11 Essential Tips for Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Super Mario Strategy
Don't let its cute characters fool you -- Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is an honest-to-goodness strategy game oozing with tactical depth. And while this Switch game's turn-based action is easy to grasp, you'll have to think hard about every move if you want to avoid getting roasted by squads of nefarious Rabbids.
Fortunately, after spending hours in the trenches of Ubisoft's upside-down Mushroom Kingdom, we're here to help. Here are 10 essential tips for Mario + Rabbids, from mastering movement to turning Mario and his pals into adorably deadly war machines.
Use the Tacticam
If you want to dominate Mario + Rabbids' more challenging encounters, you'll need to make full use of the Tacticam. Pressing X at any point during your turn will give you a bird's eye view of the battle, allowing you to freely hover over the map and get a look at every character's attack and movement ranges as well as any special abilities they have. This information is critical for finding safe spots on the map, coordinating your team's movement and picking ideal areas to attack from.
Make the most of each turn
Your two most important movement options are Dash, which lets you slide into an enemy while moving, and Team Jump, which lets you bounce off of a teammate to reach a farther point. You can chain these two moves together in a single turn, allowing you to, say, Dash into an enemy, Team Jump to get to higher ground, and finish things off with a damaging gun blast from afar. Always look for opportunities to use Dash and Team Jump, as they're essential for covering as much ground and doing as much damage per turn as possible.
Pay attention to percentages
Before you attack an enemy, pay attention to the percentage numbers that pop up next to them. The number on the left is how likely you are to hit them, while the number on the right represents your chances of triggering your weapon's special effect, such as lethal burn damage or movement-slowing honey. While it might seem pointless to fire at an enemy with a 0 percent hit chance, there are some scenarios you'll want to -- such as when they're hiding behind destructible cover or an explosive crate.
Go for the high ground
You'll do more damage from above, so make sure to utilize warp pipes and Team Jumps in order to get the high ground on your enemy.
Keep your team together
While there are advantages to flanking the enemy, you generally want to keep your team members relatively close to one another. Doing so will give you access to more movement options, as well as let you utilize team-based support abilities such as Rabbid Peach's healing or Mario's damage-boosting M-Power.
Mix up your teammates (and weapons)
Every character in Mario + Rabbids has different attributes, and you'll want to mix up your squad based on the task at hand. For example, Luigi's long range and low health makes him ideal for fighting at a distance, while Rabbid Peach and Rabbid Luigi have helpful support abilities that are useful in the thick of the action.
You should also pay attention to your weapon's attributes, such as burn damage (which sets enemies on fire), bounce damage (which knocks enemies into the air), and honey damage (which briefly stops enemies from being able to move). If you want to focus on slowing your enemy, focus on things like honey and push damage; for missions that call for straight damage, go for fire.
Spend your skill points wisely
The most intricate part of Mario + Rabbids is the Skill Tree, where you'll spend points to level up your heroes' abilities. Once you've unlocked a few basic perks, you should start saving up your skill points so you can focus on specific areas such as movement, combat or technique. While there's technically no wrong way to level up, specializing in a specific skill can make your character's best abilities even deadlier.
Use your specials carefully
Mario + Rabbids grants you access to a variety of tide-turning special abilities, but you'll have to be selective about when you use them. All of the game's specials take a few turns to recharge once used, so don't waste that healing ability, damage buff or defensive Hero Sight until you absolutely need it. To see the cooldown times for each special, look for the yellow timer icon when you highlight one.
Don't attack if you don't need to
Speaking of being selective, there are some scenarios where avoiding a fight is the best option. For example, if your objective is to safely reach the end of the map or protect a specific character, you might not want to fire at those Smasher Rabbids who charge at you when provoked. Likewise, if you only have to down a set amount of enemies, go for the easiest threats from a safe distance.
Take out the Supporters first
You'll eventually run into Supporter Rabbids, who are marked by the big red antennas on their backs. Take these guys out as soon as possible, as they can heal their teammates and lob grenades that destroy cover and hurt multiple heroes at once.
Explore constantly
Just like in a proper Mario game, Mario + Rabbids' overworlds are packed with secrets. Don't be afraid to go off the beaten path in between missions; you'll often be rewarded with collectibles and bonus stages that yield useful items. And be sure to revisit worlds that you've completed once you gain new exploration abilities, as you'll be able to access even more hidden areas.
Mike Andronico is Senior Writer at CNNUnderscored and was formerly Managing Editor at Tom's Guide. When not at work, you can usually catch him playing Street Fighter, devouring Twitch streams and trying to convince people that Hawkeye is the best Avenger.