Were we to choose a demon type that feels ultimately neglected in the SMT series, it would have to be that of Force demons. Ice has natural importance in the story, Fire is the domain of a literal gatekeeper in this game and Elec is the predefined speciality of the protagonist. Even Light and Dark skills deal more damage alone, all of which tends to leave the Force team feeling a little underwhelming, often relegated to ‘off’ spells, kept around to activate the occasional weakness in random battles. We’re all about equal elemental opportunities here, so we’re going to give it the full treatment and as such, we’ve put just as much attention into defining the following five as any other.
5. Sudama
Generally speaking, the early game Demon of any element is simply one that features both single and multi target versions of their respective spells. Sometimes there will be multiple options, and in the case of Force spells there are actually quite a few. In this case, we tend to look at their usefulness and general requirements within their particular portion of the game, and in this case Sudama climbs to the top for us. It has the requisite spells, good stats to make use of them and enough Affinity to reduce their costs. Rather than waste your time then, we’ll simply say that Sudama knows Zan, Mazan and features a +3 Force Affinity – perfect for the early game portion in which force truly becomes a requirement.
Demon Benefits
- Innately knows Mazan, the group Force spell.
- Learns Zan at level 18, the single target Force spell.
- +3 Force Affinity, for a good reduction in costs.
- Well rounded stats will ensure it can last until the next choice.
Advertisement
4. Muu Shuwuu
One of the main reasons we attribute to Force feeling underappreciated in SMT5 is its lack of usage in the early to mid game. It never truly felt necessary there, to the point where you’ll note that there’s a huge gap between our first and second choice. This is not an accident; we’re not saying Force has no use in this section, but it didn’t feel truly necessary to have a very powerful demon of this particular type at this time. Heading towards the middle and latter sections of the mid game however, and you’ll see that this need begins to grow once again, and this is where Muu Shuwuu steps in.
Thankfully this particular demon answers your force requirements and more. Innately Muu Shuwuu knows both Zanma and Mazanma, which are the single and multi target versions of the ‘medium’ force spells. These are pretty much all that you’ll need at this point, however this particular demon also learns the defence debuffing Marakunda at level 39, and the full party heal Media at level 40. Hell, it even learns Boon Boost at level 41, so said debuff will last a further round, which is very useful.
Demon Benefits
- Innately knows Zanma, the medium single target force spell.
- Innately knows Mazanma, the medium multi target force spell.
- Learns Marakunda at level 39, which debuffs the enemy team’s defence.
- Learns Media at level 40, which is a basic group heal.
- Learns Boon Boost at level 41, which passively adds another round to any buff or debuff cast.
3. Cu Chulainn
Unlike most of our mid-to-late game demon recommendations, we’re not actually pointing you in the direction of another Dracostrike of sorts. This is mainly because, well, there’s a better option available, in the form of one of our favourite demons in the entire game: Cu Chulainn. This is a fantastic choice for the level 50 – 65 portion of the game, because it features some powerful force skills, but backs them up with some similarly powerful physical skills, both of which will be very useful here.
In regards to force, this demon has access to Mazanma and Zandyne, which are the group target medium force spell and heavy single target force spell respectively. You could argue at this point that a middling magic stat means that Cu Chulainn will do less damage than a Dracostrike demon of sorts, however these skills are backed up by the Force Pleroma to boost them by 20%. As noted too, should you come up against a force resistant enemy at all, you can just pull out either the Fatal Sword or Mist Rush physical skills, both of which are very useful for dealing with awkward targets around this point of the game.
Demon Benefits
- Innately knows Mazanma, the medium multi target force skill.
- Innately knows Zandyne, the heavy single target force skill.
- Learns Force Pleroma at level 54, buffing force damage by 20%.
- Also has access to Fatal Sword and Mist Rush, which are powerful physical attacks that deal damage to single or multi targets respectively.
2. Mot
Unfortunately, the late game portion of SMT5 once again proves that Force demons are given a harsh treatment. The gap between Force Pleroma and High Force Pleroma is huge, at least on demons worth your while, so dealing more and more damage with force spells relies entirely upon upgraded spells. In this case, the next demon worth considering is Mot. We’re not sure exactly how it generates said wind, being a stationary vertical coffin and all, but we won’t argue when the results are this good.
The main event here is the innately known force skill, Wind Breath. This isn’t necessarily unique, however when the demon possessing it has a high magic stat and a good wind affinity, it’s very powerful. Further still, Mot will learn the high level force spell Zanbarion, and when this is combined with a +4 Affinity, it makes for an ideal force demon in the latter period of the game. The remaining highlight of its kit is High Restore, which will restore 20 MP whenever you strike a weakness, so the costs of these powerful skills shouldn’t be an issue at all. All in all, not exactly a superstar, but the best that you’ll be able to find at this point, and useful enough until the real force monster appears in the end game…
Demon Benefits
- Innately knows the powerful, multi hit force spell Wind Breath.
- Learns Zanbarion, the heavy single target force spell at level 66.
- Useful +4 Force Affinity to reduce costs.
- Learns High Restore at level 65, which returns 20 MP whenever a weakness is struck.
- Also learns Agidyne and Mamudoon, which are Fire and Dark spells respectively. Not Force spells, but useful when paired with High Restore for a bit of utility.
Advertisement
1. Raphael
Now, whilst we do consider Raphael to be the absolute pinnacle of Force performance in Shin Megami Tensei 5, it really doesn’t approach some of the better demons out there. We’re not considering alternative routes, so your mileage may vary when these come into play, however this is as good as force gets, so you’ll just have to like it and lump it. It is powerful enough and it’ll help you deal with a good deal of enemies without blasting huge amounts of MP every round, but don’t expect to deal huge numbers and myriad unique skills akin to a Zeus or such.
Still, it does have access to both Mazanbarion, which is the heavy group force spell, and Killing Wind, which is a multi hit piercing force spell that deals a very high amount of damage to a single target. It supports all of this with the High Force Pleroma passive, increasing all of that damage by a nice 40%. Outside of the a +5 Force Affinity, the demon does have access to Hamabarion and a cleanse, but that’s about it really. Great force damage then, but little else, and in the true end game of SMT5, you’re probably looking for a little more than this.
Demon Benefits
- Innately knows Mazanbarion, which is the highest level multi target Force spell.
- Learns Killing Wind at level 86, which pierces defences and deals very high force damage to a single target.
- Learns High Force Pleroma at level 85, which increases force damage by 40%.
- High +5 Force Affinity, to reduce costs.
More Shin Megami Tensei 5…
The 18 Best Demons Overall | Shin Megami Tensei 5
Fusing yourself some powerful demons is vital to success in SMT5, or indeed any Shin Megami Tensei game. Consistently recycling your repertoire of powerful allies is the only way to get through these difficult titles, and in Shin Megami Tensei 5 specifically you’ll often find yourself sifting through the compendium, seeking out new ways to…
4 Helpful Healer Demons | Shin Megami Tensei 5
Modern RPG games not named Shin Megami Tensei often consider a healer to be well.. Optional. Oh sure, party members will often have access to healing spells, and the occasional Dragon Quest entry might come along that allows practically everyone to play health restorer, but the days of a dedicated healer are on the decline…
5 Superior Support Demons | Shin Megami Tensei 5
Having the correct support demons can make all the difference in a Shin Megami Tensei game. We cannot emphasise enough the importance of buffs and debuffs in these games, especially in tough sub or main boss battles, to the point where the entire encounter can be completely swung through their usage. Experienced SMT players will…
Loading…
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
Categories: Shin Megami Tensei 5