Warsong - Langrisser

Langrisser, as it was known by when Warsong was originally released, is a strategy role playing game of absolutely epic proportions. Every gamer has played an RPG where he or she controls a character, maybe two or three. But Langrisser takes the micromanagement of a successful army to an entirely new platform. It is not unusual for a single commander to lead thirty or more individual troops battling on a huge map. This intriguing feature alone is enough to set Langrisser apart from similar games and make it worth a play.

However, this clever game has other great perks to offer the RPG gamer.
The protagonist of W-L is Garrett, the young prince of Baltia. The castle is under siege in the very first scenario and King Alfador has ordered his son to flee the castle with the aid of Balderov. With Dark Elves pouring in from all directions, it is difficult to do. After successfully fleeing the castle, Garrett will find other characters in his quest outside the safety of the castle’s walls. Some will be helpful and will join the party. Others are evil and need to be dispatched.
Many of the characters Garrett meets along the way can be termed generals. These special characters have their own unique abilities, as well as the ability to command the common soldiers. While soldiers are not nearly as powerful as the unique generals, they provide the masses for the basic army. A general can usually command eight soldiers. When sizing up an armies strengths and weaknesses, many factors come in to play in W-L. First is the general and his special abilities. Armies also receive terrain bonuses or detriments based on their composition.
The game consists of scenarios in the battle to take back the castle, where the sword Warsong is hidden. Along the way, the leaders will advance in rank by defeating the enemy. Leaders’ attributes depend upon their class, of which there are many ranging from mages and priestesses to Dragon Knights and saints. The class of a leader also determines what type of underling he or she can command. There are also numerous items that lend to a character’s abilities. To make the game even more interesting, it can be played in hot seat fashion, with other people assuming the roles of leaders. The complex nature of this game gives it awesome replayability. It takes some getting used to at first, since the interface isn’t the greatest, but once the ball is rolling, it won’t stop very quickly!