The character roster in Pokemon Unite just keeps expanding! It hasn't even been too long since we got Aegislash, and now another fighter is coming to the MOBA. Players can now add the Physical Attacker, Duraludon, to their collection in Unite. Get ready to dominate the arena with this steely Pokemon's busted abilities, but do watch out because you'll be a bit on the slow side. Here's everything you need to know about the release date of Duraludon in Pokemon Unite, as well as the move set, the possible best build and held items so you can play the Pokemon to its fullest potential.

Pokemon Unite Duraludon Release Date: March 14, 2022

Duraludon has released on Pokemon Unite this March 14, 2022. For players looking to add this ‘mon to their roster, purchasing the Unite license for Duraludon will set you back 10,000 Aeos Coins or 575 Aeos Gems.

Duraludon Moveset and Gameplay

  • Passive: Heavy Metal
    • Prevents Duraludon from being thrown or shoved once. This ability goes on cooldown after it is triggered.
  • Basic Attack [Physical]
    • Shoots a fierce blast of light, dealing damage to opposing Pokemon that it hits.
    • With every third attack, this basic attack becomes a boosted one — Duraludon shoots out a long beam that deals a large amount of damage to all opponents hit.

Duraludon Starting Moves

  • Laser Focus [Buff]
    • Reduces the damage that Duraludon receives for a short time. Afterward, basic attacks will deal additional damage to enemy Pokemon hit (up to 3 times in total)
    • Cooldown: 9 seconds
  • Metal Claw [Hindrance, Physical]
    • Strikes with sharp claws, dealing damage and decreasing the opponents' movement speed for a short time. After this move is used, Duraludon's next basic attack becomes a boosted attack.
    • Cooldown: 8 seconds

Duraludon Level 5 Moves – Upgrades for Laser Focus

  • Flash Cannon [Buff, Physical]
    • Ruptures the ground in the designated direction, dealing damage to opponents in the area of effect and slowing them down for a short time.
    • For a short time afterward, when Duraludon performs a basic or boosted attack, it will gather all of its light energy and release it all at once as a cannon of light.
    • These cannon attacks have increased range and deal damage to all opponents hit by the light. Boosted cannon attacks deal more damage than basic cannon attacks and also decrease the movement speed of enemies for a short time.
    • Cooldown: 6 seconds
    • Upgrade at Level 11: Pokemon hit in the ruptured ground's area of effect also cannot act for a short time
  • Dragon Pulse [Area of Effect, Physical]
    • Charges power before dealing damage to opponents in the area of effect.
    • While charging, Duraludon has lower movement speed. However, a longer charging time leads to higher power — the move has a wider area of effect and deals more damage.
    • Once Duraludon learns this ability, a damage marker will be attached to any enemy that you damage. When Dragon Pulse hits a marked Pokemon, it deals additional damage for each damage marker attached to it, then removes all the damage markers.
    • If this move knocks out an opponent, the cooldown is shortened. Plus, your next three basic attacks will each deal additional damage and further reduce Dragon Pulse's cooldown.
    • Cooldown: 8 seconds
    • Upgrade at Level 11: Also restores Duraludon's HP if this move knocks out an opponent

Duraludon Level 7 Moves – Upgrades for Metal Claw

  • Outrage [Hindrance, Physical]
    • Shoves opposing Pokemon while Duraludon itself moves backward a short distance. Afterwards, the next basic attack becomes a boosted attack. A maximum of two uses can be kept in reserve for this move.
    • Cooldown: 1.1 seconds
    • Upgrade at Level 13: Deals additional damage to opponents when hit
  • Stealth Rock [Hindrance, Physical]
    • Hurls a stone at a designated area, creating a field of levitating stones there. The field deals damage over time and slows down opponents in the area of effect.
    • If the hurled stone hits an enemy before reaching the designated area, the Stealth Rock/levitating stones will instead be centered wherever the stone hit that opponent.
    • If an opponent takes damage from this move a certain number of times, they are unable to move for a short time.
    • After using this move, Duraludon's next basic attack becomes a boosted attack. A maximum of two uses can be kept in reserve for this move.
    • Cooldown: 1 second
    • Upgrade at Level 13: Increases the maximum number of uses that can be kept in reserve for this move

Duraludon Level 9 Unite Move: Revolving Ruin [Area of Effect, Physical]

  • Has the user spin, firing a beam of light at the ground in a sweeping circle around it. If this beam hits an opposing Pokémon, it deals damage to it, grants the user a shield, and increases the user's Attack for a short time. Both the shield effect and the Attack increase are strengthened the more opposing Pokémon are hit by the beam of light. Damage is dealt to any opposing Pokémon in the area of effect after the beam of light is fired. A burning ring is left where the beam of light touched the ground and opposing Pokémon that touch this burning ring take damage and have their movement speed decreased for a short time.

Gameplay strategies

Best Build and Combos

Duraludon has no prior evolutions, so you get the steely attacker from the get-go. Duraludon is a physical attacker yet its moves are mostly ranged. However, it is also rather immobile and a bit on the fragile side as well, so you want to be dishing out the damage while keeping as safe as possible.

The key to playing Duraludon well is to execute the combos. Many of its attacks have the added bonus of boosting the basic one. It's nothing to scoff at because the attack can damage all enemy Pokemon hit, making Duraludon a menace to face in teamfights where the opponents are all clumped together. To this end, Dragon Tail will be very good for set up as it shoves the enemies into the position you want them, while creating enough distance so you yourself can stay safe. (Plus Dragon Tail also gives a boost to your basic attack). Then follow up with Flash Cannon to deal maximum damage.

Flash Cannon at the baseline deals quite a bit more damage than Dragon Pulse and has a lower cooldown, though if you're dominating a game, Dragon Pulse can be even more powerful with the “resets” that you get with every kill to lower the move's cooldown plus restore a bit of health after the upgrade. Flash Cannon will be a more straightforward option though, if you just want to make sure you can pump out your damage in each fight even if you end up dying to enemies. Just make sure that you weave in your basic attacks, so that the cannon attacks can power you with even more damage and range — like an endless cycle of boosted attacks.

Items

Duraludon is best equipped with the Muscle Band held item to supplement its already-high damage. Players can also opt for the Focus Band or the Buddy Barrier for some survivability, with the latter being especially useful when you get your Unite move.

For the third held item, you can be a bit flexible depending on the game state and how you want to approach it. If you want to be more defensive, then take one of the other two sustain items mentioned earlier. On the offensive end, you have many options available: Razor Claw is great for on-hit damage, Scope Lens works really well if you opt for the Flash Cannon build (this has huge burst damage), or Attack Weight which gives you a more permanent increase to your damage.

As for the battle item, Eject Button is a must-have. Even though Duraludon can attack from distance, there's not a lot of room on the map for kiting and dodging opponents' moves, especially if they have stuns or slows. Because of that, there's little other viable options aside from Eject Button — unless you go double defensive with the held items — because you will need to deal with Duraludon's slow speed and make sure that it doesn't cost your life.

Overall, though, Duraludon's kit is one of the stronger ones out there, and especially as it's a new release, it is actually quite busted in the game. So before any nerfs come to fine-tune the Pokemon, go try out Duraludon in Unite and revel at how much damage you can pump out in fights.