Character Descriptions

Here are the descriptions of all normally available characters in the course of the game. You will find a brief description and what I think their abilities warrant them able to do. There isn't a lot here besides my opinion, because of the attacks list and recruiting list can be found elsewhere. Oh yeah, if nothing is listed in the recruiting list, then that character cannot become a leader. Large units cannot be leaders also. Enjoy. Just click here to go to specific class desriptions.

Fighter

Amazon

Birdman

Faerie

Angel

Demon

Mermaid

Pumpkin

Dragon

Giant

Wyrm

Gryphon

Canine

Octopus

Golem

Undead

Fighter Class - The most varied class of characters, these guys can do it all. And if you don't like the way someone is progressing, you can drop them back to a fighter, then advance them along different lines. Make that low ALI knight into a Wildman, then an Evil one; make that goody-two shoes Wizard into a Dollmage, then Doll Master. The possibilities are endless, and what these guys turn into will be the main forces within your army.

Fighter
Basic unit of the fighter class. They don't have any real strong points except for their versatility. Not a lot to say about these guys.
Knight
Upgraded fighter with a good ALI. Much better defense, these guys will become the backbone of any good fighting group you have. I generally make all of my units into knights until they reach the stats for the next class I want them to be.
Paladin
Upgraded knight. Excellent unit to have, the extra attack makes a huge difference in damage capabilities. The one healing in the back is a nice afterthought, but if you really wanted healing you'd probably have a cleric. A major unit for any campaign wanting the best ending.
Vampyre
"Upgraded" knight (and also Evil One too). Vampyres blow. During they day, they become useless coffins. And at night when they supposedly get stronger, they have crappy attacks. Charm hardly works, and a Lovers tarot card does the job better. Lifesuck is unique, but does bad damage. Their only redeeming factor is vampyre leaders can recruit werewolves directly. Vamypres suck... both literally and figuratively.
Wildman
Low ALI version of a knight. Good damage capability, and decent defenses. The main unit you'll have in a strive for the worst ending. I don't much care for these guys, cause I prefer knights, as knights have better upgrades. But if your doing a low ALI campaign, these guys would work well for you.
Evilone
Upgaded wildman. The dark version, but inferior, version of a paladin. Okay units, but I would prefer an extra attack from the front. In the back they have a single targetting fireball magic attack, but there are much better that will do that better. A must in any evil army.
Beastman
Upgraded fighter. These guys are more effective in the back row because they still keep their 2 front row attacks but now they have protection for they're slightly lower defense. Not a bad unit to have, but I only let myself have a few of them, as they have unimpressive and difficult to raise upgrades.
Beastmaster
Upgraded beastman. A bit more effective, because they have better defenses and better recruits. Otherwise pretty much the same as the beastman.
Dragoner
Upgraded beastmaster. You need a fairly difficult to find Stone of Dragos to promote to one of these. They have the ability to recruit dragons, but other than that, they are more or less the same as a Beastmaster.
Dragonmaster
One of the hardest characters to get. First off, you need a Stone of Dragos to make a dragoner, then you need to get him to level 20 with a 40-60 ALI and 65+ CHA. If you can make it, the high rank dragons he recruits can be worth it. But if you really wanted the higher dragons, the Sky Knights can also recruit them. Basically just a better dragoner, as he still only has 2 attacks in either row. But his recruits can partly make up for his short-comings.
Dollmage
Upgraded fighter. Skilled in the arts of animation, these guys are quite good in most contexts. Most useful early on, they can really help out a lot of units with their hit-all. Not very good defenses, but still worth it. I always have a couple of these guys around, especially if I know one of my wizards have become too good to be a mage.
Dollmaster
Upgraded dollmage. A heck of a lot more useful, because they now have two physical damage hit-all attacks in the back. Quite a boon to any group you have, but they still have those low defenses. If your wizard has gotten too high ALI to be promoted to a mage, turn them into dollmasters.
Ninja
Upgraded fighter. These guys are great to have if you have a kill group. The first character with three attacks in the front, you will quickly learn to dread these guys if you fight them a lot. Also works well in the back row, with two magic type attacks against the enemy. Capable of doing good damage from either position.
Ninjamaster
Upgraded ninja. Most of the same, but one hit-all in back now. Quite useful to have, and they can recruit the Ninja. But they're kinda a pain to raise, as you need very low ALI and pretty high CHA to get one. Gotta love 'em.
Wizard
Upgraded fighter. Incredibly deficient in the defense department, these guys are still capable of inflicting a good amount of damage. Worst problem is trying to upgrade them to Mage, cause they need a low alignment yet high charisma to get there. Still a decent long range attacker early in the game.
Mage
Upgraded wizard. These guys may not seem like they are worth it since they're a pain to raise and need items to upgrade past this. But they are still very strong units to have due to their multi-elemental hit-all in the back row. And their upgrades are among one of the most powerful units in the game.
Sorcerer
Upgraded mage. These guys are really necromancers, because they can recruit the undead. The extra hit-all makes a huge difference, allowing these guys to single handedly kill many groups. Still have low defenses, but their damage capability is awesome. Must have in any kill squad.
Lich
Upgraded sorcerer. You thought the Sorcerer was awesome, try adding another hit-all, and a lightyear's boost in all types of defense and now you have an obscenely powerful unit. These guys can wipe out almost any group single handedly, and are a definite must for any mass destruction group. Arguably the strongest unit in the game.
Samurai
Upgraded fighter, these guys are the high ALI swordsman. These guys are basically like knights in the front row, but in the back row they gain a long range attack. More effective in back than knights, but in the front, the two are the same.
Samuraimaster
Upgraded samurai. These guys have three attacks in the front just like the paladin, but they still only have one Iainuki in the back. Think of them as an alternate version of the paladin.
Werewolf
Upgraded fighter. You need a vampyre to recruit these guys, or find a neutral one. You can also have werewolf Sirius try to inflict one of your soldiers with the Virus, but that method is quite random and unreliable. Werewolves have incredible defenses and a high attack, as well as three attacks in front or back. Their only weakness is that they become a very weak unit during the day, having only one attack. Still powerful though.
Weretiger
You have to use a Fullmoon to get one. They behave the same as a werewolf, execept one less attack and higher defenses and damage capabilities. A definite plus for evil groups, but werewolves are better since they have an extra attack.

Amazon Class - Here are the female versions of the fighter class. They don't have as many choices, but they are the only class besides fighters that can regress back to the basic unit, then advance along different lines.

Amazon
Basic unit that doesn't have much going for it besides their upgrades. Better in the back row since they have two attacks there instead of one in the front.
Valkyrie
Upgraded amazon. Decent unit from the front or back rows, but better used in the back, with directed electric attacks that generally do more damage. Fairly average defenses, comparable to basic fighter.
Muse
Upgraded valkyrie. These are what your offensive females should aim for. They still only have 2 attacks in the front row, but in the back, they are much more useful with 2 electric hit-alls. Very useful units to have.
Witch
Upgraded amazon. In my opinion, they are totally useless, as their stun attack hardly ever hits (although is isn't true for enemy witches). Even if you give them the ability to recruit pumpkins, they still suck. Horrible defenses, and a useless attack in either row make them virtually pointless to have. Maybe keep one for diversity, but try not to have more than that.
Cleric
Upgraded amazon. Probably the most useful transformation of the Amazon class of characters. Quite capable of keeping your armies alive and well through any number of fights. Also the best character for killing the undead. I usually keep one in every fighting unit unless they are designed for massive destruction quick kills. They also work excellent in high ALI liberating groups.
Shaman
Upgraded cleric. These guys are even better, cause they have an extra healing to cast. Otherwise they are pretty much the same as the cleric.
Monk
Upgraded shaman. She loses three single heals in the back row for two heal-alls. A must in later stages of the game when most enemy units have their own hit-alls, and you need fully party healing.
Princess
The total perfection of the amazon class, and probably the most coveted unit in the game. The princess's true strength is when she's placed as a leader, as she gives everyone in her squad an extra attack including herself. In the back row she has one hit-all white attack, but most likely she'll have two of them since you'd have to be braindead if you don't put her as a leader. The problem is trying to find a Royal Crown needed to promote an amazon into a princess, as they are quite rare.

Birdman Class - These guys are what you want to put in most group to make them have low sky movement. They only have one upgrade, either good or evil, and they quickly die out in strenght. But their true use is to make the groups their in have quick mobility.

Hawkman
The basic birdman unit, they don't have a lot going for them. They only have two attacks in the front row which isn't that powerful, and one attack in the rear. Still, they are very useful in that the make most units they are in have low sky movement.
Eagleman
Upgraded hawkman. These are the high ALI birdmen, but otherwise are almost the exact same as hawkmen. They still only have 2 attacks in in the front row, but now their single attack in the back row has become electric based. Definitely not one of the stronger fighting units, but again, their main use is to give the groups they're in low sky movement.
Ravenman
Upgraded hawkman. The evil path for the birdmen class. Otherwise pretty much the same as an eagleman except with a fire based single attack in the back row.

Faerie Class - This class of characters is almost as useless as the witch. All have very low defense and HP, along with mostly useless attacks. Their only saving grace is they have a powerful final upgrade.

Faerie
Die quickly in the front row, or be useless in the back row. Their only concession is that they become useful when they upgrade into sylphs. But I'd avoid using faeries if I were you.
Pixie
Upgraded faerie. Almost as bad as the faerie, except now they have twice as many useless attacks. Ignore these guys too, and wait for their next upgrade.
Sylph
Upgraded Pixie. Finally making something of themselves, sylphs have a white damage hit-all attack. It's fairly effective, as not many characters have white hit-alls, but they only get one. Works best when paired with a princess so they gain an extra attack. They still have awfully low HP and defense, so always keep them in the back.

Angel Class - Like the faerie family, the angel family is pretty much useless except for their final upgrade. They have bad defense, so avoid putting them in the front row, and their attacks are weak overall. But the make up for it in the Seraphim class, and at the very least they make candiates for city liberation.

Angel
The basic angel unit. They are pretty much trash as they have only one attack in either row, both of which are weak. Add to the fact that they have low defense, they are basically faeries with slightly higher HP.
Cherubim
Upgraded angel. Double the number of attacks, and slightly increase the defense of an angel and you have it. Better than the angel, but that's not saying much. You'll want to keep some around anyway so that they can make their next upgrade into a Seraphim.
Seraphim
Upgraded Cherubim. Finally something useful. Seraphims have one white damage hit-all in the back row. Think of them like sylphs with noticably more HP and defense.

Demon Class - The low ALI versions of the angel class. Pretty much the same deal as the faerie and angel family, the demon family doesn't get useful until their final upgrade.

Imp
The basic unit for the demon class. They aren't all that spectacular, as they only have one attack in the back.
Demon
Upgraded imp. These guys are better, with an extra back row attack to dish out to the opposition. Otherwise the same as an imp.
Devil
Upgraded demon. These guys now have one black damage hit-all attack to use against the enemy forces. Quite powerful to have in a low ALI army or when up against high ALI units. However, with only one hit-all in the back row, a sorcerer or lich could do the job better with more attacks and more elements.

Mermaid Class - There isn't much of a family involved with mermaids, but they can be a mildly useful in water based groups. They don't have much going for them.

Mermaid
The basic unit, they have the unremarkable ability to recruit more of themselves when they lead a group. They don't have a lot of power, but can be a marginally useful leading an octopus unit... but how many of those are you really gonna have? They're too weak to survive in the front, and in the back they only have one single hitting ice based attack. Nice for a little army diversity, but not much else.
Nixie
Upgraded mermaid. They are basically the same unit, except the one single hitting ice attack in the back becomes a hit-all. Mages and their upgrades do the job better, as well as other units with multiple hit-alls.

Pumpkin Class - These guys aren't all that remarkable. Their attacks only take half the hit points of an enemy, so they become ineffective after a certain point. And they tend to miss more often than not. They have incredibly low defenses too, but a small bonus is they can kill the undead.

Pumpkin
In my opinion, almost useless. Upgrade this boy if you can, otherwise get rid of him cause he's dead weight. With only one attack that often misses in either row, they're not too impressive.
Halloween
Upgraded pumpkin. A little better, with two attacks instead of one. Not too great character to have, but they can be useful if their attacks work.

Dragon Class - I think the biggest use of these guys is to inflate your ego. They are the biggest monster in the game, and capable of inflicting enormous amounts of damage to the enemy. For me, their biggest use is as a sponge to soak up all of that damage the enemy throws at you. But personally I dislike the slow mobility they give most groups they are in.

Dragon
The basic unit, they aren't all that great, but if you want the high rank dragons, it's best to train one from the beginning so they'll have better stats. Upgrade as soon as possible.
Black dragon
The evil road for dragons. Their attacks are black based. Like all dragons, they are most useful in front because of their naturally high HP.
Tiamat
Upgraded black. The quickest route to a hit-all in the dragon class. Either row is good for them. Put them in the front if you need a damage soaking sponge, or put them in the back for their black damage hit-all.
Zombie dragon
Upgraded tiamat. They lose their hit-all in the back row for two single physical attacks. You need to use an Undead Ring to promote to these guys. But personally I don't think it's a justifiable upgrade, since you'd have to be crazy if you'd choose a zombie dragon over a lich.
Red dragon
The neutral road for dragons. They are more or less just an improved dragon that loves fire and moves best over mountains.
Red dragon II
Upgraded red. A corny name, but that's all they are. Improved damage capabilities, and a larger increase in stats per level is all you get with these guys, but their use is still the same.
Salamander
The highest class of reds with two fire based hit-alls in back, or two directed attacks in front. Capable of incredible damage, but like all neutral classes, they are a little difficult to raise due to their neutral ALI requirement.
Silver dragon
The good road for dragons. They are cold-damage based dragons that move best in snowy terrain. Because they are snow movement, they have a pretty big handicap of giving the units they're in slow mobility, as there aren't many snowy stages to take advantage of.
Gold dragon
Upgraded silver. Improve the abilities of the silver, and this is what you get. Still most effective as a damage sponge.
Platinum dragon
Upgraded gold. They have the highest natural HP, and slightly higher strength than the other classes. They have two ice based hit-alls in the back, and are high attack power damage sponges in the front. Still, the snow movement they give most groups they're in can be an annoyance.

Giant Class - Giant men with high attack power, high natural HP, and good defenses make them good damage sponges too. But seeing as dragons are a bit more powerful and hardy, it's hard to choose a giant over a dragon.

Giant
The basic unit of giants, they are most effecitve in the front because of high HP and three attacks. They don't upgrade along good or evil, only terrain preferences.
Fire giant
The unit loving the mountains and fire. Other than that, the same stuff holds for these guys as does the normal giant.
Ice giant
The unit that loves snow and the cold. Basically the same as the normal giant in terms of abilities.
Titan
The only actually "good" giant class. They are effective in front or back, because of two physical hit-alls to use.

Wyrm Class - The largest flyers in the game, they have good defenses and good attack capabilities. Their main use is giving most units they are placed in high sky movement.

Wyrm
The basic flyer, they have two attacks in front or back. Quite powerful to have around, and their high sky terrain makes them incredibly fast. Thumbs up for these guys.
Wyvern
Upgraded wyrm. Really, the only difference is two directed attacks from the back instead of two physical strikes and slightly worse defenses against white and ice. Otherwise the same, which means they are still an awesome unit.

Gryphon Class - The other class of large fliers, they have lower damage and defenses, but higher AGI, which can make a difference. Like the wyrm class, their main use is to make the units they're in high sky.

Gryphon
The basic unit, they can be effective in the front or back since they have two attacks or a physical hit-all respectively. Main use is still granting high sky mobility.
Cockatris
Upgraded gryphon. They still keep two attacks in the front, but they lose the gryphon's hit-all for two Petrify attacks. Petrify turns its target into a diamond if sucessful, leaving them harmless for the rest of the battle. Unfortunately it seems to miss often, but it has an added benefit of being able to kill undead. I wouldn't upgrade all your gryphons into cockatrises, but a few can be helpful.

Canine Class - These are the true "dogs of war" because they are good combat capable units. The biggest problem is the mountain terrain type, meaning they are slow everywhere else.

Hellhound
The basic unit, they are effective in front or back, because of the two directed or three physical that they have.
Cerberus
Upgraded hellhound. They aren't much different, especially considering they may use fire from the back row instead of the normal charm.

Octopus Class - Strong units in the water, but useless everywhere else. Given the fact that there aren't many water based stages in the game, the octopus family have arguably the worst classes in the game.

Octopus
The basic unit. Has lots of HP, attacking power, and defense ratings, until you cross the beach and end up on land. As a whole, useless, because their isn't a lot of water to fight on in the game.
Kraken
Upgraded octopus. The same on land, change the tentacle attacks to a whirlpool when in the back row in the water. Same strengths (and glaring weaknesses) otherwise.

Golem Class - These guys have very high attack power and defense against physical attacks. But they have lethally low HP and a big weakness against all types of magic attacks, making them very hard to keep alive. Given the fact that they aren't upgrade-able, the golem family gives the octopus family some serious competition for worst classes in the game.

Golem
The standard unit for the class, they are fairly effective in fighting units. Biggest weakness is magic, as they can be taken down very quickly when hit by it. If you can keep it alive, though, you will have a mildly useful damage soaker early in the game.
Rock golem
The next unit, able to be found from dollmaster recruits or when Ashe joins you. Same strengths and glaring weaknesses means they won't last that long. Terrain is now mountain, so that adds another disadvantage to the growing list.
Iron golem
The strongest golem. If you want any kind of golem, you might as well get this one. Unfortunately, when you finally do get them, the majority of your enemies have very strong magic attacks and will make quick work of them, as they still have depressingly low HP. Golems stink.

The Undead - These guys are also unable to upgrade, but they are quite powerful. They have no defenses, because none of the elements can damage them save for white and a few attacks. Attacks will either miss or turn them. To turn them otherwise, you need to have a white based attack (Healing/Banish/Starlight/etc.) or have a white weapon equipped, such as a Rune Axe or the Brunhild sword. Otherwise, the only other attacks that destroy them are a faerie's Slap, a the pumpkin family's pumpkin smash, or a cockatris' petrify.

Skeleton
Two attacks in front, and their inability to die make them useful. Otherwise there isn't much there.
Wraith
Add an extra attack to the skeleton.
Ghost
Two directed attacks in back make a good support unit.
Phantom
Add an extra attack to the ghost and you got it. They're better in the back row though, as their attack there is stronger.

There you have it, my impressions of every character class in the game. That concludes the Ogre Battle section, unless I get really ambitious. Hope you enjoy reading as much as I did making it.

Return to Black Mantle Page Return to Ogre Battle Page

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1