*=====================================================================*
| VANTAGE MASTER ONLINE – Natials FAQ and Discussion |
| v1.1 by dean johnson |
*=====================================================================*
"You have come here looking for a new adventure.
Your great wish... I shall accept."
*=====================================================================*
| CONTENTS: |
| I. Update History |
| II. Welcome |
| III-a. The Natials - Raw Statistics |
| III-b. The Natials – Discussion |
| IV. General Tactics |
| V. Useless Text (Links, Contact, Disclaimer) |
*=====================================================================*
@=====================================================================@
I. Update History
@=====================================================================@
Jan 20 2003 – This FAQ was originally posted with Natials information
and General tactics.
Aug 27 2003 – Proofread and generally cleaned up.
@=====================================================================@
II. Welcome
@=====================================================================@
Here's Vantage Master Online, a freeware program with simple rules but
strong strategy. This page is about the 24 different Natials that can
be called into play. Each unit has strengths and weaknesses, but some
units work the field better than others. This page also includes
general thoughts on gameplay and strategy. Read more about how to play
and download the game at the official VMO page:
http://www.falcom.co.jp/vantage/index_e.html
I am one guy with an opinion. If you have anything to contribute to
the strategies in this FAQ, feel free to email me, or even better,
submit it to the VMOnline-specific message board at gamefaqs.com.
@=====================================================================@
III: The Natials – Raw Statistics
@=====================================================================@
Natials are listed in this format:
*Natial's Name: I've listed a short physical description of each
Natial in parenthesis beside it.
*Attribute: Defines the Natial as an Earth, Fire, Water, or Heaven
unit. An attribute that foils another deals extra damage to that
Attribute and has extra protection against attacks from that attribute.
Attributes foil each other in the following pattern:
Heaven foils Earth
Earth foils Water
Water foils Fire
Fire foils Heaven
*Character: Day Natials receive +2 attack, defense, magic power, and
magic defense in bright light, and –2 to these characteristics in low
light, which includes night time and "indoor" maps, like caves. Night
Natials receive bonuses in caves and at night and penalties during the
day. During dawn and dusk, night and day Natials receive neither bonus
nor penalty. Normal Natials have the same statistics in each
environment.
*Attack: The strength of this Natial's attack when you choose "attack"
from the menu of commands.
*Defense: The ability to defend against attacks, which does not
include magic abilities. As this statistic goes up, attacks (choosing
"attack" from the menu of commands) will do less damage to this Natial.
*Magic Power: The strength of this Natial's magical ability, like a
Guene-Foss's Blitz. I have no idea why Natials without a magical
ability still have magic power.
*Magic Defense: The ability to defend against magic abilities, like
Guene-Foss's Blitz. (In some menus of the game, this statistic is only
listed as "Magic" for lack of space.)
*Speed: This ability determines how quickly a Natial's "move gauge"
fills. The higher the speed attribute, the more often a Natial will
act.
*Move: The number of hex-spaces a Natial can move on its turn.
*Move Type: Determines what terrain a character can move on. A Natial
caught on terrain it cannot enter, such as a "Walk" or "Fly" Natial
caught in water or a "Swim" Natial caught on dry land will take 3
damage when its turn comes up before it takes any action.
"Walk" Means that this Natial walks on the ground but cannot
enter the water.
"Walk 2" Means that this Natial moves full movement rate on dry
terrain, and half movement rate in the water.
"Swim" Means that this Natial can move only in the water (at
full movement rate) and cannot walk on dry land.
"Swim 2" Means that this unit moves full speed in the water and
moves at half move rate on the land.
"Fly" Means that this unit moves its full rate on land,
ignoring movement penalties for terrain (grass, snow,
desert, etc.), can move to any altitude within movement
distance without penalty for height, and cannot enter the
water.
*MP Need: The MP spent when summoning this Natial.
*MP Maintenance: The MP you lose every turn that this Natial is on the
map.
*Attack: The name of the attack and its range. "Adjacent" attacks can
only target a hex next to the Natial. "Range X" attacks can strike a
unit up to X hexes away. Ranged attacks fired at creatures at lower
altitudes can cover extra range, and attacks fired at higher altitudes
may not cover enough range. Characters with a "Small" firing angle
generally cannot hit a target that has another unit or terrain between
itself and the attacker. "Medium" firing angles can often travel over
other units' heads if shot from a higher altitude. "High" firing
angles can generally be shot over the top of other units on the same
altitude as the attacker.
*Magic: If the enemy has a magical ability, its name and range are
listed here. "Straight line" attacks do not gain extra range when shot
from higher altitudes like attacks with firing ranges do, and thus can
only travel the range of the attack and can usually over travel over a
certain altitude. "Range 0" magics affect the area around the caster.
"Occur" spells like Thunder do not have to be shot like an arrow; you
choose a spot within range and that spot is targeted whether or not
obstacles are in between you and the target. The effect of the spell
may harm "surroundings." A Grenade, with "surroundings 1," hits the
spot you target, as well as every spot surrounding it. Tentarch's
magic, with "surroundings 2" and "range 0" blasts every spot within two
hexes of the Tentarch. Magics have an MP cost taken from the same MP
pool that you use to call Natials.
A (+X) next to any statistic means that this statistic grows when the
Natial has earned enough experience to gain a level. Fa-Rancell,
listed as 8 (+3) attack, will have an attack of 11 if it levels up, 14
if it levels up again.
For a quick reference of how each Natial's statistics compare:
Average Attack: 11.3 (1-4-5-5-5-8-8-9-9-10-12-12-13-13-13-13-13-15-16-
16-17-18-18-19)
Average Defense: 10.3 (2-5-5-6-8-8-8-8-9-9-10-11-11-11-12-12-12-12-13-
13-13-14-16-20)
Average Magic Power (among recovery and attack magic users): 13.8 (8-
11-11-13-13-13-13-16-16-18-19)
Average Magic Defense: 11.2 (5-5-7-7-7-8-9-9-9-10-11-11-12-12-13-13-14-
14-15-15-15-16-16-16)
Average Speed: 9.9 (6-7-8-8-8-8-9-9-9-10-10-10-10-10-10-11-11-11-11-11-
12-13-13-13)
Average Move: 5.4 (4-4-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-7-7)
Fa-Rancell (Top)
Attribute: Earth
Character: Normal
Attack: 8 (+3)
Defense: 6 (+1)
Magic Power: 3
Magic Defense: 7 (+1)
Speed: 11
Move: 5
Move Type: Walk 2
MP Need: 16
MP Maintenance: 2
Attack: Top Spin – Adjacent
Da-Colm (Robot)
Attribute: Earth
Character: Normal
Attack: 18
Defense: 16 (+1)
Magic Power: 5
Magic Defense: 15 (+1)
Speed: 9 (+3)
Move: 6
Move Type: Walk 2
MP Need: 64
MP Maintenance: 8
Attack: Triassault – Adjacent
Ae-Ferrion (Statue of an archer)
Attribute: Earth
Character: Normal
Attack: 12 (+3)
Defense: 8 (+1)
Magic Power: 6
Magic Defense: 5 (+1)
Speed: 8
Move: 5
Move Type: Walk
MP Need: 32
MP Maintenance: 4
Attack: Iron Cannon – Range 6, Firing angle Large
Gia-Bro (Statue of a head)
Attribute: Earth
Character: Normal
Attack: 9
Defense: 10
Magic Power: 11 (+2)
Magic Defense: 16
Speed: 6 (+2)
Move: 5
Move Type: Walk 2
MP Need: 40
MP Maintenance: 5
Attack: Grand – Adjacent
Magic: Grenade – Range 4, Firing Angle Large
Effect: Target + Surroundings 1, Attack Magic
MP Used: 6
D-Alma (Sphere with a face)
Attribute: Earth
Character: Day
Attack: 5 (+3)
Defense: 11 (+2)
Magic Power: 11
Magic Defense: 5
Speed: 10 (+1)
Move: 7
Move Type: Walk
MP Need: 24
MP Maintenance: 3
Attack: Bullet Beans – Adjacent
Magic: Cure – Adjacent
Effect: Target, Recovery Magic
MP Used: 4
Ba-Mado (Spiked sphere with an eye)
Attribute: Earth
Character: Night
Attack: 13 (+2)
Defense: 11 (+1)
Magic Power: 15
Magic Defense: 15 (+1)
Speed: 11 (+2)
Move: 5
Move Type: Fly
MP Need: 80
MP Maintenance: 10
Attack: Pierce Needle - Adjacent
Magic: Silvery – Adjacent
Effect: Target, Freezes (petrifies) target
MP Used: 12
Reque (Bubble)
Attribute: Water
Character: Normal
Attack: 9 (+4)
Defense: 5
Magic Power: 2
Magic Defense: 7
Speed: 13
Move: 5
Move Type: Swim-2
MP Need: 16
MP Maintenance: 2
Attack: Bubble Split – Adjacent
Neptjunoue (Merman riding a turtle)
Attribute: Water
Character: Normal
Attack: 15 (+2)
Defense: 13
Magic Power: 13 (+2)
Magic Defense: 16
Speed: 13 (+2)
Move: 6
Move Type: Swim 2
MP Need: 64
MP Maintenance: 8
Attack: Tricerastab – Adjacent
Magic: Icevein – Range 4, Straight line
Effect: Target, Attack Magic
MP Used: 8
Tarbss (Fish)
Attribute: Water
Character: Normal
Attack: 16 (+2)
Defense: 12
Magic Power: 6
Magic Defense: 12
Speed: 10 (+2)
Move: 5
Move Type: Swim
MP Need: 48
MP Maintenance: 6
Attack: Ice Shot – Range 7, Firing angle Medium (Jump)
Zamilpen (Penguin)
Attribute: Water
Character: Day
Attack: 12
Defense: 13 (+2)
Magic Power: 11
Magic Defense: 10 (+2)
Speed: 8 (+2)
Move: 6
Move Type: Swim 2
MP Need: 40
MP Maintenance: 5
Attack: Berry Attack – Adjacent
Magic: Freeze – Adjacent
Effect: Target, Freezes target
MP Used: 6
Marme (Mermaid)
Attribute: Water
Character: Night
Attack: 8
Defense: 9
Magic Power: 13 (+2)
Magic Defense: 14
Speed: 10 (+2)
Move: 5
Move Type: Swim 2
MP Need: 32
MP Maintenance: 4
Attack: Scold Hit – Adjacent
Magic: Heal – Adjacent
Effect: Target, Recovery Magic
MP Used: 4
Tentarch (Squid)
Attribute: Water
Character: Normal
Attack: 19
Defense: 20
Magic Power: 19
Magic Defense: 14 (+1)
Speed: 11 (+4)
Move: 6
Move Type: Swim 2
MP Need: 88
MP Maintenance: 11
Attack: Blue Pressure – Adjacent
Magic: Merstorm – Range 0
Effect: Surrounding 2, Attack Magic
MP Used: 15
Hepitus (Dwarf)
Attribute: Fire
Character: Normal
Attack: 10 (+2)
Defense: 8
Magic Power: 4
Magic Defense: 9
Speed: 7 (+2)
Move: 6
Move Type: Walk
MP Need: 24
MP Maintenance: 3
Attack: Strike Hot – Adjacent
Oonevievle (Reaper)
Attribute: Fire
Character: Normal
Attack: 18
Defense: 14 (+2)
Magic Power: 6
Magic Defense: 13 (+2)
Speed: 9 (+2)
Move: 6
Move Type: Walk
MP Need: 56
MP Maintenance: 7
Attack: Insane Claw – Adjacent
Blexe (Sphinx)
Attribute: Fire
Character: Normal
Attack: 13 (+3)
Defense: 9 (+2)
Magic Power: 7
Magic Defense: 9
Speed: 8
Move: 5
Move Type: Walk
MP Need: 40
MP Maintenance: 5
Attack: Rapid Fire – Range 4, Firing angle Small
Dullmdaler (Head statue with blue flame)
Attribute: Fire
Character: Night
Attack: 5 (+2)
Defense: 8 (+2)
Magic Power: 13 (+2)
Magic Defense: 11 (+2)
Speed: 8
Move: 6
Move Type: Walk
MP Need: 32
MP Maintenance: 4
Attack: Terror Face – Adjacent
Magic: Explosion – Range 0
Effect: Surroundings 1, Attack magic
MP Used: 4
Zenosblead (Demon)
Attribute: Fire
Character: Normal
Attack: 16
Defense: 13 (+1)
Magic Power: 16
Magic Defense: 15 (+1)
Speed: 12 (+3)
Move: 5
Move Type: Walk
MP Need: 88
MP Maintenance: 11
Attack: Spiral Sword – Adjacent
Magic: Infernal – Range 7, Straight line
Effect: Target
MP Used: 10
Greon (Griffin)
Attribute: Fire
Character: Day
Attack: 13 (+2)
Defense: 11 (+2)
Magic Power: 9
Magic Defense: 8 (+2)
Speed: 10 (+1)
Move: 7
Move Type: Fly
MP Need: 80
MP Maintenance: 10
Attack: Diving Big – Adjacent
Pelitt (Fairy)
Attribute: Heaven
Character: Normal
Attack: 1 (+3)
Defense: 2 (+2+
Magic Power: 12
Magic Defense: 13
Speed: 13 (+1)
Move: 4
Move Type: Fly
MP Need: 16
MP Maintenance: 2
Attack: Light Scratch – Adjacent
Magic: Medic – Adjacent
Effect: Target, Heals freeze magics
MP Used: 4
Currier-Bell (Female knight)
Attribute: Heaven
Character: Normal
Attack: 13 (+2)
Defense: 12
Magic Power: 13 (+2)
Magic Defense: 7
Speed: 9 (+2)
Move: 5
Move Type: Fly
MP Need: 48
MP Maintenance: 6
Attack: Thunder Blade – Adjacent
Magic: Thunder – Range 3, Occur
Effect: Target + surroundings 1, Attack Magic
MP Used: 8
Amoltamiss (Chariot archer)
Attribute: Heaven
Character: Night
Attack: 13 (+2)
Defense: 12
Magic Power: 6
Magic Defense: 12
Speed: 11 (+2)
Move: 4
Move Type: Fly
MP Need: 56
MP Maintenance: 7
Attack: Knight Launcher – Range 5, Firing angle Medium
Guene-Foss (Cloud spirit)
Attribute: Heaven
Character: Day
Attack: 5
Defense: 5
Magic Power: 8 (+4)
Magic Defense: 9
Speed: 10
Move: 6
Move Type: Fly
MP Need: 32
MP Maintenance: 4
Attack: Queen's Rush – Adjacent
Magic: Blitz – Range 4, Occur
Effect: Target, Attack Magic
MP Used: 4
Fifenall (Angel)
Attribute: Heaven
Character: Normal
Attack: 4
Defense: 8 (+2)
Magic Power: 16
Magic Defense: 16 (+1)
Speed: 10 (+2)
Move: 5
Move Type: Fly
MP Need: 48
MP Maintenance: 6
Attack: Judgment - Adjacent
Magic: Recovery - Adjacent
Effect: Target, Recovery Magic
MP Used: 8
Regna-Croxe (Evangelion)
Attribute: Heaven
Character: Normal
Attack: 17
Defense: 12 (+1)
Magic Power: 18
Magic Defense: 11 (+2)
Speed: 11 (+3)
Move: 6
Move Type: Fly
MP Need: 80
MP Maintenance: 10
Attack: Great Bash – Adjacent
Magic: Destruction – Range 0
Effect: Surroundings 2, Attack Magic
MP Used: 12
@=====================================================================@
III: The Natials – Discussion
@=====================================================================@
A basic breakdown of the usefulness of different units:
The A-list, the all-purpose team: Da-Colm, Neptjunoue, Blexe, Pelitt,
Amoltamiss
The B-list, the support units and special ops: Ae-Ferrion, Reque,
Tarbss, Marme, Dullmdaler, Currier-Bell
The C-list, the specialists: Gia-Bro, Ba-Mado, Tentarch, Oonevievle,
Zenosblead, Guene-Foss, Fifenall, Regna-Croxe
The D-list, the rare-uses: D-Alma, Zamilpen, Greon
The F-list, you can usually do better: Hepitus, Fa-Rancell
Fa-Rancell (top):
An economical unit, perhaps. Fa-Rancell boasts high speed, especially
for an earth unit, but sub-
par attack means it won't do a lot of damage except to water units.
The difference between Fa-Rancell and Reque is that Fa-Rancell's foil
is heaven. Mobile heaven units like Guene-Foss and Amoltamiss will
almost always take Fa-Rancell out with one shot, whereas Reque has a
greater speed than most earth units and can usually flee if necessary.
As a foil for Reque: If Reque is running around in a lake, Fa-Rancell
can slowly advance on it and try to corner it, but don't get your hopes
up.
Da-Colm (Robot):
Da-Colm isn't a powerful unit on maps with a lot of water. Ae-Ferrion
and Gia-Bro tend to be better on large water maps since the distance of
their attacks can reach a water unit several hexes out into the water,
with the exception that Da-Colm has faster speed and can chase the
shores more quickly. Having said that, Da-Comm has exceptional attack,
to the point that only heaven units and other Da-Comm can really stand
up to it. Its defense is so high that Amoltamiss often needs three
arrows to down one. A move length of 6 and decent speed allows it to
hide out from heaven units when necessary. Da-Colm is the best soldier
to run the front lines.
As a grunt: Da-Colm is a strong unit to lead just about any charge.
Just don't let Amoltamiss and Currier-Bell get too many hits in before
it gets close.
Ae-Ferrion (Statue of an archer):
For a moderate cost unit, Ae-Ferrion isn't bad. His speed is terrible;
Marme can often heal twice in the time that Ae-Ferrion attacks once.
Its defense is terrible, but since it can shoot from long ranges, he
can still survive as long as you don't stick it near the front of the
battle. Just don't act too surprised when a Currier-Bell moves twice
before it moves once and suddenly deals 10 damage with a single shot of
thunder. Ae-Ferrion also can't go into the water, so he tends to have
problems on maps with a great deal of water, though his large firing
angle allows him to stand at the shore and deal potshots. Ae-Ferrion
is the only basic unit with a large firing angle on his physical
attack, meaning it can stand behind all of your units and still be able
to strike at the front lines. Good range and low maintenance make Ae-
Ferrion a decent unit, but you'll probably need two of them out to do
any real damage to water units.
To defend the high ground: Put him on the top of a hill, and let him
strike a couple shots at anything that comes close, or at water units
hiding in the back. Keep him as high as you can, or the fast-climbing
heaven units will be in his face.
To defend underwater magic stones: Ae-Ferrion can't chase units into
the water, but it's still worth putting him at strategic points on the
shore.
As a support unit in close quarters: Ae-Ferrion can help to defend
chokepoints as a unit that doesn't have to be in his opponent's face to
do damage.
Gia-Bro (Statue of a head):
Gia-Bro is even slower than Ae-Ferrion, the slowest Natial in the game.
He can enter the water, however, and chase down water units to the
other side of the lake if necessary. Ae-Ferrion is a passive unit,
waiting for someone to walk within reach, while Gia-Bro, with decent
physical defense and high magic defense, is more willing to walk in
front and dig in. He still moves too slowly to be an effective
frontlinesman, though. His best use is as a specialist for chasing
down water units.
As a swimmer: Gia-Bro is probably one of the best units to stick in
the lake to deal with water units. With the range of his attack, slow
and steady movement will eventually force water units to deal with him,
and the range of his magic attack gives him a larger threat range than
a Da-Colm. On a few maps, Gia-Bro can dig himself so far into the
water that air units can't reach him – a serious annoyance to anyone
trying to get nearby in the water.
As a support unit in close quarters: Gia-Bro can shoot over the heads
of his friends to get to his enemies in a crowded front line, just like
Ae-Ferrion. The upside is that he can hit a whole crowd at once. The
downside is that his attacks come even less frequently, making him a
little less reliable for taking care of water units on the front lines,
not to mention possible collateral damage to your own units.
As a foil for Tentarch: Tentarch's physical rating is incredible to
the point that Ae-Ferrion is lucky to do 2 damage with one arrow, but
two grenades can often take care of it.
D-Alma (Sphere with a face):
Of the three healing units, D-Alma is probably my least favorite.
While it is the cheapest to cast, it's also slower than the other two
healers and has less magic power. It does have a lot of movement, but
it's usually too slow to get to injured units when they need the help.
D-Alma tends to be less of an active unit than a distraction, until
Currier-Bell zaps his block away.
As a roadblock: D-Alma's physical defense is decent, especially for a
healer. Commanding a D-Alma to sit in the middle of a chokepoint for a
while can hold the chokepoint off from non-heaven units until you can
back it up, especially if you command it to keep healing itself.
As a healer: 7 points of movement means D-Alma can go up to the front
lines fairly quickly when its turn comes up. Send it out to heal on
the front lines rather than in the back.
Ba-Mado (Spiked sphere with an eye):
Strong magical defense, the only earth unit that can fly, decent
physical attack strength, and a freeze magic. Ba-Mado is one of the
few units in the game that can defend itself well against the units
that foil it, heaven units, by petrifying them with Silvery. This is
less of an actual defense and more of a stall tactic, but it can be
annoying to not be able to destroy an earth unit because your heaven
units can't get close enough to it. Despite his versatility, Ba-Mado
never saw a great deal of use with me. He's a serious drain on your
MP, and he has no more range that Da-Colm. The robot tends to be a
better warrior in most situations.
As a loner: If you need to secure a few stones in an out-of-reach
area, Ba-Mado can defend or run away from nearly any sort of attack,
including Silvery on a heaven unit if necessary.
As a climber: Ba-Mado can be a good unit to have around if you started
the map closest to sea-level. Send him up to take care of Neptjunoue
to clear a path for your fire units.
To annoy the opponent's master: Most computer units are smart enough
not to let Ba-Mado get close to their master. Nevertheless, it can be
a serious drawback to not be able to summon units for four turns in a
row because your leader is a statue. A few points of damage is one
thing, but falling behind on calling Natials can be way more damaging
in the long run than an 8 point sneak attack. If nothing else, putting
Ba-Mado in your opponent's face forces him to deal with it.
Reque (Bubble):
Even late into the game, Reque is still a good unit to have around.
Its defense is poor; Oonevievle can often do three or four points of
damage to him, but it has plenty of speed. It moves about twice as
fast as Ae-Ferrion, so it'll likely still be able to get off an attack
or two if you send it to the front lines. And much like the fast
moving Pelitt, Reque is a good unit to cast early to go hunt down
underwater magic stones and to sit on them until earth units show up.
Besides good speed, Reque has an average attack rating. If a heaven
unit takes a break near the water, Reque can often sneak up on them for
3 or 4 damage. Don't underestimate the little bubble. But don't let
him get close to Da-Colm, either, who can usually deal 10 damage in one
shot.
As a magic stone hunter: 5 points of movement in the water, and high
speed. If you can throw Reque in the lake early, he'll quickly pay his
own casting cost in the MP you can cover.
As a front-line grunt: Not quite as useful as Neptjunoue for moving
across land, but since many fire units are a bit slower than average,
Reque can often move in and kill Dullmdaler and Oonevievle with two
quick attacks before they can pull off one, and summoning cost is far
more economical than Neptjunoue. If you allow Reque to get close,
it'll get on your nerves.
Neptjunoue (Merman riding turtle):
Much like Da-Colm, Neptjunoue is generally worth the price you pay for
him. He moves 3 hexes a turn on land, has excellent speed, magic
defense, AND physical attack, and uses his magic attack to strike at a
distance. Most heaven units have a difficult time putting up with
Nept, his physical attack allows him to dominate most underwater
combat, and his magic attack is the main reason fire units don't
advance quickly. Neptjunoue is a pretty strong drain on your MP, but
with the slow speed of most earth units, it can be terribly difficult
to stop, balanced only by the fact that it can only move three points a
turn.
As a front-line grunt: If Da-Colm gets in his face, Nept is in
trouble, but otherwise, it holds up well against most other close
combat units. There's probably no other unit better suited to dealing
with fire units as well.
As an underwater fighter: If Neptjunoue and Tarbss get into close
combat, Neptjunoue has the advantage with a strong physical attack and
stronger physical defense. Nept also obviously has a large advantage
over Reque. On a map that has a lot of area both underwater and above
water, Neptjunoue is also more flexible than Tarbss to search out the
lake and come back to the land when necessary. But avoid Tentarch.
Tarbss (Fish):
I love maps with big lakes right in the middle, where anywhere you are
on land puts you near the water, because this is the map that Tarbss
loves. Tarbss has "only" just above average defenses and average
speed, but its attack power and range are amazing. No other unit gets
a range of 7 with their basic attack, and only Zenosblead gets it with
its magic attack. Unlike Neptjunoue, Tarbss doesn't waste MP to make
its long distance attack. Its mobility is still limited to the water,
so don't overuse him.
As a foil for heaven units: I would say Amoltamiss and Currier-Bell
hate Tarbss even more than fire units do. That block of ice tends to
deal 5 damage to even strong heaven units, and thus makes it a good
unit to protect your earth units that are moving into the lake.
As an underwater fighter: If Tarbss wants to play with Neptjunoue, he
needs to stay out of Neptjunoue's range. Nept's magical attack won't
do as much damage, but sooner or later, Nept can corner Tarbss and
force it to fight hand to hand. Try to get an earth unit to back
Tarbss up in the water so you can focus on heaven and fire units on the
land, but if you have to fight it out, get a few shots in before they
can get close.
As a general water unit: Fire units will probably stay as far away as
possible from the water to keep out of reach. But then again, this
opens up a hole for your heaven units to start moving in. Try and get
Tarbss as close to the action as you can.
Zamilpen (Penguin):
I never liked Zamilpen much. His freeze attack can be useful, but
since he doesn't have much movement on land, the freeze attack
generally can't be used for much more than turning an enemy into a
roadblock at a chokepoint. His speed is the worst of the water units,
his magical defense is only decent, making him a target for Gia-Bro,
and he has less attack strength than Tarbss and Neptjunoue. You're
better off saving your MP for another unit.
As a very close-quarters grunt: If you're on a map with absolutely
nowhere to go, freeze magic can be annoying. Sticking Zamilpen at a
chokepoint may help to hold the lines.
As an underwater fighter: If you need to take control of an underwater
area, Zamilpen can freeze opposing water units instead of trying to
fight it out with them.
Marme (Mermaid):
Technically, Marme shouldn't be a good unit, but she can be annoying as
hell. Earth units often aren't fast enough to deal with her
effectively, and her magic ability doesn't cost so much MP that it's a
serious drain. Because of her slow moving distance and low attack
power, she isn't quite as effective on the front lines, but she does a
good job as the healer that she's supposed to be, and since her magic
defense is fairly high, Gia-Bro isn't as much of a threat to her as Ae-
Ferrion. If you've got a full army already on the board, Marme can be
a good support unit for them at chokepoints or near the back.
As an underwater stone hunter: It's really annoying to have Marme cure
itself every time Ae-Ferrion hits it with an arrow. It's even more
annoying on the turns when it can heal itself and another unit in the
same turn. So if you sit it in the middle of the water on top of a
magic stone in a strategic point, it can often stay for perpetuity, or
at least until the enemy gets a second Ae-Ferrion out.
As a healer: Good magic defense, a reasonable casting cost, and decent
speed, as well as the ability to annoy aggressive fire units like
Dullmdaler. Concerning whether Marme is a better than Fifenall,
consider the metagame. Blexe has a point more attack strength than Ae-
Ferrion, and Marme has a point more defense than Fifenall. Ae-Ferrion
tends to do 4-6 damage to Marme, but a Blexe can completely down a
Fifenall with a shot in the back. Marme also has just as much speed as
Fifenall. All in all, I find Marme to be the best of the three healer
units.
Tentarch (Squid):
Tentarch is a beast. With his high physical defenses, Ae-Ferrion
rarely does more than 2 damage to him in a single shot, and most water
and heaven units can't do more than 1. His magic is powerful and
punishes anything within reach. Magic attacks can take him down,
however, especially Gia-Bro, and Da-Colm can generally hit him for 4
points or so. Tentarch doesn't have the range of Neptjunoue, making it
easier to just stay away from him. It's also a big drain on your MP
each turn that it lurches 3 hexes forward, so it's almost useless to
summon until late game, when you can cast Tentarch closer to the front
lines.
As an underwater fighter: Tentarch will own pretty much every other
water unit and hold his own against Ae-Ferrion. Tentarch is a big sign
that says "No Kids in the Pool." If your opponent has a couple of
Tarbss or Neptjunoue in the water, Tentarch can often scare them off.
For winning a won game: The closer you can get Tentarch to your
opponent's master, the more he sweats to get earth units to take care
of it. The area that Tentarch's magic covers can smack around both
master and bodyguards in one blow. If you can corner your opponent
with Tentarch, you've likely got the game.
Hepitus (Dwarf):
Even slower than other fire units, with only decent attack strength.
Hepitus is begging for a Reque to get in his face, and his speed is too
low to go chasing down heaven units. Once you've got Blexe and
Dullmdaler, there isn't much reason to keep using the dwarf.
As a front-lines grunt: If you're running low on MP and need to deal
with earth and heaven units, this guy may get a few points of damage
off before dieing. You can do better, though.
Oonevievle (Reaper):
Oonevievle is hard to judge. On the one hand, he has great physical
power and 6 points of movement, as well as good defenses. But fire
units mainly exist to deal out punishment to heaven and earth units.
Heaven units can generally fly circles around Oonevievle, and earth
units generally have a water unit standing in front of them, with the
exception of Da-Colm, and Oonevievle may not want to get into a
fistfight with Da-Colm. Dullmdaler is a cheaper unit to put on the
front lines, but Oonevievle's attack is physical rather than magic, so
he can do much more damage in a single shot. Not a great unit, be can
be useful in the right situation.
As a close quarters combatant: Most earth and heaven units won't react
well to the reaper's strength. If nothing else, Oonevievle can force
the opponent to bulk up on water units and force other units to clear
out until he's been taken care of.
As a bodyguard: It's actually pretty nice to have Oonevievle standing
next to your master. Heaven units can't get too close, as the reaper
can move 6 spaces to attack when his turn comes up. That physical
strength also does decent damage to Dullmdaler, earth units, and even
Reque if they try to get a shot in. Oonevievle also has a point more
speed than Blexe, making it a bit stronger unit to protect against an
aggressive Regna-Croxe in some situations.
Blexe (Sphinx):
As far as I'm concerned, Blexe is the best fire unit for nearly any
situation. A moderate casting cost means you can generally get two
Blexe out without much trouble. Blexe has terrible defense, but since
water units are generally pretty slow, you can keep this it back a few
steps and fire its arrows from a distance. Blexe is slow, but
unfortunately, none of the fire units are winning any footraces, so
he's not so bad by comparison. Not only is Blexe's attack above
average, but many heaven units have below average defense, exaggerating
the ability. Unfortunately, Da-Colm's strong defense allows it to inch
close to Blexe, so be sure to keep it safe from the front lines.
As a high ground defender: Which units can climb mountains fastest?
Flying units. Specifically, heaven units. If you're the king of the
hill, make sure you have Blexe solidifying your position.
As a general fire unit: Has the best range for taking care of far-
reaching heaven units, and can stay back a ways from slow moving water
units. As long as you take note that most water units can attack twice
in Blexe's long wait time, Blexe will make up the brunt of your fire
force.
Dullmdaler (Head statue with blue flame):
I often underestimated Dullmdaler, up until he walked up behind me and
blew smoke in my face. 6 movement points and good magic power but low
physical defense make Dullmdaler a suicide bomber. Not quite as costly
as Oonevievle, but has a lower cost to call and can be just as deadly,
especially in caverns where it's always nighttime.
As a support grunt: You probably don't want Dullmdaler right on the
front lines, as he can't take much physical abuse, but his presence can
warn air units not to press their luck, making him a good escort for
Da-Colm. If surrounded by water units, setting the explosion off will
often score 1 or 2 points off on each of them, at least softening them
up.
Zenosblead (Demon):
Zenosblead has a speed of 12, an incredible range of 7 with his magic
attack, and good defenses. But in most cases, I've been better off
putting a couple of Blexe on the field. Zenosblead's long-range attack
is magical while Blexe's is physical, and heaven units generally have
stronger magical defense than physical defense. Zenosblead often can't
kill a Pelitt with one shot of magic. If you need Zenosblead out, be
aggressive.
As a general fire unit: With long move range and long firing range,
Zenosblead can stay away from water units and threaten just about
anyone else. Not as economical as Blexe, but probably your best bet
for dealing with Regna-Croxe.
Greon (Griffin):
Since Greon has to get into close quarters to battle but has pretty
average defensive stats, it doesn't tend to last as well in a battle as
Blexe. Having said that, there are a few situations that Greon
controls. Greon flies, unlike any other fire unit, and has a full
seven points of movement, as well as average speed. But for a unit
that has the potential to attack alone, Greon has too much potential to
die quickly under pressure, and Regna-Croxe generally makes a better
assassin. Don't rely on Greon to be a big force.
As an assassin: Greon sucks out 10 MP every turn it's on the board, so
why not try to get rid of it? Instead of letting it sit and wait for
the opponent to come for him, take advantage of its speed and mobility
to sneak around the enemy lines and smack outlying heaven units – and
the master – for a few points of damage before Neptjunoue comes back
for him. Unfortunately, you usually end up with the master just
casting a Reque back at his base.
As a climber: Much like Ba-Mado, Greon can chase away heaven units at
the top of a mountain to clear a path for Da-Colm to climb up behind
him.
Pelitt (Fairy):
Don't think for a moment that just because her attack stat reads 1 that
Pelitt is a poor unit. Much like a pawn in chess, Pelitt has extensive
usefulness. Pelitt has the tendency to turn up and annoy someone just
when it's least useful. She grabs magic stones with good speed, moves
fast enough to stay out of the reach of most fire units, and can
generally get in the way when necessary. As if being a cheap little
stone-gatherer weren't good enough, she also has Medic magic to help
out versus Ba-Mado. To quote yet another proverb, Pelitt is not the
mountain that your enemy has to climb; she is the pebble in his shoe.
As a magic stone hunter: Pelitt is almost always the first Natial I
cast in a game. The earlier you send something off to scoop up magic
stones, the more MP you'll return later, and Pelitt saves on MP with a
maintenance cost of only 2.
As a thief: Oftentimes, a Pelitt will come in with a front line
attacking force. You may not give her much thought at first, but if
you don't deal with her, she'll fly over your head and take stones
behind your lines, forcing you to pull a unit back from the lines to go
deal with her. This can be far more damaging than actual damage in the
long run.
As a roadblock: She only costs 16, after all. If you're running low
on magic, you can call her up and order her to sit on an important
magic stone for a coupla turns while you rebuild your MP. Or sit her
down in the middle of a chokepoint to stop the impetus of an attacking
force.
To stay on top of initiative: Let's say you have a Blexe, a
Neptjunoue, an Amoltamiss, and an Ae-Ferrion on the table, and so does
your opponent. Both of you have plenty of MP leftover. Your turn
comes up first. What do you cast? A cheap little distraction allows
you to have enough MP leftover to react to your opponent's next move,
but still forces him to react to the stone-muncher.
As a foil for Ae-Ferrion: Only having an attack of 1, it's really
funny watching Pelitt beat on Ae-Ferrion for 3 or 4 points of damage
with one smack, especially since she has enough speed to do it
repeatedly. Run, statue man, run from the fear of the fairy!
Currier-Bell (Female knight):
Good attack power, moderate speed, a strong magical attack, and the
ability to fly for less than 50 MP make Currier-Bell a well-rounded
unit. Currier-Bell tends to be better than Amoltamiss on maps with
chokepoints. Amoltamiss can only smack one creature at a time, but if
your enemies are chunked together in one spot, one bolt of Thunder can
cause a wide spread of damage. Her main downside is that she has to
get into close combat to use her basic attack. Fine for attacking
single units, but can get her into trouble on the front line. Be
especially careful of Dullmdaler; with a magic defense of only 7, an
Explosion can easily cause 10 points of damage.
As crowd control: Several units standing next to each other in a
narrow passage or at a chokepoint are good target practice for Thunder.
As a general heaven unit: More MP intensive over the long run than
Amoltamiss, but Da-Colm has a lower magic defense than physical
defense, making Currier-Bell a slightly better choice to deal with
multiple robots.
Amoltamiss (Chariot archer):
Amoltamiss has better magic defense and speed than Currier-Bell, and
doesn't have to get up close to use her physical attack, though she
only has a move distance of 4. She costs a little bit more, but
casting Currier-Bell for 48 and using an 8 MP Thunder attack once is
equivalent. Amoltamiss is also a night unit, making her slightly less
dependable on most maps (but making her a force on cavern/indoor maps).
Amoltamiss tends to be stronger on large maps where the enemy can
spread out. Thunder isn't as effective if you can only use it to hit
one enemy at a time. Maps with lakes also tend to benefit Amoltamiss,
who doesn't have to spend magic to use her long distance attack on
water units. Overall, I'd say Amoltamiss is a bit more solid than
Currier-Bell, but a combination of the two is usually your best bet for
a heaven force.
As a general heaven unit: Shoot them arrows. You paid for them. And
mobilize quickly when Da-Colm shows up.
Guene-Foss (Cloud spirit):
Guene-Foss has low magic power, but still has enough energy to strike
an earth unit for good damage. If she can survive long enough to get
close, she'll be a pain in the neck, but don't forget that one arrow in
the back from Blexe will take her off duty. Not as economical as
Pelitt, and not quite as tough a fighter as Amoltamiss or Currier-Bell,
you may nevertheless give her some use.
As a pumped-up Pelitt: Less speed than Pelitt, but more moving
distance, so she still gets around to pick up stones. Very often when
playing against the computer, you'll wonder just how Guene-Foss was
able to fly so far to land on one of your magic stones just behind the
front line. Anything Pelitt can do, Guene-Foss does better (except
Medic), but you pay for that "better" in MP.
As an assassin: Cheap to cast, but with lots of mobility and reach,
Guene-Foss can suddenly Blitz a character having been 10 spaces away
the previous turn. The computer often uses this to try to drop a pre-
emptive strike onto the master. If you need an extra heaven unit on
the front lines RIGHT NOW, Guene-Foss is often a good cast.
As a foil for Ae-Ferrion: Blitz often does 6-7 damage to Ae-Ferrion.
If you've got a severe problem with archers, Guene-Foss can be a
cheaper minesweeper than Amoltamiss or Currier-Bell.
Fifenall (angel):
At 48 MP and 6 MP per healing, Fifenall is going to be a bigger drain
on your magic than your other healers. With low defense and the threat
of Blexe, Fifenall also tends to die faster than Marme or D-Alma. A
fire arrow in the rear often deals 10 damage to Fifenall outright. The
advantage Fifenall has is that she can move to a unit to heal rather
than waiting for the unit to move to her, and to some extent, that
mobility allows her to keep out of trouble. Fifenall is not a poor
character, but she's best used to solidify an already strong position.
As a healer: Fifenall heals about 6 points in one spell, which can be
a bigger aid for a creature near death. Fifenall can also fly over
units to reach the front lines or the barracks when necessary. You'll
want a fair amount of MP to keep her useful, though.
Regna-Croxe (Evangelion):
Much like Tentarch and Zenosblead, Regna-Croxe can deal a lot of
punishment in a short amount of time. R-C has a big downside in that
it only has average defenses both magically and physically. Blexe is
almost always going to take off half of its life with one fire arrow,
and Dullmdaler can tear R-C up even more. That's a lot of MP to spend
on a unit that won't last a long time. Expect R-C to die quickly, but
expect it to go down fighting, like the high-cost unit it is. Good
moving range, flight, and a huge magic ability make it one of the last
Natials your opponent ever wants to see you cast. But the ability of
Zenosblead to antagonize R-C make it a hard unit to summon.
As an assassin: The ability to fly in fast and hit hard, striking both
master and bodyguards in a single strike, make Regna-Croxe one of the
best units to attempt a pre-emptive strike.
To win a won game: If you've got a strong advantage, send Regna-Croxe
in close and use the large area of its magic to take down the last
units and start applying damage to the master.
@=====================================================================@
IV: General Tactics
@=====================================================================@
These are basic ideas about gameplay.
***Keep the initiative: You summon a heaven unit. Your opponent
summons fire in response. A water unit won't reach the lines quickly
enough, so you summon an earth unit to deal with the fire. Your
opponent responds by summoning a heaven unit. So now you want a fire
unit to deal with the heaven unit. Except... you're out of MP. The
summoning is over, it's time to go to battle, and your opponent has the
advantage. Good luck. Unlike most real-time strategy games, speed is
not as important as reaction in Vantage Master. Every unit has a foil.
If you call the second Natial, you can call a foil rather than the
"foiled."
A few simple ideas on keeping the initiative: If you're the first to
act when the battle begins, summoning an attack creature early is
broadcasting your intentions to your opponent. Summoning Pelitt,
Reque, or Guene-Foss as your first move to go grab magic stones gives
you an edge without wasting a lot of MP.
Secondly, call lower cost attack units first. This could potentially
start of Looney-Tunes-style chain of "Who's still hiding a bigger gun
in their pockets?" If you summon Regna-Croxe first, your opponent will
undoubtedly summon fire units to deal with it, and thus you've spent a
lot of MP on a unit that can't attack directly. If you want a water
unit for backup, now that you've spent so much MP on one unit, you may
only have enough left for Marme or Regue. Alternatively, if you call
Guene-Foss first, when your opponent calls a fire unit in response, you
may still have enough for Neptjunoue as backup. Remember Bugs Bunny
and Yosemite Sam: when you're constantly pulling out bigger and bigger
guns, eventually someone's gotta pull the pea shooter. Start with
smaller units, and you can usually summon the "right" big unit in the
end.
Of course, sooner or later, someone will have to call in the first
fighter. Try to choose a creature that will be least affected by the
foils that can be called against it. Blexe's natural enemies may only
be able to move a few spaces a turn, so he may be safe for a while.
Heaven units beg for a fire unit to be put into play, but they can also
run away pretty easily if the odds are against them. Despite his high
cost, Da-Colm takes 3 or 4 attacks to kill from even heaven units, so
he can often act as a buffer, especially if you have plenty of magic to
summon a good fire unit to back him up against heaven fighters. You
can also summon a "bigger gun" to deal with Pelitt or Reque scooping up
magic stones, such as Dullmdaler and Neptjunoue in the respective
situations.
***Know when to attack with your master: There's three enemy units,
all of them Currier-Bell. You've got a Savage for a master, and you
think, "Hey, I could go throw a rock at one to help my guys out." So
you get close and kill one. But now the enemy isn't going to keep
fighting your Natials; they're now within range to hit you, and before
you can say, "How did they move so far?" you'll be dead. As tempting
as it is to use your high-powered master for fire support, leave him
out of the fight. Overzealousness had to kill my master several times
before I broke my habit. In fact, I still haven't broken that habit.
A master's attack has a few basic uses. Don't necessarily consider
high attack power to be a mandate for berserker Zerg rushing. Having a
strong attack mostly means that your opponent cannot attack you with
one creature at a time. If any of your opponent's Natials get
separated from the rest of the group, if you can kill that loner, then
there may be no one around to take retribution for it. Divide and
conquer tactics are highly effective with a master with a long-range
attack. Of course, a strong attack is also good for self-defense if an
assassin comes in. And if a pesky Pelitt infiltrates your back lines,
many masters can deal 10 damage to it in one blow, keeping you from
having to call a Natial back to deal with it.
It may be possible to grit your teeth and take some damage if
necessary. If it were only two Currier-Bells in the original example,
and you had other creatures to support you, and you had a nearby
magical stone or healer unit to regain lost HP, you could stone one C-
Bell, take the Thunder from the other, and then retreat to recover from
the wound while your other Natials finish the job. Just remember that
units with lots of speed and lots of range can be very opportunistic.
You may say, "It's only 3 damage. I'll live through it," but if
Zenosblead and Guene-Foss are lurking on the map, they may get into
range faster than you think. As always, stay on top of who moves when
and try to plan ahead.
***Know when to Uptide: My initial belief of Downtide was that it
existed so you could move land units through the water more quickly and
Uptide existed so you could move water units around more quickly. The
truth is that Uptide is an attack spell. While it costs 32 to use,
Uptide can be devastating to fire and heaven units. If a unit that
cannot move in water is caught in the water when the tide rises, that
unit takes 3 points of damage at the beginning of its turn.
You need to stay on top of turn order to make Uptide effective. For
example, your opponent has two Blexe on the board. The turn order is:
your master, Blexe #1 (who has 2 health left), the opponent master, and
then Blexe #2 (who has five health left). On your master's action, you
Uptide. When Blexe #1's action begins, she immediately takes 3 damage
and fades from existence. It's now the opponent master's turn. He can
protect Blexe #2 by Downtiding, but if he ignores the water, possibly
because he's outnumbered and need to keep summoning, he may ignore
Blexe. When Blexe #2's turn comes up, she takes 3 damage and goes down
to 2 health. If Blexe is standing next to a piece of higher ground, he
can climb up, but if he is completely surrounded by water, he cannot
move and will likely die the next turn.
Killing one unit can often change the course of a battle, so always be
aware of positioning. The flipside of the coin is that you should also
watch out for your own units. On maps with plenty of space to call for
water, try to keep units on high ground or near a cliff so that they
can escape an opponent's Uptide without having to wait for you to
Downtide to bail them out.
***Keep your forces in formation: You have a water unit and a heavens
unit out. Your opponent has a fire unit and an earth unit out (Da-
Colm, incidentally). If you send your heaven unit, fast and far-
reaching as it is, to the front line as quickly as possible, she will</pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
likely make contact with the enemy first. So she gets one quick shot
at Da-Colm. Then the fire unit takes a shot at her. Then Da-Colm
retreats, or goes to plant himself on a magic stone, and you're stuck
with a heaven unit that's about to get burned.
Units were designed to have strengths and weaknesses. Remember
initiative. If you send a water unit out to explore on its own,
eventually your opponent will call an earth unit to chase it, corner
it, gut it, and mount it on the mantle. A slow, steady advance will
give your opponent more time to prepare, but will give you a more solid
position when you eventually get there.
Balance your slow units against your fast units by waiting until your
master is as close to the front lines as you want her to be when you
summon them. Calling a water unit at the far back of the map means
that it will take forever to reach the lines. Summon your fast units
first, often heaven units, or your units with long range attacks, like
Ae-Ferrion, so that they can keep up with the master, then get your
master closer to summon water units and other slow steppers.
***Maximize maintenance charges: Let's say you've decided at the
beginning of the map that you want a Da-Colm on the front lines, a
Blexe playing backup, and a Pelitt running around the map causing
trouble. What should you cast on your first turn? You could cast the
Da-Colm first and let him get down to the middle quickly to take the
middle stones, but those stones are still a couple of moves away.
Until Da-Colm reaches those stones, he's sucking down 8 MP a turn, and
since you probably don't have many stones yet, you could be at a loss
for casting other units.
This is part of why Pelitt is almost always a good first card to play.
She can perform important jobs without having to spend so much MP per
turn to do it. If you do need to get on the front lines quickly, you
can reduce the amount of maintenance MP you spend on a creature to get
him there simply by moving your master closer before you cast the
summon. One good tactic for starting a rush is to cast a Pelitt first
turn and let her run around the starting position grabbing the nearby
stones so that your master can move closer to the middle of the map to
drop attack units closer to spots that need to be defended.
Even if your opponent casts Regna-Croxe first turn, that Regna-Croxe is
gonna take a turn or two to find you. You don't have to immediately
call Zenosblead to protect you. On the other hand, if your opponent is
calling down a strong Natial every turn, you may need to start calling
bodyguards just as quickly or risk being overwhelmed when the whole
troop advances on you. But in general, if you know you need an
expensive unit and a lighter unit on the board, calling the inexpensive
unit first will give you more MP in the long run and also give you more
opportunity to react to your opponent's next moves.
@=====================================================================@
V: Useless Text
@=====================================================================@
Teh mad props:
Dillinger for recommending this crazy game.
Bluemeep because I'm going to just copy his links list from his
character FAQ rather than spend the time trying to look them up.
Please read his VMO Character FAQ as well.
Contact me:
[email protected]. This FAQ was written by some guy
who thinks he knows everything just because he played through the one-
player scenarios. If you would like to contribute ideas, criticisms,
notes of agreement, or anything of the ilk, please do so through email
or on the VMOnline message forum at gamefaqs.com.
Links:
Nihon Falcom Home:
--
http://www.falcom.co.jp
Vantage Master Online Home + Download:
--
http://www.falcom.co.jp/vantage/index_e.html
Official VMO Manual:
--
http://www.falcom.co.jp/vantage/manual/index.html
VMO Review + Download:
--
http://www.the-underdogs.org/game.php?id=3832
St. Night Moon
--
http://stnight.pekori.to
Unofficial Map Editor
--
http://eternya.virtualave.net/vm.htm
BlackCity.LABORATORY.VantageMaster
--
http://homepage1.nifty.com/blackpoint/labo/labo_vm.html
Standard Disclaimer: Copyright 2003 dean johnson. All trademarks and
copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective
trademark and copyright holders. It is a violation of copyright to
include this FAQ on other websites or as a part of other publications
without advance written permission.
