Pokémon: 'New Challengers Approach!'

Tactical details on the new Pokémon brought to this Deluxe version.

☆ NintendObs Weekly – Monday, September 25, 2017 – Sunday, October 1, 2017.

Pokkén Tournament DX

New Challengers Approach!

Take a closer look at the new Battle Pokémon appearing in Pokkén Tournament DX for Nintendo Switch.

September 25, 2017

With the new release of Pokkén Tournament DX for Nintendo Switch, Trainers are finally able to fight with five new Pokémon that are making their home-console debut. Darkrai, Scizor, Empoleon, and Croagunk have joined the battle after previously appearing only in the arcade version of the game. Decidueye has never before been in a Pokkén game and is making its first appearance on Nintendo Switch.

Over the next few days, we’ll look at each of these new Battle Pokémon and how they stack up against the competition.

Decidueye

Decidueye is the one Battle Pokémon in Pokkén Tournament DX that didn’t appear in the original Wii U game or the arcade version, and wow, does it ever make a grand entrance here. It is a Standard Pokémon with an impressive 570 HP, but what really makes it stand apart from the crowd is its speed and strength. This tough customer has rapid-fire projectiles, the use of which also causes it to inch forward. Once it gets in just close enough, it can begin pummeling the other Pokémon with its long reach.

Adding to Decidueye’s amazing arsenal is its ability to briefly hover when blocking while it is airborne, and a simple combo move that ends in a shield-destroying throw move (which is separate from its standard throw). So how do you stop Decidueye? You should try to keep it at a distance and whittle down its health with projectiles. And hope. Never give up on hope.

Suggested Support Pokémon: Pachirisu & Magikarp

Let’s face it, if you’re playing as Decidueye, you’ll probably be so busy thrashing your opponent that you’ll forget that you even have Support Pokémon. So why not just pick Magikarp and let that poor little Pokémon feel useful?

Empoleon

With a whopping 630 HP, Empoleon is a very sturdy Standard Pokémon. It can take a ton of hits and still keep going. It needs this advantage, however, to make up for the fact that it’s incredibly slow. Most other Battle Pokémon will be able to run circles around Empoleon. And forget about attempting to walk around the arena while in Field Phase—it’s simply too plodding to move around effectively.

Luckily, Empoleon has a couple moves that allow it to travel around the arena more quickly, putting it within close range of its opponent. This is something you’ll want to do right away. Remaining at a distance can essentially turn Empoleon into a projectile target. Once Empoleon has closed the gap, it’s time to start unleashing its powerful combo attacks. Of special note is its Burst Attack, which will knock off a huge amount of your opponent’s health. Empoleon is definitely not a Battle Pokémon for beginners, but expert players may appreciate its raw power.

Suggested Support Pokémon: Emolga & Fennekin

Emolga’s Shock Wave attack will damage your opponent, sure, but it also lowers your opponent’s speed. Use this opportunity to move in close to them, putting your Pokémon at an advantage.

Croagunk

If you’re looking to confuse and frustrate your opponent, Croagunk is the perfect Battle Pokémon to choose. With its humorous animations and moves, it can be seen as more of a novelty character than a serious contender—but you can do a fair amount of damage with this Pokémon. Croagunk is a Speed character with 540 HP. Due to its humorous antics, some of its moves end with it falling to the ground or looking out into the crowd for approval, briefly leaving it open to attack. You’ll need to use its speed to maneuver your way into attack range and back out before your opponent can retaliate.

Many of Croagunk’s attacks are projectile based, and it has a wide variety of things it can throw at its foes. It has energy bursts like you might expect, but you’ll also see bombs, rocks, and even tornadoes. There is a bit of a random element to the types of projectiles that it launches as well. Sometimes it will throw a small rock, but occasionally it will heave a massive rolling boulder. Both you and your opponent will need to be on your toes to adapt to these ever-changing attacks. Croagunk also has the ability to knock its opponent high into the air to set them up for a powerful combo. Just be careful when using its notably amusing Burst Attack. It has a very limited range, which requires Croagunk to be right in front of its opponent when it’s initiated.

Suggested Support Pokémon: Croagunk & Sylveon

Since many people will choose Croagunk to confound their opponents, why not go all the way and choose another Croagunk as your Support Pokémon? Its Toxic attack will damage your opponent and lower their defense.

Scizor

Scizor is a power character, and it has a lot of strong moves that help it live up to that distinction. It also starts with 600 HP, giving it a fair bit of health for opponents to whittle away before it’s defeated. Scizor has relatively limited range, so you’ll want to get in close to your opponent before pulling off any attacks. Alternatively, you can keep your distance and poke away at your opponent with Scizor’s powerful projectiles. These ranged attacks have an odd, curved trajectory to them that make them difficult for opponents to avoid, especially those who are used to traditional fighting-game fireballs that tend to travel in a straight line.

When fighting against it, don’t think about trying to take down Scizor from above—it has several solid anti-air moves that prevent opponents from getting the drop on it. It’s also quite skilled at juggling opponents with its combo moves, which are capable of dishing out a lot of damage in one go. Its Burst Attack is also very damaging and capable of inflicting many hits on any Pokémon unlucky enough to be in its way when the move is initiated.

Suggested Support Pokémon: Rotom & Togekiss

Rotom’s Thunder Shock goes after airborne opponents, perfectly complementing Scizor’s anti-air skills. It also slows down your opponent, setting it up for a juggle move or a Burst Attack.

Darkrai

The Mythical Pokémon Darkrai is certainly known for being a powerful Pokémon, but how does it rise to the top in the world of Pokkén Tournament DX? First off, by avoiding taking too many hits as it starts out with only 500 hit points, so it’s not able to take as much damage as some of the other Pokémon it will be up against. To make up for this vulnerability, this technical fighter has a host of powerful move combos that inflict a lot of damage—if you’re able to master them. Darkrai doesn’t move very fast, but it’s able to attack quickly. This is especially apparent during a match’s Field Phase, when the combatants move freely around the arena. Here you can take advantage of Darkrai’s variety of ranged attacks to keep an opponent at bay. And with Darkrai’s relatively low HP, preventing heavy up-close hits is exactly what you want to do.

When facing off against Darkrai, you’ll want to get in close to it to keep it from using those ranged moves. A fast character is especially effective in closing the gap and doing some damage before Darkrai can react. Just be extra wary of its Burst Attack: it has an enormous range and does quite a bit of damage. Of course, this will work in your favor if you’re playing as Darkrai. Just make sure your opponent isn’t blocking when you initiate the Burst Attack.

Suggested Support Pokémon: Espeon and Umbreon

Espeon’s Morning Sun can prove exceptionally helpful to allow Darkrai to recover some of its precious HP. Using this skill at the proper time can help turn the tide in Darkrai’s favor.

— Pokémon News
Source: Pokémon.