Pokémon UNITE released a new balance patch ahead of the March qualifiers on Monday. With several buffs and nerfs to popular Pokémon, and the addition of Duraludon as a new option, here’s a rundown of the most important parts of the newest UNITE patch, 1.4.1.7.
Pokémon UNITE patch 1.4.1.7 details
Most of the nerfs came to meta-relevant Pokémon who have dominated the competitive metagame. Eldegoss and Lucario are staples in most games and have received nerfs to increase the variation of other Pokémon. Lucario’s main ability upgrade, Close Combat, now has 10% lower damage ratio and 5% less healing overall.
Eldegoss, the most consistent healer in the game, by far, is also receiving nerfs to Cotton Guard. The shielding ratio will be down to 150% of its special attack. However, Eldegoss is getting a lower cooldown on it’s UNITE move, Cotton Cloud Crash, which means that Eldegoss will be going nowhere for the foreseeable future. Its primarily healing build is too strong for teams to let go of, and its secondary group of moves, Pollen Puff and Cotton Spore, cannot compare to its main healing move set.
On the other hand, patch 1.4.1.7 also comes with many buffs to underused Pokémon. Decidueye, in particular, received a lot of support this patch. Spirit Shackle, its main source of damage now charges 33% faster and it’s max damage is getting increased overall.
However, Decidueye is still outclassed by Cinderace, as the striker Pokémon has a lot more to offer in terms of mobility and consistent damage. Other than Decidueye, Zeraora, Blastoise, Trevenant and Tsareena also received buffs. However, it is still unclear whether these changes will affect their place in the competitive metagame.
Most importantly, this latest Pokémon UNITE patch also brings with it Duraludon, the newest Pokémon getting added to the UNITE roster. This new attacker is the first Pokémon to be added with no evolutions since the base game has launched. In a metagame where winning bot lane means having the strongest early Pokémon, Duraludon could provide another attacker option to run in the bottom lane other than Pikachu.
