Pokémon Duel launched on Android and iOS this week. This in-depth beginner’s guide reveals all you need to know about the game. How do I play? Which Pokémon should I get? What are evolution and fusion? All these questions and more will be answered below!
HOW DO I PLAY POKÉMON DUEL?
The Basics: Pokémon Duel is a strategy game based on classic Pokémon battle mechanics, but it’s also quite different from the conventions established by previous games in the franchise. Duels are played on boards like this, and Pokémon are represented by figures instead of actual monsters.
The goal of each match is to use your party of six figures to reach the lit opponent entry point at the end of the board. Each figure has Move Points (MP) that dictate how many spaces it can move per turn. Tapping on the figure reveals how much MP it has.
When two opposing Pokémon cross paths on the field they’ll enter battle. The moves used and their effectiveness are determined by a random spin. Generally, the player that spins the lower number loses. Unlike the mainline games, type has no impact. Any Pokémon lost in battle are sent to the Pokémon Center. Only two can be there at once, so the longest penalized one gets revived first. After being revived, the hurt Pokémon can’t be used for one turn.
In battle, you can also use cards called Plates. They offer limited buffs that must be recharged after use. Possible advantages include the ability to switch figure positions or an attack power increase.
Battle Specifics: Want to know how your battle roulette wheel works? Just follow these rules!
- White attacks: standard and dictated purely by number
- Red attacks: A miss
- Blue attacks: Dodge an opponent’s move
- Purple attacks: These are better than your white attacks and can inflict damaging status effects
- Gold attacks: These overcome Blue and Purple attacks
Here’s a recap of how the spin scenarios play out:
- White v White: Highest number wins
- White v Gold/Gold v Gold: Highest number wins
- White v Purple: Purple wins
- White v Red/Gold v Red: White/Gold win
- Blue v White/Red/Blue: No effect
- Blue v Gold: Gold wins
- Purple v Red: Purple wins
- Purple v Gold: Gold wins
Status Conditions: I mentioned that Purple moves cause status conditions, here’s a list of them and what they do.
- Poison: Move damage -20 / Badly poisoned -40
- Confusion: The spun move changes in combat
- Paralysis: Turns one viable attack into a miss
- Sleep: Can’t move or attack. Wakes up via a plate or if you place a figure near it
- Frozen: Basically the same as Sleep
Surrounding: A key strategy to remember is that if you surround an opponent’s figure on all sides, you automatically knock that Pokémon out. Remember this when trying to take out a powerful figure.
HOW DO I GET POKÉMON AND WHICH SHOULD I GET?
Pokémon figures are earned by winning battles or opening Boosters. Like most mobile games, there are Boosters that unlock after a predetermined amount of time or number of multiplayer wins. They can also be purchased at the shop using gems too. Gems are earned via wins, losses, real money or completing daily missions. The more expensive the Booster, the better the reward. Keep opening Boosters to build a strong party.
Pokémon are classified as common, uncommon, rare or EX. EX is basically your legendary tier. Most Pokémon you get from victory will be on the lower levels.
While the draws are random, here are some Pokémon to keep an eye on in the early goings.
Sprinters: These guys can move fast, so they’re good for rushes and pushing for a quick win
- Shuppet
- Murkrow
- Squirtle
- Leafeon
- Jolteon
- Vaporeon
- Vigoroth
Battlers: Great for battle
- Weavile
- Pikachu
- Salamence
- Tyranitar
- Goodra
- Skarmory
Defense: Stick these Pokémon by your base
- Emolga
- Wobbuffet
- Meowth
- Hariyama
- Lairon
If you’re really looking for a specific monster, you can use the Material exchange feature at the shop to get it. We also have a tier list guide with some of the best choices in each category.
HOW DO I MAKE A GOOD STARTER DECK?
You’ll want to create a team of six with about two representatives from each of the categories listed above. Tap “Decks” at the main menu and tap “Edit Figures.” Simply select the inventory one you want to add to your deck and tap the figure you’d like to be replaced. You start with slots for three different decks.
At the start, using your Pikachu to push and your retro starters as defense is a pretty solid tactic.
GAMEPLAY TIPS TO HELP YOU WIN
- Before each battle, you’ll see your opponent’s deck. Use that to judge how you’re matched up. You get coins from battles that can be used to perform a Deck Check. Coins don’t have too many uses, so try that out if you want.
- If you’re just starting out, watching the AI play isn’t a bad idea. Use your AI partner in battle and play against AI opponents in the offline Quests mode.
- There’s also a training area in the main menu to let you test out decks.
- As you get better, you’ll want to consider lane-based strategies. Surround your sprinters with battle and defensive pairs to make sure you can handle whatever your opponent throws at you.
- Never leave your home base open. Keep a couple of defensive figures near your goal while the others push forward.
- Don’t forget that surrounding is a thing. Surround you opponent’s figures for instant kills.
- Don’t forget about plates either. A well-timed switched placement or attack buff can turn the tide of a duel in a single turn.
- Check your messages in the menu to claim gems for upgrades.
- Plan moves around daily missions to maximize profit.
- Sometimes it is just luck, so risky behavior is occasionally rewarded.
HOW DO I EVOLVE POKEMON?
In Pokémon Duel evolutions are nice but not a necessity. To evolve, you must have the monster’s base figure plus its evolution. The game uses Rattata and Raticate as an example. Go to the Decks screen, and you’ll notice that some of your roster in “Edit figure” has triangles below their stats. Tap that button to see if an evolution is available.
In play, evolutions are pretty unique. You have the choice of playing the evolved form right away or starting with the base one and evolving it mid-battle. Doing so offers a +10 damage boost and extra star to status attacks. While more powerful, however, evolved forms are often slower.
WHAT IS FUSION?
In Pokémon Duel, Fusion is a way to quickly level up your figures using Materials that you find in Boosters. You can also fuse two Pokémon as well, but you’ll lose any figures used to create the buff. If you have lots of duplicates, Fusion is a good way to turn them in. You’ll get EXP that lets you increase the size of powerful attacks on your spinner.
It has its own section in the main menu.
Pokémon Duel is available now on Android and iOS.
What do you think of the tips in this guide? Which figures are in your Pokémon Duel party? Tell us in the comments section!
