Battle Chef Brigade – Cooking Match Guide
A guide to every round of the cook-off in the main campaign, detailing the judges, their preferences, and the theme ingredients of the match.
Chapter 1
Shortly after arriving in Brigade Town, Mina will challenge Thrash to a practice match. This will serve as your first taste of the cooking competition gameplay and is your only actual match for this chapter.
Practice Match
Opponent: Thrash
Judge: Kirin
Judge’s Favored Flavor: EARTH
Theme Ingredient: Caranha
Caranha Parts: 4 Types Total – Seed, Stomach, Wing, Jelly
Chapter 2
Each day, you will have the opportunity to work three jobs. At the Hunter’s Guild, at the Crescent Restaurant, and at Belchior’s Workshop. It is recommended that you perform all three jobs before you proceed with challenging another contestant for a match. Although on most days you have the chance to finish the jobs after your match, sometimes story progress will lock you out and prevent you from working after you’ve finished your match.
Also, each job you do gives you gold with which you can buy ingredients, expertise books, or cooking equipment from the shop. These can help you improve your score during the cooking match.
At the start of Chapter 2, after completing the tutorial for each of the three jobs and the shopping, you have the option of challenging either Thrash or Shiv for your first official match. Although the prompt for Cezar is available too, he won’t accept your challenge.
Match #1
Opponent: Thrash or Shiv
Judge: Ambassedor Akebo
Judge’s Favored Flavor: FIRE
Theme Ingredient: Baurun
Baurun Parts: 2 Types Total – Ribs, Steak
Note: If you win against Shiv, she gives you a trinket that lets your daggers slow enemies. If you win against Thrash, he gives you a trinket that lets your daggers set enemies on fire.
At the start of the next day, you’ll get a trinket that gives you +1 Mana and +1 HP
You can challenge either Leonid or Kirin for this day. Cezar is still not willing to accept your challenge.
Match #2
Opponent: Kirin or Leonid
Judge: Instructor Maradain
Judge’s Favored Flavor: WATER
Theme Ingredient: Dragon
Dragon Parts: 3 Types Total
Note: The dragon can be a difficult monster to fight. Be sure to hunt him down first or risk running out of time to gather the ingredients.
If you win against Leonid, he gives you an ingredient that adds wildcard orbs to your dish. If you win against Kirin, she gives you a pair of winged boots that lets you double jump.
Before your next match, Kirin introduces you to Expertise Books. She will also give you Apprentice Expertise: Butcher for free. This book will let you gain bonus points if your dish uses all the possible types of ingredients from the themed monster.
Cezar the grumpy dwarf will now finally accept challenges from you!
Match #3
Opponent: Cezar or Ziggy or Shiv or Thrash or Kirin
Judge: Grand Matriarch Hazgil and Akebo
Judge’s Favored Flavor: EARTH, FIRE
Theme Ingredient: Verskit
Verskit Parts: 3 Types Total – Blood, Meat, Tail
Note: If you defeat Cezar, he gives you the Stoic’s Pan, which requires 4 orbs to match but will promote a level 1 gem to level 3. Ziggy will give you his spicy ketchup, which gives x2 Red Sauce.
On the next day, if you work at Belchior’s shop he will give you a free slow cooker oven, so you do not need to buy it in the shop.
Match #4
Opponent: Cezar or Ziggy or Leonid
Judge: Maradain and Hazgil
Judge’s Favored Flavor: WATER, EARTH
Theme Ingredient: Windfruit
Windfruit Parts: 1 Only
Note: The bonus from Expertise: Butcher does not seem to work when the theme ingredient has only one part.
Chapter 3
There are no cooking matches during this chapter. However, you do obtain the Combo Pan at the end of the chapter. It is superior to your default Old Pan in every way.
Chapter 4
The first few matches in this chapter will be unofficial cook-offs in the practice arena. You have no choice of opponent during this time.
Match #1
Opponent: Shiv
Judges: Belchior, Thorn
Judge’s Favored Flavor: FIRE, WATER
Theme Ingredient: Any Mutated Monster
Notes: You do not get any items for winning this match.
Match #2
Opponent: Ziggy
Judge: Jelly
Judge’s Favored Flavor: EARTH/FIRE
Theme Ingredient: King Bean
King Bean Parts: 1 Only
Notes: This is your first judge who wants two flavors at once. To meet their tastes both those types of lvl 3 gems must be tied for the most in your dish.
After this is back to the tournament. You will have a few possible opponents once again.
Match #3
Opponent: Quetzal, Leonid, Cezar, or Wart
Judges: Sun Cultist Sargon, Hazgil
Judge’s Favored Flavor: EARTH/WATER, EARTH
Theme Ingredient: Cragmor
Cragmor Parts: 2 Type – Shell and Claw
Notes: Winning against Quetzal gives you a trinket that grants +4 Mana. Winning versus Wart gives you a spatula that lets you have an extra move for fragile gems.
At the end of the day you gain a new trink that gives +3 Satchet slots. At the start of the next day you get a new ingredient, which grants you x2 Promote sauces.
Match #4
Opponent: Weiz
Judges: Kevin the Generous, Vivian
Judge’s Favored Flavor: FIRE/EARTH, FIRE/WATER
Theme Ingredient: Scowl
Scowl Parts: 2 Typess – Wing, Talon
Notes: Winning against Weiz gives you a trinket that prevents knockout once while hunting, but using it may be… hazardous to your mental health. Not Mina’s, the player’s.
Next day, speaking to the Innkeeper gives you a trinket that allows your combos to give x2 stars. Speaking to the elder on the bench near the restaurant gives you a trinket that increases the rank of a single gem in all plant ingredients you harvest.
Match #5
Opponent: Wart or Quetzal or Ziggy
Judges: Maradain, Chief Engineer Lien, Hazgil
Judge’s Favored Flavor: WATER, FIRE/EARTH, EARTH
Theme Ingredient: Lupir
Lupir Parts: 2 Types – Leg, Bladder
The next day you will have to face three opponents, one after another in a gauntlet. Your pantry will carry over between rounds, and you can change your loadout as well.
Match #6
Opponent: Knife
Judges: Akebo
Judge’s Favored Flavor: FIRE
Theme Ingredient: Dragon
Dragon Parts: 3 Types – Heart, Steak, Shank
Match #7
Opponent: Spoon
Judges: Maradain, Rudis
Judge’s Favored Flavor: WATER, EARTH/WATER
Theme Ingredient: Armarock
Amarock Parts: 3 Typess – Heart, Liver, Steak
Match #8
Opponent: Fork
Judges: Pontida, Kamin, Thorn
Judge’s Favored Flavor: EARTH, RAINBOW, FIRE/EARTH
Theme Ingredient: Hydra
Amarock Parts: 4 Types
Chapter 5
Your character changes to Thrash at this point. Trash has his own equipment as well as match history, meaning you will be able to challenge chefs even if Mina has already dueled them in the past. You will also win rewards from the match, although it will be the same ones as before
Match #1
Opponent: Cezard, Wart, or Leonid
Judges: Hazgil
Judge’s Favored Flavor: EARTH
Theme Ingredient: Sunhat Tomato
Tomato Parts: 1 Type Only
After the first match you will have predetermined opponents, and will not have the chance for challenging.
Match #2
Opponent: Riv
Judges: Thane Paz
Judge’s Favored Flavor: FIRE
Theme Ingredient: Nochi Fruit
Tomato Parts: 1 Type Only
Match #3
Opponent: Lotta
Judges: Dorothy, Paz
Judge’s Favored Flavor: EARTH/FIRE, FIRE
Theme Ingredient: Lapizard
Tomato Parts: 3 Types – Back, Leg, Tail
Match #4
Opponent: Dio
Judges: Bea, Paz, Dorothy
Judge’s Favored Flavor: WATER/EARTH, FIRE, EARTH/FIRE
Theme Ingredient: Squickle
Tomato Parts: 2 Types – Stomach, Tentacle
Match #5
Opponent: Ardea
Judges: Kai and Lupa, Paz
Judge’s Favored Flavor: WATER/EARTH, FIRE,
Theme Ingredient: Taka Berry
Tomato Parts: 1 Types Only