Unit Classes and Evolution (Patapon 2)
Patapon 2 expands the roster from six combat classes to nine, adds independent unit progression, and replaces the material-math Rarepon system with a visual Evolution Map. Every unit can now evolve along branching paths, and unlocking specific Rarepons on the map reveals Memory scrolls that unlock entirely new unit classes.
Returning Classes
These classes carry over from Patapon 1 with the same core roles. Their stats, equipment options, and combat behavior are largely unchanged.
| Class | Role | Quick Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Hatapon | Flag Bearer | Your army's anchor. Dies = mission over. |
| Yaripon | Spear Thrower | Medium range, solid damage. Your go-to all-rounder. |
| Tatepon | Shield Bearer | Frontline tank. Best unit for the Defend command. |
| Yumipon | Archer | Longest range, wind-dependent. Deadly in Fever Mode. |
| Kibapon | Cavalry | Fast melee burst. Charges ahead of the formation. |
| Dekapon | Heavy Hitter | Slowest unit, highest damage and HP. Splash damage. |
| Megapon | Horn Blower | Long-range sonic attacks. No wind dependency. |
New Classes (Patapon 2)
Toripon (Bird Rider)
| Stat | Rating |
|---|---|
| Range | Medium (aerial) |
| Damage | Medium |
| HP | Medium |
| Speed | Fast |
Toripons ride birds and attack from the air. Ground-based enemy attacks (stomps, charges, ground slams) cannot hit them. This makes them one of the safest damage dealers against specific bosses.
Best for: Bosses with ground-only attacks (Gaeen-type enemies, worms). Also strong against forts and structures.
Weakness: Flying makes them vulnerable to ranged and anti-air attacks. Some bosses specifically target airborne units.
How to unlock: Find the Toripon Memory scroll by evolving Yaripons through specific Rarepon branches on the Evolution Map.
Robopon (Mechanical Fighter)
| Stat | Rating |
|---|---|
| Range | Melee |
| Damage | Very High |
| HP | Medium |
| Speed | Medium |
Robopons are armored melee fighters with extremely high single-target damage. They punch enemies with mechanical fists and deal raw physical damage without splash.
Best for: Boss fights where you need to burn down a single target fast. Robopon Hero Mode (Iron Storm) is one of the highest DPS abilities in the game.
Weakness: No splash damage means they struggle against large groups. Pair with AoE units for mob waves.
How to unlock: Evolve Tatepons through the required Rarepon branches.
Mahopon (Mage)
| Stat | Rating |
|---|---|
| Range | Medium-Long |
| Damage | Low-Medium |
| HP | Low |
| Speed | Medium |
Mahopons are support casters. They can heal allies, cure status ailments (poison, burn, freeze), and apply debuffs to enemies. Mahopon Hero Mode (Healing Aura) is the only team-healing ability in the game.
Best for: Long missions where attrition is the real threat. Boss fights with heavy status effects (Shookle's poison, Fennichi's burn). Any team that needs sustainability over raw damage.
Weakness: Low damage output. Running Mahopons means sacrificing a damage squad slot. Worth it on hard fights, overkill on easy ones.
How to unlock: Evolve Yumipons through specific Rarepon branches.
The Evolution Map
Patapon 2 replaces the material-value formula with a branching skill tree called the Evolution Map. You access it through Mater (the Tree of Life) at your base.
How It Works
- Select a unit from your army.
- Open the Evolution Map for that unit's class.
- Choose a Rarepon branch to evolve toward.
- Spend materials and Kaching to unlock the evolution.
- The unit transforms into the target Rarepon type.
Each unit has its own independent progression. Evolving one Yaripon into a Pyopyo does not evolve your other Yaripons. You must invest in each unit separately.
The Full 17-Node Progression
Every base class begins at the Normal node and follows a strict progressive hierarchy through exactly 17 distinct evolutionary nodes:
Normal → Pyopyo → Buhyokko → Nyontama → Fumya → Wanda → Menyokki
→ Chiku → Chigyobi → Uhoho → Mofu → Koppen → Kanokko
→ Mashu → Sabara → Mogyu → Gyaba
The tree branches outward into specialized elemental forms and stat-focused mutations at each node. Material costs scale drastically as you progress deeper. Lower-tier nodes demand basic meat and stone items. Upper-tier nodes require extremely rare drops from endgame encounters.
The in-game map displays the branching visually. Each base class uses the same 17-node structure, but the specific stat bonuses and elemental properties differ per class.
Memory Scrolls
Memory Scrolls are special unlocks hidden at specific nodes on the Evolution Map. When you evolve a unit to the required Rarepon type, the scroll appears and permanently unlocks a new class for your entire army.
| Memory Scroll | Evolve This | To This Node | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kibapon Memory | Any Yaripon | Pyopyo | Kibapon class |
| Dekapon Memory | Any Tatepon | Wanda | Dekapon class |
| Megapon Memory | Any Yumipon | Menyokki | Megapon class |
| Toripon Memory | Any Yaripon | Sabara | Toripon class |
| Robopon Memory | Any Tatepon | Kanokko | Robopon class |
| Mahopon Memory | Any Yumipon | Koppen | Mahopon class |
The Evolution Map strictly enforces class progression bottlenecks. You cannot unlock a Robopon without heavily investing materials into the Tatepon tree first, pushing a Tatepon all the way to Kanokko. This forced resource sink means you must farm low-level materials for intermediate nodes before accessing your desired endgame classes. Plan your material spending around these gates.
Rarepon Characteristics
| Rarepon | Key Stats | Best On |
|---|---|---|
| Pyopyo | High speed, knockback resist | Kibapon (stacks with cavalry speed) |
| Buhyokko | Very high HP | Tatepon (pure tank builds) |
| Fumya | Status resist, moderate stats | Any class facing status-heavy bosses |
| Wanda | Balanced all-rounder | Flexible slot filler |
| Menyokki | +500 HP, 200% Concuss ratio bonus, severe fire vulnerability | Dekapon (boss stagger farming). The premier stagger Rarepon. |
| Chiku | Fastest attack speed in the game, sacrifices all defense scaling and HP growth | Yumipon, Megapon (glass cannon ranged DPS) |
| Mofu | +400 HP, total critical strike immunity, sacrifices attack speed and offense | Tatepon (anti-crit tank for specific bosses) |
| Koppen | Balanced with support bonuses | Mahopon (enhances healing output) |
| Kanokko | Mechanical defense bonuses | Robopon (durability for melee DPS) |
| Mashu | Sleep immunity, balanced | Any class facing sleep attacks (Dettankarmen) |
| Sabara | High crit rate, moderate speed | Yaripon (DPS builds) |
| Mogyu | Very high ATK, slow | Dekapon, Kibapon (burst damage) |
Ultimate Rarepons
The final three nodes on the map represent the Ultimate Rarepons. They require the absolute rarest materials available in the game.
| Ultimate | Path | Materials Required | Key Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babassa (Angel) | Past the Sabara node | 15 Level 5, 18 Level 4, 15 Level 3, 9 Level 3 | Up to +400% critical hit bonus. Complete immunity to sleep status effects. |
| Mogyugyu (Devil) | Past the Mogyu node | 15 Demon Ore, 15 Demon Hide, 15 Demon Liquid | 0 to 400 flat bonus damage. +40% speed increase. Sacrifices all elemental resistances. Highest raw damage potential in the game. |
| Wagyanba (Dragon) | Past the Gyaba node | 15 Demon Bone, 15 Demon Steak, 15 Adamanman | Half damage from all sources except fire, ice, and electricity. Gains total immunity to ignition status effects. Supreme elemental tank. |
Recommended Evolution Priorities
Early Game
- Evolve your Tatepons to Gekolos or Mofeel for survivability.
- Evolve at least one Yaripon to Pyokola for speed.
- Push toward the Toripon Memory scroll (Yaripon → Pyokola → Fumya) to unlock the flying class.
Mid Game
- Evolve a Tatepon through the Mofeel → Menyokki path to unlock Robopons.
- Start building Tikulee Yumipons for ranged DPS.
- Unlock the Mahopon class once available for healing support on hard bosses.
Late Game
- Target Babassa or Mogyugyu as your ultimate Rarepon for primary damage dealers.
- Complete all three Evolution Map achievements (Yaripon, Tatepon, Yumipon) by filling out every branch.
- Experiment with Wagyanba for specialized boss matchups.
Do not spread your materials across every unit. Pick three to four "carry" units and max their evolution first. A single Babassa Yumipon deals more damage than an entire squad of basic Patapons.
For where to farm the materials and Kaching needed for evolution, see Materials and Farming.