****************************************************************************** *****************************Archon FAQ/Piece Guide*************************** ****************************************************************************** FAQ Release Date 10/18/03 / Version 1.4 Contents 1. Introduction 2. Controls 3. Creature list 4. Spells 5. The Board 6. The Battlefield 7. Hints and Tips 8. Credits 9. Copyrights ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Introduction ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Light and Dark are waging an eternal war. Your job is to take control of either side of the battle and finish it! You have various pieces under your control. When one piece lands on another, it is not removed. Instead, the two pieces become alive and battle for the square! The loser is removed from the board. But don't believe that every move is guaranteed. Each side has a set of spells that can change the tide of the fight in an instant! Your move now.....Prepare for battle! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. Controls ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The controls are the same for every creature, but the results will vary. Here's the general controls for both modes(Board and Action): Board Controls : Move the joystick in any direction : Moves the box/cursor or the selected creature. Also, push up or down to navigate the spell menu(see below on Spells). Fire Button : Press to select a creature or to confirm your move/spell choice. Action Controls : Move the joystick in any direction : Moves your creature around the battleground. Fire Button + Joystick movement : Fires your creature's attack in the direction moved. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. Creature List ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ You have a wide variety of creatures to select from, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. They even have their own movement methods and weapons. So I'll give you a list of all the monsters and their traits to help you keep them straight. Before we begin, let me describe what those little extras I will add mean. (# piece/s) is the number of pieces you start the game with. (# spaces) is how far in Board mode one piece can move per turn. (Ground) means ground-based Board movement, in that one tile counts as one space when the piece is moved. (Flying) means air-based movement, in that the piece may move within that much of a radius of its starting point(i.e., a piece that has a Flying limit of three spaces may move as far as three spaces in a diagonal direction from its starting point or anywhere in-between). (Teleport) is basically the same as flying, except for the graphical effect it adds. /-----------------\ |Light Side pieces| \-----------------/ Knight (7 pieces, 3 spaces, Ground): The Knight stands for justice.....before this wimp is slaughtered. With EXTREME skill, you might be able to stand up to some of the more moderate monsters. He uses a close-range sword for some decent damage, but it may not mean much on the battlefield with others launching various attacks at this guy. The good news is you have a lot of them and they reload their weapons faster than any other Light troop. The bad news is their health bar is rather small.... Archer (2 pieces, 3 spaces, Ground) - The Archer is your first shooter. He uses a bow and arrow, but not well. The arrows barely do any damage, but at least they are ranged. Unfortunately, the Archer is also a little slow, meaning it may be hard to stay out of range for long. Also, his shots move very slow, so it may be hard to hit those distant foes. Valkyrie (2 pieces, 3 spaces, Flying) - Now we're starting to get serious. These girls have only slightly better health and shot power than Archers, but their shots move a lot faster. Also, they have the advantage of Flying movement in the Board mode. While far from the best, they can put up a decent fight no matter what. Golem (2 pieces, 3 spaces, Ground) - These things are SERIOUSLY slow. They like they are in molasses and their shot speed isn't much better. Also, their reload rate is enormous. However, their health bar is one of the highest in the game. Also, when they do connect with those large boulders they throw, they can take a giant amount out of the opponent's health. They can kill even the mightiest creatures with merely three or so hits! Unicorn (2 pieces, 4 spaces, Ground) - Unicorns have a fast reload rate, fast movement on the board and off, a fast shot speed.....did I mention they were fast? Their light beam shots are also very strong as is their health. A power point guarded by a Unicorn can be a little tough to dislodge. Djinn (1 piece, 4 spaces, Flying) - Nasty. This guy is meant to deal with problems. You only get one, but this guy has a fast shot speed, a large health bar(and I mean LARGE), fast movement, flying ability for the board. Take good care of him and he'll keep you alive for a good while. Phoenix (1 piece, 5 spaces, Flying) - After the Djinn, this piece seems to fall short. It can only affect enemies at close range, has a long reload rate, and is very vulnerable when coming out of an attack. Though it can move quickly on the board, it can only move as fast as the other pieces(save trolls, golems and Earth elementals) in battle. This can quickly turns the bird into ashes if you aren't careful. Just remember you can't end its fire-burst early. Once you press the button, you are stuck until it ends. Wizard (1 piece, 3 spaces, Teleport) - THE best piece on the board. He sports a massive health bar, an above-average shot speed and reload rate. Also, his fireball shots put the Unicorns' and Djinn's shot strength to shame. While he seems like the perfect candidate to place in battle, he is the only piece that can cast spells. That being said, you should leave on the power point he starts to not only protect the point, but himself as well. /----------------\ |Dark Side pieces| \----------------/ Goblin (7 pieces, 3 spaces, Ground) - Basically the same as Knights, these are the weakest troops you own. He has a war club for close-up brawling, but his low health will do him in. Manticore (2 pieces, 3 spaces, Ground) - Once again a copy, but these two mimic the Archers. Slow shot speed and low health....well, at least they CAN shoot. Still, don't depend on them for too much. They fling quills from their tails, in case you wanted to know what their attack was. Banshee (2 pieces, 3 spaces, Flying) - Finally, a unique creature. When they fire, they release a shriek that damages an opponent in its proximity. Though similar to a Phoenix in attack, a Banshee can move while its attack is in effect. They have one weakness, however. Their health bar is very low, so staying in range can quickly cause these spirits to dissipate. Troll (2 pieces, 3 spaces, Ground) - Yet another copy, these two for the Golems. Once again, slow movement, shot and reload speed. But, their boulders do pack one heck of a punch if they connect, so don't give up on them. Basilisks (2 pieces, 4 spaces, Ground) - This shadowy lizard mimics the Unicorns. They use deadly eye beams to fight, and once again their shots are as quick as ever. Shapeshifter (1 piece, 5 spaces, Air) - Now this guy is unique...or is he the same? When you go into combat, this guy will transform into a duplicate of whatever you are up against. One round, you could be fighting Djinn vs. Djinn. Next round, you could be involved as a twin of another Unicorn. This guy even copies the elementals summoned via spells! The bad news is that he does not copy health levels as well. Meaning if you fight a Knight on a white square, the Knight will have more health no matter what, leaving you fighting with a weakened Knight.....not pretty. Dragon (1 piece, 4 spaces, Air) - This guy seems like a copy of the Djinn, but also seems deadlier for some reason. He breathes fire that can kill the weaker troops in one shot! His reload time also seems a little slower....maybe that's just me on both counts. Sorceress (1 piece, 3 spaces, Teleport) - The answer for the Light Side's Wizard. This girl can utterly destroy any anything with her lightning bolt shots. Again, she is the only piece who can cast spells for her side, so keep her on the power point for safety's sake(or until you need her). /----------\ |Elementals| \----------/ Earth Elementals - These act like Golems/Trolls. However, they have a slightly better health bar than the others. Water Elementals - These move and fire like the Djinn/Dragon. Their shots seem to be a little more damaging, though. Air Elementals - Same as Djinn and Dragon again, but these sport a better reload rate instead. Fire Elementals - Yep....copies of the Djinn and Dragon again. I haven't noticed any major difference for these guys, though. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4. Spells ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ah, the spells. Without them, it would just be utter chaos....oh wait, it still is. Oh well. To cast a spell, just press the button twice on the Wizard/Sorceress and select the spell of your choice. Here's a list of what they are and what they do. Remember, you only get one casting for each spell. Also, you cannot affect any piece or choose a target that is on a power point. : Teleport : Moves one of your pieces to any place on the board. You can Teleport one of your pieces onto an opponent's piece, of which you will immediately begin combat. Heal : Completely restores a piece's health to its maximum. Useful if your Djinn or Dragon is looking rather ill.... Shift Time : Reverses the order the tiles were changing color in. If they were headed towards White, they will now be headed towards Black instead and vice versa. Summon Elemental : Summons a random elemental from the list to the board. You then choose a target creature for this elemental to fight. Board colors do not affect this creature's health. Whether you win or lose the fight, the elemental vanishes after combat. Revive : Use this spell to return any piece of yours that was defeated(except for Elementals) to the board. You must place it in one of the five spaces next to the Sorceress/Wizard's starting point. Imprison : Prevents a creature from moving until that side's color comes around again(i.e. If you Imprison a Shapeshifter, it cannot move until the Board color is Black again). Also, if you Imprison the Sorceress or Wizard, that piece cannot cast spells while Imprisoned. Lastly, if you Imprison the last remaining piece on your opponent's side, you win the game immediately(but be prepared for some rather nasty comments from your opponent). Exchange : Exchanges the place of two pieces of your choosing on the Board, regardless of who owns them. Cease Conjuring : Not a spell, per se. But if you change your mind, use this command to cancel the spell casting process. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5. The Board ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Board is a simple 9X9 grid. Whose turn it is is signified by the border. A Yellow border means it is the Light Side's turn, while a Blue one is used for the Dark Side. After both players take a turn, the board will shift colors. It will continue to slowly shift into Black, then slowly back to White again, and so forth. Depending on the color of the square, the pieces on it will have slightly more health if the color is favorable to them, less health if its against them. The color order is(from most helpful to the Light Side to most helpful for the Dark Side) : White, Cyan, Green, Purple, Dark Blue, Black. Some squares on the board are permanently White or Black. Use these as "safe spots" for your troops, until you are ready for them to attack. Also, there are five power points(they look like flashing circles). Occupy all five power points and you win the game. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6. The Battlefield ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Battlefield is where two pieces are sent when they land on top of one another. The two pieces will duel it out for the square. You'll see two bars on either side of the screen, a Yellow for the Light Side piece and a Blue bar for the Dark Side piece. When one bar runs out, that piece is defeated and the other piece is given the square. During combat, you hear high and low tones. Those indicate when a player can fire again after a shot. A high tone sounds for Light, a low tone sounds for Dark. Also, you'll notice various obstacles in your way. These appear and disappear at random. When you see a "faded" version of an obstacle, you can move through it(at a slower pace) but a true obstacle will appear there soon. You cannot move nor shoot through an obstacle, making them your only "shields" from your opponents shots. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7. Hints And Tips ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Imprison is the ultimate set-up spell. Use it to trap a creature on an unfavorable square, then cast Summon Elemental to send a tough fight its way. Or send your own strong creatures to deal with it. If you cast Shift Time after Imprisoning a creature, it will increase the time it takes before the creature is "freed". Early on, try Teleporting one of your best creatures onto a square of your color occupied by a strong creature of theirs. You may be able to take down a big threat before they are ready for it. Or try Exchanging one of their early "trapped" Ground troops on a square of your color(one surrounded by other pieces) for one of your Flying pieces on the same color square. This can mean an early upset by your Flying troop "picking off" several on your color squares. Move your Knights and Goblins out onto their color squares as soon as you can. Not only will it free up room for your Ground troops, but they can be sitting ducks on the squares of the opposite color. Keep your spell-caster on his/her square until later! It's no fun seeing your spell-caster Imprisoned or moved to a place with unfavorable odds.... Choose your targets early on. Though taking down Knights/Goblins can lead to fewer pieces to take power points, it leaves the more powerful pieces to wreak havoc. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8. FAQ History ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FAQ Version 1.0, 12/04/02 : Original Version of the FAQ. FAQ Version 1.4, 10/18/03 : Nearly a year later, I get around to updating this old relic. I fixed a ton of errors grammatically and just plain wrong(Banshee should have been noted for low health, not high; etc.). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9. Credits ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I'd like to thank Electronic Arts for making such a simple yet fun game. I'd also like to thank the few who challenged me to several games(you died noble deaths). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10. Copyrights ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I am here as your warning. I wielded these magics for many a moon....nor mortal shall steal credit for doing so, lest he risk himself and many portraits of a man known as "Franklin". In the words of ancient text : "This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright." If you wish to use this FAQ on your site, E-Mail me and we can talk about it. If you just want to download and butcher it....well, that's your preference. Just don't upload somewhere and say it was you that did that....well, you did the butchering....Oh, you know what I meant.... These have been the words of Cobra1, who copyrighted this document on 10/18/2003. E-Mail : BlackFangMercenaries@comcast.net