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A faq for: SHINING FORCE
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By: Gamesnstuffguy
Email: gokubest@yahoo.com
Or: qk2rusty@hotmail.com

Have you read other Shining Force faqs?  Have they helped you thoroughly?  If
you answered no to either question, then you are here for Shining Force
information.  This is the right place for that.  I'll divide the faq into
sections, as most do, to make it easier for you!

A. Walkthrough (I don't include all of the items or anything really specific)
B. Characters (and my personal ratings)
C. Items
D. Weapons
E. Spells
F. Enemies
G. Bosses
H. Jogurt Locations (he appears in the game several times)
I. The Forbidden Box and what it does
J. Credits

A.	WALKTHROUGH:

Chapter 1 : RUNEFAUST INVASION

Since this is a basic walkthrough, I'm going to go through the Chapters quick.
Talk to Lowe, and then talk to Varios, and then to Lowe again.  Now you can
search through the town.  You need to go to the castle (top part of the map)
and then talk to the king.  After that, leave the castle and head down.  After
the force joins you (Ken, Luke, Hans, Tao, and then Lowe), go back and talk to
the king.  Then you can leave the village and go fight the first battle!

(Note: You can fight the battle alone by following a villager and forcing him
to one of the places where a guard would block you.)

Battle 1: This battle is pretty easy.  I recommend getting a little bit of
experience and then cast egress, or just egress immediately, so you can go to
the house near Battle 1 and get Gong to join your team.

Strategy: Well, not too much to do here, I mean this is the first battle.  All
you need to do is beat up some monsters and then egress, right?  Well...I
suggest keeping your force together.  Don't send one character up and attack
the Rune Knight (who happens to be the "boss" for this fight).  You should keep
Ken and Luke up in the front lines, and have Tao, Hans, and Lowe behind them,
or nearby.  Of course, Max should be well protected, but he should be able to
take on the front line of goblins without much trouble.  Other than that,
there's not much to strategy in this battle.

Battle 2: This is a much longer battle than the previous one.  There's no boss,
but there's a couple of every enemy from the last fight here.

Strategy: Try and keep Hans and Luke up in the front, since they can
deal more damage in this terrain (the mountain terrain isn't as harsh for them
as for the other characters).  Max, again, can take out the
goblins.  Just be sure they don't surround him or anything like that.
One at a time, remember that.

After you return to Guardiana, head to the castle.  After Kane kills
Varios, Mae will join you.  You can also go to the tavern and get
Gort.  Leave the town when you are ready.

Battle 3: There is a new kind of monster now, Giant Bats.  They're
incredibly annoying and appear in several battles.  Either defeat all
the enemies, or if you want, try and make a break for the next town,
Alterone.

Strategy: I imagine you would fight, seeing as how right now, your
characters will need experience.  Like Battle 1, keep the characters
bunched up.  Don't let one go too far ahead of the other, that'd
either get your character killed, or have him get more experience
than the other characters (which isn't too bad, just don't make a
habit of it!).  Protect Max at all costs here; if a Giant Bat puts him
to sleep, he's easy fodder for any enemy.  Have your Knights
(Centaurs) attack with spears (buy one for Mae), and Hans too,
since his attacks usually hit the Giant Bats.  After you're done
focused on eliminating the Giant Bats, let the Rune Knights come
to you, or time it right.  You don't want one character getting
demolished.  If one of your characters has enough defense, then
he'd be the perfect bait.

Once you enter Alterone, go to the pub and talk to guy near the shopkeeper.
Say yes if he asks if you are Max.  Then go to the castle.  Talk to the king,
and follow him.  Talk to Kane and then once you are in the dungeon, search the
bars.  Khris will open the cell and join you.  Then go down the stairs from the
route she opens and keep going down, and then keep going left.

Battle 4: This battle is pretty fun, but it's also quite challenging.

Strategy: Now you'll have to split your team into two groups that will cut the
battle time in half.  You should probably send a stronger group over the top
bridge, since there are more enemies there.  Send a few characters over the
right bridge so you can eventually surround the Dark Mage.  Make sure you have
a character with a ranged attack in both places, just in case a Giant Bat
swoops in and puts a character to sleep.  Don't bunch in, or the Dark Mage will
get more than one character with his Blaze Lv. 2 spell!

Go talk to the king and forgive him.  He'll tell you to search the Dragonhead
by the waterfall for a chain.  Once you do, enter the place, head up and the
chapter will end.

(Note: I didn't mention any of the treasure in this chapter...Look around,
there's lots of treasure in treasure chests, make sure you give items to other
characters so you can pick up more treasure)

Chapter 2 : SPIRIT OF THE HOLY SPRING

This chapter is exceptionally more difficult than the first.  Some of the
hardest battles are in this chapter, so don't take it lightly.  Just talk to
the mayor and look for treasure, then leave the village (after buying the much
needed Power Staffs!)

Battle 5: This battle is long and annoying because of the terrain.  It's the
last battle you'll see Dark Dwarves in.  It's the first battle you'll see
Zombies in.

Strategy: This battle is hard and long, but it's one of the easier battles of
the chapter!  Keep your characters well healed, they'll need the HP later in
the battle.  Also, try and be sure Lowe learns Detox.  When he does, egress so
you will have the MP back (if you lost any!).  Keep the party spaced a little,
but don't let one character wander off too far.  The first few enemies
shouldn't be too much trouble.  Just watch the bridge, you COULD get ambushed
after eliminating the monsters and the bridge.  Once you get into the sandy
desert, be patient.  Let Tao and the healers catch up (along with Ken).  The
Dwarves Luke and Gort won't have much trouble in the terrain, but you can't
have them go too far.  Keep them spaced out too, since there is a Dark Mage
ready to cast his spells!  After you get near Manarina (at the top left), have
Mae guard Tao.  Mae will attack up close, and Tao will cast Blaze Lv.1 or Blaze
Lv.2 on the zombies (and Dark Mages, but make the Zombies the priority!  Other
characters can easily beat the Dark Mages).

Tough battle, huh?  Once in Manarina, talk to Anri.  After runs away, you can
search that weird looking monster thing in the room near the library.  It
contains the Domingo Egg (needed to obtain Domingo!!).  Go up the stairs, and
up the next flight of stairs.  Talk to Anri, who will join your team.  Then go
to the run where Anri originally blocked (it's the first room you saw inside).
Talk to Otrant, the character in red.  Then go downstairs and down the next
flight of stairs.

Battle 6: Not too hard.  Skeleton is the boss.

Strategy: There are many useful items in this battle that you can find (namely
the Power Ring).  Make sure you pick that up as you go along.  But first, don't
charge the first zombies you see.  Attack with ranged attacks and magic.  Now
that you have two magic users, it'd be wise to use their magic. Make sure to
level up Anri a lot, because you'll probably need her.  After you beat the
first zombies blocking your path, the next halfway difficult part is the
bridge.  On the bridge, there is a Dark Mage, and near him 2 snipers.  Behind
the snipers, there are several Giant Bats (they are annoying, be cautious,
mainly of the weaker characters).  By now, the Giant Bats won't be too
annoying, but that doesn't mean your characters are invincible.  Remember, they
can put your characters to sleep, so take them out quickly and don't let them
surround you.  Once you get to the Dark Mages guarding the skeleton, attack
them with whatever magic you have left, and keep your characters apart, if
possible.  The Dark Mages can do hefty damage if you charge them and if your
characters are bunched up.  The skeleton is a piece of cake.  If you REALLY
need to, use the Power Ring.  Otherwise, just have a ranged attack (or magic
cast) on him.  I mean, he's never going to move.  He just stands there, so he's
easy pickins.  He's fodder to your ranged attacks (and magic).

Talk to Otrant, use the Orb of Light (maybe not this order...) then go back to
the place where you got Anri.  Talk to Arthur and he'll join your team.  Once
you get back to Rindo, talk to the mayor.  Then talk to the guy by the circus
tent.  Go into the circus tent.

Battle 7: This is definitely one of the hardest battle in the game.  It may be
for some, and for others it won't be that hard.  But the fact is, it's
definitely difficult.  Don't be shocked if you keep losing the battle over and
over, this battle is hard!  This is a battle you'll probably want to cast
Egress Lv. 1 a lot on!

Strategy: There are two ways to go about this battle.  One, you could stay in
one group and spaced out, or two, you can go into two groups.  I suggest going
into two groups and first, and then rejoining as one, a combination of the two
good strategies.  The Mannequins and Evil Puppets aren't too strong, but
they're special attack (the whisper thing) is quite powerful. This is the only
battle you'll see Mannequins and Dire Clowns in.  The Marionette is the boss.
Once you defeat the lower creatures, attack the Dire Clowns from afar with
ranged weapons and magic.  Don't bother wasting your magic on the Marionette;
it takes VERY little damage from the magic.  Luckily, you'll get a Iron Arrow
(for Hans!), which is quite useful here.  Once you defeat all the little
enemies, keep your party well spaced out.  If possible, send one character
towards the back (behind the Marionette) and attack from there (must be a
ranged attacker).  Keep your characters extra spaced, because the Marionette
can cast Freeze Lv. 3 (which does around 16-20 HP of damage. NO JOKE!)  You'll
want characters with many HP attacking the Marionette.  Max should be strong
enough for this.  You should use the Power Ring on him (make sure it doesn't
get broken, fix it if it cracks).  The Power Ring will increase his attack by
15 points, which should be enough to have him do about 10 damage (at least) to
the Marionette).  You could do the same thing with Ken, since he's bound to
have a lot of HP here.  This would be a lot less risky, too.

Well, you got through one of the hardest battles in the game!  But you're about
to face another!  Go talk to the mayor after you rescue his grandson.  Go to
the ship.  After it burns down talk to the mayor again.  Then talk to the
mayor's son.  Then leave, and head up where the gate once was closed.  Now that
you are in Shade Abbey, all you really must do is talk to the priest and head
for the church, which is up.  Head towards the birdman statue.  Once you get
close enough, you'll enter a battle, probably the hardest one in the game!

Battle 8: This battle is just as hard, if not harder, than the last battle.
Max is cornered and there are SEVERAL zombies and skeletons nearby.

Strategy: Okay, either have Max stay in a far corner or have him RUSH
down towards the party.  Either way, you're in trouble.  Blaze Lv. 2 is very
important here, since undead take more damage from fire magic.  DON'T USE
FREEZE, because that magic does less damage on the undead.  Have the party
protect Max, if possible.  Be sure that you take out the zombies on the sides.
The go for the zombies in the upper right hand corner, and beware of the
skeletons on your left.  I haven't quite discovered a "perfect strategy" for
this one, but it's not exactly easy to either.  If your characters are around
level 9 or 10, it shouldn't be too hard, but it's still going to be one of the
most difficult battles in the game.  You may have to do it a few times.

After the battle, Balbaroy and Amon will join you, and the chapter will end!

Chapter 3 : SECRET WEAPON OF RUNEFAUST

Talk to Diane's mother, and then talk to Diane to get her to join your force.
Then go to the lower right hand corner to the battle.

Battle 9: Master Mage is the master and there are a few new enemies.  Now that
you have Balbaroy and Amon, I suggest put one or both of them in your party and
level them up here.  They're quite useful on getting around terrains.

Strategy: Keep the group close.  You COULD even eliminate one of the
Dark Priests early if you take Balbaroy and/or Amon.  This will help boost
their experience a little, too.  By the way, don't promote your characters yet.
Wait until they reach level 20, it's easier that way.  Avoid the Dark Elves and
their ranged attacks, you can have Balbaroy or Amon take care of them while a
ranged  attacker of your own attacks them as well.  The rest should be a breeze
up until you reach the Lizard Man and the Master Mage.  The Master Mage has
Freeze Lv. 2, so beware of him.  Keep your characters slightly spaced out.  Be
sure the Healers learn Heal Lv. 2 so they can heal from afar.  Use this to your
advantage.  Once the Master Mage is alone, ambush him (after he goes).

No problem, right?  Okay, there's two items in the cave.  The Moonstone
and the Bikini for Tao (not called Bikini, it's in the lower left corner which
appears to be a wall).  Head back to Bustoke.  Give the Moonstone to that
Alchemist, and once you have the Lunar Dew, find Zylo and give him it.  Zylo is
tough, so you'll want him on your team.  Be sure that you look around, and
search Kokichi's device (and watch him TRY to fly). Leave the village, after of
course changing around your team and buying stuff.

Battle 10: Long and easy.  Not too shabby for experience.

Strategy: Keep an eye on the Pegasus Knights.  They're not too strong, but they
can swoop in from any terrain.  Rather than eliminate the Lizard Men and Dark
Priests, use them to your advantage.  Have 1 or 2 characters focus on them,
that way they'l learn more experience (since the Dark Priest casts Heal, you
can get more experience).

Battle 11: Tricky for a newbie, easy for a pro.  Second Silver Knight is boss.

Strategy: Although most maps are tricky for a newbie, this one has a "trap"
making it extra tricky.  Don't charge.  You should be patient on this battle.
I suggest if you have Balbaroy and/or Amon, have them sneak from below and go
around and come back to attack the Laser Eye.  The Silver Knight is the boss
here, not the Laser Eye, although you should destroy that, too!  Line up your
men around 3 spaces below that equal to the Laser Eye.  Let the Laser Eye shoot
once, and then charge.  This way, the enemies will be hurt, and you'll have a
few men ready to attack.  Don't send all of your characters.  Send about 4 or
5.  This way, they can go no the ledge, kill the Dark Elves (make sure some of
them have ranged attacks or magic), and avoid being hit by the Laser Eye.
There is a dress for Anri nearby the Dark Elves.  Like the Bikini, it has a
Japanese name, and has no use other than changing the
sprites for the little Anri character (the Bikini changes the little Tao
character).  Simple enough?

After the battle is over, Pelle will join your team, and the chapter will end!

Chapter 4 : THE GREAT FORTRESS OF BALBAZAK

This is the first chapter with bosses that actually have faces.  Search the
village and talk to Elliot, and then talk to the little red haired girl in the
caravan.  Pao, the traveling village, will thus move to a new location, not too
far.  After it leaves, Kokichi will join (if you spoke with him and saw him fly
earlier) and look to your left for Vankar.  Go to the Chapel and once you're
under the doorway, head left and then up next to the priest.  Jogurt, the
useless, will then join your team.  You can get Jogurt before Pao leaves.

Battle 12: This is the first battle against a boss with a face, Elliot.  He's
pretty darn tough, but doesn't usually attack from afar.  Actually, he'll
likely just stand in place the whole battle.  He regains HP, so watch out!
It's an incredibly long battle, since both parties are far away from each other.

Strategy: You'll want to Egress at least once on this battle, because you'll
want at least 2 Heat Axes for your Warriors (once they're promoted to
Gladiators).  The Heat Axe is incredibly strong and casts Blaze Lv. 2.  Beware
of the Lizard Man with the Heat Axe, his attack is greater than the normal
Lizard Men's.  The Artillery is somewhat weak especially against magic, since
it has so few HP.  One or two hits will destroy it.  Just be cautious of its
attack.  There's not too much strategy here.  Just keep your party close
together and don't let anyone get surrounded.

Enter Pao, again.  It's slightly different now.  Go to the tent in the south
part of the village.  Get your Domingo Egg hatched (hopefully you got it) and
you'll get Domingo on your team.  He's pretty tough, I'd take him.  Look for
Guntz (you should have talked to him in Chapter 2 hopefully!).  Get Guntz to
join you.  He's kind of tough, but lacks in HP and Move.  Once you're ready,
head to the castle to the north.

Battle 13: There are 2 ways to go.  Either way will depend on which monster you
defeat last.

Strategy: There is a Kenji in a bush; it's not really useful.  In fact, at this
time, it's useless for all I know.  I'd put my team into two groups, and then
decide which door to go through.  If you go through the door with the Artillery
guarding it, you'll have to search a little further to get Earnest on your
team.  If you go through the other door, you'll get Earnest on your team no
matter what, so this route is generally better.  Not much strategy needed here
though.  This battle is easy.

When you're ready, talk to the guards and I believe you must have Earnest
joined to get through (not necessarily in your party, however).  Then enter the
docks once you're ready.

Battle 14: You fight the mighty Balbazak here, like the other bosses; he
recovers his HP (about 15 per round I think).

Strategy: This battle is really great for leveling up, because the experience
that is given is great!  This is the area where I almost ALWAYS do my
promoting.  I suggest casting egress a few times.  The battle is easy, but it's
important to cast Egress so you can gain more experience.  The Evil Puppet
makes an appearance again, but he's really weak now and casts Heal instead of
Freeze.  Just be cautious, and you'll be fine!  By the way, Balbazak never
moves, making him great fodder to ranged attacks and magic.

After you beat Balbazak, forgive him and Darksol will kill him, and then go on
the boat.  End of chapter!

Chapter 5 : GATEWAY TO THE HIDDEN SHRINE

This chapter is short and easy.  It has new battle music that is in no other
chapters (on the boat), and changes the Headquarters a lot.  It changes the way
the Headquarters look and all your characters will say different things now
(except it won't matter if they're on your team or not, so don't bother wasting
your time trying to figure out what they say when joined and not joined).

Battle 15: Immediately you are put into battle.  Not too hard.  There's a
useless item near the bottom left of the ship, on a plank right on the edge of
the water.  It's another Moonstone (why it's there, I'm not sure.  It has no
use that I know of).

Strategy: Umm, this battle is really easy.  Just avoid the poison attacks from
the Conch and Shellfish.  Flying characters are quite useful for the boat
battles (There's 2 boat battles).

Once you get to Waral, you can search around for items and buy stuff from the
king!  Once you're ready, talk to the mermaid guarding the dangerous waters.
Say that you want to go through and you'll be pulled in.  Once you awaken,
you'll be trapped on Ring Reef.  Go to the blue teleporter in the pit. Follow
the skeleton and then you're into the next battle.

Battle 16: Easy battle.  Master Mage appears again as a boss.

Strategy: There's not a really big need to split into 3 groups, but it DOES
save time.  The worms shouldn't be much trouble, but they CAN put you to sleep!
This battle isn't very hard.  After the cut scenes are over, go to your ship.
Talk to the king.

Battle 17: The other boat battle.  There is a Teppou (shotgun?) NEAR the front
of the ship, to the right of the dragon head.

Strategy: The battle is easy.  Just avoid the Gargoyle until near the end of
the battle.  Shellfish and Conches appear out of nowhere, so the battle isn't
as easy as it appears, but it's still not very difficult.

End of chapter!

Chapter 6 : DESCENDANT OF THE SACRED DRAGON

You are in the village Rudo once you awaken.  Talk around, and search
around.  Talk to Krin, Karin, and Lyle and then leave the village when you are
ready.

Battle 18: Long annoying battle.

Strategy: Don't let your characters go too far ahead of another character.
Golems, Master Mages and Worms appear out of nowhere, so be careful.  The
Durahan is the boss here.  Try and level up Lyle, too.  He's really great once
he gets up there.  Though, the next battle will be easier to level him up.

Once you're in Dragonia, search around.  After you talk to Bleu, follow him
(and take the treasure).  He'll join your team.  Then you must talk to Kane and
head to Headquarters.

Battle 19: Not exactly easy, but not the hardest battle either.  Kane will not
regain HP like most of the other bosses, so use this to your advantage.

Strategy: Take Bleu NOW!  Level him up against the Gargoyles first, and
Egress when needed.  Have magic users take out the Golems (weak against
Blaze) and Master Mages along with the High Priests.  Avoid Kane until the end
of the battle, because he can cast Desoul.  In fact, keep Max away from Kane at
all costs.  Max can take out the other enemies.

(Note : There's a useless item, the Youji, near the top of map between 2
buildings)

Go try and open the door, which requires two heroes.  After you
unsuccessfully try and open it, go talk to Kane who appears.  Then after a few
cut scenes, head back to Rudo.  Talk to Karin and Krin, mainly.  When you are
ready, leave.

Battle 20: Probably one of the longest and most annoying battles in the game.

Strategy: Keep Max away from the Belials.  They are quite dangerous
because they can steal MP with the Demon Smile (similar to Evil Puppet's
ominous incantation, except with MP).  Do NOT let them take away Max's MP,
he'll need it in case of an emergency.  Other than that, the battle shouldn't
be too hard.  It's more tedius than anything else.  I advise you take fliers to
speed things up.

Battle 21: Mishaela is quite dangerous with Bolt Lv. 2 since it can attack so
many of your characters.  She is strong against magic and she recovers HP every
turn.

Strategy: Don't bunch up your characters at all here.  Most of the enemies
won't give you many problems.  Don't bunch around the Master Mages and keep the
Belials away from Max.  A good idea is to get the Sword of Light for Max in the
treasure chest near the throne so that he can use it against Mishaela.

End of chapter.

Chapter 7 : THE LOST CIVILIZATION

Basically, what you have to do here, is talk to the king, get thrown in jail,
and have Boken (the guy you've been seeing all game) rescue you when you press
search on the bars.  Then talk to Kane, and then talk to the King.  Then leave
the castle.  Search for a note on a house and Musashi will join you.  (In the
Japanese version, there is no note there!  You still have to search the spot,
however, after the above.)  He's a tad bit slow, but he's incredibly powerful!
Then leave the village when you're ready.

Battle 22: Watch out for Torch Eyes.  They will do around 20 HP no matter what
your defense is.  Around this time of the game, you might want to choose
characters who have more HP, rather than defense.  Most enemies by this point
ignore defense entirely!

Strategy: The terrain is cruel.  Give Musashi the mobility ring if you take
him.  Be patient with your slower characters and don't have one character go
off on his own.  There are a few Torch Eyes that could kill any character with
like 3 to 5 attacks, maybe less!  It's not too hard, but it's not an easier
battle either.  Make sure to Egress if you want more than one Doom Blade.

Go into the tower, get the Turbo Pepper and the Devil Lance.

Battle 23: Long battle.  There's a Demon Master with a Demon Rod.
There's also a Valkyrie in a treasure chest.

Strategy: Just because you may have flying characters, doesn't mean you
should send them against the enemies right above you.  Sometimes that'd be a
suicide mission, since the Ice Worms can shoot ice out at you, dealing around
15-20 HP.  Rush the enemy, but don't just send one character to do all the
work.  If you want to try the flying method, I recommend sending at LEAST two
fliers at once.  Send them in groups, and they'll be just fine.

After you talk to Alef and Torasu, go upstairs.  After the cut scene, go back
to Prompt, the village you started out at in this chapter.  Go to the castle
and talk to the king and Otrant.  Otrant will give you the Sword of Darkness.
Even the SKYW can equip this!  When you go downstairs in the castle, use the
Orb of Light on the wall with the eye on it.  Go on the blue teleporter and use
the Orb of Light on the fountain.  Talk to Adam.  He'll take you to the next
battle.

Battle 24: This is another great level up battle.

Strategy: If you're taking Torasu and/or Alef and/or Adam, you would
probably want to egress and get them on your force.  Also, take things slow
with them.  DO NOT PASS THIS BATTLE until you are satisfied with their levels.
The battle isn't too hard, but beware of your HP because most of the monsters'
attacks will ignore your defense stats.

After this, go in the place where the wall once stood.  There will be
instructions on how to make the Chaos Breaker.  Use the Sword of Light on the
left altar and the Sword of Darkness on the right altar.  Then search the Chaos
Breaker once it appears and you'll get it.  Equip it and leave the village
after talking to Otrant and the king.  (If you had the Sword of Darkness and
Evil Ring equipped on Max, when putting the Sword of Darkness on the right
altar, Max should become uncursed, but still wielding the Evil Ring for the +8
attack bonus!  Use this to your advantage.  Max will become re-cursed if at any
time you unequip or de-select the Evil Ring.)

Battle 25: One of the longer battles in the game.  Armed Skeleton at the gate
is the boss here.

Strategy: Rush the enemies AFTER the Demon Masters are dead.  Watch
out, nearly every enemy can ignore defense stats now.

End of chapter!

Chapter 8: RISE OF THE ANCIENT CASTLE

Last chapter!  Okay, search the bush with the stuff on it and Hanzou will join
you. (In the Japanese version, the bush looks completely normal!)  He's the
last character you get!  Talk to Mahato (he looks like Otrant), and then he
will grant you permission to go to the castle.  Once you are ready, head to the
left.

Battle 26: King Ramladu appears, but you don't actually fight him until the
next battle.

Strategy: Cast Freeze Lv. 4 on the Chimaeras.  Freeze does extra damage
on them, and they can dodge nearly every attack thrown at them.  Pick up the
Atlas Axe and be sure to deck the Armed Skeleton with the other Atlas (can cast
Blaze Lv. 3 with this axe!).  This is a fairly good level up battle, but the
Chimaeras are very annoying.

After you defeat the monsters, Ramladu will let loose his robots (those
blue-white pillars break open and robots appear out of them!).

Battle 27: Piece of cake.  Ramladu is the boss here.  He has the highest attack
in game, he has Aura Lv. 3 AND he regenerates HP every round.  The robots
aren't very tough, but if you don't kill them fast, they may prove themselves
to be powerful foes.  Ramladu gives a TON of experience.  This battle is
awesome to level up on.

Strategy: Concentrate mainly on the Torch Eyes.  The Steel Claws aren't as
dangerous.  Bolt Lv.2 (or Lv. 3 if you have Alef) is quite essential to
eliminating the Torch Eyes as well as Steel Claws, since it's range is so wide.
Rush the enemies.  Show no mercy to those Torch Eyes and then the Steel Claws.
After you rip through the metallic monsters, surround Ramladu.  He's pretty
darn tough with his 93 attack and his Aura Lv. 3.  He kind of gave me a scare
at first.  He's not so bad though.  He DOES move around, but not much.
Surround him with the characters with most defenses and then shoot him from
afar with ranged attacks and magic.

After this, you'll find a passage in the lower left-hand corner of the map
leading to Battle 26.  Go there and then use the Chaos Breaker at the far end
of the island.  Go into the place that looks like Battle 1 (minus the
earthquakes).  The door will now be open.  Go onto the teleporter.

Battle 28: Colossus isn't so bad, especially if you have Shield cast on you.
The middle head, the one with Bolt, is the boss.

Strategy: Beware of the Blue Dragons and the Chimeras since they fly and swoop
in for the kill.  Shield is a good spell to use once you have rid the other
monsters from the map.  Remember, you cannot cast Heal or Aura on someone that
has had Shield cast on them.  However, herbs, healing seeds, and Showers of
Cures WILL STILL WORK.

(Note : There is a Kaku-Chan (Papa Doll) in the upper left hand corner of the
room.  It is completely useless.)

Battle 29: Sort of difficult, if you're not cautious.  Take the battle slow,
and it's an easy win!

Strategy: Don't rush, there are Torch Eyes nearby waiting to kill your party.
You should use an archer or Lyle to attack from 3 spaces away to eliminate the
enemies at the start.  Freeze Lv. 4 or Bolt Lv. 4 will work, too.  By now, you
should be able to determine what strategies to use.  Be careful, that's really
all you need for this fight.  Don't send Max against Darksol either.  Make sure
you have a healer nearby Max at all times.  Darksol himself is not very strong.

Battle 30: LAST BATTLE!  WOO HOO!

Strategy: Kill the Armed Skeletons (15 re-appear on each side if you're
itching for experience) and have whom you determine the weakest character to go
onto the square where the Armed Skeletons started.  If you take Torasu, he'd be
a good choice to place upon the square.  After that, work at the heads of Dark
Dragon one by one, I recommend starting with the one of the left, and then the
one on the right and finally the one in the middle.  Keep your characters away
from more than one of Dark Dragon's heads though, you don't want two heads
attacking you at once!  If you have Max attack Dark Dragon for the FINAL HIT,
you get a cool little surprise.

Well you won!  Congrats!

B.	CHARACTERS:

Max (10/10): Well, I really shouldn't rate him since you have to use him, but
if you level him up, he's one of the toughest members of your team, if not THE
toughest.

Adam (8.5/10): Adam does get really strong.  He starts off incredibly weak,
though.  He starts off on level 10 UNPROMOTED.  Once he gets up there, he's
still not the strongest character or anything.  His defense is SUPERB, and his
HP are better than average.  His attack isn't too shabby.  His move and speed
however are definitely low the start.  He's not my character of choice,
personally.  He's not too useful.  Musashi's better than Adam in pretty much
every way, IMO.

Alef (5/10): Sure, she gets Bolt Lv. 4...but how useful is it, really?  It
looks really cool.  But it takes forever to get her up there.  Also, it takes
2x the amount of MP to use, and does only a little bit more damage than freeze
(which sometimes does MORE when fighting certain enemies.)  So, ask yourself,
is she really worth it?  IMO, no.  The other WIZD and Domingo are better, in my
opinion.

Amon (5.5/10): She's useful on some maps, but her HP and defense are less than
Balbaroy's.  She's not bad or anything, she's quite useful.  She's just not as
useful as Balbaroy, in my opinion, since Attack can be boosted by weapons,
items and spells.

Anri (9/10): She's really great!  She gets Bolt Lv. 2 for attack multiple
enemies and gets Freeze Lv. 4.  Not to mention, she gets great defense when she
really needs it.  She's probably the best WIZD to take, IMO.

Arthur (10/10): Arthur is the best paladin.  He's tough to build up, but he's
actually worth it.  Sure, his spells aren't that great, but Bolt Lv. 1 isn't
too shabby since it can attack more than one character!  I mean, every time I
take him (after leveling him up to 20 before promotion of course) he becomes
the best paladin in EVERY category.  He's a must have for those with patience.

Balbaroy (6/10): He's not really needed, but he's useful.  Since he can fly, he
can help eliminate those baddies before your weaker characters would have to
worry about them.  He's also good for sending on missions to pick up those
nifty items!

Bleu (10/10): Simply stated, Bleu's the best. (Don't flame me for my opinion)
He can fly, and he's got pretty much 80 for every stat (minus speed, but hey,
he's a flying tank!).  He starts off weak, like Arthur, but once promoted, he
shows that he truly is a Great Dragon!

Diane (4.5/10): I almost never use Diane anymore.  She SEEMS better than Hans
for a while, but Hans ends up better than her in the end.  You just have to be
extra careful since she doesn't get much defense.  I'd say she's the weakest
all around force member besides Jogurt of course.

Domingo (9/10): If it's a choice between him and Anri, I'd say it's a tie!  He
doesn't get as many MP, but he's practically a flying tank.  He's not
invincible though, don't fool yourself.  A blue dragon should be enough to
scare away Domingo if he doesn't have Freeze Lv. 4!  (Which he gets AFTER level
20)

Earnest (5/10): I usually don't take him.  He's not really great.  He looks
cool, but he's not great.  I usually found him to be the worst of the knights
and paladins.  His attack is nice, but he really lacks compared to the other
paladins in other stats, namely defense and HP.  He's still cool looking
though, and he's not unusable.  Just make sure he doesn't run off all by
himself.

Gong (5/10): Gong is REALLY useful in the beginning, and REALLY NOT
useful in the end.  He DOES get Aura Lv. 1 at least.  He's not really bad, he's
just the worst choice for a healer.  His attack is decent, but not superb.
Khris usually ends up with around the same amount of attack and defense, so I'd
take her instead.  He takes forever to get spells and it's pretty difficult to
level him up, since he does not use weapons.  Other characters might get a
sudden boost from attacks, like Khris and Lowe, since they get the Power Staves
in Chapter 2, while Gong still has to rely on a really good level up to do much
of any damage from then.

Gort (7.5/10): Gort and Luke are generally the same.  They're not really superb
in any way, but they're a very helpful addition to the force.  Gort gets his
stats quicker, but usually ends up weaker than Luke.

Guntz (9/10): Ya, Guntz is tough, but he's not invincible.  He ends up with
around 60-65 HP usually in my case, which isn't so bad, but his BEST quality,
defense, isn't really needed by that time.  (But boy does he ever have it!  He
laughs at Ramladu.)  His attack is superb, on par with Arthur's.  In fact, he
just might have the same attack when fully leveled up, but that's a maybe.  His
move is really terrible, which can be fixed in Chapter 5 with the mobility
ring, or in Chapter 7 with the Turbo Pepper.  Luckily for him, the terrain does
not affect his horrible move.  You have to go through a whole stinkin' Chapter
just to get him above 4 move, but that's okay.  Most of the battles aren't very
large after you get him, anyway.  He's by far not the worst choice at all, and
I highly recommend taking him.

Hans (6.5/10): Hans is good for the first battle or 2, and then he stinks up
until the circus battle.  After that, he's not really useful until the Elven
Arrow is obtained.  He's not as bad as Diane, IMO, but he's definitely not as
good as Lyle.  He often gets nothing on level ups.  His stats are the overall
best of the archers, but many prefer attack over Hans' superior HP and defense.
After all, archers should attack from a safe distance, right?

Hanzou (7/10): Hanzou is useful.  He's a decent fighter and can cast relatively
weak magic.  He's not that oustanding or anything, but he is strong, especially
if you don't level up your characters to level 15-20 before promotion.

Jogurt (0/10): You can't expect a serious rating for him...I should have given
him a one though, to match his stats...

Ken (8/10): Most people don't give Ken as much credit as he deserves.  For a
while his defense is quite low.  He gets around 20-30 HP by the second chapter,
which is REALLY useful for the circus battle.  Later on his defense gets in the
50's or maybe even 60's...He's not bad.  Especially not for the last few fights.

Khris (9.5/10): Most people shun Khris.  She's, IMO, the most useful healer.
Why?  Let's review some stuff here.  She can cast Heal Lv. 4, which is
guaranteed to Heal 100%.  Aura Lv. 4 heals roughly 40 some HP max!  She can
cast Aura Lv. 2 for those itchy moments where a group has just been hit by
magic.  Her HP, MP, Attack, Defense, and Speed are not bad at all.  She makes
quite a decent fighter at times.  Not really as good as Gong, but hey, she's
way better in the healing field.  She's also got Quick and Slow (she can
actually do some mean things to the enemies if slow works!  Quick is excellent
for helping weak members level up.)

Kokichi (7/10): He's not really bad.  He's really quite useful with the
Valkyrie.  His stats aren't superb, but hey, he's an old timer, right?  Kokichi
is great air-support.  He's good especially in Chapter 5.  He can use spears
and lances so he's basically a flying centaur, which is actually quite useful.

Lowe (4.5/10): He's got some useful spells, but he's the ONLY healer type that
does not get aura.  This can cause many problems for the group, so I don't
suggest him as the healer.  He is usually easier to level up than Khris,
though.  One really good spell he has is Quick Lv. 2, which can boost up to 5
characters in your party's Defense and Speed by 10.  Pretty useful a lot,
actually.

Luke (8): He's pretty much like Gort.  Useful, not necessary, but a good
fighter.  If you need an extra fighter, consider a GLDT, because the Atlas Axe
is great!  Most cases I've found although his level ups seem slower or he may
seem weaker than Gort for a while, he usually/always seems to end up the better
of the two in the end.

Lyle (7): Lyle is the best choice for the far-reaching attacks.  His defense
isn't all that great, but his attack is so great he won't have to worry!  Just
place him right and you'll be fine.  You'll probably want an archer type, so
take Lyle.

Mae (9/10): Mae is really tough.  She's a character that starts tough and stays
tough.  She generally has the most defense of the Paladins for some time and
ends up with around 70-80 HP.  After promotion, her HP skyrockets like nobody's
business.  Her Attack is decent and her Speed is good, too.  Overall, I'd say
she's the best Paladin, since she starts good and ends good, usually second to
Arthur, who has to be trained a lot to get really good.

Musashi (9.5/10): He's slow, like Adam and Guntz.  He gets around 80-90
HP, and his attack and defense usually is around 70-80 when he's at level 20.
I'd use the Mobility Ring or Turbo Pepper on him rather than Adam or Guntz.
Musashi is more useful, IMO, and he's affected by terrain like mad.

Pelle (5.5/10): Pelle is a GREAT knight, but an average paladin.  He's more of
a "hurry up and finish the game" character.  If you rush through the game,
you're probably likely to take him.  I've found Mae, Arthur, and Ken much more
useful.  Pelle does get good defense, but his Attack and doesn't match up to
the other centaurs often, hold Vankar.

Tao (8.5/10): She's a MUCH needed character in the beginning.  You won't get
far without her unless you are a pro.  Near the end, she isn't quite as good,
but she's still quite an asset to the force.  Blaze Lv. 4 generally packs
around 30-36 HP of damage to the enemies (tougher on undead).  She can use it
like 10 times by the time she's at level 20.  Pretty cool, huh?  I prefer
Freeze Lv. 4 though since it only takes 2 more MP and does about 10 more HP of
damage to the enemies.

Torasu (8.5/10): He's not needed.  He's USEFUL if you get him up there,
but it takes a while.  Besides, you can get 4 Showers of Cures in the game, and
they're more useful than Aura Lv. 4 (because they heal those with Shield cast
on them.)  I never really need the Showers of Cure so I never really need
Torasu either.  It's a good idea though to take two healers.  You may not need
them, but what if one gets killed?  I recommend Khris and Torasu as a second
possible healer.  His stats are probably the best for the healers, but it's
much easier to level up Khris or Lowe, given they have so many Chapters and
battles to go through.  It's not that difficult to level up Torasu, but it's
time consuming to say the least.  He's a great healer, but I prefer Khris.

Vankar (5/10): He's about as useful as Earnest.  He doesn't really look cool,
IMO.  He gets more HP and Defense than Pelle I think.  His attack is pathetic,
considering he's a knight/paladin.

Zylo (9.5/10): Zylo has great move, most terrains don't belittle his move, and
his attack rips enemies apart.  Plus, he looks really cool.  He's a must!  You
COULD get by without him, but things would be easier if Zylo was around!  He's
one of those character that is tough, gets tough and stays tough.

C.    ITEMS:

Healing Items:

Can only be used in battles (with the exception of the Antidote, I believe?).

Medical Herb - Restores about 10 HP (not always, sometimes less).
Healing Seed - Restores about 20 HP (again, not always).
Antidote - Cures Poison (from a zombie, etc.)
Shower of Cure - Restores around 40 HP to entire party.

Rings:

First column = Its effects when equipping it
Second column = Its effects when used
Third column = Where to find it

Speed Ring - Raises speed by 4. |Casts Egress when used|Rindo
Power Ring - Raises attack by 4.|Casts Boost when used|Cavern of D.
Mobility Ring - Raises move by 2.|Nothing|Waral
Shield Ring - Raises defense by 4.|Nothing|Only by hacking
White Ring - Raises defense by 6.|Casts Aura Lv. 2|Demon Castle
Black Ring - Raises attack by 6.|Cursed.  Casts Blaze Lv.2 |Demon Castle
Evil Ring - Raises attack by 8.|Cursed.  Casts Bolt Lv. 3|Demon Castle
Jogurt Ring - You look like Jogurt when equipped or used|Jogurt kills an enemy
and finds the Jogurt Ring

Everything else:

Angel Wing - Takes to last town you saved in (or last town you can go to)
Bread of Life - Increases HP by 1-2 (Use after promotion - good idea)
Power Potion - Increases Attack 1-2 (Use after promotion - good idea)
Defense Potion - Increases Defense 1-2 (See above)
Legs of Haste - Increases Speed 1-2 (See above)
Turbo Pepper - Increases Move 1 or 2 (See above)
Orb of Light - Talk to Water Spirit.  Also opens Shining Path.  Found in
Cavern of Darkness.
Domingo Egg - Hatch in Pao (second Pao) to get Domingo.  Found in
Manarina.
Moon Stone - Give to Alchemist in Bustoke to make Lunar Dew.  Found in
the Bustoke Quarry.  Also found in first ship battle on the lower plank by the
water in the first boat/ship battle.
Lunar Dew - Give Moonstone to Alchemist in Bustoke.  Use on Zylo.
Sugoi Mizugi - Bikini for Tao.  Found in Bustoke Quarry (lower left-hand
wall in the cave).
Kitui Huku - Dress for Anri.  Found in Laser Eye battle near the Dark Elf
farthest to the left.
Kenji - Found in the battle before fighting Balbazak.  It's useless.
Teppou - Found in second ship battle near the blue dragon head on the
ship.  It's useless.
Youji - Found in battle with Kane.  Useless.
Kaku-Chan - Found in Colossus battle.  Useless.
Kindan No Hako - No one knows where this is.  Information about it is in
another section below!

D.    WEAPONS:

Swords:

Short Sword - SDMN, BDMN, WARR and promoted classes can equip it.
(+5 att)
Middle Sword - Above classes can use it. (+8 attack)
Long Sword - SDMN, BDMN and promoted classes can equip it.  (+12 att)
Steel Sword - HERO, NINJ, SKYW, SMR can equip it. (+15 attack)
Broad Sword - Above classes can equip it. (+20 attack)
Doom Blade - Above classes can equip it. (+25 attack)
Katana - Above classes can equip it. (+30 attack)
Sword of Light - HERO can equip it. (+36 attack and casts
Bolt Lv. 2 - Can't break!)
Sword of Darkness - HERO and SKYW can equip it.  (+40 att, casts
Desoul Lv. 1.  Cursed. - Can't break!)
Chaos Breaker - HERO and SKYW can equip it. (+40 attack and casts
Freeze Lv. 3 - Can't break!)

Axes:

Hand Axe - WARR and their promoted classes can equip it. (+7 attack)
Middle Axe - Above classes can equip it.  (+11 attack)
Battle Axe -GLDT can equip it.  (+16 attack)
Heat Axe - GLDT can equip it. (+22 attack and can cast Blaze Lv.2)
Great Axe - GLDT can equip it. (+26 attack)
Atlas Axe - GLDT can equip it. (+33 attack and can cast Blaze Lv.3)

Spears/Lances:

Spear - KNTE, WGKN, and SMKN and promoted classes can equip it.
(+6 att)
Bronze Lance - Above classes can equip it. (+9 attack)
Power Spear - Above classes can equip it. (+15 attack)
Steel Lance - PLDN, SKYL, and SBRN can equip it. (+18 attack)
Chrome Lance - See above. (+22 attack)
Halberd (Lance) - See above. (+25 attack and casts Bolt Lv. 1)
Valkyrie (Spear) - See above.  (+35 attack)
Devil Lance - See above.  (+35 attack.  Cursed.)

Staves and rods:

Wooden Staff - HEAL and MAGE and promoted classes equip it. (+4 att)
Power Staff - See above for equipping classes. (+12 attack)
Guardian Staff - VICR and WIZD can equip it. (+18 attack)
Holy Staff - VICR can equip it. (+26 attack)
Demon Rod - WIZD or VICR can equip it.  (+35 attack and steals MP.
Cursed.)

Arrows:

Wooden Arrow - ACHR, ASKT and promoted classes equip it.  (+8)
Iron Arrow - See above for equipping classes. (+13)
Elven Arrow - See above for equipping classes. (+18 and far range)
Assault Shell - BWMS and SKNT equip it. (+27 and far range)
Buster Shot - BWMS and SKNT equip it. (+35 and far range)

E     SPELLS:

Egress (8 MP) - Brings party from battle back to last the town.  Max gets it.
Blaze Lv.1 (2 MP) - Fire magic.  Usually does about 6 damage on one foe.  Blaze
magic is strong against Undead, Blue Dragons and Golems.
Blaze Lv.2 (5 MP) - Fire magic.  Attacks up to 5 enemies.  Slightly tougher.
Blaze Lv.3 (8 MP) - Same as above but stronger!
Blaze Lv.4 (8 MP) - Does about 30-36 damage average on one enemy.
Bolt Lv.1 (8 MP) - Does about 12-15 damage on up to 5 enemies.
Bolt Lv.2 (15 MP) - Does about 12-15 damage on up to 12 enemies.
Bolt Lv.3 (20 MP) - Same as above but stronger (19-27+?).
Bolt Lv.4 (20 MP) - Attacks one enemy.  Deals about 50-60 damage.
Freeze Lv.1 (3 MP) - Ice magic.  Weakest kind.  Good on fire monsters.
Freeze Lv.2 (7 MP) - On up to 5 enemies and stronger.
Freeze Lv.3 (10 MP) - Same as above, only stronger and farther reach.
Freeze Lv.4 (10 MP) - Deals about 40-50+ damage on 1 enemy.
Boost Lv.1 (15 MP) - Increases attack power by 15 points temporarily.
Desoul Lv.1 (8 MP) - Can kill lesser enemies. (Useless on some enemies)
Muddle Lv.1 (6 MP) - Useless as I can see.  What a waste.
Dispel Lv.1 (5 MP) - Can dispel a magic user's magic.  Doesn't always work.
Sleep Lv.1 (6 MP) - Can put enemy to sleep.  Doesn't always work.
Shield Lv.1 (5 MP) - Protects character from all magic (Healing magic, too!)
Slow Lv.1 (5 MP) - Can lower an enemy's defense and speed by 10.
Slow Lv.2 (20 MP) - Works like the above, only on up to 4 foes.
Quick Lv.1 (5 MP) - Raises an ally's defense and speed by 10.
Quick Lv.2 (16 MP) - Raises up to 5 allies' defense and speed by 10.
Detox Lv.1 (3 MP) - Cures Poison.
Heal Lv.1 (3 MP) - Heals from 12-15 HP.
Heal Lv.2 (5 MP) - Same as Heal Lv.1, but further reach.
Heal Lv.3 (10 MP) - Further reach, and can heal up to 30 HP.
Heal Lv.4 (20 MP) - Same reach as Heal Lv.1, but heals ALL HP.
Aura Lv.1 (7 MP) - Heals up to 5 characters from 12-15 HP.
Aura Lv.2 (11 MP) - Same as above, but on up to 12 characters (I think)
Aura Lv.3 (15 MP) - Same as above, but closer to Heal Lv.3
Aura Lv.4 (18 MP) - Heals ENTIRE party, but only by up to 40+? HP.

F.    ENEMIES:

Rather than give their stats, since those are in other faqs, I'll give
strategies on how to beat the specific enemies (and then for the bosses in the
next section!)  I'll go in alphabetical order as usual.

Armed Skeleton - Attack up close, and surround them if possible.  If you're up
close, they usually won't shoot you with their guns (does about 18-20 HP damage)
Artillery - Use magic on this guy.  Use elven arrow, if possible.  Their reach
is poor, and so is their HP.
Belial - Don't take these guys lightly.  Spread out and use ranged attacks.
You can send in a flier for hand to hand combat.
Blue Dragon - Attack from afar, if possible.  Be defensive against them.
Beware of their ice breathe which will deal damage anywhere from 21-28 WITHOUT
a critical.  Blaze is VERY effective on Blue Dragons, but
chances are it won't kill them.
Bowrider - Surround them and they're useless.  Need I say more?
Cerberus - Attack from afar.  Also, ice magic is good against them.  Their fire
breathe can cause about 12-20 damage; and like every other breathe weapon it is
an auto hit.
Chimaera - Use Freeze Lv. 4 if you possibly can.  Bolt Lv. 4 is a good
alternative. Most characters will miss these, but try anyway.  These are
probably the most annoying enemies in the game.  (Though Giant Bats early on
are quite a nuisance.)
Conch - Easy pickins.  Just make sure they don't poison you.
Dark Dwarf - Try and use ranged attacks on them, but protect the ranged
attackers.  Anyone with a decent amount of defense is a good bet.
Dark Elf - Surround them and they're useless.  If you can't surround them,
concentrate on one at a time.
Dark Mage - Don't bunch up around them, and attack them up close.
You could surround him, too.
Dark Priest - You can use him for experience with a ranged attacker!
He tends to evade a lot...
Demon Master - Surround him and he can NOT use Freeze Lv.3 (if no
one else is in the area)
Dire Clown - Attack with ranged weapons, these guys almost never move.
Durahan - Ranged weapons are a good idea, he's not too tough and usually won't
go near you.
Evil Puppet - Members with higher HP should attack him, because he can
easily take 10-15 HP away.
Gargoyle - Attack from afar.  Muddle isn't really effective so if he casts
that, don't worry.
Ghoul - Use fire magic.  Also attack from far away because he never moves.
Giant Bat - Isolate it.  Make sure it can't get to Max, because it LOVES to put
him to sleep.
Goblin - No real strategy for these wimps, just don't let them surround you!
Golem - Fire magic is effective against them.  Have someone with high
defense take these guys on, because they'll be practically useless against your
character.
Hound - I know, that's not its full name, but you know what I mean.  Use the
same strategy as with the Cerberus.
High Priest - See Dark Priest strategy.  Also, keep in mind he almost
ALWAYS uses Heal Lv.4 first, no matter how little his friends are hurt.
Horseman - Surround, you know the drill.
Ice Worm - If you have Kokichi, he's really useful at fighting them while
flying above something that they couldn't possibly reach and attacking them
with a spear type weapon.  Ranged weapons are safe bets on this guy, avoid
using ice magic.  Blaze is good here.
Jet - This guy is easy.  Have someone with high defense charge in there
and fight the Jet.  Don't let them surround you though.  Gives lots of
experience so this is a great enemy to level up with.
Lizard Man - Ranged Weapons are a good idea.  Protect the ranged
attacker.
Mannequin - Even though it's just a Mannequin, it can poison your members,
avoid the poison.  Use spells on it and the Evil Puppet, but be sure you have
someone with many HP nearby, JUST in case he wants to poison someone.
Master Mage - Don't bunch up.  Charging him after he goes is probably the best
approach.  That or surround him, if you are able to.
Minotaur - Anyone with 40+ defense should have no trouble taking on this wimp.
Pegasus Knight - Avoid ambush by them.  Crowd your ranged attackers
behind your knights and warriors so these guys don't give your team a hefty
blow.  They tend to evade a lot, being fliers.
Rune Knight - Don't send any ranged attackers up close to him, he's not
afraid to charge you.  Be sure someone with a lot of defense guards Max.  Gort
and Mae are generally good against these knights when they're about level 4 or
5.
Seabat - Slow and sleep often works on these guys.  Don't let them
surround you.  These bats are great for experience, but they tend to
evade a lot like most fliers.  These bats do NOT put you to sleep, thankfully.
Shellfish - Attack from afar with high HP and defense characters surrounding
it.  Beware of its poison attacks.
Silver Knight - He's not so tough, just make sure you keep your magic users and
archers away from these guys (though promoted healers shouldn't have trouble
them at all.)
Skeleton - Not hard, except for in Shade Abbey (They're hard here because most
likely your force will not have a great amount of HP or defense.)
Sniper - Surround if you can.  If you can't, and you most likely will not be
able to, rush them after they go, or use high move to your advantage.
Steel Claw - Charge them up close, you don't want these guys attacking
from afar, because then they'll deal 15-20 HP on you no matter what.
Possibly the only flier that usually does not evade.
Torch Eye - Charge them at all costs!  Keep low HP (even people with
high defense) away from these guys.  Blaze Lv.4, Bolt Lv.3 or 4, and
Freeze Lv.4 are very good choices to eliminate these darned robots.
These are some of the most deadly enemies in the game since they
ALWAYS deal about 17-21 HP, and they can still get critical hits.
(Let's not forget that they NEVER miss!  Watch out in case they go
twice.)
Worm - Can put your characters to sleep, careful about that.  Attack from afar,
magic is good too.
Wyvern - He can breathe fire.  I suggest Freeze Lv.4, if possible or at least
Freeze Lv.3.  It is weak against ice magic.  Watch out for its powerful breath
weapon (16-24 damage?).  Evades a bit.
Zombie - Avoid its poison attacks.  It's incredibly strong and should NOT be
taken lightly.  Concentrate on one at a time.  Like Ghouls and Skeletons, it is
weak against fire, so I suggest using that if you can.  Skeletons are stronger
stat wise, but Zombies tend to evade a lot (HOW?!) and can poison your
characters.

G.    BOSSES:

Just like the above, I'm going to give strategies on how to beat the enemy
rather than give his/her stats.

Balbazak - This guy is so easy, it cracks me up.  Any kind of ranged weapon is
great since he NEVER MOVES.  You can hack away at his health all you want.  I
suggest redoing his battle over and over again because it's so easy and it
gives a lot of EXP.  He recovers 15 or 16 HP per Max's turn.
Chaos - If you attack up close, you don't have too much to worry about.
Anyone with 45+ defense should be fine against Chaos.  He recovers about 15-20
HP per Max's turn.
Colossus - There are 3 different ones.  Each has a different spell.  If you
cast shield on a person with high HP, you'll have nothing to worry about.  I
suggest casting it on Zylo, Bleu, and/or Musashi since they can dish out a LOT
of damage and can take a lot of hits.  For the head with Freeze Lv. 3, just
surround him and he'll be forced to physically attack you (Send members with
high defense there).  For the Blaze head, ranged attackers is a good idea.  If
you have 2 or 3 members that have equal range to that of Freeze Lv. 3, you
shouldn't have much trouble taking him out.  The only head you should concern
yourself is the head with Bolt.  Just cast shield, as I said, and he should be
no biggie, too.
Dark Dragon - I think I mentioned the strategy before, but I'll say it again.
Concentrate on the left head first, staying out of the middle head's reach.
Then concentrate on the right head, again staying out of the middle head's
reach.  Finally concentrate on the middle head.  You can have Max get the last
hit with the Chaos Breaker for a cool attack.  Also, try not to bunch up.  He's
got about 760 HP altogether with the heads combined.  He does NOT recover HP.
Darksol - Don't bunch up.  Try and attack from 3 spaces away.  He's not
too hard.  Don't have Max rush him either, or he'll take some pretty good
damage.  Like the Zombies, he dodges a lot of physical attacks and appears to
be strong against magic.  He does NOT recover HP.
Elliot - He usually doesn't attack people that use ranged weapons.  Use this to
your advantage.  He recovers about 15 or 16 HP per Max's turn.  He dodges like
crazy!
Kane - Keep him away from Max at all times.  As tough as Max is, Desoul
can take his life instantly sometimes, so try avoid using him.  Someone with
high defense should take on Kane from afar if possible, like Guntz.
Laser Eye - Don't rush it.  After it attacks once, sneak about 5 characters, a
couple fighters and a healer and a mage or an archer, to go and rush among the
edges.  Balbaroy and Amon can be good allies here if they sneak around the
enemies and charge the Laser Eye from above and behind.  The Laser Eye is
technically not a boss, but it's strong enough to belong here.
Marionette - Surround it with characters with the highest HP.  Avoid using
ranged attacks unless your character can take a soundful hit from Freeze Lv. 3!
Keep anyone with less than 17 HP away if possible.  If no one has more than 17
HP, build up your characters before fighting it!
Mishaela - Don't crowd!  She's got Bolt Lv.2 and she's NOT afraid to use it!
She recovers about 15-20 HP per Max's turn I think.  She's very strong against
magic, so magic users should use their magic on a different enemy.
Ramladu - Ramladu has 99 HP and 93 attack AND Aura Lv. 3.  Basically,
he's scary.  But don't fret.  Cast Boost on Bleu or another character with many
HP and high defense and watch him demolish Ramladu.  Magic is
good to use.  Ranged weapons are a good idea, too.  He usually doesn't
move much, but he will if he has to!  He recovers about 15-20 HP per Max's
turn, and that's minus the Aura!

H.	JOGURT LOCATIONS:

What is Jogurt?  Who is Jogurt?  Why is he in the game?  Some questions
we ponder.  Some we know, but there's still much mystery in Jogurt.
For instance, he appears several times in the game!  Here's a list of the times
I've seen him.

1.	Where you get Gong.
2.	In Alterone Castle.
3.	Chapter 4, when he joins you.
4.	Every time after 3 when you enter the Headquarters (LOL)
5.	Chapter 6, after Kane battle he appears in Rudo
6.	Chapter 7, he appears in Prompt and crashes into the buildings, 	after you
talk to the man by the lake.

So, we must ask ourselves.  Why is he only in certain chapters?  Why is he in
the game?  Comic relief?  Does he have some connection with the Kindan No Hako,
or the Forbidden Box?  Who knows!

Well, the Character Designer made Jogurt first, as a test for the sprites.
That may be why he's in the game.  Of course, why didn't they bother to remove
him?  I guess they liked the little guy.

I.	THE FORBIDDEN BOX:

Most people were in the dark about the Kindan No Hako, commonly
known as the Forbidden Box, until I sent an e-mail last February and
discussed it in the Shining Force Gamefaq.com forum.  Many refuse to
believe I sent it (sigh) but that's okay.  Here's what it does for those who
don't know yet.

The Forbidden Box, a.k.a. the Kindan No Hako, levels up your
characters depending on their current levels.  Only HEAL/VICR,
SDMN/HERO, and MAGE/WIZD can use it (as far as I know at this
time).

The levels go as followed (or something like this, I  don't remember
the exact levels)

Unpromoted:

1 > 19
19 > 20
20 > 99 (This is a bug...please avoid doing this, you can't get
promoted if you do this!)

Promoted:

1 > 19
19 > 20
20 > 99

I think I MIGHT be wrong on some of these, but it's very similar to this
nonetheless.  Please acknowledge that the only KNOWN way of obtaining the
Kindan No Hako is through hacking, or editing the rom save file (or quick save
file), or by using one of the Game Genie codes found in another FAQ.

Also, it'd be nice if some would acknowledge that I did send in the
information first and discovered the truth to the forbidden box.  Thanks!

J.	CREDITS:

I did not create Shining Force, Sonic Co. and Climax Co. did.  They
deserve credit for my faq, since my faq would be useless if the game were never
made, wouldn't it?

kool gamer (KoolTeevan@aol.com)

Unpublished but copyrighted by Gamesnstuffguy (gokubest@yahoo.com)

There are no other credits that I can think of at this time.