Battle Master

The MS-DOS version is the one this page covers: the information, review and main screenshots are from this platform.

Battle Master for Amiga keeps the fantasy adventure, the direct combat and the party control of the computer version. This copy is in English. Its colors and interface are those of the Amiga: the screenshots show the selection menu and the party after advancing through the landscape.

Choosing Lord Valgard

Click inside the player to take control of the mouse. In the row of portraits, select a candidate to see their name, class and weapons. The arrows at the ends show more candidates. Then click Start Game, in the lower right corner, and wait for the intro to finish.

Lord Valgard appears as a Human Thief. His party starts at Axehead Hill, beside the river and the mountain. The scenery scrolls as you advance; on the right are the leader's portrait, the health and morale bars, the equipment icons and the formation orders. The small map lets you follow the positions of the leader and the enemies.

Controls in this edition

Use the keyboard arrow keys to move the party. Hold X to use the selected weapon; the attack animation has been checked with the bow. Testing included moving north and east, with changes of position and of the visible terrain.

A is the equivalent of the Amiga space bar and opens the orders panel. The terrain is dimmed while you work its icons with the mouse. Rally gathers the followers; the other options let you check the formation and the leader's position. The numeric buttons described for DOS belong to that edition: with Amiga selected, use the arrow keys and X.

Esc releases the pointer so you can reach the player bar. From there you can pause, mute, restart or close the game. Restart reboots the game, so you will have to choose a leader again.

WHDLoad package and IPF floppy disk

The main download keeps the twelve original items of the WHDLoad package, including the two disk files, the manual and the hints. The installer is signed by C-Fou. For the browser, a text launcher is added that opens the game with WHDLoad; the original files remain untouched.

The other download contains the European floppy disk in IPF format. To use it outside the site you need an Amiga emulator that supports IPF and your own Kickstart. The WHDLoad package requires an Amiga environment compatible with WHDLoad. The included manual explains the rules for the four races, the leaders, morale and equipment.

Amiga images and video

The box carries the Amiga badge. Its sticker mentions a German manual; the game text in this copy is in English. The screenshots were taken during a real game. The video runs about 36 seconds and shows the party making its way across Axehead Hill with the Amiga interface.

Battle Master for Mega Drive / Genesis adapts the fantasy adventure and the party combat to the Sega controller. This copy from the collection is in English. The intro shows the 1991 Mirrorsoft copyright, the Arena Entertainment brand and the Genesis version credit to Nick Pelling.

Starting a new game

Enter works as Start. If a demo is playing, press Enter to reach the menu with Start a New Game. Select that option and confirm with X, which corresponds to the B button on the controller. The next screen lets you choose a leader: the four races appear at the top and the candidates of the selected race below.

The arrow keys move through the options and X confirms. Lord Valgard appears as a Human Thief. His panel shows the starting gold, the status bars, the weapons and the followers who go with him. After you confirm, the game begins at Axehead Hill, beside the river. The small map in the lower right corner lets you follow positions as you cross the terrain.

Moving the party and using the bow

In this edition, the keyboard arrow keys move the character directly. X sends B and uses the selected weapon. Testing included moving north and east and the attack animation with Lord Valgard's bow. The followers accompany the leader and take part in the fights; it is wise to avoid leaving the party exposed in a narrow pass.

The Genesis interface has its own look and its own arrangement of indicators. The gold, the status bars, the portrait, the weapons and the map are grouped on the right. The screenshots of this edition show that interface; the numeric buttons in the DOS guides belong to another version.

The player uses a Mega Drive controller with A, B, C and Start. For these instructions you need the arrow keys, X as B and Enter as Start. From the player bar you can check the controls, pause, mute, restart or close the game. Restart boots the game again from its intro.

The collection's game image

The ZIP download keeps the original file. The second download offers the uncompressed game image that was also in the collection. Both contain exactly the same 524,288 bytes of game; you can pick the format that your Mega Drive emulator accepts.

The in-browser game uses that copy with PicoDrive. Its data remains untouched. The cover is the Genesis one published by Arena Entertainment, kept in the owner's collection; the intro and the party's advance were captured during a real game.

Genesis video

The video of about 37 seconds comes from the collection and shows a party making its way across Axehead Hill. Its interface and colors are those of the Genesis. It is useful for seeing this adaptation to the controller before you choose it in the version selector on the game page.

Battle Master for Atari ST combines a fantasy adventure with direct combat and orders for the protagonist's followers. The copy we offer is in English and lets you travel through the four realms, choose leaders of different races and search for the crowns the Watcher needs. Its interface brings together the landscape, the leader's portrait, the equipment, the formations and a small map.

Choosing a character and starting the game

Press Space to continue from this copy's opening intro. Then wait for the character selection to appear. Use the right mouse button on a portrait to see their name, class and weapons. The red arrows let you move through the candidates.

In this edition, the first portrait is Lord Galgard, identified as a Human Thief. Once you have chosen a leader, right-click Start Game, in the lower right corner. Wait for the loading to finish and continue with Space when prompted. Starting with this character takes you to Axehead Hill, beside the river and the mountain.

Moving and using the weapon

Open Controls from the bar or the ClaBa Player menu. The North, East, South and West buttons are the equivalent of the Atari ST numeric keypad directions. They let you walk without needing that block of keys on your computer. As you advance, the visible terrain scrolls and the party's position changes on the small map.

Attack uses the selected weapon. The bow fires projectiles in the direction the character is facing, so it is wise to line up before shooting. Enemies, obstacles and the weapon's range force you to choose the position you fight from; loosing an arrow does not guarantee that it will hit a rival.

Panel corresponds to Space and switches between the play area and the side icons. If the terrain is dimmed while you work the equipment or the formations, press Panel to go back to moving the character. Rally gathers the followers; the other orders arrange their formation and their position relative to the leader.

Playing in the browser

The player menu lets you pause, mute, take a screenshot or restart. You can also open it with the context menu key on your keyboard. The right button keeps its function inside Battle Master.

Restart ends the current session and reloads the original disk: you will have to choose a character again. This edition does not offer persistent save states in the browser. The controls and instructions for DOS, Amiga or Mega Drive belong to their respective versions; for Atari ST, use the ones given here.

Original download and edition material

The download keeps the original ZIP, with Battlemaster.st and the document GamebaseST.txt. The game disk remains unmodified. To use it outside the site you need a compatible Atari ST emulator and your own TOS.

The box with the PSS logo is kept alongside this edition. The screenshots show the character selection and the advance through the Atari ST scenery. The video, about 31 seconds long, shows a different protagonist making his way through another area of the adventure.