Unit Classes and Rarepons (Patapon 1)
Your army is built from six unit classes plus the flag-bearing Hatapon. Each class fills a distinct combat role, and choosing the right mix before a mission is half the battle. On top of base classes, the Tree of Life lets you create Rarepons, upgraded versions of each unit with boosted stats and elemental properties.
Unit Classes
Hatapon (Flag Bearer)
Hatapon is your army's anchor point. Every formation is built around it. Hatapon does not fight. It carries the war flag and determines your army's position on the field. If Hatapon dies, the mission ends.
You cannot control what Hatapon does directly. It follows your rhythm commands like every other unit. Protect it by placing Tatepons (shielders) in front and keeping it away from boss AoE attacks with Retreat commands.
Yaripon (Spear Thrower)
| Stat | Rating |
|---|---|
| Range | Medium |
| Damage | Medium |
| HP | Low |
| Speed | Medium |
Yaripons throw spears at enemies from a moderate distance. They are your first combat unit and remain useful throughout the entire game.
Best for: General-purpose damage, hunting missions, enemies that stay at medium range.
Weakness: Low HP means they drop fast if enemies reach them. Always keep Tatepons in front.
Tatepon (Shield Bearer)
| Stat | Rating |
|---|---|
| Range | Melee |
| Damage | Low-Medium |
| HP | High |
| Speed | Slow |
Tatepons carry shields and swords. They form your frontline and soak damage that would otherwise hit your squishier units. The Defend command (CHAKA-CHAKA-PATA-PON) is most effective with Tatepons in your army since they actually raise their shields.
Best for: Tanking boss attacks, protecting ranged units, any mission where you expect heavy incoming damage.
Weakness: Slow movement and low damage output. Relying on only Tatepons makes fights drag on.
Yumipon (Archer)
| Stat | Rating |
|---|---|
| Range | Long |
| Damage | Medium |
| HP | Low |
| Speed | Medium |
Yumipons fire arrows in an arc. They have the longest attack range of any base unit, but their effectiveness depends on wind direction. Tailwind boosts their range and damage. Headwind shortens it.
Best for: Boss fights where melee is dangerous, missions with environmental hazards, any fight where staying far back is safer.
Weakness: Wind dependency. Use the Rain Miracle to calm wind, or the Tailwind Miracle to boost them.
Yumipons are the best hunting unit in Patapon 1. Animals run from melee units, but arrows hit them before they flee. Always bring Yumipons to hunting grounds.
Kibapon (Cavalry)
| Stat | Rating |
|---|---|
| Range | Melee |
| Damage | High |
| HP | Medium |
| Speed | Fast |
Kibapons ride horses and deal heavy melee damage. They charge ahead of the formation when you use the Attack command, closing distance fast.
Best for: High burst damage, rushing enemies before they set up, breaking through defensive formations.
Weakness: They charge ahead of your Tatepons, which puts them in danger. Pair with Defend commands to pull them back before a boss counter-attack.
Dekapon (Heavy Hitter)
| Stat | Rating |
|---|---|
| Range | Melee |
| Damage | Very High |
| HP | Very High |
| Speed | Very Slow |
Dekapons are massive units that hit like trucks. They swing giant clubs that deal splash damage to groups of enemies. They are also the toughest unit in the game, able to tank hits that would kill anything else.
Best for: Boss stagger farming, clearing large groups of enemies, missions where raw survivability matters.
Weakness: Painfully slow. They lag behind other units during March commands and take forever to reach the fight.
Megapon (Horn Blower)
| Stat | Rating |
|---|---|
| Range | Long |
| Damage | High |
| HP | Low |
| Speed | Medium |
Megapons attack with sound waves from horns and trumpets. Their attacks hit at long range and deal splash damage in a cone.
Best for: Boss fights where you need long-range damage without wind dependency (unlike Yumipons). Effective against bosses with large hitboxes.
Weakness: Fragile. Like Yumipons, they need Tatepons in front. Their splash damage can also hit environmental objects you might not want destroyed.
Recommended Army Compositions
| Mission Type | Front Row | Back Row | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Story missions (general) | Tatepon | Yaripon + Yumipon | Balanced damage and defense. |
| Boss fights (melee safe) | Tatepon | Yaripon + Kibapon | Kibapon burst damage during safe windows. |
| Boss fights (melee dangerous) | Tatepon | Yumipon + Megapon | Full ranged, stay far back, Defend through danger. |
| Hunting missions | Tatepon (optional) | Yaripon + Yumipon | Ranged units hit animals before they flee. |
| Farming (boss stagger) | Tatepon | Dekapon + Yumipon | Dekapon staggers, Yumipon picks up drops from a distance. |
The Tree of Life and Rarepons
The Tree of Life (Mater) is where you create and upgrade your Patapons. In Patapon 1, the Rarepon system works on a material combination formula.
How Rarepon Crafting Works
To create or upgrade a unit, you select two materials. Each material has a level from 1 to 4. The sum of both material levels determines which Rarepon type you get.
Formula: Material A Level + Material B Level = Total Value
| Total Value | Rarepon Type | Color | Key Traits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Basic Patapon | White | No bonuses. Default unit. |
| 1 | Pyokola | Red | Fast movement, resists knockback and destabilization. |
| 2 | Gekolos | Yellow-Green | Small attack boost, fire resistance. |
| 3 | Mefeel | Light Purple | Large defense boost, but weak to fire. |
| 4 | Tikulee | Blue | Medium attack boost, high attack speed and crit rate. |
| 5 | Mogyuun | Dark Purple | Massive attack power, very slow movement. |
| 6 | Barsala | Aqua-Green | Large boosts to all stats, no elemental weaknesses. Best Rarepon overall. |
Material Levels
Materials drop from bosses, hunting missions, and minigames. Each material type has four tiers:
| Level | Examples |
|---|---|
| 1 | Meat, Wood, Stone, Hide, Bone, Fang |
| 2 | Hard Meat, Cherry Wood, Hard Stone, Thick Hide, Hard Bone, Sharp Fang |
| 3 | Dream Meat, Super Cedar, Mithril, Giant Hide, Super Bone, Giant Fang |
| 4 | Mystery Meat, Heaven Wood, Adamantine, Legendary Hide, Divine Bone, Divine Fang |
You cannot "downgrade" a Rarepon back to a basic Patapon without retiring the unit and creating a new one. Plan your upgrades before committing materials. If you waste a Barsala on a unit class you rarely use, those materials are gone.
Rarepon Selection by Class
| Unit Class | Best Rarepon | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Yaripon | Tikulee (4) or Barsala (6) | Attack speed and crit synergize with the Yaripon's multi-hit throws. |
| Tatepon | Mefeel (3) or Barsala (6) | Defense stacking turns Tatepons into walls. Watch the fire weakness on Mefeel. |
| Yumipon | Tikulee (4) | Fast attack speed means more arrows per volley. The crit chance stacks with Fever Mode. |
| Kibapon | Mogyuun (5) or Barsala (6) | Kibapon already has speed from the horse. Raw damage from Mogyuun makes charges devastating. |
| Dekapon | Mogyuun (5) | Speed penalty barely matters since Dekapon is already the slowest unit. The attack boost is massive. |
| Megapon | Tikulee (4) or Barsala (6) | Attack speed on Megapon means faster sound wave volleys. Barsala if you can afford it. |
Managing Your Army
You can only field three squads (three unit classes) per mission alongside one Hatapon. A standard infantry squad consists of exactly six members. Cavalry and heavy units (Kibapon, Dekapon) operate in smaller squads of three members. These deployment limits are hardcoded. There are no exceptions or hidden upgrades capable of expanding your army beyond this cap. Before expensive boss fights, consider:
- Retiring weak units. Select a unit in the army screen and press the retire option to remove it. This frees up a slot for a stronger replacement.
- Specializing squads. Rather than making every unit the same Rarepon, mix one Barsala or Mogyuun "carry" unit with cheaper Rarepons in the same squad.
- Checking equipment. Every unit can equip a weapon and a helm (some classes also equip shields). Higher-tier equipment from boss drops and the blacksmith minigame outperforms stat bonuses from Rarepons alone.
For where to farm the materials you need, see Materials and Farming.