By Matt
Also new to Pokemon Generation V, the Rotation Battle is another kind of exciting battle that takes strategy to win. Mainly, its features are similar to a Triple Battle. Unlike a Triple Battle, you will only battle with four Pokemon. The mechanics of Rotation Battle may be confusing at first, but when fully understood, can keep your opponents on their feet. When a Rotation Battle begins, the first three Pokemon that you chose will be sent out on the field. The first one will be the one in front, the second is counter-clockwise from that Pokemon, and the third is clockwise in relation to the first. What you will notice is that the platform you are on has a few arrows on it. This is the unique mark of a Rotation Battle, and it represents the ways which you can rotate your Pokemon: clockwise, and counter-clockwise.
When the battle starts, you will notice that the Pokemon in front’s name and HP is lit up, but the other two aren’t. That’s because, unlike Triple Battles, you can only give one command a turn. Here’s where the interesting part comes in. You can choose to battle with the Pokemon you have out front, but if you’re trusting in another Pokemon’s move, you can rotate it. To do this, select the Fight option, and then tap either the rotate counter-clockwise or rotate clockwise button. This will shift the current Pokemon’s move set to the one on the left or the right.
What is unique about this is that it will be quite a challenge anticipating your opponent’s next move. They may rotate to counter your Pokemon’s type, so you may have to rotate too, or even switch out in the worst cases. When you’ve finished selecting the move to be done, the action will start. If there are any rotations occurring, they will happen FIRST.
Unlike Triple Battles, where the Shift function relies on the Speed of the user shifting, rotations are done first. Then, the Pokemon with the highest Speed will move first, much like a Single Battle. So you will never know if your strategy paid off until the moves starting coming. If one of your Pokemon faint, you will have to switch out with the other one in your party to take the place of it in the same spot. If multiple Pokemon faint on the same turn, you will have to remember that so-called “glitch” and select the Pokemon to battle, then tap the Pokemon you want to replace. Placement is not so important in this battle unless two or more faint at one time. If a Pokemon faints and you can’t switch out, the platform will rotate to one of the Pokemon you have left.
You can also use the Wonder Launcher, or decide to turn it off and have a fair fight. On Wi-Fi, you can battle trainers around the world in Rotation Battles, but be warned, since many have complex strategies. It’s fun to play with friends, too; it just shows off your strategy and how you plan to use your Pokemon’s strengths.
Tags: Nintendo DS