Like a Dragon Ishin Trooper Cards Explained – How to Level Up and Get Stronger

During Japan’s Bakumatsu period, the Shinsengumi were a predominant military police force that kept the peace in a tumultuous time. Armed with swords and pistols, these samurai were some of the toughest guys and gals around, and in Like a Dragon Ishin, their power can be yours. Here’s what you need to know about Trooper Cards in Like a Dragon Ishin.

Like a Dragon Ishin Trooper Cards Explained – How to Level Up and Get Stronger

In Like a Dragon Ishin, the various members of the Shinsengumi recruited by Sakamoto Ryoma are represented by Trooper Cards. Amassing Trooper Cards is kind of like the various recruiting mechanics of the other Yakuza games, though unlike in those games, rather than existing in their own separate game mode, Trooper Cards are meant to supplement the main game’s combat.

Related: Like a Dragon Ishin Fighting Styles Overview – Strengths and Weaknesses

Every Trooper Card provides a unique ability. Some of them are big, bombastic attacks that can wipe out large crowds of foes, others are quick-use buffs that provide stat boosts and heals. Interestingly, many of these cards feature the images of Yakuza series characters, albeit under period-appropriate names. Don’t worry, though, you can still recruit some major weirdos, not to mention literal animals like chickens and tigers.

Using and Leveling Trooper Cards

To use Trooper Cards, you need to equip them on your four fighting styles. Each style can have up to four Trooper Cards equipped at once, one for each face button. To use them, just hold the left trigger to bring up the menu and press their corresponding button. Just remember that each ability has a cooldown, so you can’t use them repeatedly.

As you use your Troopers in combat, they’ll receive experience independent of Ryoma. When Troopers gain enough experience, they’ll level up, enhancing their abilities. Attacks do more damage, buffs are more potent and last longer, and so on. If you find a Trooper Card you like, use it a lot to bring out that Trooper’s highest potential. Additionally, if you receive any Trooper Card duplicates or have Cards you don’t care about, you can sacrifice them to immediately bestow lump sums of EXP on other Cards. Survival of the fittest!

Incidentally, this system is entirely optional. If you’d prefer to keep the combat a little more grounded (for a Yakuza game, anyway), you can simply opt to not equip any Trooper Cards. They are not required for any part of the game, so if you’d like to keep your big fights one-on-one, that’s perfectly fine.

If you want to really stick it to the thugs of Bakumatsu-era Japan, make use of your Troopers! They’re there to support you in your time of need!

For more information on Like a Dragon Ishin, check out the news on the Elite Generals Trooper Card bundle, and the return of veteran actor Riki Takeuchi. Visit our Facebook page as well for more news and guides.