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Mario & Luigi: Brothership
How to Do A First Strike
★ Mario & Luigi: Brothership out now!
★ How to Unlock and Complete Every Challenge!
★ Pull off strong Bros. Attacks for maximum damage!
★ Best Gear | Best Battle Plugs | Rank-Up Bonuses
★ Power up with Best Battle Plug Combos.
★ Share your Hammer Rally high scores!
To perform a first strike on an enemy, you need to land a hit it in the overworld to start the encounter in Mario & Luigi: Brothership. Learn how to do a first strike and know what first strikes do!
How to Do A First Strike
Catch Enemies by Surprise in the Overworld
To land a first strike on an enemy, approach it carefully in the overworld and land a hit before it makes contact with Mario or Luigi.
The most common ways to engage the first strike is by jumping on the enemy's head, or by timing a hammer swing to hit them right before they run into you.
Tips for Successful First Strikes
- Stay Alert. Watch the enemy's movement patterns and strike when it’s distracted or moving away.
- Be Stealthy. Approach from a distance to avoid alerting the enemy too soon.
- Reposition. If an enemy has already been alerted to your presence, you can run away and lie low for a bit until their aggression lowers. Then you can retry your approach for a first strike.
Use Bros. Moves to Initiate a First Strike
As you progress through the story and unlock your Bros. Moves, you'll also eventually unlock power-ups for these Bros. Moves that will give you tools to land a First Strike.
| Bros. Move | Unlock Timing | How to Use for First Strikes |
|---|---|---|
| UFO Vacuum | Learned during your visit to Skorcheen Island to help move stone slabs to bridge across lava. Skorcheen Island is in the third region, the Brrrning Sea. | Effective against non-flying enemies. Spin into a UFO, then hover over an enemy. Vacuum them up with X to effectively land a First Strike. |
| Ball Blitz | Learned during your visit to Slippenglide Island as you try to climb up a mountain during a blizzard. Slippenglide Island is in the third region, the Brrrning Sea. | Requires precise aim. Roll into the Bro Ball and charge up a Ball Blitz with X. Knocking into an enemy at top speed will trigger a First Strike with Mario and Luigi slamming into the enemy. |
| Fire and Ice | From your visit to Heatfreeze Island as you relink it to Shipshape Island during your adventures in the fourth region, the Gulchrock Sea | Use either the Fire or Ice projectile to damage an enemy from a distance. Has the added bonus of possibly inflicting Burn or Ice to the enemies. |
First Strike Will Not Work on Bosses
Note that first strikes only work on regular enemies and not on bosses. Boss battles have scripted sequences that prevent preemptive strikes.
What Does A First Strike Do
Enemies Will Take Damage At the Start of Battle
When you land a first strike successfully, the battle begins with Mario dealing initial damage to all enemies. This gives you a significant advantage by reducing their health from the start, making combat faster and easier.
Starting with a first strike helps manage your resources by shortening battles, making you less likely to spend items.
Mario & Luigi: Brothership Related Guides
All Tips and Tricks
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How to Do A First Strike
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