Guide: Tips and strategies for Super Kirby Clash’s four roles

Super Kirby Clash has been available for almost a month, and in that span I’ve put several hours into each of its four roles. Add on my (embarrassingly extensive) time with its Nintendo 3DS predecessor, Team Kirby Clash Deluxe, and I like to think I know them all pretty well. Adapted from the familiar copy abilities of the Kirby series, none of them are “difficult” to play as but have some nuance and unique additions to suit the timed boss battles of Super Kirby Clash.

Full disclosure, I’ve not put equal time into each of these and have my own personal preferences. But from all I’ve observed in switching things up for Heroic Mission requirements, these are what I feel are best practices, especially when playing solo in Story Quests. Things can change if you’re after specific missions or taking things on via multiplayer Party Quests – even more so if you can coordinate with friends. Without further ado, here are my tips and strategies for playing as each of the four roles in Super Kirby Clash.

 

Sword Hero

 

 

Befitting of the RPG inspiration, Sword Hero makes for a balanced and adaptable choice in terms of offensive DPS (damage per second) and defensive capabilities. It can be tempting to let loose with a flurry of slashes as much as possible, but depending on what you’re up against that can be tricky or risky. While Sword Hero has aerial options (its neutral jump attack is great for repeatedly bouncing on slow or stationary enemies) I felt most comfortable facing off with grounded foes. 

This is mostly due to its dash attack, which features a huge window of invulnerability. Super Kirby Clash bosses almost always damage you if you come in contact with them, but Sword Hero is able to just cut right through with its dash, letting it switch sides and reposition with ease. If you space your dash attack properly you’ll be able to lay into enemies while they’re locked into a lengthy attack animation.

Sword Hero’s other claim to fame is its guard. By putting up a shield you’re able to protect both yourself and allies within a certain, clearly defined range. While it’s tempting to keep up offensive pressure, it’s important to consider your allies’ tactics. If you see someone else charging up a technique – maybe your Beam Mage is one Time Beam away from freezing the boss – it’s more beneficial to protect them from having their charge interrupted, especially since that time stop will let you charge up your own spin attack. 

If you’re the type of player that can keep an eye on everything who likes to change with the flow of battle, then Sword Hero’s for you. 

 

Hammer Lord

 

 

Big. Damage. 

That’s the name of the game as a Hammer Lord, the hardest-hitting of Team Kirby’s roles. It’d be overly simplistic to say your job is just to bonk things as much as possible, but it also wouldn’t be wrong. It’s how you do that bonking, though, that’ll make all the difference. Your basic attack goes at a steady, but it’s your multi-hitting and megaton-of-a-Hammer-Flip that’ll really demolish bosses.

One thing to note about Hammer Lord though is that it’s the slowest and heftiest role of the four. Your walk and dash are sluggish, and your aerial mobility and float time are also cut. It can make getting where you need to be to work your offense or avoiding attacks extra tricky and takes some getting used to. Once again your dash attack is your friend, being a multi-hit attack where Kirby spins around. Your momentum dies off quickly and there’s also a brief cooldown, but it’s also Hammer Lord’s quickest, grounded movement option in a pinch. 

It’s also one of your most potent offensive tools, hitting hard so long as you can space it right, keeping the hammerhead on the boss for as much of the attack as possible without putting Kirby at risk. If lateral movement is tricky, pressing down and attack gives you a stationary (but in my experience, less damaging) multi-hit as well. Being this close and sometimes in motions can lead to some unnecessary bumps, so having Dr. Healmore around can make a difference in the long run while you patch up its lower damage output. 

Hammer Lord’s aerial options aren’t as impactful, making it a poor choice for highly-mobile aerial foes. If they stay put (or are stunned/frozen), then charge up that Hammer Flip and crush ‘em. Another notable thing about the Flip is that the flaming hammer also does damage, meaning if you’re close enough to a stationary enemy, you can be damaging them throughout your build up. Just remember to turn back around and face them once the charge is ready.  

If you like seeing big numbers and sticking to your most trusty options, you may just be a Hammer Lord. 

 

Dr. Healmore

 

 

Oh, the cleric: sometimes written off as just support and expected to get everyone out of trouble. While you should definitely be watching your teammates’ health bars while in this role, staying in the action is important when it comes to clearing these quests on time. Your DPS will be on the lower side as Dr. Healmore, but you’ll hardly be deadweight in that department if you know when and how to hit hardest. 

Healing is important, though, and by understanding boss patterns and what you expect your partners to do in a given situation, you can lay down your healing field in the best possible position while staying out of harm’s way yourself. Since it is an AOE (area of effect) type of heal that requires a charge, you really do need to stay ahead of the game in this role, and should make the most of opportunities where it’s impossible to damage a boss (like when they hit half health or retreat into the background) to heal up.

As for your offensive prescription, I recommend the aerial multi-gem toss. By mastering the art of canceling your dash with a jump, attacking, landing, and then dash-cancelling again, you’ll be able to keep a barrage of crystals going. This works best from mid to close range, where all the gems will hit as soon as possible, but if you’re able to stay on top of the boss, you’ll have a more powerful concoction up your sleeve. 

By holding “Down” and your attack button, you’ll lay down a kit and start brewing up a potion. It’s random what you’ll receive, but three out of the four are potent attacks that hit straight up and right beside Kirby. Even laying down the kit does a decent bit of damage, though the technique isn’t spammable. By maximizing how often you pull this move off and ensuring you’re untouched during the long, vulnerable animations, you can keep up much better when it comes to damage.

Consider Dr. Healmore if you’re out to lend a hand but enjoy a tricky and unorthodox batch of tools.

 

Beam Mage

 

 

My favored class, at last. Beam Mage is interesting for both its shortcomings and strengths. For one, its damage output is, at a glance, stilted and on the low side. It has no real invulnerability, defensive, or mobility options to speak of. It has a full-screen projectile, but it requires a lengthy charge to really get the most out of it. Sounds pretty underwhelming, until you understand the Time Beam – AKA this game’s MVP. 

Time is everything in Super Kirby Clash. You have a finite amount of time to finish off bosses, your rank is tied to how quickly you finish them off, and certain Heroic Missions require you to clear even faster than that. By hitting with enough Time Beam attacks, the Beam Mage is able to freeze not just the boss but the in game clock, as well. Suddenly your Hammer Lord can get off multiple Hammer Flips, your Dr. Healmore can bust out the lab, and the Sword Hero is free to cut loose; all of which gets you closer to a fast clear time and stopping the boss’ onslaught cold.

It’s not always easy to pull off a clutch time stop, though, and you’ll see diminishing returns with every stop you succeed with. It’s also important to know when to time these within a given fight. Do you go all-out to pile on as much damage early, or do you wait ’til the harder second half of the fight? For a significant burst, you can time things in such a way that you trigger a stop right after a boss recovers from its half-health invulnerability and hope that the resulting offense spawns Power Tablets. Then, after the Team Meteor hits, use the enemy’s stunned period to build up another one and keep the pain coming. 

The class isn’t without its drawbacks though. It can be difficult to hit certain enemies consistently, especially aerial ones. Thankfully your Time Beam is 1.5 times more potent against them to compensate, but it can still be particularly frustrating. It’s also important to consider when you should cut a charge – if you have a boss or attack heading your way, just fire off even if it’ll miss and get yourself out of there. As for your other offensive options, your aerial dash attack (with the downward angled beams) hits lots of times for good damage, and you can pull off multiple rounds as long as Kirby is still airborne and positioned at an angle. 

If you want to aim for precision and get things down fast, you’ll want to take on the world as Beam Mage. 

 

On team building

 

Of course, you’re not in these fights alone. Kirby, Kirby, Kirby, and Kirby are fighting together to protect the Dream Kingdom from all these foes. Depending what you’re up against and how advanced your gear and level is compared to the enemy can make a huge difference in how you take them on as a group.

As a rule, Sword Hero and Hammer Lord have the potential to be powerful and useful in practically any fight. Hammer Lord becomes less so for flying enemies, but can still lay into them if they know what they’re doing and understand their limitations. Beam Mage is also a solid choice no matter what for their unique time stop, though the gap between a good Beam Mage and a bad Beam Mage can become noticeable very quickly. When you’re taking on foes above your level, Dr. Healmore becomes a necessity for his healing and faster revive speeds. That usefulness drops off once you’re more empowered or at least know the fight. 

 

 

Having a lineup of one Kirby in each role will give you a balanced team that can get things done for sure. This is how I took on most of the Story Quests on a first pass, especially once I had solid equipment for each role. However, forming a team of all one role or a hybridized team is viable as well depending on the foe. A team of all Beam Mages gets Time Stops going faster than just one, for example. Going full Hammer Lord, especially if you know you’re over-leveled and kitted-out, will have fights over in seconds. 

Ultimately, knowing what you need for a given fight is the most important skill in Super Kirby Clash. Thankfully each of these roles brings something to offer when you feel like changing things up or need to count on a specific one for a mission. Hopefully these tips will help you on your journeys and make your time with Super Kirby Clash even better!

 

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Super Kirby Clash is available now in the Nintendo Switch eShop! The game is free to start, with optional in-game purchases available.

What do you think of my tips? Have any of your own to share? Let us know in the comments!

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