The Best Way to Level Digimon in Digimon Story: Time Stranger

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Leveling up your Digimon can be a grind, and while the process is straightforward, it becomes a lot more complex once you start aiming for higher-tier evolutions like Ultimate or Mega+. If you want to speed things up and get your Digimon to their strongest forms quickly, here’s the best way to handle leveling in Digimon Story: Time Stranger (DSTS).

How Experience Works

Before diving into strategies, it’s important to understand how EXP is distributed in the game.

Your Digimon roster consists of Battle Members, Reserve Members, Guest Members, and Digimon stored “In Box.” Every Digimon earns experience after each fight, but the amount differs depending on their position.

  • Battle, Reserve, and Guest Members get the full amount of EXP.
  • Box Digimon only receive about 66% of the EXP earned.

For example, if you earn 1,000 EXP from a fight, active and reserve Digimon each gain the full 1,000 EXP, while Box Digimon only get 666 EXP.

This means you should place the Digimon you want to level up in the Battle and Reserve slots. Guest Members can’t be controlled since they’re tied to the story, but they still benefit from EXP.

Apart from battle rewards, you can also boost leveling through Agent Skills, Load Enhancements, and equipment.

Agent Skills Buffs (Bonds of Loyalty)

The Bonds of Loyalty tree is home to skills that increase EXP and boost overall stats. The most important ones for leveling are the Education Nodes.

These nodes grant extra EXP based on a Digimon’s evolutionary stage. For example:

  • In-Training Education – Boosts EXP for In-Training Digimon.
  • Rookie Education – Boosts EXP for Rookies.
  • Mature Education – Boosts EXP for Champions.
  • Complete Education – Boosts EXP for Ultimates.
  • Lesson in Rearing – Boosts EXP specifically for Battle and Reserve members.

By unlocking these nodes, you’ll maximize your EXP gains across all stages of evolution. Even early stages like In-Training and Rookie matter later in the game, so don’t skip them.

Load Enhancements

Load Enhancement is one of the fastest ways to boost a Digimon’s EXP. The system lets you feed Digimon to other Digimon, giving them massive EXP gains.

To maximize this method:

  1. Always convert Digimon at 200% scan rates instead of 100%. This ensures higher stats.
  2. Digivolve them as far as possible before feeding, since higher-stage Digimon give more EXP.
  3. Level up Champions and Ultimates until they can’t Digivolve due to stat restrictions.
  4. Feed (Load Enhance) any maxed-out Digimon you don’t plan to keep.

Since the storage box can hold up to 999 Digimon, you can stockpile and rotate this method effectively.

Other Methods to Boost EXP

  • Strategist’s USB Stick (Ultimate Edition bonus): Gives a massive 100% EXP boost to the Digimon equipped with it.
  • DigiFarm (In-Between Theatre): While it’s mainly used to boost stats, personality, and bonds, all Digimon in the DigiFarm also gain EXP passively as you battle.

Efficient Leveling Spots

Knowing where to grind is just as important as how you grind. EXP efficiency depends on enemy density and respawn mechanics.

  • Respawning Digimon: Enemies respawn in the same area, but not right next to your character. Switching between two connected areas resets spawns instantly.
  • Best Areas:
    • Gear Forest – High spawn density, great for farming.
    • Abyss Palace – Excellent for repeated battles and grinding.
    • Outer Dungeons (In-Between Theatre): A strong option if available later in the game.

The strategy is simple: go to the highest-level area you can clear comfortably, spam DigiAttacks, and keep cycling between areas to respawn enemies quickly.

Planning Digivolutions

Don’t forget that many Digivolutions require more than just leveling. Stat requirements often gate powerful evolutions. To prepare, place Digimon with unique Digivolution paths in the DigiFarm, where you can raise their stats while you continue leveling them through battles.

Final Thoughts

Leveling Digimon in Digimon Story: Time Stranger may seem grind-heavy, but with the right mix of Education Nodes, Load Enhancements, EXP equipment, and efficient grinding spots, you can speed through the process. Plan ahead for your desired Digivolutions, and you’ll have a powerful roster ready for any challenge the story throws your way.

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