Battles take place on square maps viewed from an overhead perspective. On each turn, players move units, attack enemies, use items, visit locations, recruit characters, and seize or defend objectives. Different terrain affects movement and defense, while the weapon triangle gives swords an advantage over axes, axes over lances, and lances over swords.

The campaign is divided into chapters with map objectives, side chapters, and branching requirements. Units gain experience and can change class with promotion items. Characters can build support relationships, while defeated units are normally lost permanently. Roy's promotion and several secret chapters depend on completing specific story conditions.

Protect fragile units by using terrain, forests, forts, and chokepoints, and avoid exposing them to several enemy attacks in one phase. Check enemy ranges before ending a turn and use the weapon triangle to improve hit rates and damage.

Recruitment and side objectives often require specific characters, conversations, or completion times. Keep a balanced roster, conserve rare weapons, promote reliable units rather than waiting indefinitely, and use arena battles cautiously because enemies can be lethal. Maintaining strong weapon ranks and support pairings makes later chapters much safer.