Let's Fight it Out! Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen

♫ Overture ♫


Let's play...

Ogre Battle: The March of The Black Queen

Welcome to let's play Ogre Battle: The March of The Black Queen. I'll be your host, Destil.

This is one of my favorite SNES games. Back in 1995 counsel RPGs were still pretty uncommon (hell, I finished 7th Saga) in the US so naturally seeing anything that looks like one in Nintendo Power got my attention. Ogre Battle took up the better part of the summer after my Sophomore year of high school, the mechanics lend themselves well to my obsessive-compulsive bent: I had pages and pages in notebooks detailing all the stats of every unit in my army so I could be sure they all saw proper action in the next battle and were progressing correctly along their class trees. Ogre Battle is, also, the first game that drove me to the internet, and the fact that I actually found a fairly useful class-change FAQ back then surprises me in retrospect. I remember shrinking the font down to 4 points so I could print it out on 'only' about 20 pages and adding it to the notebook with a three hole punch.

Since then I've fished the game four or five times and made more abortive stats than I care to mention. I've felt like firing up another playthrough ever since the PSP relrelease of Tactics Ogre earlier this year, and here we are.

It's a pretty unique game. Aside from the dirrect (second) sequel and a Wonder Swan Color remake/spin off that's frustratingly hard to find information on in English, it stands on its own.

Like basically every one of Yazumi Matsuno's games, the opening title screen alternates between a story scroll and a class breakdown if you let it sit without starting.

♫ Beginning of the Tale ♫

This is about all of the story we're going to get.

♫ Entrance Parade ♫


The Hero of Legend. Generally referred to via the online community as our 'opinion leader'. We actually get some say in his/her stats and abilities, the ones here are just one of the possibilities.

♫ Fortune Teller ♫

The game starts with Warren drawing from the Tarot deck and us answering questions based on the cards drawn, which determines which of the four we end up with.

But first:

We have 8 letters to work with.

We also have to choose which of the four Lords we're going to be using (generally designated by their move in the back row).

Ice Cloud


The high alignment (good) option. Holy attacks are generally useful and the back row attack hits all enemies. The downside: both are Int based and the lord's Int isn't stellar.

Iainuki


The mid alignment (netural) option. Both abilities hit hard and are based on Str, while this Hero/Heroin lacks the strength of the next option, the front row attack hits three times, easily making up for it. The main drawback is that Iainuki costs HP (though it does hit like a truck against any target) so even hidden in the back row you still end up taking damage.

Thunder


A low alignment (evil) option. The highest starting strength. But only two attacks in the front, and the back attack is Int based (another elemental multitarget attack).

Phantom


The other low alignment (evil) option. Phantom is a area based magic attack that deals dark damage, unlike the Ice Cloud or Thunder Lord this one gives us a good Int score to work with.

[Note: The alignment is just where we start, if we want we can change it over time. And our choice also affects some of our starting troops.]

We need three things for the next update, so be sure to throw in suggestions:

• Name
• Sex
• Lord Type (Ice Cloud/Iainuki/Thunder/Phantom)

I keep hearing people liking this game, including that one friend I had...wish I could talk to him now. I'll be interested to see what it's all about.

Phantom has highest starting HP, huh. Iainuki has the strength and killing enemies is what matters! Female, Valkyrie.

I don't mean to be rude but please at least use spellcheck?

It's the only thing letting us know that it's Destil 1.0 making the post and not one of his robot minions.

Odd, chrome is really inconstant about when it uses spellcheck and when it doesn't when you copy/paste between windows (and here I thought I was getting better at spelling). I'll throw posts up in firefox from now on.

Female Phantom

I'm no good at names so no vote on that right now.

Advance notice: Recruiting Deneb is REQUIRED!

I actually have a physical copy of this game, but my SNES doesn't work. =/ Wait, I change my mind!

Female
Saber
Ice Cloud

Though I suppose Iainuki would be more appropriate, but whatever.

I don't think I was even aware there was a fourth option for the starting lord. I know I've played the other three, at least. So we'll go . . .

Phantom, female so we can name her Queen II.

Yeah, I was unaware of that option as well.

No preference aside from female, as I've always played males in this one. Pick the class that aligns with the overall path you want to go is my suggestion.

Alternatively, a male Phantom Lord named Cliff who gets one of the main character gets assassinated at the end because he's just as bad as Zenobia was endings. :3c

I think I've always used Neutral since I can't recall using attacks besides Iainuki. So let's try Phantom. And female is fine.

My only vote is as follows: Iainuki is not preferable, and also they should be a chick. I'm really fine with any of Ice Cloud, Phantom or Thunder.

Back when I played the game I had a male Iainuki leader so I would like to see anything other than that. No thoughts on a name. I'm finding it harder and harder to come up with names for some reason.

Also, which ending are you going for?

Phantom. Sex doesn't matter, as long as you show off Poison, simply because no other class gets that move.

There is only one choice and it must be a male named Freddie, everyone else is crazy and should be disregarded.

Yeah, I wanna see Phantom.

Female Phatom named Aira

I thought you were wrong but then I checked and saw that Doll Mage/Master has Acid instead.

I'd go with Iainuki or Phantom.

Gender doesn't matter, BUT NAME SHOULD BE GUTZ.

What about a male (or whatever) thunder Gutz who refuses to get out of the front row?

I second this name.

Second. :3

Male, Gutz, Ianuki for the front row baby.

- Eddie

Thirded.

Although I have to admit I'd be pretty happy with Brian May if it would fit.

In a better world this game would have been remade for the DS, where it would have quick and easy maps and menus.

In a much better world Quest/Squeenix would have kept making great Ogre Battle games instead of tedious Tactics Ogre games.

What's wrong with Tactics Ogre?

Also, they made like what, 2 of those? Not really flooding the world with TO, there.

In a much, much better world the Ogre Battle game(s) would allow you to save in the middle of a stage. Or not have stages that take up to three hours to play.

So in a much, much better world the Ogre Battle games would be Vandal~Hearts instead?

I remember the first time I tried this game. I gave the protagonist my real name (I rarely do that), and found myself confused not too far into the game when it turned out that a major character in the game's story shares my real name.

Male named Freddie, as for alignment anything but ice cloud as I always had an Ice Cloud Opinion Leader.

GUTZ. Gotta be Gutz.

I'd like to see a lady chucking phantom/poison as well. How about "Misery"?

Does anyone know if the Thunder attack has a lower accuracy than, say, Icecloud? Whenever I picture it in my head it always misses.