Pikmin 4 - Best Abilities To Teach Oatchi First

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Buff
Command
Heal
Swim

Oatchi is the cutest – and best – addition to Pikmin 4, and that simply isn’t up for debate. Our two-legged alien pooch does a lot of work for us during our expedition, but with a bit of training, Oatchi can transcend from invaluable, to god-like. Oatchi is the glue that holds everything together, so treat him right.

To upgrade Oatchi you are going to have to play an hour or so first. You will unlock a few Castaways very early on, and one of these will allow you to train your doggo. The number of abilities Oatchi can upgrade and learn is quite large, with more being added as your progress. We are going to focus on key abilities you can teach Oatchi in the early game that will make your experience far smoother.

More Pikmin 4 content:

Beginners Guide | Every Pikmin Type | Shortcuts

Buff

1 Pup Drive Per Upgrade

Oatchi is a strong chap – as strong as 3 Pikmin even. This allows Oatchi to help out and transport most small objects. However, you will quickly find that items start to escalate in weight, and Oatchi simply doesn’t make enough of an impact. This is where Buff comes into play. Buff Level 2 increases his weight contribution to 5, whilst Level 3 buffs it to a whopping 10.

Not only that, once Buff is fully upgraded, Super Buff is unlocked. This lets you further increase Oatchi’s carry capacity. With Buff, you can even sequence break – to a small extent – since you can do far in an area without having to find a Flaric.

Command

3 Pup Drive Per Upgrade

Command is our favourite upgrade and it’s one we recommend you consider investing in early (usually after Buff). Command Level 2 lets you send Oatchi back to the Onion. This is very helpful for gathering Pikmin who have finished their tasks. Level 3 lets you send Pikmin to specifically gather Pikmin and return them to you. This includes Pikmin who have gotten lost. Very useful for finding stragglers before Nighttime.

Heal

3 Pup Drive Per Upgrade

Heal is a rather expensive upgrade and not one that is necessarily needed if you are careful. Heal allows Oatchi to recover from his wounds without you having to use a Scrummy Bone. This lessens the chances of Oatchi being knocked out and it saves you resources.

Ultimately, Heal is an ability you will take if you are struggling to avoid damage in Pikmin 4. If you are adept at keeping Oatchi healthy, then Heal is an expensive waste of time.

Swim

2 Pup Drive Per Upgrade
Oatchi can’t swim when you start your adventure, but he will learn fairly early on. Once he has gained the ability natively, you can upgrade it via training. Swim lets Oatchi swim faster at Level 2, and even attack things at Level 3. Considering how valuable (and squishy) Blue Pikmin are, having a water-loving Oatchi can take the pressure off a smidge, which is always nice.

That’s all we have on Pikmin 4 for now. Be sure to check out our other Guides and Lists for more Pikmin content.