas'chapters. Do some shopping and bump up any skills you want. If you're goingto see Ernie, make sure you avoid the elevator area on the first floor-goingthere will advance the story.

Now that you have Kathy, you can opt to pick up a couple of very helpful items.They're not necessary by any means, but they can be a big help. From thescreen where Peggi and Juan are, exit north on the mini-map. Head right on thenext screen and you'll see Kathy. Talk to her to race in the Horse Race mini-game. If you get certain lap times for the track, you earn prizes. The threeprizes that are of interest are the Hex Doll S, Pale Moon Leather, and

LightningMagic Ring. These prizes always show up but I believe it's random interms of which course you can win them on.

The times that are good enough for you to get prizes for each track:

No obstacles: 49-50 secs, default prize is Deer Antler (49.677)Some obstacles: 49-51 secs, default prize is Mini-Cactus (49.853)Lots of obstacles: 49-52 secs, default prize is Mini-Cactus (49.677)

These are just estimates based on my experience. The times in parentheses aremy personal bests. Start with the no obstacles course and work your way up.The only strategy I can really give you is to stay to the inside of the trackand don't take really wide turns. Lame advice, I know, but that's all therereally is to it.

If you keep getting the default prize more than twice in a row, then you'veexhausted the prizes for that course so try the next one higher up. The PaleMoon Leather gives a whopping 60+ Defense boost and the LightningMagic Ringraises the wearer's Lightning Magic skill by one grade. The Pale Moon Leatheris a great item for Thomas and the Ring for Piccolo. Other prizes you can getinclude Haziness Rune, Recipe #8, and Painting: Lady antique as well as someothers. The mini-cactus are nice because they're worth 5,500 potch each.

If you're playing Thomas' chapter 1 in the suggested play order, skip to thenext paragraph. When you get the Hex Doll S, go and place it in the statueroom. This room is located on the second floor of the main house. When you goup the main stairs, make a left and it's the left door in the corner. Placethe Hex Doll S in the large middle pedestal. DO NOT COME BACK INTO THIS ROOMUNTIL HUGO'S CHAPTER 3. Sorry for the caps but doing this is necessary torecruit a character and if you mess up, it can complicate getting thischaracter a lot.

When you're ready to advance the story, save at Sebastian's inn first. Head tothe first floor elevator and Shizu should be done. If for some reason she'snot, go to Thomas' bedroom and select Rest. This will move the game time somemore. Thanks to Fate who e-mailed me this tip. You should've killed enoughtime already, though. Shizu will then give your party a grand tour with theelevator. When she's finished, you'll end up in a new sub-basement of thecastle.

There's no need to adjust your party-there's random encounters down here butnothing you won't be able to handle. Head to the right and follow the tunneluntil you get a cutscene. When you get control of Thomas, head up and exitthe screen. On the next screen, keep going up until you see a path to theleft-it can be hard to see sometimes. Take that path left and follow it toexit the screen. You'll get another cutscene. There's nothing of note if youtook the other pathways in case you were wondering. Once your party regroups,head left and take the path up. After the brief talk with your party, continueup on the screen. An extended cutscene will occur and the chapter will beover.

You have recruited all the characters you'll need for Thomas' chapters. Ifyou're on the fence about playing through his chapter 2, I can tell you thatyour levels and party should be good enough now to where you won't have to doany more leveling up, fighting random battles, or playing the lottery in hischapter 2. For Mel, Thomas, Cecile, Juan, and Piccolo, everyone was at level17 except Mel, who was at 32. Everyone's weapon was level 8 except Piccolo'swhich was still at 1. The only notable skill is that Piccolo has a C inLightning Magic and I gave him the LightningMagic Ring from Kathy's races toboost it to a B. If you've played this far, I advise you to go ahead and

finish it out just to see the complete story but it's up to you.

If you played Thomas' Chapter 1 right after Geddoe's Chapter 1, then to avoidspoilers I suggest you play Thomas' Chapter 2 after Geddoe's Chapter 2. You'llsee a few things in Thomas' chapter that precedes the other characters' chapter3's but it's nothing major.

Thomas [65/108]Cecile [66/108]Juan [67/108]Piccolo [68/108]Martha [69/108]Sebastian [70/108]Muto [71/108]Eike [72/108]Shizu [73/108]Mel [74/108]*Augustine [75/108]*Twaikin [76/108]*Kenji [77/108]*

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------4m. Thomas Chapter 2 (Optional)

Pick Thomas from the Trinity Site. If you like, you can go around shoppingand fighting the treasure boss at the North Cavern. Again, you really don'thave to level up your party any more if they're at the levels I mentionedearlier. This is your best opportunity to wander around during this chapter somake the most of it if you choose to do so. You do want to make sure to haveeach of your characters readied with a Medicine C (all 6) or a better healingitem in their personal item slot for the later battles in this chapter. If youstill have a lot of money left over, make the most of it by buying the bestgear available at the various shops in this chapter (armor that's +20 orbetter is fine).

When you want to advance the story, head to Iksay Village. You'll get acutscene with a Zexen Councilor. Pick the first choice to agree to take him toLake Castle. You don't have to go there right away-you can still elect to justwander around some more if you like. To make the story move forward head backhome to Lake Castle and a cutscene will occur.

If you told the Zexen Councilor you don't know where Lake Castle is, you'llhave to kill some time before he shows up at Lake Castle. Go back to Thomas'bedroom, stand next to the bed, and pick Rest. Do this twice. Exit LakeCastle, put together a serviceable party and head to the North Cavern to fightthe treasure boss or do whatever else you like to kill time (e.g. play themini-games, trade, etc.). The Councilor will eventually show up.

Once you come back to Lake Castle, you'll have a meeting with the Councilor.If you're one of those people that gets angry easily at obnoxious jerks, youmay want to brace yourself every time the Zexen Councilor speaks. Everythingthat comes out of his mouth is an airborne toxin. When that's over, to makethe story progress head up to Thomas' bedroom to talk to Muto and pick thefirst choice.

The next day, exit Thomas' bedroom and save at the blue crystal by the stairs.Head out to the front entrance where Cecile stands to view a scene. Go backto the main house to see your group talk it over. Head to the outside of theinn to meet Apple and Caesar then go back to the front of the main house. Whenthe conversation's over, go to the front of the castle to talk with Cecile.

Next, go inside the main house. Head to the far left side of the house whereNei, Toppo, and Shabon are. Outside the tavern room at the end of the hallare Piccolo, Muto, and Martha. Walk up to get another chat with them. Headupstairs to the library from there to get another cutscene with Sebastian andEike (they're standing where Ernie usually is). To advance the story, go toThomas' bedroom. If not you can wander around some more. When you go toThomas' bedroom, you'll get another talk with Sebastian.

The next day, exit Thomas' bedroom and save at the blue crystal by the mainstairs. Head outside to the front of the main house. Talk with Caesar andpick the first choice if you want to proceed with the strategy battle. Pickthe second choice if you want to go back and save first or wander around somemore. The strategy battle itself isn't hard at all. The vast majority of thetime only one Zexen unit will actually attack-just don't get aggressive andattack and you'll be fine. The goal of the battle is simply to stay alive andthen move Hugo/Lilly's units to the exit.

In the first turn, just defend with both Thomas and Cecile's units-don't movethem. In the second turn, hit the Zexen unit that's moved up next to Thomaswith his Wind Magic skill. Defend again with Cecile. During your next turnand every turn thereafter, move Hugo/Lilly's units to the exit circle. Ifyou're _really_ hunkering to attack, attack with Thomas' unit when Hugo/Lilly'sunits are in position to cover. Again, I don't advise you do because it's anunnecessary risk. Once you move both Hugo and Lilly's units to the exit circlethe battle will be over. With a Major Victory you'll get a Counter Ring for aprize. If you didn't get a Major Victory, just reload from your last save andtry again.

The next day, head out to the front entrance to talk with Cecile. If you wantto do any more wandering here's another good chance. To advance the story,simply exit to the World Map then come right back to Lake Castle. Go to thefront of the main house for a couple of extended cutscenes. To make the storygo forward, go up to Thomas' bedroom and pick the first choice.

In the middle of the night, Thomas will have insomnia. Head to the library tochat with Eike who's standing near Ernie's spot. Then go down the stairs totalk with Sebastian. Next, go to the end of the hall on the far left side ofthe house, where you talked with Muto, Piccolo, and Martha before. Muto willbe there again and you can pick either dialogue choice when you get the option.Now head back to Thomas' bedroom to have a conversation with Cecile. You canpick whichever choice you feel like when the dialogue box opens.

The next day, head out to the front of the main house to talk with the ZexenKnights. Go ahead and pick the first choice to move the story. Anotherextended cutscene will follow which personally shot my respect up for Cecileand Juan by about a million times. When it's over, you'll get the chance torename Budehuc Castle (which I will still refer to as Lake Castle for thisWalkthrough). I just go with Cecile's choice since she's one of my favoritecharacters. For you Suikoden trivia buffs, this was also Jowy's suggestion forthe army name in Suikoden II. When you can move Thomas again, head towards hisbed to move the story forward by picking the first choice. You can stillwander around some more by picking the second choice. When you advance thestory, Thomas will have one final talk before the battle the next morning.

After that, you'll see Thomas go up to the front entrance to talk with Juan.When he asks, pick the second choice to tell him to wait. Talk to Sebastianand put together a party. I used:

CecileThomas

JuanPiccoloMelAugustine(Mio--only if you recruited her with Thomas in this chapter)

This has no impact on the upcoming strategy battle-only for the battles after.Talk to Sebastian again to save your game. Talk to Muto then tell Juan you'reready to commence the strategy battle.

I advise you to use the same tactics as in the last strategy battle-don't beaggressive and fight only when you're attacked. If you are going to attack,the best spot is to the right of Thomas because you can put someone in a coverposition. The best outcome for this battle is a Safe Retreat-you cannot get avictory because Leo and Percival's HP will not drop below 1/2 in this battle.In the first round, just defend with Thomas and swap Juan and Cecile's spots.In the next round, if you love the fightin', move Cecile one circle to theright and Juan one circle to the top right then attack with Thomas. I adviseyou don't and just use Thomas' Wind Magic to blast the Zexens and defend withthe other two. You'll get attacked in the next few rounds so just use Thomasunit primarily to take the attacks and retreat when you have to. If Leo orPercival's units attack you, retreat like crazy. After 5-6 turns, the battlewill be over. If you got a Safe Retreat, you'll get a Killer Rune as loot. Ifyou didn't because someone got knocked out or an entire unit was lost, justreload and try again.

After the battle, your group will fall back inside with the Zexen Councilorcharging after them. Head toward the main house and you'll get into a fightwith 4 Zexen regulars. They're not too tough-use the Best Effort Combo and Melwill take them down. Just defend with Juan's pair. Make sure you're healed upafter the battle. Once you get inside the main house, you'll see a briefcutscene showing some Grade A guerilla tactics.

After this, another fight with 4 Zexen regulars except it's unwinnable. I'vedone over 5,000 damage to one of these guys and they don't go down. You canattack if you want but just keep healing until the battle ends and you getsome help. The next and final battle is just against 2 Zexen regulars and thistime you can beat them. Just mop them up with Best Effort and Mel and youshouldn't have a problem. When this battle is over, an extended cutscene willplay out and Thomas' chapter will come to an end.

!!!VERY IMPORTANT!!!-If you played Thomas' chapters in the suggested order,meaning you've completed the chapter 3's of Geddoe, Hugo, and Chris, you'll betaken to the Trinity Site as usual. SAVE NOW AND DO NOT OVERWRITE THIS GAME.Sorry for all the caps, but I can't stress enough how important this is. Thebiggest decision of the game occurs at the start of chapter 4 and you'lldefinitely want to have a save game before making this decision. Do what youhave to do to make sure this save game is never overwritten-save it in the veryfirst slot or some other spot that's "safe".

[No new recruits]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------4n. Interlude--The Big Question (Spoilers)

From the Trinity Site pick the chapter 4 of Hugo, Chris, or Geddoe-it doesn'tmatter at all. The scene will pick up where it left off at the end of eachcharacter's chapter 3. An extended cutscene will follow. The next paragraphis chock full of spoilers so watch the scene first then come back-I've putsome spoiler space so you don't see anything accidentally.

--------------

Now you know the truth and it's time to pick a new Flame Champion. The bigquestion is, who should it be? My advice is to pick your favorite character.Trust me when I say there is no battle that can't be won with any number ofdifferent party combinations regardless of who is Flame Champion. When youthink of it like this, the only thing that matters is YOUR opinion of who itshould be.

In terms of Fire Magic stats, Geddoe's is the best at a B+, followed by Hugo ata B, and Chris at a C. My personal opinion is that unless a character can gettheir offensive magic skill up to at least an A it's not very good, and itreally should be at least an A+ for the very end of the game. I never used theTrue Fire Rune when I picked Hugo or Chris. I've played through with eachcharacter as Flame Champion and still beat the game with relative ease nomatter who I picked. I'm not saying that to brag, only to re-emphasize myadvice to make your choice of FC based on your own personal tastes rather thanworrying about magic skill grades.

You probably have guessed by now that since Geddoe has the True Lightning Runethe True Runes will be redistributed based on who you pick for Flame Champion.The way that goes is this:

Flame Champion: True Lightning: True Water:

Geddoe Hugo ChrisChris Geddoe HugoHugo Geddoe Chris

The True Water Rune will come later. Note that Geddoe can never receive theTrue Water Rune and Chris can never receive the True Lightning Rune. Onceyou've made your choice, you'll see a small cutscene play out. The mainstoryline of chapter 4-5 are the same regardless of who you pick for FlameChampion. Chris has one extended cutscene unique to her if you pick her. Dueto the overlap in storyline, I have not separated chapters 4-5 by each of themain characters. As long as you keep that save at the Trinity Site rightbefore you picked the Flame Champion, you can always play through the gamestarting at that point with a different Flame Champion to see the differences.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------4o. Chapter 4

After talking with Sana, put your team in this formation no matter who isFlame Champion:

Chris

Hugo---------------Geddoe(No Support)

When Sana asks, save your game if you want. When she talks to you again, pickthe second choice to ask her to wait so you can adjust your equipment. IfGeddoe is Flame Champion, take off his LightningMagic Rings and equip them onHugo. Equip FireMagic Rings on Geddoe or Hugo if they're Flame Champion.Don't bother with Chris because we'll only be using her Water magic. Makesure everyone still has a Sacrificial Jizo equipped. When you're ready, talkto Sana again and Save your game. Talk to her again and ask her to take you tothe test twice.

The next battle's strategy is the same regardless of who's Flame Champion.Send Hugo/Chris up with their melee attacks. Cast the 4th level True Lightningspell with Geddoe (Hammer of Raijin). In the next round cast Kindness Drops toheal Chris and Hugo even if Geddoe was hit in the last round. Cast FuriousBlow from Geddoe's True Lightning Rune. This should take out the True FireDragon. If you got unlucky and it didn't go down, heal everyone with Chris'Kindness Rain and send Geddoe up for a melee attack-this should definitely takeit down or you haven't been properly leveling up. There's a very slim chancethe Fire Dragon will reflect Geddoe's magic attacks. If this happens, justkeep using Furious Blow with Geddoe and Chris/Hugo's melee attacks until hegoes down.

When the battle's over, you will receive the True Fire Rune. Sana will leadyou out and some familiar faces will show up. When given the dialogue choicepick the first one if you're feeling heroic or the second if you want todamage your reputation beyond belief.

If Geddoe is your Flame Champion, skip ahead to the next paragraph. In thefirst round, send up Chris/Hugo for melee attacks on Sarah. If Hugo is FlameChamp have Chris cast Kindness Drops on Geddoe if he's hurt. Have Geddoe castThunder Storm (3rd level spell). This will wipe out all the Chimeras andpretty much everyone else to boot. Usually only Sarah and Yuber are leftstanding. You can take the Masked Bishop and Sarah's spells if they both getthem off with the Sacrificial Jizos equipped. In the second round, castSoaring Bolt with Geddoe's True Lightning to finish off Sarah then take outYuber with Chris and Hugo.

If Geddoe is Flame Champion, have him cast Explosion and center it on Yuber.Heal him with Chris' Kindness Drops if he was hurt in the last fight. If notsend her/Hugo to attack Sarah. All the Chimera should be gone in the nextround. After that, go for Final Flame on Sarah if she's still alive or theMasked Bishop if she's already down. Heal with Kindness Drops/Rain from Chriswhen necessary. If Geddoe runs out of Final Flame, use Blazing Wall on theenemy farthest away from him.

The battle with the Masked Bishop and co. does not need to be won-the storywill continue regardless if you won or lost. When the battle's over, you'llget a cutscene and wake up to have a conversation with one of your teammates.Exit and stay/save at the inn.

Some changes to note before we continue with the story.

-The money of your main characters was pooled after chapter 3, meaning you very likely have 999,999 potch right now.

-The warehouses at Lake Castle, Brass Castle, and Caleria now have enough space to store 210 items. Credit to Dazarath for this info. All your items have also been pooled together and placed in the warehouse. You can use all the storage areas now no matter who you picked for Flame Champion.

-Sebastian is no longer responsible for switching out party members at Lake Castle-it will now be Anne and she'll be at the tavern where Nadir and Nei/Shabon/Toppo are.

Exit the inn and head to the very front of the village. The leaders of Zexenand the Grasslands will be gathered there. Walk up to them to trigger acutscene. When that's over, head back into the village. If you want toadvance the story now, talk to Salome (Chris), Caesar (Hugo), or Ace (Geddoe).You can actually leave Chisha if you want but the only other places open onthe map will be Duck Village, Alma Kinan, and the Flame Champion Hideaway.

If Chris is not your Flame Champion, skip ahead to the next paragraph. IfChris is Flame Champion, talk to Sana and put Leo, Roland, Borus, Rico, andMio in your party. If you got Mio with Thomas, take Barts instead. You'llnotice that your Knights have gone up close to your level and they have betterequipment than when you last had them in chapter 2. It's a good idea to getenough skill points for Leo to raise his Armor Protect to at least an A+ (Swould be great but not necessary). If you have the patience, level up Borus'Swing to a B, you may have to forget the Repel skill to add it but it's worthit to give him 2 hits/turn. Take this party to the Flame Champ Hideaway tofight the Azzodess and random encounters there. Those battles will be tough,but winnable. If you run into a party with the purple ball monsters with lotsof eyes (I forget their name) just do your best to escape. Visit Alma Kinanwhen you're done to raise your skill levels. While you're at Alma Kinan, putthe Firefly Rune you got from Rody on to Leo. Remove Roland's Great Hawk Rune.Head to Duck Village, buy 2 Skunk Runes, and put them on Roland and Borus.Exit back to Chisha. Buy a Sacrificial Jizo for Chris, Borus, Leo, and Rolandand equip them.

Talk to the person (Salome, Ace, or Caesar) you need to so you can advance thestory. They'll ask if you're going to join the battle. Agree to do so. IfChris is FC, just hit OK for the formation-the next strategy battle won't takelong. After you agree to join, the strategy battle will begin.

This battle is unwinnable-after the third turn 2 Harmonian Units will continueto appear each turn thereafter on any open circle. You will have a maximum of8 units and there are 11 circles, so there's no way to keep the Harmoniansfrom re-spawning. In addition, at about the 10th turn Lucia will telleverybody to retreat, even if you've wiped every Harmonian unit off the map.Therefore, just get this battle over with as quickly as you can by sending thefirst five Grassland units up against the Harmonians-they'll get defeated quitebadly. I don't believe there's any way to lose your characters permanentlyif they go down in this fight, either.

After the strategy battle, you'll go back to Duck Village for an extendedcutscene. Go to the inn next to see a meeting between the Zexen and Grasslandleaders. Exit to the front of the village where you'll learn the Harmoniansare on the move again. Another cutscene follows between Chris and Dupa.

If Chris is not your Flame Champion skip to the next paragraph. Caesar willwalk up to tell you he has a plan. When you get to the dialogue option withSalome, pick the 2nd choice to plan a formation. I suggest you put Borus, Leo,Roland, and Chris in one unit (Leo up front, Borus in the middle, Roland inthe back with Chris) and Percival and Salome in the other. When Salome asks

again, pick the 3rd choice to ask him to wait. Go save your game at the inn.Come back and tell Salome you're ready to go with the 1st choice. Skip thenext paragraph to continue.

Apple or Caesar will come up to you to tell you they have a plan. Agree tohear them out. You'll find out that they believe half of the Harmonian Armyis just illusions. When Caesar asks if you're ready tell him to wait. IfHugo is FC, talk to Apple and put in Hallec, Mua, and Fubar into your party.Go to the inn and save. Come back and tell Caesar you're ready now.

At the start of the next strategy battle, you just have to hold on for about4-6 turns. To get it over with as quickly as possible, move Units 1, 2, and4 into the far northwestern circle and units 3 and 5 into the far southwesterncircle. Only fight with the Duck Units if possible and heal with Dupa whenyou can. Franz and a Mantor unit will show up in turn 2 or 3. Sarah will thenconjure more units and one turn thereafter Chris will show up to tell theGrasslanders to fall back.

If Chris is not your FC, skip to the next paragraph. You'll just have to stayalive for 3 turns. When it's your turn, move Chris' Unit into the far SWcircle. Leave Salome/Percival where they are and have them defend. When it'sthe enemy's turn, just retreat Salome/Percival if they get attacked. If Chrisgets attacked, go ahead and fight-her unit matches up very well because thatFirefly Rune you stuck on Leo means the Harmonians will idiotically try toattack him first and do hardly any damage. If they get lucky, you've got theSacrificial Jizos to give you some leeway. Chris will also get HP back forher unit at the start of her turn. At the next turn, use Chris' Fire Rune tohit the circle with the most enemy units on it that are adjacent to her. HaveSalome/Percival only defend again and use Chris' unit to take the attacks.Keep doing this until Sarah's unit retreats and you withdraw yourself for aSafe Retreat. No loot this time around. In case you got Chris up to level 99and were wiping out everyone, you still can't win this battle outright becauseSarah's HP won't drop below 1/2 so Safe Retreat is the best possible outcome.Everyone will head back to Brass Castle afterward. Skip the next paragraph tocontinue.

You will advance to the back of the battlefield where you'll spot Sarahconjuring the illusions. You'll have to beat back 2 groups of Harmonian troopswho aren't much problem at all. If Geddoe is your FC, just use Blazing Wall.After dispatching them, you'll go up against Sarah. To win this battle youdon't have to take out Sarah herself-just all of her Harmonian guards. Ifyou're Hugo, use Aila's Shield Rune/Sgt. Joe's Water rune to heal and focus onthe guards-it shouldn't take you more than 2 turns to take them out. If you'reGeddoe, just cast Blazing Wall and mop up. When the battle's over, Yuber willpop up again and your party will head back to Brass Castle.

To advance the story, head to the Knight's Parlor. An extended cutscene willfollow. If you're Chris, head back to your room to talk with Louis. If you'reHugo, go to the far eastern part of Brass Castle to talk with Sgt. Joe. Ifyou're Geddoe, head to the west courtyard to talk with your group.

When you're given the dialogue options, pick whichever ones you feel like.After your conversation, go to the east courtyard of Brass Castle to advancethe story. Your FC will make a speech. You'll then get the choice whether ornot you want to take the name of the previous FC. If you prefer just to keepyour own name (i.e. Chris, Hugo, or Geddoe) pick the option "I will be FlameChampion". Caesar will then tell you it's time to organize your units for astrategy battle. This is the setup I used regardless of FC:

Leo Borus ----- Ace ShibaQueen Fred Dupa Fubar Sgt. JoeRoland Jacques ----- Percival BazbaChris Geddoe ----- Hugo Lucia(Caesar) (Apple) (Beecham) (Salome) (Joker)

About these units. Your FC will have a Fire Skill attack and either Geddoe orHugo will have a Lightning Skill attack. You'll need 3 good units that cantake down enemy units so I choose to shift the best groups into Chris, Hugo,and Geddoe's command. After you've picked your formation, pick the 3rd choiceto ask Caesar to wait. Go to the inn and save then come back to tell him you're ready.

At the start of the strategy battle, your FC will have a conversation with theHarmonian commander. Some Harmonian units will leave and only 7 are leftagainst your 5. During your first turn, move the unit with Lightning and FireSkills together into the circle one move right from the starting point. Putthe other units together in the circle below them. If you ever need to heal,you can now move back just one circle to the starting point-this also preventsthe enemy from being able to attack with Cover help. I'm quite sure you can'tlose anyone permanently in this battle, too.

The two main enemy units to be concerned with are Yuber's and Sasarai's. Youwon't have to take on Sasarai in the field (his unit is just made up of 4Regular Harmonian troops) but he has two Lightning Skill attacks that knock out1/4 of your unit's health every time he casts it. The units commanded by Dios,Albert, and Sasarai don't have a commander-to beat them you'll have to take outall 4 Harmonians. I use my Lightning and Fire Skill both on Yuber's unit-he'sthe most dangerous when you actually get to the field battle. Sasarai almostalways will cast his Lightning attacks on 2 different units but if he hits oneunit with both of them, pull them back immediately. Chris' unit is the bestfor attack because of Leo and his Firefly Rune, followed by Hugo and Geddoe.

You can beat their 7 units with just these 3 with mop-up help from Lucia's unitto attack enemy units that have been already hurt. You can still score a MajorVictory even if one of your units is wiped out (I just played it and lostLucia's team) if you're able to take out the enemy's units before yourreinforcements arrive. After the 5-6th turn, units lead by Thomas, Hallec, andMua will show up. I always beat the Harmonians before they arrive, though. Ifyou get a Major Victory, you get a Silver Shield.

After this hard fought win, an extended cutscene plays out showing the newalliance and your team. The Tinto group will then show up and formally join.Head up to the Knights' Parlor to see all the sides join up as the new FireBringer under your FC's leadership. A new headquarters will be chosen andyou'll be asked to pick a team for going there. This is the last chance youwill get to put Hugo, Geddoe, and Chris in the same party until the very endof the game-as soon as you go to Lake Castle they can't be in the same partyuntil then. This also applies to putting Lucia into your party.

Once you leave Brass Castle every place you've visited so far will now beavailable on your World Map. The connecting road from Great Hollow to the eastside of Brass Castle isn't there though for some reason. A new spot will alsoopen that's right outside of Iksay and Lake Castle-the Tablet of Stars. Youcan go there to view how many stars out of the 108 you have. It's a good ideato check it after each strategy battle to see if anyone's dead. A character ispermanently dead if their name is in red on the Tablet of Stars. Yun's namewill be red but that's okay because she's supposed to die for story reasons.If you want to swap out party members before going to Lake Castle, talk to

Apple in the Knights' Parlor.

To advance the story, head to Lake Castle. Another cutscene will follow assoon as you enter. If you opted not to play through Thomas' chapters, the newFC will get to rename Budehuc Castle. Some notes about changes to Lake Castle.You can access the fifth flame at the Trinity Site now by going up to Korokuand talking to him. You will then have the option to control him and walkaround as the dog. Nothing special, really, other than hearing someinteresting comments here and there and running Kathy's track. There's asuggestion box by Arthur's bulletin which periodically will have notes fromyour group to you. The other main characters are all out on the ship-they'rein the three rooms opposite where Belle and Gadget Z are, at the bottom of thestairs. Now that your roster has expanded, giving the plays a whirl bytalking to Nadir can eat up a lot of your time as you watch all the differentpossible combinations. Clara has put up a Theater FAQ here at gamefaqs withall the dialogue from these plays if you want to read them.

When you're ready to move the story forward, put together a serviceable partybut include Sgt. Joe in it. By serviceable I mean just a party that you knowwon't have problems surviving random battles. Talk to Anne at the tavern(where Nadir is) to put together your group and head to the front entrance.You'll get a funny scene involving a new recruit, Cecile, and Juan. The newrecruit is Jefferson and he's the Appointer; you should give all the Medal Setsyou've found to him. He's located in the same room as Mike, which is on thefirst floor of Lake Castle to the right of the elevator. Once you give him theMedal Sets, talk to Jefferson and you can give all your regular party members(those that aren't just for support) titles that boost certain skills. Whenmajor battles come up, it's a good idea to make sure you've used theseappointments.

According to an e-mail that Dallas Strimple sent me, Jefferson won't show up atthe front gate if Juan is in your party. This would also probably apply tohaving Cecile in your party as well. Thanks to Dallas Strimple for thisinformation and Fate for confirming it.

Exit Lake Castle to the World Map and head to the Great Hollow. You will seeJimba enter the path to the Ancient Highway. Follow him and when you get tothe center you'll get a cutscene. Enter the door and your party will have abrief chat. Exit and leave the Ancient Highway to the eastern side toward DuckVillage. When you get to the World Map, go to Duck Village. Talk to Rhett andWilder at their usual spot by the left waterwheel. You'll see a chat betweenthem and Sgt. Joe. Rhett and Wilder will be recruited following this talk. Goto the Rune Shop and talk to the little girl playing with the dog to get aThunder Rune. Talk to the Alma Kinan woman sitting to the left of the Tutor'scounter to get the Silver Hammer.

Exit Duck Village and head to the Mt. Path. Go up the path as you normallywould. Just as you get past the clearing, Viki will fall out of the sky. Pickthe second dialogue choice to recruit her. Accept her offer by picking thefirst choice so you can go back to Lake Castle. Viki will now be located tothe immediate right of the elevator (next to Mike/Jefferson's room) and youcan teleport anywhere you want with her-but you'll need an item to get backto Lake Castle. If you had loaded Suikoden II data, Viki would come at a levelcloser to what you had left her in that game. Talk to Anne and put Viki inyour party and Mio in as support. Walk back to Viki's spot in front of themirror and she'll appear. Ask her to teleport you to Mt. Path. On occasion,Viki will mess up and teleport you to the front entrance of Lake Castle.

Head up the Mt. Path just like you did before. When you reach the same spotpast the clearing again, Small Viki will appear. When you get a dialogue

choice, pick the first one to recruit Small Viki. You'll also receive theBlinking Mirror (BM). This item can be accessed by going to your Item menu,then to Event Items, and then picking BM. The mirror will instantly take youback to Lake Castle but you can only use it on the World Map.

Exit the Mt. Path to the left and use the BM. You'll get a cutscene withCecile telling you to go to the meeting hall. Go there to get filled in onwhat's going on with Harmonia and Jimba. Going back to the Cyndar Ruins willadvance the story but there's no need to rush-you can take as much time as youlike before going back there. Instead, I suggest you go ahead and recruit thelast possible non-automatic stars.

Talk to big Viki and teleport to Caleria. Exit Caleria and head to the easternside of the Mt. Path. Walk up the path about 3/4 of the way and you'll seeFutch standing off to the side (it's opposite where the herbs usually grow).When he asks, pick the first choice to tell him you know the area. After aquickie cutscene, you'll be back in Caleria. Head into Caleria and you'll seeSharon walking toward the back of town. Follow her to get another quick scene.Head to the far corner directly opposite from the Item Stand. When Sharonruns away again, go to the front entrance of town. Futch, Sharon, and Brightwill then join. If you loaded Suikoden II data, Futch's level would've beendetermined just like big Viki's. Futch and Bright form a mounted unit if youpair them together in your formation.

Exit Caleria to the World Map then use the BM to go home. Teleport to Chishanext. Head to the inn and go downstairs. Go right on this screen and enterthe 2nd doorway up. Talk to Tuta and he'll reunite with Mio. Tuta will thenjoin your group. That's it for all the non-automatic recruits. If you checkthe Tablet of Stars you should have 93/108 at this point. If you played inthe suggested order and recruited based on my suggestions, then went to Thomas'chapters and decided not to play through them, you're probably missing Kenji,Twaikin, Augustine, and Mel. If this happened to you, here's how to recruitthem so you don't have to dig back through the Walkthrough:

1. Mel, Iksay Village. Talk to her and suggest she go to Lake Castle.2. Augustine, VdZ outside the Armor Shop. Buy a Rose Brooch, a Rarity at the Iksay Item Shop, and give it to him.3. Twaikin, Great Hollow. At the main area on the first floor, take the SE exit on your mini-map. Go through the next screen to exit. At the screen after, head to the far left and talk to Twaikin. When the lizard guard asks, say "Nothing" then recruit him.4. Kenji, Yaza Plain. If you're entering Yaza from Lake Castle's side, he's to the middle and far left of the screen. Talk to him, exercise then ask for water and he'll join.

This is now what I call "roaming" time-when you can level up who you want, goshopping where you want, fight whatever treasure boss you want, watch plays,whatever you want to do pretty much. You will want to deliver all the itemsfor Barts, Peggi (the Silver Hammer), Eike, Jefferson, Mamie, and Nadir. ForMamie, if you want to try out her recipes, also pick up 1 each of the spicesshe'll need to make different foods. These spices are Salt, Red Pepper, SoySauce, Mayonnaise, and Sugar and can be found at the various Trade Shops.

VERY IMPORTANT-I highly suggest you train up the Pale Gate Magic skill oneither big or small Viki or Estella and give them the Pale Gate Rune. It willbe a huge help in beating a boss later in chapter 4. In case you missed it,you can get a Pale Gate Rune by talking to the little girl in the Iksay ItemShop. You can also find one as a rare random treasure on the first corpse(closer to the entrance) at the Flame Champ Hideaway. You'll only need one.

You will definitely also want to get the Prosperity Set now. The Tunic can bewon as a random item for the 5,000 bet for Billy's game, the Prosperity Ringand Hat are Rarity at the Chisha Item Shop and Armor Shop, respectively.Estella also comes with the Prosperity Hat. Put all three items on onecharacter and put Elliot in as Support-his potch finder ability is the best ata C. Go to the Flame Champ Hideaway and fight the Copper Sun monsters. Inabout 10-15 minutes, you'll have 999,999 potch. The Flame Champ Hideaway isalso your best bet for skill and experience points with random encounters inchapter 4 so you kill 2 birds with one stone. Thanks to Abraxas again for theProsperity Set method.

sim st-pierre e-mailed me with this helpful tip to get money in chapters 4-5:

"hi, i checked a bit ur walkthrough. i just want to say that when it comes to money, there's something really really easy to do. with the trade centers. simply buy a lot of gold bars and pearls. lets say 15 gold bars and 30 pearls. gold bars can be bought at caleria and vinay del zexay and pearls at budehuc and another place. anyway, get as much as u can and go to caleria. {for the pearls, if u can have the rumor about a town being a sea something,cant remember, u can get a lot of pearls for less than 10000)

sell all ur gold bar and buy all the pearls at caleria(do the oposite if gold bars are low, 25000 and below) well when u come back in, lets say, 10 minutes, the ones u sold will be pretty low(gold bars are suposed to be 15000 and pearls are 13333, depends which u sold) and the other should be high. anyway i was doing, one time i was selling my gold bar a around 60000 and buying the pearls at 13333, and when i come back, i was selling my pearls at 30000 and buying my gold bars at 15000. so with not much time, u can get a lot of money. if u want u can do the same thing with deer antlers, then are sold a 2500 and bought at 7000-10000.

the trick is that the trade is having a lot of one item so they drop the price and when its very low u buy it, after it will rise greatly. takes not much time for the price to change. so u do something, u teleport to caleria, u buy/sell u come back. takes about 10 minutes for each set of cash. i was doing this at the same time i was forging everyone and equiping after. it works as long as u want, the game is too stupid. (at one point, i had 25 gold bars and 40 pearls, i was selling like 23 goldbars and i had 1 million this include the rebuy of the pearls. same thing with pearls, selling 35 and had 1 million with the rebuy of the gold bars.)

this is the easiest and fastest way i think to make money, because the card games sucks. u get the hang of it pretty fast(i had the pearls and gold barsaccumulated since the beginning of the game.)"

Thanks to sim st-pierre for this tip.

In terms of other notable items you can pick up, in Iksay the man leaning onthe house to the left of the screen as you come to the main part of the villagewill give you Tomato Seeds. On the screen with the windmill, a man along thepath will give you Recipe #9. A woman to the left of the screen up by thewindmill itself will give you Recipe #11. In Caleria, the woman from Le Buqueby the bar will give you Recipe #15. In Chisha, climb the ladder at theAppraisal shop and talk to the woman there-she will give you a Cyclone Rune.If Chris is FC, you'll have to wait until chapter 5 to get this since Chriscan't climb ladders while wearing Knight armor. The Sirens in the Cyndar Ruinsarea drop Thunder Runes.

You can now get the 4 non-star dogs. You can start recruiting them after youget Koroku and you don't have to have any of the dogs in your party to recruit

the others (unlike the squirrels from Suikoden II). I believe you _do_ have toget them in the order listed below because it's how Kidd scouts them:

-Koichi, North Cavern He's halfway up on the second screen from the entrance, to the right behind a barrel.

-Connie, Great Hollow Take the same SE exit you did when getting Twaikin. Exit that path and take the middle exit on this screen on your mini- map. Go up the pathway a little and she's lying right on the path.

-Kosanji, Mt. Senai From the entrance, keep going north a few screens until you can take the path that exits right on the mini-map. Follow it out and you'll come to a cliff. Wander the edge of the cliff to the bottom of the screen and you'll see him struggling up the cliffside (just keep hitting X as you wander the edge if you can't see him).

-Kogoro, Cyndar Ruins From the main entrance to the Ruins where there's 3 pathways and a blue save crystal, take the left path. On the next screen, take the first left on your mini-map. When you get to the dead end square, look to the top right corner. You'll see a sliver of a black tail--this is the final non-star dog. Talk to him after he's through dancing to adopt. You'll be going to the Cyndar Ruins later so you can wait until then to get him if you like.

Here's a list of things to keep in mind about "roaming" time:

-Make it a point to visit all the Rune, Item, and Armor Shops so their regularstock will be available at your shops in Lake Castle. Do this in chapter 4 andagain at the beginning of chapter 5. If Chris is FC, go to the Guild Hall inVdZ and make sure to visit the Armor Shop-they have different Armor of theCustom variety which is some of the best you can get. If Chris is not FC,you'll have to wait until chapter 5 before you can visit the Guild Hall.

-The notable Rarity armor includes TrueThunderbolt Leather (Caleria and BrassCastle), Windspun Armor (Le Buque), Pale Moon Casque (Le Buque), Chaos Shield(Brass Castle), Yellow Scarf (VdZ Item). The TT Leather is the best non-Knightarmor in the game, IMHO. The Windspun Armor is only for Knights and gives thebest defense boost at +120, but it's incredibly rare. The Chaos Shield booststhe Shield Protect skill by 1 grade as well as a +32 boost to defense. TheYellow Scarf will become a regular item in chapter 5 at VdZ.

-The notable Rarity items include Killer/Counter Runes (Alma Kinan), HunterRune (VdZ Guild Hall Item), Hazy Rune (Duck Village/Alma Kinan), WhiteRoseBrooch (Caleria Item). The Killer/Counter runes at Alma Kinan become regularitems in chapter 5. The WhiteRose Brooch can only be worn by Augustine andboosts his Swing by two grade levels. He can equip up to 3 of these. TheRarity Item DragonTail Ornament found at Great Hollow is for the Lizard Clanfighters. The Rarity Item LionGod Ring at Chisha is for a character you'llbe getting later.

-The Gold Hammer, which allows Peggi to sharpen weapons to their highest levelat 16, is a Rarity at Iksay Village. It's never shown up for me until late inchapter 5, though.

-To save yourself time, do things in chunks. That is, buy your charactersgear/sharpen their weapons until you run out of money, use the Prosperity Setto get more money and level up characters, then come back to buy/sharpen again.

When you do this, make use of the O button. At every shop including the Tutorand bujutsu teacher, you can access your entire roster with the O button. Forexample, let's say you want to buy everyone a Premier Casque that can wear one.Go to the Armor Shop to talk to Dominic, select Buy, press O, and voila, youcan now buy whatever item you want for anyone you want. It works the same wayfor leveling skills and sharpening weapons. Talk to Juan, pick Lesson, pressO, and you can now teach your entire roster. You can also do this with Mutoand all the items in your warehouse. This is a huge time saver so you don'thave to swap people out 5 at a time through Anne to do what you want with them.

-On the same note as the last tip, every time you go on a spending spree, bringMartha. Her discount support skill is tops in the game at a B and this willsave you a ton of money in the long run. She doesn't discount on sharpeningweapons, though.

-In terms of what's satisfactory gear and how high you should level up, you canbreak your roster into two distinct groups. One group will fight strategybattles and the other group won't. The characters that are directly involvedin strategy battles (meaning you see them on the battle screens):

Ace Dupa Hallec Mua Sergeant JoeAugustine Edge Hugo Percival SharonBazba Emily Jacques Queen ShibaBorus Fred Landis Reed ThomasBright Fubar Leo Roland TwaikinCecile Futch Lilly Samus Viki (Big)Chris Geddoe Lucia Sanae Y Wan Fu

You'll want to level up 20 of these characters to give you 5 really good attackgroups for the later strategy battles. For the purpose of the strategybattles, you only need Armor that's around level 60 (stuff like Blessed Leatherand Blessed Chainmail are fine). In terms of level, 52 is very good and won'ttake long to get to by fighting the Copper Suns at the Flame Champ Hideaway.Keep in mind that all of these characters already come with a set number ofskill points that you can use up by visiting Ernie and Juan then making use ofthe O button to train all of them at once. You can also visit Peggi and hit Oto sharpen everyone's weapon as well. Level 12 is good enough. The SilverHammer you got allows you to level up to 15.

-Although only the characters above participate in strategy battles, the restof your roster are still quite useful because they can participate in the laterboss battles. In this regard, level up and customize whoever you want. Youwill want 3-4 characters leveled up to be used as healers. That is, characterswho are at least a B+ in Water or Shield Magic. The game truly lends itself sothat you can beat the boss battles with practically any party combination sohave fun with it and try out whoever you want.

-The three people I always like to level up are Nei, Juan, and Emily. As I'vestated before, I believe Juan and Emily are the two best fighters in the game.Nei's Chant Magic is the best in the game and her Magic Resistance skillnaturally goes up to an S. The final bosses are primarily magic users so she'snot as vulnerable as most other magic casters with this skill. Juan's highbujutsu skill (which aids group melee attacks) and Nei's Song of Madness willallow you to do ungodly amounts of damage. It's not unusual to have Juan andEmily do 5,000-8,000 pts. of damage EACH in a single turn once you max outtheir Swing, Heavy Damage, and Continual Attack skills. The only drawback withthis is you have to invest a lot of skill points to raise them up properly.You'll also want to put a Yellow Scarf on Juan so he's awake at the start ofbattle and doesn't lose a turn. You can counteract his lost berserk statuswith a Fury Rune.

-A good default skill for the boss battles of chapter 4 and 5 is MagicResistance. If you have an empty skill slot and don't really have a preferencefor a skill, this is the most useful. Some of your characters also can wearthe accessory Gold Emblem, which boosts this skill by 1 grade level. It is aRarity at Brass Castle and the VdZ Guild Hall.

That's it for "roaming" time. There's nothing special about the treasure bossmonsters in chapter 4 in terms of strategy. If your party's around level 45or better, you won't have much problem taking the bosses out as long as youkeep yourself healed. The notable loot I got after doing 2 sweeps in chapter4:

Mt. Hei-Tou: ?FigurineNorth Cavern: Stone of Luck, ?StatueMt. Path: Stone of Speed, Drain Rune, Resistance Ring, 2 ?PaintingsMt. Senai: 2 ?StatuesFlame Champ Hideaway: Nothing

Nothing too great, huh? The best treasure boss gear pops up in chapter 5. Ona very rare occasion, you can get a Balance Rune for the Mt. Path boss. On 4playthroughs I've only been able to get it once. It prevents your characterfrom ever becoming unbalanced. This is great for characters whose Runes makethem unbalanced (such as Ace's Double Tusk) or they become unbalanced afterdoing a combo (such as Thomas).

When you want to make the story progress, put together a party with a healer,whoever has the Pale Gate Rune, and three other characters that you feelconfident you can win with. I personally took my FC, Juan, Nei, Emily, andbig Viki. All of them were around level 53. Before you head out, you can talkwith Jefferson to boost certain skills like Accuracy, Swing, Damage, etc. bygiving the characters in your party his titles. Go back to the Ancient Highwayand head through the open doorway. Save at the blue crystal. As you make yourway through this dungeon, save at least 4 first level spells for whoever hasthe Pale Gate Rune. Remember that you can use an Escape Scroll to go back tothe exit if you want.

Take the left path first. On the next screen, take the first left on yourmini-map. When you get to the dead end square, look to the top right corner.You'll see a sliver of a black tail-this is the final non-star dog. Talk to itand adopt it if you didn't get it earlier. Go back and take the second left onyour mini-map. Follow it to the end and you'll see a corpse. Loot it for arandom item. Go back and take the north exit on your mini-map.

On the next screen, take the first right on your mini-map. Head to the deadend area to the southeast. There's another corpse in this square dead end. Ifyou loaded Suikoden II data, you would get Script #5. If not, it's anotherrandom treasure. Backtrack your way to the starting point where the blue savecrystal is. Take the right path this time. On the next screen, take thesecond exit to the right. Follow it then take a right (don't exit the screennorth). Follow the path over the stairs to the dead end to the southeast onyour mini-map. There's another corpse here that has Old Book Vol. 4.Backtrack one screen. Take the first exit to the right this time. That is,if you were just entering from the area with the blue crystal, it would be yourfirst right.

Follow this path around until it exits north. Keep following it until you exitthe screen to the very top north (by taking a left diagonal route on the mini-map). On the next screen will be a blue save crystal. Save your game. Gonorth and you'll run into Sarah again. She will summon 2 Chimera and 2 Ghost

Armor to help her fight you. This battle's not tough-you can win it just bytaking out the summoned monsters without laying a hand on Sarah. As long asyou heal from her magic attacks you'll be fine. You get an Armor of Rage whenyou win. A cutscene will follow and you'll end up in an area of mist, ice, andhorrible slowdown.

Make sure everyone's healed up. When you get halfway past the screen you'lltrigger another boss fight-the True Water Rune Dragon. This boss can be verydifficult because of its multiple attacks. However, with the Pale Gate Rune's1st level spell, Open Gate, you can take out all the icicles in one shot. Oncethey're gone, you can concentrate on the dragon itself. If you lost the PaleGate Rune or didn't get one, this battle becomes very hard but still winnable.You'll have to keep your party healed each turn and concentrate on taking outthe icicles one at a time. The dragon can re-spawn them but when it does itwon't be able to do its primary magic attack. Just keep hacking away andit'll go down. You get a Flowing Rune once you win. The Flowing Rune's 4thlevel spell is Mother Ocean-which will revive characters who've been knockedout in battles. There's an indepth strategy to beat this boss in section 9uin case you have more trouble.

Keep going north to trigger a very extended cutscene involving the 3 maincharacters, Lucia, and Jimba. If Chris is FC, she has an extra scene insidethe giant True Water Rune Seal. Hugo or Chris will then receive the True Water Rune and Caesar says it's time to go back to Lake Castle. At the TrinitySite save your game. Select chapter 5 for any of the 3 main characters-itdoesn't matter who you pick.

Dupa [78/108]Bazba [79/108]Shiba [80/108]Beecham [81/108]Lilly [82/108]Reed [83/108]Samus [84/108]Jefferson [85/108]*Rhett [86/108]*Wilder [87/108]*Big Viki [88/108]*Small Viki [89/108]*Futch [90/108]*Bright [91/108]*Sharon [92/108]*Tuta [93/108]*

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------4p. Chapter 5

Sebastian will greet you in a short cutscene. He will then ask if you want torest. I strongly recommend you pick the 2nd choice so you can roam. Pickingthe first choice will advance the story. Nash will be unavailable for a whileto your battle party. Once again, take the time to go around to all the shopsto put new stock in your shops at Lake Castle. The items of note:

-Alma Kinan's Item Shop now has Killer Runes as regular items. Le Buque's ItemStand has Counter Runes and their Rune Shop has Double Strike. The VdZ ItemShop has Yellow Scarf.

IMPORTANT: If Geddoe is your Flame Champion, you'll want to get 5 Fire SealingRunes. These runes negate all fire damage. The Troll Dragons at Yaza Plaindrop them. If you got the Hunter Rune, affix it to someone with lots of

attacks like Emily and get the runes. Alternatively, just put Kidd in forsupport and roam around fighting them. It's not essential to do this, but itcan make Geddoe's battles in ch. 5 easier because it allows him to use all hisFire attacks without worry of damaging his own party.

After fighting the treasure bosses twice, these were the notable items I got:

-Cyndar Ruins (head all the way to the ice area): 2 Champion's Runes, EarthShield, Recipe #17, ?Statue

-Mt. Senai: Stone of MGC-DEF, Horned Helm, Chain Attack Ring, Recipe #18,2 ?Figurines

-Mt. Path: Flame Casque, Rage Rune, Dragon Scale, Earth Shield, ?Painting,Dream Robe, Recipe #20

-North Cavern: ?Statue

-Mt. Hei-Tou: ?Painting

-Flame Champ Hideaway: Nothing

When you affix the Champion's Rune to someone in your party, all the battleswhere you have the option to "Let Go" will no longer appear. This makes longhikes through areas with weak enemies such as the North Cavern much quicker.The Chain Attack Ring and Dragon Scale each boost the wearer's Continual Attackskill by 1 level. I generally give both to Hugo. The Dream Robe can only beworn by magic users and halves an enemy's ATK rating if the wearer is hit. Itsdefense boost of +83 is the best for all tunics/robes.

The strategy battles will be coming up soon so make sure you level up, equip,and sharpen weapons for the characters you'll want to use in them. If you wantto give yourself some leeway, talk to Gordon and buy a Sacrificial Jizo foranyone on the strategy battle roster you may feel is vulnerable (remember touse the O button to access your entire group). Good default runes for yourcharacters are Killer, Counter, and Haziness.

When you're ready to advance the story, talk to Sebastian in your room and tellhim you are tired. Everything from here on out happens the same no matter whois FC. A cutscene in Harmonia follows. When you have control of your FCagain, head out to the front entrance where Cecile stands to advance the story.When the cutscene ends, go back to the main house and you'll have a meetingabout what's happened. Geddoe will volunteer to take the mission and takes hisoriginal six group.

If Geddoe is FC, I highly recommend you take Jeane with you as support. HerRune Sage ability aids in the speed of your group's spell casting and this willhelp a lot, especially if Geddoe's grade in fire magic is only a B+ or A. Thebad part about this is Jeane won't be at Lake Castle for a while since she'swith Geddoe. The good part is, Jeane is a mobile rune shop so you can affix orremove runes anywhere you want-meaning you don't have to affix any Fire Sealingrunes you got right this instant but can wait until later when the majorbattles happen.

If Geddoe is not FC, take one of the support people with high healing skilllike Mio, Tuta, or Goro.

Viki will now be unavailable for teleportation so anything you want to do atLake Castle you should do now before heading out with Geddoe's team. If youlike equipping your team with Sacrificial Jizos for major fights, I advise you

to buy them now at Lake Castle. You'll also want to boost any skills with Juanand Ernie since you won't get a convenient chance once you get far away fromLake Castle. You should also make use of Jefferson's appointments for Geddoeand his team as well. Don't take the Flowing Rune you got earlier with thisgroup-it'll come in handy for something later.

When you're ready to go with Geddoe, head to Plain Amur. If Chris is your FCand you want to get a Cyclone Rune, go to Chisha Village first. Climb theladder at the Appraiser shop and talk to the woman up there to get the Rune.To advance the story, head to the Mt. Path to get to Le Buque. You'll have tofight the Twin Head Snake Boss probably but he won't be any trouble. If youwant to fight him again later in the chapter, loot the entire chest. Once youget close to Le Buque, you'll trigger another cutscene. Keep heading thereuntil you exit to the World Map.

Go to Le Buque and a cutscene will play out. Head to the middle of town foranother cutscene. Go to Iku's house (the one by the inn) next. Head insideafter Franz goes in there for another conversation. When you have control ofGeddoe again, climb down the Mantor platform and Stay/Save at the inn. ExitLe Buque and go to Mt. Senai.

After the cutscene, save at the blue crystal. Don't use Geddoe's higher levelspells and do your best to keep Aila/Joker's healing spells. Make your way tothe very back of the cave where you normally fight the treasure boss. Beforeyou exit out of the tunnel to get to that room, make sure all your equipmentis ready (Sacrificial Jizos/Fire Sealing runes) and your health is maximum.The formation I used:

QueenGeddoeJacquesAilaAceJoker(Jeane/Tuta for Support)

Once you reach the room, a cutscene will occur and you'll end up in a fightwith Sarah and Luc. If Geddoe is your FC, skip to the next paragraph. Thisbattle isn't hard with the TLR. Just cast Thunder Storm twice and it'll beover. Use Aila/Jacques against Sarah and have Ace do his Double Tusk on Luc.Heal when you need to and the battle will be over in short order. Skip pastthe next paragraph to continue.

The other monsters aren't really a problem-they're just there to get betweenyou and Luc/Sarah. You'll want to take out at least Sarah in the first round.You can either go for the 4th level spell which is quite slow unless Geddoehas an A+ in Fire Magic or you can opt for the 3rd level spell, Final Flame,and use it on Sarah. Either way, you'll likely have to take at least one magicattack. In the first round, use Jacques/Aila against Sarah and have Ace doDouble Tusk on Luc. Heal yourself in the next round then use Final Flame onwhoever's still standing with Luc/Sarah. Mop up the rest for the victory.

After the victory you'll get a WindMagic Ring. A cutscene will follow andthere's no way to stop Luc from what he does. When you have control of Geddoeagain, heal up your party if they're banged up. Head to the tunnel and exitit. A cutscene will ensue and you'll be plunged into a series of battles.You can win these with just your melee attacks. For the first battle, use thefamiliar formula of Jacques' Boronda Hawk and the Mercenary A combo with Aceand Joker then mop up. Do the same with the second battle and keep your teamhealed up if you have Jeane instead of Tuta for support. A third battle will

ensue and again, the same formula works.

When the third battle's over, you'll be given a dialogue choice. NEVER choosethe option to leave the townspeople behind-you will lose 7 Stars of Destinyforever if you do so. If you want to rest up, pick the second choice ("Returnto the room")-there's no penalty for doing this. If you want to continue, goahead and pick the first choice. The next fight is a little easier so I justuse Jacques' Boronda Hawk then regular melee attacks with everyone else. Afterthis fight, pick the first choice again ("We can't just run away"). The nextfight is a little tougher but nothing you can't handle if you've made it thisfar. When this fight ends, pick the dialogue choice again to NOT leave thetownspeople behind.

A familiar face will then show up to offer help. When you get a dialoguechoice, pick either one-it won't change anything although if you'd ratherGeddoe not swallow his pride, pick the first option. A cutscene will followwith your team. Head back to Le Buque. If you're wondering, there's nothingleft storywise to do in Mt. Senai-if you go back to where you fought Luc andSarah it's just the treasure boss like normal.

When you get to Le Buque, head into town to get another cutscene. My onlycomment for that scene is that Geddoe is THE MAN. When it's over, you'll beback at the Trinity Site and asked to pick Chris' flame next. Go ahead andelect to continue and you'll learn that Chris needs to go to Brass Castle. The same things that applied to Geddoe apply here-Viki can't teleport you andyou should take care of everything at Lake Castle you want before advancing thestory (including re-arranging Jefferson's appointments). Take a serviceableparty with you when you leave.

If Chris is not your FC, go to VdZ first to visit the Guild Hall. Check theirArmor, Rune, and Item Shops so the stock there will now be at Lake Castle. TheArmor shop has Custom gear which is the best non-treasure boss/Rarity stuff youcan find.

When you're ready for the story to progress, go to Brass Castle. Head to thewest courtyard and you'll get a cutscene. Head to the east courtyard and Chriswill be greeted by Yumi, who has come to ask for help. When asked to selectyour party, put in someone who's really good at Water Magic and attach theFlowing Rune to them (remember that you can access your warehouse and a RuneShop here at Brass Castle). For the rest of your group, put in people who arestrong melee attackers. I took Chris, Borus, Futch/Bright, big Viki, andSharon. If you didn't take Jeane with you earlier with Geddoe, she's the bestchoice as support followed by Mike. You'll want to make sure that each pairhas healing items in their personal inventories. If you want to switch outparty members after this, talk to Salome in the Knights' Parlor.

When you want to advance the story, head to Duck Village. Stay/Save at the innthere then continue to Kuput Forest. Take the route you normally do to get toAlma Kinan. Once you're about halfway there, a cutscene will occur and you'llget into a battle with Sarah with 3 Azzodess. In the first round, have theperson with the Flowing Rune cast Silent Lake. Send everyone else against theAzzodess and concentrate on taking them out 1 at a time. In the second round,heal with your items if you have to and keep hacking away. This battle shouldnot take more than 3 turns. You get a Drain rune once you win. Anothercutscene will follow and what happened to Geddoe previously will happen toChris. Again there's no way to prevent this.

You will then switch to Hugo's flame at the Trinity Site. Pick it to continue.When you have control of him, go to the front to talk with Cecile. Beforeheading out, put the Dragon Scale and Chain Attack Ring items you got earlier

on Hugo. You can't go further than Yaza Plain but you can level up out thereif Hugo's still around the mid-40's level (it's not necessary, though). Onceyou're ready to advance the story, just exit Lake Castle and come back. Acutscene with a Zexen Knight will occur who tells your group that Brass Castlehas been attacked.

Hugo will decide to form an advance team to help out the Zexens. The group youput together doesn't have to be great-just good enough to beat the randomencounters you've already been facing in this chapter. Putting in one of thehealers for support is a good idea. No other special preparations are needed.I took Hugo/Fubar, Hallec, Sgt. Joe, Mua, and Edge with Mio as Support.

To move the story forward, head to the west end of Brass Castle. After thebrief cutscene, head to the middle of the Castle and Stay/Save at the inn.Continue to the eastern side of the Castle for 2 consecutive battles with someHarmonian regulars. These guys are worth a bunch of skill/exp points butthey're total wimps-you won't have any problems if you just select Auto. Acutscene will occur and Salome and Roland will note something odd about thesetroops. You'll take on one more group of these guys and this fight's just aseasy. You get a Hunter rune as loot for this fight.

When the battles are over, Hugo will go through the same thing Geddoe andChris did earlier. A cutscene will follow this and you'll gain some newallies. Caesar will then suggest you go ahead and attack Luc's army outsideof Brass Castle. The main 5 units I use for attack in this battle are:

Sharon Leo Fred Emily NicolasBorus Percival Gau Fubar DupaViki Shiba Sgt. Joe Hallec MuaChris Lucia Futch Hugo Elaine(Caesar) (Tuta) (Yuiri) (Salome) (Mio)

Note that Duke's unit already comes in at really strong levels-each member ofhis team is great without doing anything to them right now in terms of theirgear or skills (you'll want to do that later, though). If you got the item,LionGod Ring, Gau is the only one who can wear them. It doesn't matter whatyou do with the rest of the squad line-up. Just keep really weak characters inReserve all together and don't get into any field battles with any groupsexcept your best five. If you're wondering about Geddoe, he'll show up later.

Before picking the first choice to move ahead, ask Caesar to wait with thethird dialogue choice then go to the Brass Castle inn to save. Come back andtell him you're ready and the strategy battle will commence.

This strategy battle's not hard-you can afford to be aggressive because youhave plenty of healing available plus some very strong units. You will alsohave 2 Fire Skill and 2 Lightning Skill attacks. The goal of the battle is toeliminate Yuber's unit. As before, soften him up with 2 Fire and 2 Lightningattacks. You can't take out his unit until Sasarai shows up-until then Yuber'sHP won't drop below 1/2. If someone gets attacked by Yuber's unit beforeSasarai appears, just have them retreat. The rest of the opposition shouldnot pose a problem. You should be able to put your teams in very good Coverpositions to make this fight easier. After Sasarai appears and the color ofhis unit turns from black to red, you can finally take out Yuber. You get aFlowing Rune as loot for a Major Victory.

When the battle's over, you get a quick chat with Cecile who tells you thateveryone's in the meeting hall. To advance the story, go there. Sasarai will

explain Luc's plot and Nash will come in to give you his location. When Caesarasks, pick the third choice to ask him to wait.

This is now your last roaming time before the final strategy battle. If youstill haven't recruited all the non-automatic stars or leveled up your guys,now's the time to do it. Viki is available for teleportation again. If yougo to Iksay, they should have the Gold Hammer in the Item Shop Rarity now.Give this to Peggi and you can sharpen weapons to their maximum level of 16.You can also now put Sasarai and Yumi in your battle party-they're 2 of thebest magic users in the game and Sasarai can go up to an S for Earth Magic.If you have extra Firefly runes, put them on your Tanks like Fred, Mua, Leo,and Twaikin.

BEFORE you confirm to Caesar that you're ready to start the battle by pickingthe first option from the dialogue box, save your game. This is so if you losethe battle and have to start over, you can still wander around to level up andchange the formation if you like. You can have a maximum of 10 units. To winthe last strategy battle that's next, you'll be using 4 strong attack teams,your Lightning and Fire Skill characters, and the rest is fodder. For me, thisis the formation and characters I picked:

Sharon Emily Borus AceViki Mua Jacques RolandBright Fubar Hallec AugustineChris Hugo Geddoe Futch(Caesar) (Salome) (Apple) (Joker)

The Lightning Magic Skill units:

------ ------------ Dupa------ ------Sasarai ------(Tuta) (Jeane)

And the all-star fodder teams:

Nicolas Fred Leo TwaikinGau Samus Ruby LandisReed Elaine Franz PercivalDuke Thomas Lilly Lucia(Estella) (Mio) (Beecham) (Yuiri)

After you tell Caesar you're ready, Sasarai and Dios will automatically join.When you head to the front courtyard of the main house, it will trigger acutscene and you'll immediately go to the strategy battle.

Now to the overall flow of the battle itself. The goal of the battle is toeliminate Yuber's unit. You cannot do this until you've taken out Sarah'sunit. You'll be going up against 12 enemy units total at the start. Luc isUnit 1 but he'll disappear at the start of the enemy's 3rd turn and is never afactor. Along with Sarah and Yuber, 5 enemy units will start on the left sideof the battlefield screen and 4 enemy units will be to the right. Once youremove 5 enemy units, Sarah will summon 4 more. She will do this twice untilshe gets exhausted then disappears. You will be able to move 7 units per turnand the enemy 6.

My strategy for this battle is to take out Sarah first with your LightningSkill attacks and not allowing her to summon more units. The way to do this isby not eliminating 5 units at the start. Once Sarah is gone, I use the Fire

Skill to soften up Yuber then take him out as well.

As far as the enemy goes, units 6, 9, and 12 are of particular interest. Unit6 and 12 each have 1 Fire Magic skill attack. Unit 9 is made up of a Sirenwith three Chimeras. The Siren is behind the Chimeras at the start so whoevertries to take them out should be a very strong attack unit. Sarah's unit isset up just like this. Yuber is accompanied by 3 Bone Soldiers but he's placedconveniently at the front. The enemy units to the right of the field are meleeattackers. Those to the left rely on Magic except the Harmonian units (4 & 5).If any of your units gets hit really bad, don't be shy about using your healingskills. I usually wait until the characters in a unit are down to 1/2 HPbefore healing them.

Here's a diagram of the starting area:

A \ \ B-----C-----D \ \ Start

Your first objective is to take circle A with 2 of your attack units. You willalso want to take both Lightning Skill units and the fodder team with Yuiri insupport to circle A as well. The reason circle A is important is because onceyou take it, it will prompt Sarah to move down toward you if she doesn't do soearly. You'll want to move your 3rd attack unit to circle B and keep the otherattack unit at the Start circle. Your other 3 fodder teams should be moved tocircle C. That's the overall strategy, so here's the detailed process, keepingin mind the unit formation I mentioned above.

PT = Player Turn, ET = Enemy Turn

PT 1: Move Chris, Hugo, Geddoe, Sasarai, Dupa, Lilly, and Thomas' units into circle CET 1: Will usually move 1-3 units each into circles B and D

PT 2: Take out the enemy units in circle B with Chris, Hugo, and/or Geddoe's units. After taking out all the enemies in circle B, move as many fodder units into circle C as there are enemy units in circle D. With your remaining moves, put Dupa and Sasarai's units into circle B along with a fodder team and the 2 attack teams you want to use against Sarah. NEVER move Dupa and Sasarai's units into a circle without at least some other unit with themET 2: The enemy units in circle D will attack. Select the fodder units to meet them and select Retreat when you get to the field battle. The strategy for now is to keep as many fodder units in circle C as there are enemy units in circle D

PT 3: Keep an attack unit in circle B. Move any fodder units you need to into circle C to match the number of enemy units in circle D. Futch's unit should still be at the Start circle. Move 2 attack teams, for me this is Chris and Hugo, toward circle A, taking out any enemy units you need to. Along with these 2 attack teams, move Dupa, Sasarai, and Lucia's units with themET 3: Luc will disappear. The enemy units in circle D will attack circle C again. Again, just retreat with your fodder units. If you've taken

circle A, Sarah will likely be moving toward you by now

PT 4: Sarah will head toward you either to the right of circle A or to the left. Once you take circle A, move Dupa and Sasarai's units plus the 2 attack teams toward her side. There will be 2 Harmonian enemy units, numbers 4 and 5, up here as well. Take out ONLY 1 of these units. You can avoid at least one of them if you take the fodder unit with you (in my case Lucia) and retreat them if they're attacked. Once you're two connected circles away from Sarah, hit her with your Lightning skill attacks. If you can get her with 3 of these, it will take out her unit completely. If you have big Viki like I do, you can send this unit against Sarah after hitting her with the 2 Lightning spells. This is because Viki will almost always cast Set!, which automatically knocks out Sarah if she's been weakened by the Lightning spells. On a rare occasion, Sarah will heal herself. In that case, just blast her again in the next turn with Lightning skills. If Sarah doesn't go down in this turn, remember to move your fodder teams into circle CET 4: Once Sarah's unit is gone, only the monster units to the right of the field and Yuber will remain. Retreat your fodder units one last time from circle C if they're attacked

PT 5: Once Sarah is gone, you can now concentrate on Yuber and company. If she's still there in this turn, just repeat the steps in PT 4 until you take her out. If you've taken her out, withdraw any unit you have in circle C into circles B and D. You should have 1 attack unit in circle B plus another at the Start circle. Move the units that took out Sarah toward YuberET 5: If Sarah's gone, allow the enemy to move into circle C. You'll notice those goobs have wandered into a circle that is now flanked by your 2 attack units--automatically putting them into Cover position so you can smash the enemy in the next turn

PT 6: Take out the enemy units in circle C with your attack teams. Once they're down, head toward Yuber's team with your healthy attack teams, the Fire Skill team, Dupa or Sasarai if they still have a Lightning Skill, and a Healing skill team. When you reach Yuber, soften him up with your magic attacks first, then send in the attack team that has the best Accuracy and Heavy Damage skills among the characters to finish him off

The overall strategy can vary depending on where Yuber moves. Most of thetime, he'll either stay at the top of the screen or move to the right. If hemoves with Sarah, this isn't a big deal as long as you brought your fodderteam with you. Just use them to meet Yuber then Retreat. Your Lightning andattack units should be close to Sarah if Yuber gets close to you so you cantake her out before having to confront him directly. If you're having problemswinning this battle, I provide a little more detail and preparation tips insection 9y for it.

If one of your characters' HP is reduced to 0, they are NOT one of the unitcommanders, AND they say something after the battle, it means they're deadpermanently. Unfortunately, they don't say something real useful like, "I justdied and cost you the 108 Stars of Destiny bonus". Instead, it'll be somethinggeneric. If this happens, just soft reset and go back to your last save tostart the battle over. This shouldn't be a problem if you're well-prepared,though. After you get a Major Victory, you'll get a Wind Hat for a prize. Toensure you'll get the 108 Stars bonus, check the Tablet of Stars after thisbattle when you get the chance-it should say you have 108 out of 108 stars andonly Yun and Jimba's names should be in red. If you meet these 2 requirements,you'll get the bonus at the end of the game.

A cutscene will follow at the last battle area, the Ceremonial Site. Your 3main characters plus Sasarai will then go for a different True Rune. To getthe True Lightning Rune, you'll face Yuber. To get the True Water Rune, you'llface Sarah. Depending on the Flame Champion, this is how these battles arefought:

Flame Champion Will Fight Yuber Will Fight SarahHugo Geddoe ChrisChris Geddoe HugoGeddoe Hugo Chris

Before you head out to retrieve the True Runes, you'll be asked to choose yourparty. If you take the "default" parties of each character, you will receivea special scene as they head in to fight Yuber and Sarah. These defaultparties are:

1. Chris, Borus, Percival, Roland, Salome, Leo, and Louis (Support)2. Geddoe, Queen, Jacques, Aila, Joker, and Ace (doesn't matter who's support)3. Hugo, Sgt. Joe, Fubar (doesn't matter who else is in party)

You can win all the fights in the Ceremonial Site with these default partiesbut you don't _have_ to use them. If Chris is not FC, you will also see a veryfunny scene between her and Lucia before she goes to get the True Water Rune.You can leave the Ceremonial Site at any time by just walking out or using anEscape Scroll. You can switch party members either by talking to Apple at theSite or going back to Lake Castle to talk to Anne. You are free to roam and doanything you want, including fighting the treasure bosses again. The bestplace for experience and skill points is the Ceremonial Site itself with therandom encounters there. For these last battles, levels around 54 will beplenty. General strategies for Yuber and Sarah:

Always save at the blue crystal before heading in-the random encounters can betough so be prepared. Save your spells for the end battle. Sacrificial Jizosare good items but only essential for your characters with low HP (such asQueen and Joker if you take them to face Yuber). For the team going to fightSarah, make sure they have healing items in each pair. Having a Yellow Scarffor your magic users is also a very good idea for the fight against Sarah.Remember to make use of Jefferson's appointments.

For Yuber, he will be accompanied by 3 Skeletons and a HellSteed. I focus ontaking these guys out first before going after Yuber. It helps a lot to givesomebody a Thunder Rune in your party with really good skill (Geddoe, Mel, orRody) and have them cast Thunder Storm in the first round. Yuber is dangerousbecause of his multiple attacks and high repel rate but he has a tendency tofocus on only one person-if you can keep this person alive with your healingitems/spells, you can win this battle fairly easily with everyone alive. Ifyou bring a Tank character with a Firefly Rune, it'll make this fight eveneasier. You get a Reflection Ring and the True Lightning Rune for beating him.

For Sarah, she will be accompanied by 2 HorroBeasts and 2 Azzodess. CastingSilent Lake is the key. Put a Flowing Rune on someone with good water skill,Yumi, Salome, either Vikis, Rody, or Elaine all qualify, and have them castthis in the first round. After that, go for your melee attacks and concentrateon taking down your enemies one at a time. Heal with your items after that andyou should be able to hack them down. You'll get a Flowing Rune plus the TrueWater Rune back for winning.

After you win these two battles to reclaim the True Water and Lightning Runes,you'll get a cutscene with Sasarai and Dios. Thomas and Cecile will also be

with them if you didn't use them in the battles against Yuber and Sarah. Afterthis, your FC will then be asked to go get the True Fire Rune. Just puttogether a serviceable party-you'll be able to switch out before the finalbattle. Head to the end and you'll see a cutscene between Caesar and an oldfriend. When that's over, head to the open door. Another cutscene will followand you'll be asked to put together a party. Just pick anyone again becauseyou'll be able to choose again soon. Enter the final platform to get anextended cutscene.

You'll be thrown into battle with 3 Guardians but they aren't much trouble.Another battle with them follows but again it's not a big deal. After yourconversation is over, your party will ask that you fall back to regroup. Doso because you won't be penalized for it. You can now roam again as well asput Geddoe, Chris, and Hugo in the same battle party. To fight the lastbattle in the game, you would go back to the platform and tell your party thatyou are ready when the dialogue choice pops up.

If you take the default parties mentioned before to this last battle, you willget a special scene as they exit the Site AFTER the battle. Therefore, eachmain character has 2 optional scenes at the Ceremonial Site depending onwhether or not they are FC. In addition, if you take Futch or big Viki andput them in the top slot on the formation screen, they'll say a few wordsregarding their past relationships with Luc. Credit Raikochan from thegamefaqs message board for the info. on Futch/Viki.

The last battle itself is against a super-charged True Wind Rune bird withmagical orbs that've been powered up by the True Earth, Water, Fire, andLightning Runes. You don't need to take out the orbs to beat it, just themain body itself but taking out the orbs removes its ability to cast multiplemagic attacks. The best way to ensure you survive is to build up the MagicResistance skill on the characters you take to meet it. If they can'tnaturally go up to a B, don't bother. You can enhance this skill with GoldEmblems and Resistance Rings. Your first priority is to take out the Waterorb. While the Lightning orb is still around, you can only hit the Water orbwith archer and magic attacks. Once the Lightning orb is gone, you can have atit with any attack you please. If you see the Earth orb cast a spell wherethese stone columns fly around and a bright yellow disc with symbols appears onthe ground, don't cast any OFFENSIVE magic-it will be reflected right back atyou. It goes without saying, but make sure you have the best gear and bestweapons available. Jeane and Ernie are great choices for Geddoe and Hugobecause they aid in magic casting speed and power, respectively. Specificstrategies for each FC's "default" party:

Chris-This is the toughest out of the 3 main characters but still very doable.I've changed a few things about this fight since last time because severalpeople e-mailed me with specific problems about it. I recommend training upMagic Resistance for everyone except Salome. Equip Salome with any ReflectionRings you have. Equip Chris with any Resistance Rings you have (big Viki comeswith it) and Gold Emblems for everyone else that can wear them except Salome.Put a Water, Shield, and Killer Rune on Salome. Put a Flowing Rune on Percivaland train up his Holy Dash and Water Magic to their max. Fury Runes for Borusand Leo are good choices, as well as Killer. For Roland, Fury + Great Hawk orKiller are good. You'll also want to give Roland Jefferson's appointment thatboosts the Swing skill by 1 grade. At around level 52, Roland gets 2 attacksper turn if his Swing is a B+. The formation I recommend:

PercivalRolandBorusSalome

ChrisLeo(Louis)

Sacrificial Jizos and healing items are a very good idea. The key to winningthis is pure attrition-just outlast the enemy. In the first turn, sendPercival and Borus' units up against the Lightning orb and send Chris' unit upagainst the Fire orb. Percival's Holy Dash skill will allow him to dragRoland up with him. You want to send everyone up so they'll all be in rangefor the Kindness Rain spell. Heal after each round with Great Blessing,Kindness Rain, or Kindness Drops from Salome. Use Percival's Flowing Rune onlyif it's really necessary or to use Mother Ocean if someone got knocked out.Once the Lightning orb gets knocked out, send everyone after the Water orb.It'll take a few tries because the Water orb will continue to revive theLightning orb but eventually you'll take it out. I had to take out theLightning orb 4 times before I could finally get at the Water orb. If you runlow on healing spells, you'll have the Jizos and healing items to fall back on.Once the Water orb is gone, it's smooth sailing-just take out the Fire orb thenfocus on the True Wind Rune.

Geddoe-Make sure everyone has a Fire Sealing Rune if you intend to use the 4thlevel True Fire spell. I prefer not to so I can fit everyone else with a moreuseful rune like Killer or Fury. The familiar formation I use:

QueenGeddoeJacquesAilaAceJoker(Jeane)

Have Geddoe cast Final Flame on the Water orb and have Jacques' pair attack itin the first round. Send Ace and Joker up to attack the Fire orb. In thesecond round, heal with Great Blessing and, if the Earth orb didn't cast itsprotect spell, have Geddoe cast Final Flame again on the Water orb. If it didcast protect, send Queen and Geddoe up against the Lightning orb. Once thatorb is down, focus on the Water orb. If you get the chance, use Joker'sKindness Rain to heal everyone and command the archers to hit the Water orb.Once the Water orb is down, it's just a matter of mopping up.

Hugo-His is the easiest since you can pick 3 characters out of your entireroster, including Geddoe with his True Lightning Rune. Not much to advise,really, since there's so much versatility in strategy. The general strategyserves as a good outline in terms of how you should approach this fight. Ifyou want to use Sasarai and his True Earth Rune, here's the one fight whereEarth magic is actually pretty helpful. Casting Canopy Defense (the 3rd levelspell) will protect your party from magic attacks once. Doing this once perturn will negate a ton of damage and makes the battle pretty easy if you havestrong melee attackers (Hugo/Fubar, Futch/Bright, Juan, Emily, etc.). Interms of default parties, Hugo's really gives you the opportunity to playaround with all different types of groups.

After you win the last battle, a series of cutscenes will ensue with yourcharacters. These include Thomas and Cecile, Fred and Rico, and Dios andSasarai. Note that if you took any of these characters to the final battle,you won't see their specific cutscene. When these scenes end, you will seean ending scene with your FC. The screen will go dark, then the 108 Stars ofDestiny summaries will roll, letting you know what happened in the aftermath toall your recruits. A final still picture for each FC will then be shown.

If you got the 108 Stars of Destiny bonus, hit X after the still picture. Thescreen will go dark for a little while then you'll be back at the Trinity Site.The 6th and final flame will be lit. I won't ruin what this is so you canfind out for yourself.

In terms of what to do now, you can opt to replay the game in a different orderand pick a different FC. I have compiled all the differences with scenetranscripts depending on who is FC in a separate Story Scenes/Endings FAQthat's also here at gamefaqs. If you enjoyed the game a lot, I highlyencourage you to go through it again and try different things, especiallygoing in a different play and recruiting order. That's it until Suikoden IV.

Franz [94/108]*Iku [95/108]*Ruby [96/108]*Duke [97/108]*Nicolas [98/108]*Gau [99/108]*Elaine [100/108]*Yumi [101/108]Yuiri [102/108]Sasarai [103/108]Dios [104/108]105-108-Check 108 Stars of Destiny Bonus in section 10

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

---------------------------------------- Part II: Reference Guide (Spoilers) ----------------------------------------

5. 108 Stars of Destiny Recruit List 5a. Introduction to The List 5b. Automatic Stars 5c. Non-Automatic Stars 5d. The 4 Non-Stars 5e. Recruits with Preset and Dependent Levels 5f. Tablet of Stars 5g. Attack Combos 5h. Bath Combos

6. My Really Important Items List 6a. Introduction 6b. Runes 6c. Armor 6d. Hammers 6e. Medal Sets 6f. Accessories 6g. Scripts

7. Duels 7a. Introduction 7b. Duels with Guillaume 7c. Duel with Lucia, Chris chapter 2 7d. Duel with Jimba, Chris chapter 2

7e. Duel with Ayame 7f. Duel with Edge 7g. Duel with Duke, Geddoe chapter 3 7h. First Duel with Sasarai, Hugo chapter 3 7i. Second Duel with Sasarai, 6th POV

8. Ernie's Quiz

9. Boss/Battle Strategies 9a. Introduction 9b. Strategy Battle 1, Chris chapter 1 9c. Geddoe v. Chris and the Zexen Knights, Geddoe chapter 1 9d. Geddoe v. Borus, Geddoe chapter 1 9e. The Blue Mantrix, Mt. Hei-Tou 9f. Twin-Head Snake, Mountain Path, Geddoe chapter 1 9g. Zexen Raid on Great Hollow, Strategy Battle, Chris chapter 2 9h. Hugo v. The Man in Black, Hugo chapter 2 9i. Rock Golem, Mountain Path, Geddoe chapter 2 9j. Geddoe v. Duke and the Masked Bishop, Geddoe chapter 2 9k. Azzodess, Flame Champion Hideaway Treasure Boss, chapter 3 9l. Chris v. Harmonia, Strategy Battle Chris chapter 3 9m. Chris v. the Masked Bishop, Chris chapter 3 9n. Thomas v. the Wild Boar, Thomas chapter 1 9o. Thomas v. the Zexen Army round 1, Thomas chapter 2 9p. Thomas v. the Zexen Army round 2, Thomas chapter 2 9q. The True Fire Rune Dragon, chapter 4 9r. The FC v. the Masked Bishop, chapter 4 9s. Chris v. Harmonia round 2, chapter 4 9t. The FC v. the MIB and the Harmonians, chapter 4 9u. The True Water Rune Dragon, chapter 4 9v. Geddoe v. the (Un)Masked Bishop and Sarah, chapter 5 9w. Chris v. Sarah, chapter 5 9x. The FC Army v. the MIB and Harmonia, chapter 5 9y. The Last Strategy Battle, chapter 5 9z. Final Battle with Yuber, chapter 5 9A. Final Battle with Sarah, chapter 5 9B. Final Boss Battle--The True Wind Rincar, chapter 5

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************5. 108 Stars of Destiny Recruit List

5a. Introduction to The List

You cannot start recruiting characters until you have visited Lake Castle. Thismeans that Hugo cannot recruit until his chapter 3, Chris until her chapter 2,and Geddoe until his chapter 1. Hugo technically can start recruiting in hischapter 2 but only 1 recruit (Twaikin). I have put the automatic stars firstfollowed by the non-automatic stars sorted by alpha. I have also indicated theearliest they can be recruited by which main character and marked whichcharacters are Support. Note that you can continue to recruit all the wayuntil the final boss battle in ch. 5. As a quick reference, here's three othercharacter categories of interest--Berserkers, Magic Users, and Tanks:

The Berserkers are Bazba, Shiba, Hallec, Fred, Landis, and Wan Fu.

The Magic Users are both Vikis, Sasarai, Rody, Estella, and Piccolo.

The Tanks are Twaikin, Nicolas, Fred, Mua, Cecile, and Leo. To a lesser

extent, this also includes Chris and Borus.

Berserkers will always attack even if you give them the Defend command. MagicUsers are the opposite--they almost never do a melee attack even if you givethem the Attack command. This is especially true for Magic Users if they'repaired with someone else. Tanks are able to absorb a lot of physical damagevia their natural ability to use armor and their ability to get high grades inArmor and Shield Protect. For more information on Tanks, check out the relatedtopic in section 3.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------5b. Automatic Stars

Key-

C = ChrisG = GeddoeH = HugoT = Thomas

The number after the letter indicates the chapter they will join. For example,C1 means that the Automatic Star joins in Chris' chapter 1. If there's aslash /, it means the Star joins in either chapter depending on your order ofplay.

Automatic Stars:

1. Ace, G1------------------------------------2. Aila, G1------------------------------------3. Anne, H1, Support------------------------------------4. Apple, C3/H3/T2, Support------------------------------------5. Bazba, ch. 4------------------------------------6. Beecham, ch. 4------------------------------------7. Borus, C1------------------------------------8. Caesar, C3/H3/T2, Support------------------------------------9. Cecile, T1/ch. 4------------------------------------10. Chris, C1------------------------------------11. Dios, ch. 5, Support------------------------------------12. Dupa, ch. 4------------------------------------13. Eike, T1/ch. 4, Support------------------------------------14. Fred, C3------------------------------------15. Fubar, H1------------------------------------16. Geddoe, G1------------------------------------17. Hallec, H3

------------------------------------18. Hugo, H1------------------------------------19. Jacques, G1------------------------------------20. Jimba, H1------------------------------------21. Joker, G1------------------------------------22. Juan, T1/ch. 4------------------------------------23. Leo, C1------------------------------------24. Lilly, ch. 4------------------------------------25. Louis, C1, Support------------------------------------26. Luce, H1, Support------------------------------------27. Lucia, H1------------------------------------28. Martha, T1/ch. 4, Support------------------------------------29. Mua, H3------------------------------------30. Muto, T1/ch. 4, Support------------------------------------31. Nash, C2------------------------------------32. Percival, C1------------------------------------33. Piccolo, T1/ch. 4------------------------------------34. Queen, G1------------------------------------35. Reed, ch. 4------------------------------------36. Rico, C3------------------------------------37. Roland, C1------------------------------------38. Salome, C1------------------------------------39. Samus, ch. 4------------------------------------40. Sasarai, ch. 5------------------------------------41. Sebastian, T1/ch. 4, Support------------------------------------42. Sergeant Joe, H1------------------------------------43. Shiba, ch. 4------------------------------------44. Shizu, T1/ch. 4, Support------------------------------------45. Thomas, T1/ch. 4------------------------------------46. Yuiri, ch. 5------------------------------------47. Yumi, ch. 5

------------------------------------48. Yun, C3

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------5c. Non-Automatic Stars

Key-

C = ChrisG = GeddoeH = HugoT = Thomas

The number after the letter indicates the EARLIEST chapter the Star can berecruited, not when they _have_ to be recruited. To the best of my knowledge,the only Stars you can miss permanently are Franz, Iku, Ruby, and Duke and histeam by abandoning the villagers in ch. 5 with Geddoe. The earliest chapternotation can vary wildly depending on your play order. Therefore, if you'relooking at this list and wondering why you can't get someone as noted, it'sprobably because of the play order. Keep in mind that you can continue torecruit all the way until the final strategy battle in ch. 5.

------------------------------------49. Alanis, in front of fountain at Great Hollow, (T1, G1, C3, H3) Put Melville and Elliot in your party then talk to her.

------------------------------------50. Arthur, Brass Castle dining room, (T1, G3, H3, C4), Support

Talk to him and tell him you believe there's a story to be found. He's in the lower right corner of the dining room and can be hard to see. Agree to help him then recruit him. Once you have Arthur, his news bulletin covering various game events will be posted at Lake Castle. Take the main stairs up and it's to your right on the wall where Arthur hangs out.

------------------------------------51. Augustine, VdZ outside the Armor Shop, (T1, G1, C2, H3) Buy a Rose Brooch, a Rarity at the Iksay Item Shop, and give it to him.

------------------------------------52. Ayame, North Cavern where treasure boss usually is, (T1, C2, G4, H4)

Make sure Watari is not in your active party. Talk to him at his spot in Lake Castle (the area with the jail cells underneath Muto's level). A flashback will be triggered. Put Watari in your active party and go to the North Cavern where Ayame is located. Win a duel to recruit her. Note that for chapters 1-3, you need to use the person who recruited Watari when talking to him to get the flashback. You can use anyone in ch. 4-5.

------------------------------------53. Barts, Iksay Village to the right of the windmill, (C3, G4, H4), Support

Give him a GrapeC, commonly found at the VdZ Trade Shop. You can give Barts the various seeds you find and he will grow those crops for you. Barts is located to the left of Juan at Lake Castle. That is, from the main entrance screen where Cecile stands, take a left on your mini-map down the stairs.

------------------------------------54. Belle, Brass Castle east courtyard, (T1, G1, C2, H3)

Bring Belle a !Screw. It's a drop item from the Purple Creepers and Dark Hares at Plain Amur. Gadget Z joins with her. Most of the time I get the !Screw, it's on the Plain Amur screen with the blue save crystal (the screen closer to Karaya).

------------------------------------55. Billy, Lake Castle statue room, (T1, G1, C2, H3), Support

The statue room is located on the second floor of Lake Castle. Take the main staircase up, make a left, and it's the room in the bottom corner. Place any "S" statue on the main pedestal. Exit, come back, and Billy will be there. Beat him at a game of Guppo to recruit. You can get some very useful prizes by beating Billy at Guppo, most notably the Tunic of Prosperity (random item for the 5,000 bet).

If you're having problems getting an S statue, check section 2j.

------------------------------------56. Bright, Mt. Path area closer to Caleria, (C4, G4, H4) Automatically joins with Futch and Sharon. Check Futch entry in this list for specifics.

------------------------------------57. Dominic, VdZ Armor Shop, (T1, G1, C2, H3), Support

Buy Mole Armor from him for 40,000 potch. He opens the Armor Shop at Lake Castle. This shop is located on the same screen as Juan. That is, from the main entrance screen where Cecile stands, take a left on your mini-map down the stairs. Dominic's shop is up the stairway at the top of this next screen.

------------------------------------58. Duke, Mt. Senai, (G5) Do NOT choose to abandon the villagers when given the option during the series of battles at Mt. Senai.

------------------------------------59. Edge, Le Buque Village outside of Rune Shop, (G2, C4, H4) Pay 1,000 potch to duel him and win the duel.

------------------------------------60. Elaine, Mt. Senai, (G5) Do NOT choose to abandon the villagers when given the option during the series of battles at Mt. Senai.

------------------------------------61. Elliot, alley in VdZ, (T1, G1, C2, H3), Support

After Hugo's ch. 1 and after you have recruited Billy, talk to him. Billy does not need to be in your party to get Elliot. He joins with Melville. Elliot's Potch Finder is a C, the best in the game. You definitely _have_ to do Hugo's chaper 1 before you can get Elliot--this is so the AI will know what level to assign Melville when you get he and Elliot.

------------------------------------62. Emily, Chisha Village tavern, (C3, H3, G4) Beat her at an arm wrestling contest. Your party's collective PWR score needs to be at a high level to get her.

------------------------------------63. Ernie, Brass Castle Tutor Shop, (T1, G1, C2, H3), Support

Answer 5 questions from her quiz correctly in a row. Check Section 8 or Geddoe's chapter 1 in the Walkthrough for the correct answers. Ernie's Tutor grade is a B+, the best. Ernie is located in the library on the second floor of Lake Castle.

------------------------------------64. Estella, Alma Kinan Inn, (C3, H4, G4)

Talk to Rody first outside the Inn and ask him what he's up to. Then tell him you're looking for party members. Talk to Estella inside the Inn then to the little girl by the altar at the back of Alma Kinan. Talk to Estella inside the Inn again and they'll join.

------------------------------------65. Franz, Le Buque, (G5) Do NOT choose to abandon the villagers when given the option during the series of battles at Mt. Senai.

------------------------------------66. Futch, Mt. Path area closer to Caleria, (C4, G4, H4) Futch will be standing 3/4 of the way up the first screen of the Mt. Path nearest to Caleria. Talk to him and tell him you know the area. Once you're in Caleria, head toward the Item Stand then just follow Sharon. Eventually, you'll end up at the entrance to Caleria and he, Bright, and Sharon will all join.

------------------------------------67. Gadget Z, Brass Castle east courtyard, (T1, G1, C2, H3)

Bring Belle a !Screw. It's a drop item from the Purple Creepers and Dark Hares at Plain Amur. Belle joins with him. Most of the time I get the !Screw, it's on the Plain Amur screen with the blue save crystal (the screen closer to Karaya).

------------------------------------68. Gau, Mt. Senai, (G5) Do NOT choose to abandon the villagers when given the option during the series of battles at Mt. Senai.

------------------------------------69. Gordon, Iksay Village Item Shop, (T1, C2, G4, H4), Support

If you're Chris, talk to him with a full party of 6 (not counting support) and he'll join. With Hugo, Geddoe, or Thomas, bring an all-male party or Augustine by himself and he'll join. Gordon opens the Item Shop at Lake Castle.

------------------------------------70. Goro, Zexen Forest, (T1, C2, G3, H3), Support

From the entrance closer to Brass Castle, take the top path at the first fork and continue left until you see him. Bring anyone with the Appraisal ability to recruit him. Those with Appraisal include Muto, Mio, Arthur, and Guillaume. Goro's Bath ability is an A+, the best. Goro's bath is located on the stranded ship at Lake Castle. It's on the deck of the ship and is behind the white door with the red trim.

------------------------------------71. Guillaume, Ancient Highway's big door, (H3, C4, G4), Support

Beat him in a duel and recruit him. It's possible you have to recruit Nei, Shabon, and Toppo first before he pops up at the Ancient Highway but I'm not 100% sure. You do not have to bring those 3 to get Guillaume. Guillaume opens the Appraisal Shop at Lake Castle.

------------------------------------72. Hortez VII, starts in Duck Village, (C3, G3, H3), Support

His pattern is Duck Village, Chisha, Caleria, back to Duck Village. The first three times you talk to him, tell him where Lake Castle is. The second time he shows up in Duck Village, lie to him about the location. Note that the only way to get him with Geddoe in his ch. 3 is to play Hugo or Chris' ch. 3 first to talk to Hortez at Chisha. Hortez opens the Magic Scroll Shop at Lake Castle.

------------------------------------73. Iku, Le Buque, (G5), Support Do NOT choose to abandon the villagers when given the option during the series of battles at Mt. Senai.

------------------------------------74. Jeane, Brass Castle Rune Shop, (T1, G1, C2, H3), Support

Talk to her and she'll join. Jeane's Rune Sage grade of A is the best. This ability helps quicken the speed of your spell casting. Jeane opens the Rune Shop at Lake Castle.

------------------------------------75. Jefferson, Lake Castle where Cecile stands, (C4, G4, H4), Support

Head to the front entrance once you have 70+ recruits and he'll join.

According to an e-mail that Dallas Strimple sent me, Jefferson won't show up at the front gate if Juan is in your party. I can't confirm this without a save game handy to check myself, but it's worth noting in case this has happened to you. This would also probably apply to having Cecile in your party as well. I received an e-mail from Fate who confirmed this wrinkle in getting Jefferson. Thanks to Dallas Strimple and Fate for this information.

Jefferson is located in the room to the right of the elevator on the first floor of Lake Castle (the same room as Mike). He is the person you give all the Medal Sets to.

------------------------------------76. Kathy, Plain Amur North, (T1, C3, G3, H3), Support

Count up how many horses she has. The number is always random. Once Kathy joins, you can get very good prizes by running her races. These prizes include Hex Doll S, Pale Moon Leather, Pale Moon Necklace, and LightningMagic Ring. If you use Hugo, he'll race with Fubar if he's in the active party or with a Karayan Horse if Fubar is not in his party. The prizes I referred to are obtained without using Fubar.

To get to Kathy's ranch at Lake Castle, exit the screen where Juan, Peggi, and Barts are to the north.

------------------------------------77. Kenji, Yaza Plain, (T1, G1, C2, H3)

You need to have recruited a certain number of characters (around 30 I believe) before he shows up. If you're entering Yaza from Lake Castle's side, he's to the middle and far left of the screen. Talk to him, exercise, then ask for water and he'll join.

------------------------------------78. Kidd, Duck Village--top hut behind the inn, (T1, C3, G3, H3), Support

Talk to Kidd and agree to help. Look at the shelf to the right of the screen, the small window to the left, and the body on the floor. Exit the hut and talk to the janitor outside. Go talk to the duck by the right waterwheel. Talk to the only customer at the Trade Shop to get a letter fragment. Return to talk with Kidd to recruit him. Kidd's Treasure Hunt is a C, the best.

Kidd is located in the second basement of Lake Castle where the jail cells and storehouse are.

------------------------------------79. Koroku, Mt. Hei-Tou, (T1, G1, C2, H3)

To the left of the screen hiding in the grass by the first corpse at Mt. Hei-Tou. Talk to him and adopt him. His flame is the fifth at the Trinity Site. To play as Koroku, talk to him at his spot outside of the Lake Castle Tavern (where Anne is) in chapter 4 or 5. You can then walk around as the dog and talk to people and do Kathy's races. His POV has no story or goals like the others. To quit his POV, simply walk back to his area and talk to the main character.

------------------------------------80. Landis, Kuput Forest, (C3, G3, H3)

Will randomly join while you're in Kuput Forest if you have 1 open party slot. You do NOT need to get into battles for him to join.

Hitmancf sent me this e-mail regarding getting Landis:

"i remember you saying in your faq about people complaining about how to get Landis. Well finally, I figured it out, and I'm sure you already knew this, and it's easy. All you have to do is have your collective luck at a high number. My lowest was with Geddoe at around 120 something, the other 4 party members had a luck of higher than 140 or so, after the first battle he already shows up."

I couldn't confirm this because I don't have a save game handy but it makes sense and is worth a shot. Thanks to Hitmancf for this info.

wen sent me this e-mail with further information on recruiting Landis:

"as far as i can tell from one of my japanese sui3 guides which covers indepth recruitments, luck isn't the deciding factor for getting landis. on the second screen of the forest (entering from the duck village direction), there is a VERY SPECIFIC area the player needs to run around in- the fork in the road. Keep running around the fork in the road, and ONLY that area, and there's a 10% chance that landis will join your party if there's an open slot. now, it's possible that it might be higher than

10% if your characters have high luck, but the guide doesn't mention anything about it. i got landis during chapter 5, when my main character had high luck, and got him in under 10 minutes just by running around where the fork in the road is and waiting until a monster encounter occured. on the third one, landis joined my party."

Thanks to wen, falcon815, and crystalstar who all provided clarified content on how to get Landis.

------------------------------------81. Mamie, Duck Village Item Shop second floor, (C3, G3, H3), Support

Give her a Crab Rice Bowl. Hallec comes with it and the Mantikra in Kuput Forest, Mt. Hei-Tou, and Zexen Forest drop it. Give Mamie the recipes and various spices from Trade Shops and she can make food items for you. Abraxas has a complete FAQ on all the recipes and how to make all the possible food items here at gamefaqs.

To get to Mamie's food stand, exit the screen at Lake Castle where Juan, Barts, and Peggi are to the left/west. Keep going left past Scott's Trade Shop and the stairs up and you'll see Mamie's area.

------------------------------------82. Mel, Iksay Village to the right outside the inn, (T1, C2, G4, H4) Talk to her.

------------------------------------83. Melville, alley in VdZ, (T1, G1, C2, H3)

After Hugo's ch. 1 and after recruiting Billy, talk to Melville. Billy doesn't need to be in your active party. Elliot joins with him. You definitely _have_ to do Hugo's chaper 1 before you can get Melville--this is so the AI will know what level to assign to him when you recruit him.

------------------------------------84. Mike, Caleria Trade Shop, (G1, C3, H3), Support Win 20,000 potch from him in Kabu. Mike is located in the room to the right of the elevator on the first floor (same room as Jefferson).

------------------------------------85. Mio, Iksay Village Inn second floor, (T1, C2, G4, H4), Support Talk to her and she'll join. Mio's Healing grade is a B+, the second best in the game (only Tuta's is better).

------------------------------------86. Nadir, Caleria Inn second floor, (C3, H4, G4), Support

Bring three men, two women, and a child in your party to recruit him. Support characters do not count toward this total. Note that most teenagers in the game, such as Hugo and Aila, count as children. The Duck Clan characters count as men. Augustine and the mounts (e.g. Fubar) do not fall into any category.

Nadir is the person you give scripts to. He is located in the tavern on the first floor of Lake Castle (where Anne, Nei, Toppo, and Shabon are).

------------------------------------87. Nei, VdZ, (T1, G1, C2, H3)

Talk to Nei and Toppo at the screen with the inn. Head to the front of

the Guild Hall and beat Guillaume in a duel and she'll join with Shabon and Toppo.

------------------------------------88. Nicolas, Mt. Senai, (G5) Do NOT choose to abandon the villagers when given the option during the series of battles at Mt. Senai.

------------------------------------89. Peggi, Great Hollow Blacksmith, (T1, G1, C3, H3), Support

Talk to the Chisha man in the Great Hollow Trade Shop to get an Iron Hammer. Talk to Peggi and give him the hammer. If you somehow lost the Iron Hammer, it's likely you can give him one of the other Hammers to recruit him. Peggi is located to the right of Juan's spot at Lake Castle. That is, from the main entrance screen where Cecile stands, take a left on your mini-map down the stairs.

------------------------------------90. Rhett, Duck Village outside of the Rune Shop, (C4, G4, H4) Put Sgt. Joe in your party and talk to he and Wilder. Both will join.

------------------------------------91. Rody, outside of Alma Kinan inn, (C3, G4, H4) Joins with Estella. See her entry for details.

------------------------------------92. Ruby, Mt. Senai, (G5) Do NOT choose to abandon the villagers when given the option during the series of battles at Mt. Senai.

------------------------------------93. Sanae Y, Duck Village behind the inn, (T1, C3, G3, H3)

Sanae Y will be available for recruiting once your total recruits, both automatic and non-automatic, total around 30. When she's available, she'll be at the above location talking to a Duck Clan member. Talk to them and pick the first or second choice to recruit her.

------------------------------------94. Scott, west side of Brass Castle, (T1, G1, C2, H3), Support

Bring a Deer Antler to him. You can get one from the Trade Shops at VdZ, Duck Village, or Caleria. Scott opens the Trade Shop at Lake Castle. To get to his shop, exit the screen where Juan, Barts, and Peggi stand to the left/west. Go left a little on the next screen and you'll see his shop.

------------------------------------95. Shabon, VdZ in front of the Guild Hall, (T1, G1, C2, H3)

Talk to Nei and Toppo at the screen with the inn. Head to the front of the Guild Hall and beat Guillaume in a duel and she'll join with Nei and Toppo.

------------------------------------96. Sharon, Caleria, (C4, G4, H4) Joins with Futch and Bright. Check Futch's entry for details.

------------------------------------97. Toppo, VdZ, (T1, G1, C2, H3)

Talk to Nei and Toppo at the screen with the inn. Head to the front of the Guild Hall and beat Guillaume in a duel and he'll join with Nei and Shabon.

------------------------------------98. Tuta, Chisha, (C4, G4, H4), Support

Put Mio in your party. Head through the double doors of the tavern in the basement. Head left and take the first pathway up. Tuta will join. Tuta's Healing grade of an A+ is the best.

------------------------------------99. Twaikin, Great Hollow, (T1, G1, H2, C3)

At the main area on the first floor, take the SE exit on your mini-map. Go through the next screen to exit. At the screen after, head to the far left and talk to Twaikin. When the lizard guard asks, say "Nothing" then recruit him.

Thanks to SimUser for correcting my previous info. that incorrectly stated Hugo could not get Twaikin until his chapter 3.

------------------------------------100. Viki (Big), Mt. Path entrance nearest to Plain Amur, (C4, G4, H4)

After visiting Lake Castle in ch. 4, head to the Mt. Path and go past the first screen where the blue save crystal is. Viki will pop up as you're heading up the path. Big Viki can teleport you anywhere on the World Map and is standing to the right of the elevator on the first floor of Lake Castle.

------------------------------------101. Viki (Small), Mt. Path entrance nearest to Plain Amur, (C4, G4, H4)

Put Big Viki in your party and teleport back to the Mt. Path. Walk up the same way and Small Viki will appear. Small Viki gives you the Blinking Mirror, which allows you to instantly go back to Lake Castle as long as you're on the World Map screen.

------------------------------------102. Wan Fu, Chisha at the bottom of stairs from the Item Shop, (C3, H3, G4) Talk to him and pay 3,000 potch to pick up his food bill.

------------------------------------103. Watari, Iksay Village, (T1, C2, G4, H4)

Hiding between the two houses on the right as you enter Iksay. Pay him 100,000 potch to recruit.

Journeyman sent me this e-mail about getting Watari:

"In Iksay Village- If Watari does not show up instantly, go to the inn to save then do a soft reset, After loading you should see Watari across from the inn between the 2 houses."

Thanks to Journeyman for this tip.

------------------------------------104. Wilder, Duck Village outside of the Rune Shop, (C4, G4, H4)

Put Sgt. Joe in your party and talk to he and Rhett. Both will join.

------------------------------------105.-108. Check the 108 Stars of Destiny Bonus in section 10

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------5d. The 4 Non-Stars

After you get Koroku, you can recruit 4 more dogs who do not count toward the108 Stars of Destiny list. You can start recruiting these other dogs in ch. 4and you do not have to have any of the other dogs in your active party to getthem. I believe you _do_ have to get them in the order listed below becauseit's how Kidd scouts them.

-Koichi, North Cavern He's halfway up on the second screen from the entrance, to the right behind a barrel.

-Connie, Great Hollow Take the same SE exit you did when getting Twaikin. Exit that path and take the middle exit on this screen on your mini- map. Go up the pathway a little and she's lying right on the path.

-Kosanji, Mt. Senai From the entrance, keep going north a few screens until you can take the path that exits right on the mini-map. Follow it out and you'll come to a cliff. Wander the edge of the cliff to the bottom of the screen and you'll see him struggling up the cliffside (just keep hitting X as you wander the edge if you can't see him).

-Kogoro, Cyndar Ruins From the main entrance to the Ruins where there's 3 pathways and a blue save crystal, take the left path. On the next screen, take the first left on your mini-map. When you get to the dead end square, look to the top right corner. You'll see a sliver of a black tail--this is the final non-star dog. Talk to him after he's through dancing to adopt.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------5e. Recruits with Preset and Dependent Levels

The level of the non-automatic stars is either preset or it is dependent onthe level of the person who recruited them. Mel, for example, will always belevel 32 when you get her. Sanae Y, on the other hand, is 1 level lower thanthe person who recruited her.

The non-automatic stars with preset levels are:

Nei, Toppo, Shabon, Melville, Alanis, Mel, Landis, Emily, Edge, Koroku, smallViki, Bright, Sharon, Rhett, and Wilder

The non-automatic stars with dependent levels are:

Augustine, Twaikin, Wan Fu, Rody, Estella, Watari, Ayame, Sanae Y, and Kenji

The 4 non-star dogs have preset levels. For Futch, big Viki, Belle, and GadgetZ, their levels also depend on if you loaded Suikoden II data. If you did NOTload Suikoden II data, then Futch's level is preset and the other three's aredependent on the level of the recruiter. If you DID load Suikoden II data,whichever level is higher, the one compared to the Suikoden II data or thelevel of the recruiter, is used.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------5f. Tablet of Stars

The player will receive the Tablet of Stars automatically in chapter 4. Ifa space is marked simply as [X], this is for spoiler reasons. If you want toknow who the [X] is, check the 108 Stars of Destiny Bonus in section 10. Ihave separated the Tablet into two parts, the first two pages are in the tophalf of this section and the last two pages follow the +++++ symbols. Fullcredit and many thanks to Thanh who put together this entire section.

Tenkai Tenki Tenku Tenhei Chikai Chibun------ ----- ----- ------ ------ ------Thomas Salome Fubar Ace [X] Twaikin

Tengou Tenfu Tensoku Tenzai Chiretsu Chisei------ ----- ------- ------ -------- ------Sasarai Jimba Nash Alanis Mua Nadir

Tenki Tenman Teni Tenson Chiyu Chikatsu----- ------ ---- ------ ----- --------Caesar Juan Aila Queen Dominic Duke

Tenkan Tenko Tensatu Tenpai Chiketsu Chitou------ ----- ------- ------ -------- ------{X] Sgt. Joe Hallec Elliot Jeane Barts

Tenyu Tensyo Tenbi Tenrou Chiyu Chikyou----- ------ ----- ------ ----- -------Dupa Hugo Chris Franz Shabon Bright

Tenyu Tenritsu Tenkyu Tensui Chii Chian----- -------- ------ ------ ---- -----[X] Bazba Estella Iku Fred Toppo

Tenmou Tensyo Tentai Tenbou Chiei Chijku------ ------ ------ ------ ----- ------Shiba Yun Cecile Scott Rico Beecham

Teni Tenan Tenjyu Tenkoku Chiki Chikai---- ----- ------ ------- ----- ------Lucia Edge Geddoe Ernie Percival Gau

Tenei Tenyu Tenken Tenkou Chimou Chisa----- ----- ------ ------ ------ -----Yuiri Yumi Melville Dios Borus Reed

+++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++

Chiyu Chihi Chiin Chima Chikaku Chisu----- ----- ----- ----- ------- -----Samus Sebastian Roland Koroku Rhett Mike

Chirei Chisou Chii Chiyou Chisyu Chiin------ ------ ---- ------ ------ -----Mio Shizu Sharon Arthur Louis Luce

Chijyu Chikou Chiri Chiyu Chizu Chikei------ ------ ----- ----- ----- ------Tuta Hortez VII Nicolas Kidd Mamie Sanae Y

Chibi Chimei Chisyun Chifuku Chihei Chisou----- ------ ------- ------- ------ ------Futch Elaine Gadget Z Apple Ruby Anne

Chikyu Chisin Chiroku Chihi Chison Chiretsu------ ------ ------- ----- ------ --------Lilly Jacques Nei Kenji Muto Goro

Chibou Chitai Chitatsu Chiku Chido Chiken------ ------ -------- ----- ----- ------Jefferson Joker Viki Mel Landis Piccolo

Chizen Chiman Chisoku Chiko Chisatsu Chikou------ ------ ------- ----- -------- ------[X] Wan Fu Viki Peggi Kathy Rody

Chikou Chisui Chichin Chizen Chiaku Chizoku------ ------ ------- ------ ------ -------Watari Eike Augustine Martha Emily Guillaume

Chikyou Chisyu Chikei Chitan Chisyu Chikou------- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------Ayame Leo Belle Wilder Billy Gordon

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------5g. Attack Combos

For the 2-person combos, put the characters in the same pair. For combos withmore than two people, just put them all in the same party. I've probablymissed some but this is most of them.

2 People:---------

Ayame and WatariAyame and LandisEmily and JuanBelle and Gadget ZBright and Gadget ZBorus and PercivalAce and JokerDuke and ElaineDupa and LuciaShabon and Sgt. Joe (mwahaha)Alanis and MelvilleHallec and FubarBig and Small VikiYumi and YuiriCecile and ThomasAny 2 of Wan Fu, Mua, and Leo. Leo must be on footFred and Rico

3 People:---------

Chris + any 2 of Leo, Borus, and Percival. All must be on horsebackEmily, Sharon, and Sanae YBright, Futch, and SharonFutch, Fred, and FranzBazba, Shiba, and DupaJuan, Joker, and KenjiMel, Belle, and Big VikiNei, Toppo, and ShabonLilly, Reed, and Samus

4 People:---------

Duke, Elaine, Nicolas, and Gau

5 People:---------

Ace, Joker, Queen, Jacques, and GeddoeKoroku, Connie, Kosanji, Kogoro, and Koichi

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------5h. Bath Combos

Put these characters into your active party then visit Goro on the ship.Credit and thanks to Clara who provided all the content for this section.

One Person----------

- Mua

Two People----------

- Viki (Big), Viki (Little)- Belle, Mel- Kenji, Roland- Chris, Estella- Louis, Rody- Bright, Futch- Franz, Ruby- Eike, Juan- Cecile, Chris- Jeane, Lilly- Emily, Shabon- Augustine, Gordon- Billy, Melville- Elliot, Landis- Ayame, Chris- Elaine, Queen- Estella, Viki (Little) (After Chris/Estella)- Hugo, Kenji

Three People------------

- Ace, Jacques, Joker- Franz, Fred, Futch- Louis, Melville, Rody

- Hallec, Leo, Wan Fu- Emily, Sanae Y., Sharon- Lilly, Reed, Samus- Rhett, Sgt. Joe, Wilder- Beecham, Nicolas, Shiba- Jacques, Toppo, Watari- Aila, Anne, Lucia- Bazba, Dupa, Shiba- Bazba, Ruby, Sgt. Joe- Duke, Edge, Thomas- Ace, Borus, Nash- Mio, Nei, Yumi- Leo, Piccolo, Wan Fu (After Hallec/Leo/Wan Fu)

Five People-----------

- Connie, Kogoro, Koichi, Koroku, Kosanji

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************6. My Really Important Items List

6a. Introduction

The various items below are what I consider the best in the game. For liststhat are comprehensive, I recommend you check suikosource.com and Ryvius' FAQhere on gamefaqs.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------6b. Runes

-Balance. Protects wearer from unbalanced status. Random item for Mt. Path treasure boss in ch. 4. Very rare.

-Champion. Enemies that can be "Let Go" will no longer approach. Rare encounters and treasure bosses will still appear. Usually found as item for Cyndar Ruins treasure boss in ch. 5.

-Cyclone. Higher level Wind rune. Climb ladder at Chisha Appraiser shop; a woman there will give it to you in ch. 4 (if Chris is main character, will have to wait until ch. 5 to get it). Random treasure on Kuput Forest corpse closer to Chisha side. Bazba comes with it (can't be removed).

-Double Strike. Damage given and received is multiplied by 2. Random treasure item for Mt. Hei-Tou boss in ch. 2, a common item at the Le Buque Rune Shop in ch. 5.

-Firefly. Wearer is the first choice of an enemy attack. Very useful for Tank characters. Drop item of Purple Creepers in North Cavern during Thomas' chapters. Rody comes with it (removable).

-Fire Sealing. Negates all damage from fire attacks. Drop item for Troll Dragons on Yaza Plain in ch. 5.

-Flowing. Higher level Water rune. Treasure item for beating a boss in ch. 4, for gaining a Major Victory in the second to last strategy battle in ch. 5, and for defeating a boss in ch. 5. Sasarai comes with it (can't be removed).

-Fury. Wearer is always berserk. Random treasure for Mt. Hei-Tou corpse closest to Blue Mantrix, drop item for Bronze Sun in the Ancient Highway in Hugo's ch. 3. Thanks to suikosource.com for this info.

-Gale. Raises SPD stat of the wearer by 50%. Drop item of white Bladebunnies at Plain Amur North in Hugo's ch. 1, rare random treasure for North Cavern boss in ch. 4 and 5 (very rare in both cases).

-Haziness. Allows wearer to better dodge melee attacks. Rarity at Duck Village and Le Buque Item Shops. Watari (removable) and Emily (can't be removed) come with it.

-Hunter. Enemy will drop an item when the wearer successfully lands a melee attack. Accuracy is 5%. Attacks landed using a special rune such as Great Hawk and counterattacks do not count as a successful hit. Found as random treasure item for Mt. Senai boss in Geddoe's ch. 2, a rare find at the VdZ Guild Hall Item store in ch. 4-5, and a prize for defeating the Harmonians in ch. 5.

-Killer. Increases chance of landing heavy damage attack. Common item at the Alma Kinan Item Shop in ch. 5, a rare item there in ch. 3 and 4.

-Mother Earth. Higher level Earth rune. Random item for North Cavern treasure boss (Chimera) in ch. 2. Drop item for Stone Golem treasure boss in ch. 3, also located at the North Cavern (not a treasure chest item, the boss itself drops it).

-Pale Gate. Various summon magic. Little girl in Iksay Item Shop gives you one. Random treasure on corpse closest to entrance in Flame Champ Hideaway.

-Rage. Higher level Fire rune. Random item for Mt. Path treasure boss in ch. 5. Estella comes with it (can't be removed).

-Thunder. Higher level Lightning rune. Little girl in Duck Village Rune Shop gives you one. Drop item for Sirens in the Cyndar Ruins in ch. 4.

-Warrior. 1/2 of the wearer's REP stat is added to the PWR stat. Rarity at VdZ Item Shop in ch. 4 and 5.

-Wizard. 1/2 of the wearer's MDF stat is added to the MGC stat. Rarity at Chisha and Caleria Items Shops in ch. 4 and 5.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------6c. Armor

-Dragon Scale. +102 DEF, Continuous Attack +1. Mt. Path treasure boss item in ch. 5.

-Dream Robe. +83 DEF, ATK rating of enemy attacks is 1/2. Mt. Path treasure boss item in ch. 5.

-Flame Casque. +36 DEF, +15 PWR, Accuracy Skill +1, Fire Resist. Mt. Path treasure boss item in ch. 5.

-Horned Helm. +44 DEF, Damage Skill +1. Mt. Senai treasure boss item in ch. 5.

-Taikyoku Tunic. +78 DEF, +10 SPD, Status Protect. Random item for Mt. Hei-Tou treasure boss in ch. 2 and 3. This Tunic offers the highest DEF for any armor that cures Juan's sleep status.

-TrueThunderbolt Leather. +92 DEF, Accuracy +10%, Lightning Resist. Rarity at Caleria and Brass Castle Armor shops in ch. 4 & 5.

-Windspun Armor. +120 DEF, +15 SPD, Holy Dash +1, Wind Resist. Rarity at Le Buque Armor Stand in ch. 4 and 5. VERY rare.

-Wizard Hat. Raises Lightning and Fire Magic skill levels by 1 grade. Common item at VdZ Item Shop from ch. 3 onward.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------6d. Hammers

Give these to Peggi.

-Iron. The Chisha man in the Great Hollow Trade Shop gives it to you starting in everyone's chapter 1. Allows Peggi to sharpen weapons up to level 9.

-Copper. Acquire from the vendor outside of the Caleria Armor Shop in ch. 3. Allows Peggi to sharpen weapons up to level 12.

-Silver. Talk to the Alma Kinan woman sitting at the table in the Duck Village Tutor/Rune Shop after you have visited Lake Castle in ch. 4. Allows Peggi to sharpen weapons up to level 15.

-Gold. Rarity at Iksay Item Shop, sells for 50,000 potch. Always seems to pop up for me right before last strategy battle in ch. 5. Allows Peggi to sharpen weapons up to their maximum level of 16.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------6e. Medal Sets and Jefferson's Appointments

Give the Medal Sets to Jefferson once you recruit him.

Medal Sets:

#1-Zexen soldier in orange at the VdZ Blacksmith shop gives it to you in ch. 3 or 4 (I usually get it with Hugo in his ch. 3, ch. 4 with anyone else).

#2-Boy by the cow at the back of Chisha village gives it to you from ch. 3 on.

#3-Mt. Hei-Tou treasure boss item in Geddoe ch. 1. Possible it pops up elsewhere in another treasure boss fight.

#4-Rarity at Chisha Item Shop starting in ch. 3.

#5-North Cavern treasure boss item in Chris ch. 2 (Chimera). Possible it pops up elsewhere in another treasure boss fight.

------------------------------------Jefferson's Appointments:

Emperor-Accuracy and Damage Skills +1Top Commander-Swing and Counter Attack Skills +1Shadow Boss-Adrenaline Power Skill +2Captain-Counter Attack Skill +1General-Heavy Damage Skill +1GrKing-Stun Skill +1 (Freeze)

PM-Healing Skill +1Minister-Appraisal Skill +1

Marquis-Treasure Hunt Skill +1

Note that you cannot give any of these Appointments to Support characters. Ifyou give one of the Support Appointments to a regular character, it's basicallygiving them the skill with a grade of E even though the skill won't show up intheir skills list. The only regular character I know of that actually comeswith one of the Support skills you can boost is Sanae Y, who has Healing. Acharacter cannot hold more than 1 Appointment title at a time.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------6f. Accessories

-Counter Ring. Treasure item for getting a Major Victory in strategy battle in Thomas' chapter 2. Raises CounterAttack skill by 1 grade.

-DragonTail Ornament. +20 DEF, Fire Resist. Rarity at Great Hollow Item Shop. Only the Lizard Clan characters can wear it.

-EarthMagic Ring. Random item for Mt. Hei-Tou treasure boss in ch. 5. Sasarai comes with it (removable). Raises Earth Magic skill by 1 grade.

-Evasion Ring. Treasure item for getting a Major Victory in strategy battle in Chris' chapter 2. Raises Repel skill by 1 grade.

-FireMagic Ring. Random treasure for Flame Champ Hideaway boss (Azzodess) in ch. 3. Raises Fire Magic skill by 1 grade.

-Gold Beak. +12 DEF, +15 to SPD stat. Rarity at Duck Village Item Shop. Only Duck Clan characters can wear it.

-Gold Emblem. Treasure item from optional boss battle in Hugo ch. 2. Rarity at Brass Castle and VdZ Guild Hall Item Shops from ch. 3 onward. Only certain characters can equip (not sure of the exact restrictions). Raises Magic Resistance skill by 1 grade.

-LightningMagic Ring. Random treasure for Mt. Path boss (Rock Golem) in ch. 2 and 3. Random prize for Kathy's races. Raises Lightning Magic skill by 1 grade.

-LionGod Ring. +17 DEF, +20 to SPD stat. Rarity at Chisha Item Shop. Only Gau can wear it.

-Reflection Ring. Treasure item from boss battle in ch. 5. Small Viki comes with it (removable). Raises Magic Repel skill by 1 grade.

-Resistance Ring. Random treasure for Mt. Path boss in ch. 4 (Ghost Knight). Big Viki comes with it (removable). Raises Magic Resistance skill by 1 grade.

-Rose Brooch. +12 DEF, +1 to Swing Skill. Rarity at Iksay Item Shop. Only Augustine can wear it.

-WaterMagic Ring. Random treasure found on corpse closer to treasure boss at the Flame Champ Hideaway. Raises Water Magic skill by 1 grade.

-WhiteRose Brooch. +18 DEF, +2 to Swing Skill. Rarity at Caleria Item Stand from ch. 4 onward. Only Augustine can wear it.

-WindMagic Ring. Treasure item from boss battle in ch. 5. Raises Wind Magic skill by 1 grade.

-Yellow Scarf. +10 DEF, negates Silence, Paralysis, Poison, Bulls-Eye, and Sleep status. It does NOT negate effects of Unbalanced or the Silent Lake spell. A Rarity at the VdZ Item Shop in ch. 3 and 4, a common item there in ch. 5. Watari comes with it (removable).

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------6g. Scripts

#1-Nadir has it.

#2-Little girl by the stairs in VdZ inn gives it to you.

#3-Random item for North Cavern treasure boss.

#4-Little girl talking to her grandma at Le Buque inn gives it to you.

#5-Only available if you loaded Suikoden II data. First item on the corpse in Cyndar Ruins. At the entrance to the Ruins where there's 3 paths and a blue save crystal, take the left path. On this next screen, follow the path and exit the screen north. On the next screen, take the first right on your mini-map. Head to the dead end area to the southeast to find the corpse.

#6-Only available if you loaded Suikoden II data. Random item for Mt. Senai treasure boss.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************7. Duels

7a. Introduction

I have indicated what your opponent will do based on the given comments. Toreact accordingly, use the following table:

When your Enemy does: You Should:

Attack DeathblowDefend AttackDeathblow Defend

I have listed the duels in the order they appear in the Walkthrough.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------7b. Duels with Guillaume

You cannot win Melville's duel with Guillaume. The other 2, in Vinay del Zexaywhen he's chasing after Shabon and in the Ancient Highway, are both winnable.

Attack:-------You've made your uncle very angry!Ouch, you'll pay for that!Ho, ho, ho. Allow me to make my point.Pesky opponent! The next one won't miss!Ho, ho, ho! Your life is mine!Coward!All this staring at each other. Like a prelude to marriage. But I don't mind.Snap out of it. There's no turning back now.Ho, ho, ho! I am simply too strong!

Defend:-------Ho, ho, ho. Did you think I would only defend?Hmph. Your turn.Careful, careful.I'll take a page from your book!Ouch! I better stop to catch my breath!Ho, ho, ho. I am truly at my best today.Ah, this is really quite comfortable.

Deathblow:----------Deathblow Attack! Furious Flame!Deathblow Attack! Ominous Oceans!Deathblow Attack! The most furious of flames!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------7c. Duel with Lucia, Chris chapter 2

Attack:-------Saucy Knight!Such a lack of passion. I'll spice this up.If that is how you wish to battle...Ha! There's no need for discretion here White Maiden.Let's see what the White Maiden can withstand.It's been an even match. Until now.

Defend:-------I suppose you're good enough to be called White Maiden.A battle of resistance...That won't help us decide who wins.So you are serious after all. But how serious?I'll withstand your worst.Without caution attack is useless!Where's the sport in this? It's not a battle if you don't fight.Hmmm. Too tired to give me your best?

Deathblow:----------By the power of Karaya!Very well, stay like that!Let's make this the final blow.My Karaya brethren lend me your strength!That wasn't very exciting. Try this!Ah, just like a little girl. What about this?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------7d. Duel with Jimba, Chris chapter 2

Attack:-------Now it's time for me to strike.See how you like this.You're playing it safe. That's fine with me.Strong enough. Let's see how you handle this.You're quite skilled. How about this?We'll lose our audience if we carry on like this.

Defend:-------Go on, take a swing at me!Quite solid, but is it luck or skill?Now it's your turn.I've never had to play it this safe before.Well, well...Having trouble? Maybe next time.Is this a staring match or a battle?Damn! I better take a breather.

Deathblow:----------Let's do this my way.Milady, I will not hold back.Sorry, but I've been doing this a lot longer than you have.This has carried on long enough. I'll finish it quickly.I hope this isn't too much for you.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------7e. Duel with Ayame

Attack:-------Let me show you how pleased I am to see you again.Now I'll get you back.If you only defend...When are you going to stand up and fight?Don't feel too good about that.Enough messing around!Here we go...

Defend:-------I believe this is how to properly defend oneself.So, we think alike after all.It's been a while, let's see if you've improved.Are you getting enough to eat? You're not very effective.Sorry, no effect.I wouldn't hold still like that.That was good, but probably the best you can do.At least you don't fight worse than before.This is taking too long.

Deathblow:----------This will let you know how glad I am to see you again.And now, the finishing stroke.Good night, Watari.I'll help you remember your past.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------7f. Duel with Edge

Attack:-------Don't get cocky.You're better than I thought. Again!What's this? All defense?Don't chicken out on me.

You won't win just by defending.I suppose I could go easy on you.You're no slouch, eh?

Defend:-------Come on and take a shot!Nice work.Why don't you show me what you've got?Might as well play it safe.I see we're both cautious.Don't get shaken...

Deathblow:----------Nice work. Now how about this?I'll pay you back double.Try defending against this!This should finish it.I'll end this right away.Let's make this interesting.This might just finish it...Time to get serious.Stand still!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------7g. Duel with Duke, Geddoe chapter 3

Attack:-------Here we go!I'll return that!Now this is a fight! Here it comes again!Don't put me to sleep, Geddoe.Well, well. Aren't you cunning?Come on now, are you really that meek?What's wrong, Geddoe? You wanted the real thing, right?Not bad at all. I'll go full speed as well.

Defend:-------Don't just stand there-Attack!The next attack is yours. Come on!Nice try. I'll take it as many times as you can bring it.How long do I have to wait!That luck will run out!Hardly felt a thing. Try a little harder.So what do you want to do? I'll give you a chance.

Deathblow:----------If that's your game, I've got a little gift for you.Is that all it took? This should finish it.Better than I thought, Geddoe. Now take this.Looking me in the eye won't get you sympathy!Hold still!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------7h. First Duel with Sasarai, Hugo chapter 3

Attack:-------Our strategies are similar. Let's see what you make of my next attack.That's wise of you. Keep defending. I'll put you down for a long nap.You've got some talent. But I've also got a few tricks.That was fine work. I'll stop holding back as well.Your skills still need honing. Watch and learn.

Defend:-------Very well, then. Come at me again!You're far too submissive. Try a little aggression.Is that all? I thought you had more in you.I'll stand still. Attack with all your might!Playing it safe, eh? Go on. I'll take what you deliver.What's wrong Flame Champion? It's time to attack.Not bad. I'll take another shot.Maybe I'm trying too hard...A passive champion at best. Come on now, have at me!

Deathblow:----------I won't hold back. Defend yourself!You're a quiet one. Can you withstand this?You're far too predictable. And now...I strike.You carry the name of Flame Champion? I will prove your unworthiness.I don't care to do this all day. Let's finish it.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------7i. Second Duel with Sasarai, 6th POV

Attack:-------Here I go.So you intend to win. But can you handle this...Now it's my turn.Can you keep that up?And now for my offensive.You make a nice target.Don't let it go to your head.

Defend:-------It seems we're both cautious.Such dogged caution.Hit me with everything you've got. I'm ready.Bring your worst.I had better consider my options...

Deathblow:----------But can you handle this.Rather heavy on defense. Try defending this!I've analyzed this enough.See if you can figure this out.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************8. Ernie's Quiz

Which musical ensemble only uses wind instruments? 3. Brass BandWhich of the following cannot fly? 1. DuckWhich one of these fruits grows on a tree? 2. PomegranatesWhich statement is false? 2. Rice cleaned with soapWhich of these has nothing to do with farming? 3. QuiverWhat is the pattern on Karayan horses? 1. Zebra patternWhat is the Duck Clan Chief's special characteristic? 1. Amazing tailWhich is the correct spelling? 1. Sea breamWhich of the following phrases is not possible? 3. I ate cactus for dinnerWhich of these sounds is threatening? 2. GggrrrWhich skill can make a magical spell bounce back at its caster? 2. ReflectWhat are the colors of the Kamaro Free Knights' uniform? 2. Green/YellowOf the following, which does not exist in blood? 2. Blue blood cellsWhat is paper made from? 3. WoodWhich of these cannot be found at any defensive gear shop? Bizarre ChainmailWhere is the decorative feather worn on the head of the Flame Champ? 3. LeftWhich cannot be part of a string ensemble? 2. BodhranWhich one of these is a lizard man? 2. ShibaOf the following which one is not an insect? 3. SerpentWhat do Lizard Men do when they're surprised? 3. Nothing

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************9. Boss/Battle Strategies

9a. Introduction

I have included strategies for selected bosses and for all major battles inthis section. The bosses I have left out, such as Nemesis, the Ghost Knights,etc., are neither difficult nor do they require any special preparations. Thebosses and battles are listed in the order they appear in the Walkthrough.When I mention "Primary Armor", this means the main body armor for yourcharacters, not counting accessories.

The strategies for the boss battles are given with the goal for all partycharacters to be alive at the end, not just win the battle itself. Forstrategy battles, the tips I give are intended to get the best possibleoutcome, usually a Major Victory but in other instances a Safe Retreat.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------9b. Strategy Battle 1, Chris chapter 1 (Plain Amur)

This is the battle where the Zexens are ambushed by the Lizard and Karaya Clansat the truce meeting. There are two ways to win this battle. The first is theconventional way which is to go for a safe retreat by making a beeline for theexit circle. The strategy below covers this first option. The second is towipe out every Grassland unit. The only reason to go for this is the ChrisLevel 99 trick covered at suikosource.com in detail.

During the first turn, move Roland and the other Zexen unit into the samecircle as Chris. End your turn. During the Grasslanders' turn, Lucia andBeecham will show up with some Karaya Units. Salome will then suggest youbreak through. Use Roland's unit to attack the Karayan Unit (Unit #12) that'sblocking your exit. If you didn't win, or somehow lost, send the mounted Zexenunit (Unit #4) after them. This should take out the Karayan Unit. Send Chrisinto the now empty circle that the Karayans were occupying. Defend with theremaining Zexen units. The Grasslanders will no doubt attack you in the nextturn. Just pick the retreat option. You'll get attacked most of the time but

should make it into Chris' circle without much problems. When your turn comesup again, move any of the Zexen units into the exit circle (it doesn't have tobe Chris' unit). This will conclude the strategy battle.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------9c. Geddoe v. Chris and the Zexen Knights, Geddoe chapter 1 (Great Hollow)

This battle is all luck as far as I'm concerned. Unless you went crazy withleveling up and got your team's levels past 30, the outcome of the battle iscompletely dependent on whether or not Chris casts Breath of Ice. If she does,it's all but over. If she doesn't go for this spell, then the strategy belowhas worked well for me. All my characters were level 24 except Shiba. Geddoehad a Lightning Rune with a B grade and Joker had a Water Rune with a B gradein the respective magic. The formation I use:

JacquesJokerQueenGeddoeAceShiba(No Support)

Have Geddoe cast Soaring Bolt. Have Ace do his Double Tusk attack on Chris.Have Jacques attack Chris as well. After that, concentrate your attacks onChris-she can cast Kindness Rain which heals all of her troops. Use onlyItems and Joker's Kindness Drops spell to heal. If you kept Joker's Fire Rune,you can try to get off some spells but keep in mind that most of those spellswill hit your own troops. It usually takes about 3-5 turns before you win.The loot you get is a few thousand potch and a nice bit of skill points. Thebest items I ever got were some Damaged Helms, New Chainmail, and Mega MedicineD, so nothing all that great.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------9d. Geddoe v. Borus, Geddoe chapter 1 (Karaya Village)

You get this fight if you select the first dialogue choice, "I have aninkling." Level 26 is plenty for Queen and Geddoe to win this battle. If youwanted to give yourself a little room for error, you could buy SacrificialJizos from the Karaya Village Item Hut and equip them before the battle.Equipping both with at least a full Medicine C each is also a good idea. IfGeddoe's Lightning Magic skill is not at least a B, you'll have problemswinning this fight. The formation I use:

QueenGeddoe--------------------

I pair them together like this mainly so Queen can protect Geddoe while hecasts his spells. If Queen's Repel Skill grade is decent (B or higher) shehas a great chance of evading at least 1 of the 3 attacks she'll face in thefirst round. In the first turn, cast Soaring Bolt with Geddoe. Thereafter,heal with Queen's Medicine items (Geddoe will attack automatically). If Borusmisses or doesn't do too much damage, use Geddoe to cast Berserk Blow duringthe next turn. It usually takes me 5-6 turns to take him out. At level 26, Igo up to level 28-29 and get about 100 skill points.

An alternative to the above strategy is if you fixed Queen with a Wind Runeand trained up her Wind Magic skill to a decent level (B or higher). If so,you can cast Wind of Sleep. If you use this strategy, flip flop Geddoe andQueen in terms of the formation.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------9e. The Blue Mantrix, Mt. Hei-Tou

The only times this treasure boss is a concern is in Geddoe's chapter 1 andChris' chapter 2. The low to mid 20's level is plenty for beating this boss.After chapter 2, he's ridiculously easy given the levels and skills of yourcharacters. Note that Thomas can never fight the Blue Mantrix in his chapters.

The Blue Mantrix has a couple of attacks of note. The first is a beam attackthat hits a single person. He usually targets the person with the lowest DEFrating in your party with this. The other attack hits anyone withinhand-to-hand attack range with these multi-colored bubbles. It doesn't do muchdamage but there's a slight chance it will paralyze your guys. The generalstrategy to use is make sure someone has healing spells that can cure theparalysis, meaning someone with either a Shield or Water Rune. Send yourmelee attackers up and keep your healer in the back. Use your offensive magic(e.g. Geddoe's Soaring Bolt) plus your melee attacks and you won't have muchproblems taking it out.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------9f. Twin-Head Snake, Mountain Path, Geddoe chapter 1

The only time this guy's really a problem is facing him in Geddoe's chapter 1.Because of that, I am including a strategy only for Geddoe's team at that time.Having your team in the upper 20's level to lower 30's levels is sufficient towinning this battle. Also make sure that Geddoe has at least a B+ in LightningMagic and Aila has at least a B in Shield Magic. Having Joker with a WaterRune helps but isn't essential.

This boss has four attacks. The Left Head uses Wind Magic and casts healingmagic. The Right Head casts Fire Magic. The main head has a rather grosslooking tongue attack that hits those within hand-to-hand attack range. Itsmost dangerous attack is a combination magic attack that involves all threeheads. This combo magic attack precedes almost all of your party's actionsexcept the fastest, such as tossing items or the spell Kindness Drops.

My strategy is to focus on taking out the Left Head first so it can'tregenerate HP or use the combination magic attack. I cast Berserk Blow on theLeft Head with Geddoe and use the archers' regular melee attacks on it, too.I then use Ace's Double Tusk Rune on the Left Head. After that, I use GreatBlessing with Aila to heal if everyone's hurt or Medicine/Joker's KindnessDrops to heal if only a certain pair are hurt. Following the first round, Ifocus my attacks on the Left Head again, using Berserk Blow with Geddoe and thearchers' melee attacks. Once the Left Head is gone, I cast Soaring Bolt withGeddoe and focus on the Right Head. When only the main head is left, I castBattle Oath with Aila and mop up with melee attacks from there. On occasion, Ilose Queen or Aila because of their low HP but as long as you keep everyonehealed properly, that shouldn't be a problem. This battle usually takes me 4-6turns with the aforementioned levels/skills.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------9g. Zexen Raid on Great Hollow, Strategy Battle, Chris chapter 2

Make sure Chris, Percival, Borus, Leo, and Roland are level 34 or better forthis fight. You can get them all to this level fairly quickly by fighting

random battles at Yaza Plain in this chapter. Also max out Chris' Swing skillgrade to a B. In the low to mid 30's level, this will give Chris two attacksper turn, making this battle much easier. I'd advise you to also raise Chris,Borus, and Leo's Armor Protect skills to at least a B for each. I alsorecommend removing Roland's Great Hawk Rune, which is good advice for anystrategy battle Roland participates in unless you did the Chris level 99 trick.

The winning condition is to take out 5 enemy units. The losing condition islosing Chris' unit, so make sure she doesn't go down. To get a Major Victory,don't lose an entire unit while taking out the required number of enemies. Theloot you get for a Major Victory is an Evasion Ring, which boosts the wearer'sRepel skill by 1 grade.

There's a few things to keep in mind here. Borus and Percival will show up atthe start of your third turn. The most dangerous units are Dupa's and Bazba's.Dupa has a Fury Rune which puts him in Berserk status-if he gets one luckycritical hit, it's lights out for whoever he hit. Bazba will occasionally casta Cyclone Magic spell that can cause "Combat Stifled", which is anotherautomatic lights out. Unless Dupa's team is damaged pretty well, only use Leoto confront him. As for Bazba, just don't let him engage Chris-anyone else isfine. Lastly, if you put your units in place to "Cover" this gives yourattacking unit a boost to the damage they do. The more units covering, themore damage.

At the start of the battle, move Chris one circle to the southeast. Move Leoand Roland one circle to the east. Don't move past these circles until Borusand Percival show up. The computer's strategy can vary pretty wildly but itusually will send the Lizard Units with 3 fighters up to meet your guys. Justuse Roland and Chris at that point to try to take them out. Once Borus andPercival show up, try to put your units in position to cover each other. Leo,Chris, and Borus' units are the best to use for attacking. As long as youdon't put your units in a position where they're attacked a consecutive numberof times, you shouldn't lose an entire unit. If one of the units that's justmade up of Zexen Regulars is attacked by an enemy unit with full health, justhave them retreat. This battle on average takes me two turns after Borus andPercival show up to complete.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------9h. Hugo v. The Man in Black (MIB), Hugo chapter 2 (Ancient Highway)

Note that you neither have to win this fight nor do you have to fight it atall to proceed with the game. To avoid the fight altogether, pick the dialoguechoice "Hmm, what's the best way" then agree with Lilly to attack.

The best preparations you can make for this fight are actually in Hugo'schapter 1. Specifically, how high you raised Hugo and Fubar's Accuracy skillin chapter 1. This is because the MIB has a high Repel rating and therefore isvery hard to hit. In addition, you can't visit a Bujutsu Teacher in thischapter until after you've gotten past the MIB. If you have decent Accuracywith Hugo and Fubar (B grade or higher), you can use the following strategystarting with this formation:

LillySamusHugoFubarReedSgt. Joe(No Support)

Sharpen everyone's weapon up to level 7 via the Blacksmith in the easterncourtyard of Brass Castle. Armor that's around +24 DEF or better will be fine.A level of 32 for everyone is plenty. To give yourself some leeway, equip 2Sacrificial Jizos and a Medicine B or higher on Fubar. If you want to makesure that Sgt. Joe and the Tinto team survive as well, put a Sacrificial Jizoon each of them.

In the first round, use the Tinto combo and send the Hugo/Fubar pair in toattack. Rarely will the MIB move before Hugo/Fubar but if he does he'llusually attack the middle where Hugo/Fubar are, which is what you want. TheTinto combo will do very little damage (most of the time only 1 point) butthat's not the point. What you want to do is just attack with Hugo/Fubar andhave the MIB concentrate his attacks on them as well. Heal Hugo/Fubar everyother round with Sgt. Joe's Kindness Drops unless the MIB got lucky and diddouble damage. You should be able to take him down before Sgt. Joe runs out ofKindness Drops. If not, use Samus' Wind Rune to heal them and if you run outof _that_, use the Medicine you equipped on Fubar to heal (Hugo will still getan attack). Using this strategy, I'm able to win every time, although one ofthe Tinto characters or Sgt. Joe may go down if they get hit with theEight-Devil Rune. After you win, you'll get a Gold Emblem and some experience,although usually only enough to bump a few people up 1 level if everyone's atlevel 32.

The alternative is to focus on your Magic skills, which you can boost at DuckVillage via the Tutor. This strategy focuses on raising Hugo's Wind Magic toits maximum of B+. All the same levels and other preparations apply,especially equipping the Jizos. The formation for this strategy:

ReedHugoFubarSgt. JoeLillySamus(No Support)

Cast Wind of Sleep with Samus and Shredding with Hugo. If you want to try yourluck, you could have Sgt. Joe cast Breath of Ice as well but there's a goodchance this will also hit your own troops. If you got real lucky, Samus' spellwill put the MIB to sleep, lowering his ability to Repel/Counterattack. Healwhen you need to with Sgt. Joe and your Medicine items and keep repeating withthe Wind Magic spells until the MIB goes down.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------9i. Rock Golem, Mountain Path, Geddoe chapter 2

Recommendations for this boss battle include levels in the low 30's for allyour characters, B+ in Lightning Magic for Geddoe, and a B in Shield Magic forAila. Weapons of level 10 are also highly recommended. Primary Armor in the+30 range or better will be fine. The Rock Golem has a high Repel rate sothe Accuracy skill is helpful for melee attacks.

He's got three noteworthy attacks. The most dangerous is a Fire Rune spellcalled Explosion, which will hit everyone in your party for about 150-200 pts.of damage. It's very difficult to stop him from getting this spell off bydamaging him. His other attacks are punches, one that swings around to hiteveryone in the immediate area and a super punch that targets one person. Inthe first round, cast Geddoe's Soaring Bolt and Aila's Battle Oath spells. UseAce's Double Tusk attack. After that, use Geddoe's Berserk Blow, Ace's DoubleTusk, and everyone else's physical attacks. Heal with Aila's Great Blessing

spell (if everyone's hurt) and Joker's Kindness Drops (if he has a Water rune).It'll take a while (usually 6 rounds for me) but you'll wear him down. If youkeep getting wiped out, consider using the Soaring Bolt items found as Rarityat the Caleria Item shop and/or equipping everyone with a Sacrificial Jizo.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------9j. Geddoe v. Duke and the Masked Bishop, Geddoe chapter 2 (Mt. Senai)

This fight's optional. To avoid it, pick the third dialogue choice when you'reconfronted by Duke, "That Bishop is up to something". To get the fight, pickthe first dialogue choice, "Sorry but we have to keep going". Picking thesecond choice, BTW, just leads to the first and third choices.

If you opt to fight, I recommend that your team be at least level 36 with Ailahaving a B+ in Shield Magic and Geddoe an A in Lightning Magic. Primary armorof at least +57 or better is also advisable (not too tough to get if you'vefought the treasure bosses in this chapter). Equip each member of your teamwith Sacrificial Jizos. Wind, Water, and Flame Amulets are helpful but notessential.

My strategy for Duke's team:

Cast Berserk Blow with Geddoe on Duke, have Aila/Jacques attack Elaine, and useAce's Double Tusk on Elaine. DO NOT use Geddoe's Soaring Bolt spell-you'llneed it for the next fight. After that, target Duke and Gau using Geddoe'sBerserk Blow and everyone else's regular attacks. Once their gone, mop upNicolas-he's tough to hit with melee attacks so use Geddoe's level 1 spell andAce's Double Tusk. When you're close to winning, make sure you heal everyonewith Aila's Great Blessing spell since you'll get into another fight rightafter.

My strategy for the Masked Bishop and Sarah:

Sarah will either go for Breath of Ice or a Fire spell. The Ice spell is veryquick and will usually happen before you act. On occasion, you might getlucky and Sarah will go for Kindness Rain for her first move or both of themwill opt for melee attacks. This is pretty rare though. The Masked Bishop willgo for either a Pale Gate or Wind spell usually but it'll come after everyonein your group has acted. I use Soaring Bolt with Geddoe, target Sarah withAila and Jacques, and have Ace do Double Tusk on her. Most of your guys willprobably be reduced to 0 HP after the first round but that's what theSacrificial Jizos are for. Sarah should've gone down in the first round. Justrepeat what you did before and you should take out the Masked Bishop fine inthe next round. You get a nice bump in experience and skill points for winningthese battles (2-3 experience levels if you're level 35-38).

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------9k. Azzodess, Flame Champion Hideaway Treasure Boss, chapter 3 (All)

It's advisable that you're at least level 36 when you take this boss on. Ifyou have someone you rely on for healing magic, equip them with an item orarmor that negates the Silence status, such as a Yellow Scarf or the TaikyokuTunic. The Tunic is a random item for the Mt. Hei-Tou treasure boss in chapter3 and the Yellow Scarf is a Rarity at the VdZ Item Shop. Lightning Amuletsare very handy for this fight but not essential. Make sure 1 person in each ofyour 3 pairs has a full stock of Medicine items (like a Medicine B x6). Havinga high grade for the Accuracy skill for your characters is also very helpfulbecause the Azzodess has a good Repel rate.

You'll be relying on your melee attackers to win this fight, so the characters

you pick up automatically for Chris, Hugo, and Geddoe will work just fine forwinning this battle. This boss is invulnerable to lightning magic. She has 3primary attacks. The first one shoots beams from her at one person, doing somenasty magic damage. The second one she'll summon another winged creature todamage everyone in your party. In addition, this attack has a chance to hiteveryone with silence status. The third is a heavy duty Lightning magic spellthat hits everyone (Thunder Storm). This fight is very straightforward-sendyour melee attackers up, heal when you're hurt with magic/items, and keephacking away until the Azzodess is dead.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------9l. Chris v. Harmonia, Strategy Battle Chris chapter 3 (Chisha Village)

This takes place after you've brought Caesar from Duck Village. Levels in theupper 30's for Rico, Fred, Chris, Yumi, and Nash are advisable. Rhett andWilder should already be in the low 40's. In terms of skills, maxing out Nashand Chris' Heavy Damage, Fred's Armor Protect, and Yumi's Swing are goodchoices. Note that you can equip everyone with a Sacrificial Jizo if you likeby talking to Sana at the inn and switching out party members to equip them.Primary armor that's +57 or better and weapons at level 12 are also highlyrecommended.

The winning condition for this battle is simply to stay alive until Applearrives with some help, usually 5-6 turns. To get a Major Victory, you haveto take out at least 1 Harmonian unit and not lose an entire unit yourself.You get Earth Chainmail as loot for getting a Major Victory.

This is the formation I use:

Chris (alone) Rhett Wilder----- Rico ---------- ----- Yumi----- Fred NashYun Sana Caesar

At the start of the battle, have your three units attack the enemy unit acrossfrom them, including Chris. The Harmonians have an annoying habit of retreatingin this battle so it takes a few turns to finish them up. The only unit ofconcern is Dios' because he has four troops instead of three. At the start ofyour turn, some HP will be healed for each of your units. If you've taken thetime to get good gear and skills for your team, these first four units shouldnot be a problem. Do your best to move your units into position to cover eachothers' attacks and use Chris' unit to heal anyone banged up. If your partyis damaged pretty good, don't hesitate to try for a retreat.

The goal of this battle is just to stay alive, not eliminate the enemy unitsbut I take this approach because the characters match up very well. If you'rehaving trouble with your units going down or losing characters, take a lessaggressive approach and only fight if you're attacked. Don't hesitate to pullback toward the village or retreat if you keep getting banged up because you'llstill satisfy the victory requirement for this battle.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------9m. Chris v. the Masked Bishop, Chris chapter 3 (Alma Kinan)

The outcome of this fight does not affect the overall story-you can lose andstill proceed with the game. I suggest a minimum level of 35 but recommendthat you're at least level 38 for this fight. Notable skills to bump up ashigh as you can are Rico's Water Magic, Yumi's Earth/Water Magic, and Accuracyand Heavy Damage for Chris and Nash. Primary Armor of +57 or better and

weapons sharpened to level 12 is plenty. Sacrificial Jizos are good but notessential for anyone except Fred because of his horrible Magic Defense stat.You can opt to keep Yumi's Earth Rune and train that up (for the Earthquakespell) or Forget the Earth Magic and give her Water Magic instead (for healingand the Silent Lake spell). Having items for healing are essential if youintend to go the route of using Silent Lake.

The formation I use:

ChrisNashYumiYuiriFredRico(No Support)

Your priorities in order are Sarah, Masked Bishop, and Yuber. In the firstround, send the Chris/Nash and Yuiri/Yumi pairs after Sarah-do NOT use the AlmaKinan combo. If you've trained up Yumi's Earth Magic, have her cast Earthquakeinstead. Have Rico cast Kindness Rain and center it on Yuiri. The reason forthis is that this spell comes after Sarah's water attacks but before the MaskedBishop's Pale Gate/Wind attacks. If Sarah hits you with Breath of Ice, it canreally wallop your team but Rico should get her Kindness Rain spell off to healthe damage. You should take out Sarah in the first round with your attacks.In the next round, heal your team with Rico's Kindness Drops or, if Yumi hasWater magic, Kindness Rain and cast it on whoever's at the very center of yourparty. It's hard to go after the Masked Bishop because Yuber will be blockingyou. Try your best though-Fred and Yuiri will automatically attack him sincethe Bishop should be the closest to them. If you target him with Chris/Nash,Nash should be able to hit him as well. If Yuber has gotten in the way, thentake him out but this is dangerous because the Bishop's attacks are verypowerful. Once it's down to the last person, just heal and mop up.

An alternative strategy is if you gave Yumi the Water Rune and trained up herWater Magic skill. If she's at level 38 or higher, she should have the SilentLake spell, which negates all spellcasting for 5 turns. If you want to trythis strategy, do everything else the same (Rico cast Kindness Rain, Nash/Chrisgo after Sarah) but cast Silent Lake with Yumi. Rico should still get herspell off but there's a good chance you'll stop the Masked Bishop's spell.After that first round, heal everyone with your items and start hacking away inthe same order as above.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------9n. Thomas v. the Wild Boar, Thomas chapter 1 (Mt. Hei-Tou)

There's not much to this fight, really, but I've gotten a few e-mails about itso I'll go ahead and cover it. If you want to be able to use Thomas, Cecile,and Juan for this fight, take the time to get some money and sharpen theirweapons up to level 5 via the Blacksmith in the east courtyard of Brass Castle.You really don't need to because the easiest way to win this fight is usingPiccolo's Lightning Magic. Make sure Thomas and Cecile are at least level 6for this fight and Juan and Thomas has a healing item each. The formation:

CecileThomas----------JuanPiccolo

(No Support)

In the first round, if you've leveled up Thomas and Cecile's weapons, use theBest Effort Combo. If not, just have them Defend. Have Piccolo cast BerserkBlow-this will take him 2 rounds to complete so continue to cast this in thenext round. If you've leveled him up high enough where he has Soaring Bolt,use that instead. Use a healing item on Cecile if she got charged by the Boarin the first round. In the next round, Piccolo will get his spell off. UseBest Effort if you didn't in the previous round and this should kill off theBoar. If not, just repeat from step 1.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------9o. Thomas v. the Zexen Army round 1, Thomas chapter 2 (Lake Castle)

This strategy battle occurs after you agree with Caesar to help Hugo escape.The goal is to hold out long enough until you can move Hugo and Lilly's unitsto the exit circle. The key to winning this battle is to not be aggressive-the vast majority of the time only 1 Zexen unit will actually attack you. Aslong as you don't try to wipe out everyone and take a defensive approach, youwill win this battle easily.

In the first turn, just defend with both Thomas and Cecile's units-don't movethem. In the second turn, hit the Zexen unit that's moved up next to Thomaswith his Wind Magic skill. Defend again with Cecile. During your next turnand every turn thereafter, move Hugo/Lilly's units to the exit circle. Onceyou move both Hugo and Lilly's units to the exit circle the battle will beover. With a Major Victory you'll get a Counter Ring for a prize.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------9p. Thomas v. the Zexen Army round 2, Thomas chapter 2 (Lake Castle)

Take the same non-aggressive approach as advised in section 9o and you'll befine. The best outcome for this battle is a Safe Retreat-you cannot get avictory because Leo and Percival's HP will not drop below 1/2 in this battle.

In the first round, just defend with Thomas and swap Juan and Cecile's spots.You'll get attacked in the next few rounds so just use Thomas' unit primarilyto take the attacks and retreat when you have to. If you didn't get anyrecruits in Thomas' chapters and only have Thomas, Juan, and Cecile, useCecile's unit instead to take the attacks. If Leo or Percival's units attackyou retreat like crazy. After 5-6 turns, the battle will be over. If you gota Safe Retreat, you'll get a Killer Rune as loot.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------9q. The True Fire Rune Dragon, chapter 4 (Flame Champion Hideaway)

This fight isn't hard if you've leveled up Geddoe's Lightning Magic skill. Ifyour characters' levels are in the low 40's, that's more than good enough towin. It's recommended that Chris have a Water Rune with her skill in it maxedout but it's not essential. If she doesn't have this, just equip her andGeddoe with healing items. Regardless of who is FC, I suggest this formation:

ChrisHugo---------------Geddoe(No Support)

Send Hugo/Chris up with their melee attacks. Cast the 4th level True Lightningspell with Geddoe (Hammer of Raijin). In the next round, heal Chris' unit withKindness Drops or her healing item. Don't worry about healing Geddoe for now.Cast Furious Blow from Geddoe's True Lightning Rune. This should take out theTrue Fire Dragon. If you got unlucky and it didn't go down, heal everyone withChris' Kindness Rain or their items and send Geddoe up for a melee attack-thisshould definitely take it down or you're too low of a level/don't have thesufficient skills. There's a very slim chance the Fire Dragon will reflectGeddoe's magic attacks. If this happens, just keep using Furious Blow withGeddoe and Chris/Hugo's melee attacks until he goes down.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------9r. The FC v. the Masked Bishop, chapter 4 (Flame Champion Hideaway)

This fight takes place right after you receive the True Fire Rune. You do nothave to win this fight to make the story proceed. The best way to ensure yoursuccess is to have trained up Geddoe's Lightning and Fire Magic skills,depending on whether or not he's the new FC. Equip him with a Wizard Hat (acommon item at the Vinay del Zexay Armor Shop) and any Lightning/Fire MagicRings you've picked up to boost his grade in those skills.

If Geddoe is your Flame Champion, skip ahead to the next paragraph. In thefirst round, send up Chris/Hugo for melee attacks on Sarah. If Chris has aWater Rune, cast Kindness Drops on Geddoe if he's hurt. Have Geddoe castThunder Storm (3rd level spell). This will wipe out all the Chimeras andpretty much everyone else to boot. Usually only Sarah and Yuber are leftstanding. In the second round, heal Chris/Hugo's pair (Hugo usually buys itin my game) and cast Soaring Bolt with Geddoe's True Lightning to finish offSarah. Heal everyone still alive in the next round. Cast Geddoe's SoaringBolt one more time to finish up Yuber.

If Geddoe is Flame Champion, have him cast Explosion and center it on Yuber.Heal him with Chris' Kindness Drops if she has a Water Rune and he's hurt fromthe last battle. If not, send her/Hugo to attack Sarah. All the Chimerashould be gone in the next round. After that, go for Final Flame on Sarah ifshe's still up or the Masked Bishop if she went down. Continue to heal withChris when necessary. When you run out of Final Flame, use the Fire Magicspell Blazing Wall and center it on whoever's farthest from Geddoe. Once Sarahand the Masked Bishop go down, it's smooth sailing against Yuber.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------9s. Chris v. Harmonia round 2, chapter 4 (Outside Duck Village)

This strategy battle occurs if Chris is FC after your forces have retreated toDuck Village. The levels for the Six Zexen Knights should be in the mid-40'sfor this battle. Maxed out Armor Protect skills for Chris, Borus, and Leo arehighly recommended. If you recruited Rody with Chris, remove his Firefly Runeand attach it to Leo. Equipping Chris and Leo with Sacrificial Jizos is alsoa really good idea. The formation I use:

Percival Leo----- Borus----- RolandSalome Chris

At the start of the strategy battle, you just have to hold on for about 4-6turns. To get it over with as quickly as possible, move Units 1, 2, and 4 intothe far northwestern circle and units 3 and 5 into the far southwestern circle.Only attack with the Duck Units if possible and heal with Dupa when you can.Sarah will eventually conjure more units and one turn thereafter Chris will

show up to tell the Grasslanders to fall back.

You'll now just have to stay alive for 3 turns. When it's your turn, moveChris' Unit into the far SW circle. Leave Salome/Percival where they are andhave them defend. When it's the enemy's turn, just retreat Salome/Percival ifthey get attacked. If Chris gets attacked, go ahead and fight-her unit matchesup very well, especially if you put the Firefly Rune on Leo. If they getlucky, Chris will get HP back for her unit at the start of her turn to give youa little leeway. At the next turn, use Chris' Fire Rune to hit the circle withthe most enemy units on it that are adjacent to her. Have Salome/Percival onlydefend again and use Chris' unit to take the attacks. Keep doing this untilSarah's unit retreats and you withdraw yourself for a Safe Retreat. No lootfor this battle.

In case you got Chris up to level 99 and were wiping out everyone, you stillcan't win this battle outright because Sarah's HP won't drop below 1/2 so SafeRetreat is the best possible outcome.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------9t. The FC v. the MIB and the Harmonians, chapter 4 (outside Brass Castle)

This strategy battle takes place after your FC makes their speech. If you'vetaken the time to level up your story characters, e.g. Geddoe's mercenary teamand the Six Zexen Knights, this battle shouldn't be too tough. The givenvictory goal is to stay alive until help arrives (usually 5-6 turns). If mostof your story characters are in the low to mid 40's level with decent skillsand equipment (+57 or better primary armor), you can win by wiping out theenemy before your reinforcements show up. In fact, this is the way to get aMajor Victory. The loot for a Major Victory is a Silver Shield.

This is the setup I used regardless of FC:

Leo Borus ----- Ace ShibaQueen Fred Dupa Fubar Sgt. JoeRoland Jacques ----- Percival BazbaChris Geddoe ----- Hugo Lucia(Caesar) (Apple) (Beecham) (Salome) (Joker)

About these units. Your FC will have a Fire Skill attack and either Geddoe orHugo will have a Lightning Skill attack. You'll need 3 good units that cantake down enemy units so I choose to shift the best groups into Chris, Hugo,and Geddoe's command. After you've picked your formation, pick the 3rd choiceto ask Caesar to wait. Go to the inn and save then come back to tell him you're ready.

At the start of the strategy battle, your FC will have a conversation with theHarmonian commander. Some Harmonian units will leave and only 7 are leftagainst your 5. During your first turn, move the unit with Lightning and FireSkills together into the circle one move to the right from the starting point.Put the other units together in the circle below them. If you ever need toheal, you can now move back just one circle to the starting point-this alsoprevents the enemy from being able to attack with Cover help. I'm quite sureyou can't lose anyone permanently in this battle.

The two main enemy units to be concerned with are Yuber's and Sasarai's. Youwon't have to take on Sasarai in the field (his unit is just made up of 4Regular Harmonian troops) but he has two Lightning Skill attacks that knock out1/3 of your unit's health every time he casts it. The units commanded by Dios,

Albert, and Sasarai don't have a commander-to beat them you'll have to take outall 4 Harmonians.

Until the Harmonian units get close, I just Defend with everyone. I use myLightning and Fire Skill both on Yuber's unit-he's the most dangerous when youactually get to the field battle. Sasarai almost always will cast hisLightning attacks on two different units but if he hits one unit with both ofthem, pull them back immediately. You can beat the enemy's 7 units with justChris, Hugo, and Geddoe's units with mop-up help from Lucia's unit to attackenemy units that have been already hurt. You can still score a Major Victoryeven if one of your units is wiped out (I played it and lost Lucia's team).

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------9u. The True Water Rune Dragon, chapter 4 (Cyndar Ruins)

There's an easy way and a not-so-easy way to beat this boss. First, make sureeveryone's at least level 52 for this battle. Getting to this level shouldn'ttake long fighting the Copper Suns in the Flame Champion Hideaway. Take ahealer with you and affix a Water and Shield Rune to them (Rody, Salome, andeither Vikis are great choices for this). Bring three strong melee attackerswith you and train up their Armor Protect and Magic Resistance as high aspossible. For the melee attackers, their weapons should be at level 15 by now.To get level 15 weapons requires the Silver Hammer. At Duck Village's TutorShop, talk to the Alma Kinan woman sitting at the table. She'll give you thishammer and you can then give it to Peggi. Keep in mind that you can exit theCyndar Ruins at any time by using an Escape Scroll.

The easy way to win this fight is if you got a Pale Gate Rune. A little girlin the Iksay Item Shop gives you one and you can randomly find one on the firstcorpse at the Flame Champion Hideaway (rare item). You can affix this Rune toeither Viki, Estella, Piccolo, or Joker, who all have decent skill with PaleGate Magic. The first level Pale Gate spell is Open Gate, which will instantlyknock out most to all of the Water Dragon's Icicles. From there, you can justmop up with the rest of your team. The rest of the strategies below cover thenot-so-easy way with each character as FC.

The not-so-easy way is if you don't have a Pale Gate Rune. It's tougher butstill very doable. Along with a healer and three strong melee attackers, taketwo other people who have very strong offensive magic skills. This poolincludes Mel (S in Lightning), Estella (comes with a Rage rune), Alanis (Fire),Joker (Fire), Rody (Lightning), and either Vikis (Lightning and Fire). Givingone of the characters who's tops with Lightning a Thunder Rune is highlyrecommended. A little girl in the Duck Village Rune Shop gives you one andit's a drop item for the Sirens in the Cyndar Ruins. You will also want toequip anyone you'll use for Lightning/Fire Magic attacks with a Wizard Hat andany Lightning/Fire Magic Rings you've gotten. Jeane is the best choice forsupport because her Rune Sage ability will quicken the speed of your spellcasting.

I recommend this party if your FC is Chris:

ChrisMel (Thunder Rune)FubarSalome (Water and Shield Runes)LandisRody (Lightning Rune)Jeane (Support)

In the first turn, cast Thunder Storm with Mel, Battle Oath with Salome, and

Furious Blow with Rody. Landis and Fubar should attack and Chris will likelystay in the back with Mel but that's not a big deal. With any luck, you wereable to take out 1 or 2 icicles in the first round. In the second round, healwith Salome's Great Blessing spell if everyone still has around 100 HP left oruse Kindness Rain if everyone's near death. Cast Furious Blow with Mel andSoaring Bolt with Rody and attack with your melee fighters. Repeat this withthe healing spells until the icicles all go down. From here on out, it's justa matter of mopping up. If your characters keep getting KO'ed, equip aSacrificial Jizo on each.

If your FC is Geddoe, I suggest this formation:

FubarGeddoe (True Fire and Thunder Runes)MuaSalome (Water and Shield Runes)LandisMel (Lightning Rune)Jeane (Support)

Almost the exact same strategy as Chris as FC--cast Thunder Storm with Geddoe,Battle Oath with Salome, and Furious Blow with Mel. Heal in the next round,repeat with your offensive magic, then mop up.

If Hugo is your FC, I suggest a much different approach. This is the formationand characters I recommend:

HugoFubarEmilyNei (Jongleur Rune)JuanSalome (Water and Shield Runes)Jeane (Support)

You'll want to max out Juan's Heavy Damage and Continual Attack, Emily's Swing,and Nei's Chant Magic and Magic Resistance skills. Unless you've been ignoringHugo, he and Fubar probably have thousands of leftover skill points by now.For Juan, buy him a Yellow Scarf. This is a Rarity at the VdZ Item Shop. Inthe first round, send Hugo/Fubar up to attack, have Nei cast Song of Madness,and have Salome cast Battle Oath. You'll probably take down 1-3 icicles in thefirst round. In the second round, continue to cast Song of Madness with Neiand heal with Salome. If you've leveled up Juan, Emily, and Hugo properly interms of their skills, they should do 1,000-4,000 HP of damage per hit (notturn, but a single hit) in the second round. If the Water Dragon survived thisturn, just repeat with continuing Song of Madness and healing with Salome andit'll be over quick.

You get a Flowing Rune as loot after winning this battle.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------9v. Geddoe v. the (Un)Masked Bishop and Sarah, chapter 5 (Mt. Senai)

Get everyone to at least level 52 for this fight--it shouldn't take long justfighting the random encounters at Mt. Senai. Your primary armor should be+70 or better and your weapons at level 15. The important skills for thisbattle are Geddoe's Fire/Lightning Magic (depending on if he's FC or not) andAila's Shield Magic for healing. If Geddoe is FC, Jeane is a great choice forsupport. If not, anyone with strong healing skills like Tuta, Mio, or Goroare good choices. The formation I suggest:

QueenGeddoeJacquesAilaAceJoker(Jeane/Tuta for Support)

If Geddoe is your FC, skip to the next paragraph. This battle isn't hard withthe TLR. Just cast Thunder Storm twice and it'll be over. Use Aila/Jacquesagainst Sarah and have Ace do his Double Tusk on Luc. Heal when you need toand the battle will be over in short order.

The other monsters aren't really a problem-they're just there to get betweenyou and Luc/Sarah. You'll want to take out at least Sarah in the first round.You can either go for the 4th level spell which is quite slow unless Geddoehas an A+ in Fire Magic or you can opt for the 3rd level spell, Final Flame,and use it on Sarah. Either way, you'll likely have to take at least one magicattack. In the first round, use Jacques/Aila against Sarah and have Ace doDouble Tusk on Luc. Heal yourself in the next round then use Final Flame onwhoever's still standing with Luc/Sarah. Mop up the rest for the victory.

After the victory you'll get a WindMagic Ring.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------9w. Chris v. Sarah, chapter 5 (Kuput Forest)

Make sure everyone you pick for this battle is around level 50. Primary armorthat's at least +70 is recommended. Flame and Water Amulets are helpful butnot essential. Take someone with you who can get at least a B+ in Water Magicand attach a Flowing Rune to them (you should've gotten one as loot for beatingthe Water Dragon). For the rest of your party, take three strong meleeattackers. Give one person in each pair a full stock of some healing item(Medicine B x6 for example). For support, either Jeane or Mike is recommended.My party and formation:

ChrisSharonBorusBig Viki (Flowing Rune)FutchBrightMike (Support)

In the first round, have the person with the Flowing Rune cast Silent Lake.Send everyone else against the Azzodess and concentrate on taking them out oneat a time. In the second round, heal with your items if you have to and keephacking away. You get a Drain rune once you win.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------9x. The FC Army v. the MIB and Harmonia, chapter 5 (outside Brass Castle)

This takes strategy battle takes place after Hugo loses his True Rune. Thisbattle isn't difficult if you've taken the time to level up the storycharacters. If you've taken the time to level them up past level 50, thisbattle's a piece of cake. Put together five really strong units from thepool of available characters. For me, these units were:

Sharon Leo Fred Emily Nicolas

Borus Percival Gau Fubar DupaViki Shiba Sgt. Joe Hallec MuaChris Lucia Futch Hugo Elaine(Caesar) (Tuta) (Yuiri) (Salome) (Mio)

Note that Duke's unit already comes in at really strong levels-each member ofhis team is great without doing anything to them right now in terms of theirgear or skills. It doesn't matter what you do with the rest of the squadline-up. Just keep really weak characters in Reserve all together and don'tget into any field battles with any groups except your best five. If you'rewondering about Geddoe, he'll show up later.

Before picking the first choice to move ahead, ask Caesar to wait with thethird dialogue choice then go to the Brass Castle inn to save. Come back andtell him you're ready and the strategy battle will commence.

This strategy battle's not hard-you can afford to be aggressive because youhave plenty of healing available plus some very strong units. You will alsohave 2 Fire Skill and 2 Lightning Skill attacks. The goal of the battle is toeliminate Yuber's unit. As before, soften him up with 2 Fire and 2 Lightningattacks. You can't take out his unit until Sasarai shows up-until then Yuber'sHP won't drop below 1/2. If someone gets attacked by Yuber's unit beforeSasarai appears, just have them retreat. The rest of the opposition shouldnot pose a problem. You should be able to put your teams in very good Coverpositions to make this fight easier. After Sasarai appears and the color ofhis unit turns from black to red, you can finally take out Yuber. You get aFlowing Rune as loot for a Major Victory.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------9y. The Last Strategy Battle, chapter 5 (outside Ceremonial Site)

Check the mini-Strategy Battles primer in section 3h if you've consistenly hadproblems with strategy battles up to this point or would like to get a betteridea on them in general. Before discussing anything about the battle itself,you'll first need 16 really strong characters from your available roster. By"really strong", I mean characters whose skills you've maxed out well, haveweapons at least level 12, and who have primary armor that's +60 or better and+80 armor overall with accessories. To get the money to buy gear/level upweapons, equip the Prosperity and Destiny Sets on two characters and fight theCopper Suns in the Flame Champ Hideaway. Literally after 5 battles, you'llhave 999,999 potch. To get these armor sets, check section 3s. These 16characters should also be at least level 52.

In terms of who you should level up, it's entirely up to you. Personally, Ithink the following characters are best suited but that's just me:

Geddoe Edge Borus Futch DukeChris Augustine Mua Leo RolandHugo Emily Fubar Viki LillySharon Jacques Bright Hallec Ace

Besides training up 16 characters, you should have 2 Lightning Skill attacks,1 Fire Skill attack, 1 Water Skill, and 2 Healing Skill units. Sasarai andJeane provide the Lightning attacks. Estella provides the Fire attack. Yuirihas the Water Skill. Mio and Tuta have the Healing Skills. Your top 16characters will form 4 attack units. The other 6 units are essentially justfodder, meaning they're placeholders who you won't be using to win the actualfield battles.

Out of the 16, equip Double Strike Runes on your archers. I recommend you

don't put Great Hawk on Roland if you choose him. If you got really greatarmor for the Knights (+100 or better), it's safe to equip Chris, Borus, andPercival with Double Strike Runes as well. If you use big Viki, train up herBlinking Magic to an S and don't equip any other Runes on her. Good defaultRunes for your other characters are Killer, Haziness, and Fury. If you havesome Firefly Runes, put them on your Tanks like Mua, Fred, Twaikin, and Leo.For Sasarai, give him a Pale Gate Rune if you got it and train up his skill inthat magic to its maximum of an A. To ensure you don't lose anyone forever,equip Sacrificial Jizos on your unit leaders.

One interesting caveat to add is that Lilly is apparently the Team Leader ofDeath. I've played this battle probably 25 times and any time someone diespermanently, it's always been when they're in Lilly's unit. The stars who'vedied on me include Twaikin, Emily, Landis, Edge, Augustine, and Wan Fu. As ismentioned in section 3h, if a character is not a Story VIP, they're at risk ofdying permanently.

BEFORE you confirm to Caesar that you're ready to start the battle by pickingthe first option from the dialogue box, save your game. This is so if you losethe battle and have to start over, you can still wander around to level up andchange the formation if you like. You can have a maximum of 10 units. To winthe last strategy battle that's next, you'll be using 4 strong attack teams,your Lightning and Fire Skill characters, and the rest is fodder. For me, thisis the formation and characters I picked:

Sharon Emily Borus AceViki Mua Jacques RolandBright Fubar Hallec AugustineChris Hugo Geddoe Futch(Caesar) (Salome) (Apple) (Joker)

The Lightning Magic Skill units:

------ ------------ Dupa------ ------Sasarai ------(Tuta) (Jeane)

And the all-star fodder teams:

Nicolas Fred Leo TwaikinGau Samus Ruby LandisReed Elaine Franz PercivalDuke Thomas Lilly Lucia(Estella) (Mio) (Beecham) (Yuiri)

Now to the overall flow of the battle itself. The goal of the battle is toeliminate Yuber's unit. You cannot do this until you've taken out Sarah'sunit. You'll be going up against 12 enemy units total at the start. Luc isUnit 1 but he'll disappear at the start of the enemy's 3rd turn and is never afactor. Along with Sarah and Yuber, 5 enemy units will start on the left sideof the battlefield screen and 4 enemy units will be to the right. Once youremove 5 enemy units, Sarah will summon 4 more. She will do this twice untilshe gets exhausted then disappears. You will be able to move 7 units per turnand the enemy 6.

My strategy for this battle is to take out Sarah first with your LightningSkill attacks and not allowing her to summon more units. The way to do this isby not eliminating 5 units at the start. Once Sarah is gone, I use the Fire

Skill to soften up Yuber then take him out as well.

As far as the enemy goes, units 6, 9, and 12 are of particular interest. Unit6 and 12 each have 1 Fire Magic skill attack. Unit 9 is made up of a Sirenwith three Chimeras. The Siren is behind the Chimeras at the start so whoevertries to take them out should be a very strong attack unit. Sarah's unit isset up just like this. Yuber is accompanied by 3 Bone Soldiers but he's placedconveniently at the front. The enemy units to the right of the field are meleeattackers. Those to the left rely on Magic except the Harmonian units (4 & 5).If any of your units gets hit really bad, don't be shy about using your healingskills. I usually wait until the characters in a unit are down to 1/2 HPbefore healing them.

Here's a diagram of the starting area:

A \ \ B-----C-----D \ \ Start

Your first objective is to take circle A with 2 of your attack units. You willalso want to take both Lightning Skill units and the fodder team with Yuiri insupport to circle A as well. The reason circle A is important is because onceyou take it, it will prompt Sarah to move down toward you if she doesn't do soearly. You'll want to move your 3rd attack unit to circle B and keep the otherattack unit at the Start circle. Your other 3 fodder teams should be moved tocircle C. That's the overall strategy, so here's the detailed process, keepingin mind the unit formation I mentioned above.

PT = Player Turn, ET = Enemy Turn

PT 1: Move Chris, Hugo, Geddoe, Sasarai, Dupa, Lilly, and Thomas' units into circle CET 1: Will usually move 1-3 units each into circles B and D

PT 2: Take out the enemy units in circle B with Chris, Hugo, and/or Geddoe's units. After taking out all the enemies in circle B, move as many fodder units into circle C as there are enemy units in circle D. With your remaining moves, put Dupa and Sasarai's units into circle B along with a fodder team and the 2 attack teams you want to use against Sarah. NEVER move Dupa and Sasarai's units into a circle without at least some other unit with themET 2: The enemy units in circle D will attack. Select the fodder units to meet them and select Retreat when you get to the field battle. The strategy for now is to keep as many fodder units in circle C as there are enemy units in circle D

PT 3: Keep an attack unit in circle B. Move any fodder units you need to into circle C to match the number of enemy units in circle D. Futch's unit should still be at the Start circle. Move 2 attack teams, for me this is Chris and Hugo, toward circle A, taking out any enemy units you need to. Along with these 2 attack teams, move Dupa, Sasarai, and Lucia's units with themET 3: Luc will disappear. The enemy units in circle D will attack circle C again. Again, just retreat with your fodder units. If you've taken

circle A, Sarah will likely be moving toward you by now

PT 4: Sarah will head toward you either to the right of circle A or to the left. Once you take circle A, move Dupa and Sasarai's units plus the 2 attack teams toward her side. There will be 2 Harmonian enemy units, numbers 4 and 5, up here as well. Take out ONLY 1 of these units. You can avoid at least one of them if you take the fodder unit with you (in my case Lucia) and retreat them if they're attacked. Once you're two connected circles away from Sarah, hit her with your Lightning skill attacks. If you can get her with 3 of these, it will take out her unit completely. If you have big Viki like I do, you can send this unit against Sarah after hitting her with the 2 Lightning spells. This is because Viki will almost always cast Set!, which automatically knocks out Sarah if she's been weakened by the Lightning spells. On a rare occasion, Sarah will heal herself. In that case, just blast her again in the next turn with Lightning skills. If Sarah doesn't go down in this turn, remember to move your fodder teams into circle CET 4: Once Sarah's unit is gone, only the monster units to the right of the field and Yuber will remain. Retreat your fodder units one last time from circle C if they're attacked

PT 5: Once Sarah is gone, you can now concentrate on Yuber and company. If she's still there in this turn, just repeat the steps in PT 4 until you take her out. If you've taken her out, withdraw any unit you have in circle C into circles B and D. You should have 1 attack unit in circle B plus another at the Start circle. Move the units that took out Sarah toward YuberET 5: If Sarah's gone, allow the enemy to move into circle C. You'll notice those goobs have wandered into a circle that is now flanked by your 2 attack units--automatically putting them into Cover position so you can smash the enemy in the next turn

PT 6: Take out the enemy units in circle C with your attack teams. Once they're down, head toward Yuber's team with your healthy attack teams, the Fire Skill team, Dupa or Sasarai if they still have a Lightning Skill, and a Healing skill team. When you reach Yuber, soften him up with your magic attacks first, then send in the attack team that has the best Accuracy and Heavy Damage skills among the characters to finish him off

The overall strategy can vary depending on where Yuber moves. Most of thetime, he'll either stay at the top of the screen or move to the right. If hemoves with Sarah, this isn't a big deal as long as you brought your fodderteam with you. Just use them to meet Yuber then Retreat. Your Lightning andattack units should be close to Sarah if Yuber gets close to you so you cantake her out before having to confront him directly.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------9z. Final Battle with Yuber, chapter 5 (Ceremonial Site)

Some general tips to keep in mind. Level 54 for your party is plenty. Primaryarmor that's at least +70 and weapons sharpened to level 15 are highlyrecommended. The strategy for beating Yuber doesn't really vary whether you'reGeddoe or Hugo. Take someone with you who's highly skilled with LightningMagic (Geddoe, Mel, or Rody are good choices) and give them a Thunder Rune. Alittle girl in the Duck Village Rune Shop gives you one of these and it's alsoa drop item from the Sirens in the Cyndar Ruins. Also bring a healer, someonewho's highly skilled with both Shield and/or Water Magic preferably (Aila,Rody, Salome, either Viki, or Nei are good choices). Bringing a Tank charactersuch as Mua, Fred, Leo, or Twaikin and giving them a Firefly Rune is very

helpful but not essential. Rody comes with a Firefly Rune that's removable.Jeane, Mike, or Ernie are strong choices for support. Jeane and Mike willquicken the rate of your spell casting and Ernie will increase the strengthof your spells.

Yuber will be accompanied by 3 Skeletons and a HellSteed. I focus on takingthese guys out first before going after Yuber. Cast Thunder Storm with whoeverhas the Thunder Rune in the first round and have your melee attackers focus onYuber's party one at a time. Yuber is dangerous because of his multipleattacks and high repel rate but he has a tendency to focus on only one person--if you can keep this person alive with your healing items/spells, you can winthis battle fairly easily with everyone alive. If you brought a Tank characterwith a Firefly Rune, it'll make this fight even easier. Yuber will focus onthe Tank and hardly do any damage, even if he's berserk and goes for hisEight-Devil Rune. You get a Reflection Ring and the True Lightning Rune backfor beating him.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------9A. Final Battle with Sarah, chapter 5 (Ceremonial Site)

Some general tips to keep in mind. Level 54 for your party is plenty. Primaryarmor that's at least +70 and weapons sharpened to level 15 are highlyrecommended. The strategy for beating Sarah doesn't really vary whether you'reChris or Hugo. Bring someone along who's highly skilled in Water Magic (suchas Salome, Rody, either Viki, Yumi, or Joker) and attach a Flowing Rune tothem. You received a Flowing Rune for beating the Water Dragon. The rest ofyour team should be comprised of your better melee attackers like Juan, Emily,Futch/Bright, Franz/Ruby, Sharon, Augustine, etc. Have 1 person in each pairhave a full stock of healing item, such as a Medicine B x6. Jeane or Mike arestrong choices for support. Jeane and Mike both quicken the rate of your spellcasting to reduce the chances of Sarah getting her spells off before you do.

Sarah will be accompanied by 2 HorroBeasts and 2 Azzodess. Casting Silent Lakeis the key. Cast Silent Lake in the first round to negate Sarah's spellcasting. Go for your melee attacks with the rest of your party and concentrateon taking down your enemies one at a time. Heal with your items after that andyou should be able to win before Silent Lake wears off (its effects last forfive turns). You get a Flowing Rune and the True Water Rune back for winning.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------9B. Final Boss Battle--The True Wind Rincar, chapter 5 (Ceremonial Site)

Some general tips to keep in mind. Level 54 for your party is plenty. Primaryarmor that's at least +70 and weapons sharpened to level 15 are highlyrecommended. I'll cover general strategies first, followed by specificstrategies for each main character's "default" party. These default partiesare:

1. Chris, Salome, Percival, Borus, Leo, Roland, and Louis (Support)2. Geddoe, Queen, Aila, Jacques, Ace, and Joker (Support doesn't matter)3. Hugo, Sgt. Joe, and Fubar (doesn't matter who else is in party)

Taking these default parties will give you a special scene with each FC afterthis final battle.

The last battle itself is against a super-charged True Wind Rune bird withmagical orbs that've been powered up by the True Earth, Water, Fire, andLightning Runes. You don't need to take out the orbs to beat it, just themain body itself but taking out the orbs removes its ability to cast multiplemagic attacks. The best way to ensure you survive is to build up the Magic

Resistance skill on the characters you take to meet it. If they can'tnaturally go up to a B, don't bother. You can enhance this skill with GoldEmblems and Resistance Rings. Your first priority is to take out the Waterorb. While the Lightning orb is still around, you can only hit the Water orbwith archer and magic attacks. Once the Lightning orb is gone, you can have atit with any attack you please. If you see the Earth orb cast a spell wherethese stone columns fly around and a bright yellow disc with symbols appears onthe ground, don't cast any OFFENSIVE magic-it will be reflected right back atyou. It goes without saying, but make sure you have the best gear and bestweapons available. Jeane and Ernie are great choices for Geddoe and Hugobecause they aid in magic casting speed and power, respectively. Specificstrategies for each FC's "default" party:

Chris-This is the toughest out of the 3 main characters but still very doable.I've changed a few things about this fight since last time because severalpeople e-mailed me with specific problems about it. I recommend training upMagic Resistance for everyone except Salome. Equip Salome with any ReflectionRings you have. Equip Chris with any Resistance Rings you have (big Viki comeswith it) and Gold Emblems for everyone else that can wear them except Salome.Put a Water, Shield, and Killer Rune on Salome. Put a Flowing Rune on Percivaland train up his Holy Dash and Water Magic to their max. Fury Runes for Borusand Leo are good choices, as well as Killer. For Roland, Fury + Great Hawk orKiller are good. You'll also want to give Roland Jefferson's appointment thatboosts the Swing skill by 1 grade. At around level 52, Roland gets 2 attacksper turn if his Swing is a B+. The formation I recommend:

PercivalRolandBorusSalomeChrisLeo(Louis)

Sacrificial Jizos and healing items are a very good idea. The key to winningthis is pure attrition-just outlast the enemy. In the first turn, sendPercival and Borus' units up against the Lightning orb and send Chris' unit upagainst the Fire orb. Percival's Holy Dash skill will allow him to dragRoland up with him. You want to send everyone up so they'll all be in rangefor the Kindness Rain spell. Heal after each round with Great Blessing,Kindness Rain, or Kindness Drops from Salome. Use Percival's Flowing Rune onlyif it's really necessary or to use Mother Ocean if someone got knocked out.Once the Lightning orb gets knocked out, send everyone after the Water orb.It'll take a few tries because the Water orb will continue to revive theLightning orb but eventually you'll take it out. I had to take out theLightning orb 4 times before I could finally get at the Water orb. If you runlow on healing spells, you'll have the Jizos and healing items to fall back on.Once the Water orb is gone, it's smooth sailing-just take out the Fire orb thenfocus on the True Wind Rune.

Geddoe-Make sure everyone has a Fire Sealing Rune if you intend to use the 4thlevel True Fire spell. Fire Sealing Runes are drop items from the TrollDragons at Yaza Plain and negate all fire damage. I prefer not to use them soI can fit everyone else with a more useful rune like Killer or Fury. Theformation I use:

QueenGeddoeJacquesAila

AceJoker(Jeane)

Have Geddoe cast Final Flame on the Water orb and have Jacques' pair attack itin the first round. Send Ace and Joker up to attack the Fire orb. In thesecond round, heal with Great Blessing and, if the Earth orb didn't cast itsprotect spell, have Geddoe cast Final Flame again on the Water orb. If it didcast protect, send Queen and Geddoe up against the Lightning orb. Once thatorb is down, focus on the Water orb. If Joker has Water Magic, use KindnessRain to heal everyone so you can direct the archers to hit the Water Orb. Oncethe Water orb is down, it's just a matter of mopping up.

Hugo-His is the easiest since you can pick 3 characters out of your entireroster, including Geddoe with his True Lightning Rune. Not much to advise,really, since there's so much versatility in strategy. The general strategyserves as a good outline in terms of how you should approach this fight. Somenotable characters you can use are Sasarai and Yumi because of their high skilllevel in Earth magic. The Earth magic spell Canopy Defense is very useful forthis battle because it will negate all magic damage once. Casting this spellonce every turn is a surefire way to keep everyone alive.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

---------------------------------------- Part III: Secrets (HUGE SPOILERS) ----------------------------------------

10. 108 Stars of Destiny Bonus

11. Miscellaneous Q&A's 11a. How did Luc take Sasarai's True Earth Rune? 11b. How is it possible that Jimba is Chris' father? 11c. What can you tell me about the former Flame Champion? 11d. Who is Hikusaak? 11e. What are the other True Runes? 11f. Why did Luc want to start a war in the first place? 11g. Are Luc and Sarah dead? 11h. Were Chris and Lulu influenced by Sarah's spell? 11i. Who is Luc talking about when he says Hugo reminds him of someone? 11j. Who's the official new Flame Champion? 11k. How did Eike get down to that basement? 11l. What's the connection between the two Vikis? 11m. Who is Hugo's father? 11n. Can Viki teleport me to places I normally can't go? 11o. Who is Nash's "missus"? 11p. What's the story behind Mike? 11q. What are the unwinnable battles in the game? 11r. Anything in this game that's incomplete/unfinished? 11s. Looking ahead to Suikoden IV and Suikogaiden III

12. So why did you choose this play and recruiting order?

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

10. 108 Stars of Destiny Bonus

Just like in the previous Suikoden games, you get a bonus if you were able torecruit all possible 108 Stars of Destiny. To get the bonus, you have tofulfill the following requirements:

-Only Yun and Jimba die-Recruit all possible 104 Stars before the final boss battle

Before the final boss battle in chapter 5, you can make sure you've met theserequirements by checking the Tablet of Stars. If the count says 108/108 andonly Yun and Jimba's names are in red, then you'll get the bonus. Luc, Sarah,Yuber, and Albert are the final 4 stars and are added automatically if you hadthe other 104 stars already.

After the 108 Stars of Destiny roll call and the final still picture of yourFlame Champion is shown, the screen will go dark for a little while then you'llbe taken back to the Trinity Site. The sixth flame will be lit which is Luc's.You will then be able to play through the major events of the game but from hisperspective. This POV is very story heavy and short-it shouldn't take you muchmore than an hour to complete it. Because it's very straightforward about whatyou need to do, I'll only add a few notes:

-Make use of Luc's Pale Gate spell, Open Gate, to get through the dungeonareas. With his high grade in that magic this spell causes instant deathalmost all the time on your enemies.

-Sarah has an S in Pale Gate magic but has a Flowing Rune permanently attachedto her forehead. Go figure.

-When you're given the option on how to deal with the villager in Karaya, Ihaven't noticed any differences in the rest of the scenario depending on whatchoice you make.

-During the Caleria section when you're waiting for Albert, just kill time bytalking to everyone, sharpening Yuber's weapon, and upgrading your skills. Heseems to show up quicker at the room on the 2nd floor of the inn if youactually walk around doing stuff rather than just idling.

-Make sure you save after the Brass Castle event involving Hugo losing his TrueRune. You can consult the duel guide if you have problems with the duel at theSite Ruins.

-Luc's ending takes place after the credits roll so you'll have to wait throughthem to see it. I believe his ending picture is a scene from the past and notthe present or future.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************11. Miscellaneous Q&A's

Like the rest of this document, most of the content in this section is strictlymy opinion. In no way am I saying these opinions are the "final word" on thetopics discussed or that they should be taken as fact.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------11a. How did Luc take Sasarai's True Earth Rune?

In the 6th POV, Sasarai practically goes into shock when Luc tells him they're

Hikusaak's clones. It can be inferred that in this weakened state, Sasaraiwas unable to resist the power of Luc's True Wind Rune and (unwillingly)relinquished the True Earth Rune. A similar situation occurs in chapter 4right after you get the True Fire Rune. Luc is supremely confident that he cantake it because its new owner cannot unlock its power yet. The only thing thatprevents Luc from taking the True Fire Rune right then and there is the spiritof the former Flame Champion. These two episodes imply that as far as theelemental True Runes go, having great command with one of them is enough totake another from someone who is not in total command of theirs.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------11b. How is it possible that Jimba is Chris' father?

In order to see as much of Jimba's story as possible, you'd have to pick Christo be the FC. This is his story as I interpreted it:

It's unclear what Jimba's real name is. Fifty years prior to the start ofSuikoden III, he fought with the Flame Champion and Geddoe on the Zexen side.He possessed the True Water Rune at this time. Some time after the trucebetween Harmonia and the Grasslands is signed, he goes on the run fromassassins sent by Harmonia. It is unclear why these assassins are after him.

About 25 years prior to the start of Suikoden III, he ends up in Vinay delZexay and marries Anna Lightfellow. He assumes the name Wyatt Lightfellow. Heand Anna have a daughter, Chris. When Chris is still very young, he discoversthat the assassins are closing in on him. In order to keep his family safe,he flees to the Grasslands without telling Chris why. She grows up neverknowing if her father died in the Grasslands or is just missing.

In the time between leaving Chris and the start of Suikoden III, Wyatt sealsthe True Water Rune in the Cyndar Ruins, probably with the help of villagersfrom Alma Kinan. While still in possession of the True Water Rune and in theGrasslands, the Rune somehow changes his appearance. It's unclear exactly whyor how this occurred but explains why Chris doesn't recognize him during theirencounter in Iksay. It's also possible that his appearance actually changed alot _after_ he lost the True Water Rune. Suikoden is unfortunately also knownfor its translation errors so his statement about his change in appearance,seen in chapter 4 if Chris is FC, is hard to figure.

Also in this time, he has assumed a new identity, Jimba, with the help ofLucia. The way Hugo and Lulu treat him as always being a member of the tribeimplies that he's been with the Karayans for at least ten years before thestart of Suikoden III. When Jimba gives Hugo the Pentacle to deliver to Chris,I interpret this as Jimba deciding to finally close the Lightfellow chapter ofhis life and he has decided never to see Chris again.

In no way is Jimba actually blood-related to Luce or Lulu.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------11c. What can you tell me about the former Flame Champion?

Not much is known about him, not even his real name. His official name will beknown when the novelization of Suikoden III comes out (some time in the Springor Summer in Japan, I guess). In case you didn't know, yes, there areauthorized novels about the game. In terms of what _is_ known, the former FCwas born near Chisha Village and was a Grasslander. It is unclear how heobtained the True Fire Rune. He chooses a life with his love, Sana, instead ofbeing immortal. To do this, he removes the True Fire Rune using a Cyndariantechnique. Unfortunately, according to Geddoe, the former FC died a few yearsafter performing this process. It's safe to infer, then, that he didn't live

very long after the truce was signed fifty years prior to Suikoden III.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------11d. Who is Hikusaak?

Hikusaak is the ruler of Harmonia and possesses a True Rune, the Circle Rune.This Rune is a force for Order, according to its description at suikosource.Very little is known about him. It is his mandate that Harmonia seek out andcontrol all 27 True Runes. This is problematic because the True Runes "choose"who their bearer is. Hikusaak has found a way around this by making clones ofhimself then embedding these clones with captured True Runes, preventing themfrom naturally seeking out new bearers like the Soul Eater did in Suikoden I.Hikusaak (and Harmonia for that matter) are barely mentioned at all in thefirst two Suikodens.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------11e. What are the other True Runes?

There are 27 True Runes in all but not all of them have been revealed yet. Youcan see a full list of the known True Runes and their past/present bearers atsuikosource.com.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------11f. Why did Luc want to start a war in the first place?

This one's real iffy and open to a lot of debate. From what I gathered, Luc'sultimate goal of getting all five True Elemental Runes would take a massivesearch (by force) of the Grasslands. To do this, Luc needs the backing of theHarmonian Army along with some personal muscle (Yuber & Sarah) plus strategy(Albert). Luc also knows, though, that his Harmonian support won't last longonce they find out he wants the True Runes for himself and not Harmonia. Tothis end, he still needs to maintain his advantage over the Grasslands andZexen. To do this, he needs to make sure the Grasslands and Zexen are at warwith each other so they'll be too weak to oppose him. Touching off this waralso ensures that Harmonia's forces in that area will also be occupied (Sasaraiespecially) so he can continue his search for the True Runes without muchinterference. He therefore starts the war as it's laid out in the 6th POV.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------11g. Are Luc and Sarah dead?

Yep. The best evidence for this is the two lights at the end of Luc's POV andhis final end picture. The picture is washed out and is only brown and white.Since Suikoden II, these colors indicate scenes from the past. You'll noticeall the flashback scenes in Suikoden III are all in this color. The endpicture itself shows Leknaat, Luc, and Sarah probably when they first arrivedat Leknaat's island after escaping the Circle Palace. This is why Sarahappears as a small child in the picture.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------11h. Were Chris and Lulu influenced by Sarah's spell?

This one's open to a lot of debate. My personal opinion is yes but the onlyway this theory works is that the spell wore off right after Lulu is killed,which is a huge coincidence. The main evidence for this opinion is how Boruseasily disarms Aila in Geddoe's chapter 3. I have to think that Chris couldhave done the same to a younger and (supposedly) less skilled fighter likeLulu. Instead, she goes right for her sword and slashes. The object forChris' anger is her father's armor. Her statement after seeing it, about howthings would be better with the village gone, is out of character for her.

LuBuCaoCao e-mailed me about this and pointed out that when Jimba even mentionsChris' father to her in Iksay, she immediately draws her sword. This wouldimply that Chris' father is a real touchy subject to her and she's willing tosmack anyone who even hints at dishonoring him. Thus, she was not under theinfluence of the anger spell when she killed Lulu.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------11i. Who is Luc talking about when he says Hugo reminds him of someone?

Probably McDohl from Suikoden I or Riou from Suikoden II. Both of them wereteenaged boys with a link to True Runes who led armies, much like Hugo. Inthe 6th POV, if Hugo is the new FC, Luc also says about Hugo:

"but that boy's eyes...reminded me of the former..."

Who knows what the heck he means by that? It might be another translationerror but it definitely leaves a lot open to interpretation.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------11j. Who's the official new Flame Champion?

It won't be known until the official novelization of Suikoden III comes out(probably in Spring or Summer in Japan). If I had to bet money, I'd say it'sHugo. My personal choice would be Chris. Geddoe is my favorite out of thethree but after playing through his chapters 1-3, in story terms his decisionto be Flame Champion is awfully weak. It's practically an afterthoughtconsidering there's no buildup to it at all, unlike Hugo and Chris. It'sinteresting to note that the Tenkai Star, the sign occupied by McDohl and Rioufrom the previous Suikodens, is held by Thomas in Suikoden III.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------11k. How did Eike get down to that basement?

The same reason there's only women in Alma Kinan. IOW, I don't know.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------11l. What's the connection between the two Vikis?

The game refers to the bigger Viki as Elder Viki. Whether or not they're thesame person is unclear. Their skill aptitudes are identical and they both usea Cane for a weapon. Big Viki's cane is called a Wow Wow Wand and Small Viki'sis called a D5. In Suikoden I, the Blinking Mirror was owned by Hellion. InSuikoden II, Lepant gives it to you. Small Viki was not in the previousSuikodens. How she got the Blinking Mirror is unknown.

It's odd that big Viki seems to pop up years later right after the events of the previous Suikoden. That is, in Suikoden I, she teleports away from thedinner celebration after the Toran Army's victory and doesn't appear untilthree years later during Suikoden II's time frame. In Suikoden III, she saysshe was having dinner in the Jowston City-States, which implies she lostfifteen years between Suikoden II and Suikoden III. Seeing as how she neverages, maybe she has a True Rune.

Credit and thanks to ptomasel71086 for providing corrections to who had theblinking mirror in Suikoden II and a typo for this question.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------11m. Who is Hugo's father?

In Hugo's chapter 2, after you talk to Luce and have a conversation with Lucia,picking the second dialogue choice, "I understand mother", will cause Lucia tomention that Hugo is a fine man like his father. This is the only reference Iknow of in the entire game where Hugo's father is mentioned at all. Accordingto Kidd's investigations of Hugo and Lucia, Hugo was born pretty much rightafter Lucia came back from the Dunan War 15 years prior to the start ofSuikoden III.

There aren't any clues other than Hugo's hair color as to who the father maybe. You can reasonably rule out Luca Blight since Lucia didn't join theHighland side until after his participation in the war was over. Other thanthat, it's anybody's guess. It's not known if Hugo's father is even stillalive. Although his father is only mentioned once, keep in mind that Luce'shusband/Lulu's father is also only mentioned one or two times and he's stillvery much alive and well.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------11n. Can Viki teleport me to places I normally can't go?

Not that I've found. The two places of interest are the middle passage in theGreat Hollow tunnels (the area where you got Twaikin) and the Great Hollow Inn.The middle passage is relevant to the 6th POV so maybe that's why it's sealedup. You can walk past the counter by the innkeeper at the Great Hollow Innbut he stops you before you can go to the back. I sat around for an hour or sojust teleporting with Viki but when she messed up, I just ended up at theentrance of Lake Castle.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------11o. Who is Nash's "missus"?

According to Blue Moon, he who knows all things Suikoden, it's highly likelyNash's "missus" is Sierra from Suikoden II. Nash was the main character of thetwo Suikogaiden games released in Japan but never in the US. The Suikogaidengames are primarily text with still picture RPG's that told side storiesrelated to Suikoden II. You can get full summaries with lots of screencaptures of the Suikogaiden games at suikosource.com.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------11p. What's the story behind Mike?

This is Kidd's profile of Mike:

P. A mysterious man with a free spirit. Sometimes he smiles senselessly, but he's a nice guy.1. He seems to be connected with an organization. Is it a good one? I don't know.2. I saw him talking with some strange people. Some scary guys were bowing to him. Maybe he's important.3. Watari saw Mike and was surprised for a change. He said, "That guy..." Are they friends?

Mike's summary at the end of the game is:

Departs Lake Castle in the middle of the night with several mystery men, andnever returns.

I've brought Watari along when recruiting Mike and never got anything special.In the 6th POV, if you talk to Mike, he tells Luc he's an arms salesman named"Leonard". Also, a man at the Caleria tavern mentions he played cards witha detective at the Trade Shop and got creamed. Mike was not in the previous

two Suikoden games.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------11q. What are the unwinnable battles in the game?

I'm aware of the following:

-Hugo Chapter 1, Melville v. Guillaume duel-Thomas Chapter 2, strategy battle where Leo and Percival show up-Thomas Chapter 2, fight with the 4 Zexen regulars inside Lake Castle-Hugo Chapter 3, Hugo v. Yuber duel-Chapter 4, first strategy battle outside Chisha-Chapter 4, Chris is Flame Champion, strategy battle v. Sarah and Yuber

By unwinnable, I mean you cannot reduce the enemy's HP to 0 or score any typeof Victory or Major Victory.

Credit to MrKO and Emperor Magus from the gamefaqs message board for acorrection they provided about the unwinnable battles.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------11r. Anything in this game that's incomplete/unfinished?

Suikoden III's lead developer and creator left the game midway through itsdevelopment. How this affected the finished product is unknown. The items inthe list below are some of the head scratchers for me personally:

-Why does Karaya Village still appear on the World Map after chapter 1?

-Why is Sana not one of the Stars of Destiny? She's still in the Flame Champ Hideaway in chapters 4 and 5 and there's no purpose to that either.

-There's many "continuing dialogues"--stories told by continuing to talk to the same generic townspeople from chapter to chapter, such as the Super Pickles Knight--but were any of them supposed to be side quests?

-Is there a 108 battles bonus for the infinite battles in Iksay? In Suikoden II, there's an opportunity for infinite battles at the very start of the game. If you did 108 of those battles, the color for the opening cinema changed from brown and white to color. It's possible there might also be a bonus for Suikoden III.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------11s. Looking ahead to Suikoden IV and Suikogaiden III

Not much speculation, just a quick recap of some character summaries that giveclues to what may lie ahead. A full list of the character end summaries canbe found in my Story Scenes/Endings FAQ for those interested.

-If Hugo is FC, he becomes an intermediary between Karaya, Harmonia, and Zexen-Lucia goes to Dunan to work for Karaya's future-Lilly goes to Harmonia as a student-Ernie and Rhett join the Archeology Association-Augustine goes to Toran Castle-Duke and company head south, the area of Dunan and Toran-Apple opens a school in her hometown in Toran-Albert serves Harmonia but also acts as a strategist for another continent-Edge heads south to seek an enemy of the Star Dragon Sword-Hortez VII heads to Harmonia to open a shop-Mio, Tuta, and Hallec go to Hallec's village to help the sick and wounded

-Sharon receives a gold dragon, probably making her 9th class like Futch in SI

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************12. So why did you choose this play and recruiting order?

Surprisingly, I've gotten a lot of e-mails about this. As I've replied to eachperson, the reasons aren't exactly riveting material, but here they are sincepeople asked.

The most important reason is that the play order lets you see as many of thestory scenes available in the game as possible. This ties in, to a certainextent, with the recruiting order as well. I have compiled a list of thesestory scenes in a separate FAQ that's also available at gamefaqs (check section3 in that FAQ). It also allows you to do all the optional duels. In addition,Geddoe's chapter 1 is more difficult in terms of the random/boss battles so Iput Chris and Hugo's chapter 1's before his to let the player get their feetwet, so to speak. The biggest decision as far as deviating from the "superduper all story" order I mentioned in section 3c was putting Thomas' story atthe end and putting Geddoe's chapter 3 right after his chapter 2.

I chose to put Thomas's story at the end for several reasons. First, his storyis entirely optional. A lot of people will like it, but in the responses to myother two FAQs on Suikoden III and reading the responses on the message board,there's a chunk of people out there that _loathe_ Thomas' scenario. A verysmall sample, of course, but relevant enough to me to take this intoconsideration. Therefore, putting it at the end allows the player to get agood idea of what they're in for. Plus, there's a nice financial advantagethat can be given to Thomas, which makes his scenario a _lot_ easier in termsof getting cash to upgrade gear/getting recruits. Finally, you can recruit alot of people in the other three main characters' stories first to ensure thatstory events occur less haphazardly. Some of the key events in Thomas' storydon't seem to trigger unless a certain number of recruits have been acquired.Doing his story later ensures that this won't be a problem.

As far as doing Geddoe chapter 3 in front of Hugo or Chris, this is mostly dueto getting the Copper Hammer, believe it or not. The reason this Hammer isparticularly special is that most characters' weapons will get a huge ATK boostat levels 10-12, which is what the Hammer allows you to do. The boss battlesin everyone's chapter 3's are especially tough so getting weapons up to level12 is close to essential. The Hammer is in Caleria and to get to Caleria youhave to get past the Rock Golem boss. Geddoe's team by far has the bestweapons, armor, and skills up to that point since they've been together as aunit for chapters 1-2 plus they've had the opportunity to fight all thosetreasure bosses. Compare this to the possible parties available to Hugo andChris at the start of their chapter 3's and it's no contest. I don't expectplayers to go crazy with leveling up so the expectation of Hugo or Chris takingon that Rock Golem with the parties available to them with level 9 weapons justdidn't strike me as a good idea. Hence, Geddoe 3 before Chris or Hugo 3. Thisgives the added bonus to Chris and Hugo so that they can have weapons at level12 at the very start of their chapter 3's when their parties are relativelyweak at first.

As for recruiting, Geddoe's suggested recruits are easy. Only supportcharacters because he can't switch out his main party of six. He actually canat the start of his chapter 2 but that involves hiking all the way back toLake Castle with just a party of himself, Aila, and Ace. It's also only forthat small time frame. Edge is the exception since only Geddoe can go to LeBuque until chapter 4. With Aila and the great equipment they get from beating

treasure bosses, a support character with Healing isn't really necessary. Thetwo support characters that help Geddoe the most are Jeane and Ernie sinceGeddoe's team relies on magic a lot (Geddoe, Joker, Aila, and possibly Queen).

For Hugo's recruits, Billy, Belle/Gadget Z, Arthur, and the Saint Loa Knightsare for story reasons--their scenes are a lot different than if you used theother main characters. Kidd is not only for Fury Runes, but also so you canget a !Screw for Belle and the Crab Rice Bowl for Mamie (in case you lostHallec's). Goro is great for Healing which can be handy for Hugo. Everyoneelse is just a matter of convenience. I imagine a lot of people like to takeout Landis, Emily, Sanae Y, and Wan Fu to "try them out". Keep in mind thatChris has 4 team members locked in and so does Hugo for the better part oftheir chapter 3's. Dividing these 4 characters up between Hugo and Chrisallows the player more freedom in trying out all these characters in chapter 3.

For Chris' recruits, Gordon is for laughs and also it's easier than anyoneelse. Watari/Ayame primarily because Chris has the most cash between her andThomas. Nei, Toppo, and Shabon are mainly because of Chris' chance to fightthose infinite battles in Iksay. Nei especially at higher levels is great asa magic user/fighter so the opportunity to give her all the skill points she'llever need is too good to pass up. Getting these 5 characters also ensures thatChris will be able to get Nadir in her chapter 3 regardless of whether or notyou get Fred/Rico early or later. Estella and Rody are mainly for Rody'sFirefly Rune, which is a huge help if Chris becomes Flame Champion because youcan put it on Leo. This makes the first few strategy battles in chapter 4 alot easier.

And finally, Thomas' recruits. Mel is flat out the only character you reallyneed to get for Thomas to win all of his battles. Having Augustine and Twaikinhelps mostly for the strategy battles. Kenji, like Mel, comes with a TurtleTunic which you can put on Juan to wake him up. I don't get Watari/Ayame withThomas mainly because that 100,000 potch is a lot more useful for gettingThomas' team better weapons/items.

So there you have it. Hey, wake up!

*************************************************************************************************************************************************************

---------------------------------------- Part IV: Thanks and Version History ----------------------------------------

13. Acknowledgements

14. Version History

************************************************************************************************************************************************************** 13. Acknowledgements

-Huge thanks to Thanh and Deb for proofreading this document and correcting grammar/inconsistencies. Thanks to Thanh also for the Tablet of Stars section

-Thanks to Blue Moon and suikosource.com for information regarding the Chris

level 99 trick, where to find Fury runes, Nash's missus, the Circle Rune, the Zexen Crest mistranslation, and Suikogaiden

-Credit and thanks to everyone who has e-mailed me to make this Walkthrough more accurate/thorough and to share their thoughtful comments about the game

-Thanks to CJayC and gamefaqs for putting up this document

-Thanks to Kao Megura and JL Lee, whose FAQs for FFVII and Suikoden II, respectively, inspired me to write this Walkthrough

-Thanks to everyone on the gamefaqs message board for showing your patience in helping out others and for all the thoughtful discussion. This goes out especially to (in no particular order) Tatooine Ozzel, Mi Heng, dabodufus, demon knight x, Raikochan, Skye Anchorz, Starvenus, Abraxas, Mochan, Emperor Magus, TexasAndroid, VermilionX, and everyone else who I may have not seen in a while and neglected to mention. Hope to see you all for Suikoden IV

-Thanks to Konami for making another quality sequel to this series

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************14. Version History

+Version .75 (12/22/02) -Added all relevant information for all Table of Contents sections except ch. 4 and ch. 5 for Walkthrough

+Version 1.0 (12/26/02) -Added all content related to ch. 4 and 5 of Walkthrough -Added content for Items section -Added credit to Raikochan for info. on Futch/Viki -Document was proofread for errors/inconsistencies by Thanh and Deb

+Version 1.05 (1/3/03) -Added new/clarified content about recruiting Watari, putting Water Rune on Chris, making a choice with the Zexen councilor in Thomas' ch. 2, level recommendations for the final battles, and using Chris' default team in the final battle -Added info. about gametz.com from nihon -Added info. related to recruiting, tank characters, and skills in section 2 per e-mail requests

+Version 1.2 (1/8/03) -Added a section for the most often asked e-mail questions with updated/new content for related topics -Added info. on getting a recruit related to the LUK stat. Credit to Hitmancf for this info. -Added locations of treasure bosses in the related section -Clarified a recruit option for Chris and Thomas -Put Recruit List section in an easier to read format -Corrected content related to the names of Fire spells -Added several new items in the Items mini-list -Added Jefferson's Appointments to Medal Sets section -Added alternate resources for Suikoden data, including Ruse & Ryvius' FAQs and Blue Moon's suikosource.com web site -Added some (belated) thanks to gamefaqs message board, CJayC, and others in the acknowledgements section

+Version 1.25 (1/9/03) -Added more content on getting Landis, credit and thanks to wen, falcon815, and crystalstar for this info. -Corrected chapter info. for fighting treasure bosses -Added caveat to getting Jefferson, credit Dallas Strimple for this info. -Other minor typo corrections

+Version 1.4 (1/11/03) -Totally revamped 108 Stars of Destiny section, putting in a new format with additional recruiting information and sorting characters by alpha -Clarified how to get Gordon with Chris -Added a tip to get Watari, credit to Journeyman for this info. -Added new information to Items mini-list, sorted it by alpha -Specified which characters are Berserkers and Magic Users, adding new info. related to this in section 3 and 6 -Added a question to top e-Mails section asking how to get to chapter 4 -Added info. on downloading Suikoden II data via DexDrive to section 2a, credit and thanks to CDexter who provided the game save

+Version 1.45 (1/13/03) -Added two new questions to section 2 -Some more typo corrections

+Version 1.9 (1/17/03) -Changed overall format of document, separating it into four different parts -Made separate sections for Boss/Battle strategies, duels, and Ernie's Quiz and added the related content -Changed format for duels listings, added a new duel -Added Script locations for mini-list of items -Added Armor Sets info., credit to TexasAndroid for this content -Changed Introduction to make document navigation easier -Corrected when Hugo can start recruiting, credit to SimUser for this info. -Added clarification for Kathy's races in section 2j -Added Q&A's for Secrets section -Added why this play/recruiting order to Secrets section -Added tip for getting money in ch. 4-5, credit to sim st-pierre for this tip -More grammar and typo corrections

+Version 2.0 (1/18/03) -Added a confirmation on Jefferson and a tip for Thomas chapter 1 from Fate -Added clarification for recruiting Sanae Y and Melville -Corrected several redundancy errors I missed from re-formatting the document -Added a few more comments for a duel -Added question on incomplete/unfinished game aspects in Part IV

+Version 2.05 (1/19/03) -Final proofread by Deb to correct inconsistencies/grammar errors

+Version 2.08 (1/21/03) -Added section on unite attacks -Added section on bath combinations, credit to Clara for this info. -This new content was added to section 5, the 108 Stars Recruit List -Added Balance Rune to mini-list of items

+Version 2.2 (1/24/03) -Added Tablet of Stars section to Recruit List as quick reference for missing characters, credit to Thanh -Added warehouse capacity info., credit to Dazarath -Corrected info. in Secrets section, credit to ptomasel71086 -Added Looking Ahead query to Secrets section

-Totally re-wrote guide for last strategy battle due to e-mail requests, put in more suggestions and a very detailed process for winning it -Re-wrote section 3h on Strategy Battles with more detailed content -Added content for Hazy Runes and EarthMagic Ring in mini-list of items -Clarified when you can recruit Arthur -Corrected the last point in the game when you can recruit -Added Blinking Mirror query to section 3 due to e-mails requests -Truncated the Acknowledgements section to conserve some space. Proper credit is still given to outside contributors within the main sections and in the Version History

+Version 2.25 (1/28/03) -Added Chris level 99 trick in detail per e-mail requests. Credit and many thanks to Blue Moon for permitting me to put the trick in this document

Suikoden III: FAQ/Walkthrough by dan crenshawVersion: 2.25 | Last Updated: 2003-01-27 | View/Download Original FileHosted by GameFAQsReturn to Suikoden III (PS2) FAQs & Guides