The game I'll be introducing today is "Himeyuri no Ran," an indie game released in 2012.
This software was created by the circle "Tsubu Tsubu Shujinkou" and was available at half price during a DLsite sale, so I bought it and tried it out.
I bought it for 330 yen after a 50% discount, and it was incredibly challenging and rewarding to play, exceeding my expectations for the price.
This is a regional conquest simulation game that uses a system similar to AliceSoft's "Sengoku Rance" and "Daiakushi".
It's not exactly the same system; it incorporates some unique features, making it a challenging and rewarding experience.
The total time to complete the game, including retries, was approximately 15 hours.
Since there are branching storylines, I think you can enjoy it twice.
As of May 2021, the price is 660 yen including tax.
A trial version is also available.
If you purchase through the image link above, I will receive a small commission.
Please be aware if you dislike affiliate marketing.
Game Overview
This game, "Himeyuri no Ran," is a regional conquest simulation game where you progress by strengthening your own army and invading the territory of enemy countries.
It's necessary to consider not only offense but also defense when deploying troops, and to have a forward-looking strategy.
Synopsis
The main character is Noel, the second princess of the Alicia Empire.
The story begins when the protagonist opposes the political marriage between his best friend, Princess Marina of Breshana, and his older brother, the Second Prince Yuna, and invades Yuna's territory.
In the Empire, those with a claim to the throne have the right to duel each other for the throne.
Although the rules are now largely obsolete, Noel decides to use them to rescue Marina and, moreover, to change the way the empire operates, where everything is determined by bloodline.
During the conflict between Noel and Yuna, the machinations of other siblings with claims to the throne become intertwined, and what starts as a flamboyant sibling squabble escalates into an incident that shakes the entire empire.
Game flow
The game's flow can be learned very clearly and thoroughly from the "Tutorial" on the title screen.
Therefore, this section will provide a brief explanation.
This game progresses in a turn-based system.
Each turn, you are given two action points, which you can use to advance to other areas or to investigate your own area.
To progress through the scenario, you will generally need to advance into the territories of the warring nations.
When you advance, you will engage in battle, and by winning, you can capture one piece of land in that area.
Since capturing three territories constitutes occupation, it means that a minimum of three victories are required to capture one area.
If an attack is launched in that area during the enemy's turn, you will lose the land if you choose to lose the battle or retreat.
To capture enemy territory, you need to not only win the invasion but also successfully defend it during the enemy's counterattack.
It is important to avoid invading when you have no resources to spare, and instead deliberately create a stalemate in the battle to focus on strengthening your own forces.
Ways to strengthen your army include raising the level of your units and increasing the number of units.
By "investigating" your own area, you can trigger events that add troops to your team or obtain valuable items.
By using these methods, you can gradually strengthen your forces and capture all of the enemy's territory.
battle
In battle, units act in order from those with the most "Action Points" (AP), which are equivalent to the number of actions they can take.
If the AP (Action Points) are the same, one unit will be randomly selected to take action.
In the image above, the red circle below the number representing the number of units (●●●●) is AP.
In this image, all units have 4 AP, so who acts first is random.
However, a unit whose AP has been reduced to 3 after taking an action will not have another turn to act until all units with 4 AP have finished their actions.
Let's carefully consider the order of things and choose our actions accordingly.
At the end of all units' turns, the side with the superior battle gauge on the screen wins.
The battle situation gauge increases as you attack and defeat enemies.
Attack methods and skills vary depending on the unit's troop type.
Some characters possess powerful unique skills, and utilizing them effectively can significantly alter the course of battle.
When the number of units reaches zero, they become incapacitated in battle, and the maximum number of units decreases.
Furthermore, there is a certain probability that the unit will be "annihilated," resulting in the complete loss of the entire unit.
Since there is no way to revive lost units, it is extremely important to fight in a way that prevents them from becoming incapacitated.
Once combat begins, it cannot be ended midway, so if the chances of winning are slim, it may be necessary to choose "retreat" from the start.
Units that survive the battle have a certain chance of gaining 1 experience point.
Once you accumulate 5 experience points, you will be able to level up your units from the unit formation screen.
Troop formation
On the unit formation screen, you can equip and use "Relics" (artifacts), level up your units, heal them, and more.
Relics are items in this game, and they come in various types, including equipment and consumables.
High-ranking relics require "bloodline," and relics exceeding the value set for each unit cannot be equipped.
Relics come in four types and levels, so equip them to units that match their type and level.
In this game, you can also obtain many relics, which are consumable items that increase your experience points.
These can be used by anyone without restriction and are consumed when the "Equip" command is pressed.
Now, units that have accumulated enough experience points can be leveled up using the "Grow" command.
Leveling up allows you to increase the number of troops (HP) and learn new skills.
Choosing which option to select can be quite difficult, but if you're unsure, you can't go wrong by simply increasing the number of troops.
In this game, HP is a crucial stat that significantly impacts attack and defense power, making it more than just durability.
Once a unit reaches a certain level, it will be able to select "Form a New Unit".
Selecting this option will add a new unit to your roster, so let's do it proactively.
Please note that selecting this command requires 1 action point.
Additionally, action points may be required when significantly restoring the number of units.
Review (no spoilers)
I completed the game twice and cleared both routes.
I found the difficulty level to be somewhat high, so it might be challenging for players who aren't fairly familiar with video games.
There are helpful tutorials and hint commands, so you'll have a hard time if you don't make good use of their advice.
There are some parts that are a bit of a surprise for first-time players, so you'll probably end up reloading and restarting a lot.
By making full use of save data and saving after every action, you can play with peace of mind.
I don't think there's a turn limit, so if you're not confident, you can take your time to strengthen your army and you should be able to clear it eventually.
However, the number of turns taken is one of the evaluation criteria after clearing the game, so those who like to complete the game thoroughly should take note.
Because there were various enemy patterns and various countermeasures available, I was able to play the game enthusiastically without getting bored until the very end.
The battles had a good sense of tension because if you fought without thinking, you would be easily defeated or annihilated.
At first, I thought it would be a comical story, but it gradually took a more serious turn.
On the other hand, the side events unrelated to the main story were full of parody gags, which made me laugh a lot.
While there are some yuri elements as the title suggests, to be honest, they aren't particularly strong.
Most players should be fine, but those looking for strong yuri elements should be aware.
Also, while the story unfolds quite differently depending on the route taken, the final outcome remains largely the same.
One minor point of concern is that it would be nice if the combat speed could be increased a bit.
Also, there were many times when I wanted to restart by reloading, so it would have been more convenient if there was a way to quickly return to the title screen.
(The "Return to Start" option under "System" is disabled.)
Strategy Notes (Contains Spoilers)
I'd like to write about some points that I felt were important for completing this game.
I hope this serves as a helpful example of gameplay.
General tips
- Ensure that security personnel are secured.
It can be difficult at times, but make sure to deploy any knights who can use the Guard ability in every battle.
Unless you're aiming for a quick victory, in most cases, reducing damage taken through guarding is extremely important.
If there are enemies attacking the back row, deal with them by eliminating them first, placing knights in the back row, or using full guard.
"Guard rate" is the probability of activating a guard, so you want to act in a way that keeps it at 100% as much as possible.
Therefore, strengthening the "Initial Guard" skill should reduce instances of guard leaks.
Once you've mastered all the guard skills, your knights will guard even if they're in the back row, which has the added benefit of allowing you to place more attackers in the front line.
- Having personnel who can reduce the enemy's guard rate is also important.
Just as guarding is effective for allies, enemy guarding can be troublesome.
In combat, you need a plan for how to break through the enemy's defenses.
The most straightforward way to break through their defenses would be through "close-range attacks" or "melee combat."
For units in your army that don't have very high attack power, focus on developing their "Close-Range Attack" skill to reduce the enemy's guard rate.
For high-attack ace attackers like Natalia and Rose, I think it's best to train their "Melee" skills, which deal high damage.
Additionally, Noel's "Star Lily" is also a useful way to break through guards.
Reducing the enemy knight's action points to delay their use of guard skills, and then eliminating them with a concentrated attack before they can stack guards, is an effective strategy from the early stages of the game.
Alternatively, you could try eliminating them using attacks that ignore guards, such as Momo's skill "Thunderclap" or the relic "Bomberman."
・Make effective use of the withdrawal
The enemy's first attack often includes named units and is usually a formidable force.
If reconnaissance reveals such a situation, it may be effective to withdraw from the first invasion and concentrate forces on defending against a second invasion.
If you can turn the tables on the enemy, you can inflict damage on their forces, so when counterattacking, you should actively aim for their complete annihilation.
Growth strategy
Deciding which stats to increase when leveling up is a tricky decision.
For knights, it's generally a good idea to prioritize skills like guarding abilities > various defensive stats > troop size, but there's no definitive reasoning behind this.
If you're frequently taking damage to the point of dangerous levels during battles, it might be a good idea to prioritize increasing the number of your troops.
While aiming for Guard III in all areas, let's also learn the initial guard.
It's a good idea to train soldiers by classifying them into offensive types and guard rate reduction types.
For characters with high melee attack power and a large number of units, who can be expected to inflict high damage, focus on increasing their melee skills, unit count, and melee attack power.
For soldiers with relatively low base attack power, focus on increasing their close-range attack capabilities and developing them into types that reduce the enemy's guard rate.
There aren't many vehicle types, so I can't say much about them, but let's aim to level them up to acquire their unique special moves.
I think artillery firepower will also be important.
Since the number of units doesn't grow very well, using red paper will allow you to grow them more efficiently.
Since stealth is primarily used for reconnaissance, you don't need to worry too much about how to develop it.
If I had to suggest something, learning how to cancel charge attacks might be slightly useful in boss battles.
Hygiene will improve its healing skills, which are its primary role.
Once you've raised it to level III, start leveling up other healing skills.
First, focus on developing the strategist's command skills, and then teach them how to inflict debuffs on the enemy.
Since buffs to allies can be applied through the passive skills of each troop type (such as Ruffian Squad, Defensive Formation, etc.), I think it's better to learn debuffs to enemies first.
Incidentally, there are some skills where acquiring one skill causes another skill in a different category to disappear.
Be careful not to acquire them unnecessarily.
It would be helpful to review the "Skill List" PDF file included with the game.
Examples: Melee or Close-range attack, Full guard or Guard III, Ruffian unit or Defensive formation or Battle results boost
- Increase the number of units by forming new units.
Once a specific unit reaches level 5, you will be able to select "Form a New Unit" from the unit formation screen.
This action consumes action points for that turn, but it allows you to increase the number of units without any particular drawbacks, so you should do it as soon as it becomes possible.
Since the number of troops involved in executing the command will not decrease, it is an extremely important command in the early stages of the game when you need as many troops as possible.
• Thoughts on combat
By quickly defeating enemies that still have turns remaining, you can reduce the damage you take.
Rather than maximizing the damage dealt, it's more important to concentrate your attacks and reduce the number of enemy units.
Furthermore, enemies that attack your rear lines, such as those using vehicles or stealth, pose a significant threat.
In the early stages when you don't have any guards, try using Noel's Star Lily, eliminating opponents early, or placing guards in the back row to deal with the situation.
Depending on the order of actions, you might unfortunately die in an accident, so if the turn order is particularly bad, it might be a good idea to reload and try again.
Individual Strategies
- Battle with Yuna
It's still early in the game, but if you fight without any thought, you'll quickly get stuck.
Once Lightning joins the team, we'll be able to incorporate knights into both offensive and defensive strategies.
However, I think it's best to strengthen your forces while defending until you're no longer able to survey your own area.
As the hint suggests, when Todaka appears, use Star Lily to fight him.
Since the powerful artillery attack is not used if AP is less than 3, the remaining attacks will consist only of ranged fire.
- Battle against Momo & Nana
Once you defeat Yuna, she will immediately attack you.
Since it will be difficult to defend yourself immediately after defeating Yuna, use retreat to avoid combat.
Even if your area is being advanced, it won't be captured unless three of your territories are taken, so make use of this.
For now, let's not launch an invasion ourselves, but instead focus on protecting Marina and Momo who are coming at us.
As the number of turns increases, Marina and Riff will join your party.
Riff is incredibly useful because he's tough enough to withstand attacks on his own even when placed in the front line, and his charge attack deals significant damage to enemies in the back row.
I think we can go on the offensive once they're all together.
Riff is a powerful unit, but after deploying him a few times, he will be replaced by Rose.
Rose isn't as strong as Riff, but with proper training, she can become a top-tier attacker.
The story unfolds slightly differently depending on whether you defeat Nana or Momo first, but ultimately it converges to the same outcome.
However, if you defeat Nana first, she will escape to Momo's territory and rejoin you, but if you defeat Momo first, she will surrender and won't appear again for a while.
Therefore, I think it will be a little easier if you defeat Momo first.
If you progress to the third area of the remaining area, a Rafflesia activation event will occur during battle, and all allies and enemies will be wiped out.
Since the impact of troop numbers is minimal, let's deploy medical and reconnaissance units as decoys to wait it out.
After the event ends, Nana will no longer be deployed.
After conquering the area, Momo will join your party.
- Battle against Ain & Powell
After the battle between Momo and Nana ends, Ain will declare war.
Ain will take three actions per turn for a while, and Ain himself is a formidable opponent.
We might be able to halt one or two invasions by gathering our elite forces, but for battles where our chances of winning are slim, it's understandable that we might have to retreat and surrender the area.
By using attacks like Momo's Thunderclap and Todaka's Lightning Strike, which can ignore guards, and quickly breaking through the enemy's guard, you should be able to defeat Ain.
After a while, Ain will be able to act twice again, so let's start our attack then.
Incidentally, if you manage to withstand all three of Ain's attacks, you will receive a bonus in the post-clear evaluation criteria.
After engaging in battle with Ain, you will be able to attack Powell's territory.
The story branches depending on whether you choose to fight Ain regardless or go after Powell.
Defeating Ain first will make things easier temporarily, but the final battle against Redrick will be much more difficult.
Defeating Powell first is a bit difficult, but I felt that the final fight against Amelia wasn't as tough as the fight against Redrick.
(If you defeat Powell first: Amelia route)
By defeating Powell first, you can save Asuka.
Powell won't take any action at first, but once you capture an area, he'll start taking action, making things much more difficult.
Pippin is troublesome because he acts almost always on the first turn.
Because they can use precision shooting to bypass guards, it's best to avoid deploying units with low durability.
Equipping characters with low durability, such as Ruth, with a fluttering cape is an effective way to withstand the initial attack.
After rescuing Asuka, you'll be given the option to accept or decline a duel with Ain.
If you want to shorten the number of turns, accepting a duel is faster, but if you want to proceed at a steady pace, it's better not to accept a duel.
The duel with Ain is one of the evaluation criteria after clearing the game.
(If you defeat Ain first: Redric route)
Even if you can invade Powell, continue fighting Ain and capture all the areas, and Ain will die.
After that, they would engage in combat with the remaining Powell.
The way I fight Pippin is the same as the other one.
- Battle with Amelia
This is the route where you defeat Powell first, then Ain.
This is the route where Redrick is killed by Amelia.
I think the Amelia army is easier to fight because the soldiers' training level is lower than that of the Ain army.
However, they can act three times in a row, and the army as a whole is formidable, so let's prepare ourselves before engaging in battle.
After progressing a certain amount, a group of fake relic troops will appear.
From this point onward, the scenario will progress by defeating the fake relic units.
Although their force is powerful with 3000 troops, you only need to defeat one unit per battle.
However, it's difficult for one knight to withstand the guard, so you might have trouble unless you deploy medical personnel or reserve knights.
After the fake relic units unite into one, defeating three more units will advance the scenario.
After that, all but one area in the north will become our territory, and a decisive battle with Amelia awaits.
You don't need to defeat all three units in a single battle; the total number of kills counts is calculated over time, so take your time and defeat them gradually.
- Battle against Redrick
This is the route where you defeat Ain first, then Powell.
Amelia is killed by Redrick, and the battle against Redrick's army begins.
There's an extremely difficult battle where you have to prevent Redrick from activating Edelweiss three times in a row.
Since there is one enemy defender in the front row and one in the back row, you will be required to prepare three different ways to defeat Redrick, making it a battle like a chess puzzle.
In my case, I prepared the following strategies and used less reliable methods in the first match, which was easier to restart.
1: Utilize Todaka's "Lightning Speed" + "Close-Up Attack III" x 2, Natalia's "Armor Cut" + Star Lily, etc. (This involves luck, as it depends on whether the enemy's guard activates or not)
2: Defeat Redrick with Rose's "Charge" + Pippin's "Precise Shot" x2 (or the head maid's Underworld Bazooka)
3: Defeat them with Momo's "Thunderclap"
If we could just deactivate Redric's charge, we wouldn't need to defeat him, but we aimed to defeat him anyway.
Even if you defeat Redric, you need to be careful as attacks from other vehicles will be intense.
If we can overcome this, all but one area will become ours, leaving only the final battle remaining.
Regarding the evaluation criteria after clearing the game.
After completing the game, your rank will be calculated based on several evaluation criteria.
The items seem to change slightly depending on the route you take.
The highest rank seems to be SSS, but I imagine it's quite difficult to achieve.
If you're aiming for a high rank from your first playthrough, check the evaluation criteria from the image and try to meet the requirements.
First playthrough - Amelia route
I defeated Momo first, then Powell, and rescued Asuka.
Fighting Powell while dealing with Ain was tough, but things got easier after that.
The battle against Amelia is not really about seizing territory; it's more about how to defeat the fake relic troops.
Second playthrough - Redric route
Since this was my second playthrough, I think I was able to level up my units more efficiently.
Since I defeated Nana first, it was tough when both Momo and Nana attacked at the same time.
I think the three consecutive battles against Redrick were among the most difficult in the entire game.
If I had taken this route on my first playthrough, I might have gotten stuck and given up.
However, that came at the cost of a great sense of accomplishment.
Character-specific usage impressions
This guide explains how to use and develop each character.
The image is from just before clearing the second playthrough (Redric's route).
Noel
In the early stages of the game, this unit is also useful as a ranged attacker.
By improving your command skills, you can boost the overall combat power of your entire unit simply by deploying them.
Depending on how you use Star Lily, it can fulfill a variety of roles.
In the latter half of the game, the focus shifted to the bizarre and elaborate strategies and buffs, so its use as an attacker became limited.
Natalia
This is a powerful attacker that's been there from the start.
Since you'll learn the "Armor Cutting" skill, I think you should focus on strengthening your melee attack skills.
If you focus entirely on offensive growth, such as increasing the number of units or strengthening melee attack power, I don't think you'll fail.
Head Maid
This unit is useful for taking out enemies in the back row with its Underworld Bazooka.
By increasing its shooting attack power and equipping it with a ray gun or Golgo's rifle, it can achieve offensive power comparable to a vehicle.
It's generally more advantageous to use the bazooka after your AP has decreased, but there are times when it's better to use it right at the start of combat, so don't be too fixated on the timing.
·denim
While its abilities aren't particularly impressive, if you properly train its close-range attacks, it can be very effective as a character that can break through enemy guards.
As you improve your troop numbers and melee attack power, you'll gradually become stronger.
Guard-reducing units play a crucial role in setting the stage for powerful attackers like Natalia to be able to perform effectively.
・Gene
We developed it with the aim of achieving a similar role to denim.
Since it can equip E-type relics, I would equip it with Hattori-kun's hood and have it do reconnaissance when it had a free moment.
Kasper
In the very early stages of the game, it might be possible to use them as marksmen, but generally, it's best to have them focus on reconnaissance.
Therefore, combat power is not necessary, and it might be better to give experience points to other members.
Jill
This unit is more suited to combat than Casper.
I think there's a way to make a living by equipping yourself with the maid's hand-me-down ray gun or beam rifle and using shooting skills.
However, I think a reconnaissance role would be sufficient for the basics.
Gok
This unit is difficult to use effectively because its abilities are mediocre both as a guard and as a ranged attacker.
In the very early stages, I used him as a front-line tank, but from the mid-game onward, I used him as a back-line tank and ranged attacker.
It proved quite useful when I wanted to protect the backline with a guard before the main tank activated their full guard.
Once all guards are in place, their role is to attack as a ranged attacker.
In the later stages of the game, when enemies start attacking the back row more frequently, they proved to be indispensable in certain situations.
Ivan
As a healer, I was helpful in supporting the guarding role.
At the same time, using the relic "Bomberman" allowed me to deal a fixed 200 damage, which was also useful for eliminating enemy guards.
We did not increase the number of troops because we did not anticipate being attacked by the enemy.
Lightning
While he might seem like a joke character at first glance, with Gravity Gear equipped, his AP becomes 5, making him an excellent guard character who can almost always guard first.
Because his melee attack power is also above average, the damage he inflicts on opponents when counterattacking after guarding is also relatively high.
It's important to note that its close-quarters combat defense is somewhat inferior.
Todaka
While not as powerful as Momo, this vehicle unit can still destroy enemies in the back row with its strong attacks.
Since you can learn "Lightning Speed," which can be considered a higher-level skill than "Concentrated Fire," if you teach it "High-Speed Artillery," you can perform two attacks efficiently by using "High-Speed Artillery" followed by "Lightning Speed."
Since the increase in troop size upon leveling up is small, using red paper to level up is extremely efficient.
Marina
He's the ace of the guard world, capable of acquiring all guard skills early on.
Make sure to teach your character the initial guard and all guard skills, and strengthen their defensive capabilities.
While the relic "Datura" is powerful, it's difficult to find the right timing to use it, so I feel like it didn't get many opportunities to shine.
Rosé
He's a late-blooming ace who joins your team after Riff is defeated in three battles.
He is also blessed with growth events, and grows rapidly to become a top attacker.
"Fierce General's Charge" is a skill that can attack even the back row, making it a potential trump card.
Let's keep growing!
Momo
This unit is arguably the most important unit in the game.
In any case, the "Thunderclap" skill is very powerful, and once you level it up to level III, it can defeat an entire row of enemies at once right at the start of the battle.
It's extremely useful when you want to quickly take down enemy guards or bosses.
Similar to Todaka, the increase in troop size is relatively small, so it's more efficient to increase the number of troops using red paper.
Let's focus on rapidly improving things like artillery firepower.
・Nana
Although she joins the team a little late, when combined with Black Selena's effect, she provides a stable and reliable guard role.
If you level up quickly and focus on developing your guarding skills, you should be able to manage it in time.
Raymond
This unit can be added to Rose's team through "New Unit Formation".
While their abilities may be somewhat questionable when they first join, equipping them with a Saiyan battle suit and training their various skills will make them a top-tier guard.
Since guards are needed in every battle, you can never have too many of them.
Shin
Natalia is a unit that can be formed by leveling her up.
With a good balance of abilities, he played a versatile role as an all-around attacker, capable of close combat on the front lines and ranged attacks from the rear, filling gaps in the unit.
Ruth
This is a strategist unit that joins your team through Noel's "New Unit Formation" feature.
Unlike Noel, she couldn't do anything particularly special, but she proved useful as a strategist, effectively applying buffs to both allies and enemies.
While it's good to use One Piece's bandages to double as a healer, I thought it would also be quite interesting to equip the Flowing Cape and use her as a decoy (because with a small squad size, she's easily targeted by enemies even with a barrier).
Muscle
This unit joins your team through Marina's "New Unit Formation" feature.
Because of its large troop count and high melee attack power, I trained it with the aim of making it a near-ace attacker.
By equipping the cat toy, you can both wear down the enemy's guard and provide high attack power in close combat, allowing you to fulfill both roles.
Robert
This unit joins your team after you raise Todaka's troops to level 7 and then create a "new troop formation."
Although she's a stealthy character, she possesses high melee attack power and close-range attack skills, so I decided to train her as a front-line fighter.
The main drawback is its relatively low troop count, and the stat increases upon leveling up are also small, making it a unit where using red paper is particularly effective.
・Pipin
Its most distinctive feature, "precision shooting," is a valuable attack method that allows you to attack while ignoring enemy guards.
However, this attack alone won't be enough to defeat many enemies, so it's more effective to combine it with the skills of other units. (For example, Rose's "Fierce General's Charge" or the Head Maid's "Underworld Bazooka")
Finally, using the remaining 1 AP to unleash a "Rapid Fire" attack will also improve your attack efficiency.
Increasing the number of units and improving precision shooting skills will lead to greater certainty.
Maid No. 13
This unit joins your team when you select "New Unit Formation" as the head maid.
Basically, just like with Ivan, it's best to prioritize leveling up healing skills.
When I have some free time, I can also play as a shooting attacker.
If necessary, let's work on improving that as well.
A compilation of gaming-related articles featured on this blog.