While friendship may be the key to successfully battling Sujimon, there are certainly a few more things you should think about. Here are some beginner’s tips for Sujimon Battles in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
Place Your Sujimon Carefully
While Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth does initially touch on the importance of where you position your Sujimon, I think it undersells the concept. Beginning matches with a line-up carefully set up to deal the maximum amount of damage and absorb all incoming hits is imperative to establishing tempo and momentum, especially when you begin fighting through some of the higher ranks.
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With this in mind, take a careful look at your opponent’s lineup before leaping into the fray. I’ve found that most of the earlier trainers, usually up to Silver Rank, usually only have two different types present in their first party, so take advantage of your limited Sujimon and enlist a fighter that’s effective in as many directions as possible. Remember, you can switch a Sujimon’s position once a round but still attack with a different party member, so don’t feel constrained to only use the guy you’ve shifted!
Use Your Sujimunch
While it may seem like Sujimunch is a valuable commodity when it comes to powering up your team, you shouldn’t be scared to burn through your stock. Yes, you’ll require a decent amount of them to strengthen your Sujimon, but the benefits significantly outweigh the costs. As you progress through the League’s ranks, your party’s XP gain will drop significantly over time, meaning if you want your guys to stay competitive, you need to be feeding them Sujimunch whenever you have some in your pocket.
Having said that, you should also be mindful of which Sujimon you feed all your Sujimunch. I would recommend saving Super Sujimunch (and any other upgrade materials) for your fighters that have already evolved and/or awakened. While Sujimunch is a very common reward for defeating other trainers, the Super variant is significantly more powerful and much harder to find. It’s best not to waste it on simply trying to level up a basic Dance Dictator when it would be better spent on a Dark Diver or a Dancing Madman.
Don’t Be Picky
While it can be annoying to find yourself in a position where the only Sujimon you can recruit after a battle is one you’ve already collected, you can make this work in your favor. Unlike other creature-collecting RPGs, capturing duplicates is actually encouraged in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, given that you can use these weaker spares to upgrade the more powerful Sujimon you already have in your collection. Heading over to any Suji Spot will allow you to Awaken your Sujimon by distilling the energy of the copy and transferring it into the one you want to keep. How does this work? Well, the game describes the process as “feeding” onto another, which is super gross!
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While it may feel like a waste of time to run through the collecting minigame every time, I highly recommend picking up every Sujimon you come across. It’s always useful to have a massive horde of fighters at your disposal, and Awakening is one of the most effective ways of leveling up your Sujimon. Don’t be stingy – hang out presents to all the ruffians you think could be a valuable meal in the Sujimon League!
Conserve Your Super Gifts
Given the fact that Sujimon are effectively all creeps and weirdos, I think it’s fair to say that their standards for presents are very low. While you may think it best to use your Super Suji Gifts to win over any potential addition to the team, I assure you that a Common Suji Gift is, nine out of ten times, all that you need. Since most of the early-game Sujimon are relatively low-level, you needn’t worry about impressing them with a flashy present. Just make sure your timing on the delivery mini-game is Perfect, and that’s generally enough to convince them to join Ichiban.
Speaking of Super Suji Gifts, you’ll always want to conserve those for rare Sujimon. I learned this the hard way when I tried to capture a brick wall of a Sumo Wrestler, only to have him kick away my Common Suji Gift in disgust. Generally, any Sujimon marked with a crown symbol over their head will likely require a Super Suji Gift, so bear that in mind as you run around the streets of Hawaii.