The player takes on the role of a summoner (known as
Natial master or just
master). A master can summon spirits known as
Natials. All masters and Natials have maximum
HP of 10. The object of the game is to reduce the opposing master's HP to 0. The game is played on a
hex grid map with different types of terrains which affect the gameplay. In scenario mode, the player must play through 30 stages, divided into 6 phases each containing 4 to 7 stages, against opposing masters. In expert mode, both the player and the enemy are equipped with all Natials and magics available in the game, but the map design is generally disadvantageous for the player. Expert Mode consists of 8 stages. Free Battle allows the player to configure all settings including masters, stats, Natials, magics and the map. Human vs Human, Human vs CPU and CPU vs CPU are also available. Secret characters are available in this mode. There are a total of 27 masters in
Vantage Master, of which 18 can be accessed normally. There are 24 Natials that can be summoned, each of which belongs to one of four attributes:
Earth,
Water,
Fire and
Heavens. Each attribute has dominance and a weakness over one another in the following way: Earth beats Water, Water beats Fire, Fire beats Heavens, Heavens beats Earth. A Natial can also be
day type or
night type, becoming stronger in bright or dark places, respectively. Summoning and maintaining a Natial requires usage of
MP. Each attribute has its own "style". For example, Earth units tend to have poor magic resistance with decent attack. They can move very well on land, while some are able to enter a watery terrain, albeit with penalized movement distance. ==Development==