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[Flight Demon]

Anyone remember or still play the best of Koei's classic games?  I went home from college the other day and saw my brother playing a game we played for years and years on NES( I still have it) and now on emulator.   This game was by far better than RTK or Nobunaga's ambition.  This game had the clearest map and prefecture set up, the best scenarios and characters, and the best combat screens. 

I would usually take Hairy Priest, settle in 1, move to , 2, 3, 4 , then  12 13 or 14 recuiting anyone I could while building up public support in new prefectures.  In two years, unless I was extremely unlucky, I could have 5 or 6 prefectures with no hostile broders on the hardest setting.  The quickest I beat the game while being extremely lucky was like 8 years.  Usually made a quick and easy brother if he came around. 

Nine dragons In 24 in scenario 2, 3, or 4, was also great, because if you play it right you can fend off all of evil gao qui's attacks and take his generals.


Anyway, anyone else have anything to say about the game?  Your favorite characters etc?

[HuangJin]

I prefer Lin Chong, because he can take so many good sworn brothers.
Another is Chao Gai, he can take Hua Rong as sworn brother.
Song Jiang is relatively weak, and difficult to have good sworn brothers.
Using Li Kui is some challenge, because most people reject to join him.
Li Ying is awful, although his stats is good, but he's surrounded by enemies.

Lu Zhi Shen, Wu Song, Yang Zhi, Shi Jin, are good.

Hate Gao Lian, that !@#$% can strike magic 3 (three) times in one battle.

[Blue Faced Beast]

I prefer uh...Blue Faced Beast. 

[Flight Demon]

So you take Tatooed Priest when Blue Face isn't available???

[Blue Faced Beast]

Nope, I'd rather take Hairy Priest(Wu Song), he's got the best combat score among the 'brothers'. I like my character to be proficient in war and have good integrity.

[Flight Demon]

Hairy Priest has always beens my favorite character.

Okay, who is everyones favorite non-brother character?  I prefer Rabbit Spearer and Glutton, usually make them brothers immediately.  j/k but Usually when I make brothers it tends to be a "wandering bandit"  for lack of a better term such as six rice stalks.

ALso, I usually execute Gold keeper imediately jsut because his difficulty in recruiting doesnt match up with his ability in battle. 

[Blue Faced Beast]

Favorite non-brother character? All men are brothers!  Gao Qiu of course. I love to hate him. Unless you mean the guys who in the book were never recruited by the Lian Shan Bo bandits, if that's the case, I'm not quite sure which were recruits and which weren't...my memory is a bit hazy.

[silvanthalas]

This is the only NES title from Koei that I've never played, and I really need to give it a go some time. I've more or less 'mastered' all of the other NES Koei titles save Gemfire (the only other one I don't play on a semi-regular basis).

So I guess I'm kind of dreading how long it would take me to learn Bandit Kings, much less master it - all the others I've played since they came out in the early 90's.

[Flight Demon]

Its similar to the other turn based rpg's.  When picking your character make sure to have 100 body and take your time to make sure other stats are good too.   Most important thing is to pick a province that is not near evil gao qui to start with, recruit heros and keep their loyalties high, keep your public support above 55.

There is one quirk...  whichever province your main guy is in will not receive the same amount of gold and food at the new year than if he was not there.  So, often times it better to build public support to 55 and then leave.

There are just a few subtleties you will pick up on, it won't take long.

[HuangJin]

Right now I'm playing Bandit King in WindowXP using DOSbox.
This game is one of the hardest of the early 90's KOEI games.
Seems to be very challenging, until you met some enemy magicians in battle.
One of the worst magician to deal with, is Gao Lian.
When I invade Da Ming province, Gao Lian is positioned in the center of his officers, and strike magic 3 times, making almost every bandit dazzled.
Gongsun Sheng has wider range than Gao Lian, but only can strike magic twice, because of his weak body.
But after GaoLian captured, I immediately made him my sworn brother.
Ha ha ha..
Now which will he choose to fight?  Me (his sworn brother) or GaoQiu (his real brother) ?
Gao Lian against Gao Qiu.

[HuangJin]

Starting with scenario 1, I prefer to go to province 5 with YangZhi, or province 32/33 with LinChong.
Because in those province you can buy arms instead of making them.

If I use LinChong and going south, my first target is to capture 4 cities in the south (Gao Qiu 4 southern cities).
Why? Because Ma Liang told Liu Bei to capture 4 cities in the south (Jin Xuan, Han Xuan, Zhao Fan, Liu Du).
After captured those 4 cities, and area around them, then my next target is to conquer province 10 and province 20. Within several months, Imperial Edict will come.

Mostly I use this strategy. Because it's fun to follow Ma Liang's advice.

[jsblevi]

It's been awhile since I have played this game(might have to download the emulator tonight), but my favorite was Nine Dragons. He was usually the only brother on the left. One scenario had him 2 spaces to the left of the bad guy and I would immediately take the 3 province(?) to the left and build from there. I think I was able to beat the game with all the brothers, but with some it was very difficult.

I also had the barbarians come down from the north and beat me a couple times which sucked.

[indonesia]

18 years ago ...
yes... the first time i play this game

at first, i think... W-T-F?!
but after i know the flow of the game, the story (from comics), and the display and controls of the game, i think this is a superb game!

1. I prefer the 1st scenario than the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th. I don't know... maybe because the story is still very expandable, maybe all of you know that every you play this game the story is always different.
2. If using Shi Jin / Wu Song / Lu Zhi Shen, i prefer settle on pref 13. I can easily expand to right (1,2,12) or left (14,15,16,25). Also if i choose 1 from 3 good fellow, i can easily capture the other ruler, for example, if i choose Shi Jin, so i can easily capture Wu Song and Lu Zhi Shen, and ask them to join with me (recruit) even i must send them to prison first, and then recruit them on donwtown. I'm ussually attack pref 11 from 12. (The most fav heroes at the beginning after settle, for recruit Liu Tang, Deng Fei, Zho Tong, Wang Ying)
3. If using Yang Zhi, of course i will choose pref 5. and expanding my teritory to the south. after capturing pref 7 and neighbors (except gao qiu). And next i will capture 10 & 20. (Need Tang Long & Zhu Fu at first to attack pref 7 because of fire ability)

Fav General for WAR :
Shi Jin (Meele & Archer)
Wu Song (Meele & Archer)
Lu Zhi Shen (Meele & Archer)
Lin Chong (Meele & Archer)
Bian Xiang (Meele & Archer)
Li Kui (Meele)
Hua Rong (Meele & Good Archer & Fire)
Xiao Ju Sui (Meele & Archer & Fire)
Qiong Ying (Meele & Good Archer & Fire)
Gon Sung Sheng (Archer & Fire & Magic)
Xu Guan Zhong (Archer & Fire & Magic)
Zhu Wu (Fire & Magic)
Wu Yong (Fire & Magic)

[indonesia]

You All must watch WATER MARGIN form Episode 1 to Episode 43
THIS GAME IS SUPERB!

[ajaxXx]

Li Ying and Li kui are my favourites because of the challenge they pose, Strategy for Li Ying is to attack Lu Zi Shen with Li Ying and flee (Don't fight) to the open territory of 4. Transfer your remaining hero and all supplies to you, and move to 2 set up begin recruiting and expand into the open territories. Almost impossible to survive in your home territory let alone win!

 As for li kui recruit while exiled Ou Peng and move to 39 set up swear brotherhood with Ou peng and send him north to take territories for favour and to recruit, you should be able to get enough heroes to begin taking Gao Qiu's southern territories and most of those Generals share your philosophy and are easily recruitable.

Another strategy is to take Song Jiang in scenario 4 and quickly recruit all available wizards make sure you get Song Jiangs stats so he too has magic. Attack with all wizards and fireballers, no troops!, as long as you have as many heroes as castles, defending territories will ussually respond with 1 low level General who will stay put in a castle. Dazzle him and use fireballs to kill his troops, this way you can take territory after territory with minimal cost.