For a large portion of gamers out there, Pokémon was their first introduction to RPGs. The simple nature of the early games, handheld nature, and iconic characters created the perfect storm for the Pokémon franchise to explode in popularity like almost no other RPG has, or ever will. The first games introduced a rock-paper-scissors style of strengths and weaknesses, with only a few other wrinkles the player needed to worry about in order to enjoy the game. Since then, each iteration has tinkered with additions to turn-based combat to greater and lesser degrees, leading to the most dramatic change yet in Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus shook up the Pokémon formula more than any mainline game before. The most obvious changes are the full and open explorable 3D environments, but the way you engage in battles in this new world has also undergone a major overhaul. If you’re familiar with other Pokémon games, there’s a lot to feel at home in, but also a lot of new mechanics to wrap your head around. We may not be Professor Oak, but we’ve put together a comprehensive combat guide for aspiring trainers starting out in the Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
See more
The basics of combat
Image used with permission of the copyright holder
The basics of even getting into battle for the first time Pokémon Legends: Arceus has been reworked for this title, so it’s worth going through all the basic mechanics first before diving into the more technical aspects.
First, starting the battle. Battles are no longer triggered randomly as you walk through tall grass, which hides your presence from Pokémon, but instead take place dynamically with Pokémon you can see on the field. If they’re low enough, you can even capture a Pokémon without actually fighting it by hitting it with a Pokéball while it’s unconscious. However, if you want to start a fight, all you have to do is drop your chosen fighter near the target and the fight will begin. Since you can decide when the battle starts, you can also launch a sneak attack by hitting the Pokémon in the back with your Pokéball to make sure you make the first move in the battle.
For the most part, the Pokémon games stuck to a fairly strict turn-based battle system where you would take turns with your opponent performing moves. This is again mostly true in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, but now your Pokémon’s stats can have a greater impact on the course of battle. On the right side of the screen you will see an action order, similar to the move order used in Final Fantasy X. Depending on your stats and style and how they compare to your opponent’s, you may be able to get multiple moves in a row before they get a chance to fight back. Pay close attention to this order to decide when you might need to heal, such as if the enemy will have multiple moves in a row or if it’s better to go all out.
When your Pokémon is on a move, you still have your traditional choice of 4 moves to choose from for their use, items, the ability to change which Pokémon you want to battle, and the option to run away from the battle. In addition to the Pokémon, you also have to manage your trainer. You can also be hit by enemy movements, and if your trainer faints, you’ll be sent back to camp.
Agile vs strong styles
Image used with permission of the copyright holder
Your Pokémon have a normal limit of 4 moves as previously mentioned, but that’s not the whole story. Each move can be somewhat different depending on what style they’re in: agile or powerful once they’ve mastered that move by leveling enough times. The stronger the move, the higher the Pokémon will need to be before mastering it. You can also instantly master a move by exchanging a Seed of Mastery item with Zisu on the Training Ground to train one Pokémon in one move per seed.
Once you’ve mastered the movement, you can perform it as usual or switch to Agile or Strong styles. To change the style you want to perform a move, highlight a specific move in battle and cycle between them with L or R buttons. It’s important to note that while the normal version of the move costs the usual 1 PP, using either the Agile or Strong style will cost 2 PP.
The agile style makes the move in question do less damage, as well as reducing the effects of any status effects the move may have. On the other hand, it increases attack speed which can potentially lead you to additional moves before your opponent.
A strong style is basically the opposite. Your damage potential increases significantly, but they are much slower and could end up hitting the enemy multiple times in a row.
Each style has use cases that you will need to consider depending on the fight and your goals. If you’re trying to catch a Pokémon, for example, you don’t want to hit it too hard and accidentally knock it out, and two moves in a row can make it easier to attack and catch. If you’re close to finishing off a strong enemy, a Strong Style attack might save you from having to move again later.
Status conditions
Status conditions are found in almost every RPG. This should make them easy to learn, but everyone often uses them differently, either calling the same thing by a different name or using the same name to describe a different condition. Pokémon Legends: Arceus there are a few you’ll want to pay attention to not only so you know what your enemy is doing, but also what to focus on when building your party. Unlike older titles, status effects in this game no longer linger after the battle is over. This means that damage-over-time statuses, like poison, won’t continue to damage your Pokémon while you’re walking around if you don’t heal them.
Status conditions in Pokémon Legends: Arceus are:
- Burned: This status reduces the Pokémon’s maximum HP by 1/8 and reduces its attack stat by half. Fire-type Pokémon cannot gain the burned status.
- Paralysis: This status reduces the Pokémon’s speed by 1/4, but also gives it a 1/4 chance of the attack not working at all. Paralysis does not affect electric types.
- Poisoned: Poisoned is the simplest status. Poisoned Pokémon will lose 1/8 of their maximum HP per turn. Both poison and steel types are immune to poison.
- Heavily Poisoned: Works like regular poison, only worse. When heavily poisoned, Pokémon lose 1/16 of their maximum HP the first turn they gain, and each subsequent turn this amount increases by another 1/16 until healed, the battle ends, or the Pokémon faints. Again, poison and steel types are immune.
- Frozen: A frozen Pokémon will not be able to act at all until it is removed by accident or by an item. Ice types cannot be frozen.
- Sleep: Sleep is similar to a frozen state where a Pokémon will not be able to perform any actions while sleeping, although it has a maximum of seven turns before it wakes up.
- Confused: This status effect makes the Pokémon have a 50% chance to attack itself rather than its opponent. Lasts a maximum of four turns, but can be removed immediately by switching Pokémon from battle.
- Infatuated: This is a very rare status as it requires the two battling Pokémon to be of different genders and one to use the Attract move. If it happens, the enamored Pokémon has a 50% chance of not performing any moves.
Special meetings
Image used with permission of the copyright holder
In addition to the regular wild Pokémon you’ll find in various regions, there are a few special types of Pokémon that present much more difficult challenges. Alpha Pokémon are much larger, more aggressive forms of Pokémon that appear randomly on the map. They have increased stats compared to their normal counterparts, and can be spotted by their large size and glowing red eyes. Unlike other special encounters, you can actually catch Alpha Pokémon and use them on your own team. Other than being harder, they are mechanically identical to any other encounter.
Noble Pokémon are boss encounters Pokémon Legends: Arceus and have their own special combat mechanics. You’ll need to dodge their attacks and hit them with forest salves to slowly lower their rage meter. Only when they are exhausted can you send Pokémon to start hitting their HP. When you manage to get their HP down to 0, slather them with more balm to really take down their fury meter. After a short time it will regain its HP and start the cycle all over again. Repeat the process until their meter is completely depleted to win.
What happens if you get knocked out
There are a lot of tough fights Pokémon Legends: Arceus, especially against the special types of Pokémon this game presents, so odds are you’ll end up getting knocked out in battle. When this happens, you’ll be transported back to camp with all your HP recovered, but you’ll drop some of your items without being able to retrieve them yourself. However, thanks to the new Lost and Found system, other players can retrieve your dropped items and return them to you, as long as you’re playing online.
There is also a special charm called the Tempting Charm that you can get from Lucile to lose fewer items when you pass out, instead of losing the charm. They are quite cheap, so it pays to save your more valuable items.
Editor’s recommendations
Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn