Swordman

The swordsman is a Rank D, or beginner level, frontline fighter that can deal heavy damage to a single enemy. The swordsman's starting magic, Flame Sword, deals damage and debuffs the target's vitality to lower its maximum hit points.

Official Description
Swordsmen are the only character who can use a shield. And their high defense and HP set them apart.

Do you want to protect your team from the enemy's attack? Swordsmen can serve as a powerful shield that protects your mercenaries.

However, they have weak attack power for a melee fighter and can only strike one enemy at a time.

Attack Type
The swordsman can hit any front line target that is not flying. Despite the official description, the swordsman seems to produce high damage attacks.

Flame Sword is a magic attack that deals damage and reduces the target's vitality. The result should be an enemy that cannot regain its original full hit points for the duration of the spell. Flame Sword lasts one turn and requires two turns before it can be used again, so it is impossible to keep an enemy's vitality debuffed with just one swordsman.

Other spells the swordsman can learn include Guard Dispel, Deadly Strike, Dark Seed, and Break Down. Guard Dispel removes the Holy Guard buff from the first row of the enemy squad. Deadly Strike allows a swordsman near death to trade a super powerful attack in this round for his turn the next round. Dark Seed causes damage over time and can combine with Hex of Darkness to create the Hell Flame combo attack. Break Down damages all enemies with an earthquake. If cast on an enemy effected by Chaos Wind, Break Down triggers the Destructive Wind combo attack.

Attributes and Upgrades
The swordsman starts with the highest strength (STR), dexterity (DEX) and defense (DEF) of all Rank D ranged fighters. Players can upgrade him at level 20, 50, 80, and 100 with Ashen Cyrstals. As he progresses, the swordsman will continue to have the highest STR and DEF among his rank D ranged peers, but the spearman has only slightly lower attributes while possessing the ability to damage two enemies in a column. Additionally, players may find that spears add more damage than swords.

The high DEF and vitality (VIT) of the swordsman makes him the ideal front row fighter. He can soak up hits with his high defense and hit points to keep your frail rear units safe.
Statistics (not including equipment or Growth Vials)

The Flame Sword spell hits an enemy hard and drains its vitality.

Strategy
The choice to hire a swordsman is a decision to create a "tank" on the front row to take damage for the squad. Their high DEF and HP mitigate a lot of damage that could cripple your party, but be prepared to heal them when they get hit by magic as they rank in the bottom three in magic defense (MAG DEF) among rank D mercenaries.

Choosing sword as your class for your main character ensures that your leader will have high HP and a good chance to survive. It also means your leader will likely be on the front row where he will get hit often. The benefit of being a swordsman seems to even out with the deficit.

Having more than one swordsman in a squad provides a firm front defense but lowers the damage capabilities of the squad overall as other front line fighters can damage more foes or hit harder. The key to overcoming the lower damage output of single attacks with more than one swordsman is to learn to trigger combo attacks by using the right skills.

As Rank C units become available, the player gains access to lady knights, the next tier of tanks. Lady knights outshine swordsmen in every attribute, so they make fine upgrades. The lady knight also sports better magic attacks than the swordsman, meaning that a swordsman upgraded to sword warrior might be better than a base lady knight in attributes until you upgrade her, but the lady knight is the clear choice overall.

Credits: Ralsu from TenTonHammer

Spearman

The spearman is a Rank D, or beginner level, melee fighter that instantly makes any squad stronger. The spearman's primary starting magic, Lightning Spear, deals physical damage and reduces the target's action points.

Official Description
Spearmen are melee mercenaries with great attack power who have mastered the art of the long spear.

They can strike two opponents at once with their spears, so you might consider a spearman if you want a strong offensive character.

They also have relatively high HP, but for a frontline fighter they have relatively mediocre defense.

Attack Type
The spearman attacks up to two enemies in the same column at once with his spear. His attacks are not as strong as those of the viking or swordsman, but the ability to hit two foes at once makes him a lethal fore.

Lightning Spear deals damage while reducing the action points of the target. This can cause the enemy to miss a turn if it is low enough on action points. Lightning Spear requires two turns before it can be used again.

Anther spearman spell is Deadly Strike, which allows the spearman to deal more damage as his HP gets lower. Players can find books to unlock these more advanced spells.

Attributes and Upgrades
Except for atrocious magic (MAG) and magic defense (MAG DEF) scores, all of the spearman's attributes fall somewhere in the middle among Rank D mercenaries. Players can upgrade him at level 20, 50, 80, and 100 with Ashen Jewels. As he progresses, the spearman develops the second highest defense (DEF) among his rank D peers, and the rest of his attributes keep him competitive with the viking and swordsman for spot in the squad.

The high DEF of the spearman means he can mitigate some of the physical blows dealt to him, but his poor MAG DEF and middle-range HP means that magic attacks will make short work of him.

Lightning Spear deals damage and reduces the target's action points.

Strategy
Spearmen are available as mercenaries from level one, and their Lightning Spear ability could make them useful into the mid levels. Spearmen start out with high enough DEF to earn a spot in the front row. Be careful to heal them as soon as possible when hit by magic because their low MAG DEF is their weakness.

Players will find the value of a spearman in his attacks, which hit two enemies in a column. Stacking Lightning Spear attacks on a boss can cause it to miss a turn while still doing damage.

In the beginner levels, two spearmen and a swordsman make a formidable front line. While one Lightning Spear attack might not make a foe miss its turn, two well-timed Lightning Spear attacks can do the trick. Two spearmen can chain Lightning Spear on alternating turns since the skill requires a cool down of two rounds.

As Rank C units become available, the player gains access beast trainers. Beast trainers are slower and not quite as strong, but they have slightly better DEF and MAG DEF. The big difference is the beast trainer's ability to summon a pack of animals to damage all foes. The decision between the spearman and beast trainer is a tough call to make.

Credits: Ralsu from TenTonHammer

Shaman

The shaman is a Rank D, or beginner level, magic fighter that starts out extremely weak. The shaman's primary starting magic, Blessing of Life, heals the target allied unit in combat.

Official Description
These shamans were offered to the gods as children. Their HP and attack power are too low to be useful in a fight, but their exclusive healing spell, Blessing of Life, makes them invaluable as healers.

Protect her well and your other mercenaries won't have to worry about getting injured while fighting.

Attack Type
The shaman attacks with a blast of magic that acts as a ranged attack but that can not attack foes on the back row unless no enemies are in front of them. Her attacks are weak, and her staff is more useful for its boost to her intelligence.

Blessing of Life is a magic spell that heals the target allied unit. Blessing of Life requires two turns before it can be used again.

Other shaman spells include Brutal Will, which makes an allied unit go berserk and start attacking independently but at higher damage, and Noble Sacrifice, which kills the shaman to heal all allied units. Players can find books to unlock these more advanced spells.

Attributes and Upgrades
The shaman starts with the second highest magic defense (MAG DEF) and intelligence (INT) of all Rank D ranged fighters. Players can upgrade her at level 20, 50, 80, and 100 with Ashen Jewels. As she progresses, the shaman develops the second highest defense (DEF) among her rank D peers, but her vitality (VIT) is the worst. Only the monk and viking have lower dexterity (DEX).

The high MAG DEF of the shaman means she can survive magic blasts that would cause major harm to other units. Her terrible DEX means she won't be dodging many attacks, so it is vital to upgrade her for the extra DEF to compensate for her low HP.

The Blessing of Life spell can be used to heal a heavy hitter unit so that it can focus on attacking.

Strategy
Unless players choose an shaman as their main character, they won't be able to get them until level 10. Shamans should never be in the front row because of their poor DEX and low HP. Be careful to keep a unit in front of them so that they are not exposed to any melee attacks. Their high MAG DEF can help them survive magic attacks, but be prepared to heal them when they get hit by any kind of attack.

The real value of a shaman lies in her magic, as she allows hard hitting units to keep attacking instead of drinking healing potions in battle and losing a turn.

The number of shamans a squad should carry is a careful balancing act. Too few, and players won't be able to keep their units healty in battle. Too many and they squad doesn't kill fast enough, which results in taking more damage and needing all the heals the shamans can give. In the early going, one shaman should be enough.

As Rank C units become available, the player gains access to oracles. Oracles are better in every attribute compared to shamans, and they have magics that can heal groups of allied units An upgrading shaman will have higher survivability than a beginner level oracle, but the oracle will soon overtake her in every way.

Credits: Ralsu from TenTonHammer

Artilleryman

The artilleryman is a Rank D, or beginner level, ranged fighter that can damage several enemies in one attack with his hand held cannon. The artilleryman's starting magic, Deep Insight, reveals the remaining health of enemies in battle, allowing players to develop better strategies.

Official Description
Filling the air with gunpowder, the artilleryman can hit any target, along with those enemies unfortunate enough to be standing adjacent to the artilleryman's quarry.

Their cannon has high accuracy but low attack power. Although they're long range mercenaries, they have high HP.

Attack Type
The artilleryman can hit as many as four targets in a T formation. That is, his cannon blasts hit the target, the enemy behind the target, and one enemy on each side of the target. The ability to damage multiple enemies at once makes up for the low attack power of the artilleryman's cannons.

Deep Insight is a magic spell that deals a normal attack and reveals the HP of the targets of the blast. This skill is useful for determining which unit should attack which target next and prevents wasting the attack of a unit that is stronger than needed. Deep Insight lasts for two turns and requires two turns of cool down.

Attributes and Upgrades
The artilleryman starts with the highest strength (STR), vitality (VIT), defense (DEF), and magic defense (MAG DEF) of all Rank D ranged fighters. Players can upgrade him at level 20, 50, 80, and 100 with Ashen Jewels. As he progresses, the artilleryman will continue to have the highest STR among his rank D ranged peers, but his weapons will do less damage than those of an archer.

The high VIT and MAG DEF of the artilleryman are important because his average DEX means he cannot dodge many attacks. Additionally, the growth curve for the artilleryman's DEF is slow, meaning the Hero Napolean unit has the lowest DEF of any Rank D unit--even the magical units.

Deep Insight performs a regular attack and reveals how much HP enemies have left.

Strategy
Unless players choose an artilleryman as their main character, they won't be able to get them very early. Before level 20, players should be able to place artillerymen in the second row and even leave them exposed without much concern. After level 20 upgrades, the monsters the player faces and the other units available make the artilleryman a defensive liability. At that point, he must be behind at least one other unit if not on the back row for his safety.

Though their attacks are weaker than other ranged units on individual targets, the artilleryman's ability to damage a whole row in one attack should not be dismissed. Players can open with the artilleryman's attack and then finish with melee characters, If the artilleryman falls behind in XP, players can just proceed in the reverse order, letting the artilleryman get several kills (and higher XP) in one shot.

Having an entire row of artillerymen is not a horrible idea when fighting multiple enemies at once. However, an archer is a better choice of ranged fighters for single tough targets, such as bosses.

As Rank C units become available, the player gains access to cannoneers. In the end, cannoneers are slightly better than artillerymen and can stun enemies, but players may find that an upgraded artilleryman still has use and that the Deep Insight skill has value in some fights.

Credits: Ralsu from TenTonHammer

Archer

The archer is a Rank D, or beginner level, ranged fighter that can deal heavy damage to a single enemy. The archer's starting magic, Silence, prevents enemies from casting spells for a short time.

Official Description
With their eagle-like vision, archers can hit any given target in the enemy ranks.

They can only attack one opponent at a time, but they deliver serious damage from a long distance.

They're agile and have a high chance of dodging attacks, but they have relatively low HP and defense.

Attack Type
The can hit any one target on the battle field with her bow. The high damage rating of her weapons means she will be able to cause major harm to the target the player chooses.

Silence is a magic spell stops the target from casting spells for a short while. Thus, the player is forced to choose between dealing heavy damage in the hopes of killing the foe or casting Silence to prevent allied units from taking spell damage. Silence lasts two turns and requires three turns before it can be used again, so it is impossible to keep an enemy from casting spells with just one archer.

Attributes and Upgrades
The archer starts with the highest dexterity (DEX) and intelligence (INT) of all Rank D ranged fighters. Players can upgrade her at level 20, 50, 80, and 100 with Ashen Jewels. As she progresses, the archer will continue to have the highest DEX among her rank D ranged peers, but her powerful weapons will do more damage than those of an artilleryman or gunner.

The high DEX of the archer allow her to dodge many attacks. It is important that she dodge as many as possible because her defense is only better than the artilleryman's among Rank D units. Her VIT is the worst among non-magical Rank D units, meaning her HP are low, too.

The Silence spell prevents an enemy from casting spells for short time.

Strategy
Archers should never be in the front row because of their poor defense and low HP. Be careful to keep a unit in front of them so that they are not exposed to any melee attacks. Their high DEX can help them dodge less accurate ranged attacks, but be prepared to heal them when they get hit by any kind of attack.

The real value of an archer lies in her strong attacks, as she can often wipe out an enemy with lower defense in one attack. Also, her Silence spell can keep pesky enemy casters from hurting allied units.

Having more than one archer can pay off against single tough targets, such as bosses, but they are not the most efficient against multiple foes. Usually, one archer is plenty for a squad.

As Rank C units become available, the player gains access to prophets, a sort of ranged/caster hybrid. They are not exactly apples to apples, but prophets end up better in every attribute except DEX, and they have magics that can take some of the punch out of enemy magic as well. The archer's Silence spell is very versatile, but the tougher prophets make the better choice at higher levels.

Credits: Ralsu from TenTonHammer