Know the board.
Find your opening.

Start in Challenge Mode → Kanto → Normal. The eight Kanto Gym battles introduce the game’s core mechanics through tutorials.

1. Read the tutorial instructions as they appear and try each action on the board.
2. Open a figure’s card to check its MP, ability, moves and wheel.
3. Keep an eye on your own goal as well as the route to your opponent’s.

You can return to the tutorials whenever you want a refresher.

Your six Pokémon begin on the bench. Bring them onto the board through your Entry Points, then follow the connected spaces toward your opponent’s goal.

MP is a figure’s movement allowance. The game highlights its legal destinations when you select it. Occupied spaces, abilities and battle conditions can affect the routes available.

• Protect your goal. Leaving a clear route can cost the match, even when your team has stronger attacks.
• Watch the Entry Points. Controlling them changes where figures can enter and how quickly a player can recover.
• Plan the reply. Before moving, look at where the opponent can reach on their next turn.

Abilities and move effects can create exceptions to ordinary movement. Use the figure card and the duel log to understand the current situation.

When two figures battle, each spins its wheel. A segment’s size affects how likely it is to land. Its color, damage, stars and written effect determine what happens next.

During a duel, use the duel log to follow abilities, plates, type changes and other effects that influenced the result.

A figure can be knocked out by a surround when opposing figures occupy all its directly connected escape spaces. This lets positioning overcome a powerful wheel.

• Count the connections around a target before committing to a move.
• Avoid placing your own figure where the opponent can close its last escape.
• Keep supporting figures close enough to threaten a surround or protect a route.

Figure abilities can affect normal surround rules. Check the card before relying on a surround to work.

Plates provide tactical effects such as changing damage or enabling an evolution. Read their conditions and timing before using them.

A figure’s ability may be passive or require activation. Some replace your normal MP move, some depend on adjacency or weather, and some work only while the figure is on the field.

Before you activate an effect

1. Check which figures it can target and whether they are in range.
2. Read how long it lasts and whether it depends on the figure remaining on the field.
3. Check whether the action limits what you can do during the rest of the turn.

Use the active effects display and duel log when a figure’s current stats differ from its printed wheel.

Build a team of six figures in the Team Editor, then choose plates that support the way you want to play. A useful mix includes mobile figures, reliable defenders and ways to handle difficult opponents.

Upgrade figures to earn wheel points. Expansion points from the early levels enlarge a move while reducing Miss; later redistribution points let you adjust your allocation. Complete the early expansion upgrades before redistributing.

Save a setup with Wheel Builds

• Unlock at figure level 10. Each figure can have up to five saved builds, including its Default build.
• Reuse your earned points for free. A build is another allocation of the points that figure has earned.
• Choose builds in the Team Editor. Different copies of a figure can use different saved setups.
• Save edits before leaving. Teams using a build receive its latest saved version.
• Set up forms separately. Alternate forms have their own builds, which you can link in the Team Editor.

Use clear names such as “Defense” or “Gold Attack” so you can find the right setup quickly.

Challenge Mode

Battle Gym Leaders, Elite Four members and Champions. Difficulty rules can change which teams and actions are allowed, so read the requirements before starting a run.

Mayhem Tower

Climb through floors with special Mayhem rules. Read each rule before choosing your team: a strategy that works in a normal duel may need a different approach here.

Ranked matches

Take your team online against another player. Keep your game current and use a stable connection. When playing in a browser, keep the game tab open during the match.

Room matches

Create or join a room to arrange a duel with another player. Share the room code, choose your team, and let the host set up the match.