Suikoden variants

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Suikoden 1 Minimal Characters Variant Part 1:  The Stars of Destiny Are Fading


One notable RPG series of the PS1 and PS2 eras is Suikoden.  The premise is loosely based on Shi Nai'an's novel "Water Margin".  One of these references is the concept of the 108 Stars of Destiny, a group of earthly and heavenly heroes.  In Suikoden, some Stars of Destiny can fill combat roles like characters in most RPGs.  Other Stars of Destiny may be noncombat characters that provide various services at your base (e.g. blacksmith, swapping out your party members, etc.)


In this Suikoden 1 playthrough, I'll reject the "Gotta Catch 'Em All" premise and use only the characters that join automatically.  This will mean I'll have to look at Suikosource pretty often to avoid accidentally recruiting people.


Gregminster

-Our hero was the son of a general in the imperial army who had various friends and servants hanging around his mansion.  Gremio called him "Young Master" so much that I named the protagonist BOTCHAN after the Natsume Soseki novel as a joke.  (That book's title was said to mean "Master Darling" in an old Engrish translation.)  To fit the premise of the variant, I had BOTCHAN act like a spoiled idiot in the dialogue choices.  This way, no one would want to join his army in the first place!  


When BOTCHAN met Emperor Barbarosa, he said "I don't wanna" when asked if he wanted to serve the empire.  Barbarosa thought BOTCHAN was joking instead of a whiny buffoon.  BOTCHAN tickled Gremio when he was preparing dinner and scared Pahn while he was asleep.  Ted attempted to join, so BOTCHAN said "Gee, I dunno".  This resulted in a But Thou Must dialogue tree, as otherwise the plot could not progress.  When reporting to his superior Kraze, BOTCHAN told him the Magician's Island was "Somewhere on this earth" right after Kraze mentioned its real location.


Magician's Island


-BOTCHAN's party rode a dragon that made noises like an elephant in order to go to the Magician's Island.  Now it's time to discuss how combat works.  Suikoden 1 has random battles and turn-based battles like a typical RPG.  The party can have up to 6 members, with 3 members in the front and back rows.  Characters can have either Short (S), Medium (M), and Long (L) range weapons.  S range weapons can only work in the front row, M can only hit front row enemies but can attack from either row, and L range weapons can hit any enemy on the field. 

Each character can equip one Rune.  Sometimes, these are unlimited use physical attacks.  Other Runes let you cast spells, but they have limited "charges" per spell level like Final Fantasy 1.

If the right combination of characters is in your party, they can use Unite attacks.  These are similar to Chrono Trigger's Dual Techs.


My party at the time was BOTCHAN/Gremio/Pahn in the front, and Cleo/Ted in the back.  Cleo and Ted were L range, BOTCHAN and Gremio were M, and Pahn was stuck with S.  Pahn had the Boar Rune, which let him use a powerful physical attack at the cost of losing his next turn.  Pahn was better off using his "Talisman Attack" Unite with Gremio.


Most fights on the Magician's Island were simple, but a freak encounter with Holly Boys led to Gremio dying.  I returned to Gregminster and healed everyone.  Random encounters usually aren't noteworthy in Suikoden 1, so I was surprised to see something like this happen.


The Golem was the "boss" for this tutorial area.  It was very weak and went down in a few rounds.  Most characters hit in the 20s damage range, while Gremio/Pahn's Unite hit for 130.  Rune spells and Unite attacks are much more powerful than basic melee.  After the battle, BOTCHAN got a Fire Rune.  I gave this to Cleo so she could cast strong offensive magic.




Rockland


-BOTCHAN got the astrological records from Leknaat, then returned to Gregminster.  His next mission was to collect taxes from the town of Rockland.  Before taking on the next dungeon, BOTCHAN went to Lenankamp and "sharpened" a few weapons to level 3.  You upgrade your existing weapons for a fee instead of buying new ones, and each blacksmith has a limit as to how much they can sharpen your equipment. 


The reason Grady and the other Rockland residents gave for their tax woes was that bandits from Mt. Seifu were attacking them.  Kanaan, Kraze's advisor, suggested dealing with the problem personally.


One random encounter dropped a Holy Rune, which I gave to Gremio.  He wasn't a wizard anyway, and it was nice to be able to dash. 


Mt. Seifu


-This was an easy dungeon up until the Queen Ant boss.  When I first tried to play this game, I was wondering why the boss was so strong.  Now, I knew it was an unwinnable fight, and didn't want to waste spells or healing items.  Even Gremio/Pahn's Unite only dealt around 14 damage to the giant bug.


A cutscene played where Ted cast a spell to instantly kill the Queen Ant.  Kanaan was suspicious.  The party moved on to the real bosses of the area, the bandits Varkas and Sydonia.  They weren't hard at all.  A combination of Cleo's Flaming Arrows and Gremio/Pahn's Unite could defeat each bandit in one round.  Sydonia collapsed first, then Varkas.  BOTCHAN was at critical HP by the end of the fight, and Gremio leapt in front of him and took a hit.


Levels and Equipment

 
BOTCHAN level 9
 
Rune:  None
Spells:  None
Weapon:  Wolf Fang Staff level 3/9
Helmet:  Bandanna
Armor:  Leather Coat
Other1:  Gloves
Other2:  Boots
 

Gremio level 9
 
Rune:  Holy Rune
Spells:  None

Axe level 3/18
Armor:  Leather Coat
Other1:  Cape
Other2:  Leggings

 

Pahn level 9
 
Rune:  Boar Rune
Spells:  None
Weapon:  Claws level 3/10
Helmet:  Headband
Armor:  Tunic
Other1:  Gloves

 
Cleo level 9
 
Rune:  Fire Rune
Spells:  Flaming Arrows
Weapon:  Air Sword level 1/6
Armor:  Tunic
Other1:  Circlet

 
Ted level 9
 
Rune:  ?????? (I counted the ?s)
Spells:  None
Weapon:  Steel Bow level 3/10
Armor:  Robe

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Suikoden 1 Minimal Characters Variant Part 2:  Mandatory Gambling is a Speedrunner's Worst Enemy

Rockland

-Back in Rockland, imperial troops were bullying one of the locals for "muddying" their boots.  BOTCHAN tried to stay away like a coward, but he was forced into a But Thou Must fight.  (Drink!)  The soldiers fought more like tough regular enemies, but were defeated easily.  Kanaan collected the taxes, but the in-game text said something like "10,000 bits stolen!"  Maybe BOTCHAN should have been more suspicious of him. . .


Gregminster

-Imperial troops came seeking Ted's "??????" Rune, which was actually the Soul Eater True Rune.  He wanted it kept away from Windy the court magician at all costs, so he gave Soul Eater to BOTCHAN.  Our hero tried to refuse it at first, but it was another But Thou Must situation.  (Drink!)  Ted stayed behind to distract the soldiers while BOTCHAN and friends escaped.  He would never join the party again.  Pahn also left for vague reasons.


Ted's replacement was Viktor, a S range melee unit.  He helped the party escape Gregminster when hostile troops came into the inn looking for them.  BOTCHAN didn't help the situation by saying "Shut up, you fool" to one of the guests instead of "(We'd better try to remain inconspicuous)".  Viktor started with 148 HP, so he was sturdier than both BOTCHAN and Gremio.  Viktor told BOTCHAN to go to Lenankamp, but he responded "I've never heard of Lenankamp".  This answer was especially ridiculous because BOTCHAN had already upgraded his weapon in Lenankamp in the first update.    



Lenankamp

-I upgraded BOTCHAN and Cleo's weapons here.  When the party stayed at the inn, Viktor opened a passage below the clock to a secret hideout in the sewer.  This was the base of the Liberation Army, which everyone called the "rebels".  When Odessa and the other members asked BOTCHAN to join, he said "Who says I'll join?"  BOTCHAN was stuck in a But Thou Must dialogue tree yet again.  (Drink!)  Odessa told him that Varkas and Sydonia were about to be executed after imperial soldiers tortured them.  BOTCHAN said "This has nothing to do with us", even after his party pummeled them earlier with Flaming Arrows and Unite attacks.    


Rockland

-Viktor set Grady's mansion on fire, then sarcastically blamed "dry weather" when he told Gremio about his plans.  Gremio warned BOTCHAN not to act like Viktor.  I think it's already too late for our Young Master given his behavior in dialogue trees.  5 imperial soldiers were defeated by regular attacks.  Several treasures were available in the mansion, including a Brass Armor for Gremio.  A group of soldiers guarded it, so Cleo burned them all in one round with Firestorm.  


Lenankamp

-After freeing Varkas and Sydonia, BOTCHAN returned to Lenankamp to report his success to Odessa.  She then joined the party after another But Thou Must dialogue forcing BOTCHAN to join the rebellion.  (Drink!)  Odessa was an L range character with a Wind Rune enabling her to cast Wind of Sleep, a useless status effect spell.  I tried to take off her Rune, but the game wouldn't let me.  


Mt. Tigerwolf

-My party was at a high enough level that they could "Let Go" most of the monsters.  "Let Go" is a guaranteed escape from combat.  I like Suikoden 1's leveling system because it seems to account for the large cast of characters.  There's a sort of level cap for each area, and lower leveled units catch up quickly.  Giant Snails were the only enemies that the party couldn't Let Go.  BOTCHAN and friends could beat them with physical attacks.  Odessa sometimes cast Wind of Sleep, but it didn't seem to do much.
 

Ledon the creepy innkeeper asked the party to try his special tea.  One character said it was "bitter".  BOTCHAN tried to refuse because of the taste, not because he was smart enough to realize the tea was poisoned.  He was forced to drink it regardless of dialogue options (Drink!)  Their lives were only saved because another character who recognized Odessa came into the inn and ordered Ledon to give the antidote.  



A Cloud Rune Piece was inside a treasure chest.  This would have been a decent fit for Viktor because it was a physical attack.  Unfortunately, I had heard that it costs a turn after use like the Boar Rune, so Viktor never bothered with it.


Lenankamp

-The party stayed at the inn in Sarady and fulfilled their mission.  Then they returned to the hideout in Lenankamp to find it overrun by imperial soldiers.  They blocked and counterattacked melee attacks pretty often, so Cleo's fire magic won the fights for me.  Odessa died in a cutscene, and transferred the leadership of the Liberation Army to BOTCHAN.  This would prove to be a bad decision.  BOTCHAN sharpened everyone's weapons to level 5 at the blacksmith, and headed south through the Kwaba fortress.  One character (Viktor?) had the alias Schtolteheim Reinbach III.  BOTCHAN's choice in the dialogue tree?  Schtolteheim Reinbach IV.  

Gremio pretended to be furious with BOTCHAN as a ruse to get them through the gate.  BOTCHAN said this was "Unforgivable!"  afterwards.  A But Thou Must dialogue (Drink!) made him realize that Gremio was helping him.


Seika

-The party needed to meet Mathiu, a relative of Odessa.  He was now a pacifist schoolteacher.  The imperial army didn't care, so Cleo had to char them with Firestorm.  Mathiu then gave his students a "year's worth of homework" before leaving.


Kaku

-There were several characters who joined here.  Camille joined to collect a massive debt.  She was a L range character who was probably meant to be a mage.  She didn't come with a Rune.  Tai Ho the spearman didn't come until BOTCHAN won a mandatory dice gambling game.  This part of the game must be horrible for unlucky RPG speedrunners.  I had to reset at least once before succeeding.


Toran Castle

-The Liberation Army needed a new base, and Toran Castle seemed to be the best place.  It was infested by various enemies like Ghost Armors that were too strong to Let Go when the party first entered.  BOTCHAN could instantly kill them with his new Soul Eater spell Deadly Fingertips.  Magic was usually best for bosses, but it wasn't like this sort of spell could be used outside of random encounters.  By the end of the dungeon, my characters were at level 16.


Zombie Dragon was the first boss with any kind of challenge.  He could either attack one character in melee for heavy damage, or breathe blue fire onto the whole party.  Most characters stuck to physical attacks, while Cleo used up her Firestorms and Flaming Arrows.  Physical attacks dealt damage in the 40s-80s range.  Each Firestorm hit for 370, while Flaming Arrows hit for 270.  Magic made up for its limited uses with extreme power.  Several characters had to heal with Medicines when they were low on health, but it didn't take long to destroy the zombie.


BOTCHAN conquered the castle and converted it into his base.  Mathiu acted as the character who could manage which units went to the battle party.  As of now, it's Viktor/BOTCHAN/Gremio in the front row, and Cleo/Tai Ho/Yam Koo in the back.  Tai Ho and Yam Koo have a Unite attack together, so that's why they're here.  BOTCHAN, Viktor, Gremio, and Cleo are mandatory at this point and can't be removed.  Luc is sitting on the bench because he's an S range mage with only a Wind Rune (read:  no level 1 damage spell)
 

This part of the game is where you can start recruiting optional characters, so I have to be careful to avoid accidentally making random people join the entourage.
 


Levels and Equipment
 
BOTCHAN level 17

Rune:  Soul Eater
Spells:  Deadly Fingertips (instant kill spell)
Weapon:  Dragon Fang Staff level 5/20
Helmet:  Bandanna
Armor:  Leather Coat
Other1:  Gloves
Other2:  Boots
 

Gremio level 17

Rune:  Holy Rune
Spells:  None
Weapon:  Axe level 5/28
Helmet:  Pointed Hat
Armor:  Brass Armor
Other1:  Cape
Other 2:  Leggings
 

Viktor level 17


Rune:  None
Spells:  None
Weapon:  Shiko Sword level 5/22
Armor:  Leather Coat
Other1:  Boots
 

Cleo level 17


Rune:  Fire Rune
Spells:  Flaming Arrows (fire damage to 1 enemy), Firestorm (fire damage to all enemies)
Weapon:  Air Moon Sword level 5/25
Armor:  Tunic
Other1:  Circlet
Other2:  Toe Shoes
 

Tai Ho level 17

Rune:  None
Spells: None
Weapon:  Akemi level 5/27
Helmet:  Headband
Armor:  Tunic
 

Yam Koo level 9

Rune:  None
Spells:  None
Weapon:  Uranami Spear level 3/15
Armor:  Tunic

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Suikoden 1 Minimal Characters Variant Part 3:  Wheel of Fortune


Kouan

-The next step after acquiring the castle was to go to Kouan and ask Lepant to join the Liberation Army.  He shut himself up in a building and refused to come out.  One sleazy man named Krin suggested stealing Lepant's heirloom sword Kirinji to get his attention.  He tried to poison the tea like Ledon, but the party wasn't going to fall for that trick a second time.

Lepant's mansion was a dungeon filled with Robot Soldiers.  These enemies took much more effort to defeat than earlier random encounters, and rewarded tactics.  BOTCHAN's Deadly Fingertips only had about 5 charges.  The solution was using Tai Ho and Yam Koo's Unite.  The "Fisherman Attack" could deal heavy physical damage to one enemy, but left them in "Unbalance" status for one turn afterwards.  When Unbalance left them unable to attack, I let the two spearmen use Medicines to heal the front row fighters.

The Kikinji was guarded by a "Spin the Wheel" minigame of all things.  Only one space could advance the plot.  If the wheel landed on other spaces, the party could gain/lose experience points, be forced into a random battle, or get items like a Fortune Rune piece.  It took many tries to get through.  If you hate a speedrunner, make them play through Suikoden 1 and its random elements.

Kraze had been reassigned to Kouan, and he took Eileen hostage.  Her husband Lepant charged into Kraze's compound and forced himself into the party.  I had to kick out Yam Koo to make room for an S range character who landed in the back row right before a fight.  It didn't matter anyway because Cleo cleared out 2 groups of Imperial Soldiers with Firestorm.  Kraze tried to threaten Eileen, but Pahn charged in and saved her.  BOTCHAN chose to have Kraze executed.  It turned out that Pahn had sided with the empire over my party, and he now begged for forgiveness.  I tried to leave him, thinking he was an optional character, but the next cutscene wouldn't activate without him at the castle.


Gremio held a banquet, and then an Assassin challenged BOTCHAN to a solo battle.  Deadly Fingertips did nothing to this enemy even though the random battle music was playing.  A few regular attacks later, the battle ended, and the Assassin said Windy sent him.  Kirkis the elf joined and said Kwanda Rosman was plotting to kill his species. 


At this point, I had many new options for party members despite the variant restrictions.  Here are a few notable ones:

Juppo:  L range, Trick Rune
Eileen:  L range, Earth Rune, Unite with Lepant
Pahn:  S range, Unite with Gremio.  He can die later in the game if he loses a certain duel.
Krin:  L range, weak stats


One interesting consequence of my variant was the fact that I couldn't recruit Rock in Kouan.  If he had joined, he would have opened an item vault at the castle.  Without Rock, item management will become more important because of the limited character inventory system.  (Think Dragon Quest)


Levels and Equipment
 

BOTCHAN level 20
 
Rune:  Soul Eater Rune
Spells:  Deadly Fingertips
Weapon:  Dragon Fang Staff level 5/20
Helmet:  Bandanna
Armor:  Leather Armor
Other1:  Gloves
Other2:  Boots
 

Gremio level 20
 
Rune:  Holy Rune
Spells:  None
Weapon:  Axe level 5/28
Helmet:  Pointed Hat
Armor:  Brass Armor
Other1:  Cape
Other2:  Leggings
 

Lepant level 19
 
Rune:  None
Spells:  None
Weapon:  Kirinji level 5/16
Armor:  Brass Armor
Shield:  Wooden Shield
 

Cleo level 20
 
Rune:  Fire Rune
Spells:  Flaming Arrows, Firestorm, Dancing Flames (all-target spell, stronger than Firestorm)
Weapon:  Air Moon Sword level 5/25
Armor:  Tunic
Other1:  Circlet
Other2:  Toe Shoes
 

Kirkis level 15
 
Rune:  Lightning Rune
Spells:  Angry Blow (damage 1 enemy), Rainstorm (hits all enemies)
Weapon:  Light Bow level 5/18
Helmet:  Pointed Hat
Armor:  Guard Robe
 

Eileen level 13
 
Rune:  Earth Rune
Spells:  Clay Guardian (does nothing due to glitch), Voice of Earth (damage all grounded enemies)
Weapon:  Ruby Darts level 5/25
Helmet:  Pointed Hat
Armor:  Guard Robe
Other1:  Star Earrings
Other2:  Shoulder Pads

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Suikoden 1 Minimal Characters Variant Part 4:  Puny Humans


Great Forest

-To stop Kwanda Rosman from committing genocide, BOTCHAN and his army went to the Great Forest to the southeast.  The first stop was a human village.  I had to turn down the local blacksmith's offer to join before he would provide his services.  Not that he could have sharpened my weapons anyway. . .


I could Let Go most of the enemies except for Kobolds thanks to my level.  To end those battles quickly, Cleo cast Firestorm, killing them all in one move.  There was no boss coming up before a rest stop, so it wasn't detrimental to use spell charges.  

There were no Kobolds in the Kobold village, so the party pressed on towards the Elven Village, which was of course in a tree.  The elves were as disdainful of humans and dwarves as their cousins in the Eragon books.  When Valeria tried to warn them that Kwanda Rosman was building a "Burning Mirror" to destroy the forest, they dismissed her thus:  "Have you thought of a good way of exterminating us?  With your tiny minds?. . .You humans are too stupid to realize such a task.  Hey, lock this one up". The party landed in the dungeon until Sylvina let them out.  Sylvina said "Humans act big, yet they're dead after only 50 years or so".  Maybe she knew the "He's old anyway" minister from Shining Force 2?


Valeria was now a mandatory character along with BOTCHAN, Gremio, and Kirkis.  I had to kick out Eileen to make room for her.  It wasn't much of a loss.  Valeria was a S range front line fighter with a Falcon Rune that could hit as hard as a Unite attack without any Unbalance penalty.  It inflicted about 190 damage to the monsters when regular attacks were doing around 40.


Dwarven City and Dwarven Vault

-A blacksmith here could sharpen weapons for a high fee.  Since BOTCHAN was mandatory and only knew instant death spells, he was the obvious candidate for an upgrade.  The Dwarf Chief was unconcerned about the Burning Mirror when he said "I hope all the elves are killed.  Ho ho!"  To prove weak-minded humans could break into the vaults and steal the Burning Mirror plans, he made the party descend into the Dwarven Vault.

The enemies here were standard physical attackers that could be killed with Deadly Fingertips, the Falcon Rune, and concentrated melee attacks.  Gigantes was a little trickier, but not by much.  This boss took 0 damage from Cleo's strongest Fire spell, Dancing Flames.  She had to use her regular attack from there.  Valeria's Falcon Rune inflicted about 290 damage to Gigantes.  Kirkis's Thunder Rune spells were much more effective than Cleo's Fire Rune.  Rainstorm hit for about 288, while Angry Blow dealt 388.  Critical hits from Gremio and Lepant dealt significant damage too.  It didn't take long to win.


The items here included some new armor for Valeria, Cleo, and Lepant.  I had to sell off some old items just to make room for the new ones.  Attaching elemental Rune Pieces to weapons decreased the inventory burden too.  The next step was to go back to the Elven Village and try to save it.   


Levels and Equipment
 
BOTCHAN level 26
 
Rune:  Soul Eater Rune
Spells:  Deadly Fingertips
Weapon:  Dragon Fang Staff level 9/47, 2 Thunder Rune Pieces
Helmet:  Bandanna
Armor:  Leather Armor
Other1:  Gloves
Other2:  Boots
 

Gremio level 26
 
Rune:  Holy Rune
Spells:  None
Weapon:  Axe level 5/28
Helmet:  Pointed Hat
Armor:  Guard Robe
Other1:  Cape
Other2:  Leggings
 

Lepant level 26
 
Rune:  None
Spells:  None
Weapon:  Kirinji level 5/16
Helmet:  Pointed Hat
Armor:  Brass Armor
Shield:  Wooden Shield
Other1:  Gauntlet
 

Cleo level 26
 
Rune:  Fire Rune
Spells:  Flaming Arrows, Firestorm, Dancing Flames
Weapon:  Air Moon Sword level 5/25, 1 Fire Rune Piece
Armor:  Magic Robe
Other1:  Circlet
Other2:  Toe Shoes
 


Kirkis level 26
 
Rune:  Lightning Rune
Spells:  Angry Blow, Rainstorm, Raging Blow (major damage to 1 enemy)
Weapon:  Light Bow level 5/18
Helmet:  Pointed Hat
Armor:  Guard Robe
Other1:  Feather
 

Valeria level 26
 
Rune:  Falcon Rune
Spells:  None
Weapon:  Seven Star Sword level 8/40, 1 Water Rune Piece
Armor:  Karate Uniform
Shield:  Wooden Shield
Other1:  Blue Ribbon

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Suikoden 1 Minimal Characters Variant Part 5:  Gimmick Combat

Great Forest

-The party arrived at the Elven Village too late.  Kwanda Rosman had already destroyed it with his Burning Mirror.  The only thing left to do was to go back to the castle.  But imperial troops were blocking the way.  After Cleo and Kirkis defeated them with their spells in one round, the party fell victim to cutscene logic.  Valeria turned herself in to the imperial troops after they swore to spare the other characters.  The enemy commander said "God?  There is no god in these modern times." in response to Valeria pointing out their betrayal. 


Valeria was very briefly replaced by Kuromimi the weak S range Kobold.  A Falcon Rune for a generic melee unit was not a good trade, BOTCHAN!  Mathiu saved the team from their own incompetence by telling the enemy soldiers that the Liberation Army was to the east.


No matter how much BOTCHAN protested, the next step was fighting a war battle with Kwanda Rosman.  This was a gimmick combat format specific to Suikoden 1.  Each army had a specific number of troops, and played a game of Rock Paper Scissors with Charge, Bow, and Magic options.  The Liberation Army could also select Other options, such as buffing a Charge with Mathiu or sending Thieves like Krin and Giovanni to either spy on the enemy or steal their money.


Stars of Destiny could be permanently killed in these war battles, so of course I tried to perform as badly as possible.  Once I managed to sacrifice Eileen in a Charge.  But every time this sort of thing happened, I had too few troops to win the battle and I had to reload my last save in the burned Elven Village.


On the successful attempt, I won without losing any playable characters, much to my displeasure.  The Imperial Army started with 9000 troops, while my Liberation Army had 5255.  Luc used his Magic on Round 1.  This reduced the Imperial Army's troops to 5200, with 0 losses on my side. 


On Round 2, the Commander's Team (BOTCHAN, Pahn, and Gremio) led a Charge.  The Imperial Army had 2510 soldiers and the Liberation Army had 3984 after this carnage.  Krin was sent to spy on the Imperial Army as a free action, and he said they would Charge on their next turn.  Magic couldn't be used again because Luc was exhausted, so I had the Lepant Family (Lepant and Eileen) lead a counter Charge. 


The Imperial Army now had only 27 stragglers, while the Liberation Army stood tall with 3205 troops.   The Fishermens [sic] (Tai Ho and Yam Koo) led one final Charge to victory.


Kwanda Rosman had retreated into Pannu Yakuta Castle, so it was time for my party of 6 to catch him.  Valeria/Viktor/Kuromimi were in the front row, and Gremio/BOTCHAN/Kirkis were in the back.  After getting several treasures and winning easy random battles, the party fought a Dragon boss.  It acted similarly to the Zombie Dragon from earlier in the game.  The Dragon could breathe fire on the whole party or hit one character with a lightning attack.  
  

AKishan seems to think that you need dedicated healers for this fight according to their FAQ, and that isn't true.  I got through the fight using basic Medicines instead of healing spells.  Valeria was the main damage dealer, inflicting roughly 300 damage per Falcon Rune strike.  She also inflicted the final blow.  Raging Blow was the most powerful spell from Kirkis, but Angry Blow hit for slightly less than 100, or not much stronger than some physical moves.  Rainstorm did even less, because that was meant for large groups of enemies rather than a single boss.  BOTCHAN managed to deal respectable damage with his melee, and once got a 285 critical.


I saved before moving BOTCHAN to the final area of the castle.  Kwanda Rosman challenged him to a Duel.  This was yet another gimmick Rock Paper Scissors format.  BOTCHAN and Kwanda could either Attack, Defend, or Desperate Attack.  Dialogue cues hinted what the enemy would do next.  BOTCHAN used a Desperate Attack to counter Kwanda's Attack.  My opponent then used two Desperate Attacks in a row, which were countered with Defend.  Kwanda realized he had been brainwashed by one of Windy's Runes.  Kirkis and Kuromimi wanted to execute him, while Gremio wanted to spare him.  BOTCHAN killed Kwanda to avoid getting an optional Star of Destiny.


Stars of Destiny Death Count:  1 (Kwanda.  Ted and Odessa perished before getting the stone tablet, so they're probably not official Stars of Destiny.)


Kirkis's fellow L range elf friends Stallion and Sylvina joined the Liberation Army.  They had a Unite attack together, and Stallion came with a True Holy Rune that also allowed dashing on the world map.  Flik forced his way onto the team after an angry conversation with the Liberation Army leaders.  One But Thou Must (Drink!) talk in Kaku later, and he signed up.

       

Levels and Equipment
 

BOTCHAN level 29
 
Rune:  Soul Eater Rune
Spells:  Deadly Fingertips
Weapon:  Dragon Fang Staff level 9/47, 2 Thunder Rune Pieces
Helmet:  Bandanna
Armor:  Leather Armor
Other1:  Gloves
Other2:  Boots
 

Viktor level 28
 
Rune:  None
Spells:  None
Weapon:  Shiko Sword level 5/22
Armor:  Leather Coat
Other1:  Boots
 


Sylvina level 12
 
Rune:  None
Spells:  None
Weapon:  Night Bow level 5/18
Armor:  Robe
 


Stallion level 16
 
Rune:  True Holy Rune
Spells:  None
Weapon:  Bow of Shiva level 6/35
Armor:  Brass Armor
Other1:  Wing Boots
 

Kirkis level 29
 
Rune:  Lightning Rune
Spells:  Angry Blow, Rainstorm, Raging Blow
Weapon:  Light Bow level 5/18
Helmet:  Pointed Hat
Armor:  Guard Robe
Other1:  Feather
 

Valeria level 29
 
Rune:  Falcon Rune
Spells:  None
Weapon:  Seven Star Sword level 8/40, 1 Water Rune Piece
Armor:  Karate Uniform
Shield:  Steel Shield
Other1:  Blue Ribbon
 
 
Stars of Destiny Listed on Stone Tablet
 
Page 1

BOTCHAN
Mathiu (noncombat, swaps out active party members, can buff Charge attacks in war battles)
Humphrey
Gremio
Viktor
Lepant
Luc
Cleo
Valeria
 
Page 2

Flik
Kirkis
Pahn
Camille
Stallion
Tai Ho
Yam Koo
 
Page  3


Sydonia
Varkas
Eileen
 
Page 4


None!
 
Page 5

Juppo
 
Page 6

Giovanni (non-combat, Thief in war battles)
Kuromimi
 
Page 7

Sylvina
Krin

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Suikoden 1 Minimal Characters Variant Part 6:  Death Count


Garan Fortress War Battle

-This was similar to the war battle with Kwanda Rosman.  The Imperial Army started with 6000 troops versus the Liberation Army's 5635.  On Round 1, I sent Krin to spy on the enemy.  He said a Bow attack was coming, so I had Mathiu buff my Charge command with his Engrish:  "See the power of the science!"  The Commander's Team attacked, and now the score was Imperial Army:  819, Liberation Army:  2411.  Giovanni tried to spy on the next round, but he was useless and didn't learn anything.  For my last action, I had Luc cast Magic to wipe out the remaining enemies.


Scarleticia Castle War Battle 1

-Milich's "Antoinette" flower spread "Poisonous Pollen", and the battle turned into a scripted loss.  The next part of the plot involved finding the antidote before attacking the castle again.




Teien, Rikon, Antei

-Milich had given these towns flowery French names, but none of the residents paid attention if they could avoid it.  I sharpened weapons for a few characters first.  Then Gen the shipwright and Kamandol the alchemist joined to find a way past a whirlpool.  Both were weak in battle, but they shared a Unite attack.  Liukan the hermit lived beyond the whirlpool, but Milich kidnapped him before he could make the antidote.  To get into Soniere Prison where he was held, Kimberley and Tesla forged imperial papers after becoming Stars of Destiny.


Soniere Prison

-Who would assign haunted playing cards and snake charmers to guard a prison?  Milich, of course!  Most could be Let Go, though I fought a few just because of how bizarre the random encounters were compared to earlier enemies.  AKishan's FAQ warned me to unequip Gremio, so I did so.  He sacrificed himself when Milich trapped the party in a room with "Spores of Agony".  If I had been recruiting all the Stars of Destiny, I could revive Gremio at the end of the game.  But since I was ignoring everyone I could. . .


Stars of Destiny Death Count:  2 (Kwanda, Gremio)


-Mathiu arrived just after Gremio croaked and rescued the party.  Liukan created the antidote, and it was time for another war battle.


Scarleticia Castle War Battle 2

-The first attempt failed because I didn't know what actions Milich would take.  Thieves have a chance to fail when they're spying on the enemy.  Sometimes, they'll say that they don't know what will happen, and other times they'll steal money from the Imperial Army instead of getting information.  War battles aren't randomized as far as I can tell, at least not on the same save file.  Damage output remains the same, and the Imperial Army takes the same actions in the same order.  Eileen died on the first failed attempt.  This isn't a Death Count because when I started losing characters, it was a Game Over and I had to reload a save.  The war battles don't give much leeway for failure, especially if you're playing a minimalist variant like this.


Milich started with 12,000 troops vs. my 6485.  On Round 1, Luc's Magic reduced the Imperial Army ranks to 8200.  Krin's espionage on Round 2 was useless, so I had the Forest Protectors elves activate the Bow command.  Milich must have been ready to cast Magic, because the Imperial Army was reduced to 5429 while my side was unharmed.  Giovanni failed to spy on the Imperial Army on Round 3 because he was as useless as ever.  The Lepant Family Charged while Milich ordered a Bow attack.  By Round 4, the Imperial Army was reduced to 2064, while my army had 4393.  A Mathiu buffed Commander's Team Charge destroyed what was left of Milich's forces.


Milich retreated to his extravagant palace after the defeat.  The enemies there were similar to those in the prison.  I had prepared for a boss fight by stacking my team full of spellcasters, but Milich surrendered as soon as the party approached.  One of Windy's Runes was controlling Milich just like Kwanda, and BOTCHAN had the option to spare him or kill him.  Since he was a potential Star of Destiny, he had to die:  "Gremio must be avenged".  Camille ran him through with her sword.


Stars of Destiny Death Count:  3 (Kwanda, Gremio, Milich)


Teo War Battle

-Kasumi the Ninja joined the Liberation Army right before this fight.  Her espionage was guaranteed to work, unlike Krin and Giovanni's versions.

Like the first war battle with Milich, this was a scripted loss.  BOTCHAN's father didn't resort to poisonous flowers like the previous general, but he had invincible Armored Cavalry.  Pahn stayed behind to allow the Liberation Army to retreat.  Teo decided to have a Duel with him.  Normally, this is where you'd make sure to keep Pahn's level, weapons, and armor up to date.  I knew this was coming, so I deliberately ignored him for most of the time after he rejoined the party.  This paid off when Teo defeated Pahn with one Attack, permanently defeating another Star of Destiny.


Stars of Destiny Death Count:  4 (Kwanda, Gremio, Milich, Pahn)


It was satisfying seeing the dark font on the stone tablet for Gremio and Pahn.  



Levels and Equipment
 


BOTCHAN level 31
 
Rune:  Soul Eater Rune
Spells:  Deadly Fingertips, Black Shadow (damage to all enemies)
Weapon:  Dragon Fang Staff level 9/47, 3 Thunder Rune Pieces
Helmet:  Half Helmet
Armor:  Leather Armor
Other1:  Gloves
Other2:  Boots
 

Viktor level 28
 
Rune:  None
Spells:  None
Weapon:  Shiko Sword level 7/34, 1 Wind Rune Piece
Armor:  Leather Coat
Other1:  Boots
 

Flik level 33
 
Rune:  Lightning Rune
Spells:  Angry Blow, Rainstorm, Raging Blow
Weapon:  Odessa+ level 9/48
Helmet:  Bandanna
Armor:  Magic Robe
Shield:  Wooden Shield
Other1:  Cape


Cleo level 30
 
Rune:  Fire Rune
Spells:  Flaming Arrows, Firestorm, Dancing Flames
Weapon:  Air Moon Sword level 5/25, 1 Fire Rune Piece
Armor:  Magic Robe
Other1:  Circlet
Other2:  Toe Shoes
 

Kirkis level 31
 
Rune:  Lightning Rune
Spells:  Angry Blow, Rainstorm, Raging Blow
Weapon:  Shine Bow level 7/42
Helmet:  Pointed Hat
Armor:  Guard Robe
Other1:  Feather
 

Luc level 29
 
Rune:  Wind Rune
Spells:  Wind of Sleep, The Shredding (attack one enemy), Healing Wind (heals and cures 1 person), Storm (damage all enemies)
Weapon:  Wind Rod level 3/7
Armor:  Guard Robe
Other1:  Speed Ring

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Suikoden 1 Minimal Characters Variant Part 7:  Parricide


Kirov

-Teo's Armored Cavalry were invincible to the usual war battle tactics.  The Liberation Army knew that a Secret Factory produced Fire Spears, a flamethrower weapon.  BOTCHAN used his upgraded boat to go past a whirlpool to the town of Kirov.  For 100% players, this was a place to recruit several Stars of Destiny, but for this minimalist challenge there wasn't much of a point to staying there.


Kalekka

-North of Kirov was a ruined town filled with random encounters with Hawk Men and Shadows.  Flik and Cleo cleared some enemy parties out with their all-target spells.  BOTCHAN occasionally cast Black Shadow at the beginning of a random encounter to wipe out all enemies in one round.  When I wanted to conserve magic a bit, I had Tai Ho and Yam Koo use their Unite attack.  (Tai Ho was needed to talk to someone later.)


Secret Factory

-Ledon the creepy innkeeper from Mt. Tigerwold was back, and acted surprised when I had BOTCHAN say he never met him before.  Both Ledon and another guy were calling Ronnie Bell a "giant woman" in a comic relief conversation.  BOTCHAN also called her that because I usually had him pick the tackiest dialogue options.  The minimalist playthrough made more sense when the leader of the Liberation Army talked like a dunce.


Mose the blacksmith gave BOTCHAN the Fire Spears and unlocked the ability to sharpen weapons at the castle.  Tai Ho talked to Kun To in Kirov to convince him to give some boats to the Liberation Army.  Next up was the final confrontation with Teo.


Teo War Battle 2

-Teo still used Armored Cavalry as before.  It took a while to figure out how to use the Fire Spears.  It was mostly done with the Charge command.  The fight went like this:

Round 1

-The Imperial Army had 14,000 troops vs. my 7125.  Krin spied on the enemy, and then I had Luc cast Magic.  It wasn't successful.


Round 2

-The Imperial Army was as strong as before, but now the Liberation Army was down to 4373.  The Secret Factory Team led a Charge.


Round 3

-Teo's forces were at 12,544 troops, while mine were at 3932.  Mathiu buffed a Lepant Family Charge.


Round 4

-This Charge took Teo's army down to 7705, with the Liberation Army at 2430.  The Fishermens Charged after Giovanni stole money instead of spying.


Round 5

-After this, the Imperial Army was at 5205, while BOTCHAN's forces were at a paltry 1663.  Sending Merchants made some imperial troops join my side.  After that it was Enemy:  3904, Liberation Army:  2964.  This free action probably won the battle for me.  They say on GameFAQs that Merchants have a low success rate, but I wonder if it's based on how much damage you deal before sending them or something.  The Bandits led a Charge.


Round 6

-Humphrey's Team led one final Charge to victory.



Duel with Teo

-No matter how much BOTCHAN protested, he had to kill his father in a duel.  Unlike Pahn, he was at a high enough level to win.  On Round 1 and 3, Teo used a Desperate Attack that BOTCHAN countered with Defend.  On Round 2, he picked Defend and I picked Attack.  Just like that, it was over.  Teo said he was proud that BOTCHAN had surpassed him, and ordered his subordinates Alen and Grenseal to join the Liberation Army.  The Soul Eater gained its level 3 spell Hell.  Ted said this True Rune was cursed earlier in the game.  I think its level 2 spell came from Gremio's sacrifice.

BOTCHAN, Cleo, and Viktor were required for the next mission.  I added in Kasumi, Ronnie Bell, and Alen to test out their special Runes.  Kasumi was L range, but Ronnie Bell and Alen were S range and had to be in the front row.


Levels and Equipment
 
BOTCHAN level 36
 
Rune:  Soul Eater Rune
Spells:  Deadly Fingertips, Black Shadow, Hell (instant death to all enemies)
Weapon:  Heaven Fang Staff level 12/91, 3 Thunder Rune Pieces
Helmet:  Half Helmet
Armor:  Leather Armor
Other1:  Gloves
Other2:  Boots
 

Viktor level 31
 
Rune:  None
Spells:  None
Weapon:  Shiko Sword level 7/34, 1 Wind Rune Piece
Armor:  Leather Coat
Other1:  Boots
 

Alen level 29
 
Rune:  Rage Rune (stronger version of Fire Rune)
Spells:  Firestorm, Dancing Flames, Explosion (damage all enemies)
Weapon:  Flame Sword level 7/33
Armor:  Leather Armor
Shield:  Steel Shield
 

Cleo level 36
 
Rune:  Fire Rune
Spells:  Flaming Arrows, Firestorm, Dancing Flames
Weapon:  Air Moon Sword level 5/25, 1 Fire Rune Piece
Armor:  Magic Robe
Other1:  Circlet
Other2:  Toe Shoes
 

Kasumi level 38
 
Rune:  Shrike Rune (physical attack)
Spells:  None
Weapon:  Big Sakura level 6/31
Helmet:  Headband
Armor:  Karate Uniform
 

Ronnie level 27
 
Rune:  Hate Rune (physical attack)
Spells:  None
Weapon:  Claw level 7/28
Helmet:  Headband
Armor:  Karate Uniform
 
 
 
Stars of Destiny Listed on Stone Tablet
 
Page 1

BOTCHAN
Mathiu (noncombat, swaps out active party members, can buff Charge attacks in war battles)
Humphrey
Gremio (Died in a cutscene in Soniere Prison)
Kun To
Viktor
Lepant
Luc
Cleo
Valeria
 
Page 2

Flik
Kirkis
Pahn (Died in intentionally failed Duel with Teo)
Camille
Stallion
Tai Ho
Yam Koo
 
Page  3

Sydonia
Alen
Varkas
Eileen
Grenseal
Tesla (noncombat, forged imperial documents)
 
Page 4

Kasumi
Mose
Liukan
 
Page 5


Kamandol
Kimberly
Gen
Juppo
 
Page 6


Giovanni (non-combat, Thief in war battles)
Kuromimi
 
Page 7

Sylvina
Ronnie Bell
Krin

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Suikoden 1 Minimal Characters Variant Part 8:  Castlevania


Lorimar, Warrior’s Village

-The party knew something was wrong when the bridge fortress of Lorimar was deserted and filled with graves.  At the Warrior’s Village, BOTCHAN learned why.  A vampire called Neclord was raising zombies and terrorizing locals on behalf of the vampire.  Neclord said “I became a vampire by using a rune, so I happen to be a well-bred vampire.  Besides, this sunlight is no big deal.  It does make me a bit sleepy, though”.  Neclord also had killed most of Viktor’s hometown in the past, so he had a personal grudge against the vampire.
 
An unwinnable fight with Neclord commenced.  He dispersed into bats every time the party attacked him.  BOTCHAN was more durable than the game intended.  It took about 5 energy waves and lightning blasts to send the hero’s HP to zero. . .only for him to auto-revive because a Sacrificial Buddha was in his inventory!
 

Qlon Temple


-The only lead the Liberation Army had now was to go to Qlon Temple and find an anti-vampire weapon.  Fukien the monk gave some exposition about the 108 Stars of Destiny, but Viktor didn’t believe it.  He then said the way to beat Neclord was inside the Cave of the Past.
 

Cave of the Past

-Enemies in this cave weren’t too tough.  The Banshees, Clay Dolls, and Red Elementals could be cleared out with the party’s physical Runes or magic like Firestorm and BOTCHAN’s Soul Eater skills.
 
A flashback/time travel sequence occurred 300 years in the past, revealing that Ted got the Soul Eater Rune after Windy and Yuber burned down his village.  The Star Dragon Sword insulted Viktor for a bit before joining the group to fight Neclord. 
 

Neclord’s Castle

-Neclord made a comment about it being rude to show up at his and Tengaar’s “wedding” with weapons.  Hix from Warrior’s Village became mandatory after a But Thou Must conversation (Drink!), so I replaced Ronnie Bell with him.
 

Hix was yet another generic S range melee character with no starter Rune.  The random encounters were as easy before, with Hell taking out the larger groups in one cast.
 

Neclord was playing his creepy organ version of a wedding march like a true vampire.  The fight began with everyone using their melee attack.  Viktor’s disabled Neclord’s invincibility like the cutscenes promised.  Neclord’s group attacks dealt heavy damage to everyone, especially Hix.  One final vampire bat bite killed the newest Star of Destiny.  After that, it was time to cast Explosion with Cleo and Alen, while the rest hit for melee damage.  Physical attacks (or at least criticals) from BOTCHAN could deal over 400 damage, while the spells did less than that.  Perhaps magic was finally beginning to lose its former advantages.  But then again, magic couldn’t miss.
 

Another air shockwave by Neclord took down Kasumi, and left Alen and Cleo at critical health.  Cleo tried to use a Medicine to save herself, but another vampire bat bite knocked her down too.  BOTCHAN’s Black Shadow dealt consistent damage in the 360s.  One Viktor slash hit the vampire for over 500 damage.  Alen had many Mega Medicines due to the overly restrictive inventory management system, so he was the de facto healer.  One final melee strike from BOTCHAN ended the battle, and Alen wasted a Mega Medicine right before the experience and money reward screen activated.  Neclord was the first tough boss since the Zombie Dragon, and his dialogue had style too.  It was a shame to see him die.
 

Viktor left the party temporarily after he killed Neclord, and Tengaar took his place.  It was time to head back to BOTCHAN’s castle and ponder what to do next.
 


Levels and Equipment
 
BOTCHAN level 47
 
Rune:  Soul Eater Rune
Spells:  Deadly Fingertips, Black Shadow, Hell
Weapon:  Heaven Fang Staff level 12/91, 3 Thunder Rune Pieces
Helmet:  Half Helmet
Armor:  Leather Armor
Other1:  Gloves
Other2:  Earth Boots
 
Hix level 45
 
Rune:  None
Spells:  None
Weapon:  Tengaar+ level 10/59
Helmet:  Half Helmet
Armor:  Leather Armor’
Shield:  Wooden Shield
Other1:  Boots
 
Alen level 29
 
Rune:  Rage Rune
Spells:  Firestorm, Dancing Flames, Explosion
Weapon:  Flame Sword level 7/33
Helmet:  Full Helmet
Armor:  Leather Armor
Shield:  Steel Shield
Other1:  Crimson Cape
 
Cleo level 46
 
Rune:  Fire Rune
Spells:  Flaming Arrows, Firestorm, Dancing Flames, Explosion
Weapon:  Air Moon Sword level 5/25, 1 Fire Rune Piece
Armor:  Magic Robe
Other1:  Circlet
Other2:  Toe Shoes
 
Kasumi level 38
 
Rune:  Shrike Rune (physical attack)
Spells:  None
Weapon:  Big Sakura level 6/31
Helmet:  Head Gear
Armor:  Karate Uniform
Other1:  Silverlet
Other2:  Cape of Darkness
 
Tengaar level 42
 
Rune:  None
Spells:  None
Weapon:  Ray Knife level 7/28
Armor:  Guard Robe
Other1:  Guard Ring


I bought Suikoden 2 from the Playstation Network today.  What kind of variant might you want to see for that game?  I'm considering a "no magic" challenge (with purely physical Runes and Unite attacks allowed), or possibly an "only magic" run that's roughly similar to the Phantasy Star 4 playthrough I posted. 


This Suikoden 1 playthrough is fun for me, though the variant restrictions seem pointless at times.  The game forces you to use specific characters so often that additional Stars of Destiny are moot.  The extreme case is Neclord's Castle, which requires the hero, Viktor, Cleo, and Hix.  That leaves only 2 characters for the player to select.  Chrono Cross (another PSX RPG with an abundance of characters) makes you use Serge/Lynx all the time, but for the most part the other 2 members of the party are up to you.  And it has weird characters like Funguy the mushroom man and Poshul the "Wonder Dog", unlike Suikoden 1's generic Tolkien species.

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Suikoden 1 Minimal Characters Variant Part 9:  Magicians Massacre Monsters

Dragon's Den


-Kasim had enough troops to overwhelm the Liberation Army, and BOTCHAN needed to find some new allies fast.  The answer was the Dragon Knights, who had no allegiance to the empire and several connections to the party.  Humphrey and Flik knew them, and Futch the Dragon Knight was the one who took BOTCHAN to Leknaat's island at the beginning.


The "aristocrat" Vincent may have spent most of his time bragging about his alleged social station and not paying for meals at the inn, but he was at least useful enough to find the secret passage into the Dragon's Den.  Most random battles could be finished with one Hell spell, so they were barely worth mentioning.  The Cyclone Rune dropped by a Sunshine King was noteworthy.  I replaced Luc's Wind Rune with this upgraded version, and it proved its worth in the next boss fight.   


The problem with the Dragon Knights was that most of the dragons had fallen asleep and couldn't wake up again.  Getting the cure required taking a trip to Seek Valley to find a special plant.  BOTCHAN only found this out after he begged to ride the dragons like a spoiled kid in a dialogue option.  (These dialogue trees allow for more role playing than the average Japanese RPG, so I get to portray BOTCHAN as an ineffectual leader who can't recruit many Stars of Destiny.  Mathiu does all the work in this playthrough.)


Seek Valley


-None of the random encounters were especially difficult with BOTCHAN's instant death spells, but several were interesting.  The Queen Ant, the first unwinnable boss fight, was a random enemy here.  It was weak to Soul Eater spells just like in Ted's cutscene on Mt. Seifu.  Wyverns had a loud wing flapping sound play in the background, which was odd in a game where enemies were normally quiet.


The Crystal Core was the boss here.  Despite having many crystals floating around, the Crystal Core was treated as a single enemy.  My party went for spells most of the time, except for Humphrey and Milia who were forced to use their regular attacks.  BOTCHAN's Black Shadow hit for around 370. Raging Blow from Flik and Kirkis reached around 330.  Luc's The Shredding dealt about 250 damage, while his Storm inflicted close to 300.  Melee attacks weren't nearly as strong except when they got critical hits.


Some ways into the fight, the Crystal Core became a much smaller red orb.  It must have gained a lightning resistance because Kirkis and Flik's spells were much weaker than before.  Its attack went from being a minor single target phyical move to a powerful magical blast that hit all party members.  Even then, I had a way around it.  Luc's new Cyclone Rune spell was Shining Wind, which healed all party members and dealt about 300 damage to the boss. 


The only other game that has a spell like this that I can remember is Golden Sun the Lost Age, which restricts it to a summon you get after you beat the optional super boss.  Magic is overpowered in Suikoden 1 no matter how few characters you have.  I'm leaning strongly towards a "no magic" challenge for the sequel.


Kirkis finished off the Crystal Core with one final bow shot, and then it was cutscene time.  Ted appeared for one last time.  He wasn't dead after all, just controlled by Windy.  He ordered the Soul Eater to kill himself to save himself from Windy's Conqueror Rune.  BOTCHAN gained his final spell after this event.  It turned out that the Soul Eater manipulated people around its wielder to start wars in order to feed.


Futch's dragon Black died after retrieving another ingredient for the sleeping curse antidote.  Black's liver was used as the final ingredient.  The Dragon Knights then joined the Liberation Army.


Northern Checkpoint War Battle

-Mathiu had noticed there was an imperial spy in the Liberation army, so he ordered everyone to attack the Northern Checkpoint ahead of schedule under the guise of a training drill.  This meant the Imperial Army only had 3700 troops vs. the Liberation Army's 8115.  One Luc casting of Magic won the battle instantly.  Griffith joined my side after being defeated, though BOTCHAN made an unsuccessful request to behead him.

 

Levels and Equipment
 

BOTCHAN level 51
 
Rune:  Soul Eater Rune
Spells:  Deadly Fingertips, Black Shadow, Hell, Judgment (high damage to 1 enemy)
Weapon:  Heaven Fang Staff level 12/91, 3 Thunder Rune Pieces
Helmet:  Half Helmet
Armor:  Leather Armor
Other1:  Gloves
Other2:  Earth Boots
 

Krin level 7 (forced party member with 58 HP. . .)
 
Rune:  None
Spells:  None
Weapon:  Needle level 2/8
Armor:  Tunic
 


Luc level 51
 
Rune:  Cyclone Rune
Spells:  The Shredding, Healing Wind, Storm, Shining Wind (heals whole party and damages enemies)
Weapon:  Wind Rod level 3/7
Helmet:  Full Helmet
Armor:  Guard Robe
Other1:  Speed Ring
Other2:  Power Gloves
 

Grenseal level 29
 
Rune:  Thunder Rune
Spells:  Rainstorm, Raging Blow, Ball of Lightning (high damage 1 enemy)
Weapon:  Lightning Sword level 7/33
Armor:  Leather Armor
Shield:  Steel Shield
 


Kasumi level 46
 
Rune:  Shrike Rune (physical attack)
Spells:  None
Weapon:  Big Sakura level 6/31
Helmet:  Head Gear
Armor:  Karate Uniform
Other1:  Silverlet
Other2:  Cape of Darkness


Flik level 51
 
Rune:  Lightning Rune
Spells:  Angry Blow, Rainstorm, Raging Blow
Weapon:  Odessa+ level 12/80
Helmet:  Bandanna
Armor:  Magic Robe
Shield:  Wooden Shield
Other1:  Cape

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

Suikoden 1 Minimal Characters Final Part:  No Need For Optimization


Floating Fortress Shasarazade War Battle

Round 1

-The Imperial Army had 17,000 troops vs. the Liberation Army's 9725.  AKishan's FAQ said I should have had 18,380 soldiers if I had recruited all the Stars of Destiny available.  This war battle disadvantage was the main difference my variant had from a normal playthrough.

Kasumi's espionage said Sonya would order her soldiers to cast Magic, so I sent the Dragon Knights who could only be defeated by Bows.  The Imperial Army was now down to 12,750.  The Forest Protectors fired their Bow, while Sonya's forces Charged.


Round 2

-Now the Imperial Army had 10,810 troops vs. my 6623.  Krin spied on the enemy and said they would use Bow.  Mathiu buffed a Humphrey's Team Charge.


Round 3

-Sonya's battalion had 5886 troops vs. BOTCHAN's 3601.  The Merchants failed to convert any enemy troops to my side.  Giovanni said the enemy would Charge, so I had Luc cast Magic.


Round 4

-The final round of combat had the Imperial Army at 2086 vs. the Liberation Army's 3601.  One final Charge with Viktor's team ended the battle. 



Floating Fortress Shasrazade Dungeon

-Now it was time to infiltrate the island castle and close the floodgates so the Liberation Army could burn it down.  BOTCHAN and Viktor were mandatory.  Alen, Grenseal, Cleo, and Luc filled the other party slots.  Random encounters tended to die to Soul Eater instant kill spells as usual. 


The boss Shell Venus was defeated by abusing magic, though I held back on some spell charges because there was another boss coming up.  BOTCHAN's Black Shadow, Alen and Cleo's Dancing Flames, and Luc's The Shredding and Shining Wind dealt damage in the 250s to high 300s range.  Grenseal's Ball of Lightning electrocuted the seashell for 2156.  Not surprisingly, that attack finished off Shell Venus.  The boss's spell could hit the whole party, but that was nothing that Luc's Shining Wind couldn't patch up.  



Sonya was tougher than Shell Venus, so I blasted her with my highest level spells.  BOTCHAN's Judgment hit for 1577, and Grenseal's Thunder God did some high amount of damage that I couldn't record in time.  Alen and Cleo cast Explosion, while Luc used Storm.  Both spells dealt damage in the 300s range.  Sonya's attacks sent several characters into critical health and knocked out the fragile Luc.  One final Black Shadow defeated the imperial general.


But the imperial spy lit the castle on fire before BOTCHAN could escape.  This secret enemy turned out to be Sanchez, a guy who switched out party members at the castle.  Sanchez's absence from the Stars of Destiny tablet should have tipped off the Liberation Army.  (I was wondering why he didn't appear there. . .)


Gregminster War Battle

-The final war battle in the game was quite difficult.  It probably took about 4 attempts before I figured out the right pattern for my tiny Liberation Army to succeed.


Round 1

-The Imperial Army had 20,000 troops vs. my 9725.  This was a disadvantage even when Leknaat and Joshua dispelled the monster troops before the battle.  A Magic casting from Luc remedied this a bit.


Round 2

-Yuber had 16,200 soldiers vs. BOTCHAN's 9725.  A Mathiu buffed Lepant Family Charge countered the enemy's Bow.


Round 3

-Gregminster was down to 11,133 soldiers vs. the Liberation Army's 6615.  Krin's espionage skills told me "Yuber's Charge" was coming.  This sounded like a deadly attack, so the Dragon Knights flew in to break that AI routine.  The Imperial Army was reduced to 8350.  The enemy was about to cast Magic, so the Forest Protectors shot some arrows at them.


Round 4

-The empire had 5580 troops vs. my 6615.  Although I now had the advantage, one Charge into a Magic spell could easily cost me the fight.  Merchants failed to convert anyone to BOTCHAN's side.  Kasumi's Ninja powers warned me of Magic, so the Soldier Beauties used Bow.


Round 5

-The Imperial Army was down to 3176 vs. the Liberation Army's 6615.  Krin failed to warn me of Yuber's plans, and I was out of effective Bow or Magic users.  It was time to go for broke with a Charge with Viktor's Team.


Round 6

-Imperial Army stragglers numbered 698, while the Liberation Army stood strong at 4717.  Giovanni said the enemy would Charge, and the Former Imperial Army Charged to victory.


Gregminster Imperial Palace

-The final dungeon was much easier than the last war battle.  Many of the stronger characters automatically joined the team, and 3 party slots were reserved for BOTCHAN, Viktor, and Flik anyway.  Grenseal, Alen, and Luc filled the remaining places in the party.


Ain Gide, the penultimate boss, was at the entrance.  He remembered Viktor's stupid "Scholteheim Reinbach III" alias.  Grenseal, Alen, and Flik had a Unite attack that hit the boss for 700-800 damage.  Using up three characters' turns wasn't worth the damage output at that time, so I had them cast spells instead.  Alen's Final Flame hit about as hard as the Unite, while BOTCHAN's Judgment struck him for 1577.  Other spells tended to deal from the high 300s to the 600s.  Before long, the last general was defeated and only Barbarosa remained.


Many Imperial Guards blocked the way to the emperor, and most were slaughtered with BOTCHAN's Hell spell.  Anyone who wants an RPG with good instant death spells should play Suikoden 1 where it works on every non boss fight.


Barbarosa used his True Rune to turn into the three-headed Golden Hydra.  Each head had different resistances and abilities.  The left head could revive the other ones, so I made sure to hit that with single-target spells like Judgment first.  The middle head was immune to lightning, and the right one could not be harmed with fire.  Alen, Grenseal, and Flik all relied on magic that at least one head was immune to, but this wasn't as detrimental as you might think.


All-target spells shortened the fight quite a bit, especially Luc's Shining Wind.  This healing spell could reverse the 100 or so damage per turn the boss dealt, as well as hurt each head for around 600.  When either elemental immunities or low spell charges became a problem, Alen, Grenseal, and Flik used their Unite.  This could inflict over 1300 damage.  Not bad for a party without maxed out weapons!  This move won the fight after being used on the right head once the others were dead.  BOTCHAN and friends were at levels 58-59, which was where a party should have been without extra grinding.


After BOTCHAN defeated the final boss, Barbarosa used his True Rune to take Windy down with him.  The palace was about to collapse, and Flik and Viktor stayed behind to fend off the remaining imperial loyalists.  The empire became the Toran Republic, and a Fire Emblem style ending played showing the fates of various Stars of Destiny.  Many blank spaces appeared which were meant for optional characters.


My final impressions for this variant will be in a postscript, because this entry is already long enough.  For now, here's the final Stars of Destiny list:


Final Stars of Destiny Roll Call
 

Page 1

BOTCHAN
Mathiu (noncombat, war battle buff only)
Humphrey
Gremio (Died in a cutscene in Soniere Prison)
Kun To
Viktor
Lepant
Luc
Kasim
Warren
Cleo
Valeria
 


Page 2

Griffith
Flik
Kirkis
Pahn (died in intentionally failed Duel with Teo)
Camille
Stallion
Tai Ho
Yam Koo
 

Page 3

Tengaar
Sydonia
Alen
Hix
Varkas
Eileen
Grenseal
Tesla (noncombat, forged imperial documents)
 

Page 4

Fukien
Kasumi 
Joshua
Mose
Liukan
Futch
 


Page 5

Kamandol
Kimberly
Gen
Milia
Juppo
 

Page 6

Giovanni (non-combat, Thief in war battles)
Taggart
Kuromimi
 

Page 7

Sylvina
Bell (Ronnie Bell didn't fit on the tablet, I guess)
Krin