Pokemon Legends Z-A Combat Guide

This combat guide for Pokemon Legends Z-A will help you become the strongest Mega Evolution user and climb the Z-A Battle Royale ranks.

Combat guide for Pokemon Legends Z-A (Image via The Pokemon Company)
Combat guide for Pokemon Legends Z-A (Image via The Pokemon Company)

The combat in Pokemon Legends Z-A is one of the many things that separates it from the mainline games. Instead of the traditional turn-based combat we have had for over two decades, Game Freak has opted for a fast-paced and interactive battle system this time.

Without getting into whether this new combat system is better or worse, this guide will break down the entire combat system and how it works. You will be able to go from rank Z to rank A in no time after this.

Complete Combat Guide For Pokemon Legends Z-A

Controls during combat for Pokemon Legends Z-A (Image via The Pokemon Company)
Complete guide for controls during combat for Pokemon Legends Z-A (Image via The Pokemon Company)

If you have played or have watched the trailers for the game, you will likely be aware that the game has moved away from a traditional turn-based system. Instead, you must attack and dodge moves in real time to attain victory.

You must work around moves of different AOEs and differentiate between melee and ranged attacks while also managing your cooldowns properly. This will be crucial in attaining victory.

Combat Basics

Focus on Pokemon and attack (Image via The Pokemon Company)
Focus on Pokemon and attack (Image via The Pokemon Company)

During combat, you use ZL to lock onto a target, and the ABXY buttons to input your moves. The moves will be shown in the bottom right corner of the screen as soon as you lock on.

This will be the crux of most of your battles (against trainers at least). However, while battling against wild Pokemon you will have to be careful. Since they will actively target you, you must sprint and roll out of the way of these attacks (using B and Y, respectively).

Moreover, status boosts (like attack up or defense up) do not remain until the end of battle. Instead, they will fade away after some time. However, you can stack them on top of each other to boost their duration.

Lastly, crouch while inside Wild Zones and Battle Zones. This will let you sneak up on enemies and gain the advantage. This will not only let you get a free hit in, but also stop the enemy from noticing you and doing the same instead.

Note: You will not be able to sprint or roll in trainer battles.

Changing Moves and Move Cooldowns

Change your moves before heading into combat (Image via The Pokemon Company)
Change your moves before heading into combat (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Once you use a move, you cannot use it for a short while. This is the cooldown period, and it differs from move to move. Due to this, you will want multiple moves of the same type on a single Pokemon. For instance, Charmander uses Ember and cannot use it for a short while. In that cooldown period, you can use Fire Fang to get another super-effective hit in.

Of course, this isn’t necessary to win battles, merely a suggestion you should consider for some Pokemon. This strategy is more viable due to how changing moves work in Pokemon Legends Z-A. You can use TMs as many times as you want. Moreover, your Pokemon can re-learn forgotten moves on their own for no extra cost.

Melee vs Ranged Moves

Body Slam (Image via The Pokemon Company)
Body Slam (Image via The Pokemon Company)

There are advantages and disadvantages to using both moves. Let us break this down:

  • Melee: Your Pokemon moves to the opponent’s location and uses the move. It has a shorter cooldown, but makes your Pokemon vulnerable to attacks while using the move.
  • Ranged: Your Pokemon moves to your location and fires off the attack. These moves generally have a longer cooldown to compensate for not getting close to the other Pokemon.

Status Conditions and Moves

Start off combat with a Status Move (Image via The Pokemon Company)
Start off combat with a Status Move (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Status Conditions remain on your Pokemon even outside of battle. This can be devastating in the case of a Poison or Burn. Therefore, it is advised that you have at least 4-5 status healing items in your inventory at all times. You can get these quite simply by going to Nurse Joy and buying them for a low price.

Status Moves are also quite viable to use yourself. You can start a battle with a Status Move to debilitate the enemy, and then follow up with some quick moves to claim a fast victory.

Mega Evolution

Mega Ampharos (Image via The Pokemon Company)
Pokemon Legends Z-A Combat Guide: Mega Ampharos (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Initially, you neither have the items nor the Pokemon needed to Mega Evolve. However, this changes once you progress through the main story missions until you get your own Mega Ring. From this point on, you can Mega Evolve your Pokemon when you want (with a few restrictions).

During Rogue Mega Evolution battles, you must use your moves to knock Mega Power out of the rogue Pokemon. Then run around and collect this energy to use Mega Evolution yourself. The concept is similar in normal battles as well, you must wait until you accumulate enough Mega Power to then Mega Evolve your Pokemon. The only difference is not being forced to run around and collect Mega Power.

Plus Moves

Once you get a Mega Ring and start storing up Mega Power, you can expend some of that Mega Power to perform Plus moves (by pressing + before using a move). These are powered-up versions of the same moves, which deal extra damage. Alternatively, when your Pokemon Mega Evolves, every move it performs counts as a Plus Move.

Normally, your Pokemon must master a move before it can be used as a Plus move, however, Mega Evolved Pokemon do not follow this rule. Your Pokemon can master a move by using it enough times, or through even leveling up sometimes.

Healing

Open the menu to heal in the middle of combat in Pokemon in Legends Z-A (Image via The Pokemon Company)
Open the menu to heal in the middle of combat in Pokemon in Legends Z-A (Image via The Pokemon Company)

At any point in time during combat, you can press X to open up the menu. From here, you can access your Satchel (and all your healing items as a result). You can spam Revives and Potions from here to stay alive in battle.

You should stock up on these items before going to fight any Alpha Pokemon, or going into a Battle Zone at night. That was the complete combat guide for Pokemon Legends Z-A.


Pokemon Legends Z-A logo.

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