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Pokemon Masters EX is home to an incredibly dedicated fanbase, despite being one of the more overlooked spin-off titles in recent years. Given how much sheer fan service is pumped into these titles, many gamers who come across it via ads or social media posts are bound to give it a try.
The one thing new players will notice right away is how different this game is compared to other entries in the franchise. Rather than going for a more turn-based approach like in the main series or a tap-based system like in Pokemon Go, Masters EX takes a closer approach to that of classic Final Fantasy titles.
In this sense, Pokemon Masters EX's combat is based on a live-action 3v3 format with allies moving based on their own personal timer rather than on a set order or how fast players can tap. Enemies can also attack freely based on their own timers as well. With this in mind, players may need a few pointers for the game.
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Starting tips every player should know for Pokemon Masters EX
While it can often be tempting to follow tutorials to a tee, this can often be very draining, especially during long play sessions due to all the cutscenes. However, there are some great ways players can choose to save time when playing in order to stay in the action.
1) Completing the main story is not required
The game will try to steer players down the path of completing the main story on several occasions. While it is true that it is a decent way to get some average sync pairs, and it is required to unlock some side modes, having to slog through the countless cutscenes can get boring really fast.
Luckily, there are always side modes and events players can partake in without having to sit through a five-minute cutscene beforehand. They often reward better loot than main story quests as well, making them more preferable than the main story in most cases.
Having a beefed up party from completing all kinds of event challenges also makes completing the story mode a breeze. This takes a lot of the stress out of having to unlock some of the game's other alternative modes, and players can just skip the cutscenes and shred through the low-level trainer battles.
2) Avoid using the player character
Despite common practices with the main series, the Pikachu players start with in Pokemon Masters EX does not have any special advantage over any other sync pair and should be dropped immediately. However, if they have a special desire to use their character in their playthrough, there is a solution.
As they progress in the game, they will acquire eggs that hatch into other Pokemon that they can use on their character. There are also special story missions that reward players with a different Pokemon that can be used alongside their avatar.
3) Stats
Much like the main series, every Pokemon has its own stats. These are identical to how they behave in the main series with the exception of Speed. In Pokemon Masters EX, the Speed stat is tied to how fast the Pokemon's chance to attack will reappear after acting in battle.
This should make constructing teams much easier for players familiar with the main series.
4) Items and buffs count towards Sync moves
The Sync Move counter in Pokemon Masters EX dictates when a specific creature can use a powerful special attack known as a Sync move. This timer goes down every time players perform an action in battle. It should be emphasized that this is tied to the actions taken by the entire party, not one trainer.
With this in mind, using an item when one is not needed can often give players the tactical edge over an opponent due to the usage of items and buffs taking one tick off of this timer in the same sense as an attack would. This also makes sweeping through weak battles much faster as they can be wiped with one Sync move.
5) Use whomever you choose
The beauty of Pokemon Masters EX is the sheer amount of fan service the game has to offer its dedicated audience. There is no true "optimal" way to play overall, although there are times where a change in the team would be helpful. This game is a much-needed change of pace from overly competitive Pokemon titles.
Players are simply encouraged to use a collection of their favorite characters from the franchise or their favorite Pokemon. They can perform well regardless of their team unless it has the starting Pikachu in it, which should still be discarded as soon as possible. Aside from that, every other sync pair is decent.
