This is a guide on the best army battle formations in Suikoden 2. Find out the best combinations of generals and troops, how to organize them, and a list of all army battle characters and their special abilities!

Best Army Battle Formations

All Recommended Formations
Team Viktor Team Georg Prime Team Ridley Team Valeria Team Hauser Team Gilbert Team Flik Team Teresa Team Luc Team Ayda Team Mazus Team Hero Team Maximilian

Team Viktor

General
Viktor
Troops
Shu	Pesmerga
Attack and Defense	Special Abilities
ATK:14 DEF: 8	・Critical ・Evade ・Cavalry

This formation focuses on offense, led by Viktor and troops with high attack power. It excels in both offense and defense as it has the abilities Critical, Cavalry, and Evade.

The team consists of resilient characters who won’t die in battle, allowing for continuous attacks.

Team Georg Prime

General
Georg Prime
Troops
Miklotov	Lo Wen
Attack and Defense	Special Abilities
ATK:14 DEF: 8	・Critical ・Melee ・Cavalry

This formation has the upper hand against magicians and archers in close combat. Critical hits boost attack power, while Cavalry provides excellent mobility.

However, Georg Prime and Lo Wen will die permanently if defeated, so move carefully to keep them safe.

Team Ridley

General
Ridley Wizen
Troops
Klaus Windamier	Tsai
Attack and Defense	Special Abilities
ATK:11 DEF: 10	・Critical ・Evade ・Cavalry ・Fire Spears x2

While its attack power is slightly lower, the Fire Spear’s area attack makes this formation formidable. It strikes three squares in a straight line, so position carefully to maximize its impact.

The team consists of characters who won’t fall in battle, allowing for relentless attacks.

Team Valeria

General
Valeria
Troops
Shin	Gijimu
Attack and Defense	Special Abilities
ATK:11 DEF: 8	・Critical ・Melee ・Cavalry

This formation excels against magicians and archers in close combat. Cavalry skills provide mobility, while critical hits amplify damage output.

However, if Gijimu falls, he will be lost in battle, so handle him with care.

Team Hauser

General
Hauser
Troops
Jess	Tai Ho
Attack and Defense	Special Abilities
ATK:13 DEF: 9	・Critical ・Evade

This formation balances offense and mobility. Thanks to Evade, it gains a slight defensive boost, making it effective on the front lines.

However, if Tai Ho is defeated, he will be lost in battle, so move with caution.

Team Gilbert

General
Gilbert
Troops
Camus	Adlai
Attack and Defense	Special Abilities
ATK:7 DEF: 9	・Cavalry ・Invention x1

Invention can strike enemies within one square, so use Cavalry to advance to the front line and hit multiple targets.

However, with low attack and defense, and Invention being a one-time use, it’s best to retreat and wait after executing the attack.

Team Flik

General
Flik
Troops
Huan	Hanna
Attack and Defense	Special Abilities
ATK:9 DEF: 7	・Cavalry ・Heal x3

This is a healer-focused unit that utilizes Flik’s Cavalry abilities. His unit consists of archers, allowing him to provide support from the rear when not healing.

Due to his low attack power, it’s best for this unit to prioritize healing using Huan's Heal ability.

Team Teresa

General
Teresa Wisemail
Troops
Jeane	Yam Koo
Attack and Defense	Special Abilities
ATK:7 DEF: 13	・Bombard x3 ・Lightning x1

This archer team has a long attack range. Use the Bombard or Lightning magic abilities to attack from the rear.

With low attack and defense, it’s best to wait until you’ve exhausted these abilities before taking further action.

Team Luc

General
Luc
Troops
Apple	Tuta
Attack and Defense	Special Abilities
ATK:11 DEF: 6	・Wind Magic x3 ・Evade ・Heal x3

This unit provides rear support with Wind Magic, and can attack enemies from range. It can also defend thanks Evade’s defense boost and the ability to use Heal Self three times.

However, with low defense and no cavalry mobility, careful positioning is essential.

Team Ayda

General
Ayda
Troops
Oulan	Emilia
Attack and Defense	Special Abilities
ATK:6 DEF: 6	・Forest Walk ・Investigation ・Heal Self x1 ・Bodyguard

With Forest Walk, you can move long distances through forests, so staying within them is ideal.

Despite low attack and defense, the unit won’t fall in battle thanks to its Bodyguard ability. Push forward to attack, and when needed, use them as a shield to protect allies.

Team Mazus

General
Mazus
Troops
Freed Yamamoto	Templeton
Attack and Defense	Special Abilities
ATK:9 DEF: 8	・Fire Magic ・Shortcut

This rear support unit can attack using the Fire Magic skill. Fire Magic deals damage to any enemy in a one-tile radius, but it can also damage allies caught in the area, so take care when using it.

Team Hero

General
Hero
Troops
Humphrey Mintz	Lorelai
Attack and Defense	Special Abilities
ATK:8 DEF: 13	・Heavy Armor ・Bright Shield

This unit stays off the front lines, but can heal large groups of allies with the Bright Shield Rune. Since losing the Hero's unit will cause defeat in battle, the Heavy Armor skill adds extra health to prevent a loss.

Team Maximillian

General
Maximillian
Troops
Annallee	Chaco
Attack and Defense	Special Abilities
ATK:8 DEF: 7	・Encourage ・Flight ・Cavalry

Compared to similar units, Maximillian has low attack and defense, so he's best employed for his Cavalry skill. Encourage allows all surrounding troops to act again, making it a very powerful ability to use in the middle of your formation after allies have attacked. Chaco's Flying ability makes it easier to get in position to use Encourage.

Tips and Tricks for Organizing Formations

Army Organization Tips
Substituting Characters Defend the Hero Select Roles Distribute Cavalry

Substitute Support Characters in Similar Roles

If you lack the characters needed to create one of the above formations, you can replace characters with others that have the same ability. For example, if you don't have Pesmerga to use for Team Viktor, using Camus, Miklotov or Klaus will give you the same Cavalry skill.

Note that Special Abilities do not stack, so there is no point in having two characters provide the same ability. Spread characters with similar abilities around to maximize their coverage in your army!

Organize Team Hero Defensively

Because a battle will end in defeat if the Hero's unit is lost, organize their support units defensively. Instead of using them for attacks, focus on providing wide-ranging healing support with the Bright Shield Rune from the rear.

Decide on Roles and Orient Your Army Around Them

When organizing your army makeup, decide on different roles for your generals, such as attacking, defending, or supporting. Using roles, you can clarify what every unit does ahead of time and use every unit to your advantage in battle.

We recommend organizing around three roles: Frontline attackers that strike at close range, rear line attackers that use magic and bows to attack from far away, and support units that heal from the back.

Spread Out Cavalry Support Troops

Because Cavalry abilities do not overlap, don't bother putting two cavalry units in the same formation. The Cavalry ability increases a unit's movement range by +2, making it incredibly powerful for increasing mobility.

We recommend attaching Cavalry units like Camus or Miklotov to Infantry generals, since Infantry have low mobilty and short attack range.

How to Organize Troops

Speak to Apple in the Great Hall

You can reorganize your army formations by speaking to Apple in your Headquarters' Great Hall.

Note that excepting certain units like Freed Yamamoto and Tsai, General units are fixed in place. You can only change the positions of Troop characters.

Organize Troops Just Before an Army Battle

In most cases, speaking to Apple just before a army battle will allow you to organize. Be sure to check on your formations before army battles, as newly recruited characters can be assigned.

List of Characters Playable in Army Battles

Generals

Character	Stats	Abilities
Hero	Type: Infantry ATK:8 DEF: 7 Can Die? No	Bright Shield: Heals all units within 1 square.
Ayda	Type: Archer ATK:6 DEF: 5 Can Die? Yes	Self Heal x1: Heals self. Forestwalk: Pass through forests at normal speed (except Cavalry).
Boris Wizen	Type: Kobold ATK:9 DEF: 8 Can Die? No	Evade: Chance to avoid enemy attack.
Flik	Type: Bow Cav. ATK:7 DEF: 7 Can Die? No	Cavalry: Unit is mounted with +2 movement range.
Georg Prime	Type: Infantry ATK:11 DEF: 8 Can Die? Yes	Critical: Chance to deal double damage.
Gilbert	Type: Infantry ATK:11 DEF: 8 Can Die? Yes	No Special Abilities
Hauser	Type: Cavalry ATK:9 DEF: 7 Can Die? No	Cavalry: Unit is mounted with +2 movement range.
Kasumi	Type: Archer ATK:6 DEF: 6 Can Die? No	Scout: Displays attack success chance for allies and enemies.
Kiba Windamier	Type: Cavalry ATK:7 DEF: 12 Can Die? No	Cavalry: Unit is mounted with +2 movement range. Heavy Armor: Can withstand +1 extra damage (3 swords total)
Luc	Type: Magician ATK:10 DEF:4 Can Die? No	Wind Magic x3: Attacks enemies within 3 squares.
Maximillian	Type: Cavalry ATK:6 DEF: 7 Can Die? Yes	Cavalry: Unit is mounted with +2 movement range.
Mazus	Type: Magician ATK:9 DEF:6 Can Die? Yes	Fire Magic x1: Attacks all units within 2 squares (can hit allies).
Ridley Wizen	Type: Kobold ATK:10 DEF: 7 Can Die? No	Critical: Chance to deal double damage.
Teresa Wisemail	Type: Archer ATK:5 DEF: 6 Can Die? No	Bombard x3: Can attack 1 enemy within 5 squares.
Valeria	Type: Cavalry ATK:8 DEF: 8 Can Die? No	Cavalry: Unit is mounted with +2 movement range.
Viktor	Type: Infantry ATK:8 DEF: 7 Can Die? No	No Special Abilities

These characters are ranked as Generals, meaning that they will lead units and appear on the battlefield directly during Army Battles.

Before an Army Battle you can assign up to two Troop Characters to each General's unit, improving its stats and giving it special abilities.

Troop Characters

Character	Bonuses	Abilities
Adlai	ATK:+0 DEF: +0 Can Die? No	Invention: Attack all surrounding units (can hit allies).
Apple	ATK:+1 DEF: +2 Can Die? No	Evade: Chance to avoid enemy attack.
Annallee	ATK:+0 DEF: +0 Can Die? Yes	Encourage x2: Surrounding units can act again.
Camus	ATK:+0 DEF: +1 Can Die? No	Cavalry: Unit is mounted with +2 movement range.
Chaco	ATK: +0 DEF: +1 Can Die? No	Flight: Unit can fly, with +2 movement range. Stacks with Cavalry.
Emilia	ATK: +0 DEF: +1 Can Die? Yes	Investigate: Shows attack and defense success chance.
Freed Yamamoto	ATK: +0 DEF: +1 Can Die? No	No Special Abilities
Gijimu	ATK: +1 DEF: +0 Can Die? Yes	Melee: Increase chance to defeat magician or archer units.
Huan	ATK: +0 DEF: +0 Can Die? No	Heal x3: Heal unit within 3 squares.
Humphrey Mintz	ATK: +0 DEF: +2 Can Die? No	Heavy Armor: Can withstand +1 extra damage (3 swords total)
Jeane	ATK:+0 DEF:+0 Can Die? No	Lightning Magic x1: Attacks 1 enemy within 3 squares.
Jess	ATK: +2 DEF: +0 Can Die? No	Evade: Chance to avoid enemy attack.
Jowy Atreides	ATK: +2 DEF: +1 Can Die? No	Critical: Chance to deal double damage.
Koyu	ATK: +1 DEF: +0 Can Die? Yes	Self Heal x1: Heals self.
Lo Wen	ATK: +2 DEF: +0 Can Die? Yes	Melee: Increase chance to defeat magician or archer units.
Lorelai	ATK: +0 DEF: +2 Can Die? Yes	No Special Abilities
Miklotov	ATK:+0 DEF: +1 Can Die? No	Cavalry: Unit is mounted with +2 movement range.
Nanami	ATK:+1 DEF: +1 Can Die? No	Self Heal x1: Heals self.
Oulan	ATK:+0 DEF: +0 Can Die? No	Bodyguard: Prevents characters dying when unit is defeated.
Pesmerga	ATK:+3 DEF: +0 Can Die? No	Cavalry: Unit is mounted with +2 movement range.
Shin	ATK:+1 DEF: +0 Can Die? No	Critical: Chance to deal double damage.
Shu	ATK:+3 DEF: +1 Can Die? No	Critical: Chance to deal double damage. Evade: Chance to avoid enemy attack.
Tai Ho	ATK:+2 DEF: +1 Can Die? Yes	No Special Abilities
Templeton	ATK:+0 DEF: +1 Can Die? Yes	Shortcut: Can move through forests and walls normally.
Tsai	ATK:+1 DEF: +0 Can Die? No	Fire Spear x2: Damages enemies in a 3 square line
Yam Koo	ATK:+1 DEF: +1 Can Die? Yes	No Special Abilities

These characters are ranked as Troops, meaning that they can be assigned to a General's unit. Troops cannot lead units on their own.

Army Battle Special Abilities

This list of army battle abilities describes each ability's effects and lists the characters that can use it in army battles.

Suikoden 2 Related Guides

Beginner's Guide

All Tips and Tricks Guides