STAR OCEAN: TILL THE END OF TIME
BATTLE CHESS FAQ
   (v1.0, 1-16-04)
by Edward Chang (chang.459@osu.edu)

Revision History
v1.0 (1-16-04)
   First version.


TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. Layouts/Winning setups
3. Credits


1. INTRODUCTION

This is an FAQ for the Battle Chess minigame in Star Ocean: Till the End
of Time. You'll first come across Battle Chess in the Ancient Ruins of
Mosel, having to solve basic puzzles to open the doors. The basic
philosophy of the Battle Chess is as follows:

Knight (戦士) beats Thief (盗賊)
Thief (盗賊) beats Wizard (紋章使い)
Wizard (紋章使い) beats Knight (戦士)

The true minigame occurs when you arrive at Gemity City. Here you'll be able
to challenge 11 difficulty levels worth of Battle Chess puzzles. You always
play white. Once you lay out the pieces, play proceeds automatically. Thieves
move first, then wizards, then knights. Pieces automatically move forward
and attack enemy pieces they encounter. Play continues until one side is
eliminated, or 42 turns have elapsed.

This FAQ will give the board layouts for each level of difficulty, and provide
a table of how to place pieces so that you win according to what the computer
places.


2. LAYOUTS/WINNING SETUPS

There are 11 levels of difficulty. The computer's pieces are placed
first; based on the layout, you choose to place between 2-4 pieces on your
starting squares. Once you have put down a layout, play proceeds
automatically.

The first choice will be the level of difficulty. Depending on which 
difficulty you choose, you'll have to play a certain amount of Fol (from
200 to 2200). Then choose the first option to begin the game. Choose
a glowing red square (your start square), then choose a piece to lay on
that square. Continue until all your pieces are laid. Then choose the
first option to begin the game. If you win, you'll get a prize commensurate
with the difficulty level of the game. Most prizes can be continuously
won up to 4 times.

What follows is a list of layouts, plus a chart of what to put down based
on what the computer places in order to guarantee a win. If no player layout
is provided, then a win is not guaranteed (draw is likely); try again.

T = Thief; W = Wizard; K = Knight

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LEVEL 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Board layout:
1 2 3
X X X
X X X
1 2 3

Cost: 200 Fol 
Prize: Blueberry

Computer            Player
1   2   3           1   2   3
T   W   K           K   T   W
T   K   W           K   W   T
W   T   K           T   K   W
W   K   T           T   W   K
K   T   W           W   K   T
K   W   T           W   T   K

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LEVEL 2
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Board layout:
1
2
3
X
X
1
2
3

Cost: 400 Fol
Prize: Blackberry

Computer            Player
1   2   3           1   2   3
T   W   K
T   K   W           T   W   K
W   T   K           W   K   T
W   K   T
K   T   W
K   W   T           K   T   W

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LEVEL 3
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Board layout:
  1 X 3
  2 X
  X 3
1 X 2

Cost: 600 Fol
Prize: 1100 Fol

Computer            Player
1   2   3           1   2   3
T   W   K           K   W   T
T   K   W           T   K   W
W   T   K           W   T   K
W   K   T           W   T   K
K   T   W           W   T   K
K   W   T           K   W   T

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LEVEL 4
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Board layout:
1 2
X X
  X
X X
1 2

Cost: 800 Fol
Prize: Synthesis Materials

Computer            Player
1   2               1   2    
T   W
T   K               K   W
W   T               T   K
W   K
K   T
K   W               W   T

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LEVEL 5
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Board layout:
X 1 2 3
X X X X
X X X X
1 2 3 X

Cost: 1000 Fol
Prize: Ripe Berry

Computer            Player
1   2   3           1   2   3
T   W   K           W   K   T
T   K   W           T   K   W
W   T   K           W   T   K
W   K   T           K   T   W
K   T   W           T   W   K
K   W   T           K   W   T

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LEVEL 6
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Board layout:
1
2 4
3 X X
X X X 4
X X 1 2 3

Cost: 1200 Fol
Prize: 5000 Fol

Computer            Player
1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4
T   T   W   K       T   K   K   W
T   T   K   W       W   K   K   T
T   W   T   K       K   T   K   W
T   W   W   K       T   K   T   W
T   W   K   T       W   T   K   K
T   W   K   W       W   T   K   T
T   W   K   K
T   K   T   W       K   W   K   T
T   K   W   T
T   K   W   W
T   K   W   K       T   W   K   W
T   K   K   W       W   W   K   T
W   T   T   K
W   T   W   K       T   K   T   W
W   T   K   T       W   K   T   K
W   T   K   W
W   T   K   K       W   K   T   W
W   W   T   K
W   W   K   T       W   T   T   K
W   K   T   T       K   W   T   K
W   K   T   W       K   W   T   T
W   K   T   K
W   K   W   T       T   W   T   K
W   K   K   T       W   K   T   W
K   T   T   W       K   K   W   T
K   T   W   T       T   K   W   K
K   T   W   W       T   W   K   T
K   T   W   K       T   K   W   W
K   T   K   W       W   W   K   T
K   W   T   T       K   T   W   K
K   W   T   W       K   T   W   T
K   W   T   K       K   T   W   W
K   W   W   T
K   W   K   T       W   T   W   K
K   K   T   W       K   W   W   T
K   K   W   T       T   W   W   K

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LEVEL 7
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Board layout:
  2 3 X
1 X X X X
X X X X 3
  X 1 2

Cost: 1400 Fol
Prize: Str Seed

Computer            Player
1   2   3           1   2   3
T   W   K           W   T   K
T   K   W           T   W   K
W   T   K           W   K   T
W   K   T           K   W   T
K   T   W           W   T   K
K   W   T           K   T   W

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LEVEL 8
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Board layout:
  1 X X
  2 3 X 4
X X   X X
1 X X 2 3
  X X 4

Cost: 1600 Fol
Prize: Very Ripe Berry

Computer            Player
1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4
T   T   W   K       K   T   W   K
T   T   K   W       W   K   W   T
T   W   T   K       T   K   K   W
T   W   W   K       T   T   W   K
T   W   K   T       T   W   K   K
T   W   K   W       T   W   T   K
T   W   K   K       T   W   W   K
T   K   T   W       
T   K   W   T       W   K   T   W
T   K   W   W
T   K   W   K
T   K   K   W       W   K   W   T
W   T   T   K
W   T   W   K
W   T   K   T
W   T   K   W       K   T   T   W
W   T   K   K       K   W   W   T
W   W   T   K       T   T   K   W
W   W   K   T
W   K   T   T       W   T   K   T
W   K   T   W       W   T   T   K
W   K   T   K
W   K   W   T       W   T   K   T
W   K   K   T       W   W   K   T
K   T   T   W       K   K   T   W
K   T   W   T       K   T   K   W
K   T   W   W       K   T   T   W
K   T   W   K       K   T   W   W
K   T   K   W       K   W   T   W
K   W   T   T       T   W   K   W
K   W   T   W       
K   W   T   K       W   T   K   W
K   W   W   T       T   W   K   T
K   W   K   T       T   W   K   W
K   K   T   W       W   K   T   W
K   K   W   T       W   W   K   T

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LEVEL 9
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Board layout:
  1
2 3 X
X   X
X X X
  1 2
  3

Cost: 1800 Fol
Prize: 50000 Fol

Computer            Player
1   2   3           1   2   3
T   W   K           T   K   W
T   K   W           W   T   K
W   T   K           K   W   T
W   K   T           W   T   K
K   T   W           K   W   T
K   W   T           T   K   W

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LEVEL 10
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Board layout:
    1
  2 3 4
X X   X X
X X   X X
1 X 2 X 3
    X

Cost: 2000 Fol
Prize: Synthesis Materials

Computer            Player
1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4
T   T   W   K       
T   T   K   W       K   W   T   K
T   W   T   K       T   K   W   W
T   W   W   K       T   T   W   K
T   W   K   T       T   K   K   W
T   W   K   W       T   W   T   K
T   W   K   K       T   K   W   W
T   K   T   W       
T   K   W   T       K   W   K   T
T   K   W   W
T   K   W   K
T   K   K   W       W   W   T   K
W   T   T   K       K   W   K   T
W   T   W   K
W   T   K   T
W   T   K   W       K   W   T   T
W   T   K   K       K   K   W   T
W   W   T   K       T   K   W   K
W   W   K   T
W   K   T   T       K   W   K   T
W   K   T   W       
W   K   T   K       W   K   W   T
W   K   W   T       W   W   K   T
W   K   K   T       W   W   K   T
K   T   T   W       K   K   T   W
K   T   W   T       K   T   K   W
K   T   W   W       K   T   W   T
K   T   W   K       K   W   W   T
K   T   K   W       W   K   T   W
K   W   T   T       K   T   K   W
K   W   T   W       
K   W   T   K       T   K   W   W
K   W   W   T       T   T   K   W
K   W   K   T       T   W   K   W
K   K   T   W       W   K   T   W
K   K   W   T       W   K   T   W

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LEVEL S
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Board layout:
1 2 3 4 X
X X X X X
X X   X
X   X X X
1 2 3 X 4

Cost: 2200 Fol
Prize: Lezard Flask

The Lezard Flask is a novelty and has no real use, other than selling it.

Computer            Player
1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4
T   T   W   K       T   K   W   T
T   T   K   W       W   K   W   T
T   W   T   K       T   K   T   W
T   W   W   K       K   T   W   W
T   W   K   T       T   W   K   W
T   W   K   W       K   T   W   T
T   W   K   K       K   T   T   W
T   K   T   W       
T   K   W   T       
T   K   W   W
T   K   W   K       K   T   K   W
T   K   K   W       W   K   W   T
W   T   T   K       T   K   W   T
W   T   W   K
W   T   K   T
W   T   K   W       T   W   K   T
W   T   K   K       T   K   W   W
W   W   T   K       K   T   K   W
W   W   K   T
W   K   T   T       T   W   K   K
W   K   T   W       T   K   W   T
W   K   T   K       T   W   K   W
W   K   W   T       
W   K   K   T       T   W   W   K
K   T   T   W       W   K   K   T
K   T   W   T       
K   T   W   W       W   K   K   T
K   T   W   K       K   T   K   W
K   T   K   W       K   K   W   T
K   W   T   T       W   K   K   T
K   W   T   W       W   T   W   K
K   W   T   K       W   T   K   W
K   W   W   T       W   T   K   W
K   W   K   T       W   T   W   K
K   K   T   W       W   K   W   T
K   K   W   T       W   T   K   W


3. CREDITS
Thanks go to:
MediaWorks and the Star Ocean Master Guide (ISBN 4-8402-2288-6)
tri-Ace and Enix for the best RPG I have ever played.

This FAQ Copyright 2004 to Edward Chang. Redistribution in any form,
including reprinting in electronic or print media, without express
permission of the author is strictly forbidden.