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The Dandori Battle in Pikmin 4 brings back the thrill of competition you get from the battle modes in previous entries. Dandori Battles pit you against an opponent in a timed competition to see who can collect the most treasures. Each Battle is assigned a Dandori level from one to five, with five being the most formidable.
These higher-ranked battles can be grueling struggles for victory. To triumph over your opponent, you must obtain at least a bronze medal at the battle's end. Here, we've lined up our top tips for helping you master the art of Dandori.
Scout With The Survey Drone
At the start of a battle, immediately use the Survey Drone to get a lay of the land. Explore the map and plan out your route from here. You'll want to make a note of each treasure and how many Pikmin you'll need to carry them. The Survey Drone is a piece of gear that can be purchased from Russ for ten raw materials.
While it's possible to keep an eye on your opponent at all times due to the split screen, the Survey Drone is invaluable due to its ability to freeze time.
If you ever find yourself at a loss of what to do, use the survey drone to find your next objective.
You can also place pins down for easier navigation across bigger maps.
Build Your Pikmin Squad
Before scoring some points, you'll need to build your Pikmin army. Start by using all the nearby pellet posies, then move out to eliminate the monsters closest to your base. When your squad is small, focus on taking down weaker monsters like Dwarf Red Bulborbs. Bringing beasts to the onion helps boost your score and gives you more Pikmin.
Once your squad is larger, try stealing monsters and pellets from enemy Pikmin. Managing to steal these resources prevents your opponent from getting enough Pikmin to obtain heavier, more valuable treasure.
Make Use Of Oatchi's Abilities
It might feel tempting to hop on Oatchi and use his faster mobility. However, it's best to send Oatchi off to accomplish tasks while you keep moving to collect more treasure. If you're out of Pikmin, use him to dig up treasure, carry objects back to the onion, or tear down walls.
The enemy can attack Oatchi with their Pikmin, so watch his health bar to ensure he's safe.
Shepherd and Collin will also inform you if your rescue pup is in danger. Use your whistle to protect your companion and move him to safety.
Get Rid Of Moss
Moss is the name of your opponent's pup companion who's capable of doing everything that Oatchi can. Moss can help sway Dandori Battles in your enemy's favor, which is why it's so important to take down Moss when she's getting in the way. Just like Oatchi, Moss can be defeated with the help of your Pikmin.
Once Moss is struck down, she will respawn a few moments later back at the enemy's onion. This is just enough time to round up a few treasures and take over whatever task she was trying to accomplish.
Let Your Opponent Do The Heavy Lifting
Many battles feature fierce enemies that can spawn all over the battlefield. Rather than risking your own Pikmin to take down these monsters, wait for your enemy to eliminate dangerous beasts. After that, use your Pikmin to swarm the deceased enemy and take it back to your onion.
The same can be said for any barriers that appear on a map. Let the enemy destroy walls, then rush in and take whatever lies behind the wall. Remember to have enough Pikmin in your squad to overpower enemy Pikmin if they try to take back their treasure.
Prioritize Bonus Finds
Randomly during a Dandori Battle, items of enemies will be marked as Bonus Finds. These items can be double or triple their normal worth in terms of points.
Whenever a Bonus Find is on the field, that item should be your top priority.
If your enemy reaches the item before you, use all your Pikmin and Oatchi to steal it.
If the Bonus Find is an enemy, be careful about eliminating it with Ice Pikmin. If you kill a frozen enemy, their body will shatter, leaving only nectar. Rely on Oatchi's bite to finish off enemies instead.
Leave No Idle Pikmin
It's easy to run out of Pikmin when you're running around and dividing up the workload. Oftentimes, your squad will be waiting back at the onion. However, constantly running back to the onion to gather Pikmin will waste time.
To round up stray Pikmin, use the Idler's Alert, which can be purchased from Russ for 80 raw materials. If this gear isn't available to you yet, use the Command menu to have Oatchi gather Pikmin for you.