How To Defeat Matador In Shin Megami Tensei V

Matador has a great reputation, as the first boss in the Return of the True Demon side quest, Matador can and will wipe the floor with you if you challenge him unprepared.

But don't worry, with the right skills and demons, you can easily overcome this challenge. Remember that your character must be at level 24 before challenging Matador. You can also recruit guest characters who can participate in this fight. Here we leave you a guide that explains more in depth:

How To Defeat Matador In Shin Megami Tensei V

Understanding Matador's Composition:

Elemental Achilles' Heel: Matador possesses a critical weakness to Electric (Zio) attacks. Exploit this vulnerability with potent Zio and Zionga skills to maximize damage output.

Impenetrable Force: Force (Zan) attacks are entirely negated by Matador's resistance. Refrain from using such elemental maneuvers, as they will be ineffective.

Crafting a Counteroffensive Strategy:

Elemental Retaliation: Prioritize incorporating demons or skills that leverage Matador's susceptibility to Electric attacks. Zionga, a potent Electric spell, serves as a valuable weapon in your arsenal.

Physical Onslaught: Physical attackers remain viable options, provided they strategically avoid exploiting Matador's weaknesses and focus on raw damage output.

Strategic Debilitation: Debuffing skills like Sukunda and Tarunda offer significant advantages. Sukunda diminishes Matador's accuracy, while Tarunda weakens his attack power, making him less threatening.

Crippling Blow Mitigation: Exercise extreme caution regarding Matador's "Crippling Blow" ability. This devastating skill instantly eliminates characters who suffer a weakness or critical hit.

Defensive Posturing: Employ Sukunda and Tarunda to strategically debuff Matador, then prioritize guarding at the conclusion of your turn. This defensive maneuver significantly reduces the likelihood of falling victim to a critical hit.

Optimizing the Nahobino for Combat:

Elemental Harmony: Consider equipping the Sudama Essence. This valuable item grants the Nahobino complete immunity to Force attacks, effectively nullifying the threat posed by Matador's "Mazan" and potential critical hits from this element.

Skill Selection: The Nahobino's skillset should be tailored to your playstyle and party composition. Physical Nahobinos can benefit from incorporating Zio if they don't rely on critical hits to generate additional turns.

Demonic Ally Selection: Choosing the Right Teammates

Shiisaa: This meticulously crafted demon possesses an arsenal specifically designed to counter Matador. Shiisaa learns Zionga (exploiting the Electric weakness), Sukunda (debuff), and boasts a natural resistance to Force damage.

Kikuri-Hime: A dedicated healer with Force immunity proves invaluable. Skills such as Recarm (revival), Media (healing), Divine Benevolence (support), and support proficiency make her a cornerstone of a successful team.

Oni: This formidable tank boasts high Strength, Vitality, and access to the Taunt skill. Oni can effectively draw Matador's attacks, safeguarding your party members.

Ippon-Datara: While a competent alternative tank to Oni, Ippon-Datara's overall stats make Oni the superior choice.

Yoko Hiromine (Vengeance Path Only): For those traversing the Vengeance story path, Yoko Hiromine serves as a potent ally. Her high Magic stat allows her to deliver effective healing and debuffs against Matador.

By thoroughly understanding Matador's vulnerabilities and implementing strategic handicap tactics and assembling a group with complementary skills, you will be well positioned to dominate Matador and emerge victorious in Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance.