A defining characteristic of the Mega Man series is its solid, simple-to-grasp mechanics and meticulous encounter designs. The player knows exactly what their character’s range of motion and offensive options are and utilizes them to overcome the considerable challenge the game exhibits. Mega Man Battle Network adds a serious spin to this formula. It tries to implement this ethos in an RPG structure. The end result is a unique system that merges the strategy and randomness of deck-building with the mobility and urgency of grid-based active combat. While the series didn’t manage to break into the mainstream in the same way its contemporaries did, it still carved itself a niche with a loyal fanbase even to this day.
Mega Man Battle Network 5 holds the dubious honor of being the most divisive entry in this series. While the game did throw some meaningful changes into the mix other additions were not received favorably. Some felt superfluous or, even worse, intrusive. Many lauded the more cohesive story, but a constant feeling of having been there and done that permeated the whole experience, with many assets reused, unchanged, from the previous game. Regardless, Battle Network 5 still holds up to this day, with timeless sprite work and addictive, engaging combat. Experiencing the game firsthand can be a fun new experience. In that spirit, here’s a list of the most useful chips in the game, as well as where to find them.
10 Attack+
The passive ‘Attack +10’ standard chip might trick players into thinking it’s redundant, but with some experimentation, it reveals its true potential.
Several offensive chips the player gets are multi-hit, meaning every hit they land gets the bonus from this buff. This is especially useful against bosses, who are usually susceptible to multi-hit attacks. ‘Attack +’ also scales well into the endgame as the players acquire some Mega, and Giga, chips that hit around a dozen times. This chip is available from the start and can be purchased from Higsby for 3800z. A Mega version ‘Attack +30’ can be purchased from BugFrag Trader in the Undernet Area 2.
9 Invisibl
This chip is self-explanatory. It renders MegaMan invisible. While invisible, MegaMan is impervious to damage, allowing the player to avoid some of the nastier enemy attacks. It also helps the player avoid damage against faster, more erratic enemies. This is decent by itself the fact that the game rewards the player for avoiding damage against bosses with stronger chips makes Invisibl a lifesaver! The chip can be purchased from Higsby for 5000z or can be found in DrillComp1 BMD (Blue Mystery Area) and Undernet Area 3 Level 1 GMD (Green Mystery Area).
8 FstGauge
This is another passive that is a lot more useful than it seems at first. It speeds up the time it takes for the CustGauge to fill (which allows the player to restock on Battle Chips from their folder). This is beneficial, in theory, but proves crucial when trying to S Rank bosses to get a stronger version of their Soul Chips. This chip can be purchased from Higsby, won from the lotto (#83143652), or found in Area 4 of Level 3 and Oran Area 2 Level 3.
7 Katana
Swords are pretty reliable in Battle Network. The player gets one early in the game, they hit hard in general. They have multiple varieties that are conditional in their use, and, usually, do exactly what it says on the tin. Katana has the coolest sounding name of all the other swords and has the coolest attack to boot. it swings twice — once wide and once long — covering some decent range and making it viable for the Attack + buff.
Sword chips can be used to trigger Blues’ Soul Unison, which means having numerous Katana chips on rotation is never a waste. Katana can be acquired by defeating the Zomon, Zemon, and Zymon line of viruses as well as purchased from Higsby.
6 AreaGrab
This is the closest thing this game has to a violation of the Geneva Convention. It allows the player to claim the first row of enemy squares for a limited time. This gives the player more room to breathe and dodge attacks and confines the enemy ranks to the back 2 rows. This sounds innocuous enough but is game-breaking in practice when paired with specific chips.
Attacks that bounce around now hit more times, knock-back effects lose their drawback, and an area-of-effect that covers 2 rows now can hit all enemies at once. This chip cannot be purchased but can be found in multiple locations throughout the game.
5 AirHoc
One of the first chips to synergize with AreaGrap and Attack +, this attack ricochets around the enemy area dealing 40 hit points of damage to each target it hits. This isn’t that impressive by itself but paired with a +10, a shrunken red zone, and the fact that it can hit the same enemy multiple times, it can damage bosses for hundreds of points when used correctly! AirHoc can be acquired in the SciLab, Oran, and ShipComp areas, or purchased from Higsby for 10000z.
4 DrillArm
This is another chip that synergizes well with other buffs; however, this one is potent in its own right. DrillArm deals 60-80 points of damage over two squares and knocks enemies further back. If the player confines enemy movement within those two squares then the attack can actually hit multiple times. This is where chips like AreaGrap, Magnum, CrakBom, and any chip that destroys the terrain can come in handy, as can the Attack + buff. The damage from the DrillArm synergies can wipe out almost half a boss’s HP! DrillArm can be acquired by defeating the Drixol/Drixor/Drixa line of Viruses.
3 Mega Chips
These chips are far more powerful than standard ones. Only 5 can be included in a single folder, with no duplicates, so it’s much harder to form strategies around them. Some Mega chips are exclusive to either of the two versions of the game (Team Protoman/Team Colonel) based on the Navi encountered during story missions.
Of note is the fact the player can get more powerful versions of enemy Soul Chips if they manage to defeat them quickly and without getting hit much. Other Mega Chips can be collected normally from the world while going through Story Mode.
2 Giga Chips
The Strongest chips in the game, only a single one can be stocked up at a time, but this is offset by their sheer power. Most of them are only acquired late-game.
Even among these chips Phoenix/DethPhnx stands out the most. It’s an attack that hits for 150 points but also restores all Navi Souls the player has used, making it particularly useful in longer battles in addition to ones that require a specific elemental advantage. Either chip can be purchased from Higsby for, admittedly, an exorbitant amount of cash, but they more than make up for their cost.
1 Dark Chips
The last type of chips dish out the most damage, but at a cost. These are dark variants of the standard chips with obscenely increased damage. They become available after the Liberation Mission against Dark MegaMan. Using them in a fight causes MegaMan to lose 1 HP as well as suffer from a ‘Bug’ debuff.
Where these chips shine is in their ability to trigger ‘Chaos Unison,’ a version of Soul Unison that lasts for 1 round, instead of 3, but incurs no penalty. In this form, charged shots correspond with the Dark Chip used and deal similar damage, but overcharging can cause the unison to break and summon Dark MegaMan to the enemy’s team. Chaos Unison is, by far, the strongest skill in the game, and can trivialize most of the hardest encounters.
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