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Hello!
Recently I have been hooked on Pixelmon Reforged, an amazing mod that has been a pleasure to play with friends. However, not everyone is up to date or experienced with the Pokémon games. As such, the battle system can be a bit confusing or even frustrating. This guide covers the basics of how battle and Pokémon work in Pixelmon, and also contains a brief guide on how to build a team.
Moves used by Pokémon have one type. Attacks vary in effectiveness according to the target’s typing. For example, water-type attacks are super effective against fire-type Pokémon.
Type advantages
A super effective move does 2 times the normal damage to the target, while a not very effective move does ½ of the normal damage. Some types even have immunities to other types. An example is ground types, which are unable to be damaged by electric attacks.
The table below shows type advantages for singular types:
Source: insider.com
Dual typing
Type advantages stack. If you use a fire type move against a Pokémon with a dual grass-water typing, the effectiveness would negate each other, and the move would do normal damage. But if you were to use a fire attack against a grass-steel Pokémon, with both types being weak to fire, the effectiveness will stack, and the attack will do four times the normal damage.
- Attack is resisted by one type: 0,25x multiplier
- Attack is resisted by one type: 0,5x multiplier
- Attack super effective against one type: 2x multiplier
- Attack super effective against both types: 4x multiplier
In the summaries tab of your Pokémon, you can see the stats of it. These values are a combination of:
In the following sections, I will be going through these factors, although some of them are slightly more technical and not essential.
Nature
Every Pokémon has a nature. A nature will increase one stat by 10 % while decreasing another by 10 %, unless it is one of the four natures that do not change anything. You cannot change a Pokémon’s nature.
In the stats tab of your Pokémon, you might observe one stat being green and another being red. This showcases the effect of the nature, with the green stat having a boost and the red a reduction.
Individual Values (IVs)
IVs are a Pokémon’s unique genetic makeup and cannot be changed. Each stat has an IV value between 0-31. The higher the IV the bigger value of the stat.
IVs of wild Pokémon can be revealed by using the field move Analyze, which all Pokémon with Foresight or Mind Reader can do.
Stat comparison of a level 100 Eevee with IVs of respectively 0 and 31 in every stat.
Source: Pokémon Showdown’s teambuilder
Effort Values (EVs)
Evs are stat boosts that can be trained and also removed again. Every time your Pokémon defeats an opponent in battle, it gains some effort points. The amount and in which stat is determined by the type of pokémon that was defeated.
The total amount of EVs a Pokémon can gain is 508, and the maximum amount that can be distributed in one stat is 252. This means you can max out your investment in two stats and have a third stat with 4 EVs invested into. Certain vitamins and berries can lower the EVs in specific stats, while others raise them. Power items, when held by a Pokémon, doubles the EV gains in one specific stat.
Stat comparison of a level 100 Eevee with fully invested EVs and 0 Evs.
Source: Pokémon Showdown’s teambuilder
A Pokémon can know up to 4 moves at a time. Moves can either be damage-inducing or status moves to provide special effects. In the moves section of your Pokémon, you can see the move description as well as whether it is a physical or special move.
Movepool
All the moves a Pokémon can learn is referred to as its movepool. A movepool includes:
Moves that share the same type as the Pokémon using it gets a 1.5x power boost in battle. This bonus is called Same Type Attack Bonus, or STAB for short.
Stat Modifying Moves
A large number of moves has the effect (or side-effect) of lowering/raising one or more of the user/opponent’s stats. These stat changes are temporary, and the affected Pokémon’s stats will return to normal when switching out or ending the battle.
The stat modifications come in ‘stages’, where 6 is the maximum stage a stat can be altered to (and -6 the lowest).
When a move alters a stat by one stage, the message will say:
<Pokémon>'s <stat> rose/fell!
Whereas if it is altered by two stages, the message is:
<Pokémon>'s <stat> rose/fell sharply!
If the stat modification is already at max (stage 6) the message will be:
<Pokémon>'s <stat> won't go any lower/higher!
Status Conditions
Some moves (and abilities) can induce status effects.
OHKO Moves
A few exclusive moves are guaranteed to knock out the opponent in one hit if it lands. As a catch, these moves have terrible accuracy. The four moves in question are Fissure, Guillotine, Horn Drill, and Sheer Cold.
Recoil
Some moves, like double-edge and brave bird, cause the user recoil damage. The amount of damage is relative to the damage dealt to the opponent.
Some examples of what abilities can do are:
If a Pokémon has 2 non-hidden abilities, its ability can be changed to the other option with an ability capsule. You cannot use the ability capsule to gain a hidden ability.
Hidden Ability
Most Pokémon species has a rare ability variant called hidden ability. Under normal circumstances, a wild Pokémon has a 1/150 chance to have its hidden ability in Pixelmon.
Here is an example of Eevee’s ability pool:
Priority
All moves have hidden priority values, ranging from -7 to +5. The vast majority of moves have a priority of zero, and the move description will usually mention if the move has a different priority. In battle, the move with the highest priority will be performed first. If both Pokémon uses a move with the same priority, the one with the highest speed stat will move first.
Switching will by default happen as the first thing during the turn. However, some moves like Pursuit is used before the opponent switches out.
In addition to their primary effect, the weather condition also plays a role in many abilities and moves. Examples are the ability Sand Rush which boosts speed in sandstorms, and the grass move Solar Beam that does not require one turn to charge when the weather is sunny.
Entry Hazards
Entry Hazards provide effects on switch-ins and can be summoned by the four moves:
The moves Rapid Spin and Defog can remove entry hazards.
Only one Pokémon per trainer can mega evolve during battle. In order to enable mega evolution, the trainer must have a Key Stone equipped, and the Pokémon must hold a Mega Stone matching its species. In terms of priority, mega evolution is a free action that the Pokémon can make during a turn in addition to using a move. The transformation will last for the rest of the battle, even if switching out.
A player can only unleash one Z-move during a battle. They work by powering up one move the Pokémon already knows, and as such derive their category (physical/special) and base power from the original move. The Z-move will not inherit any priority or special effects the original move had though.
In this section, I will be going over some tips on how to battle as well as ideas on how to get started with building a good team.
Resources I recommend:
When you are in a battle, think ahead! Try predicting what your opponent is going to do the next turn, and act accordingly. Say your opponent has poison-type out that will likely use a super effective poison attack against your grass-type. Switching into your poison-immune steel-type might be a good move. But what if your opponent predicts this switch, and is preparing a fighting-type move instead of poison? Try to be one step ahead of your opponent.
Lastly, remember to have fun. After all, Pixelmon is a game we play because we enjoy it. No one says you have to be the very best and battle perfectly - play just the way you find the most enjoyable!
Offensive
Team of Pokémon with strong attacks and speed stats, aiming to play aggressively and bringing down the opposing team as fast as possible.
Set-up sweep
Team that relies on setting up a strong offensive Pokémon with stat boots that allows it to sweep the opposing team.
Defensive
Team of bulky Pokémon that provides a slower and more careful gameplay.
Stall
Team of very bulky Pokémon that slowly tears down the opposing team with recovery, entry hazards, and passive damage such as poison and burn.
Balanced
A flexible team with both offensive and defensive Pokémon. While not being specialized in anything, a balanced team allows more freedom to counter the opposing team.
Gimmick
Team that relies on a specific mechanic, such as weather teams, trick room teams, and baton pass teams.
Of course, no team ever fits into one specific category and will usually be a combination of several playstyles. Try mix match different strategies with your team to see what you like the most!
Getting an idea of the strengths, weaknesses, and play styles of each Pokémon is a great start. Again I will recommend Smogon's Strategy Pokédex, which contains a small usage guide for most Pokémon. But be aware - these guides are written for the use in a very competitive setting, in clearly established metas and tiers. As such they do not apply to the regular gameplay you will find in Pixelmon. Yet they do provide a decent idea of a Pokémon’s strengths and how to use it in battle. But do take it with a grain of salt.
Two things to remember to keep in mind when choosing your party members:
Type coverage
Make sure that your team has varied weaknesses. If, say, 4 out of 6 of the Pokémon on your team are weak to ice, your team can face serious trouble. Also include different move types so that you have a wide array of attacks to hit your opponents with.
Special/physical attackers
Most Pokémon have either a dominant attack stat or special attack stat. If your team only has one type of attackers, it may face trouble with opponents bulky in one type of defense. As such it is a good idea to make sure to make your types of attackers varied.
The ability pool is much smaller to choose from than the move pool. Read the description of each ability and decide what fits the role of the Pokémon the most. However, keep in mind that hidden abilities can be very grindy to obtain in Pixelmon.
As for items, there is a lot to choose from. Here are some of the most commonly used items:
Making Your Team a Reality
So you have decided on the Pokémon you want on your team. But how do you actually manage to obtain them in Pixelmon with the stats and moves you desire?
IV-scouting
The easiest way to get decent Pokémon in Pixelmon is to scout for them in the wild with the external move Analyze, which all Pokémon with Foresight and Mind Reader can use. Some examples of Pokémon that learn foresight at low levels are Skitty, Machop, Hoothoot, Sableye, Furret and Tyrogue.
When using Analyze on a wild Pokémon, its gender, nature, and IVs are revealed. Use this to find and capture one with a desired nature and good IVs in relevant stats. To increase the chance of a favourable nature, make use of the ability Synchronize. If the lead Pokémon in your party has Synchronize, wild Pokémon have a 50 % chance of having the same nature as your Synchronize Pokémon. Some common Pokémon with this ability are Abra, Natu, and Elgyem.
If you are hunting for Pokémon with Hidden Ability, make sure to craft a Hidden Ability Lure.
Breeding
Breeding is an option when you want your Pokémon to have perfect IVs and/or Egg Moves. Before you start mass breeding, make sure that you are caught up on how breeding works in Pixelmon.
To make the offspring inherit IVs, equip one of the parents with a Destiny Knot. This item makes the parents pass down 5 random IVs to the offspring instead of 3. You can also equip the parents with one of the power items to pass down a specific stat.
For inheriting natures, equip the parent with the desired nature with an Everstone.
Egg Moves are moves Pokémon can only learn through breeding. If you look up your Pokémon's movepool, it should say whether a move is obtained through leveling, TMs, or is an Egg Move. If either parent knows a move that is an Egg Move for the offspring's species, the offspring will be born knowing that move.
EV-training
Once your Pokémon is bred, the only thing left to do is EV-training and leveling. Usually, you would max out the IVs in two stats (typically speed and attack/special attack) and invest the remaining 4 EVs in a third. Equip your Pokémon with the corresponding power item for the stat you wish to enhance, and head out to defeat Pokémon that give EV points in that same stat (a list of EV yields in Pixelmon can be found here).
Also, remember that you can use vitamins and certain berries to lower/raise EVs without batteling.
Recently I have been hooked on Pixelmon Reforged, an amazing mod that has been a pleasure to play with friends. However, not everyone is up to date or experienced with the Pokémon games. As such, the battle system can be a bit confusing or even frustrating. This guide covers the basics of how battle and Pokémon work in Pixelmon, and also contains a brief guide on how to build a team.
Qualities Independent for each Pokémon
Typings
Every Pokémon has either one or two types. A total of 18 different types exist, which gives 171 unique type combinations, referred to as typings.Moves used by Pokémon have one type. Attacks vary in effectiveness according to the target’s typing. For example, water-type attacks are super effective against fire-type Pokémon.
Type advantages
A super effective move does 2 times the normal damage to the target, while a not very effective move does ½ of the normal damage. Some types even have immunities to other types. An example is ground types, which are unable to be damaged by electric attacks.
The table below shows type advantages for singular types:
Source: insider.com
Dual typing
Type advantages stack. If you use a fire type move against a Pokémon with a dual grass-water typing, the effectiveness would negate each other, and the move would do normal damage. But if you were to use a fire attack against a grass-steel Pokémon, with both types being weak to fire, the effectiveness will stack, and the attack will do four times the normal damage.
- Attack is resisted by one type: 0,25x multiplier
- Attack is resisted by one type: 0,5x multiplier
- Attack super effective against one type: 2x multiplier
- Attack super effective against both types: 4x multiplier
Stats
All Pokémon have specific values distributed in the following stats: hit points (HP), attack, defense, special attack, special defense, and speed.HP is how many hit points a Pokémon has. When HP reaches zero, it faints. Attack is used to calculate physical damage. Physical moves often are often moves that do direct damage, like Bite and Tackle. Defense is the ability to resist physical moves. Special attack is used to calculate special damage and is often moves done from afar such as Flamethrower and Psychic. Special defense is the ability to resist special attacks. Speed is used to determine the turn order. The Pokémon with the highest speed stat will (under normal circumstances) move first. Speed does not affect evasiveness. |
In the summaries tab of your Pokémon, you can see the stats of it. These values are a combination of:
- The base stats of the specific Pokémon species
- The level of the Pokémon
- The nature of the Pokémon
- The Pokémon’s Individual Values (IVs)
- The Pokémon’s Effort Values (Evs)
In the following sections, I will be going through these factors, although some of them are slightly more technical and not essential.
Nature
Every Pokémon has a nature. A nature will increase one stat by 10 % while decreasing another by 10 %, unless it is one of the four natures that do not change anything. You cannot change a Pokémon’s nature.
Nature | Stat increased | Stat decreased |
Hardy | - | - |
Lonely | Attack | Defense |
Brave | Attack | Speed |
Adamant | Attack | Sp. attack |
Naughty | Attack | Sp. Defense |
Bold | Defense | Attack |
Docile | - | - |
Relaxed | Defense | Speed |
Impish | Defense | Sp. attack |
Lax | Defense | Sp. Defense |
Timid | Speed | Attack |
Hasty | Speed | Defense |
Serious | - | - |
Jolly | Speed | Sp. attack |
Naïve | Speed | Sp. Defense |
Modest | Sp. attack | Attack |
Mild | Sp. attack | Defense |
Quiet | Sp. attack | Speed |
Bashful | - | - |
Rash | Sp. attack | Sp. Defense |
Calm | Sp. Defense | Attack |
Gentle | Sp. Defense | Defense |
Sassy | Sp. Defense | Speed |
Careful | Sp. Defense | Sp. attack |
Quirky | - | - |
In the stats tab of your Pokémon, you might observe one stat being green and another being red. This showcases the effect of the nature, with the green stat having a boost and the red a reduction.
Individual Values (IVs)
IVs are a Pokémon’s unique genetic makeup and cannot be changed. Each stat has an IV value between 0-31. The higher the IV the bigger value of the stat.
IVs of wild Pokémon can be revealed by using the field move Analyze, which all Pokémon with Foresight or Mind Reader can do.
Stat comparison of a level 100 Eevee with IVs of respectively 0 and 31 in every stat.
Source: Pokémon Showdown’s teambuilder
Effort Values (EVs)
Evs are stat boosts that can be trained and also removed again. Every time your Pokémon defeats an opponent in battle, it gains some effort points. The amount and in which stat is determined by the type of pokémon that was defeated.
The total amount of EVs a Pokémon can gain is 508, and the maximum amount that can be distributed in one stat is 252. This means you can max out your investment in two stats and have a third stat with 4 EVs invested into. Certain vitamins and berries can lower the EVs in specific stats, while others raise them. Power items, when held by a Pokémon, doubles the EV gains in one specific stat.
Stat comparison of a level 100 Eevee with fully invested EVs and 0 Evs.
Source: Pokémon Showdown’s teambuilder
Moves
A Pokémon can know up to 4 moves at a time. Moves can either be damage-inducing or status moves to provide special effects. In the moves section of your Pokémon, you can see the move description as well as whether it is a physical or special move.Type: the type of the move. Affects type effectiveness. Base power: how much damage the move does. Accuracy: the chance of the move hitting the target (most moves have a 100% accuracy by default). Power points (PPs): the number of times you can use that move during battle. When PP runs out, the move can’t be used until the battle ends and you heal your Pokémon. |
Movepool
All the moves a Pokémon can learn is referred to as its movepool. A movepool includes:
- Moves learned from leveling up or known from the start
- Moves learned when evolving
- Moves learned from TMs or move tutors
- Egg moves (only obtained by breeding)
Moves that share the same type as the Pokémon using it gets a 1.5x power boost in battle. This bonus is called Same Type Attack Bonus, or STAB for short.
Stat Modifying Moves
A large number of moves has the effect (or side-effect) of lowering/raising one or more of the user/opponent’s stats. These stat changes are temporary, and the affected Pokémon’s stats will return to normal when switching out or ending the battle.
The stat modifications come in ‘stages’, where 6 is the maximum stage a stat can be altered to (and -6 the lowest).
When a move alters a stat by one stage, the message will say:
<Pokémon>'s <stat> rose/fell!
Whereas if it is altered by two stages, the message is:
<Pokémon>'s <stat> rose/fell sharply!
If the stat modification is already at max (stage 6) the message will be:
<Pokémon>'s <stat> won't go any lower/higher!
Status Conditions
Some moves (and abilities) can induce status effects.
Burn | Inflicts damage equal to 1/8 of the max HP each turn and halves the damage of the Pokémon’s physical attacks. |
Freeze | The Pokémon is unable to use any moves. Every turn, it has a 20 % chance of thawing out. Fire-type moves used on the Pokémon will also thaw it out. |
Paralysis | The Pokémon has a 25 % chance of being unable to use a move and its speed stat is also halved by 50 %. |
Poison | Inflicts damage equal to 1/8 of the max HP each turn. |
Sleep | The Pokémon is unable to use any moves. This lasts from 1 to 3 turns. |
Confusion | The Pokémon has a 50 % chance of hitting itself instead of using a move normally. |
Infatuation | The Pokémon will be immobilized by love 50 % of the time when trying to attack the opponent. |
OHKO Moves
A few exclusive moves are guaranteed to knock out the opponent in one hit if it lands. As a catch, these moves have terrible accuracy. The four moves in question are Fissure, Guillotine, Horn Drill, and Sheer Cold.
Recoil
Some moves, like double-edge and brave bird, cause the user recoil damage. The amount of damage is relative to the damage dealt to the opponent.
Abilities
Every Pokémon has an ability that provides effects in (and sometimes outside) battle. What ability a Pokémon has depends on the species. Each species has an ability pool of 1-2 normal occurring abilities and (in most cases) one hidden ability.Some examples of what abilities can do are:
- Grant immunity to certain types of moves
- Boost the power of certain types of moves
- Grant boosts under certain weather or status effects
- Trigger effects such as stat changes upon switch in
- Summon or eliminate weather effects
- Provide useful effects outside battle
If a Pokémon has 2 non-hidden abilities, its ability can be changed to the other option with an ability capsule. You cannot use the ability capsule to gain a hidden ability.
Hidden Ability
Most Pokémon species has a rare ability variant called hidden ability. Under normal circumstances, a wild Pokémon has a 1/150 chance to have its hidden ability in Pixelmon.
Here is an example of Eevee’s ability pool:
 | Run away | Guarantees a getaway from wild Pokémon. |
Adaptability | Increases STAB of the Pokémon with this Ability from 1.5× to 2× | |
Anticipation (hidden ability) | When switching in, is alerted if any opposing Pokémon has a super effective attack or an OHKO move |
Battle Mechanics
Turn Order
By default, the Pokémon with the highest speed stat will move first. However, many moves and abilities can circumvent this. An example is the move quick attack, which is a priority move that will always go first (unless the opponent also uses a priority move).Priority
All moves have hidden priority values, ranging from -7 to +5. The vast majority of moves have a priority of zero, and the move description will usually mention if the move has a different priority. In battle, the move with the highest priority will be performed first. If both Pokémon uses a move with the same priority, the one with the highest speed stat will move first.
Switching
Every turn you have the option to switch out your active Pokémon for another party member unless it is affected by moves or abilities prevents switching such as Mean Lock or Shadow Tag. A switch costs your entire turn, meaning you will not be able to use any moves or mega evolve that turn.Switching will by default happen as the first thing during the turn. However, some moves like Pursuit is used before the opponent switches out.
Items
In battle, a Pokémon can hold an item. Many items provide various effects during a battle, such as healing (Sitrus Berries, Leftovers), stat raising (choice items, Assault Vest), and enabling the use of mega evolution or z-moves.Weather Conditions
Weather can be summoned using a move or ability. The Minecraft weather has no connection with the weather condition in battle - if it is raining in the world battles will still be without a weather condition unless a move or ability is used.Rain | Increases the power of water type moves by 50 % and decreases the power of fire type moves by 50 %. |
Sunny | Increases the power of fire type moves by 50 % and decreases the power of water type moves by 50 %. |
Sandstorm | At the end of each turn, Pokémon will take damage equal to 1/16 of their maximum HP, except rock, steel, and ground types. |
Hail | At the end of each turn, Pokémon will take damage equal to 1/16 of their maximum HP, except ice types. |
In addition to their primary effect, the weather condition also plays a role in many abilities and moves. Examples are the ability Sand Rush which boosts speed in sandstorms, and the grass move Solar Beam that does not require one turn to charge when the weather is sunny.
Entry Hazards
Entry Hazards provide effects on switch-ins and can be summoned by the four moves:
Spikes | Upon switching in, opposing Pokémon take damage equal to 1/16 of their maximum HP, unless it is a flying-type or has the ability Levitate. Can be stacked up to three times. |
Toxic Spikes | Upon switching in, opposing Pokémon get poisoned unless it is a flying-type or has the ability Levitate. If used twice, opposing Pokémon get badly poisoned. |
Stealth Rock | Upon switching in, opposing Pokémon take damage based on their resistance to rock-type moves. If rock is neutrally resisted, it does damage equal to 1/8 of the max HP. |
Sticky Web | Upon switching in, opposing pokémon get their speed stat lowered by one stage, unless it is a flying-type or has the ability Levitate. |
The moves Rapid Spin and Defog can remove entry hazards.
Mega Evolution
Mega Evolution is a temporary transformation that some Pokémon can undergo during battle. The mega evolved Pokémon is a superior version with increased stats, different ability, and sometimes different typing.Only one Pokémon per trainer can mega evolve during battle. In order to enable mega evolution, the trainer must have a Key Stone equipped, and the Pokémon must hold a Mega Stone matching its species. In terms of priority, mega evolution is a free action that the Pokémon can make during a turn in addition to using a move. The transformation will last for the rest of the battle, even if switching out.
Z-moves
Z-moves are powerful one-time-use moves that require the Pokémon to hold a Z-crystal of the desired type in order to use it. 18 crystals exist corresponding to the 18 types, as well as some special crystals limited to specific Pokémon.A player can only unleash one Z-move during a battle. They work by powering up one move the Pokémon already knows, and as such derive their category (physical/special) and base power from the original move. The Z-move will not inherit any priority or special effects the original move had though.
Small Competitive Guide
In this section, I will be going over some tips on how to battle as well as ideas on how to get started with building a good team.
Resources I recommend:
- https://pixelmonmod.com/wiki/ the official Pixelmon wiki, for finding Pixelmon-specific info
- https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/ a great Pokémon wiki with information that the Pixelmon wiki may be lacking (keep in mind Pixelmon may differ from the actual games)
- https://www.smogon.com/dex/sm/pokemon/ a competitive Pokédex which is very handy for looking up typings and move/ability/item descriptions fast
General Tips
Type advantages are very important. But memorizing them all is not easy. Have resources at your hand to quickly look up type advantages - I recommend a type table like the one at the beginning of this guide. You also want a tool to easily look up Pokémon typings, moves, abilities, and items. I recommend Smogon's Strategy Pokédex, but many different dexes exist online.When you are in a battle, think ahead! Try predicting what your opponent is going to do the next turn, and act accordingly. Say your opponent has poison-type out that will likely use a super effective poison attack against your grass-type. Switching into your poison-immune steel-type might be a good move. But what if your opponent predicts this switch, and is preparing a fighting-type move instead of poison? Try to be one step ahead of your opponent.
Lastly, remember to have fun. After all, Pixelmon is a game we play because we enjoy it. No one says you have to be the very best and battle perfectly - play just the way you find the most enjoyable!
Teambuilding
If you want to build a good team there is a lot to consider. What type of team do you want? Offensive, defensive, or both? What Pokémon do you want on it? And how will you ensure coverage? There are many ways to play Pokémon. Here are some examples of common team styles:Offensive
Team of Pokémon with strong attacks and speed stats, aiming to play aggressively and bringing down the opposing team as fast as possible.
Set-up sweep
Team that relies on setting up a strong offensive Pokémon with stat boots that allows it to sweep the opposing team.
Defensive
Team of bulky Pokémon that provides a slower and more careful gameplay.
Stall
Team of very bulky Pokémon that slowly tears down the opposing team with recovery, entry hazards, and passive damage such as poison and burn.
Balanced
A flexible team with both offensive and defensive Pokémon. While not being specialized in anything, a balanced team allows more freedom to counter the opposing team.
Gimmick
Team that relies on a specific mechanic, such as weather teams, trick room teams, and baton pass teams.
Of course, no team ever fits into one specific category and will usually be a combination of several playstyles. Try mix match different strategies with your team to see what you like the most!
Choosing a Party
Obviously, some Pokémon are by definition stronger than others. You could build a team of only the strongest of the strongest if you desire. But do not be afraid to use the Pokémon you love the most on your team. If you plan your team carefully enough, most Pokémon can be great in battle.Getting an idea of the strengths, weaknesses, and play styles of each Pokémon is a great start. Again I will recommend Smogon's Strategy Pokédex, which contains a small usage guide for most Pokémon. But be aware - these guides are written for the use in a very competitive setting, in clearly established metas and tiers. As such they do not apply to the regular gameplay you will find in Pixelmon. Yet they do provide a decent idea of a Pokémon’s strengths and how to use it in battle. But do take it with a grain of salt.
Two things to remember to keep in mind when choosing your party members:
Type coverage
Make sure that your team has varied weaknesses. If, say, 4 out of 6 of the Pokémon on your team are weak to ice, your team can face serious trouble. Also include different move types so that you have a wide array of attacks to hit your opponents with.
Special/physical attackers
Most Pokémon have either a dominant attack stat or special attack stat. If your team only has one type of attackers, it may face trouble with opponents bulky in one type of defense. As such it is a good idea to make sure to make your types of attackers varied.
Moves, Ability, and Item
Choose moves that fit the role of what you want your Pokémon to do. If you want a bulky staller, teach it HP restoring moves such as rest and status-inflicting moves such as toxic. If you want a strong offensive force, teach it strong damage-inducing moves and maybe a stat-increasing move such as Swords Dance. Look through the Pokémon’s movepool and consider what you want to use.The ability pool is much smaller to choose from than the move pool. Read the description of each ability and decide what fits the role of the Pokémon the most. However, keep in mind that hidden abilities can be very grindy to obtain in Pixelmon.
As for items, there is a lot to choose from. Here are some of the most commonly used items:
Sitrus Berry | Holder restores 1/4 max HP when at 1/2 max HP or less. |
Lum Berry | Holder cures itself if it gets a status condition or becomes confused. |
Leftovers | At the end of every turn, the holder restores 1/16 of its max HP. |
Choice Band | Holder's Attack is 1.5x, but it can only select the first move it executes. |
Choice Specs | Holder's Special Attack is 1.5x, but it can only select the first move it executes. |
Choice Scarf | Holder's Speed is 1.5x, but it can only select the first move it executes. |
Life Orb | Holder's attacks do 1.3x damage, but it loses 1/10 its max HP after each attack. |
Focus Sash | If the holder has a full HP, it will survive an attack that would otherwise knock it out in one hit with 1 HP left. |
Z-crystal | Allows the holder to use a Z-move. |
Mega Stone | Allows the holder to mega evolve. |
Making Your Team a Reality
So you have decided on the Pokémon you want on your team. But how do you actually manage to obtain them in Pixelmon with the stats and moves you desire?IV-scouting
The easiest way to get decent Pokémon in Pixelmon is to scout for them in the wild with the external move Analyze, which all Pokémon with Foresight and Mind Reader can use. Some examples of Pokémon that learn foresight at low levels are Skitty, Machop, Hoothoot, Sableye, Furret and Tyrogue.
When using Analyze on a wild Pokémon, its gender, nature, and IVs are revealed. Use this to find and capture one with a desired nature and good IVs in relevant stats. To increase the chance of a favourable nature, make use of the ability Synchronize. If the lead Pokémon in your party has Synchronize, wild Pokémon have a 50 % chance of having the same nature as your Synchronize Pokémon. Some common Pokémon with this ability are Abra, Natu, and Elgyem.
If you are hunting for Pokémon with Hidden Ability, make sure to craft a Hidden Ability Lure.
Breeding
Breeding is an option when you want your Pokémon to have perfect IVs and/or Egg Moves. Before you start mass breeding, make sure that you are caught up on how breeding works in Pixelmon.
To make the offspring inherit IVs, equip one of the parents with a Destiny Knot. This item makes the parents pass down 5 random IVs to the offspring instead of 3. You can also equip the parents with one of the power items to pass down a specific stat.
HP | Power Weight |
Attack | Power Bracelet |
Special Attack | Power Lens |
Defense | Power Belt |
Special Defense | Power Band |
Speed | Power Anklet |
For inheriting natures, equip the parent with the desired nature with an Everstone.
Egg Moves are moves Pokémon can only learn through breeding. If you look up your Pokémon's movepool, it should say whether a move is obtained through leveling, TMs, or is an Egg Move. If either parent knows a move that is an Egg Move for the offspring's species, the offspring will be born knowing that move.
EV-training
Once your Pokémon is bred, the only thing left to do is EV-training and leveling. Usually, you would max out the IVs in two stats (typically speed and attack/special attack) and invest the remaining 4 EVs in a third. Equip your Pokémon with the corresponding power item for the stat you wish to enhance, and head out to defeat Pokémon that give EV points in that same stat (a list of EV yields in Pixelmon can be found here).
Also, remember that you can use vitamins and certain berries to lower/raise EVs without batteling.
| Tags |
tools/tracking
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pixelmon-battle-guide
Park1423
CrystalRuby
Escapazition
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Arkaliasus
ScotsMiser
LongerBlade
pocapka
person_02
Octogamer
Copterman2596
pathisgamer
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