by jdaster12.8
This plan, if executed correctly, can reduce damage taken to virtually nothing.
When you start the game, play as you normally would all the way through chapter 4
EXCEPT YOU MUST NOT LEVEL H P UP AT ALL.
If you need extra H P, level up your B P instead, then put on one (or two) H P Plus Badges.
During the post-chapter-4 Peach's Castle intermission, go to the room on the far right on the bottom floor and collect the Last Stand Badge, then put this in the Magical Treasure Chest upstairs. (if you have not put Power Rush in it as well, do so now)
Once you take control of Mario again, go to Merlow's house and take the badge out of the other treasure chest.
Following this, go and talk to Chet Rippo (the odd-looking guy next to Harry's shop in SW Toad Town) and 'upgrade' your F P or B P (pref. B P).
Doing this will increase that stat by 2x a level-up, and decrease the others by one level's worth.
Thusly, if you take off any H P Plus badges, you will have a max H P of 5.
Once this has happened, all 'Danger' badges will always take effect.
Putting on 'Last Stand' will make you take half damage from everything and Defend Plus, P-Down D-Up, and Damage Dodge badges will add to the effect.
Putting on the 'H P Drain' badge will take away 1 A P, but will restore H P with every hit Mario does to an enemy (max of 5)
Power Rush and Close Call also take effect all the time with these badges on.
Putting on all of the aforementioned badges will increase your D P by 2 (5 if guarding) plus the 1/2 effect, keep your A P the same, make enemies sometimes miss, and allow you to collect H P from Mario's attacks. (Assuming you use both Damage Dodge badges, this requires 20 B P).
NOTE: The biggest problem with this plan is once Mario gets to be a level-19, he will have to level up his H P.
P.S. However, you'll never have to use an item restoring more than 5 H P while this works!
