Pokemon Masters, Should You Pull? April, 2024

Ah, Volo. The friendly and reliable merchant who’s always helpful in Pokemon Legends: Arceus. It’s great to have a trainer that we can always rely on and trust visiting Pasio! On the surface, Volo & Togepi appear to be pretty sub-par. This is a Field Sync Pair that can only set their type-boosting field, Fairy Zone, a maximum of twice per battle. On top of that, they have all of these random effects and bonuses that just feel a bit underwhelming. It’s a shame that Volo was treated like this….

But that’s the entire point.

On the surface, Volo & Togepi look unassuming and somewhat ineffective. They want to deal damage, but they’re generally not exactly outstanding on that front. They want to act as a Fairy Zone setter, but they can only do it twice, and the first time is best used early game before many teams are really ready to start going all-out. They want to be a Support unit, but they’re generally too frail to tank well. But, behind all of the apparent shortcomings that are put on display when taking an initial look at Volo & Togepi, this is a Sync Pair that has their own agenda, and they are appropriately deceptive when it comes to playing out this agenda. Volo & Togepi have the ability to grant +4 Attack/Special Attack and +3 Critical Rate to one member of the team, set Sinnoh Solidarity to boost the team’s offensive and defensive capabilities with boosts if more Sinnoh units are used, have Dazzling Gleam for quick AoE shots, and can use Masterful Metronome to call up a random, high-powered attack while granting 1 stack of the Physical and Special Damage Up Next effects alongside one of the following Field effects:

• Move Gauge Acceleration
• Physical Damage Reduction
• Special Damage Reduction
• Critical Hit Defense
• Stat Reduction Defense
• Status Condition Defense

And this move can be reused once another move is used after it, meaning it’s possible to stack multiple field effects to help out the team on multiple fronts. And all of this is before we even touch on their Passive Skills. Volo & Togepi turn Normal moves into Fairy moves (which isn’t a huge deal as it only really effects Giga Impact and Hyper Beam when called on by Masterful metronome), activate Fairy Zone the first time that they use Masteful Metronome, drop a random stat by 1 when an attack lands, have 100% odds restoring 1 Move Gauge bar when an attack lands, and can even boost the power of Sync Moves used by themselves or allies while Sinnoh Solidarity is active. When combined with what their moves can already do, all of these added effects can make Volo & Togepi extremely threatening on the right team. Honestly, this is the first Field unit that we’ve had that puts a stronger focus on fields other than type-boosters, and that’s a pretty fun gimmick to play with.

Gameplay Variables

Despite being at least somewhat capable on their own, Volo & Togepi really shine brightest when enabling their team with defensive and offensive buffs and field effects. However, the reliability of these effects can be a bit suspect. Their Fairy Zone setting capabilities are pretty dubious for a Field unit, with one natural use that will generally come pretty early in the battle and one longer-lasting use via Sync Move. However, Fairy Zone should less be seen as the point of Volo & Togepi and more the icing on the cake that is their whole kit. But even the cake itself can have some issues, as it’s possible to randomly get a useless field effect from Masterful Metronome, like Physical Damage Reduction on a stage that strictly uses Special Attacks, and then get it again on the next use. The odds aren’t great, and it’s easy enough to just reset if you desperately need good RNG, but it can be annoying. I bring this up because this exact scenario happened to me the first time that I used Volo & Togepi! Finally, it can actually be pretty hard to justify using Volo & Togepi on some teams. Yes, they do a lot, and the 20% Sync Move damage boost is great, but remember that a damage-boosting Field effect can grant a 50% boost instead, so Volo & Togepi are rarely going to be the optimal pick for a number of scenarios. 

Investment Expectations

Honestly, the investment requirements aren’t horrible for Volo & Togepi. Their Sync Grid is borderline worthless at ⅕, and while they do get some genuinely nice tiles at higher levels, they never really encounter any killer tiles that allow them to suddenly start working where they struggled before. It’s definitely best to get to to ⅗ for some nice bonuses, but even ⅕ puts in great work thanks to their strong and versatile base kit. On top of that, Volo & Togepi don’t care too much about unlocking their EX role. Sure, they’re capable of putting out good Sync Move damage and can set Fairy Zone, but a lot of team comps won’t really care about Fairy Zone, and the Tech EX role doesn’t really do a whole lot for them in most cases. All-in-all, this is a Sync Pair worth investing resources in, but not one that demands those resources to pay back your hard-earned gems.

Team Options

So let’s get the obvious out of the way first: Fairy Type attackers like Sygna Suit Gladion & Magearna or New Years Lisia & Galarian Rapidash can utilize Volo & Togepi to their fullest, actually taking advantage of Fairy Zone in conjunction with the other powerful effects that they can grant to deal heavy damage in short order. Beyond that, this is a Sync Pair that can work wonders alongside Sync Pairs like Sygna Suit Aura Cynthia & Lucario (as long as you play around conflicting zones) that don’t provide much by way of offensive buffs, allowing them to slot into a team without having to worry about propping up the team’s main damage dealer. After that, strong attackers with the Sinnoh role, especially those with powerful Sync Moves such as Palmer & Regigigas or Rei & Hisuian Decidueye, can genuinely appreciate the skills of Volo & Togepi and all that they bring to the table.

Should You Pull?

Volo & Togepi may be easy to overlook on the surface, but don’t fall for the deception: they are genuinely effective in what they do, and capable of acting as the polish that can make an otherwise good team genuinely shine. If you lack 3rd-slot units to fill out your team, or just want a near-universal option that can help out your team in a plethora of different ways at once, then this is definitely a Sync Pair that you won’t want to miss out on.

This Sync Pair definitely lives up to both the Pokemon and the Trainer that make it up. That is to say, this is a real oddball! Jacq & Farigiraf focus on building up as many stat increases as possible, then using them to launch one huge attack with their Buddy Move, Experimental Stored Power, which then zeroes out all of those stat boosts. In order to amass these buffs, Jacq & Farigiraf have a few unique effects to play with. First up is their ability to score +2 to one random stat when attacking, or +2 to multiple random stats for multi-hit attacks. This works out perfectly, as Farigiraf has a two-hit attack by the name of Twin Beam to hurry this process along. Next up, Jacq & Farigiraf have a unique trainer, 3-MP move by the name of Lum Berry that removes all status conditions from an ally. Every time that Farigiraf attacks, one MP is expended from this move and Farigiraf gains +1 Defense and Special Defense. And don’t worry, Lum Berry refreshes to 3 MP when Jacq & Farigiraf use their Sync Move. Finally, Jacq has a 2-use Trainer Move that doubles all standing stat boosts, applies the Super Effective Up Net, and also applies the Gradual Healing effect. In essence, the gameplay loop here is to attack with Twin Beam while amassing buffs, then unload  a strong Sync Move/Experimental Stored Power. 

Gameplay Variables

Oh boy, there’s a lot going on here! First up, this is a fairly demanding Sync Pair. They want to utilize Sync Moves if possible, which can put a damper on the rest of the team due to the fact that the rewards. They want to Sync in order to restore uses of Lum Berry for more defensive buffs or team status removal because the damage output of Twin Beam alone is generally nothing special, so building up buffs to spend on blasts of damage is the best way to score high damage. However, spending these buffs like this also means that Jacq & Farigiraf’s Sync Move damage output is going to suffer if the proper buffs aren’t restored in time, making it a bit hard to balance Jacq & Farigiraf’s capabilities. And as if to add insult to injury, it turns out that Experimental Stored Power’s damage output is actually not quite as nuclear as it feels like it should be for such a huge cost, generally hitting about as hard as Jacq & Farigiraf’s Sync Move or even a bit less. It’s objectively still great, but it feels a little underwhelming for the high cost.. Honestly, this Sync Pair is all about trying to find the right balance, and finding the right time to launch that big hit. It’s also worth noting that Jacq & Farigiraf are surprisingly bulky and have low Move Gauge cost, meaning they can effectively work as the team’s tank, stacking Defense/Special Defense boosts alongside Gradual Healing to stay in the game and add a potential 3rd level of heavy hitters to work alongside other self-sufficient attackers, launching a super-powered Experimental Stored Power near the end of the fight to zero out their defensive power and go in for the kill. Oh, it’s also worth mentioning that Jacq & Firigiraf have an outstanding presence in Legendary Arena battles, to the point where they have one of the best solo-unit clear records in the game to date, meaning they could be particularly valuable if you happen to be trying for the Celebrating 100 Wins title.

Investment Expectations

Jacq & Farigiraf are definitely going to need a bit of investment. Their Sync Grid gets a lot of important tiles at ⅗, including one very important tile that can grant +1 Critical Rate per attack landed, or +2 when using Twin Beam. Other important tiles can help out with building up stat boosts, increase Sync Move damage, and even restore a Trainer Move use when dropping a Sync Move. Beyond that, scoring the Support EX role is always outstanding for any Sync Pair that wants to use Sync Moves, and the ability to pick up multiple Lucky Skills is great here, as it allows Jacq & Farigiraf to switch between defensive and offensive builds with ease.

Team Options

Pairing up Jacq & Farigiraf with more offensively oriented Psychic Type teams can work extremely well, especially Sygna Suit Lana & Tapu Lele, who can boost Jacq & Farigiraf’s damage output with Psychic Terrain while dropping high AoE damage at the same time. But, if you want to go for sheer damage output, then the absolute best partners for Jacq & Farigiraf are probably New Champion Bede & Galarian Articuno or Neo Champion Rosa & Meloetta. These two Sync Pairs are great at throwing constant buffs out to their team, allowing Jacq & Farigiraf to more effectively utilize Experimental Stored Power. And while Bede & Articuno are the best choice for more consistently restoring their stat-batteries, Rosa & Meloetta are still very competitive with their reliable and random buffs alongside scoring a stack of Psychic Rebuff and rushing the team’s Sync Moves along with the coveted Support+Sprint combo.

Should You Pull?

Do you like oddball Sync Pairs with unorthodox utility? Then this is definitely the Sync Pair for you. This is a Sync Pair that breaks the mold in a few ways, and needs a bit of planning to utilize properly. In this regard, this isn’t exactly a Sync Pair that everyone is going to want to invest heavily in, but those who do make the investment and go all-in, then this has the potential to be a very fun Sync Pair with a gimmicky yet potentially effective strategy.

Barry is BACK! One of the first trainers that players will team up with near the start of the game, this Sinnoh-native has long been forgotten about, to the point where their only alternate Sync Pair to date has been through the BP shop. Well, that’s finally over, as Barry is here with Heracross, and they’re ready to tear up the Bug meta their own way!  So what exactly does this Sync Pair do? As a Bug Type Striker, they’re obviously here to beat down the opposition. Their entire strategy revolves around buffing up, then dropping Pin Missile for 3-5 hits with potentially solid damage in-and-of itself depending on the build. Oh, and don’t worry about this move’s relatively low accuracy, as Barry & Heracross also come packaged with Piercing Gaze to ensure that they never miss a hit. Once a total of 5 hits manage to land, Barry & Heracross’ Buddy Move, Spiral Megahorn, unlocks. This move hits the entire opposing team like a truck, and then re-locks itself until 5 more hits manage to land. Rinse and repeat until the opposing team is ground  into a coarse powder. 

Gameplay Variables

This is a pretty potent and satisfying gameplay loop, but what are the variables? Well, Barry & Heracross have +2 Attack and Speed via a passive skill, and an additional +2 Attack and +3 Critical Rate via Trainer move, so their total offensive buffing profile is +4 Attack and +3 Critical Rate. This is a bit low, but it’s actually not an issue at all in reality, as Heracross can Mega Evolve. As is the case with all Mega Evolution Sync Pairs, all “entry” effects apply a second time once they drop their first Sync Move, meaning Barry & Heracross can easily score that last +2 Attack and +2 additional Speed without outside help. But, sadly, Mega Evolution also comes with its own caveats and issues. Sync Moves are a more valuable resource now than they ever have been in the history of Pokemon Masters, so it can be a little difficult justifying an early Sync Move for them instead of going for a Support or Sprint unit to build up early-game momentum for the entire team. This can be a major issue, as mega Evolving not only grants a large buff to Heracross’ Attack stat, it also changes up one of this Sync Pair’s key passive skills, allowing Pin Missile to go from 3-5 hits per use to a guaranteed 5 hits. This is absolutely huge because it makes it so that Spiral Megahorn will unlock every single time that Pin Missile is used instead of one out of every 3 times on average, turning the gameplay cycle into [Pin Missile>Spiral Megahorn>Pin Missile>Spiral Megahorn], rinse and repeat. So, honestly, it can definitely be worthwhile to throw the first or second Sync Move to Barry & Heracross despite other Sync Pairs on the team, as it grants a ton of extra damage output in practice.

Investment Expectations

When it comes to actually building Barry & Heracross up enough to reach their real potential, expect a bit of an investment. This is a Mega Evolution Sync Pair, so their Sync Move damage is pretty pathetic at base level. However, their grid has multiple means to buff their damage output, and the Tech EX role can act as icing on the cake to make their Sync game surprisingly powerful! And beyond Sync Move damage, Barry & Heracross can also score move damage increases, the means to potentially drop the target’s Defense with each successful hit, and Sync Move cooldown effects, making it a bit easier to get to that all-important Mega Evolution. But it’s also worth noting that just about all of Barry & Heracross’ good Grid tiles unlock at ⅗, so be prepared for some investment on that front if you want them to really shine.

Team Options

Barry & Heracross don’t really need much team support, truth be told. They have near-comprehensive offensive buffs, are relatively fast, and aren’t super harsh on the Move Gauge. That said, they go absolutely crazy when Bug Zone is active thanks to Holiday Viola & Vivillon or Special Costume Ingo & Accelgor, and can clear the field pretty quickly when it’s active.  If you happen to lack either of these Sync Pairs, then a simple Defense debuffing unit like Dahlia & Ludicolo or Fall Roxanne & Runerigus can go a long way towards making them even more deadly as well, assuming you don’t pick up Punishing Strike 2 on their grid.

Should You Pull?

While we do have a few good Bug Type attackers currently available, few can really stand up to the brute strength that Barry & Heracross put on display. High single-target and AoE damage combined with decent self-buffing capabilities and good Move Gauge management makes them pretty appealing, and allows them to bludgeon the opposition pretty consistently with their multiple sources of high damage output. However, they are a bit slow to get really started, and will take some investment to genuinely shine. If you’re up for a bit of long-term work, then this Sync Pair will not disappoint, and will definitely pay off whenever a Bug weakness rears its head.

It sure took her long enough! The female protagonist from Alola is finally back, sporting a new Special Costume and a brand new partner in Scizor, a fan-favorite Pokemon that’s originally from Johto. Together, they’re giving a much-needed breath of fresh air to the Steel meta, as they switch up the field and go in for the cold, hard kill! As a Field unit, it should be no surprise that Selene & Steelix excel in setting Steel Zone. Between the classic Steel Wish and their base EX effect, they have little to no issue keeping this valuable effect active for themselves and their team. But what exactly do they do beyond that? Well, this is an exceptional 3rd-slot character that backs up their team while doing a lot in their own right. They start up with their Trainer Move, which grants +2 Attack and +2 Critical Rate to an ally. This is an important distinction, as it means that it can go to a partner instead of Selene & Scizor if you’re so inclined. At this point, Selene & Steelix can set Steel Zone at will, drop a Metal Claw for pathetic damage and a 10% chance to flinch, or drop Metallic Bullet Punch for solid Steel Type damage and a 100% chance to cause the target to Flinch. The choice seems pretty simple, but Metallic Bullet Punch is only active while Steel Zone is active, and only has 3 MP…. except I forgot to mention that Scizor can Mega Evolve, and this move restores 1 MP to itself when used by Mega Scizor. Handy, right? Combine this with a Move Gauge acceleration and damage boosting effect while Steel Zone is active and 100% odds of raising the team’s Defense every single time that Scizor attacks, and you’ve got an outstanding 3rd slot pick that buffs the team, harasses the opposition, basically doesn’t utilize the Move Gauge, and deals good damage all in one package.

Gameplay Variables

Like Barry & Heracross, Selene & Scizor is a Mega Evolution pair, meaning their Sync Move damage is going to be pretty low by comparison, and they require a pretty valuable investment to really get going. And, unfortunately, they also can’t self-max their own Attack stat on Mega Evolution, meaning they will need a bit of help from a Support unit to get there. However, unlike Barry & Heracross, their Sync Move can be a bit easier to justify using early game, as it auto-sets an extended Steel Zone, which has the advantage of setting up anyone paired with Selene & Scizor to potentially go thermonuclear directly after. And speaking of Steel Zone, it’s very important to use it cautiously with Selene & Scizor, as their performance drops through the floor when it’s not active due to needing to rely on Metal Claw to keep the Sync Move counter going.

If you’re going to go for Selene & Scizor, be ready for a bit of an investment in order to make the most of them. They really need to hit ⅗ to get their best stuff, with Steel Wish MP Refresh, Metallic Surge 9, Haymaker, and Steel Zone Extension 3 all standing out as huge goals to make them as strong as possible. It’s also worth mentioning that they definitely benefit from the Strike EX role if fully invested in, as their Sync Move damage is nothing to scoff at if enough buffs are applied, and they can potentially put large dents in the sides when Mega Evolving.

Team Options

Aside from appreciating a bit of help getting that last +2 Attack, Selene & Scizor excel when paired with powerful Steel Type attackers like Rose & Copperajah. One of their better pairings on that note has to be with a Steel-focused Sygna Suit Giovanni & Nidoking. This is a surprisingly good pairing, as the two mesh together almost perfectly. Giovanni & Nidoking have high Steel Type damage output, but are slow, frail, and can’t drop Steel Type Sync Moves. Well guess what? Selene & Scizor take little to nothing from the Move Gauge, can buff the team’s Defense passively, have great Steel Type damage output/the ability to inflict 100% probability Flinches to protect the their team from attacks, and can turn Giovanni & Nidoking’s damage-output up to 11 with Steel Zone.

Should You Pull?

Steel is currently one of the most under-represented types in Pokemon Masters in terms of damage-dealing capabilities. As of right now, we only have a small number of attackers that can keep up with the current standards for damage. In this light, an investment in Selene & Scizor has a two-fold return:

1. They give some good Steel Type damage in their own right while also helping existing damage-dealers.
2. They can potentially help a future Steel Type uber-attacker, which we are definitely going to get someday, to genuinely shine.

In this regard, Selene & Scizor are simultaneously an investment in the present and the future at the same time. While it’s true that we may see more Steel Zone support in the future, it’s hard to call Selene & Scizor anything other than great at the job regardless of what else may be on the horizon. I’d personally call this one of the better Sync Pair investment opportunities of April, 2024.

As stated in the opening to this article, our Pokemon Masters team is all but gone at this point in time, meaning we can’t reliably reference our own resources for accuracy. However, our Site Lead and well known member of the Pokemon Masters Community, Spark, has already rated the latest Sync Pairs in the most recent update to his Tier List. This list is one of the de-facto top resources for Pokemon Masters, and here’s how he’s rated all four of these new Sync Pairs:

• Volo & Togepi: Hybrid, S 
• Jacq & Farigiraf: Damage Dealer, S
• Special Costume Barry & Heracross: Damage Dealer, Uber
• Special Costume Selene & Scizor: Hybrid, S- 

Between this information and the information above, here’s a breakdown of pull priorities for this month:

• Barry & Heracross is probably the best overall option for most players. High damage output in an under-utilized type is always valuable, and the benefits of high AoE damage alongside semi-light move gauge requirements are always valuable.
• Volo & Togepi is a great investment for players lacking good options to help out in the team’s 3rd slot, and can be optimal for various team comps, but they tend to fall off in the face of competition. They’re never bad, but not frequently optimal.
• Jacq & Farigiraf are odd, but effective. They can score fairly high damage and aren’t terribly demanding when it comes to the move gauge, but their awkward strategy can leave them a bit ineffective and demanding at times. Again: never bad, but not frequently optimal.
• Selene & Scizor are best thought of as niche. When paired with some of our current top Steel Type attackers, they’re absolutely outstanding. However, they don’t tend to outright excel in general team comps. This is primarily a pull if you’re after a Steel Zone setter with the advantage of good damage output and little-to-no Move Gauge cost, otherwise they’re not going to offer much utility to most players.

Well, hopefully this has been helpful. Currently, we are planning on working on an article for May whenever we get the next datamine, though we may end up shortening it a bit when compared to this article. Either way, best of luck in all of your pulls this month!