Best Battle Plugs In Mario & Luigi: Brothership

The Plug system is something new for the series in Mario & Luigi: Brothership. It takes a few hours to unlock Plugs despite players gathering tons of Sprite Bulb’s in the meantime. Sprite Bulbs can be used to craft new Plugs to slot into two separate slots. These slots can be expanded later in the game so that players can equip more.

Players can use Plugs to enhance their abilities in the turn-based battles within Mario & Luigi: Brothership and they have charges. Once depleted, they will automatically go back into the roster to recharge. Of all the Plugs in the game, these stick out the most. These will be ranked by usefulness and how long players can take advantage of them in the game.

8 Auto Mushroom

Use Mushrooms To Heal When HP Drops

Auto Mushroom is one of the most essential Plugs in the game. When HP drops to a certain point, Mario or Luigi will use a mushroom without wasting a turn. There are a few auto-based Plugs in the game and they are all important. Auto Syrup Jar will recover BP, which is the equivalent of MP in other RPGs, and Auto Herb will cure status effects. Finally, pairing Deluxe Auto with any of these Plugs will use the best item for the job like using a Super Mushroom instead of a regular Mushroom for healing purposes.

7 Notdroppin

Prevent Death With 1 HP Left

Notdroppin is another great health-based Plug players should unlock. It will prevent Mario or Luigi from dying in battle, leaving them with 1 HP at least. It’s an important Plug to have that should then kick in the other auto-based healing systems. Since death is a topic, Auto 1-Up should be included. This Plug will revive a hero right on the spot and a normal 1-Up Mushroom will recover a hero for about half of their HP. All of these auto-based moves are crucial to surviving some of the toughest boss battles in the game.

6 Easy-Peasy Counters

Makes It Easier To Counter Attacks

Being able to heal in an RPG is important but Mario & Luigi: Brothership is more about dodging and countering anyway. Every enemy has a unique attack, sometimes several which can be hard to time dodges around. That’s where the Easy-Peasy Counters Plug comes in handy for those struggling with this counter system.

It will give players an edge on counters by boosting Mario and Luigi’s jumps and hammers in battle. It can still be hard to wield hammers with this Plug inserted as they are bigger but the extra air time on the jump-based counters is like a godsend.

5 Damage Shield

Increase Defense By 20%

The Damage Shield is one of the few plugs that can be obtained from a boss battle. Mega Snaptor is one of the earlier bosses in Mario & Luigi: Brothership which looks like a giant version of a Snaptor, a flying enemy all over the game. After players defeat it this Plug will pop out during the award process. It will increase the Defense of Mario and Luigi by 20% until the charge depletes itself in battle. It’s a good Plug to jack in during other boss battles in the game which can help save on item consumption.

4 Kaboom Attack

Damages Nearby Enemies With A Wave Attack

Kaboom Attack is one of the few attack-based Plugs in the game. Having this equipped will cause a shockwave to hit nearby enemies whether players attack with a boot or a hammer. If players also have the Surprise Iron Ball Plug attached, they can hit even more enemies with an extra attack. There are plenty of combos that players can create if they experiment with Plugs like this. There will even be an NPC back at Shipshape Island who will allow players to demo their ideas in a mock turn-based battle.

3 Attack Boost

Attack Boost may have players think this will increase the attack power of normal strikes. Instead, it will add an extra animation to the attack process. For example, when Luigi swings his hammer, players will get one more button press before Mario jumps in and things play out normally.

Luigi is typically the character who should use hammer attacks while Mario should stick to jumping. Attack Boost will give players a slight edge in battle with that extra attack landing on an enemy. It’s not as good as getting a full extra turn for one or both plumbers, but it’s still a great Plug to grind through battles with.

2 Speedy Recharge

Boost Plug Recovery Speed

Plugs operate on cooldowns and they all vary depending on what type of Plug it is. Rare ones can take a long time and this recovery progress includes how many turns players take in battle. Speedy Recharge is a Plug that will help players get the Plugs they want back in the rotation faster. Players need to equip it onto the board and if an adjacent Plug depletes to zero, other charges in the bay will speed up their recovery by 50%. It’s a bit hard of a concept to grasp, but basically, this Plug will help with cooldowns and there are accessories players can find in Mario & Luigi: Brothership to boost recharging Plugs too.

1 Loot Booster

Enemies Drop More Items

Loot Booster will increase the drop rate of enemies, a bonus that is attached to equipment too. Prizes are almost guaranteed after defeating an enemy which can range from gear to materials. If players get rewarded with something useful, the charge will tick down but if they get nothing, the Plug will remain the same. There is a similar Plug, Coinpiler, which can increase how many Gold Coins players take in after combat. Both Plugs can help players get a little extra dough in the game if players decide to sell loot, which is important as things are quite expensive in Mario & Luigi: Brothership from hour one.