This guide is divided into five easy sections, as follows:

1. Introduction
You're reading this now. Just a pointer to the other sections.

2. Maps & Objectives
The most thorough map of Legendra, cataloguing event locations and processes. We'll go over the conditions you'll need to finish the game, plus tips & things to remember.

3. Basic Tactics
We go over winning conditions, as well as when and how to attack. Find advice on formations, counter-formations, and generals. With this information, it'll be easy to win 90% of your battles.

4. Advanced Tactics
Fight dirty. Learn the tricks, the cheap moves and survival techniques that pull victory kicking and screaming from the jaws of defeat. Castle hoarding, creative staffing, the regroup lance - it's all here.

5. Appendices
Magic, Item, and Character lists. Find out what's best for which characters, and who has the coolest magic.



How to Use the Map


This map shows the location of all the cities and events that happen in the land of Legendra. The map's routes may appear differently than what you see on the play map because the play map is slanted so the bottom of the map is larger than the top, so some routes get distorted. However, if you look at the overhead map, all the routes are accurate.

Cities that are filled in with one of the General's colors are cities that each general starts with IF YOU ARE PLAYING THAT SCENARIO. Therefore, the two cities Wein starts with on the map are the one's you get at the beginning of the Wein scenario, but not necessarily the one's you get if you play the Gongos scenario.

Towns with a colored outline are castles that are inhabited at the beginning of an individual scenario. The colored border indicates which scenario it applies to. Castles with no border are uninhabited in all scenarios.

How to Use the Map

Click   on a city, tower, shrine, or any marked location and you'll get taken to the appropriate entry. The general, his or her level, plus number and type of troops will be listed. If there are any significant comments, that'll get listed in the entry.

Conditions for Victory

1. You need to defeat all the top generals
2. You need to visit Shadow Tower AND head towards Topaz. The Scyth/Gaul event trigger doesn't happen, otherwise. Once you do, Ramda and Frest show up
3. Visit all three shrines with the appropriate Dragon Force members. See the appropriate shrine entries to see who needs to go where
4. Defeat Katmando with the Star Dragon Sword
5. Gather all Dragon Force members at Bloodly castle. From there, you proceed to Ruinledge automatically




Capitals   Towns   Towers   Encounter  
Katmando   Forest   Shrines   Snow

Bozack
COMMANDER LEVEL TROOPS
Gongos 3 30 Beasts
Baghib 2 20 Beasts
Katt 2 20 Beasts
Rygar 3 30 Beasts
Yuni 1 10 Beasts
COMMENTS:Like Tristan and Highland, good starting points. However, you face some stiff competition from Gunner off to the left.

Fandaria
COMMANDER LEVEL TROOPS
Goldark 6 40 Cavalries
Gaul 8 30 Mages
Kharhaz 8 30 Mages
Scythe 8 30 Mages
Lyria 1 10 Mages
COMMENTS:Tough to win. Conquer the low level generals first.

Highland
COMMANDER LEVEL TROOPS
Wein 3 30 Soldiers
Rudger 3 20 Soldiers
Nina 1 10 Mages
COMMENTS:Easy. Pick one front to expand and fortify the other. Teiris and Junon are easier.

Daiden
COMMANDER LEVEL TROOPS
Galam 3 20 Cavalries
Link 1 1 Soldiers
COMMENTS:

Izumo
COMMANDER LEVEL TROOPS
Mikhal 3 40 Samurais
Zagat 3 30 Samurais
Jackal 3 20 Samurais
Shione 1 10 Samurais
Mistal 1 10 Samurais
COMMENTS: Tough. Go south. Royal is too difficult in the beginning
Palemoon
COMMANDER LEVEL TROOPS
Teiris 3 30 Archers
Gulen 3 20 Cavalries
Manoa 1 10 Archers
Duran 2 10 Soldiers
COMMENTS:Get to Wein as soon as possible

Topaz
COMMANDER LEVEL TROOPS
Leon 3 30 Monks
Garyus 3 30 Soldiers
Yanna 1 10 Monks
Shaia 2 20 Monks
Raizak 1 20 Monks
COMMENTS: Also acts as trigger for Scythe and Gaul to resurface.
Conquer east. Heading west or south leads you into towns with too many unguardable junctions. Note: This town is an event trigger. Your hero needs to come back here after visiting Shadow tower, or nothing will happen.

Tradnor
COMMANDER LEVEL TROOPS
Reinhart 3 30 Mags
Presto 3 30 Cavalries
Sophie 1 10 Mages
Tsugal 3 10 Monks
Bardal 1 20 Monks
COMMENTS: Tough. Get Danyan and Mikeral and start fortifying

Stalwart (Uryll)
COMMANDER LEVEL TROOPS
Uryll 3 20 Dragons
Ardor 2 20 Cavalries
Gigg 2 20 Dragons
Santana 1 20 Zombies
COMMENTS:

Tristan
COMMANDER LEVEL TROOPS
Junon 3 30 Harpies
Ayrios 3 30 Harpies
Cinna 1 20 Mages
Ortega 3 10 Soldiers
Scar 2 20 Harpies
COMMENTS: Easy. Conquer the north, then Gasparl and Magicka, then conquer Teiris' kingdom.
Blazart
GENERAL LEVEL TROOPS
Gustav 3 20 Calvalries
Ramzal 1 20 Soldiers
Kidd 1 20 Soldiers
COMMENTS:

Bloodly
GENERAL LEVEL TROOPS
Alex 1 10 Mages
Narrak 1 10 Samurais
COMMENTS:

Claystal Castle
(Wein, Junon Scenario)
GENERAL LEVEL TROOPS
Laine 3 20 Mages
Varshyl 3 20 Archers
Nyvkall 2 10 Soldiers
Piper 2 30 Mages
COMMENTS:
(Teiris Scenario)
GENERAL LEVEL TROOPS
Slate 1 10 Samurais
Fiina 3 10 Mages
Aelx 1 10 Mages
COMMENTS:

Crystal Castle
(Wein Scenario)
GENERAL LEVEL TROOPS
Saul 3 20 Soldiers
Saharzad 1 10 Mages
Neil 1 10 Archers
COMMENTS:
(Junon Scenario)
GENERAL LEVEL TROOPS
Kilrein 1 10 Mages
Slythis 1 10 Samurais
Stegalt 4 10 Monks
COMMENTS:

Danyan
GENERAL LEVEL TROOPS
Fiina 3 10 Mages
Kulien 1 10 Mages
COMMENTS:

Estonia
GENERAL LEVEL TROOPS
Ishtar 2 10 Mages
Crawford 4 20 Cavalries
Raitt 2 10 Samurais
COMMENTS:

Eternal Castle
GENERAL LEVEL TROOPS
Mea 3 10 Mages
Slate 1 10 Samurais
COMMENTS:

Galifel Castle
GENERAL LEVEL TROOPS
Hilga 2 20 Soldiers
Rock 1 10 Soldiers
COMMENTS:

Gasparl
GENERAL LEVEL TROOPS
Dayn 4 30 Monks
Kodiak 1 30 Samurais
Myria 1 20 Mages
Wriph 1 20 Archers
COMMENTS:

Ginan
GENERAL LEVEL TROOPS
Nelson 4 20 Cavalries
Erin 2 20 Archers
Mileen 2 20 Mages
COMMENTS:

Lightan
GENERAL LEVEL TROOPS
Zanon 11 50 Cavalries
Yuri 6 40 Mages
Veltarna 6 40 Mages
Grudar 6 30 Soldiers
Gunter 1 10 Soldiers
COMMENTS:
Shadow
(Fiend - Vlad - Zombies)
COMMENTS: Meet Ramda here. After traveling here, you need to head towards Topaz to trigger the next story event. Otherwise travel west to do it later.

Fiend - Fight Vlad, and he'll join you if you promise to rescue Sierra. A valuable ally.
Bastion Encounters
GENERAL LEVEL TROOPS
Bastion 6 10 Soldiers
COMMENTS:Bastion is a bastard. He's very powerful, but also disloyal. Unless you reward him with awards or items, he'll leave and take his troops to an enemy army.

Hayate/Shirox Encounters
GENERAL LEVEL TROOPS
Hayate/Shirox 4 40 Samurais
COMMENTS:Hayate never fights you, but Shirox will. They won't join you, but Hayate will give you some Strategy Runes, which boost command. If you don't go here, though, nobody else can get through Hayate's forest, so it's a useful buffer zone.

Hilga Encounters
GENERAL LEVEL TROOPS
Hilga 2 20 Soldiers
rock 1 10 Soldiers
COMMENTS: Hilga is willing to join you if you get Borgon. She's a great fighter, but Rock, like Bastion, is likely to desert you if you don't pay him enough.

Yuug Encounters
GENERAL LEVEL TROOPS
Yuug 1 10 Mages
COMMENTS:Yuug is useless. He'll keep running away and coming back, but if you talk to him Gunner, he'll vanish for good.

Ruinledge Encounters: The big battle!
1st battle:
GENERAL LEVEL TROOPS
Scythe 100 Sirens
COMMENTS:
2nd Battle:
GENERAL LEVEL TROOPS
Gaul 100 Dragons
COMMENTS:
3rd Battle:
GENERAL LEVEL TROOPS
Katmando
COMMENTS:
Madruk Battle 1 (Sleeping Madruk)
TIP: Just melee on him. Your units attack faster, and you only get attacked once.
Madruk Battle 2 (Sleeping Madruk)
TIP: Same as the first battle. Dragon Cross Madruk each time you power up. You'll do an extra Dragon Cross when Madruk is almost dead.
Katmando lands here
COMMENTS:This is the Third Apostle of Darkness. Katmando is a big robot killer, who is invincible until the StarDragon Sword is retrieved. Once he begins to move, abandon all castles in the near vicinity. Otherwise, you fight lots of useless battles.
Forest
(Gongos, Teiris, Reinhart)
GENERAL LEVEL TROOPS
Scythe 80 Zombies
Razor 50 Dragons
Grog 50 Dragons
COMMENTS:
Cape
(Junon, Leon, Mikhal)
GENERAL LEVEL TROOPS
Fynn 80 Dragons
Klaww 70 Dragons
Gaul 90 Mages
COMMENTS:
Snow
(Wein, Goldark)
GENERAL LEVEL TROOPS
Gyzzdark 100 Calvaries
Slytt 60 Dragons
COMMENTS:

Basic Training

Although losing a battle doesn't mean losing a war, losing a lot of the former will cost you the latter. This section deals with winning battles. If you already know how to do that, then go to Advanced Tactics, which goes over special battles, magic, and castle holding.

Dragon Force Strategies: Table of Contents

1. Objectives
2. Understanding Generals
3. Formations: Who and When?
4. Tips

Objectives

There are four ways to win a battle in Dragon Force:

1) Defeat the enemy general
2) Kill all units, then defeat the general
3) The enemy general retreats
4) You and the enemy run out of time and the match is called a draw
(This is a special of victory case. You gain victory and experience, but it doesn't count as a win. See the Understanding Generals section for more information)


Understanding Generals

Ninja
As your general As enemy general
Kill all units, then defeat the general Kill all units, then defeat the general
Comments
A good offensive general, with moderate offensive capabilities but lousy defense compared to the more heavily armed units. In general, ninja magic is better at destroying armies than a commander, being designed to drain power and kill units. The Assassin's Star and variants are the best example, although the Reptile Cannon and Cross Rush are nothing to sneeze at. Don't duel unless you need to, or your army has weakened the opponent.

Monk
As your general As enemy general
Kill all units, then defeat the general Defeat the enemy general
Comments
A good offensive general, with strong offensive capabilities but the weakest defense of all non-physical units. Generally, Monks specialize in personal attacks, with strong cross flash and cross rush capabilities. Some have the stone pedestal, but only at high levels. Try not to duel using the monk, unless he has high strength or full health.

Fighter
As your general As enemy general
Kill all units, then defeat the general Kill all units, then defeat the general
Comments
Strong offense and defense. Identical to the knight, except in the types of items he can use. Magic is generally the Sonic Boom type, which is good for armies, so so for generals. Always duel, unless facing a knight or fighter, or less than 3/4 health.

Knight
As your general As enemy general
Kill all units, then defeat the general Kill all units, then defeat the general
Comments
Strong offense and defense. Identical to the fighter, except in the types of items he can use. Magic is generally the Sonic Boom type, which is good for armies, so so for generals. Always duel, unless facing a knight or fighter, or less than 3/4 health.

Beast
As your general As enemy general
Kill all units, then defeat the general Defeat the general
Comments
Strong offense and moderate defense. The beast is closest to the monk in strength, and thus, most often uses magic to attack generals. Magic is generally the Cross Rush/Flash type, which is good against generals. Beasts are good at duelling, but are somewhat at a disadvantage when facing knights and fighters.

Thief
As your general As enemy general
Kill all units, then defeat the general;Draw Defeat the general
Comments
Maniacal offense and weak defense. The thief can fight crazy, but suck at defense. The only magic thieves get is Shiva's Dagger and the Cross Rush, so they have to rely on their units. Dueling thieves are always a wild card, as they'll sometime have massive attack series, but tend to get hurt pretty easy.

Spirit User
As your general As enemy general
Draw at lower levels; Kill all units, then defeat the general at higher levels Defeat the general
Comments
Low attack and defense. High in magic. Attack magic usually takes the form of tricolumn attacks like Trident's Daughter or Dante's Inferno. They very rarely have magic that directly attacks generals. In the lower levels, defend until the draw to gain awards. Later, with larger numbers and higher command, you can go for the win.

Priest
As your general As enemy general
Draw at lower levels; Kill all units, then defeat the general at higher levels Defeat the general
Comments
Low attack and defense. High in magic. Magic is usually defensive in nature, but can be used very effectively. Holy Shield and Resurrection make the draw much easier for the priest. They very rarely have magic that directly attacks generals. In the lower levels, defend until the draw to gain awards. Later, with larger numbers and higher command, you can go for the win.

Magician
As your general As enemy general
Draw at lower levels; Kill all units, then defeat the general at higher levels Defeat the general
Comments
Low attack and defense. High in magic. Magic is usually offensive in nature, and often deadly. Thunder Fall and the Meteor Storm are particularly deadly. Their magic can attack generals more effectively than priests or spirit users. In the lower levels, defend until the draw to gain awards. Later, with larger numbers and higher command, you can go for the win. They are deadly at higher levels.

Dragons
As your general As enemy general
Kill all units, then defeat the general Kill all units, then defeat the general
Comments
High attack and defense. High in magic. Deadly in battle, although they tend to have lower command numbers than your best generals. That's made up, though, by the dragons they end up commanding. Generally, they use Stone Pedestal and Flame Cannon, although Uryll has Ensnare, which is very, very useful. The Flame Cannon, though, takes top much power to be an effective weapon.

The Undead
As your general As enemy general
Kill all units, then defeat the general Kill all units, then defeat the general
Comments
High attack and defense. High in magic. Deadly in battle, although they tend to have lower command numbers than your best generals. That's made up, though, by the zombies they end up commanding. Generally, they use magic which attacks armies, rather than generals. Known Undead are Vlad, Sierra, and Santana.

Formations: Who and When?

Formation Best Unit Types Counter-Formation
OffenseCavalry, Mage, Beast,ArcherProtect,Special,Defense
DefenseSoldier,Mage,Archer,Zombie,DragonBreach, Squad,Offense
SpecialAll UnitsBreach,Protect,Raid
SurroundMonk,Beast,Soldier,ZombieBreach,Special*
RaidCavalry,Samurai,BeastsSurround, Special*
ProtectMage,Archer,CavalryBreach,Surround,Raid,Special*
SquadHarpy, Dragon, SoldierProtect,Raid,Surround,Special
BreachCavalry,Dragon,Zombie,Monk,SoldierSpecial*,Protect,Surround,Offense

* Special Formation is covered in the Advanced Tactics section

Tips

Generals and Levels
Levels mean virtually nothing. Command and Strength are the only stats that matter when it comes to battle. More awards and a lower level cancel any advantage higher levels give an enemy. However, new magic is gained at the 5th and 10th level, so that becomes important. Check the appendices for information on generals.

Unit advantages
Read your manual. The tables for soldier matchups is accurate, and WILL drastically affect your outcome. Same with castle and terrain effects.

Spirit users, magicians, and priest generals act like mages when it comes to combat and vulnerabilities. Knights and fighters are equivalent to soldiers. Ninja are like samurai. Thieves are similar to monks. Beasts are beasts, dragons are dragons, and the Undead perform like zombies.

Tactics
It's better to defend than attack. Since battles are determined by the defeat of the general, as long as your general is intact, the better the chances of the enemy retreating or a draw. See Advanced Tactics for more information.

Don't use magic immediately unless it will give you a major advantage. Wait until your or enemy troops are in the ideal position. See the Advanced Tactics section for more information.

Dirty Tricks & Tips

The following tips aren't necessary to win the game, but take advantage of the flaws in Dragon Force's design to insure your advantage against your computer opponents and save you time. So, if you'd like to play a fair game, then skip this section.




Didn't think so. Read on, you cheater!


RETRIBUTION VARIATIONS

The Retribution maneuver from last section is the best and easiest way of capturing generals. It's best if you use staffed generals, but if you don't have enough troops, or you just want to try something different, use a Retribution maneuver with strong generals that have NO units.

If the enemy generals have troops, then use magic to attack the general. The enemy is usually already weakened, and he'll either retreat or get defeated in 15 seconds or less.

Or, the enemy will immediately engaged in a duel. 99 out of a hundred times, the general will NOT retreat, no matter how weak he is. It's a perfect opporunity to gain experience for low-medium level characters.



BRIBING GENERALS

Here's a great tip for keeping any general loyal. If a character can control 100 of any type of unit, they will remain loyal to you, no matter where you put them or how often you pass them over.



THE CAPTURE EQUATION

This is an approximate equation donated by Mana Knight, but it's a formula to determine your ability to capture a retreating general. Here goes:

Hit Points + Troops Left = Troops needed by opponent to capture

The example given is Wein vs. Goldark. If Wein runs away with 5 troops and 50 hit points, then Goldark needs 55 men to capture him. And vice versa.



KICKING THE BOARD

If you're looking for an item or need to restart really quickly, this tip saves you a lot of time when restarting the game.

Press X+Y+Z+START to restart. You'll see the Star Dragon Crest shine on screen. Keep your finger on the START button, and the Start/Continue screen should come up, without going through the beginning animation. Saves at least 15 seconds.



Ditching the Skull Children

Tired of Agonni and Paine? There's an easy way to make them stick somewhere without moving or escaping. When fighthing Agonni, kill all his troops, but force the Draw (let time run out). Kill Paine. Agonni will wander off to a nearby town and just sit there until attacked.



Zanon, the Experience Builder

If you're low on levels and need to gain a couple every turn, then head over to Lightan Castle and beat up on Zanon.

Take five of your generals and attack Lightan. Take a looke at the unit composition of Lightan Castle and plan accordingly. This isn't the easiest of battle and takes careful planning.

After you defeat him, Zanon will escape with his generals. However, he'll only go so far as the first junction and return to attack you. Make sure you've been Restaffing, since Zanon will have full hit points. However, his three sub-generals will have 1 hit point each, plus none of them should have any magic points left. Thus, send your weaker generals against the 1 point enemy commanders, and send your strongest against Zanon. Recruit all the troops for general that attacks Zanon. Any one of your generals should be able to do one point of damage against the other generals, duel or no duel.



Dragon Force Appendices

Children of Madruk - Wein, Gongos, Teiris Scenarios

NameTypeSpecial FormatInitial AllegianceInitial Unit1st Level Magic5th Level Magic10th Level MagicComment
GasperKnightRaidSkullCavalry(40) Sonic BoomSonic Wave-
HelmFighter-SkullSolider(20) Sonic Boom--
TsuvanFighterProtectSkull/MadrukSolider(20) Sonic BoomCross Flash-

Children of Madruk - Junon+? Scenarios

NameTypeSpecial FormatInitial AllegianceInitial Unit1st Level Magic5th Level Magic10th Level MagicComment
AgonniFighter--------------------Shiva's Dagger----------
PaineFighter--------------------Shiva's Dagger----------
Item List
NameEffectClasses
Ambition Ring+6 CommandAll
Astea's HerbHeals WoundsAll
Astea's Ring+8 CommandAll
Astea's Statue+1 MPAll
Battle Spear+5 StrengthK
Battle ArmorGives DefenseK
Beast Claw+3 StrengthB,
Bravery Coin+3 StrengthAll
Dark Axe+6 StrengthB,F
Dark Claw+7 StrengthB,
Death Claw+9 StrengthB,Mo
Divine ShieldGives DefenseF
Dragon CrestUse DragonsAll
Dragon's Eye+6 CommandAll
Dragon Statue+3 HPAll
Earth Axe+6 StrengthB,
Emerald+7 CommandSu
Faith CoinGives LoyaltyAll
Flying CrestUse HarpiesAll
Gaia Sword+8 StrengthK,
Gauze ArmorGives DefenseF,K
Goddess Tear+7 CommandAll
Honor Coin+2 CommandAll
Honor CrestUse CavalryAll
Igneous Axe+7 StrengthB,F
Javelin+3 StrengthK
Jeweled Rod+4 StrengthM,S
Kamui Blade+8 StrengthSam,
Kusanagi Blade+6 StrengthN,Sam
Magic CrestUse MagesAll
Magical Lance+8 StrengthK
Mars Blade+3 StrengthK
Miracle Rod+5 StrengthM,S
Moonbeam Sword+4 StrengthSam,
Moon Cane+9 CommandP
Moon God Sword+5 StrengthSam,
Murasame Sword+10 StrengthN,
Phantom Sword+7 StrengthSam,
Psycho Sword+6 StrengthK
Rune Lance+7 StrengthK
Sacrifice ShieldGives DefenseF
Sage Bracelet+6 IntelligenceAll
Savage CrestUse BeastsAll
Shogun ArmorDefenseSam,
Soldier CrestUse SoldiersAll
Soul Buster+5 StrengthK
Spirit CrestUse ZombiesAll
Stardragon Sword+9 StrengthK,
Strategy Runes+6 IntelligenceAll
Sun Bracelet+9 CommandMo,
TempestGives DefenseM,S
Thunder Axe+5 StrengthB,F
True Ring+9 CommandAll
Valhart's Charm+3 CommandAll
Virtuous Runes+6 IntelligenceAll
Wicked Claw+4 StrengthMo
Wisdom Armlet+6 IntelligenceAll
Magic Effects
NameEnemy AffectedMagic PointsPowerComments
Assassin's StarEnemy Army26Power Drain
Aura AssaultEnemy Cmdr210-----
Cross FlashEnemy Cmdr210,15Beast, Monks, Samurai
Cross RushEnemy Army430-----
Dante's InfernoAll Foe315-----
Dark VortexAll Troops315Middle of Field Attack; sucks hole through middle
EnsnareEnemy Cmdr110Keeps Cmdr from retreating, building power
Flame CannonEnemy Cmdr210-----
Gale BlastEnemy Commander2-----Mikhal's Unique 10th Level Attack
Holy BlastEnemy Troops315Attacks the middle of the field
Holy ShieldEnemy Troops215Local to General
HyperstormEnemy Troops315Triple Tornado
Mega Tornado--------------------
Meteor StormAll Foe415-----
Mirage StarEnemy Army315Triple Assassin's Star
PhantasmFriendly Army110-----
QuagmireAll Men315-----
Reptile CannonEnemy Cmdr215-----
ResurrectYour Troops210Creates 25 new units, will act the same as your front
Shiva's DaggerAll Foe25Kills units, drains power
Solar FlareAll Troops315Middle of Field Attack
Sonic BlastEnemy Army415Five Sonic Waves
Sonic BoomEnemy Army210Single
Sonic WaveEnemy Army310Triple Wave
Sky DriverEnemy General315-----
Stone PedestalEnemy Troops310Immobilizes Units/Doesn't affect airborne units
Summon GolemEnemy Army215-----
Summon GuardianEnemy Troops415Immobilizes Unites/Doesn't affect airborne units
Summon ReaperEnemy/Friendly General120Reduces enemy and friendly general to 1. Only Katt has it this magic
Summon WyvernEnemy Army315Blasts commander
Sword RushEnemy General2----------
Thor's FistEnemy Troops315Similar to Summon Guardian
ThunderfallEnemy Army315Multipart Lightning
Trident's DaughterEnemy Army315Two Column Spiral in middle of army
Wind DancerEnemy Army315Two Column Spiral in middle of army