Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen (SNES) - RetroAchievements/guides GitHub Wiki

The guide

Written by Sines, don't hesitate to ping me if you see mistakes in this guide.

This guide is an extended and more explicit version of what was initially my routing notes. Everything has been personally tested by me and should be replicable by following the notes. This is not a play-by-play walkthrough, the goal is to cover all the achievements, provide a single playthrough route to obtain them and explain the more obscure sub-systems.

While exploration is rewarded, for achievement hunting purpose everything can be obtained in one playthrough with a couple of backup saves at key points. After finishing the set, my RA playtime is around 40h but please take into account that I wasted time testing various things and that I play with speed-up mode a lot.

As I cover quite a lot in this guide already, Single playthrough completionist routing is on it's own page.

About the game

The game appeal comes from the fact that there is almost nothing else like it in term of gameplay, a game where you direct your troops like a RTS but also have full customization of your units composition and almost no direct way of controlling the battle flow once it start. With 13 endings depending on your actions and the myriads of secrets, there is a lot to cover !

Listing

Achievements can be roughly be divided in 5 categories

  • Maps: 32 Achievements that require you to beat most maps while having liberated every towns and temple. Often require you to trigger at least one of the unique boss interaction when available. As you can only beat a map once, 30 are missables
  • Recruitment: 13 Achievements for recruiting various story characters. Apart from 3, they are all missables
  • Items: 31 Achievements for finding items. 17 are missables.
  • Endings: 10 Achievements giving you an ending card depending on how you played. Because this is a nicely designed set, gender variant of the same ending are covered in a single achievement. Technically all missables except two if you save before the final battle by having a low reputation.
  • Misc: 7 remaining achievements. 4 of them are missables

Systems and sub-systems

Because they are often the biggest pain point for new player, here are explanations on the major game sub-systems.

Reputation

Represented by the gauge on the top right of the screen during battle. Overall It is easier to lower it than to raise it. High is 2/3 or more, Low is 1/3 or less and Medium is in-between.

Things that raise reputation:

  • Liberating towns with a High ALI unit
  • In-game events (be nice to people)
  • Random card draws after liberation

Things that lower reputation:

  • Having a liberated town/temple taken back by enemies
  • Liberating towns with a Low ALI unit.
  • Taking too long to finish a map (you collect taxes every day, idling make you look tyrannical) . This is also true if you revisit a map after battle but the timer is reset to 0.
  • Getting your HQ captured
  • In-game events (don’t be nice to people or do bad things)
  • Random card draws after liberation

Your reputation impact quite a lot of things such as Endings, recruitments and getting items so pay attention to it. Overall for the completionism making sure you liberate towns with a high ALI unit and don't have your towns/temple retaken. Card draw is RNG dependent but shouldn't affect you to the point where you get screwed over just by it.

When you need to lower your reputation quickly you can repeatedly let the enemy retake cities / your HQ. You can also visit the town of Anglem in Diaspola. There the NPC Borgnine give you a trade offer for a Sentoul Demon statue if you have one (you should have at least one through Posha's quest, I think of Demon for you achievement). If you refuse him you will get a reputation drop and you can repeat the process infinitely.

Alignment / Charisma

ALI and CHA stats for most characters are used for class change. For your main Lord it impact endings and characters recruitment. In battle, high ALI units fight better during the day and low ALI during the night, but exception made of units like Vampire and Werewolf the difference is minimal.

ALI is raised by:

  • Killing a higher level enemy
  • Killing a low ALI enemy
  • Random card draws after liberation

ALI is lowered by:

  • Killing a lower level enemy
  • Killing a high ALI enemy (like Priests and Angels)
  • Random card draws after liberation

CHA is raised by:

  • Killing a higher level enemy
  • Killing a low CHA enemy
  • Random card draws after liberation

CHA is lowered by:

  • Killing a lower level enemy
  • Killing a high CHA enemy
  • Running from battle

How to manipulate it ? For lowering purpose it's quite simple, just park your unit into a liberated town and wait for waves upon waves of enemies to die on your sword. Be careful to not tank your CHA too much for human characters as even evil one needs it to class change. Most monster on the other hand don’t care for it.

Now to reliably augment it outside of regular battle, the trick is to revisit map with Undead neutral units. Undead have 0HP, very low ALI and CHA but can only be killed by White attribute attack. Find a White attribute weapon via treasure manipulation and equip the character you want to boost.

Same trick can be used to raise level characters without changing their ALI/CHA. Because only the character dealing the killing blow get the change but everyone in the unit get the XP, anyone incapable of doing White damage won't change ALI/CHA but gain levels.

Early game Pogrom Forest is a good spot. At lv15 you have Wraith in the swamps of Balmorian ruins. Antalia have lv21 undeads. For endgame endings unlock, Deneb's Garden have lv1 Pumpkins that will make your ALI and CHA plummet.

Misc Notes

Battle maps

Unit upgrade chart

Starting lord question guide

  • Equipment not only improve the stats of a character but can also change the elemental property of his attacks. This is especially important to be more efficient against some boss or to be able to kill undead with White attacks.

  • You have a max limit to the number of characters you can have in your army (to be tested but seems to be around 95 ?). Make sure you have enough space available to recruit story characters.

  • Hidden treasure drops are random and available if you go back to a map where you didn’t get them. If you want to meta-game you can save before revisiting a map, go through the different spots and reload if you don’t get what you were looking for. This is mainly useful for getting the Fireseal as one of the required item is a random drop weapon (Euros). This is needed for 1 achievement

  • The Pause button is really powerful. When you get a fight notification, before clearing the pop-up you can hit pause to look at your stats, the enemies stats, change equipment, your formation or use item for healing.

  • Classes have different movement type but the most powerful one is probably High Sky, which allow you to zoom through the map quickly. For your regular heavy hitters you can settle for Low Sky instead by putting units such as Gryphon or Hawkmen into your setup.

  • Unit available for recruitment in town change based on who is doing the recruiting. Higher tier class can recruit more units, high ALI can recruit other high ALI classes such as Angel, Beastmaster can recruit beasts, Dragonmaster can recruit dragons, etc. Don’t hesitate to check with a couple of different classes !

  • You can absolutely use Evil or low ALI/CHA characters regardless of your reputation. As long as you liberate cities with high ALI units, it won't impact your reputation. That mean that you mainly need to pay attention to your main Lord and that for the rest of your units you can use the most depraved killers and still get good endings.

  • For any achievement requiring special dialogue with the Boss, you don’t need said unit to deal the killing blow, they just need to fight once. If you don’t want to have to think about it too much, you can create a 2-characters unit with the Char needed and a Gryphon to fly directly to the boss, trigger the dialog and immediately retreat.

  • If you input your starting name as "MUSIC/ON", you will access the soundtest. You need to reset the console after as it seems there is no other way to go back.

  • Fight between two units are automated but there is a couple of things to know. If you are standing still and the enemy attack you the battle will take place on your terrain, and vice-versa. If you both were moving the battle will be on the terrain in-between the two units.

  • Battle end when everyone used their attacks, winner is decided by which side did the more damage. Exception is made for Boss, where you will lose if you don’t kill the leader. Healing is not deduced from the total damage done.

  • You can change targeting priority with the tactics selected. For boss battle, Leader is the most useful as you only need to kill the boss to end the map.

  • While all character in a unit gain XP from a battle, ALI and CHA change only impact the character that deal the killing blow. The only exception to that is for kill made with Tarot cards, the change and XP are applied to the main Lord instead.

  • There is a limited amount of enemy units per map, most of the time around 20 or so. To reduce that number you need to kill ALL of the characters in an unit otherwise it will run back to a town and replenish its rank. The only exception is for the last map of the game that have something like 2200+ units (infinite for all intents and purpose).

Achievements

Maps

Liberate All Cities and Temples then Complete *MAP* and see *CHARACTER* special dialog with boss

Pretty self explanatory. Please note that the "see special dialog with boss" condition doesnt need said character to deal the killing blow to the boss.

The End Nears

DO NOT LIBERATE ANY CITIES(Hidden cities and all temples are OK) then Complete "City of Xanadu" and see Rauny's special dialog with boss

The phrasing is a little ambiguous, I can confirm that you need to liberate the hidden town and the temples for this one to unlock.

The Paladin

Liberate All Cities and Temples then Complete "Muspelm" and Recruit Slust The Red

Defeat the boss while having the HEROSTAR, Reputation gauge 2/3 or more and Main lord ALI > 69 for the recruitment part.

The Lost Knight

Liberate All Cities and Temples then Complete "Organa" and Recruit Fenril Of Ice

Defeat the boss while having the HEROSTAR, Reputation gauge 2/3 or more and Main lord ALI > 69 for the recruitment part.

The Dragon Rider

Liberate all Cities and Temples then complete "Shiguld The Ruined City" and Recruit Fogel

Defeat the boss while having the HEROSTAR, Reputation gauge 2/3 or more and Main lord ALI > 69 for the recruitment part.

Fireseal

Enter Dragon's Haven

Launch a New Game and name your lord FIRESEAL

Recruitment

Sharom's Finest

Recruit Lans

  • Castle of Warren
  • Necessary to finish the tutorial

Wings of Victory[m]

Gain the item needed to recruit Canopus

  • Sharom District
  • Get the MoonRose first from Chang'Gal (missable otherwise)
  • Liberate Latingurue
  • Liberate Bah'Wahl and say Yes to his questions
  • Go back to Latingurue (if you already have an unit on the tile, move off then back to it)
  • Say yes to Yulia to get the item and achievement
  • Go back to Bah'Wal to recruit birdboi
  • Technically the achievement only need the item, not the final recruitment

Worlds Greatest Beast Tamer

Recruit Lyon

  • Slums of Xenobia
  • Liberate Anberg and pay 20K to unlock him
  • Alternatively you can go back to the map later and recruit him for only 5K

The Old General[m]

Meet Ashe in the slums

  • Slums of Xenobia
  • Liberate By'Roit
  • You technically can refuse him and still get the achievement

Holy Sister

Recruit Aisha

  • Island Avalon
  • Liberate hidden temple on the right of the middle volcano

She's the Witch[m]

Receive the Black Pearl, The Glass Pumpkin, and Recruit Deneb

  • Deneb's Garden
  • Defeat boss and chose to forgive her
  • After, go back to the map and visit Valparine (previous boss base), say Yes to her question get you the Black Pearl
  • In Diaspola (later map), after the map is done revisit Raloshel shop and buy Golden Bough for 50k
  • Bring the Golden Bough back to Deneb in Valparine for a Glass Pumpkin
  • If you reputation gauge is low (1/3 or less) you will be able to recruit her
  • /!\ Contrary to Deneb's advice, make sure you don’t sell the Pearl or the achievement wont trigger.

The Runaway Bride[m]

Recruit Rauny

  • Valley of Kastro
  • Liberate the temple south of Geral Abad with a reputation gauge at 2/3 or more

Stoned Mage

Recruit Saradin

  • Balmorian Ruins
  • Liberate Wan Kayo
  • Liberate Kalyao while in possession of the HEROSTAR and get the BELL
  • Liberate the temple west of Kannyate and use the BELL to revive Saradin

The Prodigal Son

Meet Tristan

  • City of Malano
  • No recruitment needed, trigger on dialogue with main Lord
  • In Slum of Xenobia (previous map), visit Kal Robst after clearing it and receive the Key of Destiny
  • Visit Bel Chelry with your main Lord and a reputation gauge at 2/3 or more to recruit him.

Biggest Diva

Recruit Kaus Debonair

  • Shangrila
  • Defeat the Boss (Gares) and answer Yes to his question

Holy Contract

Recruit Yushis

  • Antalia
  • Liberate the hidden temple west of Shad Dobul with a reputation gauge 2/3 or more

I'm the Devil

Recruit Galf

  • Antanjyl
  • Defeat the boss
  • Reputation gauge is empty or almost empty
  • Main lord has an ALI stat <31
  • Brunhild in inventory and not equipped
  • Say Yes to Galf proposal and give him the sword

Big Happy Family

Recruit All 18 Special Charcters

  • Deneb

  • Canopus

  • Lyon

  • Warren > tutorial

  • Lans

  • Saradin

  • Yushis

  • Tristan

  • Rauny

  • Aisha

  • Slust

  • Fenril

  • Fogel

  • Galf

  • Debonair

  • Ashe

  • Gilbert

    • Sharom District
    • Recruit Canopus
    • Defeat boss and do not execute Gilbert to have him join

  • Norn

    • Diaspola
    • Defeat boss with a reputation gauge 2/3 or more and spare her life

Thanks to Guininhas's comment for the confirmation !

Items

You Are A True Hero...Maybe?

Receive the Star of Hereos

  • Sharom Border
  • Liberate hidden temple north of your HQ

Silver Bullet[m]

Retrieve 'QuickSilver' or Silver

  • Pogrom Forest
  • After map revisit Para with a reputation gauge of 2/3 or more

Holy Sword[m]

Retrieve the Brunhild on First Visit to the Correct Temple

  • Kastolatian Sea
  • Liberate the hidden temple on the most north-west island with a reputation gauge 1/3 or more

Golden Orb[m]

Retrieve the "Golden Orb"

  • There is no "Golden Orb" in the game, it seems to have been a confusion on the name "Olden Orb" (as in old, not new) .
  • Need SILVER from Pogrom Forest
  • Dalmuhd Desert, after stage revisit Aliabard and exchange SILVER for Gem of Doun
  • Pogrom Forest, go back to Para to get the Olden Orb

Gem of Truth[m]

Retrieve the "True Gem"

  • Ryhan Sea
  • After stage revisit Ramoto after getting the Olden Orb and Gem of Doun and you will get the True Gem

Holy Tablet[m]

Retrieve the "Tablet of Yaru"

  • Shangrila
  • After stage revisit the Shangrila town with the Gem of Doun, Olden Orb and True Gem to get the Tablet of Yaru

Monty Python[m]

Retrieve the "Holy Grail"

  • Shrine of Kulyn
  • After stage revisit Kulyn with a reputation gauge of 2/3 or more to get the Grail

Keeper of the Zodiac[m]

Obtain all 12 Zodiac Stones

  • Endgame farm only for this and World Ending
  • Need to have obtained the Tablet of Yaru

  1. Garnet

    • Slums of Zenobia, revisit hidden temple Northwest of HQ

  2. Amethyst

    • Dalmud Desert, revisit hidden temple north of Kahrngarn

  3. Aquamarine

    • Diaspola, revisit Ajan

  4. Diamond

    • Shiguld, revisit hidden temple west of Dallu Sarram

  5. Emerald

    • Island Avalon, revisit hidden temple at the center of the map

  6. Pearl

    • Diaspola, during FIRST time
    • Liberate Somyul with your lord having ALI 55+ and a reputation gauge at least half full to start Posha's quest. Answer Yes to her question
    • Liberate hidden temple northeast of Pelegue to get Golden Beehive
    • Go back to Somyul to get Sentoul Demon.
    • Organa, after stage
    • Revisit the hidden temple in the Southeast to get the Ginger Cake
    • Diaspola, revisit Somyul and give the cake to Posha.
    • Say Yes to get the Pearl.

  7. Ruby

    • City of Malano, revisit Sanbelnar

  8. Peridot

    • Muspelm, revisit hidden temple east of Fidelin

  9. Sapphire

    • Shangrila, revisit hidden temple on middle isle

  10. Opal

    • Lake Jansenia, revisit hidden temple east of Allephal

  11. Topaz

    • Ryhan Sea, revisit hidden temple southeast of Fahrk

  12. Turquoise

    • Tundra, revisit hidden temple east of Valhalla

Gold Nugget

Receive the Nugget from supporters

  • Sharom Border
  • After stage, revisit Valikesh then Fallsala

Moon Rose[m]

Recieve The Moon Rose from supporters

  • Sharom District
  • During stage, liberate Chang'gal before doing the Canopus quest

I Think of Demons...For You[m]

Have a Little Girl give you a Demon Soul

  • Diaspola
  • During stage, liberate Somyul with your lord having ALI 55+ and a reputation gauge at least half full to start Posha's quest. Answer Yes to her question
  • Liberate hidden temple northeast of Pelegue to get Golden Beehive
  • Go back to Somyul to get Sentoul Demon.

Box of Salvation

Receive the Box of Salvation from supporters

  • Organa
  • After stage, revisit Ohbia

The Good Book[m]

Receive the Book of Good

Launch a New Game and name your lord FIRESEAL

Quest for the Saga [m]

Retrieve "The Saga" item without spending any money(you must kill the priests to recieve the 'Song of Sodom")

  • Fort Allamoot
  • During stage, reputation gauge is less than 1/2
  • Liberate Matagalp
  • Visit Plinsport
  • Visit Esquintora
  • Visit Laseive, refuse to pay
  • Visit Stun Creek
  • Visit the temple near Tekshigahve with a low reputation gauge, kill the monk to get the Song of Sodoh
  • Do the previous step in reverse to exchange the items: Stun Creek > Laseive > Esquintora > Plinsport > Matagalp

Chrono Trigger?[m]

Receive the Rainbow Shell from Supporters

  • Fort Allamoot
  • After stage, after having done the Saga quest, revisit Esquintora with a reputation gauge NOT full (conflicting reports, but if done just after Saga it won't be an issue anyway)

Seal of Fire[m]

Receive the "Fire Crest" item

  • Wasted opportunity to not call this achievement "Fire Emblem", considering the name of the one before it

  • Need to obtain the Four Wind Weapons

    • Boleas

      • Shrine of Kulyn
      • Liberate Tridan, ask for the boss weakness and pay 150k to get this
      • It is also possible to get one through random treasure drop

    • Euros

      • Random drop, see Treasure note

    • Notos

      • Fort Shulamana
      • Liberate the hidden temple north of Shulamana

    • Zepyulos

      • Shiguld
      • Beat the boss and do not recruit him
      • After the stage, revisit Shiggult

  • Back to Shiguld

  • Revisit the temple nortwest of Muwanza

Friends Of Demons

Receive 3 Items for being a Friend with Galf

  • Antanjyl
  • After stage with Galf recruited
  • Revisit Powant Noal

Necronomicon

Receive The Foul Tome

  • Antanjyl
  • After stage with Galf NOT recruited
  • Revisit Gibbot with a reputation gauge lower than 1/2

Pandoras Box

Receive Salam's Chest from supporters

  • Antanjyl
  • After stage, revisit Yaunde with a reputation gauge more than 1/2

Mythological Tome

Receive the "Folio" from supporters

  • Zeteginea
  • After stage revisit Mislata

Live by the Coin or by the Sword

Receive the Beast Coin or Sigmund from supporters

  • Ryhan Sea
  • After stage revisit Harmhella

Orc Fur

Receive the Orc Fur from Supporters

  • Dalmuhd Desert
  • After stage, revisit Kahrngarn with a Low reputation gauge

Star Bees?

Receive the Star Fragment from supporters

  • Fort Allamoot
  • During stage, liberate the hidden city in the top left desert, Pirallel

Beautiful Statue[m]

Receive the Beautiful Statue from Supporters

  • Fort Allamoot
  • After stage, revisit Tekshigahve with a reputation gauge 2/3 or more

Lottery Winnings

Receive the Reputation Based Prize from Fort Allamoot

  • Fort Allamoot
  • After stage, revisit Killig Abal

Relief from the Tundra

Receive the "Snow Cape" or "Relief" from Supporters

  • Tundra
  • After stage revisit Valhalla, you will get Snow Cape for High reputation and Relief Medallion for Low Reputation

Pratice Necromancy

Find Two Book Of The Dead during your travels

  • Book 1: City of Malano, revisit Malano
  • Book 2: Muspelm, revisit Segejin

Olympic Winner

Receive the Platinum Medal from supporters

  • Balmorian Ruins
  • After stage, revisit Sahnfan

Kalbia's Gift

Receive the reputation based reward from Kalbia supporters

  • Kalbi Peninsula
  • During stage liberate Bosetyn

Pagent Winner

Receive the Crown after answering a question

  • Muspelm
  • Revisit Chilfa

Everybody is a Winner

Receive the "Big Trophy" from supporters

  • Shiguld
  • After stage revisit Bujunbulla

Endings

Save the World

Finish the game and receive the World Ending

  • High reputation
  • 12 Zodiac Stones
  • 3 Sacred treasures: Brunhild, Grail, Mystic Armband
  • Tristan and Rauny recruited
  • Most of the other optional char recruited and still alive (Everyone except Galf and Deneb for sure, Lyon might be optional as well.)

Benevolent Overlord

Finish the game and receive the Emperor or Empress Ending

  • High reputation
  • 3 Sacred treasures: Brunhild, Grail, Mystic Armband

Holy Ruler

Finish the game and receive the Hierophant or Priestess Ending

  • High reputation
  • Tristan (female lord) / Rauny (male lord) recruited

As the World Turns

Beat the game and receive the Sun or Moon ending

  • High reputation
  • No Tristan / Rauny

Ben Hur

Finish the game and receive the Chariot Ending

  • Medium Reputation
  • Medium ALI for main Lord
  • Tristan recruited

Swinging In the Wind

Finish the game and receive the Hanged Man Ending

  • Medium reputation
  • Medium ALI for main Lord
  • Tristan NOT in the army

Dont Fear the Reaper

Finish the game and receive the Death Ending

  • Low reputation
  • Main lord CHA between 30 and 60

The Dark Tower

Finish the game and receive the Tower Ending

  • Low reputation
  • Main lord CHA 30 or less

Prime Mover

Finish the game and receive the Devil Ending

  • Low reputation
  • Galf recruited

Fortunate Victory

Beat the game and receive the Fortune Ending

  • Launch a New Game and name your lord FIRESEAL
  • Beat the bonus map

Misc

Mr Popular

Max Out Reputation Gauge

  • Be seen as a hero
  • See Reputation manipulation
  • Even with some bad rng card draw and having a couple of cities being retaken, I unlocked this one during the Diaspola stage.

LOSER!

Lower repuation gauge to 0

  • Be reviled by the people
  • See Reputation manipulation, can easily be obtain at any point of the game.

Angelic Force

Achieve 99 ALI with the Lord character

  • Be seen as a hero
  • See ALI Manipulation, you might want to force it early game with some neutral Undead killing.

Here to do the Devils work

Achieve 0 ALI with the Lord character

  • Be reviled by the people
  • See ALI Manipulation, easy to achieve by killing neutral lv1 Pumpkins

Gothillinare

Have 2 Million Goth

  • Following the World ending you will probably ends up with around 1 million Goths at endgame. Make a back-up save and sell all your valuable should do the trick.
  • You can also exchange the 12 Zodiac stones for a stack of 99 Dream Crowns in Muspelm, which you can in turn sell.

Forceful Leader

Leader is at Level 30

  • If not reached during normal play, you can park your main Lord in a kill squad at your HQ of the last map and wait for the infinite reinforcement to suicide on you until you reach lv30.

Return from Nothing[m]

Find all Chaos Gates

  • Require you to have gotten the Brunhild sword, there should be 7 gates to unlock.
  • Can be done after the map is completed.
  • You just need the sword somewhere, doesnt matter if it's equiped or in inventory.
  • Any unit can find a gate.