Triangle Strategy is out and it might be too soon to tell but it’s currently one of the best tactical RPGs out there. A bold claim considering Fire Emblem and Final Fantasy Tactics exists. But one that I’m pretty confident to write out here.

Square Enix’s Triangle Strategy is the rebirth of the retro subgenre of tactics RPG. Much like the success of Octopath Traveler before it, it looks like this genre is here to stay. Triangle Strategy takes place during a devastating conflict, war has separated the nations and you as the young heir to one of the houses is embroiled deep in politics and intrigue. The game has some deep narrative, meticulous world-building and complex storytelling. Coupled with highly strategic, nuanced combat makes it a game not to be missed by tactical RPG fans.

Not just the story but the characters in Triangle Strategy have a wealth to offer. From how they contribute to your battle plans and to the story in general. There are over 20 playable characters in Triangle Strategy for you to recruit and while any character can be effective, some are absolutely better than others. You’ll likely want to focus your resources and money on upgrading these few specific characters.

Anna Pascal	Serenoa Wolffort
Roland Glenbrook	Narve Oparyn
Geela Breisse	Hughette Bucklar
Benedict Pascal	Julio Lightman

 

Anna Pascal

Default Class: Spy

Default Weapon: Iron Dagger (Rank 1), Silver Dagger (Rank 2)

Abilities:

• Act Twice (Passive, LV 0): Grants 2 actions during a single turn but can only be used once in battle.
• Slumber Stab (Active, LV 0): Deal physical damage and has a chance of putting enemies to sleep for two turns.
• Take Cover (Active, LV 0): Become invisible for two turns providing players don’t attack or stand in front of an enemy.
• Surmount (Active, LV 9): Move to a neighbouring square with a height difference of under 15 units.

Hailing from the Kingdom of Glenbrook, Anna Pascal was an orphan adopted into House Wolffort. An expert spy and Benedict’s right hand, she swears to do everything in her power to repay that debt.

Anna is one of the main characters unlocked from the start of Triangle Strategy, and she’s likely going to be one of your strongest attackers for most of the game. Her biggest strength is her Act Twice ability, which lets her use two actions each turn. Using two attacks lets Anna do huge damage, especially if you use two back attacks. It’s even better if you have someone set up for a follow-up attack, as they’ll follow up for both of Anna’s attacks.

Anna also gets a ranged skill that lets you throw poison, and she can traverse huge elevation changes. Couple that with her high speed, and you’ve got an absolutely deadly assassin that can rush in and cause damage.

Anna’s biggest weakness is her low defence, however, so it’s a good idea to focus upgrades and accessories on improving that.

Recruit: Joins before the end of Chapter 1, A Young Hawk Soars.

 

Roland Glenbrook

Default Class: Spear Knight

Default Weapon: Lance (Rank 1), Silver Lance (Rank 2)

Abilities:

• Knight’s Bane (Passive, LV 0): Increases Spear damage.
• Double Thrust (Active, LV 0): Deals physical damage twice at the cost of 2 TP.
• Rush (Active, LV 4): Move four squares forward whilst damaging all enemies in three squares in the process.
• Opportune Attack (Passive, LV 7): Move five squares and damage a facing enemy.

Roland is the younger son of King Regna, who brought the Saltiron War to its end. Serenoa of House Wolffort is his closest friend. He is a skilled knight with great offensive stats and mobility. His weapon also allows him to attack multiple enemies at once.

He wields a lance while riding horseback, utilizing the training he received from Ser Maxwell to pierce through enemy defences. Roland is an indispensable unit in battle. He can travel to distant tiles with the help of his steed. His expertise in wielding his lance allows him to damage multiple enemies in front of him. Make the most out of his aptitude by placing him in a tile where he can take down multiple enemies at once.

Do note that his defensive stats are not very high. Having Benedict and Geela around to keep Roland healthy maximizes his presence in battle.

Recruit: Joins before the Exploration section of Chapter 2, To Arms, Brave Warriors.

 

Geela Breisse

Default Class: Physician

Default Weapon: Rod (Rank 1), Ice Rod (Rank 2)

Abilities:

• Cure Wounds (Active, LV 0): Restore HP to an ally.
• For Those in Need (Passive, LV 3): Give HP to teammates at a loss of 50% HP or less when using health-restoring commands.
• Haste (Active, LV 6): Buff up an ally’s speed for three turns.
• Circle of Healing (Active, LV 7): Restore HP to all team members in range.

Geela is Frederica’s attendant and tutor in the arcane arts. She once studied at the Ministry of Medicine in Hyzante. But the allure of the Aesfrosti Archives compelled her to move to the duchy.

Geela’s base class is Physician, which means she will be serving as a healer in a players team. She’s a great healer and her ability to keep the team healthy is indispensable. She’ll get you through the most difficult battles in the earlier parts of the game with the help of her abilities that heal and buff allies.

Geela has access to the ability Heal What Ails You that heals an ally’s status ailments. Having her around to heal your units will make the fight easier.

But take note that Geela’s defences are not super high so it’s wise to keep her close to her allies so that they can defend her when she’s in trouble.

Recruit: Joins after clearing the Chapter 1 battle, Beset by Brigands.

 

Benedict Pascal

Default Class: Tactician

Default Weapon: Cane Sword (Rank 1), Fox Cane (Rank 2)

Abilities:

• Raging Beast (Active, LV 0): Raises an ally’s strength and magic attack statistics for three turns.
• Bulwark (Active, LV 3): Raises and ally’s magical and physical defence for three turns.
• Bird of Prey (Active, LV 5): Raises an ally’s movement and jump for three turns.
• Now…! (Active, LV 7): Move allies turn to after the current one.

The Stewart of House Wolffort since the Saltiron War, Benedict Pascal is a legend amongst the population of the Kingdom of Glenbrook. Not only is he known for his determination and intelligence, but he has the absolute trust of his liege. He has overcome countless difficulties with his intelligence and levelheaded judgment.

Benedict is by far the best support unit in the game and can be a key supporter in establishing a strong offense or defense, depending on the situation. Despite not having great offensive and defensive stats, Benedict boasts a wide array of abilities that can buff alllies and turn the battle around when you’re in a pinch. He can improve physical and magic damage, and grant bonus mobility and bulk. When in a bind, you can rely on him to alter the turn order of your units using one of his abilities to gain the upperhand in battle.

Benedict can’t fight on his own though, so make sure to pair him with another unit such as Serenoa or Erador.

Recruit: Joins from the start.

 

Serenoa Wolffort

Default Class: Swordsman

Default Weapon: Longsword (Rank 1), Silver Sword (Rank 2)

Abilities:

• Delayed Strike (Active, LV 0): Deals physical damage and delays an enemies turn.
• Pursuit Stance (Passive, LV 3): Raises damage and accuracy of follow-up attacks.
• Hawk Dive (Active, LV 5): Deal physical damage that is significantly boosted by attacking from higher ground.
• Counter Stance (Passive, LV 7): Increases counter-attack chances when an enemy attacks.

This list won’t be complete without the main protagonist of the game, Serenoa Wolffort. He’s the only son of Symon, a legendary warrior and head of House Wolffort. One of the three great houses in the kingdom of Glenbrook.

With a base class of Swordsman, Serenoa is an all-around character with no noticeable weaknesses. He’s great to have in battles because of the damage he can deal to enemies whether or not it is his turn.

His ability Counter Stance allows you to damage enemies even on their turn because he strikes back. He also has Sweeping Slash, an ability that allows him to hit all enemies that surround him.

Recruit: Joins from the start.

 

Narve Oparyn

Default Class: Sage

Default Weapon: Oak Rod

Abilities:

• Whirlwind: Deal wind-type magic damage to all enemies within range and change the direction they face.
• Sanctuary: Grant HP to allies within range.
• Icy Breath: Deal ice-type magic damage to all enemies within range and freeze the ground.
• Spark: Deal lightning-type magic damage to an enemy, and have a chance to paralyze them for 2 turn(s). Effect spreads on water.
• Pierce Defenses: Decreases an enemy’s magic defense for 3 turns when you deal damage to them.
• Scorch: Deal fire-type magic damage to all enemies within range and set the ground ablaze.

Narve is the grandson and last disciple of the archmage Grandante. He joins House Wolffort in the hopes of restoring his late grandfather’s honour. He’s is an excellent magic user and unlike other mages, can use multiple elements, meaning he can exploit nearly every environmental effect. He has good mobility and magic damage output, making him the perfect supporting unit that can deal damage and healing in equal measure.

Having him in a battle allows you to have control of the terrain; transforming it to your team’s advantage. It’s great to have him exploit elemental weaknesses and terrain effects. Physical attacks don’t work well against armoured enemies so you can have Narve take care of them using his magic. Furthermore, his wind magic changes enemies’ orientation so you can land that back strike easily.

Narve can also be a substitute healer using his ability Sanctuary. However, his abilities cost a lot of TP so you can pair him with someone who can provide him TP like Julio. He’ll also need to be protected by units with higher defence.

Recruit: Through character stories.

 

Hughette Bucklar

Default Class: Hawkbow

Default Weapon: Shortbow (Rank 1), Great Bow (Rank 2)

Abilities:

• Hawk’s Bane (Passive, LV 0): Increases Bow damage.
• Blinding Arrow (Active, LV 0): Deals physical damage and chance of blinding for three turns.
• Fell Swoop (Active, LV 5): Physical damage to a single foe.
• Shadowstitching Arrow (Active, LV 10): Physical Damage with a chance of immobilizing for two turns.

Hughette Bucklar is the latest recruit of Glensbrook’s Kingsguard, specifically tasked with protecting Roland Glenbrook. She has dreamed of serving the crown from a young age and was appointed a position in the Kingsguard after years of hard work.

Hughette is skilled with the bow and her trusty Hawk gives her an advantage in elevated terrain. With Hughette, you can attack enemies from afar. Her range increases the higher the ground she’s on. Snipe enemies from a vantage point and make sure to not let her near bow-wielding enemies.

Some of Hughette’s abilities can inflict status ailments on enemies too. Shadowstitching Arrow is very helpful in battle because it can immobilize an enemy, while Blinding Arrow gives her a chance to blind an enemy for 3 turns.

Recruit: Joins before the Exploration section of Chapter 2, To Arms, Brave Warriors.

 

Julio Lightman

Default Class: Advisor

Default Weapon: Curved Blade

Abilities:

• Moment of Truth (Active, LV 0): Grant 1 TP, raise Strength and Magic attack for three turns.
• Not on my Watch (Active, LV 0): Deals physcial damage and reduce their TP by one.
• K.O. TP+ (Passive, LV 0): Gain 1 TP when an enemy is defeated.
• Finish Them! (Active, LV 0): Grant 2 TP to a party member.

Julio Lightman is an aide to King Regna’s Advisor. After uncovering the Kings’ Advisor was stealing funds from the crown’s recent mining venture, he’ll join your party if you have enough Liberty.

To put it simply, Julio is your TP guy. His aptitude allows him to grant TP to allies and lower the TP of enemy units. Having a constant source of TP allows your team to exploit TP-consuming abilities that deal devastating blows to enemies.

Julio is an absolutely vital support character to have, especially if you tend to use a lot of mages in battle. He’s a relatively strong attacker that can easily sit on the front lines, but what makes him really exceptional are his TP-boosting abilities. He can grant 2 TP to an ally on his turn, which essentially lets a mage use a spell every single turn if you choose. Julio also gains TP himself whenever he KOs a unit, and the higher his TP the higher his defence, which is already a naturally high stat. Julio should always be near your frontlines or helping your mages wreak havoc on the enemy.

Don’t forget that you can restrict the enemies’ abilities by taking away some of their TP too!

Recruit: Through character stories.

 

Triangle Strategy

Triangle Strategy tells the story of three mighty houses that rule over the continent of Norzelia, each controlling a vital resource.

Under the frosty lands of the Grand Dutchy of Aesfrost lie rich iron deposits. Salt is gathered from a lake at the heart of the Holy State of Hyzante and the bountiful Norzelia river brings flourishing trade to the Kingdom of Glenbrook. Constant feuds over these resources eventually ignited a great conflict known as the Saltiron War, which brought the mighty nations to their knees.

Hostility ceased when a fragile truce was formed, and over the following years, the realm experienced a time of peace. The three nations have joined together in a mining venture, while Serenoa, the heir to the most powerful high House in the Kingdom of Glenbrook, is set to wed Frederica of Aesfrost to further strengthen ties between the nations.

Yet, it seems this peaceful era may be at an end when the Archduke of Aesfrost suddenly attacks the Kingdom of Glenbrook. It falls upon the young lord Serenoa and his noble companions to protect not only House Wolffort and the Kingdom of Glenbrook, but the future of the continent itself.

Triangle Strategy launched on the 4th of March and is currently available for the Nintendo Switch.