FRONT MISSION 2 BEGINNER'S GUIDE VERSION FINAL(2.05) By Angelo Pineda(rpger77@yahoo.ca) VERSION HISTORY --------------- 23-8-2013 - Made updates to Battle System section. 10-12-2012 - Added Front Mission History, Front Mission Products, and Front Mission 2 Changes sections. 7-11-2012 - Significant update to all sections, added Geo Effect section to better explain its features. 12-6-2012 - Minor clean-up. 9-6-2012 - Minor changes. 25-4-2012 - Clean-up to reflect fan translation changes. 26-2-2008 - Corrections made and information added to various sections. Guide complete. 28-12-2007 - Beginner's Guide done. Will make future updates as information is still incomplete. TABLE OF CONTENTS ----------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sections Search Codes ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. INTRODUCTION [INTR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Front Mission History [FHIS] Front Mission Products [FMPR] Front Mission 2 Changes [F2ND] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. BASICS [BASE] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Main Menu [MAIN] Game Flow [GAME] Mission Play [MISS] Intermissions [INMS] Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ) [TFAQ] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. BATTLE SYSTEM [BATT] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Battle Phases [PHAS] Wanzer Combat [WCOM] Action Points System [ACTP] Honor System [HONO] Accuracy/Evasion [ACEV] Geo Effect [GEOF] Unit Movement [UMOV] Status Damage [STAN] Attack Elements [ATEL] Mission Completion [MICO] Job Types [JTYP] Skill List [SKIL] Skill Descriptions [SKDE] Weapon Types [WTYP] Tutorials [TUTO] Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ) [BFAQ] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4. WANZER SETUP [WSET] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wanzer Design [WDES] Computers [COMP] Wanzer Parameters [WPAR] Wanzer Types [WANT] Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ) [WFAQ] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5. CREDITS [CRED] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ To quickly find the section you want, press Ctrl + F at the same time to access the Find options. If you want to access something, type in the word in [] and the [] themselves. If you want to find the Credits, type in [CRED]. AUTHOR'S NOTE ------------- Front Mission 2 is arguably the one main Front Mission installment that receives the smallest bit of attention outside of Japan. And with good reason since it's the only one, outside of Front Mission 5: Scars of the War, that hasn't been sent overseas. Regardless, I'm sure there's someone out there who has the game and needs help. So, I've decided to make a guide collection that details everything in Front Mission 2. This one particularly to help anyone who is struggling with this tactically brilliant, but brutal game. Enjoy! Sites allowed to post this guide: http://www.gamefaqs.com http://www.gamespot.com http://www.neoseeker.com http://www.supercheats.com http://www.1up.com I will consider allowing other sites to post this guide if I get an email on the address shown above. I'm usually open to allowing other sites to post my guides provided that I am credited for my work. I assume anyone reading this is aware of the guide's purpose so I don't think I need to explain that. Also, don't try and pass this work of as your own. I've created this guide in a certain way that allows me to identify if someone has plagiarized from my guide. Respect those who spend a great deal of time making guides to help out other people. We don't do it just because guide writing is fun, you know! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. INTRODUCTION [INTR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is a beginner's guide to Front Mission 2 for the Playstation, released only in Japan. The guide will document the foundation and game mechanics that are found in the game. This will not document any material pertaining to the game's missions and whatnot so please don't send any questions to my e-mail address about that. Go to GameFAQs if you are looking for walkthroughs of the game. This guide is written for those who have never played Front Mission or this one in particular if you have already played other Front Mission installments before. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FRONT MISSION HISTORY [FHIS] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ So what exactly is Front Mission? Well, it's a Square franchise that was developed by series visionary and creator Toshiro Tsuchida. Although it was technically developed outside of Square under Tsuchida's development studio, G-Craft, it was their very first intellectual property (IP) that ventured into the turn-based strategy genre. While it's often known for this style of gameplay, this doesn't quite fit Front Mission. Just as much as it enjoys its strategy and role-playing game (RPG) elements, Front Mission is also equally known for experimentation through genre spin-offs. Even within the turn-based strategy entries themselves, there are titles that focus more on the strategy elements and others with very strong RPG elements. Counting the remakes, 13 video games have been released under the Front Mission banner. There are two main types of Front Mission games: numbered entries which play out as turn-based strategy games, and non-numbered entries which play out as real-time action-based games. Numbered entries include Front Mission, Front Mission 1st (the remake of Front Mission), Front Mission 2, Front Mission 3, Front Mission 4, Front Mission 5: Scars of the War, Front Mission 2089, Front Mission 2089-II, and Front Mission 2089: Border of Madness. The non-numbered entries include Front Mission: Gun Hazard (side-scrolling shooter), Front Mission Alternative (real-time strategy), Front Mission: Online (massively- multiplayer online third-person shooter), and Front Mission Evolved (third- person shooter). Beyond the video games, Front Mission boasts an incredibly diverse media presence that includes comics, films, novels, and even radio dramas. In fact, it's worth noting that Front Mission actually started out away from the video games themselves! Its non-video game media, especially its comics and novels, have enjoyed levels of success comparable to the source material itself! As such, the Front Mission franchise is incredibly popular in its home region of Japan. Unfortunately, its overseas performance has been shockingly poor as only four entries have been localized: Front Mission 1st (renamed as "Front Mission" for the release), Front Mission 3, Front Mission 4, and lastly, Front Mission Evolved. Much of this can be attributed to Square and Square Enix's incredibly poor handling of the franchise overseas. UNIQUE SELLING POINTS --------------------- So, what defines Front Mission and sets it apart from similar offerings in the turn-based strategy genre? For starters, Front Mission takes place in a near-future Earth which greatly resembles modern-day life, as opposed to the fantasy-based settings that prevail in games such as Fire Emblem or Ogre Battle. As a result, stories and themes of Front Mission focus on real-life issues that are prevalent in our societies and the world around us. Military, political, and technological topics are commonplace, as is the presentation of the characters. There are no real "good" or "bad" guys in Front Mission, and the narratives never follow the typical save-the-world cliche. Instead, Front Mission is a realistic, heartfelt drama revolving around mankind versus itself. The storyline of Front Mission also stands out for its unique storytelling approach. Modeled and styled after serial dramas, Front Mission is one long, continuous storyline. Although the video games contain standalone stories, these interconnect with ones from other entries and tie back to a larger, overarching storyline. Consequently, they show a very clear cause-and-effect relationship as events from one game are an aftermath effect from a previous one chronologically. This is accompanied by a large cast of over 70 recurring characters who make multiple appearances in the entries. What makes this more remarkable is how the storyline is not restricted to the video games alone. As all of its media are linked to each other, Front Mission practices what is known as "transmedia storytelling". In transmedia storytelling, all stories from each medium come together to tell the greater whole. All media products are considered canon, and their stories are usually penned by a core group of writers. This notion of transmedia storytelling also applies to the spin-off Front Mission: Gun Hazard and its related media, which are set in an alternate universe. This means that Front Mission: Gun Hazard is not considered canon to the main Front Mission universe. When Toshiro Tsuchida envisioned Front Mission, he and his writers mapped out a very elaborate main storyline that involved telling the stories beyond the video game medium. Starting in 1994, this was made into a reality through a comic series titled "Front Mission Zero", and a live-action movie of Front Mission that was shown on television. These two set the foundation for the main storyline, and began a trend of media lead-ins prior to the release of a new Front Mission video game. After the original Front Mission was released on the Super Famicom, it was followed up by a new comic series and a novel which foreshadowed Front Mission 2. This practice continued until the release of Front Mission 5: Scars of the War, the final planned entry of the grand storyline. Storyline aside, another major defining feature of Front Mission is its use of mecha. The mecha of Front Mission is known as the Wanderpanzer (German for "walking armor") or the wanzer. For the uninitiated, mecha is the term for a bipedal robotic machine which is controlled by a human pilot. Most mecha are unrealistic in terms of real-life applications in that they are portrayed as all-powerful, one-man army machines. Wanzers, however, are more grounded in realism in their design and they are assisted by other weapons platforms despite being a versatile weapons platform themselves. The official term used to classify a wanzer is WAP. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FRONT MISSION PRODUCTS [FMPR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ For anyone who wants to dip into more Front Mission offerings, the following is a quick summary of the major Front Mission products released. Most of them are in Japan, so you will have to import most of these products: MAIN SERIES GAMES ----------------- Front Mission - Super Famicom and WonderSwan Color. The original Front Mission is available only in Japan and can only be gotten by way of imports. It's fairly easy to find in auction sites...or you could try the fan translation route. The WonderSwan Color port is a much tougher find though. Front Mission 1st - PlayStation and Nintendo DS. As mentioned above, this remake of Front Mission stayed in Japan only. There's no point in getting the PlayStation version as the Nintendo DS one contains more content to enjoy. Front Mission 2 - PlayStation. Front Mission 2 is Japan-only so importing is your best option. This is a rare find, even in auction sites, so consider yourself a lucky one if you can get it. Front Mission 3 - PlayStation. Front Mission 3 has been released overseas, but it is hard to find nowadays. Fortunately, this can now be found on the PlayStation Network (PSN) Store for a reasonably cheap download. Front Mission 4 - PlayStation 2. Front Mission 4 has been released overseas and is fairly easy to find nowadays. Game retailers should still have a copy or two lying around, at least online ones. Front Mission 5: Scars of the War - PlayStation 2. Front Mission 5 was only released in Japan, so you will need to import from an online retailer or buy it from an auction site. Front Mission 2089 - Mobile Phones. Front Mission 2089 was only released in Japan as part of Front Mission Mobile. As Front Mission Mobile ended its services on February 28, 2011, you have no chance of playing it anymore. Front Mission 2089-II - Mobile Phones. Front Mission 2089-II was only released in Japan as part of Front Mission Mobile. As Front Mission Mobile ended its services on February 28, 2011, you have no chance of playing it anymore. Front Mission 2089: Border of Madness - Nintendo DS. This remake of Front Mission 2089 was only released in Japan. It's a fairly easy find at online retailers or auction sites. SPIN-OFF GAMES -------------- Front Mission: Gun Hazard - Super Famicom. Front Mission: Gun Hazard is a Japan-only release, but there is a fan translation available on the Internet if you're interested. This is the only non-canon entry of Front Mission. Front Mission Alternative - PlayStation. Front Mission Alternative was never released outside of Japan, so you will need to import. As with Front Mission 2, this is a rare find so search hard if you want to play this. Front Mission Online - PlayStation 2, PC. Front Mission Online was only released in Japan. It also requires signing up for Square Enix's PlayOnline service. Front Mission Online ended its services on May 31, 2008, so you have no chance of playing it anymore. Front Mission Evolved - PlayStation 3, XBox 360, PC. The most recent Front Mission title was released overseas and is readily available in retailers. It's also quite cheap these days, so you have no reason not to buy it. COMPILATIONS ------------ Front Mission History - PlayStation. This is a compilation that consists of Front Mission 1st, Front Mission 2, and Front Mission 3. Front Mission 1st is the PlayStation remake of the original, an enhanced Front Mission 2 with bug fixes and a Quick Battle option, and an unchanged Front Mission 3. As with most of the Front Mission products, it's only in Japan. Since this one had a print run of just 20,000, this is arguably the rarest product out of the video game line to get. FILMS ----- These live-action TV films are canon, expanded universe supplements to the Front Mission and Gun Hazard storyline. All of them were released only in Japan. Front Mission Front Mission Series: Gun Hazard COMICS ------ These comic series are canon, expanded universe supplements to the Front Mission and Gun Hazard storyline. All but Front Mission Dog Life & Dog Style were released in Japan only. Front Mission Dog Life & Dog Style has been released in Japan and translated into Korean for South Korea, and in French for France. Front Mission Zero (3 volumes) Front Mission Comics Front Mission Series: Gun Hazard Front Mission 2: Wanzers of the Elite Front Mission: The Drive Front Mission Dog Life & Dog Style (10 volumes) NOVELS ------ These novel series are canon, expanded universe supplements to the Front Mission and Gun Hazard storyline. All of them were released only in Japan. Front Mission: Front Line Report Gun Hazard: A Mercenary's Iron Legs Front Mission 4: Elsa (2 volumes) RADIO DRAMAS ------------ The Front Mission Series: Gun Hazard radio drama is a canon, expanded universe supplement to the Gun Hazard storyline. This 10-episode radio drama was only released in Japan. OTHER NOTABLE ITEMS ------------------- Front Mission World Historica: Report of Conflicts 1970-2121 - A reference book. World Historica documents the entire world of Front Mission in one giant book. It covers Front Mission, Front Mission 1st, Front Mission 2, Front Mission 3, Front Mission 4, Front Mission 5, Front Mission 2089, Front Mission Alternative, and Front Mission Online. Front Mission: Gun Hazard and Front Mission 2089-II are only briefly detailed. Additionally, World Historica does not cover the additions to the Nintendo DS Front Mission 1st, the remake of Front Mission 2089 "Front Mission 2089: Border of Madness", and Front Mission Evolved. This was released only in Japan. Action Figures and Model Kits - With the exception of the Front Mission 3 action figures, all of these releases saw the light of day only in Japan. Auction sites are a good place to find these. Original Soundtracks (OST) - All of these are Japanese releases, but online retailers tend to carry them. Some like the Front Mission 2 or Front Mission: Gun Hazard OSTs are very rare so you may have to search harder to find them. For more information on Front Mission products, please visit the following: frontmission.info ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FRONT MISSION 2 CHANGES [F2ND] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Okay, so what about Front Mission 2? Front Mission 2 is the second main entry released and the third entry overall as far as chronological releases go. A second version of the game was released with the Front Mission History compilation; this version was re-released under the Ultimate Hits line. The History version of the game comes with a bunch of changes and additions that make it more accessible to new players to Front Mission. Changes between the original Front Mission 2 to its History version will be detailed below. 1. There are new dialogues and event scenes found throughout the story. Most of the new dialogues take place during mission play, where they are used for backstory and character development purposes. There is one new event scene when hacking into a certain web address in the Network which occurs after the completion of Mission 16. 2. To rectify the loading problems of the original Front Mission 2, a Quick Battle option was added. Similar to the Battle Scene Skip option from the WonderSwan Color Front Mission and PlayStation Front Mission 1st, the battle scenes are skipped entirely. A quick animation is done for attacks. Instead of showing the HP bars for each part, the unit window only displays information about the unit. Displayed in the unit window are: pilot's name, unit name, unit type, weapon name, weapon type, and Battle Skills activated. The game's loading processes have also been optimized to provide faster loading times. 3. Some game-crashing bugs which appeared in the original Front Mission, most of which revolved around accessing certain parts of the Network, have been fixed. In addition, the warping bug which allowed players to warp any unit around the map has been removed. 4. Several wanzers and parts have been renamed. Here is a list of them: (Wanzers) Heil - Hayle Te Deum - Tedium Trero - Torero Vajie - Vaje Zaigout - Zaigaut (Weapons) Barubari - Barbari Brasta - Blaster Cobbet - Covet Eaglet - Egret Gemas - Germas Grossy - Glossy Growtask - Glowtusk Hunagi - Funagi Winnie - Winee Zwige - Ziege ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. BASICS [BASE] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This section will detail how Front Mission 2 works as a whole. If you are more interested in learning specific mechanics about the game, please check the other sections. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MAIN MENU [MAIN] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Simply said, this is the menu seen when after the introductory movie ends. It is very self-explanatory since all Front Mission installments have it. Apart from the showcase of wanzers, which changes every time you come back to it, the following are options shown: New Game Load Continue Configuration VS Mode Tutorial New Game and Load are typical for any game. Continue is the option to continue a mission that you are playing through the Quicksave feature. Configuration pertains to changing the color scheme of the game's interface and windows. VS Mode is also self-explanatory, but this can only be accessed if two memory cards are present. Lastly, Tutorial opens up numerous tutorials that explain the game's mechanics in-depth. For the window color changes, they are as follows: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ID Name Paint Scheme ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 00 Default Color Light Brown 01 Color of Your eyes Light Blue 02 My eyes Light Purple, Pink 03 Your hair Blue, Purple 04 My hair Light Blue, Purple 05 Your voice Dark Purple, Orange 06 My voice Light Purple, Dark Pink 07 Your tears Dark Blue 08 My tears Yellow, Grey 09 Your heart Dark Orange, Orange 10 My heart Light Purple, Dark Orange 11 Me in Your mind Yellow, Green-Yellow 12 You in My mind Light Pink, Blue-Green 13 You Dark Pink, Red 14 Me Dark Green, Red 15 and You and Me Dark Grey, Blue ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ GAME FLOW [GAME] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Front Mission 2 progresses like any typical game: the player goes through a set amount of missions before beating the game. In-between each mission, the player can manage their characters in preparation for the next mission. Event scenes occur at certain periods of time before, during, or after a mission. These are plot-related events that reveal more about the topics covered in the game and the characters themselves. The player travels to locations on a point-and-click style of world map, which consist of battlefields, towns, and cities. New locations are shown with a red line while old locations are shown with a green line. Essentially, the game flows in the following manner: To recap game flow: 1. Play and complete missions. 2. Intermission: prepare and setup units at towns and cities. 3. Progress plot by watching scenes before, during, or after missions. 4. Repeat until the player beats the game. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MISSION PLAY [MISS] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Missions in Front Mission 2 work similar to other strategy RPG offerings. Prior to most missions, the player receives a password to access a web page from the EARLY BIRD forum. This web page details the enemy composition from units to unit placements for the upcoming mission. The player therefore makes adjustments to their units accordingly before commencing the mission. Once in a mission, the winning conditions must be met in order to complete the mission. Unlike in Front Mission 1st, missions often have updates that must be met apart from the original winning conditions. On several occasions, non-playable characters (NPC) fight in missions, but the AI controls all of their actions. As far as mission variety is concerned, missions are a lot more complex than simply destroying all enemies. With the inclusion of mission updates, missions can change from destroying enemies to retreating from the battlefield. These updates are never covered by the web pages found in the EARLY BIRD forum. In short, the player must prepare for any situation that might occur during a mission. This covers the flow behind mission play in a nutshell. Unit interface: |------------------------------------| |Pilot Lv. xx (R) | |in Machine Name Ev. xxxx | |-----------------| | | | | | | xxxx AP xx | |------------------------------------| |Geo. xx% | |-----------------| Unit Guide: Pilot - The name of the pilot. Lv. - The pilot's Total Level. (R) - The unit's main armor coating against an attack element. Machine Name - The name of the pilot's machine. Ev. - The unit's overall combat performance. xxxx - The unit's total HP (located beside AP). AP - The amount of Action Points that the unit has. Geo. - The Geo Effect value of the square the unit is standing on. Status interface: UNIT |-------------------------------------| | UNIT STATUS | |-------------------------------------| | -Name- -DF- -HP- | |Part: Part Name (R) xx ====== xxx/xxx| |Part: Part Name (R) xx ====== xxx/xxx| |Part: Part Name (R) xx ====== xxx/xxx| |Part: Part Name (R) xx ====== xxx/xxx| |-------------------------------------| |Ev. ====== xxxx Fight ======= xxxx| | Move xx Short ======= xxxx| | Mobile xx Long ======= xxxx| |-------------------------------------| Unit Status Guide: DF - The part's defense value. HP - The part's HP value. Part Name - The name of the part. (R) - The part's armor coating against an attack element. Ev. - The unit's overall combat performance. Fight - The unit's Fight combat performance. Short - The unit's Short combat performance. Long - The unit's Long combat performance. Move - The unit's Move value. Mobile - The unit's Mobile value. PILOT |--------------------------| | PILOT STATUS | |--------------------------||-----------------| |Pilot Machine Name||PicturePicturePic| |Honor * * * * * * * ||PicturePicturePic| |Act Point xx/xx (xxx)||PicturePicturePic| |--------------------------||PicturePicturePic| | Level EXP ||PicturePicturePic| |Total Lv. xx ||PicturePicturePic| |Fight Lv. xx (xxxx/xxxx) ||PicturePicturePic| |Short Lv. xx (xxxx/xxxx) ||PicturePicturePic| |Long Lv. xx (xxxx/xxxx) ||PicturePicturePic| |--------------------------||PicturePicturePic| | Talent Skill ||PicturePicturePic| |Cont xx Skill Name ||PicturePicturePic| |Sight xx Skill Name ||PicturePicturePic| |Mech xx Skill Name ||-----------------| |Vital xx Skill Name | |--------------------------| Pilot Status Guide: Picture - The picture of the pilot. Pilot - The name of the pilot. Machine Name - The name of the pilot's machine. Honor - The amount of Honor stars that the pilot possesses. Act Point - The amount of Action Points that the pilot has. ( ) - The amount of Honor points that the pilot has. EXP - The amount of EXP the pilot has in all Job classes. ( / ) - The current amount of EXP/EXP needed to level up. Total - The pilot's Total Level, calculated from all Job classes. Fight - The pilot's proficiency in the Fight class. Short - The pilot's proficiency in the Short class. Long - The pilot's proficiency in the Long class. Talent - The pilot's talents for combat. Skill - The pilot's equipped skills. Cont - Control. The pilot's piloting talent. Sight - Sight. The pilot's tracking talent. Mech - Mechanic. The pilot's mechanical talent. Vital - Vitality. The pilot's willpower. WEAPON |--------------------------------------| | WEAPON | |--------------------------------------| | Name Type AT Hit Rng Bt| |Part: Weapon (A) xx 111x11 xx x-x x/x| |Part: Weapon (A) xx 111x11 xx x-x x/x| |Part: Weapon (A) xx 111x11 xx x-x x/x| |Part: Weapon (A) xx 111x11 xx x-x x/x| |Part: Weapon (A) xx 111x11 xx x-x x/x| |--------------------------------------| |Back: Backpack Backpack Type | |--------------------------------------| Weapon Status Guide: Name - The name of the weapon. Type - The type of weapon used. AT - The weapon's attack power value. Hit - The weapon's accuracy value. Rng - The weapon's effective range. Bt - The amount of bullets the weapon has. Part - The part that holds the weapon. (A) - The weapon's attack element. Backpack - The name of the Backpack. Backpack Type - The type of Backpack used. ITEM |--------------------------| | ITEM | |--------------------------| |Backpack Carry x/x | | Name Wt | | Item Name xx | | Item Name xx | | Item Name xx | | Item Name xx | | Item Name xx | | Item Name xx | | Item Name xx | |--------------------------| Item Status Guide: Backpack - The name of the Backpack. Carry - The amount of items that the Backpack can store. Name - The name of the item. Wt - The item's weight value. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ INTERMISSIONS [INMS] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Intermissions are sections of the game in which the player is currently not participating in a mission. During an intermission, the player has access to a few options. Normally after a mission ends, the player is returned to the world map. The player's only option is to head for a town or city nearby the area of operations. At any town or city, the player can access the following options: Agit Shop/Warehouse/Hangar Bar Arena Network Load/Save Exit The game's plot progresses by visiting Agit or the equivalent location at a city or town. The Shop, Warehouse, or Hangar is where the player can buy or sell parts and items for mission play. This is the place to go for upgrading wanzers any time during the game. The Bar is home to the common folk living in Alordesh and how they are getting through the coup d'etat. The folks reveal details about the game's backstory and may reveal addresses or passwords for the Network. Some folks stop by at the Bar for a period of time and may have something of use if the player talks to them. If the player wants to earn money, the Arena is a side feature that pits a player-controlled unit against the AI for the purpose of accumulating money. Check the Arena guide on GameFAQs for more details. The Network is a new feature that allows the player to search and check out web addresses and pages. More details on this can be found on the Network guide on GameFAQs. Load/Save are both self-explanatory features and so is the Exit option. One item to make note of is that you cannot leave a town or city in most cases until you visit Agit or the equivalent location. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS(FAQ) [TFAQ] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q: How come I can't go back to cities and towns I visited before? Front Mission 1st allowed this and I like being able to travel to where I want. A: That minor feature was taken out since it served no real purpose in Front Mission 1st. You can still visit old locations, but it depends on how far have you gotten into the game. Q: Where can I find the Setup option? I played Front Mission 1st and it's a bit strange why it doesn't appear along with the other options at cities or towns. A: The Setup option is located next to the Shop option. Go to the location where the Shop is located at the city or town you're in and you will see it. Q: I need help on a mission! I saw the EARLY BIRD analysis prior to the mission and made preparations, but there are things the mission didn't go through! What gives? A: The EARLY BIRD analysis only covers the initial enemy composition and does not cover information about mission updates. Getting through the initial enemy composition is easy, but you may not be prepared for what appears after a mission update. Having a team setup that can hit all enemy types is one way to prepare for the updates. Q: You didn't really cover the Arena in-depth. Why? A: The Arena feature has been upgraded significantly and covering all of the changes would be unnecessary in a beginner's guide. Q: How do you get web addresses and pages to appear on the Network? I only have the ones that come automatically through plot progression. A: See my Network guide on GameFAQs for more details. All material pertaining to the Network can be found there. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. BATTLE SYSTEM [BATT] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This section discusses the fundamentals of Front Mission 2's battle system. If you are looking for information on how battles operate, you are in the right section. It is highly recommended that you read this section regardless of your experience level with strategy RPGs or Front Mission in general. The game is very demanding and does not reward those who have no grasp of how the mechanics work. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BATTLE PHASES [PHAS] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The battle system of Front Mission 2 is turn-based and takes place on grid maps for movement and actions. In short, it is the same format as seen in previous Front Mission installments. The concept of Phases has returned: the player's units go first and when they have finished acting, the AI-controlled units act next. These Phases are appropriately titled as Player and Enemy Phases. A full turn, therefore, is the combination of one Player and Enemy Phase. While the player-controlled units act only in Player Phases, they can counter enemy attacks during Enemy Phases when the opportunity is possible. If the player does not need to act, they can force a Player Phase to end. Thus, the general flow of a mission is as follows: General Battle Flow: 1. Player Phase. 2. Enemy Phase. 3. Repeat until player wins or loses. Within the general flow, the player can press the Start button to open up the System menu. This menu has been in every Front Mission game so it should be familiar to those who have played previous installments. If not, read on: System Menu Guide: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Command Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ System Setup Open up System Setup menu. Quicksave Save mission progress. Quit Game End mission. (Game Over) Cancel Exit System menu. End Turn End Player Phase. Systems Setup Menu Guide: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Command Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Game Control Open up Game Control menu. Help Info Bar Open up Help Info Bar menu. Quick Battle* Open up Battle Scene menu. Notes: * - option is only available in the History and Ultimate Hits versions of Front Mission 2. Game Control Menu Guide: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Command Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Manual Control Player manually operates unit selection controls. Semi-Auto Control AI assists unit selection controls. Help Info Bar Menu Guide: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Command Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Help Bar On Help bar indicator is visible. Help Bar Off Help bar indicator is invisible. Battle Scene Menu Guide: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Command Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Battle On Battle sequences will be activated. Battle Off Battle sequences will be deactivated. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ WANZER COMBAT [WCOM] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ As the main fighting unit in any Front Mission, wanzers are unique in several ways. Wanzers are compromised of four specific parts that have their own special purposes and durability parameters, known as Health Points (HP). The Legs control the wanzer's ability to move around the battlefield. The Arms allow the wanzer to attack using hand and shoulder-equipped weapons. Finally, the Body keeps the wanzer unit operating on the battlefield. Attacks damage parts on a random basis and do not focus on any specific part. Destruction of any part severely cripples a wanzer's effectiveness in battle. Without the Legs, the wanzer can only move one square and loses the ability to evade attacks. Destruction of an Arm is self-explanatory; weapons equipped on it cannot be used. Lastly, destruction of the Body is the only way to eliminate a wanzer completely. Needless to say, the fastest way to destroy a wanzer is by destroying their Body parts. Most of the time, this isn't possible without taking out the Arms or Legs first. This may sound confusing at first, but the wanzer mechanics are quite easy to get into. Basically, as long as a wanzer's Body is functional, it has uses in a mission. Even if a wanzer has nothing left except a Body, it can provide assistance to the other units in some way outside of attacking. For those who have played Front Mission 1st, there is no supply truck unit to provide support to your units. In addition, all ranged weapons now have a finite ammo reserve, rather than it being restricted to just shoulder-mounted weapons. Thus, battle planning is a lot more important here than in Front Mission 1st. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ACTION POINTS SYSTEM [ACTP] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The newest and most noticeable addition to Front Mission 2 is the Action Points (AP) System. As its name implies, all actions require some amount of AP to use. From movement, attacking, counterattacks, or using an item, AP must be expended to use them. After every turn, AP is fully recharged back to its maximum. All actions do not require the same amount of AP consumption to use in battle. The aforementioned actions and their AP requirements can be read below: Actions Guide: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Action AP Player Phase Enemy Phase ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Attack (Fight) 0 Yes Yes Attack (Short) 2 Yes Yes Attack (Long) 6 Yes Yes Counter 2 No Yes Defend (Shield) 0 No Yes Drop Item 4 Yes No Equip Item 4 Yes No Evade 2 No Yes Give Item 4 Yes No Movement 1 Yes No Use Item 4 Yes No Weapon attacks from one of the three Job classes expend the same amount of AP designated for their class. When attacking during an Enemy Phase, this action is considered a counter, which expends an extra 2 AP. Defending with shields also qualifies as a counter even though it costs 0 AP to use. In the case of choosing Evade during the Enemy Phase, this does not count as a counter. Movement's AP cost is the amount needed to move one square. The amount that a unit can move is directly tied to its Move value. All pilots start off with 7 AP, which increases as their Total Level rises. Total Level is affected by the Job Levels for Fight, Short, and Long. Thus, increasing Job Level from any of the three classes will increase a pilot's Total Level. Not all pilots will gain extra AP at the same Total Level values as some will advance more quickly than the rest. All pilots fall under one of three AP-Total Level patterns: Pilot AP Pattern 1: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ AP Total Level Pilots ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8 4 Ash, Lisa, Roswell 9 7 10 11 11 15 12 19 13 23 14 27 15 30 Pilot AP Pattern 2: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ AP Total Level Pilots ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8 5 Joyce, Thomas, Sayuri, Griff, Pike, Maylan 9 9 10 13 11 17 12 21 13 25 14 29 15 30 Pilot AP Pattern 3: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ AP Total Level Pilots ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8 6 Amia, Rocky, Cordy 9 11 10 15 11 19 12 23 13 26 14 29 15 30 Total Level Guide: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Total Level Job Levels ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 1/1/1 2 3/1/1 3 5/1/1 4 6/1/1 5 8/1/1 6 9/1/1 7 11/1/1 8 13/1/1 9 14/1/1 10 16/1/1 11 17/1/1 12 19/1/1 13 21/1/1 14 22/1/1 15 24/1/1 16 25/1/1 17 27/1/1 18 29/1/1 19 30/1/1 20 30/5/1 21 30/9/1 22 30/13/1 23 30/17/1 24 30/21/1 25 30/25/1 26 30/29/1 27 30/30/6 28 30/30/14 29 30/30/22 30 30/30/30 AP and Total Level patterns aside, the commands available for the player to use are as follows: Unit Commands Guide: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Command Effect ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (Player Units) Move Move unit on the battlefield. Attack Attack with equipped weapon. Item Open up Item menu. Item: Use Use items stored inside unit's Backpack. Item: Drop Drop items equipped by the unit. Item: Give Give items stored inside unit's Backpack to others. Item: Equip Equip items stored inside unit's Backpack. Status Check unit's status. Cancel Exit Unit menu. End End unit's turn. (Enemy Units) Move Area Show enemy unit's movement area. Status Show enemy unit's status. Most of the actions are very self-explanatory, but there are certain issues with some commands. Dropping items will lighten up your wanzer and therefore increases its Mobile and Move stats. This comes at the cost of losing the item dropped for good. Giving items to other units is possible as long as the one who will get the item has enough space and Weight to equip it. Equipping items refers to equipping any weapons stored inside the unit's Backpack. In the event that you are trading weapons, the old one will be stored inside the Backpack. It is also possible to switch the position of a unit's weapons if the Arm holding it is destroyed. For example, a unit with a Machine Gun on its destroyed Left Arm can switch it to its Right Arm with the Equip option. ITEMS ----- Using items is the same as it was in Front Mission 1st; units can use either repair items or support items in combat. There are some new additions and changes though. Without a supply truck unit to restore destroyed parts, there are now restore items that have the same function. As all ranged weapons in Front Mission 2 now have finite reserves, ammo reload items now exist. Each ammo reload item is specific to the type of weapon its meant for, so it's not a one-size-fits-all deal. Item Guide: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Name Range Effect ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Repair 0-1 Repairs damaged parts. Restore 0-1 Restores destroyed parts. Ammo 0-1 Replenishes weapon ammo. Mine 0 Places a mine in the current location. Chaff Varies Lowers accuracy of missile launcher weapons. Smoke Varies Lowers accuracy of melee and ranged weapons. Unlike in Front Mission 1st, repair items can be given to other ally units aside from the unit who has it equipped. This also applies to restore and ammo reload items. Mines still have the same effect as they did in Front Mission 1st, but they now only destroy a unit's Leg parts. In regards to Chaff and Smoke, these support items no longer target a single unit. Rather, these items will affect a 9-square radius when a unit uses them. So any unit in the said radius will gain their benefits. The effects of Chaff and Smoke last for a few turns. Also, their launch range is entirely dependent on the type of Backpack that a unit has equipped. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ HONOR SYSTEM [HONO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Apart from the Action Points System, the Honor System makes its debut in Front Mission 2. The basis behind Honor is that combat should be fought with a team as opposed to merely fighting enemies alone. As such, the Honor System is designed to promote teamwork and its mechanics tie in directly with the Action Points System. The most vital Honor mechanic is unit positioning as it affects AP charge for units. This is another potentially complicated matter so I will explain below: [ ][ ][ ] [ ][U][ ] [ ][ ][ ] The nine-square formation above is the effective range for Honor mechanics. In short, Honor takes effect within the eight-square radius around the user. Positioning the unit around allies will raise AP charge by 1 like this: [ ][A][ ] [ ][U][ ] [ ][ ][ ] Regardless of where the ally is positioned, the unit's AP charge receives a bonus of 1 AP if they are within range. Thus, the most that AP charge can be raised is 8 AP. Positioning the unit around enemies works differently: [ ][E][ ] [ ][U][ ] [ ][ ][E] In the above scenario, the unit's AP charge drops by 3 due to the positioning of the two enemies. Enemies directly within one-square range of the unit, or are positioned in any of the cardinal directions, result in a loss of 2 AP. Enemies within the eight-square radius, or are positioned in any of the ordinal directions, result in a loss of 1 AP. Thus, the most that AP charge can decrease is 12 AP. Note that these mechanics work in reverse, so enemies can be subjected to AP charge decreases as well. Using a unit with 10 AP, try to guess the value of their AP charge under the following situations: Example 1: [E][E][A] [A][U][A] [A][E][E] Example 2: [A][E][A] [E][U][E] [A][E][A] Example 3: [E][A][E] [A][U][A] [E][A][E] More or less, positioning is key to avoiding enemies from crippling a unit's AP supply while reducing theirs. Of course, this is just one aspect of the Honor System. Honor Skills are another aspect of the system and have various effects towards friend and foe. Ally units affected by an Honor Skill will fade in blue. Enemy units affected by an Honor Skill will fade in red. All Honor Skills have the same range, but in case you want to check it, press the Triangle button during a mission once to toggle the Honor indicators ON. Honor Skills are learned through Honor stars, which are gained with Honor points. Honor points are awarded for destroying units, whether it be friend or foe. While Honor can be gained through part destruction, it's better to go straight for the kill. A unit gets Honor based on how many parts remain from the destroyed enemy. For example, a wanzer always has four parts so taking out the Body will grant 4 Honor. Likewise, blowing off the wanzer's Legs and then taking it out will grant 4 Honor. Once you reach certain point values, you will receive an Honor star. The point values can be seen below: Honor Points Guide: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Honor Stars Honor Skill ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 0 0 No 20 1 No 50 2 No 90 3 Yes 140 4 Yes 200 5 Yes 270 6 Yes 350 7 Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ACCURACY/EVASION [ACEV] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Accuracy and evasion mechanics in Front Mission 2 are a lot more complex than the ones found in Front Mission 1st. Arms no longer have a true accuracy parameter; only weapon accuracy remains. Weapon accuracy and evasion are also affected by wanzer equipment in the form of the Mobile parameter. Geo Effect, a terrain feature from Front Mission 1st, still affects evasion. However, it now acts as an enhancement as opposed to being the main form of evasion. Weapon accuracy now also relies on the new Hitting Property mechanic, making all sorts of weapon types viable against different enemy types. In short, accuracy and evasion are determined by many more factors than before. HITTING PROPERTY ---------------- Let's start with accuracy first since it's easier to understand. With the absence of the Accuracy parameter from the Arm part, the Hitting Property mechanic is the designated replacement for it. Basically, a weapon's accuracy is judged by its effectiveness towards eight enemy types: wanzers, mobile weapons, armored vehicles, light vehicles, fixed guns, support pods, choppers, and jets. A weapon's effectiveness is judged by the following ratings: Hitting Property Guide: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Effectiveness Icon Accuracy ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cannot Hit --- Enemy cannot be targeted with the weapon. Poor X Weapon has poor accuracy; 10-20% lower than usual. Average /_\ Weapon has normal accuracy; no change from before. Good ( ) Weapon has good accuracy; 10-20% higher than usual. Great (O) Weapon has great accuracy; attack very rarely misses. Basically, the Hitting Property mechanic modifies a weapon's accuracy by increasing or decreasing it. For example, a Flamethrower normally has around 70% Accuracy. Against wanzers, its effectiveness is rather average so its accuracy won't change too much. Against an armored vehicle, a Flamethrower is effective and its accuracy will usually be around 80-90% against it. It is most effective against support pods where its accuracy is above 90% or even at 100%. All other weapons operate similarly, but Fight weapons generally aren't affected too much by Hitting Property. MOBILITY -------- As stated above, accuracy and evasion are affected by the Mobile parameter. This parameter is simply determined by the amount of free Weight that a wanzer has. For those who have played Front Mission 1st, this is the same mechanic as the one that determined if a unit could gain extra Move points or not. The lighter a unit is, the higher their mobility will be. The Mobile parameter affects the accuracy of Fight and Short weapons, but not with Long weapons. In terms of evasion though, the Mobile parameter affects all weapon types. In other words, it's more beneficial to use lighter wanzers in order to avoid attacks more easily. Heavier wanzers have a harder time evading enemy attacks and if they are using Fight or Short weapons, will suffer from low accuracy as well. Heavy wanzers are, however, fine if they are mostly built to use Long weapons as a result. In combat, make it top priority to repair damaged Leg parts or restore destroyed ones. As destroy Leg parts results in a Mobile of 0, it can severely cripple the effectiveness of your Fight and Short-oriented units in combat. JOB CLASSES AND PILOT SPECIALTIES --------------------------------- The Job classes also play a role in affecting accuracy and evasion. When a pilot gains proficiency in a Job, their accuracy and evasion will increase for that class. To be more specific, a pilot's accuracy using weapons from their concentration increases and their evasion improves against attacks from the same class. For example, a pilot training in Long will have better accuracy using Long weapons and better evasion when under attack against a Long weapon. This is made more complicated due to how pilots respond to each Job class. Based on their pilot type (read the Job Types section for more details), all pilots specialize only in one Job class. In this particular Job class, the pilot will have higher accuracy than normal when using weapons derived from that Job class. In addition, they can learn a special skill that is exclusive to them. For example, Joyce performs best when he is using Long weapons. But, Joyce is average in the Short class and is ill-suited towards using any kind of Fight weapon. COMPUTERS --------- Like in Front Mission 1st, a unit's equipped Computer also affects accuracy and evasion to a minor degree. The points on a Computer, specifically the ones allocated to Fight, Short, and Long, affect a unit's accuracy and evasion for those Job classes. A high value in a Job class means a unit will miss less when attacking with a weapon from that class, and evade enemy attacks from the said class. Each of the Modes on a Computer are optimized towards one of the Job classes, so select which Mode is appropriate for your units (read the Computers section for more details). ADVANCED FACTORS ---------------- It's time to dive into the more complicated factors behind accuracy and evasion. The most significant factor that affects both parameters is AP. No jokes, AP really is the make-or-break factor behind accuracy and evasion. Specifically, the amount of AP remaining that a unit has when it attacks or when it counterattacks will yield a bonus in its accuracy and evasion. This is very complicated so I will try to explain using some examples. Example 1/Accuracy: A unit has a maximum of 8 AP and they currently have 8 AP. The unit equips a Fight and Short weapon to use, but opts to attack with the Short weapon. The unit attacks with a Flamethrower that is 70% accurate and the enemy is a wanzer. Since the unit attacked the enemy at maximum AP, the Flamethrower's accuracy increases to 80%. Example 2/Accuracy: A unit has a maximum of 8 AP and they currently have 2 AP. The unit equips a Fight and Short weapon to use, but opts to attack with the Short weapon. The unit attacks with a Flamethrower that is 70% accurate and the enemy is a wanzer. Since the unit attacked the enemy at 2 AP, the Flamethrower's accuracy remains the same at 70%. Example 3/Evasion: A unit has a maximum of 8 AP and they currently have 8 AP. The unit is being attacked by an enemy wanzer with a Machine Gun that is 75% accurate. The unit has a Mobile rating of 10 and is standing on a square with a Geo Effect of 5%. Since the unit being attacked by the enemy has maximum AP, the enemy's accuracy drops to 60%. Example 4/Evasion: A unit has a maximum of 8 AP and they currently have 1 AP. The unit is being attacked by an enemy wanzer with a Machine Gun that is 75% accurate. The unit has a Mobile rating of 10 and is standing on a square with a Geo Effect of 5%. Since the unit being attacked by the enemy has 1 AP, the enemy's accuracy increases to 80%. The basic idea behind AP's role in accuracy and evasion is that higher is better. The closer a unit is to their maximum AP when they attack or they counterattack, their accuracy and evasion will be greatly boosted. Low AP results in decreased accuracy and evasion, which you want to avoid at all costs. This mechanic applies to both friend and foe so always take advantage of this as much as possible. It's hard to really explain how AP plays such a huge role in accuracy and evasion, but play the game and you'll see what I'm talking about. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ GEO EFFECT [GEOF] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Unlike most strategy RPGs, Front Mission 2 makes use of the terrain as a vital part of any mission. Each square on a map has a geographical rating known as Geo. Basically, Geo affects the unit's evasion when under attack. The Geo rating of the square that the attacked unit occupies is factored into its evasion. In other words, it lowers the weapon accuracy of the attacking unit's weapons. The amount deducted has not changed from Front Mission 1st; if a unit is attacked on a square with a Geo rating of 20%, then the drop in weapon accuracy is 20%. There are some changes to Geo Effect in Front Mission 2, however. The most noticeable change is that the obstacles on a map affect the Geo rating of its nearby squares. For example, urban terrain such as paved roads offer a Geo rating of 5%. However, if there is a car on the road or if there is a building nearby, then the Geo rating of squares near them will be different. Basically, the more obstacles that lie near a square, the higher the Geo rating. Fight weapons are no longer affected by Geo Effect as it would be in Front Mission 1st though. Also, since the new Mobile parameter serves as a unit's evasion parameter, a unit only receives the full Geo Effect bonus during counterattacks or if it chooses to evade the attack. That is, the Geo rating of the unit's square will be directly added to its Mobile value. So if a unit has a Mobile rating of 20 and is standing on a square with a Geo rating of 20%, then its evasion when it takes evasive action is 40%. Geo Effect does enhance the evasion of attacking units, but the bonus is not direct and only a small portion of the Geo rating is taken into account. In other words, always stay on squares with a lot of obstacles nearby to give your units the best possible evasion rates. Your units will avoid taking a lot of hits and minimize damage as a result of this. However, when you attack the enemy, make sure you lure them out to open ground where your own attacks are more likely to hit them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ UNIT MOVEMENT [UMOV] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Each terrain requires a certain amount of AP to move one square. The amount of squares that a unit can move on a particular terrain is affect by its Leg type. Leg Types Guide: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Type Elevation Slope Urban Nature Water ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 Leg 2 Steep 2 2 or 3 3 4 Leg 2 Steep 2 2 or 3 3 Treads 2 Steep 2 2 or 3 3 Tires 1 Mild 2 3 or 4 3 Hover 1 Mild 2 3 or 4 2 The normal amount of Move points required to move one square is 2. All Leg types can achieve this movement on urban terrain. This is not the case for all terrain types in the game, however. If a Leg type has poor movement on a certain terrain, then a minimum of 3 Move points are needed to move one square. For example, 2 Leg types have difficulty moving on rocky or sandy terrain and will require 3 Move points. However, 2 Leg types are able to go through some natural terrain normally and will only require 2 Move points. Using Hover Leg types as another example, they have no problems going through water and only require 2 Move points per square. But, on rocky or sandy terrain, they move poorly and travel may require as much as 4 Move points. In addition, elevation levels play a role in how a unit can move around on a battlefield. When scaling inclines, an extra Move point is required. 2 Leg types can scale inclines of up to two levels of elevation. Hover Leg types, on the other hand, can only scale inclines of one level of elevation. Also, the degree of the slope affects a Leg type's movement. For example, Tires Leg types can only cross inclines which have a mild slope. They are unable to cross inclines which have a steep slope. So if a unit with the Treads Leg type is traversing across urban terrain and is scaling an incline, then their actual Move cost is 3. Regarding the Move value, this value has been reworked and no longer relies on fixed Move ratings. All Legs are affected by their Mobile stat in that it determines their Move rating. All Legs start off at 7 Move if the value of Weight is equal to the Value of Power (W/P). For every 10% of free Weight, which also displays the current W/P ratio, or 10 points added to Mobile, 1 extra Move point is added. Additional Move points can be earned by equipping certain Leg types or using Modes on certain Computers. Movement and Mobility Guide: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Move Mobile ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7 0-9% 8 10-19% 9 20-29% 10 30-39% 11 40-49% 12 50-59% 13 60-69% 14 70-79% 15 80-89% 16 90-99% 17 100% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ STATUS DAMAGE [STAN] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Status anomalies are conditions that affect a unit's ability to fight in a battle. While there is a random chance of status anomalies being inflicted during battle, they can also be triggered by using certain Battle Skills. If a unit is inflicted with a status anomaly, they can recover from it within the next three turns. There is a 50% chance of recovery from the first turn, 75% on the second, and 100% after three turns have passed. This only applies to several status anomalies however. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Damage Description Color/Icon ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stun Unit is unable to act. Orange/Stars Terror Unit is unable to attack and use items. Blue/Tears Panic Unit is unable to counter and AP cost increases. Blue/Lines Lock-on (S) Enemy accuracy with Short weapons increases. Green/Square Lock-on (L) Enemy accuracy with Long weapons increases. Green/Circle Surrender Enemy loses will to fight and gives up. White/Flag Danger Unit is unable to maintain stability. During Battle Break Unit is destroyed. During Battle Notes: Panic increases AP cost by 2 for every action. Lock-on status is only in effect during the turn it was inflicted and only boosts enemy accuracy against player and ally units. Stun, Terror, and Panic can be inflicted on a random basis based on several factors. For example, Stun can be inflicted with Fight weapons, and Terror and Panic can be inflicted with Short weapons. Panic can also occur if a unit is attacked multiple times in one turn. Stun, Terror, and Panic are affected by the three-turn recovery mechanic. Danger status appears when a unit is hit hard by an attack. Units in Danger status have lowered Defense and take more damage than usual until the battle sequence ends. Danger status can be inflicted with multiple hits, either from a multiple-round weapon or through a skill Chain. When it comes to Surrender, it is the only status anomaly that has no "cure" and affects enemy units only. It can be inflicted against all enemy types except for named pilots (those without a generic label like Commander or Striker). To force enemies into surrendering, the Honor Skill Surrender Call must be equipped. For Surrender Call to take effect, the following conditions must be met: 1. Enemy unit's AP amount is reduced to 0 or 1. 2. Enemy unit's Arms and Legs must be destroyed. 3. Enemy unit's Body must be at 50% HP or lower without being destroyed. Once these conditions are met, there is a chance that the enemy will go into Surrender status in the next few turns. Once you see a white flag above an enemy unit, they are now in Surrender status. At this point, you only need to wait for a few more turns before the enemy unit gives up. The amount of Body HP remaining and the time it takes for an enemy unit to surrender differs between enemy types. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ATTACK ELEMENTS [ATEL] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A new feature in Front Mission 2, all weapons fall under one of three attack elements. Attack Element Guide: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Element Effect Damage Color ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Piercing Penetrates through the target's armor. Grey Impact Applies tremendous pressure at target's armor. Green Fire Burns through the target's armor. Red This basically means that all weapons will have different effects when used against particular enemies. That is, the amount of damage a weapon does will depend on a unit's armor coating. There are three armor types that correspond to the attack elements: Anti-Piercing, Anti-Shock, and Anti-Fire. Each armor type reduces damage from its corresponding weapons by 10%. Against weapons of two attack elements, damage is cut only by 5%. There is also the Normal armor type, but it doesn't give any defense bonuses against the attack elements. When it comes to how the armor types work, the damage resistance is specific based on which wanzer part has the armor type. For example, if a wanzer's Arms have Anti-Shock, then Impact-based attacks to the Arms will deal less damage. However, the same attack to the wanzer's Body or Legs will not yield in reduced damage. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MISSION COMPLETION [MICO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Upon completing a mission, money is awarded for the destruction of enemy units. Although missions have a set amount of enemies to kill, mission conditions can alter the maximum amount of money awarded. Running Cost and Repair values will be deducted from the Prize value for every mission. Running Cost is fixed since wanzer Running Cost values are static, but Repair values are not. Try to keep the damage to a minimum as destroyed parts or wanzers significantly increase the amount of money needed to repair units. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Criteria Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wanzer Amount of normal wanzers destroyed. Huge Weapon Amount of large wanzers and mobile weapons destroyed. Vehicle Amount of armored and light vehicles destroyed. Fix Gun Amount of fixed gun placements destroyed. Support Pod Amount of support units destroyed. Chopper Amount of helicopters destroyed. Jet Amount of jets destroyed. Player Running Costs and Repair Costs for all player units. In addition to the destruction of enemies, bonus amounts of money may be awarded for excellent mission performance. These requirements vary per mission but destroying the majority of enemies with at least half of your units alive is suffice enough to get the bonus. Furthermore, parts may be rewarded for fulfilling certain conditions unique to a mission. These are documented in the main guide at GameFAQs. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ JOB TYPES [JTYP] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A standard mechanic found in every strategy RPG, Front Mission 2 incorporates a Job class system. There are three Job classes found in Front Mission 2: Fight, Short, and Long. Fight is a class that specializes in melee weaponry such as knuckles, rods, and a wanzer's Arms. Short is a class that specializes in close range weaponry such as machine guns, shotguns, flamethrowers, and rifles. Finally, Long is a class that specializes in ranged weaponry at long range such as missile launchers, grenade launchers, rocket launchers, and anti-aircraft weaponry. A new feature with the Job system is the inclusion of pilot types. Basically, all pilots have specific roles in battle based on their proficiency under four talents: Control, Sight, Mechanic, and Vitality. These determine how well a pilot will fight depending on Job class. Pilot Type Guide: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Type Specialty Control Sight Mechanic Vitality ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Assault Short High High Medium Low Striker Fight High Medium Low High Gunner Long Medium High High Low Control is a pilot's piloting talent and revolves around their mastery of Fight and Short. Sight is a pilot's tracking talent and revolves around their mastery of Short and Long. Mechanic is a pilot's mechanical talent and revolves around their mastery of Long. Finally, Vitality is a pilot's willpower and revolves around their mastery of Fight. In a nutshell, these talents determine each pilot's primary Job specialty and how well they can perform in the other two Job classes. In mission play, the player units gain experience towards any of the three Job classes. Using weapons designated for the Fight, Short, and Long classes will result in experience for those Job classes. Experience gained operates differently in Front Mission 2: the amount of damage that an enemy takes is the amount of EXP that is earned. For example, if Ash attacks an enemy and deals 75 damage to it, he will get 75 EXP to one of the three classes. Also, bonus EXP is now only awarded when destroying enemy units and the amount fluctuates depending on the strength of the enemy. When a pilot amasses enough experience for one Job class, they will gain a level up towards the said class. While no bonus experience is awarded to all Job classes like it was in Front Mission 1st, a pilot may still learn Battle Skills. Battle Skills have been changed in that a pilot can freely equip and remove them at any given time. Only a maximum of four skills can be equipped at any given time. Battle Skills increase in proficiency on a purely random basis now as opposed to it being partially usage-based in Front Mission 1st. For more information on Battle Skills, please see the Skill List section. Job Level Guide: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ To Next Level ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 188 1 205 2 222 3 239 4 257 5 276 6 295 7 314 8 334 9 355 10 376 11 398 12 420 13 444 14 469 15 494 16 521 17 549 18 579 19 610 20 643 21 678 22 715 23 755 24 797 25 842 26 892 27 945 28 1003 29 0 30 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SKILLS LIST [SKIL] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The following data is a list of all Battle Skills that can be learned based on Job class. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FIGHT Specialists: Thomas, Rocky, Griff, Cordy, Maylan ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lv: 2 - Critical Lv: 3 - Feint Lv: 5 - Heat Blow Lv: 6 - First Lv: 8 - Field Effect Lv: 9 - Best Position Lv: 11 - LV Damage Lv: 12 - Sting Blow Lv: 14 - Charge Lv: 15 - Lucky Lv: 17 - Stun Punch Lv: 18 - Final Break Lv: 20 - Double Punch Lv: 21 - Hold Attack Lv: 23 - Hit & Away Lv: 24 - Immortal Lv: 26 - Escape Lv: 27 - Shield Rush Lv: 29 - Counter Blow Lv: 30 - Strike ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHORT Specialists: Ash, Amia, Sayuri ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lv: 3 - Best Position Lv: 4 - Feint Lv: 5 - Critical Lv: 6 - Leg First Lv: 7 - Dash Lv: 8 - Lucky Lv: 9 - First Lv: 10 - Speed Lv: 11 - Field Effect Lv: 12 - Terror Shot Lv: 13 - Arm First Lv: 14 - Target Lv: 15 - Hit & Away Lv: 16 - Duel Lv: 17 - Switch Lv: 18 - Hold Attack Lv: 19 - Side Attack Lv: 20 - Counter Shot Lv: 21 - Dead Angle Lv: 22 - Escape Lv: 23 - Shield Wall Lv: 24 - All or Nothing Lv: 26 - Find Out Lv: 27 - Body First Lv: 28 - Full Bullet (S) Lv: 29 - Lethal Shot Lv: 30 - Strike ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ LONG Specialists: Lisa, Joyce, Roswell, Pike ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lv: 5 - Best Position Lv: 9 - Lucky Lv: 12 - Shield Wall Lv: 16 - All or Nothing Lv: 19 - Escape Lv: 23 - Full Bullet (L) Lv: 26 - Guide Lv: 28 - Disarm Armor ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PILOT-EXCLUSIVE SKILLS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The following data is a list of all Battle and Honor Skills that are exclusive to a particular pilot. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ASH Short Lv: 25 - Sniper Honor: 90 - Z.O.C Honor: 140 - Surrender Call Honor: 270 - Deep Strike (Level 2) Honor: 350 - Help ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ JOYCE Long Lv: 20 - Hunting Honor: 90 - Steal Honor: 140 - Z.O.C. Honor: 270 - Surprise (Level 2) Honor: 350 - AP Plus ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ AMIA Short Lv: 25 - High Speed Honor: 90 - Defense (Level 1) Honor: 140 - Z.O.C. Honor: 200 - Refresh (Level 2) Honor: 350 - Support APB ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ GRIFF Fight Lv: 25 - Beat Up Honor: 90 - Z.O.C. Honor: 140 - Steal Honor: 270 - Skill Down (Level 2) Honor: 350 - Stop ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ THOMAS Fight Lv: 22 - 2LV Damage Honor: 90 - Z.O.C. Honor: 140 - Surrender Call Honor: 270 - Skill Up (Level 2) Honor: 350 - Morale ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ROCKY Fight Lv: 22 - MG Blow Honor: 90 - Z.O.C. Honor: 140 - Steal Honor: 270 - Defense (Level 2) Honor: 350 - AP Minus ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ROSWELL Long Lv: 24 - Destruct Honor: 90 - Deep Strike (Level 1) Honor: 140 - Z.O.C. Honor: 270 - Invalid APB Honor: 350 - Support APB ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ LISA Long Lv: 25 - Shooting Star Honor: 90 - Z.O.C. Honor: 140 - Skill Up (Level 1) Honor: 200 - Refresh (Level 2) Honor: 350 - Skill Control ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SAYURI Short Lv: 25 - Super Lucky Honor: 90 - Refresh (Level 1) Honor: 140 - Z.O.C. Honor: 200 - Surrender Call Honor: 350 - Intercept (Level 2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CORDY Fight Lv: 22 - Crusader Honor: 90 - Z.O.C. Honor: 140 - Surprise (Level 1) Honor: 200 - Refresh (Level 1) Honor: 350 - Hold Back ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PIKE Long Lv: 21 - Back Attack Honor: 90 - Skill Down (Level 1) Honor: 140 - Steal Honor: 200 - Z.O.C. Honor: 350 - Invalid APB ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MAYLAN Fight Lv: 25 - Blast Blow Honor: 90 - Z.O.C. Honor: 140 - Intercept (Level 1) Honor: 200 - Surrender Call Honor: 350 - Invalid Honor ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SKILL DESCRIPTIONS [SKDE] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The following data are descriptions for all Battle Skills in the game. They are classified according to their skill type. Skill Type Guide: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Skill Type Color Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Power Red Active skills based on maximizing attack power. Speed Blue Active skills based on maximizing number of attacks. Special Purple Active skills that cause special effects. Field Green Passive skills that enhance unit performance. Super Gold The most powerful skills available to a pilot. Honor None Skills affected by Honor mechanics. In mission play, more than one skill can be activated in a battle sequence. Any sequence of two or more skills activating is known as a skill Chain. All skills can create Chains to an extent, but each one is best suited only for a certain skill type. Equipping skills that are compatible with one another is the best way to achieve skill Chains. This compatibility factor is seen under the Chain heading in skill descriptions. Skill Description Guide: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Skill Name Chain Condition ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ x x x Skill Name - name of Battle Skill. Chain - skill type best suited for achieving skill Chains. Condition - Job class needed for Battle Skill, with specific weapons in (). SKILL TYPE: POWER ----------------- Critical Lucky Charge Shield Rush Target Side Attack Final Break Disarm Armor LV Damage Best Position Skill Notes: Charge expends 50% of a Body's current HP. If a unit's Body has 140/200 HP remaining, it will expend 70 HP when Charge is used. Shield Rush expends 25% of a Body's current HP. If a unit's Body has 140/200 HP, it will expend 35 HP when Shield Rush is used. Side Attack has a higher activation rate if a unit is flanking an enemy from their sides. Final Break expends only current HP from the Arm being used. If the Arm used only has 140/200 HP at Final Break Level MAX, 280 HP will be added onto attack power. Disarm Armor applies to Short weapons at Level 2 and Fight weapons at Level MAX. LV Damage is based off a pilot's Total Level, not their Job Levels. If a pilot's Total Level is 25, LV Damage will do 250. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Skill Name Chain Condition ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Critical Speed Fight, Short, Long Data: Increases attack power. Level 1: 25% attack power Level 2: 25% attack power Level 3: 50% attack power Level MAX: 100% attack power ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lucky Special Fight, Short, Long Data: If the attack hits, attack power may increase or decrease. Level 1: Low chance of attack power increasing. Level 2: Low chance of attack power increasing. Level 3: Moderate chance of attack power increasing. Level MAX: High chance of attack power increasing. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Charge Power Fight Data: Portion of unit's HP is used to add HP and output onto attack power. No change between levels. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shield Rush Super Fight, Shield Data: Portion of unit's HP is used to add HP, output, and Shield defense onto attack power. No change between levels. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Target Speed Short Data: Increases attack power and accuracy. Level 1: 10% attack power, 10% accuracy Level 2: 15% attack power, 20% accuracy Level 3: 20% attack power, 30% accuracy Level MAX: 25% attack power, 50% accuracy ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Side Attack Speed Short Data: Increases attack power and decreases enemy evasion. Level 1: 10% attack power, 10% evasion Level 2: 15% attack power, 20% evasion Level 3: 20% attack power, 30% evasion Level MAX: 25% attack power, 50% evasion ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Final Break None Fight (Punch, Knuckle) Data: Portion of unit's Arm HP is added onto attack power, but the Arm used is destroyed after hit. Level 1: 50% of unit's Arm HP is used. Level 2: 75% of unit's Arm HP is used. Level 3: 100% of unit's Arm HP is used. Level MAX: 200% of unit's Arm HP is used. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Disarm Armor Power Fight, Short, Long Data: Decreases enemy defense. Level 1: 50% defense Level 2: 50% defense Level 3: 75% defense Level MAX: 100% defense ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ LV Damage Special Fight Data: Damage dealt is LV x 10. No change between levels. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Best Position Speed Fight, Short, Long Data: Increases unit's maximum AP amount and increases accuracy. Level 1: AP doubled Level 2: AP doubled Level 3: AP tripled Level MAX: AP quadrupled ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SKILL TYPE: SPEED ----------------- Double Punch Feint Switch Speed Hit & Away Counter Blow Counter Shot Lethal Shot Full Bullet (S) Full Bullet (L) Skill Notes: Switch also applies to Shoulder and built-in weapons, provided that they are used at Short range. In these cases, the weapons will fire twice the amount of ammo they normally expend. If a Body Machine Gun fires 6 rounds, it will fire 12 rounds when Switch is used. Counter Blow only activates if the pilot will act after the enemy has attacked them first. Counter Shot only activates if the pilot will act after the enemy has attacked them first. Full Bullet (S) fires an amount of rounds equal to the weapon's current bullet amount. If a unit uses a Machine Gun that has 6 bullets, it will fire 6 rounds when Full Bullet (S) is used. Full Bullet (L) fires an amount of rounds equal to the weapon's current bullet amount. If a unit uses a Missile Launcher that has 4 bullets, it will fire 4 rounds when Full Bullet (L) is used. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Skill Name Chain Condition ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Double Punch Speed Fight (Punch, Knuckle) Data: Increases maximum amount of attacks. Applicable only with Punch and Knuckle weapons. Level 1: One extra attack Level 2: One extra attack Level 3: Two extra attacks Level MAX: Three extra attacks ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Feint Power Fight, Short Data: Increases chain activation rate. Level 1: 50% chain Level 2: 100% chain Level 3: 150% chain Level MAX: 200% chain ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Switch Special Short Data: Increases maximum amount of attacks. Applicable only with two Short weapons of the same type. Level 1: One extra attack Level 2: One extra attack Level 3: Two extra attacks Level MAX: Three extra attacks ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Speed Special Short Data: Increases maximum amount of rounds fired. Weapons that fire only 1 round do not apply. Level 1: One extra round Level 2: One extra round Level 3: Two extra rounds Level MAX: Three extra rounds ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hit & Away None Fight, Short Data: After the unit attacks, the battle sequence ends. No change between levels. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Counter Blow Super Fight Data: Counter and cancel the enemy's attack. Applicable only if the enemy has attack priority. No change between levels. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Counter Shot Super Short Data: Counter and cancel the enemy's attack. Applicable only if the enemy has attack priority. No change between levels. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lethal Shot Power Short, Long Data: Part hit by the attack is destroyed. Applicable only to weapons that fire only 1 round. No change between levels. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Full Bullet (S) None Short Data: Fires all remaining bullets in one attack. Attack power per bullet decreases. Level 1: 50% attack power Level 2: 50% attack power Level 3: 25% attack power Level MAX: No change ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Full Bullet (L) None Long Data: Fires all remaining bullets in one attack. Level 1: No change Level 2: No change Level 3: 20% attack power increase Level MAX: 50% attack power increase ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SKILL TYPE: SPECIAL ------------------- Stun Punch Heat Blow Sting Blow Terror Shot Duel Body First Arm First Leg First Guide All or Nothing Skill Notes: Duel targets only one part, but it will damage other parts if the targeted part is destroyed. For multiple round weapons, the first round determines which part will be targeted. Body First only works if the first round does not miss. If it does, the effect is neutralized. Arm First only works if the first round does not miss. If it does, the effect is neutralized. Leg First only works if the first round does not miss. If it does, the effect is neutralized. Guide targets only one part, but it will damage other parts if the targeted part is destroyed. For multiple round weapons, the first round determines which part will be targeted. All or Nothing depends on the accuracy of the first round fired. The entire attack will hit if the first round connects, but it will miss if the first round doesn't. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Skill Name Chain Condition ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stun Punch Special Fight (Punch, Knuckle) Data: The attack has a chance to inflict Stun status. Level 1: 30% chance of Stun Level 2: 30% chance of Stun Level 3: 50% chance of Stun Level MAX: 80% chance of Stun ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Heat Blow Power Fight (Punch, Knuckle) Data: Fire and Impact elements are added to the attack. No change between levels. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sting Blow Super Fight (Punch, Knuckle) Data: Piercing element is added to the attack. No change between levels. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Terror Shot Special Short Data: The attack has chance to inflict Terror status. Level 1: 30% chance of Terror Level 2: 30% chance of Terror Level 3: 50% chance of Terror Level MAX: 80% chance of Terror ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Duel Speed Short Data: The entire attack is concentrated on one part. No change between levels. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Body First Speed Short Data: First round always hits the Body by all means. No change between levels. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Arm First Super Short Data: First round always hits the Arms by all means. No change between levels. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Leg First Power Short Data: First round always hits the Legs by all means. The attack has chance to inflict Panic status. Level 1: 30% chance of Panic Level 2: 30% chance of Panic Level 3: 50% chance of Panic Level MAX: 80% chance of Panic ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Guide Power Long Data: The entire attack is concentrated on one part. No change between levels. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ All or Nothing Speed Short, Long Data: All rounds fired will hit or all rounds fired will miss. Weapons that fire only 1 round do not apply. No change between levels. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SKILL TYPE: FIELD ----------------- First Field Effect Hold Attack Dead Angle Dash Strike Find Out Immortal Escape Shield Wall Skill Notes: First has a higher chance of activating if the enemy has attack priority over a unit. Dash affects an enemy's Geo Effect by default; the other two effects only apply if a unit activates it during an attack. Immortal saves parts that are destroyed by leaving them at 1 HP when activated during an enemy attack. Escape will activate provided that the enemy has yet to attack the unit. Shield Wall, when activated, will redirect the entire attack to an equipped Shield and reduce its damage to 0. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Skill Name Chain Condition ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ First Speed Fight, Short Data: Always act first. No change between levels. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Field Effect Field Fight, Short Data: The enemy's Geo Effect is negated for the battle sequence. No change between levels. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hold Attack Field Fight, Short Data: Increases attack power and accuracy, but attack priority is sacrificed. Level 1: 10% attack power, 10% accuracy Level 2: 20% attack power, 15% accuracy Level 3: 30% attack power, 20% accuracy Level MAX: 50% attack power, 30% accuracy ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dead Angle Speed Fight, Short Data: Increases skill activation rate. Level 1: 25% skill Level 2: 50% skill Level 3: 75% skill Level MAX: 100% skill ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dash Field Short Data: An enemy's Geo Effect is reduced to 0, Shield defense is negated, and the entire attack will hit the Body. No change between levels. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Strike Special Fight, Short, Long Data: The first round always hits. No change between levels. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Find Out Speed Fight, Short, Long Data: An enemy's attack will always miss. Level 1: An enemy's first hit always misses. Level 2: An enemy's first hit always misses. Level 3: An enemy's first two hits always miss. Level MAX: An enemy's first three hits always miss. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Immortal Field Fight, Short, Long Data: During the battle sequence, parts that have an HP value of 0 are not destroyed. No change between levels. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Escape Field Fight, Short, Long Data: The battle sequence ends before the enemy can attack. No change between levels. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shield Wall Field Fight, Short, Long, Shield Data: An enemy's entire attack is guarded by a Shield. No change between levels. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SKILL TYPE: SUPER ----------------- Sniper Hunting High Speed Beat Up 2LV Damage MG Blow Destruct Shooting Star Super Lucky Crusader Back Attack Blast Blow Skill Notes: 2LV Damage is based off Thomas' Total Level, not his Job Levels. If Thomas' Total Level is 25, 2LV Damage will do 500. MG Blow enables two free strikes by default before the skill takes effect. If Rocky activates MG Blow at Level 1, he will strike an enemy thrice; this is a combination of the two free strikes and the one extra strike. Shooting Star fires an amount of rounds equal to the weapon's current bullet amount. If Lisa uses a Missile Launcher that has 4 bullets, it will fire 4 rounds when Shooting Star is used. Back Attack has a higher activation rate if Pike is flanking an enemy from behind. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Skill Name Chain Condition ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sniper Special Short (Rifle) Data: First round always hits the Body by all means and attack power increases. Applicable only with Rifles. Level 1: 10% attack power Level 2: 20% attack power Level 3: 30% attack power Level MAX: 50% attack power ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hunting Power Short, Long Data: Increases attack power and accuracy. Level 1: 10% attack power, 10% accuracy Level 2: 15% attack power, 20% accuracy Level 3: 20% attack power, 30% accuracy Level MAX: 25% attack power, 50% accuracy ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ High Speed Power Short Data: Increases maximum rounds fired. Weapons that fire only 1 round do not apply. Level 1: Two extra rounds Level 2: Two extra rounds Level 3: Three extra rounds Level MAX: Five extra rounds ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Beat Up Special Fight Data: Increases maximum amount of attacks. Level 1: One extra attack Level 2: One extra attack Level 3: Two extra attacks Level MAX: Three extra attacks ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2LV Damage Power Fight Data: Damage dealt is LV x 20. No change between levels. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MG Blow Power Fight Data: Increases number of strikes. Level 1: One extra strikes Level 2: One extra strikes Level 3: Two extra strikes Level MAX: Four extra strikes ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Destruct Speed Long Data: Increases attack power. Level 1: 50% attack power Level 2: 50% attack power Level 3: 100% attack power Level MAX: 200% attack power ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shooting Star None Long Data: Fires all remaining bullets in one attack. Attack power per bullet increases. Level 1: 20% attack power Level 2: 20% attack power Level 3: 50% attack power Level MAX: 100% attack power ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Super Lucky Power Fight, Short, Long Data: If the attack hits, attack power may greatly increase or decrease. Level 1: Moderate chance of attack power increasing. Level 2: Moderate chance of attack power increasing. Level 3: High chance of attack power increasing. Level MAX: Attack power always increases. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Crusader Special Fight Data: Critical + Stun Punch. Level 1: Level 1 effects for Critical and Stun Punch. Level 2: Level 2 effects for Critical and Stun Punch. Level 3: Level 3 effects for Critical and Stun Punch. Level MAX: Level MAX effects for Critical and Stun Punch. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Back Attack Special Short, Long Data: Increases attack power and decreases enemy evasion. Level 1: 10% attack power, 10% evasion Level 2: 15% attack power, 20% evasion Level 3: 20% attack power, 30% evasion Level MAX: 25% attack power, 50% evasion ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Blast Blow Speed Fight Data: Part hit by the attack is destroyed. No change between levels. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SKILL TYPE: HONOR ----------------- Z.O.C. Steal Morale Skill Up Skill Down Refresh Help Stop Skill Control Defense Surprise Hold Back Deep Strike Intercept AP Plus AP Minus Invalid APB Support APB Surrender Call Invalid Honor Skill Notes: Z.O.C. reduces the movement of all affected enemy units to 1 square. Steal only works if an affected enemy unit is in Surrender status. When this is present, there is a chance of stealing an item from the enemy unit each turn. Steal does not work if the enemy gives up and escapes so there is a small time frame where items can be stolen. Help redirects enemy attacks from linked ally units to the user during the Enemy Phase. As long as there is sufficient AP, the user can attack as many times as needed with Help. Only Fight weapons can be used with Help, but Short weapons can be used if the user is standing adjacent to an enemy unit when it is activated. Help does not work when Long weapons are used against ally units. Stop prevents enemy units from moving, but they can still attack. Hold Back does not work in the event that the enemy unit is initiating an attack as opposed to a counterattack. Surrender Call only works once certain conditions are met, which can be read in the Status Damage section. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Skill Name Data ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Z.O.C. Z.O.C. is used. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Steal Steal items from surrendering enemies. Unavailable in Arena. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Morale Increases accuracy, evasion, and skill activation rate by 5%. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Skill Up Increases skill activation rate. Level 1: 50% skill Level 2: 100% skill ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Skill Down Decreases skill activation rate. Level 1: 50% skill Level 2: 100% skill ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Refresh Cures pilot status at the start of the next turn. Level 1: Cures Panic and Terror. Level 2: Cures Panic, Terror, and Stun. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Help Protect ally units from close-range enemy attacks. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stop Enemy units are unable to move. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Skill Control Enemy units are unable to use skills. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Defense Increases evasion. Level 1: 10% evasion Level 2: 15% evasion Level 3: 20% evasion ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Surprise Decreases enemy evasion. Level 1: 10% evasion Level 2: 15% evasion Level 3: 20% evasion ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hold Back Enemy units are unable to counterattack. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Deep Strike Increases accuracy. Level 1: 10% accuracy Level 2: 15% accuracy Level 3: 20% accuracy ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Intercept Decreases enemy accuracy. Level 1: 10% accuracy Level 2: 15% accuracy Level 3: 20% accuracy ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ AP Plus Ally unit's AP charge increases by 2. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ AP Minus Enemy unit's AP charge decreases by 2. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Invalid APB AP bonuses to enemy units are negated. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Support APB AP bonuses are granted, increasing accuracy. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Surrender Call Enemy units at low HP may surrender. Unavailable in Arena. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Invalid Honor Enemy Honor Skills are negated. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ WEAPON TYPES [WTYP] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This section discusses the weapon types that are used by both friendly and enemy pilots for the purposes of mission play and Arena battling. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FIGHT Weapon Types: Punch, Knuckle, Rod ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PUNCH ----- Weapon Class: Impact Weapon Range: 1 Bullet Capacity: Infinite Hitting Property: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Enemy Type Effect Enemy Type Effect ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wanzer /_\ Fixed Gun (O) Huge Weapon (O) Support Pod ( ) Armored Vehicle (O) Chopper --- Light Vehicle /_\ Jet --- Description: Unchanged from Front Mission 1st, a Punch type weapon is simply a wanzer's Arm without any armanents. Punch attacks are now called Hard Blow to keep things simple between all Arm parts. While fairly accurate, Punch weapons are rather weak alone and are best used with Knuckles or Rods. Punch weapons no longer target the Legs as it would in Front Mission 1st. KNUCKLE ------- Weapon Class: Impact Weapon Range: 1 Bullet Capacity: Infinite Hitting Property: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Enemy Type Effect Enemy Type Effect ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wanzer /_\ Fixed Gun (O) Huge Weapon (O) Support Pod ( ) Armored Vehicle (O) Chopper --- Light Vehicle /_\ Jet --- Description: A new addition in Front Mission 2, Knuckle-type weapons are small objects mounted on a wanzer's Arm. Knuckle weapons have the advantages of being lightweight and can be used with all Fight-based skills. Their attack power is added onto the equipped Arm's Punch weapon, which results in stronger melee attacks. Like the Punch weapon type, Knuckle weapons do not target the Legs of enemy units. ROD --- Weapon Class: Impact Weapon Range: 1 Bullet Capacity: Infinite Hitting Property: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Enemy Type Effect Enemy Type Effect ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wanzer /_\ Fixed Gun (O) Huge Weapon (O) Support Pod ( ) Armored Vehicle (O) Chopper --- Light Vehicle /_\ Jet --- Description: Rod type weapons have returned with some minor changes in functionality. Rods have greater attack power and accuracy then Knuckle type weapons. This comes at the costs of Rods being heavier and they cannot be used with a portion of Fight-based skills. Their attack power is added onto the equipped Arm's Punch weapon, which results in stronger melee attacks. Like the Punch weapon type, Rod weapons do not target the Legs of enemy units. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHORT Weapon Types: Machine Gun, Shotgun, Flamethrower, Rifle ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MACHINE GUN ----------- Weapon Class: Piercing Weapon Range: 1 Bullet Capacity: 9 Hitting Property: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Enemy Type Effect Enemy Type Effect ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wanzer ( ) Fixed Gun (O) Huge Weapon (O) Support Pod ( ) Armored Vehicle ( ) Chopper ( ) Light Vehicle /_\ Jet X Description: The bread-and-butter weapon of any Front Mission, Machine Guns operate the in the same manner as in Front Mission 1st: multiple rounds fired on random parts. One new feature in Front Mission 2 is that some Machine Guns are shoulder-mounted as opposed to hand-mounted. Machine Guns are worthy weapons to use due to their ability to hit all enemy types with some degree of effectiveness. Always keep one equipped to deal for any situation that occurs in missions. SHOTGUN ------- Weapon Class: Piercing Weapon Range: 1 Bullet Capacity: 9 Hitting Property: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Enemy Type Effect Enemy Type Effect ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wanzer /_\ Fixed Gun (O) Huge Weapon (O) Support Pod /_\ Armored Vehicle ( ) Chopper X Light Vehicle X Jet --- Description: One of the most common weapons of any Front Mission, Shotguns now fire multiple rounds similar to Machine Guns. Unlike Machine Guns, Shotguns target all parts equally and are good for amassing EXP in the Short class. Shotguns are somewhat lacking in that they are less effective against the enemy types than Machine Guns and are unable to target jet type enemies. FLAMETHROWER ------------ Weapon Class: Fire Weapon Range: 1 Bullet Capacity: 9 Hitting Property: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Enemy Type Effect Enemy Type Effect ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wanzer /_\ Fixed Gun (O) Huge Weapon ( ) Support Pod (O) Armored Vehicle ( ) Chopper --- Light Vehicle /_\ Jet --- Description: Flamethrowers still burn their enemies, but now they shoot multiple bursts of fire at the enemy. While Flamethrowers do not fire as many rounds as Machine Guns or Shotguns, the attack power of a single round is far stronger than one from the former two weapons. Flamethrowers are excellent at destroying fixed gun placements and support pods, but cannot target any aircraft. RIFLE ----- Weapon Class: Piercing Weapon Range: 1 Bullet Capacity: 9 Hitting Property: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Enemy Type Effect Enemy Type Effect ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wanzer ( ) Fixed Gun (O) Huge Weapon (O) Support Pod (O) Armored Vehicle (O) Chopper /_\ Light Vehicle ( ) Jet --- Description: Yet another returnee from Front Mission 1sr, Rifles are single-round weapons that are highly accurate and deal good damage. Despite having lower overall damage compared to its other family members, Rifles are very effective against the majority of enemy types. Its only flaws are its poor performance against aircraft types. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ LONG Weapon Types: Grenade Launcher, Missile Launcher, Anti-Aircraft Missile Launcher, Rocket Launcher, Anti-Aircraft Rocket Launcher ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ GRENADE LAUNCHER ---------------- Weapon Class: Fire + Piercing Weapon Range: 2-3 Bullet Capacity: 2-3 Hitting Property: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Enemy Type Effect Enemy Type Effect ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wanzer ( ) Fixed Gun (O) Huge Weapon (O) Support Pod ( ) Armored Vehicle (O) Chopper --- Light Vehicle ( ) Jet --- Description: Grenade Launchers in Front Mission 2 are now classified as artillery weapons. Basically, they fire grenades over an area of nine squares and damage anyone inside its range. That includes friend and foe so you can potentially cause friendly fire if an ally is in the area. When using a grenade, the targeting area will only show five squares as opposed to all nine. Don't be fooled by this; units standing by the corners of the cross-shaped targeting area will be hit as well. Effective against all ground-based enemy types, Grenade Launchers are quite powerful used properly. MISSILE LAUNCHER ---------------- Weapon Class: Fire + Impact Weapon Range: 4-5 Bullet Capacity: 2-4 Hitting Property: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Enemy Type Effect Enemy Type Effect ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wanzer /_\ Fixed Gun (O) Huge Weapon (O) Support Pod ( ) Armored Vehicle (O) Chopper --- Light Vehicle /_\ Jet --- Description: Missile Launchers are far less useful than they were in Front Mission 1st. The new Action Points System and mechanics such as Hitting Property have made Missile Launchers more of a support weapon instead of a main weapon. With their lowered damage output, Missile Launchers are best suited to eliminate vehicles and support units or to weaken stronger enemies such as wanzers. Missile Launchers do have the advantage of being weapons that can be used to gain the first strike against incoming enemy units due to range and high accuracy. ANTI-AIRCRAFT MISSILE LAUNCHER ------------------------------ Weapon Class: Fire + Impact Weapon Range: 4-5 Bullet Capacity: 2-3 Hitting Property: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Enemy Type Effect Enemy Type Effect ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wanzer --- Fixed Gun --- Huge Weapon --- Support Pod --- Armored Vehicle --- Chopper (O) Light Vehicle --- Jet (O) Description: A new weapon type, Anti-Aircraft Missile Launchers do just what they say: shoot down aircraft. While they cannot be used on ground-based enemy types, Anti-Aircraft Missile Launchers are perfect against anything that flies. They can always be relied upon to rain destruction down all aircraft, especially against the evasive jets. Its limited range is its only noticeable weakness so be sure to fire from the weapon's maximum range as much as possible. ROCKET LAUNCHER --------------- Weapon Class: Fire + Impact Weapon Range: 2-4 Bullet Capacity: 1-3 Hitting Property: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Enemy Type Effect Enemy Type Effect ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wanzer /_\ Fixed Gun (O) Huge Weapon (O) Support Pod /_\ Armored Vehicle ( ) Chopper --- Light Vehicle /_\ Jet --- Description: Rocket Launchers now have noticeable differences in comparison to Missile Launchers in Front Mission 2. Whereas Missile Launchers only launch a small number of rounds, Rocket Launchers fire plenty of them at enemies. Their raw damage potential surpasses a Missile Launcher's but it comes at the cost of lower accuracy. Rocket Launchers also possess better range and targeting both close and far away enemies is possible with one equipped. They may not beat out a Fight or Short weapon for effectiveness, but Rocket Launchers are good for support purposes. ANTI-AIRCRAFT ROCKET LAUNCHER ----------------------------- Weapon Class: Fire + Impact Weapon Range: 2-4 Bullet Capacity: 2 Hitting Property: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Enemy Type Effect Enemy Type Effect ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wanzer --- Fixed Gun --- Huge Weapon --- Support Pod --- Armored Vehicle --- Chopper (O) Light Vehicle --- Jet (O) Description: Like with the Anti-Aircraft Missile Launcher, Anti-Aircraft Rocket Launchers are the Rocket Launcher equivalent for shooting down flying machines. They retain the same aspects of Rocket Launchers, but possess better accuracy due to their effectiveness against aircraft. Unlike Anti-Aircraft Missile Launchers, these can be used effectively up close or from afar. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ HYBRID Weapon Types: Bazooka, Cannon ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BAZOOKA ------- Weapon Class: Fire + Impact Weapon Range: 1-2 Bullet Capacity: 3 Hitting Property: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Enemy Type Effect Enemy Type Effect ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wanzer /_\ Fixed Gun (O) Huge Weapon (O) Support Pod /_\ Armored Vehicle ( ) Chopper --- Light Vehicle X Jet --- Description: Bazookas are the still the same old single-round, high damage, and low accuracy weapon they were in Front Mission 1st. While their single-round damage is impressive, Bazookas aren't effective against most enemy types. For a mere three bullets, they really are rather unattractive to use. A Rifle has slightly less damage, but is highly accurate and has six extra bullets to spare. CANNON ------ Weapon Class: Impact + Piercing Weapon Range: 1-2 Bullet Capacity: 3 Hitting Property: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Enemy Type Effect Enemy Type Effect ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wanzer /_\ Fixed Gun (O) Huge Weapon (O) Support Pod /_\ Armored Vehicle ( ) Chopper X Light Vehicle /_\ Jet --- Description: Now a true weapon as opposed to a copy of the Machine Gun from Front Mission 1st, Cannons are truly hybrid weapons. They possess the high damage that single-round weaponry have, fire multiple rounds, and can be used from a distance. Cannons can be equipped on both the hands and shoulders, which only lends to its unique qualities. While they do not specialize in one area, Cannons perform well overall. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BUILT-IN Frame Parts: Body, Arms ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BODY ---- Weapon Types: Machine Gun, Bazooka, Cannon Description: Body parts can now have built-in weaponry!? That's right, Body parts in Front Mission 2 can indeed have weapons mounted on it. These weapons are also quite formidable in combat and not as weak as one would think. Also, Body built-in weapons are a great last resort when both Arms have been destroyed. There are many missions where destroyed parts will be common and having a built-in weapon mounted on the Body will help greatly. The only flaw? Very few Body parts have built-in weapons. ARMS ---- Weapon Types: Punch, Machine Gun, Shotgun, Flamethrower, Rifle, Missile Launcher, Rocket Launcher, Bazooka, Cannon Description: Arm parts with built-in weaponry are nothing new in Front Mission 2, though variety has definitely improved. Instead of seeing Machine Guns and Cannons, you can now use built-in Shotguns or Rifles. Most Arm parts with built-in weaponry do not allow for any shoulder-mounted weapons, but there are some exceptions. Just remember that you cannot equip hand-mounted weapons on any of these weapon Arms. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ OTHER Weapon Types: Shield, Autocannon, Radar, Cluster Bomb ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHIELD ------ Weapon Class: Piercing, Impact, Fire, or Normal Hitting Property: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Enemy Type Effect Enemy Type Effect ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wanzer --- Fixed Gun --- Huge Weapon --- Support Pod --- Armored Vehicle --- Chopper --- Light Vehicle --- Jet --- Description: Shields haven't changed much from their showings in Front Mission 1st. They still lower damage, but their functionality has changed. Shields may or may not have defense against one of the three attack elements. Also, Shields now have a Size parameter. This means that when electing to use a Shield to guard against an enemy attack, the defense isn't always automatic. However, just by equipping a Shield, there is a chance of it being used even if it was not selected as an option thanks to the Auto Defense parameter. Shields can guard against everything but Fight weapons. AUTOCANNON - AC (ENEMY ONLY) ---------------------------- Weapon Class: Piercing Weapon Range: 1-2 Bullet Capacity: 9 Description: Autocannons are basically Machine Guns with the range of a hybrid weapon. That's all there is to know for this enemy-exclusive weapon really. RADAR - RW (ENEMY ONLY) ----------------------- Weapon Class: Normal Weapon Range: 2-6 Bullet Capacity: Infinite Description: Radar is merely a support tool that makes it easier for enemies to hit friendly units. That's all there is to know for this enemy-exclusive weapon really. CLUSTER BOMB - CB (ENEMY ONLY) ------------------------------ Weapon Class: Fire + Impact Weapon Range: 2-3 Bullet Capacity: 1 Description: Cluster Bombs are essentially Grenade Launchers packing a tremendous amount of destructive power. That's all there is to know for this enemy-exclusive weapon really. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TUTORIALS [TUTO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ When anyone plays a game, it is always helpful to have some tutorials of the sort to explain what goes on. Fortunately, Front Mission 2 does not skip on this fact and delivers a large amount of tutorials on every major factor in the game. All tutorials are accessed through the Main Menu. The following is a list of all tutorials in the game. Given the high difficulty of Front Mission 2, you will benefit from actually going through the tutorials. Basic Tutorial List: Attacks & Counters AP System 1 AP System 2 Weapon Data Basic Items Pilot Data Status Damage Operations Tactics Tutorial List: Shield Rule AP System 3 Weapon & Armor Types Anti-Aircraft Geo Effect Honor Skill Move & Move Cost Other Items Mobility ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS(FAQ) [BFAQ] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q: What is the maximum amount of AP in the game? A: The maximum amount of AP is 15 for both player and enemy units. The exception is a single enemy unit that has an AP total of 20. Q: What is the maximum amount of Move that can be attained in the game? A: The maximum amount of Move that can be attained is 17. This is equal to eight squares of movement with a Move cost of 2 per square. Q: What is the maximum amount of Mobile that can be attained in the game? A: The maximum amount of Mobile that can be attained is 67. Q: What is the maximum amount of damage that can be inflicted in a single attack? A: The maximum amount of damage that can be inflicted is 9,999. Q: What are the bare minimums and maximums of Geo Effect? A: The bare minimum for Geo Effect is 0%, but this is only for Arena matches and some mission play exceptions. Normally, it's 5%. The maximum is 65%. Q: What is the maximum amount of money that can be gotten in the game? A: The maximum amount of money that can be gotten is 9,999,999. Q: Working with the Action Points System is hard when I only have 7 AP to work with. Things will get better as I progress through the game right? A: Yes, the amount of AP available to your units will increase provided that their Total Level increases. You have to pay attention to how Honor mechanics affect AP to make the most out of them during the beginning of the game. Q: I'm trying to understand how Honor mechanics work. I know AP is affected by default, but there are no Honor Skills for it. I take it that the Honor skills only affect units if they are equipped? A: Yes, Honor Skills must be equipped for them to affect both friend and foe in mission play. Make sure that units are standing within the eight-square radius around the user that has the Honor Skill equipped for them to work. Q: I'm trying to understand how all of the factors affect accuracy and evasion, but it's all too complicated for me. Which ones should I focus on for beating the game? A: Focus on Action Points, Honor mechanics regarding Action Points, a weapon's Hitting Property, the pilot's specialty, and the unit's Mobile parameter. These are the most vital factors that affect accuracy and evasion in the game. Q: If I have parts with armor coating against all three attack elements, do I get defense against all three attack elements? A: Yes, you will gain defense against all three attack elements. The caveat is that this defense is specific to the parts that have the armor coating. Q: What types of weapons should I use? I have played Front Mission 1st and only used Machine Guns, Vulcans, Missile Launchers, and Rocket Launchers. None of the other weapons were really effective. A: All weapons are equally good in battle due to the numerous changes made to the battle system and the new Hitting Property mechanic. Long weapons are far less useful for offensive purposes and should only be considered as a support weapon. Fight weapons are far more useful for offensive purposes and not using them is a stupid mistake. Q: I'm stuck on some mission and even with your helpful beginner's guide, I just can't get out of it alive! The game is certainly hard, no doubt, but this is insane! Do you have any suggestions on what to do? A: Unlock and use the free parts that are available through the Network. See my main guide on GameFAQs for more details. These will make every mission a lot easier unless you are at the end of the game. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4. WANZER SETUP [WSET] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This section details the mechanics and features behind the customization and creation of wanzers. Reading information about the Battle System is highly recommended as information here goes hand-in-hand with the aforementioned section. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ WANZER DESIGN [WDES] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Designing wanzers is a daunting task if you are new to Front Mission 2. This is where Front Mission really stands out of the strategy RPG crowd and thus, it has its own section. Designing a wanzer will be broken down into sections as to ensure that you understand the process behind wanzer configuration. FRAME PARTS ----------- The wanzer frame consists of the parts that make up the actual wanzer. This consists of a Body, a Right Arm, a Left Arm, and the Legs. A unit cannot be created unless the wanzer frame is complete. Two new parameters present in all frame parts are the Running Cost and Defense Type. Basically, you have to pay maintenance costs to use parts in battle. Running Cost values increase as you gain access to better equipment throughout the game. Defense Type is simply armor coating against one of the three attack elements new to Front Mission 2. The Body part is top priority over the Arms and Legs for a good reason. Special to the Body is the Power parameter, which is essentially the lifeblood of any wanzer. Every part has a Weight parameter that is subtracted from the Power parameter. The overall Weight value of a wanzer must be always be equal to or lower than the Power value or it cannot be used in battles. Therefore, choosing the right Body is key to creating a powerful wanzer. Next in terms of design priority are the Right and Left Arms. A wanzer's only means of attacking are through its Arms and without them, it is helpless. An Arm without a hand-mounted weapon can be used as a Fight weapon under the Punch class. With the absence of an Accuracy parameter, all Arms are viable for combat purposes. The last part in designing a wanzer is the Legs. The only purpose of the Legs is to allow the wanzer to traverse over various terrain and elevation. 2 Leg types will suffice for the entire game, though 4 Leg, Treads, Tires, and Hover Leg types have their uses on certain terrain. SUPPORT PARTS ------------- After a wanzer frame has been fully assembled, support parts can be equipped to boost the effectiveness of the wanzer. Backpacks are parts mounted onto a wanzer's back and offer support capabilities. Backpacks are now classified under two main types: Item and Turbo. Item Backpacks only store items and increase the range of support items, but do not provide extra Power. Turbo Backpacks are only used to provide additional Power to a wanzer, but do not offer item storage capabilities. The second support part that a wanzer can be equipped with are Computers, which should be familiar to anyone who played Front Mission 1st. Information on them can be found in the Computers section. ATTACKING PARTS --------------- Now that the wanzer has been equipped with its frame and support parts, it's time to give it some firepower. A wanzer can equip up to four weapons: two on the Hands and two on the Shoulders. New to Front Mission 2 are Body parts with built-in weaponry, thus allowing a wanzer to equip up to five weapons. Knowing what weapon to equip depends on the pilot who will use the wanzer and their Job specialty. Hand weapons are generally lighter than the shoulder weapons so they should be your first concern. For Long specialists, shoulder weapons should be their top priority. While it is possible to fully load a wanzer with weapons, this is bad wanzer design in most cases. No more than two weapons should be equipped on any wanzer for optimal performance. More often than not, you will have to settle for lower quality parts to fully load a wanzer with weapons. Wanzer Design priority: 1. Body 2. Arms 3. Legs 4. Backpack 5. Computer 6. Hand Weapons 7. Shoulder Weapons If you feel that designing wanzers is too complicated, Front Mission 2 now has full wanzer sets up for purchase. They are designed to fulfill a certain role in battle and will help you understand how wanzers are created. SHOP ---- When you're ready to design wanzers, head to the Shop at the location you are in. The options at the Shop are the same as it was in Front Mission 1st, but don't worry if you are new to Front Mission. The following is a description of the Shop interface found in Front Mission 2. Shop Interface: -------------- | Location | -------------- | Setup | | Parts | | Computer | | Weapon | | Item | | Talk | | Exit | -------------- ---------------------- | Money | xxxxxxx || ---------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |Help Text | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Guide: Location - current location. Setup - goes into Wanzer Setup. (see below for more) A pilot must be selected prior to proceeding to Wanzer Setup. Parts - goes into Parts menu. Parts may be bought or sold, but they are not equipped onto wanzers. Computer - goes into Computer menu. Computers may be bought, sold, or can be upgraded with the Clock Up option. They are not equipped onto wanzers. Weapon - goes into Weapon menu. Weapons may be bought or sold, but they are not equipped onto wanzers. Item - goes into Item menu. Items may be bought or sold. Items bought can be equipped onto any wanzer's Backpack if desired. Talk - talk with the Shop owner. Exit - exit the Shop. Money - the current amount of money in possession. Help Text - text that details information about the selected option. Changes when a new option is selected. Wanzer Setup Interface: -------------- ---------------------- | Setup | | Wanzer Name | -------------- ---------------------- | Weapon | |Total xxx| | Parts | |Fight xxx| | Item | |Short xxx| | Computer | |Long xxx| | Full Set | |MV xx| -------------- |Mob xx| |R.C xxxx| |HP xxx| |------------| | | | | | |------------| |W/P | | xxx / xxx| |------------| ||||||| | -------------- ---------------------- | Money | xxxxxxx || ---------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |Help Text | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Guide: Weapon - goes into Weapon menu. Weapons may be bought and can also be equipped onto wanzers. Parts - goes into Parts menu. Parts may be bought and can also be equipped onto wanzers. Item - goes into Item menu. Items bought are automatically equipped onto a wanzer's Backpack. Computer - goes into Computer menu. Computers may be bought and can be upgraded with the Clock Up option. They can be equipped onto wanzers. Full Set - goes into Full Set menu. Full wanzer sets can be purchased and its data is available for viewing with the Check Details option. Parts, Weapon, and the Computer data for the wanzer can be viewed. A wanzer can be viewed using the View option, which goes into View Mode. Wanzer Name - the name of the wanzer. Total - the total value of the wanzer's Fight/Short/Long specialties. The higher it is, the wanzer's overall performance improves. Fight - the value of the wanzer's Fight specialty. The higher it is, the wanzer's Fight performance improves. Short - the value of the wanzer's Short specialty. The higher it is, the wanzer's Short performance improves. Long - the value of the wanzer's Long specialty. The higher it is, the wanzer's Long performance improves. MV - the wanzer's Move value. The higher it is, the more spaces a wanzer can move. Mob - the wanzer's Mobile value. The higher it is, the more likely a wanzer will evade attacks and when using Fight or Short weapons, hit their targets. R.C - the wanzer's Running Cost value. The higher it is, more money is needed to account for its usage in missions. HP - the wanzer's overall HP value. This includes all part HP and the small bar below shows the HP differences between each part. W/P - the wanzer's Weight/Power difference, depicted by the small bar below. The Weight of a wanzer must not exceed its Power value at all times. Money - the current amount of money in possession. Help Text - text that details information about the selected option. Changes when a new option is selected. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ COMPUTERS [COMP] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Computers in Front Mission 2 operate differently from those found in Front Mission 1st. Computers operate through the concept of Modes, which strengthens different roles that a unit may play in battle. Each computer has four basic Modes and a fifth Mode that unlocks the computer's potential to the fullest. A computer's abilities improve with each upgrade, which can be accessed by using the Clock Up option at Shops. The final upgrade can be accessed using the Network and visiting company web pages. Each computer allocates points to all four categories differently: Fight, Short, Long, and Skill. The Modes on a computer are designated according to how much points it has and what Mode is being used. Mode 1 is designed for all-purpose roles while Modes 2, 3, and 4 are designed for Fight, Short, and Long roles respectively. Mode 5 does not focus on any of the aforementioned roles for obvious reasons. For example, Mode 2 allocates plenty of points to Fight but often ignores Short or Long in the process. Mode 5 prioritizes points on Skill at the cost of lower points for Fight, Short, and Long. Whenever a Mode allocates points to Skill, that Mode will always have a computer Skill equipped. Computer Skills are passive skills designed to strengthen a Mode's role and are always active. They are found on Modes 2, 3, 4, and 5; Mode 1 does not have Computer Skills. Computer Skills on Modes 2, 3, and 4 are generic and can be found on numerous parts. Computer Skills on Mode 5 are unique and offer many advantages over the generic Computer Skills. Some Computer Skills offer completely radical improvements that make them worth using despite lower values for Fight, Short, and Long. Computer Skills Guide: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Skill -Name Mode Data ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shock Absorb 2 Grants immunity to Stun. Balance Up 3 Prevents Danger state from occurring when hit. Detect Mine 3 Detects nearby mines on the battlefield. Energy Save 4 Decreases Running Cost value. Power Down (F) 2 Disables enemy's Fight computer. Power Down (S) 3 Disables enemy's Short computer. Power Down (L) 4 Disables enemy's Long computer. Satellite 5 Reduces enemy's Geo Effect value to 0%. Learning System 5 Multiplies experience value by 2. Move Plus 5 Increases Move value. Range Plus 5 Increases Range value. Auto Repair 5 Recovers set amount of HP to one part per turn. Auto Repair All 5 Recovers set amount of HP to all parts per turn. SDP System 5 Adds Piercing to attacks and negates damage below 'x'. DDP System 5 Parts remain at 1 HP if destroyed from damage taken. DMP System 5 Adds Fire to attacks and sets damage to 'x'. Auto Defense 5 Decreases cost to use Evade command. Auto Sight (S) 5 Decreases cost to use Short weapons. Auto Sight (L) 5 Decreases cost to use Long weapons. Notes: Detect Mine shows mines, seen as blinking bombs, within the user's movement range only. Other units will not be able to see the mines unless they have Detect Mine equipped on their computer. The Power Down skills reduce an enemy unit's values under the Fight, Short, and Long Job classes to 0. Learning System only doubles experience for damaging and destroying enemy units. It does not apply to Honor points. Range Plus only increases the range of Long weapons equipped; Fight and Short weapons do not apply. Auto Repair only works for the part with the highest HP. If more than one part has the same HP values, it will recover the one with the highest HP percentage-wise. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Skill Name Increments ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shock Absorb None Balance Up None Detect Mine None Energy Save - 20/50% Power Down (F) None Power Down (S) None Power Down (L) None Satellite None Learning System None Move Plus + 1/2 Range Plus + 1/2 Auto Repair + 5/10% Auto Repair All + 5/10% SDP System < 10/20 = 0 DDP System > 100 = 100 DMP System None Auto Defense - 1/= 0 Auto Sight (S) - 1/= 0 Auto Sight (L) - 1/3 Computer Modes Guide: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mode Role Point Allocation ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 All-purpose Balance towards Fight, Short, and Long. No skills. 2 Fight Focus on Fight, Short and Long ignored. Generic skills. 3 Short Focus on Short, Fight and Long ignored. Generic skills. 4 Long Focus on Long, Fight and Short ignored. Generic skills. 5 Special Fight, Short, and Long ignored. Special skills. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ WANZER PARAMETERS [WPAR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wanzer parameters for all parts will be documented here and split into the appropriate sections. (Commonly Shared Parameters) HP - the HP parameter. High HP values result in greater part durability. Weight - the Weight parameter. Low Weight values result in extra Move points. Running Cost - the Running Cost parameter. High Running Cost values indicate the usage of high quality frame parts. DF - the Defense parameter. High Defense values result in reduced damage. DF. Type - the Defense Type parameter. Defense Type may or may not offer armor coating against one of the attack elements. (Body) Engine (Power) - the Power parameter. High values result in more design flexibility. Weapon - weapons integrated into the Body part (built-in weapons). (Arms) Weapon - weapons integrated into the Arm part (built-in weapons). (Legs) MV - the Move parameter. Values set to 0 are normal while values higher than 0 indicate extra Move points. (Computers) Fight - the Fight parameter. Raises pilot's proficiency in the Fight class. Short - the Short parameter. Raises pilot's proficiency in the Short class. Long - the Long parameter. Raises pilot's proficiency in the Long class. Skill - the Skill parameter. Points allocated to Skill indicate that the Mode has a Computer Skill equipped. (Backpacks) Item - the Item parameter. Raises the maximum amount of equipped items. Engine (Power) - the Power parameter. Values are added onto the Body's Power value to offer more design flexibility. Range - the Range parameter. Raises the maximum range of support items. (Weapons) AT - the Attack parameter. High values result in greater damage potential. Hit - the Hit parameter. High values result in less attacks missing. Range - the Range parameter. Dictates the minimum and maximum weapon range. Bullet - the Bullet parameter. Bullet are replenished by using Ammo items. (Shields) Size - the Size parameter. Dictates how often the Shield will be used to guard against an attack when electing to use it in battle sequences. Ad - the Auto Defense parameter. Dictates how often a Shield will be used to guard against an attack without electing to use it in battle sequences. (Overall) Total - the wanzer's overall potency in all classes. Fight - the wanzer's potency in the Fight class. Short - the wanzer's potency in the Short class. Long - the wanzer's potency in the Long class. MV - the wanzer's Move value. Mob - the wanzer's Mobile value. R.C. - the wanzer's total Running Cost value. W/P - the difference between the wanzer's Weight/Power values. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ WANZER TYPES [WANT] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Assuming that you have read the Wanzer Design and Wanzer Parameter sections, it's time to learn about viable wanzer builds that can be used. STRIKER ------- Striker builds are designed for Fight specialists. The basic idea behind a Striker build is having a wanzer geared for close-range combat and to act as a tank unit. Parameters that a Striker build focuses on are HP and Defense mainly since they attack last against ranged enemy units. The combination of high HP and Defense makes a Striker build hard to kill, which allows them to operate as tanks. Striker builds are well suited for destroying wanzers and any damaged units in the way, but keep them out of fights against mobile weapons and aircraft. Lastly, Strikers should have a high Mobile to better evade enemy attacks and move around more freely on the battlefield. When shopping for new parts, go for ones with high Defense since they are easy to identify. For weapons, always equip Knuckles and Rods since their attack power is added onto an Arm's Hard Blow attack power. Knuckles can be used with every Fight skill while Rods are statistically better but cannot be used with all Fight skills. Finally, a Shield should always be equipped on Striker builds for more durability. Build checklist: Frame - HP, Defense, and Mobile. Support - Turbo Backpack and Mode 2 computer. Attacking - Knuckle/Rod x 2 on Hand. Shield on Shoulder. Sample build: Body - Zenith X Left Arm - Zenith X Right Arm - Zenith X Legs - Zenith X Backpack - AG-1000S Computer - Guanaco 5, Mode 2 L. Hand - Bear Claw R. Hand - Crazy Hammer L. Shoulder - SN-120 R. Shoulder - None ASSAULT ------- Assault builds are designed for Short specialists. The basic idea behind an Assault build is having a wanzer geared for close-range combat and act as the main attacking unit. Parameters that an Assault build focuses on are Hit and HP for hit-and-run tactics with enemy units. A high Mobile value is also key to an Assault build too. Short weapons with high Hit are preferred due to the accuracy mechanics of the game. Assault builds have uses against all enemy types so having parts with high HP helps. They are best used against mobile weapons and any damaged wanzers. When shopping for new parts, choose a balanced Body to suit the needs of an Assault build. Buy Arms with balanced ratings since they do not have a true accuracy parameter. For the Legs, stick with 2 Leg types to get the most mileage out of them. A multiple-round weapon with a Rifle is a good weapon choice for most of the game. Top it off with a Shield for defense. Build checklist: Frame - Hit, HP, and Mobile. Support - Turbo Backpack and Mode 3 computer. Attacking - Machine Gun/Shotgun/Flamethrower and Rifle on Hand. Shield on Shoulder. Sample build: Body - Zeal B1 Left Arm - Zeal B1 Right Arm - Zeal B1 Legs - Zeal B1 Backpack - AG-1000S Computer - Guanaco 5, Mode 3 L. Hand - Type 98 Rifle B R. Hand - Girino L. Shoulder - SN-120 R. Shoulder - None GUNNER ------ Gunner builds are designed for Long specialists. The basic idea behind a Gunner build is having a wanzer geared for distance combat and acting as a support unit. Parameters that a Gunner build focuses on are Hit and Power above all else. The weapons designated for a Gunner build are the heaviest of all weapons so Power is vital to these builds. Gunners are best used to soften or finish off enemy units from afar. As long as they are not forced into a fight at close range, take advantage of their weaponry. When shopping for new parts, go for the Body with the highest Power rating. Follow the same guidelines for Attackers when searching for Arms. The Legs don't matter to a Gunner build so do whatever you want with them. As for the weapons, load both Shoulders with one ground and one anti-aircraft weapon. If you are not facing aircraft in an upcoming mission, then substitute the anti-aircraft weapon for something like a Grenade Launcher so you have a tool for crowd control. Build checklist: Frame - Hit and Power. Support - Item Backpack and Mode 4 computer. Attacking - Missile Launcher/Grenade Launcher/Rocket Launcher and Anti-Aircraft Missile/Rocket Launcher on Shoulder. Sample build: Body - Giza 5S Left Arm - Giza 5S Right Arm - Giza 5S Legs - Giza 5S Backpack - BP-T3E Computer - Holism 5, Mode 4 L. Hand - None R. Hand - None L. Shoulder - Bull Thrush R. Shoulder - Plaver S6 HYBRID ------ Hybrid builds consist of fusions between two of the three builds or all three builds combined. Hybrid builds may seem attractive due to their all-purpose capabilities, but these builds are the hardest to make. Balancing all of the parts to have an effective hybrid build takes a lot of number-crunching and analysis of the parts available. It is doable to create hybrid builds but you will have to spend some time searching for the right parts. Build checklist: Frame - Balance. Support - Turbo Backpack and Mode 1 computer. Attacking - 1 Fight and 1 Short on Hand. 1 Long on Shoulder. Sample build: Body - Schakal B Left Arm - Giaour G3 Right Arm - Type 102C Legs - Igel Zwei Backpack - AG-640S Computer - Holism 5, Mode 1 L. Hand - Chronik 25 R. Hand - Venus L. Shoulder - None R. Shoulder - Wuerger ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS(FAQ) [WFAQ] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q: Why should I follow the wanzer design priority list? I've already made a few wanzers and it seems that I'm doing things right. A: The wanzer design priority list is a guideline on how to successfully create wanzers in the easiest way possible. Logically, a player will start off with the frame parts and leave the attacking parts for last. The wanzer design priority breaks these steps down to its simplest steps. You don't have to follow it, but it helps out a lot if you're new to Front Mission. Q: When I try to equip a part on my wanzer, the game tells me that I can't equip it! What am I doing wrong? A: The most common issue is that your wanzer's Weight value exceeds that of its Power value. You can easily solve this by equipping lighter parts and weapons. The second issue is that you are trying to equip a Hand weapon on an Arm with built-in weapons. Hand weapons cannot be equipped onto these types of Arms no matter what you do. Shoulder weapons, however, may be equipped onto these Arms depending on their size. Q: How do I access the final version of computers? I went to the Network and accessed one of the company web pages for the final upgrade. Still, I can't seem to upgrade my fourth version computer! Do you know what's wrong? A: The final computer upgrade can only be accessed when you have a fourth version computer part in stock. That means the computer must be not equipped by anyone if you want to upgrade it. If you have the computer equipped on a pilot, buy another computer and load it. You can sell the new computer after accessing the final upgrade or upgrade it in the same manner. Q: Any reason to use Mode 5 on computers? I like to get the most performance out of my units and the other four Modes seem better to use. A: Mode 5 has many uses as unique Computer Skills are equipped on this Mode only. It's up to you which computer has a Mode 5 skill that's worth using in battle. Q: Can you explain what the range on a Backpack stands for? I'm clueless on what is affected by the Backpack's Range parameter. A: The Range on a Backpack is basically the launch range of support items, namely Chaff and Smoke. Support items don't play much of a role in battle, but the boosted Range can make a difference at times. If a group of your units are about to get hit by melee weapons, ranged weapons, or missiles, being able to toss Chaff or Smoke from a distance can work wonders. Q: Is there any benefit to creating a wanzer frame made up of the same parts? I could get better performance by mixing parts up instead of sticking with a pure wanzer frame. A: There is no benefit to creating a pure wanzer frame unless you like to use pure wanzers. Do whatever you need to make a good wanzer. There are some exceptions to the rule though... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5. CREDITS [CRED] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Thanks to: - GameFAQs obviously - Front Mission: World Historica book for certain items and such - Square Enix for the Front Mission series This FAQ copyright 2013 to Angelo Pineda. Redistribution in any form, including reprinting in electronic or print media, without express permission of the author is strictly forbidden.