Söldnerschild is a tactical RPG that was released for the Saturn and Playstation consoles in 1998. The games takes place in the Ligurian continent, an old continent in the western holy kingdom of the Lana Empire. After the sudden death of King Charles VIII the peace situation had changed since his 1 year-old child (Charles IX) is the new king.

Söldnerschild Special is the re-release version of Söldnerschild, a collaboration title between Koei and Sega. Koei developed the original title and Sega published it for the Sega Saturn on September 25, 1997. The PlayStation port, Special, is completely copyrighted by Koei and is branded as one of their Rekoeition titles, or simulation titles which include RPG elements. The game's title is written in German and is loosely translated as "Sign of a Mercenary".

Söldnerschild is set in a fantasy version of medieval Europe. Similar to Inindo: Way of the Ninja, the player's character is the namesake mercenary of the battlefront who leads a group of mercenaries throughout the game. The protagonist is not directly involved with politics, but his actions in battle and his affiliations can re-shape the land's government and leadership.

Kou Shibusawa is the game's producer and Ayami Kojima created the game's character designs and illustrations.

STORY:
The story is set in Continental Year 951 within the large Ligurian continent. It was once divided by two main powers, the Lahgeil Kingdom in the west and the Holy Rana Empire in the east.
During Continental Year 939, the elderly king of Lahgeil suddenly perished to illness. The right to his throne was entrusted to his infant heir. The death of the liege caused utter chaos in Lahgeil, and one by one the discontent nobles declared independence. Regent Clovis banded with nobles angered with the court's decision and founded the Principality of Sachsen to topple the Lahgeil throne. Public Chairman Giovanni feared the possible repercussions of Clovis' defiance yet didn't want to associate himself with the current Lahgeil royalty. He departed from his home with agreeing nobles to create the Republic of Estania. In response to the two rebel countries, those loyal to the Lahgeil throne renamed their territory the Grankuhl Kingdom.

As the Grankuhl Kingdom seeks to reclaim dominance against the Principality of Sachsen and the Republic of Estania, their civil war affected their neighbors. Smaller kingdoms seek to defend their property or desire to use the bickering to claim the Ligurian continent for themselves. These rivals include the Holy Rana Empire, the matriarchal kingdom Fenril, and the island kingdom of the west Meilard. The only kingdom neutral to conflict is the religious kingdom of Papis, which graciously accepts donations from other kingdoms within the center.

The protagonist is given the goal to end the years of war by uniting the Ligurian continent under one of the six warring factions.

GAMEPLAY:
At the start of each game the player can decide their protagonist's name and assign his preferred troop type, which is locked for the entire game. The original game awarded bonuses for refusing the default name and changing it to the game's secondary offer, but this feature has been omitted in Special.

The game proceeds in a month and year format. Each action the protagonist's party takes consumes one month of in-game time. Within this one turn, the protagonist can move to a single location, meet with townsfolk, train, and so on. Each month the protagonist must take a job request for whoever they desire.

After the third month in 951, the player is free to direct the mercenary group's actions.

CHARACTERS:
Over 150 characters are in the game. Only the major characters are listed below.
- Ein (name is changeable)
The main protagonist. Orphaned at a young age, he was adopted by Anastasia's father. When he was orphaned again during an attack at his village, he volunteered to become a member of Steindorf's Tigre Mercenaries. He eventually is entrusted to become the leader of the group. A righteous youth who values justice and fairness, he desires to save the people and see a world of peace.

- Anastasia
Ein's childhood friend who once housed Ein at her village. She joins the Tigre Mercenaries when her father is murdered by a bloodthirsty mercenary named Cortez. She is unsure of her purpose in battle but swears to use her magic to ease the people's suffering.

- Luc
A young man who lived in Anastasia's village. He also lost his family to Cortez and swears to one day obtain vengeance. He joined the same time as Ein and Anastasia yet was stationed at a lower rank. Luc considers Ein to be his rival for Steindorf's recognition.

- Steindorf
Renowned mercenary and leader of the Tigre Mercenaries. He was once known for his legendary dual sword wielding. When he and Gilford faced Smilie, however, Steindorf lost his right arm in the conflict. Humble and charismatic, he is the one who entrusts his will to Ein. He dies shortly after the game's tutorial session in a duel with Smilie.

- Louisa
Veteran member of the Tigre Mercenaries who abandoned her ties with nobility. She was once raised as a knight who is well studied in swordplay. She is the strict yet calm voice of reason for the group.

- Antonio
Like Louisa, he joined the Tigre Mercenaries years ago. He left before Ein's recruitment over a trivial dispute with Steindorf. When he learns of his old friend's death, Antonio graciously offers his aid to make amends for the past. He is a flamboyantly dressed playboy who is known for his wisecracks and flirtations.

- Gilford
Elderly master sorcerer and an old friend of Steindorf, he joins the Tigre Mercenaries to defeat Smilie. He is later revealed to be Smilie's father and mentor. He wants to stop his son's wickedness.

-Smilie
Malevolent warrior seemingly encased in a large skeletal armor who opposes the protagonist's party with his mercenary group. He seeks to exploit the wars to conquer the continent for himself.

Fantasy simulation RPG draw to a dramatic number of hard-fought of Mercenaries. Employs a full multiple endings of 14 different battle scene of the force that the character of more than 150 people move around in real time deployment. In the world of magic and sword that changes every time you play, the upstart mercenary captain, to the knight from mere mercenaries, Aim peace in the land of war!

• Third person perspective.
• 3D graphics
• Cartoon graphics
• Medieval Fantasy theme.