In some ways, it's similar to Ogre Battle. Except you are restricted to the board.
You start off at you base, and send characters off to fight enemies and conquer fortresses. Screen 2 looks like the peasants are paying tributes to your character...
The battles are semi action, if I remember correctly. Each character has an army. You fight in mass battles, with the army controlled by AI. But you actually control the commander with weapon attacks, along with casting spells on the enemy's army.