Is Duraludon still good in Pokemon Unite post-patch?

Duraludon’s Dragon Pulse finally received its inevitable buff in Pokemon Unite, but is it still as good?

For the roughly two weeks that it was out, Duraludon players were picking up easy kills in the MOBA. Once gamers got to see the unearthly damage output Dragon Pulse could have, it became apparent that it was only a matter of time before the move got nerfed. It's here now, though, and it’s changed things a bit for Duraludon.

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New Pokemon remains dominant despite nerf

First of all, Dragon Pulse wasn’t the only thing that changed about Duraludon in the patch. Heavy Metal now has a longer cooldown. In addition, the range on its basic attack has been shortened.

This is actually more impactful than one might think. The one weakness for Duraludon is that it’s a bit frail. With the lower range, it now has to get closer in team fights to deal damage. This usually means exposing itself to enemies to dive and kill Duraludon.

As for the damage decrease to Duraludon, though, it really doesn’t change much of its performance: this character is still a monster. What the damage nerf did was lower its kill potential, but Dragon Pulse will still deeply cut into any enemy’s health.

Essentially, Duraludon mains will simply need to work harder for their kills. With their stacks up, Dragon Pulse will still claim lives. Gamers will to need to maintain these throughout the fight, though, to have the same KO potential.

Duraludon's Unite move also received a bug fix (Image via TiMi Studios)

As a friendly reminder, when Duraludon damages an enemy, an orb will appear around the target. More orbs accumulate as Duraludon damages the opponent, and Dragon Pulse’s damage increases for every orb applied to the target.

This means that, to have the same impact, Duraludon mains will need to be patient. They should definitely be pelting the enemies with several basic attacks before they use their Dragon Pulse.

It's also good to keep in mind that Duraludon's Unite Move is more for getting stacks on Dragon Pulse than it is for doing damage on its own. To clear out a fight, Duraludon should use the Unite Move and then fire off a strong Dragon Pulse.

As of now, Duraludon is still likely the best Pokemon in the game. Its case is made even stronger with recent nerfs to Hoopa and Lucario. Alolan Ninetails also received a recent nerf, which practically cements Duraludon's status as the best Attacker in the game. If anyone out there hasn't given this Pokemon a shot, now is a great time.

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