Pokkén Tournament: Tips and Tricks for Beginners

Many people who get their hands on Pokkén Tournament may get a little over-excited and jump right into battle as soon as they pop the game into the console. Considering how complex the game can be, though, this might not be the best idea. Fortunately, we are here to provide you with plenty of tips and tricks you’ll need to be an absolute master at Pokkén, dominating the competition, and looking fabulous doing it.

Tutorials Are Your Friends

Most games simply have a Training mode to let you toss about enemies to your liking, letting you practice your combos and see which character works best for you. Pokkén Tournament also has this mode, but it brings much more.

As your guide Nia will suggest, the tutorial really is a good place to start. This game has too many mechanics to allow players to simply pick up the game and be an expert. Button mashing simply won’t do either. Learning from the tutorials is its own reward as you’ll begin getting more of a grasp of how to really know what you’re doing.

Use Every Customization Option Available

From your skill points to your support Pokémon to even Nia herself, you have a lot of ways to customize and refine your preferred style of play. Use all of these to your advantage. Really, the possibilities are endless. Some of the changes may seem minute, but when you’re in the heat of battle, that extra 10% of Synergy Gauge increase may be all you needed to turn the tides of battle.

Test the Waters

It may be tempting to simply stick with using one Pokémon, but try not to; you’ll eventually have 16 to choose from, each with their own unique attributes. Once you get a hang of the game’s core combat mechanics, you’ll start getting a feel for what strategies you’d like to adhere to more.

You might just go for the heavy hitter and pick Machamp but later realize you’d like to be setting up traps as Gengar instead. Whatever your style may be, there’s a Pokémon for you, so give them all a try.

It’s All About Phase Shifts

Battles can get pretty confusing at first, but you’ll eventually get the hang of what moves to pull off, depending on whether you’re in the Field Phase or the Duel Phase after a Phase Shift occurs. Landing specifics combos and moves will execute a Phase Shift, but remember that this is your key to victory, as Phase Shifts greatly increase your Synergy gauge.

You can land all the small hits you want, but Phase Shifts are what can really mean the difference between a loss and a victory.

Combo With Your Support Pokémon

As you might notice in some contenders’ Combo Dojos, Support Pokémon can cancel certain moves, allowing you to work them right into your combos. Braixen and Farfetch’d, for example, work great together, as evidenced by the combos that can be strung together that you can practice in Braixen’s Combo Dojo.

Naturally, offense isn’t the only way to go with your Pokémon, but, if that’s your style, you can find a nice spot to fit in the assist rather than just using them to simply shave off damage.

Remember the Strategy Trials

Counters beat attacks, attacks beat grabs, and grabs beat counters. Pummeling your opponents into submission is fine and all, but you won’t be able to do it quite as effectively without remembering the paper-scissors-rock sort of triangle you have your disposal.

Opponent Activated Synergy? Get Ready

Strong attacks and Pokémon Attacks are the few tactics than can interrupt a foe that has entered their Synergy state. The key here is to anticipate when you think they may have that perfect opportunity to use their Synergy Burst attack on you. You might even want to try to trap them into wasting their finisher by luring them into using it, only for you to block with precision. Of course, this is also just as risky as it is beneficial, but the results can be so worth it.

Do it for Pikachu Libre

Pikachu Libre is a luchador Pikachu that is two things: cute and really damn cute. Pikachu Libre is rooting for you. Pikachu Libre wants you to win. Pikachu Libre knows you can do it. Pikachu Libre thinks you’re really cool. Do it for Pikachu Libre.

These are just a few of the strategies you’ll learn as you become more acquainted with the ins and outs of Pokkén Tournament. The best way to get your ultimate strategy is by going all in, seeing what works best for you and seeing what really doesn’t. With as big of an arsenal as Pokkén Tournament gives you, you’ll definitely find that definitive strategy in no time, especially by following these tips. Pretty soon you, too, shall be the very best, like no one ever was. We believe in you. We know it’s your destiny.

More Pokken Tournament

• Pokkén Tournament Review
• Pokken Tournament: How to Get Mewtwo
• Pokken Tournament: How to Get More Stages
• Pokken Tournament: How to Get and Play as Shadow Mewtwo