The Rules of Engagement
At the beginning of each stage, the bell crew will emerge from your base and advance toward the gates when you first launch the Odama. Use your troops and the Odama to protect the bell crew. Even if you do not issue commands, your bell crew will still advance toward the goal.
If you need to deploy more troops to assist your bell crew, press the Z Button. You can deploy a limited number of troops on the field at one time, so watch the flow of battle carefully and choose your timing well if you hope to win the day.
Elements of Victory and Defeat
There are three ways to end a stage:
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Guide the hanging bell to its goal within the time allotted (before sundown).
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Lose all of your Odamas. (You start the first battle with only one Odama.)
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Allow your bell crew (or any other dispatched crew) to be pushed behind your own flippers.
Things to Remember
Mastering these points will be essential to your victory!
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Only troops who accompany the bell through the gate will be available for deployment on the next stage.
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The green Odama will conscript enemy soldiers to fight for you, but it will pass over your troops without hurting them.
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When your base is attacked, you will lose control of your flippers for a short period of time.
The Spirit of Victory
The side with the most troops advances. When your troops near the bell crew engage the enemy, the side with more troops will push the front line toward the side with fewer troops. The number of troops on each side is displayed on-screen. If you have too few troops, deploy more with the Z Button.
You can push the front line by defeating enemies, for example, when you roll over the enemy with your Odama. Be careful: your Odama will harm your own troops as well as your enemy's.
Enemies run over by the Heavenly Odama (when it glows green) will be conscripted into your army. The Heavenly Odama will pass over your troops without harming them, but the Odama will revert after a short time.
Turning the Odama Green
There are two ways to transform your Odama:
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Collect hearts until your bell glows white, and then strike it with your Odama.
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Roll over a green power-up with your Odama.
Doing either of these two things will turn your Odama into the Heavenly Odama for a short time.
Voice Commands
Once you find command scrolls on the battlefield, you can use voice commands to issue orders to your troops. Some voice commands can be issued to a single group of men, such as the bell crew, when you target them with the cursor.
You can also target certain items on the battlefield. If you see such an item, target it with the cursor and use your "Rally" command.
Troop Morale
Troop morale is important! Whether or not your troops follow your orders may be a matter of morale. If morale drops too low, your troops may not listen to you at all.
Morale can suffer because of any of the following:
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The Odama hits and kills your own troops.
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The bell crew is pushed back by the enemy.
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You use a certain voice command.
Morale can increase because of any of the following:
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You deploy more troops onto the field as reinforcements.
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You order your troops to rally on a rice ball.
Evil Odama
Certain enemy objects can turn your Odama against you, transforming it into the Evil Odama. The Evil Odama harms your troops but does no damage to the enemy.
Cavalry
Watch out for cavalry! Cavalry troops can cut a swift path through your defenses, leaving a wake of destruction behind them. If they reach your base, your flippers will be disabled for a short time.
If you can wipe out all of the enemy cavalry with your Odama, however, you may receive an unexpected reward.
Rice Balls
Rice balls appear from time to time, contained within barrels you'll find on the map. Pick these up with your Odama and then launch them from the cannon.
If a rice ball lands near enemy troops, they will stop fighting and run over to eat it. This could be just the distraction your men need to seal a victory. Also, if you tell your own men to rally on a rice ball, you can increase their morale, but the front line may fall back a little.
Your Soldiers
Enemy Troops
The men in black armor are the enemy troops. They will come at you relentlessly in their efforts to stop your bell crew. If they meet the bell crew in battle, they might push your bell crew back to your base, costing you the battle.
The Bell Crew
The bell crew represents the heart of your army. They emerge from your base when you first launch the Odama, and they advance relentlessly upon the goal. Use your troops and the Odama to protect the crew.
If the enemy presses them back into your base, your game will end. The bell is very heavy, so the crew moves slowly and cannot climb steep slopes. Fortunately, the weight of the bell roots them to the ground so that they are not washed away when fording rivers.
Your Base and Flippers
Your general stands watch at your base. To his left and right are the flippers, which exert tremendous force to propel the Odama. If the Odama passes between the flippers, then it is lost. If the enemy troops attack your base, you will temporarily lose control of the flippers.