Is Sumo Cat Still a Good Pick in Battle Cats? An In-Depth 2023 Analysis
As a long-time Battle Cats player since the initial release with over 200 hours logged, Sumo Cat was one of my first beloved tanks. But with new additions and evolving metas, is this chunky cat still competitively viable in 2023? Let‘s dive deep into the stats and strats.
Sumo Cat‘s Base Stats and Usage
Right off the bat at level 30, Sumo Cat sports an impressive 8,800 health – no easy task cracking through that beefcake. He also has a quick 17 second recharge time, a key aspect when considering meatshields.
Below shows how Sumo‘s stats compare to some other notable early tanks:
| Cat Unit | Health | Speed | Cost | Recharge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sumo Cat | 8,800 | 6 | $100 | 17s |
| Tank Cat | 3,800 | 5 | $75 | 12s |
| Boogie Cat | 800 | 8 | $75 | 5s |
With over double the HP of Tank Cat, Sumo Cat can reliably soak major damage in the Empire of Cats and Into the Future chapters while helping overwhelm enemies. His quick recharge also allows reasonably spamming him as a damage sponge.
So in the early to mid-game, Sumo Cat absolutely dominates as one of the quintessential meatshields for Battle Cats. Even into late game he can still fill this role against enemies and levels with lower damage per hit.
But once you reach the late game and tackle more merciless stages, his usefulness significantly drops off unless the stage gives specific advantages to his traits. The opportunity cost becomes too great when superior tanks arrive that outclass him.
Falling Behind the Meta – Where Sumo Cat Struggles
Around midway through Into the Future when tackling levels like Floating Continent and Kang Roo, Sumo Cat starts struggling as enemies begin vastly outdamaging his HP pool and attack speed.
Top-tier tanks like Eraser Cat sport similar health but with 50% faster speed and a 25% reduction in cost. This allows perfectly pinpoint spamming Eraser to optimize your wallet efficiency.
The chart below shows Sumo‘s growing inadequacies compared to premium late game meatshields:
| Cat Unit | Health | Speed | Cost | Recharge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sumo Cat | 8,800 | 6 | $100 | 17s |
| Eraser Cat | 9,500 | 9 | $75 | 12s |
| Manic Eraser | 112,500 | 9 | $75 | 12s |
| Manic Macho Legs | 16,000 | 12 | $275 | 51s |
Another special mention goes to Manic Eraser Cat, the crazed form of Eraser Cat packing an insane 112,500 health – leaving our thicc boy Sumo in the dust.
Manic Macho Legs also clocks in with lightning fast speed and high damage resistance from traits, making him invaluable as well despite the hefty unit cost.
So while Sumo holds his own early on, he soon loses steam and opens up squad opportunities for more advanced tanks.
When To Use Sumo Cat in 2023
Despite his shortcomings in ultra late game situations, Sumo Cat still brings unique strengths that can prove useful in niche scenarios:
- Stalling Red Enemies: With beefy health to counteract their high DPS
- Levels Restricting Wallet: His lower relative cost works here
- Early Game Content: Perennial early game viability
- Combo Utilization: Key part of useful Cat Combos
Additionally, in custom Restriction stages that ban top tanks or meatshields, veterans may opt back to old reliable Sumo Cat since choices get limited quickly with those modes. Gotta work with what you have!
So he still finds occasional usage to leverage his health and cost, though generally gets outclassed by <90% of late game choices.
Verdict: Viable Early Game, Mostly Outdated Late Game
In conclusion, Sumo Cat dominates as a supreme meatshield in early and mid Battle Cats, before falling off hard once reaching late game enemies and top-tier tanks. His stats and usage lag too far behind modern options that fully outclass functionality.
That said, Sumo Cat still brings unique strengths when health and cost come at premiums, finding him niche value in special limit stages.
Overall as a long-time player myself, I recommend all new players heavily invest in Sumo Cat for a core early game tank, then phase him out more over time apart from combo synergies and special restriction stages. Prioritize upgrading top tier ubers and crazed cats before bringing levels too high for Mr. Sumo late game.
So while old reliable isn‘t quite as viable anymore in the current meta, he still deserves a spot in the ol‘ album. This cat put in work for me back in the day.
What early game Battle Cat carried your teams in the beginning? Let me know your MVPs in the comments!
