User:Phineas81707/Pikmin4LowDayChallenges

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The following article or section contains guides.
The strategies shown are just suggestions.

Pikmin 4 offers a large variety in goals for a low-day challenge, each run offering different challenges to meet as the player progresses. While there are some things that the player must do in order to complete each objective, most of the game's significant progression is in the form of rescuing castaways and obtaining sparklium, which can be collected in any fashion the player desires so long as a sufficient amount has been collected at certain times. As a result, no two runs need necessarily match up, so long as the long-term goals are still being hit. One must also be mindful of their available raw material, to purchase upgrades and build structures.

Opening Days

The opening of the game has a limited purview, and covering each section individually would offer redundancies. As a result, you may expect to see these in every challenge:

Day 1: Rescue Command Post

The first tutorial day cannot be skipped, and has few opportunities to gain or lose time over the course of a low-day challenge. Collin and Shepherd must be rescued, the Red Onion must be collected, and the Stone of Advancement, Noble Bident and Path Creator must be collected to start the run with 300 Sparklium. The minimum Pikmin required to complete this day is 7, but it is recommended that the full 13 be grown, in order to accomplish the most with your time quickly on Day 2 and beyond.

Day 2: Sun-Speckled Terrace

The first timed day must be completed in the Sun-Speckled Terrace. At this stage o=of the game, Oatchi is still in his small form, and the player also cannot construct clay structures yet. This blocks many areas of the Terrace from being accessed, chief among them being the Dandori Battle cave, required to reach Hero's Hideaway. As a result, all low-day completions must spend at least one additional day here, and thus the pressure to collect as much as possible is lesser as a result. There are, however, some objectives that should be completed.

  • Russ must be rescued. The first castaway you find will always be Russ, but there are only two possible castaways to rescue- the one in Last-Frost Cavern and the one in Crackling Cauldron. Either will do, but one must be done.
  • Ice and Yellow Pikmin should be discovered. 10 Ice Pikmin can be found in Last-Frost Cavern, and 5 can be found on future visits, while 20 Yellow Pikmin can be found in Crackling Cauldron per visit. A single visit to each cave should offer sufficient numbers for the first day.
  • Both Flarlics should be collected. One is located in Last-Frost Cavern, behind some breakable pots, while the other is located in the north of the area, on top of a pot only Yellow Pikmin can reach. The more Pikmin that can be brought out at a time, the better for overworld exploration.
  • Oatchi should be ordered to swim. This will unlock Doggy-Paddle on Day 4, which will allow easier traversal through Serene Shores.

Maximum Completion

To do: Can you get three bomb rocks without Russ for Day 3 Blossoming Arcadia?
Care to do so?

It is possible to acquire 1200 Sparklium on Day 2. This objective is somewhat strict, but managing this objective will allow the player to visit Blossoming Arcadia on Day 3, providing greater opportunities to raise Pup Drive, Sparklium and Raw Materials, which will make the second day of Sun-Speckled Terrace easier for those completing a completion-based low-day run. It is not a mandatory objective, but it is worth considering.

Completing this objective requires collecting every treasure accessible without building clay structures or having Oatchi jump, which includes:

This alone will only be worth 1130 Sparklium. To gain the last 70 Sparklium, enemy corpses must be obtained. The enemies in the Last-Frost Cavern are worth 11 Sparklium total, and the ones in Crackling Cauldron 29 total. After gathering each corpse in the first runs of each cave, either three additional runs of Last-Frost Cavern are necessary, or a second run of Crackling Cauldron plus one run of either cave. The recommended option is three runs of Last-Frost Cavern, to minimise the amount of in-game time spent on this objective, and also because it is possible to acquire the Yellow Onion on this day or early into the next.

Accessing Hero's Hideaway

All runs must go to Hero's Hideaway to complete their goal. In order to accomplish this, it is necessary to rescue Bernard, which requires the completion of all three accessible Dandori Battles and the collection of three doses of glow sap. To complete this in the minimum number of days possible, the following benchmarks must be met:

  • A total of 1500 Sparklium across both days they spend in Sun-Speckled Terrace. The Dandori Battle, located on top of the Meandering Slope beyond a clay bridge, must be completed on the second day in the terrace, no matter when this day is, with the leafling retrieved.
  • A total of 4000 Sparklium by the end of the day in Blossoming Arcadia, and the Dandori Battle on top of the slope next to Rugged Terrace completed.
  • A total of 7000 Sparklium by the end of the day in Serene Shores, and the Dandori Battle on the opposite shore to the Blossoming Dunes completed.

Curing Bernard requires the assistance of Yonny, who must first be discovered as a castaway. Yonny will always be the eighth castaway rescued, not counting leaflings. However, Yonny may be discovered at any point, so long as he is discovered before all three Dandori Battles are completed. Any combination of the following castaways may be rescued, so long as over the course of the four days, eight castaways are rescued in total:

Once Yonny has been rescued, glow sap must be retrieved to make the cure for Bernard. Bernard will always be the third of the leaflings cured from the Dandori Battles, and it should be noted that all Night Expeditions count as one day spent for the purposes of a low-day challenge: so minimizing your time spent on the planet at night is in your interest. The best way to accomplish this is the following:

  • Complete the first two mandatory Night Expeditions in Ancient Arches and Rugged Scaffold.
  • Complete either the Misshapen Pond or the Water's Edge expedition.

This will give you a second cure beyond the one required for Bernard, which may be used on Olimar following his rescue. In order to benefit from this objective, however, it is important to not retrieve any Leaflings outside those found in Dandori Battles. Yonny will automatically use this cure if one has been retrieved, requiring an additional night expedition, and thus additional day, to later cure Olimar, which all challenges must do.

Post Hero's Hideaway Unlocks

The following are the unlock benchmarks for areas beyond that of Hero's Hideaway. These are not relevant for Rescue Olimar Low Day runs, but are relevant for all others.

  • To access the Giant's Hearth, it is required to end the day spent in Hero's Hideaway with a total of 11000 Sparklium across all areas. No other objectives must be achieved in Hero's Hideaway itself, other than rescuing Olimar.
  • To access the Primordial Thicket, it is required to end the day spent in Giant's Hearth with a total of 13000 Sparklium across all areas, and both Don Bergman and Yorke must be rescued. Yorke will always be found at the Dandori Battle, while Don Bergman will always be first of the castaways found at the bottom of one of the three caves- either dropped by the Mammoth Snootwhacker in Dream Home, dropped by the Man-at-Legs in Ultimate Testing Range, or buried on sublevel 3 in Cradle of the Beast. Neither requires a dose of glow sap.
  • To access Cavern for a King, it is required to end the first day spent in Primordial Thicket having rescued Nelle, who is found in the Dandori Battle. She does not require a dose of glow sap.

Raw Material

Choosing the right upgrades from Russ can give you an edge in your run. The following benchmarks must be met to acquire them:

  • Charging Horn (450 Sparklium): Charging Pikmin onto an object is faster than individual throwing.
  • Treasure Gauge (1000 Sparklium): When the treasure gauge powers stops blinking, all treasures have been retrieved. This can be used as a good visual cue when going through caves in a hurry, but other visual cues are available. Costs 40 Sparklium.
  • Ice Blast (1500 Sparklium): Can be used to temporarily freeze lakes, allowing non-Blue Pikmin to cross them, without using up large quantities of Ice Pikmin. Important particularly for the Blue Onion in Sun-Speckled Terrace and the above-ground Flarlic in Blossoming Arcadia, and may also be used to jump up to the Seafloor Resort from the water below using Oatchi.
  • Headlamp (2000 Sparklium): Not required, but will allow the use of Go Here in dark caves such as those found in Sightless Passage and Below-Grade Discotheque. Costs 100 Raw Material.
  • Bomb rock (3000 Sparklium): Required to break down reinforced walls, useful for other things.
  • Idler's Alert (3500 Sparklium): Generally useful. Costs 100 Raw Material.
  • Rush Boots (5100 Sparklium): Will make all days following their purchase that much easier. Costs 120 Raw Material and worth every lump.
  • Scorch Guard (Have either the player or Oatchi be set on fire): Required to visit the Frozen Inferno, and any run planning to 100% that area must make sure they have unlocked and purchased it before that day. Costs 150 Raw Material.
  • Gunk Busters (Encounter sticky mold or mud): Incredibly helpful when exploring the Primordial Thicket. Costs 240 Raw Material.
  • Sniff Saver (Have Oatchi be poisoned): Allows Oatchi to break poisonous Spotcaps, which is incredibly useful in the Primordial Thicket. Costs 100 Raw Material.

Rescue Olimar

The goal of this challenge is to complete the mission "Rescue Olimar" as quickly as possible. This requires rescuing Bernard in order to reach Hero's Hideaway, retrieving the leafling Olimar from his bunker, and curing him with a dose of glow sap. This objective is achievable in 9 days:

  • Day 1: Rescue Command Post.
  • Day 2: Sun-Speckled Terrace, to rescue Russ and grow Oatchi.
  • Days 3, 4 and 5: Sun-Speckled Terrace, Blossoming Arcadia and Serene Shores, to rescue Bernard. These days can be done in any order, but are usually done in the order listed.
  • Days 6, 7 and 8: Three Night Expeditions to cure Bernard. You must have one cure left over for Olimar.
  • Day 9: Hero's Hideaway. The Dandori Battle to retrieve Olimar. This requires opening the bunker, which requires knowing the randomly-generated combination from the Power Emblem, Wisdom Emblem and Courage Emblem. Although a total of 504 combinations are possible, collecting the Wisdom Emblem can be conveniently done on the way to the bunker, and knowing the number on its face reduces the number of possible codes to 56. The next most convenient choice is the Power Emblem, near the Foot of the Stairs. Since no additional priorities are present on this day, you may spend as long as you need to gather all three Emblems, so long as you have enough time to retrieve Olimar.

Cure Oatchi

The goal of this challenge is to complete the mission "Cure Oatchi" as quickly as possible. This requires going to the bottom of the Cavern for a King, and acquiring the Gift of Friendship from the Ancient Sirehound. This objective is achievable in 12 days, listed as 13 on the final stats.

  • Day 1: Rescue Command Post.
  • Day 2: Sun-Speckled Terrace, to rescue Russ and grow Oatchi.
  • Days 3, 4 and 5: Sun-Speckled Terrace, Blossoming Arcadia and Serene Shores, to rescue Bernard. These days can be done in any order, but are usually done in the order listed.
  • Days 6, 7 and 8: Three Night Expeditions to cure Bernard. You must have one cure left over for Olimar.
  • Day 9: Hero's Hideaway, to rescue Olimar. Remember to make sure you have 11000 Sparklium before you leave.
  • Day 10: Giant's Hearth, to unlock Primordial Thicket.
  • Day 11: Primordial Thicket, to unlock Cavern for a King.
  • Day 12: Primordial Thicket, to complete Cavern for a King.

All Areas Complete

The goal of this challenge is to complete the mission "Investigate the planet", by collecting all 50 castaways, 420 treasures, and 19 Onions tracked by the ship's radar. This objective is achievable in 13 days, listed as 14 in the final stats.

  • Day 1: Rescue Command Post.
  • Day 2: Sun-Speckled Terrace, to rescue Russ and grow Oatchi.
  • Days 3, 4 and 5: Sun-Speckled Terrace, Blossoming Arcadia and Serene Shores, each visit collecting everything available.
  • Days 6, 7 and 8: Three Night Expeditions, to cure Bernard.
  • Day 9: Hero's Hideaway, collecting everything available.
  • Day 10: A Night Expedition, to cure Olimar. It is recommended to do Stargazer's Spot or whichever of Misshapen Pond or Water's Edge you did not do on Day 8, to gain two additional points of Pup Drive to give Oatchi an extra edge.
  • Day 10: Giant's Hearth, collecting everything available.
  • Day 11: Primordial Thicket, to unlock Cavern for a King.
  • Day 12: Primordial Thicket, to collect everything available.

All Missions

The goal of this challenge is to complete every mission offered by the castaways, excluding those of Kingsly and Francoise (which cannot be permanently cleared). This objective is achievable in 32 Days, listed as 33 in the final stats.

I'll need to focus on this later.

Olimar's Shipwreck Tale

The goal of this challenge is to complete Olimar's Shipwreck Tale in the fewest days possible. This is 4 days, visiting each area only once. Bomb rocks obtained from Dirt-mounds can be used to break the breakable pots otherwise requiring Moss in Sun-Speckled Terrace.

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