Culdcept fans?

[celerystalker]

In the last few years, my wife, brother, and I have played as much Culdcept as everything else combined in all likelihood. My wife and I still every summer binge on Culdcept Saga on Xbox 360, and I just started a new gane of the PS2 game, as it's the only version my brother has. I also have the Saturn original and Dreamcast Culdcept II that I enjoy fooling around with in Japanese. Anybody else get into any of these games? Have any stories/strategies/memories to talk about? I'd love to hear them.

[sfchakan]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

I got a copy of the North American PS2 game when it came out. I had just started dating my current SO and we played it constantly together for quite some time.

I can't believe it hasn't built a bigger following in the West.

[c2000]

Big, big fan here. Have played the Saturn, Dreamcast and PSOne versions. Would've bought Culdcept Saga on the 360 if BandaiNamco weren't so 'friendly' as to region-lock the American release and then never bothering to release it in Europe :grrr:.

Some strategies?
I have some favorite cards I always return to; Woodfolk (Earth), Gas Cloud (Fire), Wall of Ice (Water), Knight (Air).

As for spells; Mana (I tend to keep them in my hand for an extra lap or 2, if possible), Holy word 1, 6, 10 (I use them on other players :evil:), some magic bolts/ Evil Blast.

Weapons/items: Battle Axe, Gremlin Amulet, Petrify stone, Chain Mail, Sling (free, but helpful)..

The A.I. tends to cheat like mad, so you need some 'dirty tactics' of your own to level the field. Space jumping/leaping (or whatever it is called) is very useful when playing against A.I. players. Kill their creature and leap to their now empty land with high value. Keep the A.I. players in the unknown realms that some maps have by using Holy Word cards on them to drain their mana. Use the Shrines to invest in land you know you're going to level up and cash-in afterwards.

Most of these tactics are more or less 'common sense', but still.

[JohnnyA]

I enjoyed the PS2 version, played a good deal of the 360 version, and play the DS version from time to time. There is a quite good translation to English from the original Japanese for the DS game. Of course this requires an emulator or flash card to play.

[celerystalker]

In Culdcept Saga, I've played so many different books, but there's one that is ridiculously effective. It's primarily earth, but with some fire and multi-element, but the real focus is the "immediate" territory ability. I level up territories quickly, play a lot of defensive items, and do a lot of moving creatures immediately to adjacent spaces for proper elemental alignment or no-risk attacks on properties I just passed. I don't play it against people anymore, because it tends to frustrate them and be dull for me anymore, but I use it for quick wins against the computer when farming for cards. I've gone through the final boss in less than 10 rounds with that one with lucky draws. Key spell cards in that book are Fame, Drain Magic, Fairy Light, Refuge, and on symbol boards, Aurora and Grace. This keeps enough money coming in to buy symbols, level up territories super fast, and defend immediately.

I also like to play a Goblin's lair book against my brother, because he never gets too frustrated and thinks it's funny.