{"id":2086,"date":"2019-12-11T16:47:59","date_gmt":"2019-12-11T16:47:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ginx.tv\/pokemon-sword-shield-blows-open-competitive-scene-2020"},"modified":"2024-07-19T18:16:07","modified_gmt":"2024-07-19T18:16:07","slug":"pokemon-sword-shield-blows-open-competitive-scene-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ginx.tv\/en\/pokemon\/pokemon-sword-shield-blows-open-competitive-scene-2020","title":{"rendered":"How Pok\u00e9mon Sword and Shield are blowing open the competitive scene for 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"

Despite attracting controversy ahead of release, Pokémon<\/a> Sword and Shield have, minus some quibbles<\/a>, been a resounding success – becoming the fastest-selling Nintendo Switch game ever<\/a> in its first week of release. <\/p>\n

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The legacy and staying power of Sword & Shield, however, will likely be determined on the competitive scene next year. It promises to be the biggest year for competitive Pokémon yet, which will climax with the 2020 Pokémon World Championships in London. <\/p>\n

Despite the inevitable influx of new players, the arrival of a new generation of Pokémon poses new mechanics, new rules and a new evolving meta to contend with for veterans.  <\/p>\n

But are all the changes for the better? We asked Pokémon pro players James “Jamesspeed1” Baek, Aaron “Cybertron” Zheng and Paul “ralfdude90” Ruiz about the major shake-ups, concerns and hopes for the competitive scene in 2020.  <\/p>\n

New rules<\/h2>\n

The format rules for competitive Pokémon Sword & Shield, effective from 4 January 2020, were released earlier this month<\/a>. While they largely follow previous rules, like only double battles and the exclusion of mythical Pokémon, notable additions like Dynamax and Gigantamax have split the community.  <\/p>\n

The rules allow for Dynamaxing and permit certain monsters to Gigantamax; an even stronger version of Dynamax which only applies to certain Pokémon and boosts stats over three turns. Only ten Pokemon from a specific list are permitted for tournaments, although this will expand as certain Gigantamax Pokémon become more common in-game.  <\/p>\n

Cybertron<\/span>:<\/strong> â€œFor the most part, the ruleset is pretty close to what I was expecting. I like it because I think G-max is a cool feature of the game and most of the Pokemon with G-max attacks don’t look overly strong.  <\/em><\/p>\n

“There are worries about a few G-max Pokemon being a bit broken but players doing tests are finding side effects from some really strong moves, like Snorlax’s or Grimmsnarl’s G-max attack, isn’t actually guaranteed. It’s by random chance. <\/em><\/p>\n

“I think that will make people feel better about some of the potentially stronger G-max attacks.”<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Pokemon
\nGigantamax Charizard is allowed in tournaments (Picture: Nintendo) <\/span><\/p>\n

The reintroduction of a battle timer, which wasn’t featured in the 2017, 2018 or 2019 season, has also proved a sticking point. The cap is at 15 minutes of “game time” for each battle, while players are entitled to seven minutes of “your time” to plan strategies.  <\/p>\n

Extended animations for Dynamax transformations and moves however could prove time-consuming in battle – sparking concern it could be exploited by players to run down the clock. <\/p>\n

Ralfdude90:<\/strong><\/span>“The battle timer should be 20 minutes at the very minimum if they want to keep it, or even considering reducing “your time” a bit to make a real impact in a match. Why? Because the battle timer being that low, factoring in animations, means its easily abusable. <\/em><\/p>\n

“The most intense battles I’ve had in my life were around 20-25 turns with a lot of turn-by-turn analysis and positioning for each side. I cannot stop thinking those amazing battles would never happen with this new timer.” <\/em><\/p>\n

Dynamax  <\/h2>\n

The inclusion of Dynamax, which unlike Gigantamax applies to every Pokémon, is arguably the biggest game-changer.<\/p>\n

While it opens strategies in choosing when to deploy it for maximum effect across three turns, there’s early uncertainty around exactly how much Dynamax boosts stats and whether it could be exploited. <\/p>\n

Jamesspeed1<\/strong><\/span>: “Dynamax is something I’m a little concerned about as I think it will be really strong early on, especially since we don’t truly understand everything about it and when is effective to use it.  <\/em><\/p>\n

“There’s so many options and team possibilities you can do with Dynamax, however I’m not too sure how we’re going to see this later in the game. Right now, at the beginning, it’s going to be really strong, overwhelming and pretty hectic.” <\/em><\/p>\n

\"Pokemon
\nDynamax fights could change the competitive scene drastically (Picture: Nintendo) <\/span><\/p>\n

The ability to drastically increase stats through unique evolutions isn’t a new concept for Pokémon. Mega Evolutions in past games were a controversial inclusion in competitive circles, which saw certain Pokémon temporarily transform to a superior form.  <\/p>\n

While similar in theory, the differences in Dynamaxing have made some players more positive about the options and exciting flexibility it affords.  <\/p>\n

Cybertron:<\/strong><\/span>“Dynamax feels like a mechanic designed for doubles matches; the fact you can increase your stats as well as your partner’s stats is really cool for a bunch of attacks.  <\/em><\/p>\n

“The fact any Pokémon can Dynamax makes team building really interesting. In previous formats we had Mega Evolutions or Z-Crystals, where you could only really have one or two on a team, now we have a concept where you can theoretically Dynamax any Pokémon at any given point.  <\/em><\/p>\n

“A lot of people see Pokémon as just doing heavy damage and trading blows left and right, but with Dynamax you can play it offensively for big knockouts, or defensively for raising your own stats or decreasing your opponent’s stats. I think the mark of a good team will be one that’s super flexible and can pull off Dynamaxing at any given point.” <\/em><\/p>\n

Speed boosts<\/h2>\n
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