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ohthehypocrisy · 2 months

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Lanturn for Pokemon Unite!

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When pokemon turns an existing animal into an inspired creation, there are loads of creative liberties that need to be taken in order to blend together realism with fantasy. Like a two headed giraffe or a metal pincher monster bug. Lanturn as a pokemon is very far removed from its real life counterpart, but I don't hear anyone complaining about it, especially knowing what angler fish really look like.

Instead, what we got is an adorable little light fish that can brighten up anyone's day. Let's see if it can bring that positive attitude to Pokemon Unite.

I'll be honest, I always forget that Lanturn has a very high HP stat, as it doesn't look that fat in its sprite. Maybe it has a bit of chub to it, but most fatty fish live in the cold, like the arctic or the deep...dark. Ah, I get it. Well, HP is Lanturn's most impressive stat for sure, but its other numbers are pretty underwhelming. All that Lanturn has going for it is high HP and a helpful night light, so for that reason, I designate Lanturn with the role of a...

Supporter

Basic Attack - Ranged/Sp. Attack

The user casts light from its antennae, enveloping all pokemon in its warming glow. While glowing, ally pokemon have their hindrances weakened and hastened. This glow expands when Bubble, Ion Deluge, or Bubble Beam are within range.

The light glow envelops and affects the area all around the user. The range is equal to that of a ranged basic attack.

Allies within the basic attack will receive 50% less effects from hindrances. These hindrances also have their duration halved.

Chinchou and Lanturn are not protected by these effects.

The basic attack button must be held to use this effect. Mashing the button causes the light to turn on and off, making it less effective.

Bubble, Ion Deluge, and Bubble Beam expands the range of this light glow by 25% while the moves are within the area of effect.

Hindrances are everywhere in Pokemon Unite, so it helps to have some sort of protection against these effects. Like a bright candle, Lanturn's basic attack casts away these hindrances as if they were shadows in the night.

Well, it's not exactly hindrance protection, since that would be OP for a basic attack. Instead, Lanturn's basic attack weakens the effect of hindrances and hastens their duration, making them half as effective overall when inflicted. A 1 second Stun is shortened to 0.5 seconds, and a debilitating debuff is weakened substantially while in the glow of your basic attack.

This is great and all, but it does require Lanturn to be within range of its teammates in order to provide this protection. As if that's a bad thing, Supporters are supposed to support, you know?

However, the protection granted by this basic attack does not affect Lanturn itself, since it is used to having the lights on all the time. One stray hindrance can stop Lanturn from casting its light briefly, compromising the safety of the team. If you don't want to get singled out by the enemy, make sure the team you're supporting also supports you.

Support the Supporters.

Ability: Illuminate

Reveals any invisible or hiding enemies nearby. Reduces damage received from affected enemies by 75%.

Opposing pokemon hiding in Tall Grass or under the effects of Stealth and Invisibility will be revealed to you and all allies while they're within the area of effect of Illuminate.

It should be noted that Illuminate will not cancel the Stealth or Invisibility effects of opposing pokemon when revealed, such as Sableye's Shadow Sneak or Dragapult's Shadow Force.

If an enemy is exposed to the anti-Stealth effect of Illuminate, the damage they deal to Chinchou/Lanturn is reduced by 75%. If they deliberately reveal themselves, the damage reducing effect of Illuminate will not activate.

Invisibility effects have been as terrifying as they are annoying, ever since the beginning of the game. Greninja's Smokescreen and Gengar's Unite Move, Phantom Ambush, were sneaky but fair, but things got really bad with the introduction of Sableye's Prankster ability.

Now, most of these invisibility effects have markers that pop up when these tricky jokesters are nearby, but that doesn't make it less frustrating when one pops up out of nowhere and ruins your plans. And don't even get me started on the ambush plays from Tall Grass.

If you've cried about these invisibility effects before, it sounds like you need a Lanturn on your team. Lanturn's ability, Illuminate, reveals enemies in hiding when they are nearby. It doesn't matter if they're invisible or camping out in Tall Grass, Lanturn's light will reveal them to the enemy team.

If an invisible enemy is revealed and tries to attack Lanturn, the Illuminate ability will drastically soften the blow. It has something to do with the bright light shining right into their eyes and limiting their power or something like that. The point is, if Lanturn leads the way with its bright light, any enemy revealed by Illuminate will have their opening attack greatly reduced.

This effect only works on enemies exposed by Illuminate, so if the opponent comes out of hiding, the damage reduction effect will not trigger. Lanturn is pretty bulky for a Supporter, but any amount of burst damage will KO you, so wade these dark waters carefully.

Cast away the darkness, our shining glimmer of hope.

At the beginning of the game, Lanturn will start out as Chinchou. You can choose between Flash and Bubble as your first move. By Level 2, you'll have learned both.

Move 1: Flash

The user emits a bright light directly forward, damaging enemies and obscuring their vision if they were directly facing the user. Bubble expands the range of this attack. 8s cooldown.

Similar to Sableye's Unite Move, Phantom Ambush, Flash will only obscure the vision of opposing pokemon if they were directly facing you. The Vision Obscuring effect lasts for 3 seconds.

If Bubble is in range, Flash expands by 50%. Ion Deluge and Bubble Beam do this too, but Flash gets replaced first after evolving so this most likely won't happen.

Camera Flash Emoji. That's basically what the move Flash is, an unexpected blast of light in your general direction.

Now, that bright light does disorient the enemy if you manage to hit them in the face with this attack. Just like how Absol's Pursuit is reliant on the position of the enemy, Flash requires the enemy to look at you when you light up. It's a great way to punish the enemy for trying to go for a push, as a direct hit will obscure their vision for 3 seconds.

The range may be a bit hard to get used to, though. You can increase it with Bubble, since light refracts off of reflective surfaces. Bubble is your other move, by the way.

Move 2: Bubble

The user shoots a water bubble directly forward. When an ally crosses paths with Bubble, it envelops them and grants them a small shield. The bubble will pop if an enemy touches it. 6.5s cooldown.

Bubble as a projectile stops moving shortly after it is launched. It lingers in the air for about 5 seconds before it pops, damaging nearby enemies.

An ally can touch the bubble to gain 5% shield. An ally can only take one bubble shield at a time. Chinchou and Lanturn cannot receive this shield.

Bubble covers an ally with a visible veil of water when it grants them a shield. Flash, Confuse Ray, and Signal Beam have their range expanded if an ally with this shield effect is also in range.

Bubbles are fun. They're bouncy, they make a nice little pop when they blow up, and they also double as a protective barrier made of water to ward against the elements. Ok, maybe not like that, but if they were big enough, they could be.

As an attack, Bubble has Chinchou or Lanturn launch a water orb directly forward. It doesn't reach very far nor does it hit hard, but it does two things for you and your allies.

For one, Bubble refracts light, so it will extend the reach of Flash, and Confuse Ray or Signal Beam when you learn it. This makes it easier to hit multiple enemies at once with your moves, possibly disorientating the entire opposing team. That's a bit dramatic for what's supposed to be an early game move, but it's possible.

For your teammates, it grants a weak shield that they can use and wear like a protective barrier. I mean, it's just water, so it's not a very big shield, but any amount is helpful, especially for the weak power level of the early game.

Both effects can be utilized at once, as the bubble shield isn't just a visual effect. It'll still expand the range of Flash and your other moves while it's being worn by an ally, so you have a very good shot of winning the 2-v-2 fight in the Top or Bottom Lane.

Remember to say cheese.

At Level 5, Chinchou evolves into Lanturn. At the same time, Flash becomes either Confuse Ray or Signal Beam.

Move 1a: Confuse Ray

The user flashes a sinister light directly forward, damaging nearby enemies. If an opposing pokemon was directly facing the user, they will be forced to approach the user. Bubble, Ion Deluge, and Bubble Beam expands the range of this move. 6s cooldown.

At Level 10, Confuse Ray becomes Confuse Ray+.

The flash comes out faster. Reduced cooldown.

Just like Flash, Confuse Ray affects enemies that directly faced the user when the move comes out. Affected enemies will be forced to move towards the user for 1.25 seconds and cannot attack or use items while controlled.

It takes Confuse Ray 0.75 seconds to come out as a conical flash of light. Confuse Ray+ reduces this startup time to 0.25 seconds and reduces the cooldown of the move to 5 seconds.

If Bubble, Ion Deluge, or Bubble Beam are within range, the area of effect expands by 30%.

Sometimes a teammate overestimates their abilities and they overextend. It happens sometimes. It just sucks that they get KO'd and the EXP they drop powers up the opposing team, turning a handsome Level advantage into a detrimental stalemate. We all have that lapse in judgement now and then, but what if it happens because of an attack?

The hypnotic effects of Confuse Ray forces all who directly observe the beam to be drawn into the light. It's not meant to deal big damage, but rather to disrupt the enemy team's positioning and create an opening for you and your team. It pulls Defenders and All-Rounders closer towards you, away from their backup, and exposes them to the hungry jaws of your vengeful teammates.

Of course, Confuse Ray needs to actually hit the enemy dead on, which is easy enough. Except that the whole hypnotic effect is a little too overpowered, even when it's brief, so Confuse Ray comes with a short 3/4th of a second charge time before the flash comes out. This makes it very slow, but hey, this means that any enemy that gets hit by the flash can't complain about the move being hard to dodge. At least Confuse Ray+ shortens the charge time and cooldown, but even still, don't look at it and you'll be fine.

It also doesn't help Lanturn all that much if they land the Confuse Ray attack but they don't have any allies nearby to capitalize on the effect. Can't really do much damage by yourself, now can you?

If you want another way to confound the enemy, maybe Signal Beam is preferred.

Move 1b: Signal Beam

A confounding beam of sound and light is fired directly forward. If this move deals constant damage to an enemy, they will be Stunned for a considerable amount of time. Bubble, Ion Deluge, and Bubble Beam expands the range of this move. 9.5s cooldown.

At Level 10, Signal Beam becomes Signal Beam+.

It takes less damage to confuse the enemy.

Signal Beam deals constant damage over time in the designated direction. It continuously fires in the designated direction and can be directed with the right control stick while Signal Beam is active. Signal Beam lasts for 5 seconds.

If Signal Beam deals 15% total damage to an enemy, that enemy will be Stunned for 2 seconds. Signal Beam+ reduces this requirement to 12.5% damage.

This effect only occurs if Signal Beam deals damage directly to the enemy. It must deal damage directly to the enemy's HP, not their shields or other protective effects. Sp. Defense buffs do not impede this effect.

Signal Beam will have its range extended by 30% if it crosses paths with Bubble, Ion Deluge, or Bubble Beam.

I never quite understood Signal Beam. I mean, I know it's a light type attack, but why is it a Bug Type move? It's one of those things about Pokemon that you roll with, even though you don't quite understand it.

I know Lanturn understands how to use Signal Beam, though, as the move casts not only light, but also sound and energy. By focusing this attack through its antennae, it scrambles the air waves in such a way that prolonged contact can cause confusion and hysteria, mostly confusion.

That's not an exaggeration either. If Signal Beam deals 15% direct damage to the enemy, they'll be hit with a debilitating 2 seconds of Stun. That's longer than most Sleep effects! And it's not like Lanturn's Sp. Attack stat is bad enough that it can't do this consistently, so how is it fair?

Well, the devil is in the details, and it requires that this be dealt to the enemy directly. Signal Beam can only Stun enemies hit directly and unprotected by any shields, of which they are really easy to get a hold of. You won't see Signal Beam accomplishing much attacking opponents on their own Goal Zone, as the shields and healing will counteract the effects of the move.

The move is pretty easy to avoid as well. The range of Signal Beam is pretty small, and requires Bubble, Ion Deluge, or Bubble Beam to extend the range to be a significant threat to the opposing team. But even so, the enemy can simply move out of the way of the beam before they take the full 15% damage. At least Signal Beam+ reduces this requirement to 12.5%, but at this point in the game, shields are very common, especially through Buddy Barrier.

Neither Signal Beam or Confuse Ray are very effective without any teammates around to back you up. You need an ally Attacker or Speedster to nab the KO on an enemy controlled by Confuse Ray and you need a Defender or Attacker to tear away shields so that Signal Beam can Stun something. Geez, playing as a Supporter by yourself must be frustrating.

But if you can get your team to cooperate, you can reward them greatly with the upgrade to Bubble.

At Level 8, Bubble becomes either Ion Deluge or Bubble Beam.

Move 2a: Ion Deluge

The user scatters electric particles forward, causing them to float in the air or attach to pokemon. When attached to an ally, the particles burst when the ally receives effects from a move, negating the effects and hindrances the move would inflict. When attached to an enemy, the particles burst when an ally damages them with a move, adding a brief Stun. 9s cooldown.

At Level 12, Ion Deluge becomes Ion Deluge+.

Scatters more ion particles in a wider area.

Ion Deluge unleashes three electric orbs that float in the air for 9 seconds. When attached to a pokemon, they will linger for 10 seconds. Ion Deluge+ scatters 5 orbs in a wider area.

When attached to an ally, Ion Deluge negates the effects and hindrances inflicted on them by opposing pokemon once, though it will not reduce damage received. An ally can only have one attached Ion Deluge particle at a time, though they can get more after it bursts.

When attached to an enemy, any damage received from an ally's moves gain 0.25 seconds of Stun. This Stun hindrance will not combine with any Stun hindrances used by other moves. Lanturn cannot activate this effect.

Similar to Bubble, Confuse Ray and Signal Beam have their range extended when an affected pokemon is in range of these moves.

There are some people out there that insist that electricity is good for you, in the sense that a small controlled amount is beneficial. Sort of like how slices of cucumbers in the eyes or boiling hot mud does wonders for one's skin complexion. Well, I suppose it must be good for something, because Lanturn has figured out how to use Ion Deluge to keep its teammates healthy with ailment warding electric particles.

Ion Deluge sticks to allies when it's thrown out, visible by a small field of crackling electricity. If an ally gets hit by a move that would inflict a hindrance or a debuff, the sparks pop and negate these effects. It won't reduce the damage received and only triggers once, but one instance of protection is what most All-Rounders or Defenders need to deal with problematic opponents. You can arm 3 out of your 4 teammates with these particles, or save them all for one reliable partner. You can only stick one particle to an ally at a time, but nothing is stopping them from reapplying the particles repeatedly.

It can also stick to enemies too, though it will do more harm for them. The particles will react to moves used by your team, bursting and Stunning the enemy briefly. And I mean briefly, as in, a quarter of a second brief. Most moves come with their own Stun effect, so it won't serve to exacerbate the hindrance any more than it already does. The point of the extra Stun is to add extra value to moves that can't Stun, like Decidueye's Spirit Shackle or Machamp's Cross Chop. In this way, you're helping allies make up for their shortcomings by augmenting their abilities.

Ion Deluge+ throws out more electric particles in a wider area, making it easier to influence the battlefield by affecting more pokemon. Also, don't forget that the particles expand the range of Confuse Ray and Signal Beam, drastically increasing your reach and ability to support the team. Whether the particles are floating about or they're protecting your allies like armor, your presence will be known, like a beacon in the darkness.

Shine on, little fish.

Move 2b: Bubble Beam

The user launches multiple bubbles forward, each one granting an ally a small shield. Multiple bubbles can be taken at once, combining to create a big shield. 7.5s cooldown.

At Level 12, Bubble Beam becomes Bubble Beam+.

Grants bigger shields.

A line of 4 bubbles is launched forward in the designated direction.

Each bubble grants 5% shield to an ally. Each one can also be taken by a single ally and combine to grant a 20% shield.

Bubble Beam+ has each bubble grant 6% shield, which can combine to grant a 24% shield to a single ally.

Bubble Beam bubbles linger in the air for 5 seconds before popping on their own. They will deal damage in a small area in this way but can also pop when an enemy touches one.

Just like Bubble, Bubble Beam grants allies a visible veil of water as a shield, which will expand the range of Confuse Ray and Signal Beam when used within range.

The shield granted by Bubble Beam will not exceed 24% if the cooldown is manipulated in such a way that multiple bubbles from different uses of Bubble Beam attach to an ally.

Now, as crazy as this sounds, maybe your team doesn't need hindrance protection. I know, this sounds really insane, but sometimes your allies are better equipped against hindrances than you'd expect. Or maybe your team is so squishy that any protection against hindrances won't matter. In that case, maybe with a big enough shield they can survive a surprise attack or two. Time to bring on the bubbles.

While Lanturn is perfectly capable of using high power moves like Hydro Pump or Discharge, it is responsible enough to take its role as a Supporter seriously that it is willing to power down to maintain this disposition. That, and Bubble Beam is the natural progression of the shield granting effect of Bubble, times 4.

Four bubbles, four of them. Each one provides a shield to an ally when they're picked up, and each one can combine to create an even bigger shield. Because of the low cooldown of the move, you can expect to reapply the shield to a different ally, improving your team's odds of winning the fight for an objective. I mean, you could have each teammate take one shield each, but the shield will be small as a result.

In the heat of battle, this will probably happen a few times, intentionally or not. Hey, it's better than nothing, and most of the time, it'll be a Defender or All-Rounder that will be caught in the middle. Attackers and Speedsters are responsible enough to not get caught in these full party scuffles, usually.

Bubble Beam also deals respectable damage, since the enemy might get in the way of the attack. You know, just in case they think they can take the shield for themselves. You can hit an enemy four times with each bubble, but then you'd have to wait for the move to come off of cooldown before you can use it again to give an ally a shield. If you're caught by the enemy all by yourself, though, it's a decent attack to rely on, and can pack some mean KO power.

It's like how, if you were to use the correct combination of items, you could turn a Supporter like Eldegoss or Blissey into a strong Sp. Attacker. Lanturn has a bit of edge in that regard.

Unite Move: Spotlight Secure

The user casts a bright beacon that shines down on the battlefield. The beacon can be directed, shining down and highlighting opposing pokemon. If an opposing pokemon is exposed to the beacon, they will be Stunned briefly and have their vision obscured, and have their Defense and Sp. Defense reduced greatly for a while afterwards.

When activated, Spotlight Secure shifts the camera to zoom out and expand, and a spotlight with Lanturn's face beams downward onto the ground.

This spotlight beam can be controlled and moved around at a fixed speed to direct and highlight opposing pokemon, whether they are in hiding or invisible. Spotlight Secure lasts for 12 seconds or until Lanturn is damaged.

When the spotlight beam hits an opposing pokemon, they will be Stunned for 1.5 seconds and have their Vision Obscured for 2.5 seconds. Their Defense and Sp. Defense will also be reduced by 50% for 6 seconds. Spotlight Secure cannot affect an enemy twice.

Spotlight Secure can only shine down in a wide area around Lanturn and will not reach past this area of effect.

You ever used a magnifying glass to burn ants on a clear day? If you did, you will be judged, silently, but also you understand how this Unite Move works. I don't quite understand how Lanturn is able to control this massive beam of light from the ground, but we can pretend it's using Solar Beam. Oh wait, Lanturn can't learn Solar Beam. Uhh...

The light beam Lanturn is using for its Unite Move, Spotlight Secure, is filled with powerful electricity, which is why when an opposing pokemon is caught in the beam, it Stuns and blinds them momentarily. Now, the beam of light doesn't move all that fast, it's only normal movement speed that doesn't get affected by any modifiers, but it can be directed over walls and obstacles, which helps chase down enemies.

Really, it's their own fault for getting caught, as the beam is bright and obvious, what with Lanturn's beaming face visible in the light glow. It'll even reveal enemies that are hiding in Tall Grass or under any invisibility effects, though you won't have Illuminate helping you reveal enemies.

As far as Supporter Unite Moves go, Spotlight Secure is pretty powerful in how it hinders enemies and helps allies. I've already mentioned that it Stuns enemies for a little while and obscures their vision, but it also halves the Defense and Sp. Defense of enemies caught in the light. With proper coordination, you can turn what would've been an ambush into a reverse team wipe, as the enemy will be forced out of hiding with Spotlight Secure coming their way.

As powerful as this is, it does have one glaring drawback. Lanturn focuses a lot of energy into casting and maintaining this light show, so if it gets hits, it'll lose concentration and the Unite Move will be cancelled. This is really bad if you get caught, if. The range of Spotlight Secure is large enough that you don't need to be close to the battlefield to expose nearby enemies in hiding, though keep in mind that it doesn't reach everywhere.

Watch out for ambushes too. Just like how aiming Dragonite's Unite Move, Draco Impact, takes the focus of the camera away from the pokemon, Spotlight Secure requires you to visually aim and direct the beam of light while it's active. It's best used a fair distance away from Objectives like Regieleki or the Bottom Regi, as these are hotly contested areas and the opposing team may prefer to ambush your team in order to increase the odds of securing the lead. Just make sure your hiding spot isn't too obvious, as opposing Speedsters or Attackers can rush in to shut down your light show before you can make the enemy team see the light.

With a bright enough light, you can see anything, even one's inner soul.

Achievements

Expand the range of either Confuse Ray or Signal Beam to affect multiple opposing pokemon at once.

Lanturn is very good at casting a bright light, so in order to master this pokemon, you must master the light yourself.

Both Confuse Ray and Signal Beam can combine with either Ion Deluge or Bubble Beam to extend their range, though actually affecting opposing pokemon will be the tricky part. Note that the achievement requires you to 'affect' opposing pokemon, not damage them. In order to score points with this achievement, you need to not only successfully hinder enemies with these moves, but you must do so while their range is expanded.

Not much else to it other than to plan carefully and coordinate with your allies. Confuse Ray has a bit of a short startup before flashing and Signal Beam requires constant damage to an enemy without a shield, so make sure you're well positioned to use either move.

And make sure you've got allies backing you up. Can't really extract any benefits from hindering the enemy without an ally nearby.

Holowear

As far as looks go, Lanturn is a bit one-note. I mean, a dainty little orb of light on top of a fish doesn't really scream stylish, so let's spool together some fashion for this flashy fish.

Starting things off, Sleepy Style Holowear gives Lanturn a night cap, some comfy PJs, and an eye mask sitting under its antennae, to help those with anxieties about sleeping in the dark while not losing any sleep itself. Starry Style Holowear decorates Lanturn in star pins and ribbons to help make it shine like a star in the night sky, you know, more than it already does. Since that antennae helps with it catching prey, Fishing Style Holowear makes sense for it, giving it a fisherman's cap and a fishing vest. Huh, a fish going fishing. To help catch the bad guys, Enforcer Style Holowear gives Lanturn a police cap, a police suit, and a utility belt stocked with sprays, pellets, snacks, and a short stick baton. And finally, to make Lanturn the center of attention, Holiday Style Holowear dresses it up with red and white ribbons, sparkly wreaths of pine, baubles and ornaments, and fixes a star around Lanturn's gleaming antennae. To light up this starry night, holy night.

Strategy

Lights, camera, action! Playing as Lanturn requires you to be very involved in combat with a fellow teammate in order to get the most out of your contributions. Because of how Lanturn's moves combo together, it also requires coordination with an ally and enough wit for them to capitalize on the openings you provide.

First off, let's recap on what the basic attack does for Lanturn. It's a wide ranged light glow that damages all enemies nearby, but the damage multiplier is weak for what your Sp. Attack stat is. The main point of the basic attack is to protect your teammates by limiting their exposure to hindrances. Reducing their effectiveness and duration by half is a very valuable ability, but it requires you to be nearby an ally suffering from a hindrance, and therefore near an enemy on the opposing team.

It's lights out if you get hit, though, as Lanturn cannot protect itself in this way, so a hindrance hitting you dead-on will be fully effective. You're already giving more for your teammates than what you're receiving, so it's on the teammate to protect you in kind.

Most Supporters operate best when fighting from the back row, as they can safely support the team and be as involved as they can in this way. Lanturn is just as effective leading forwards thanks to its Illuminate ability revealing hiding enemies. This would make it vulnerable to ambushes, but Illuminate also drastically reduces the damage of enemies exposed by your light glow, softening the blow from the impending surprise attack. With a fellow Attacker by your side, you can foil a sneak attack in this way, giving your team the edge when it comes to fights surrounding the objective.

As for the actual moves, Confuse Ray and Signal Beam are powerful hindrance moves, but they require proper execution as explained before. You can use the cover of Tall Grass to hide the charge time of Confuse Ray, but it'll be more effective in the confusion of a team fight, provided your bulkiest allies are at the forefront of the scuffle. Signal Beam is also more effective when defending a Goal Zone or around Objectives than opposing Goal Zones, since the enemy is guaranteed to have a shield provided to them. Although, it's better to hold your fire until the enemy team has exhausted their shields from Buddy Barrier and their opening moves that provide shields, like Charizard's Flare Blitz and Metagross's Gyro Ball.

Speaking of shields, the protections you can grant to allies through Ion Deluge or Bubble Beam are not to be underestimated. Ion Deluge can protect 3 teammates at once with ionized electric particles that mutes any debuffs and hindrances received from opposing moves, though it won't soften the damage received. Ion Deluge+ drops 5 ionized particles, which is more than enough for the whole team. Lanturn can't use these particles itself, but an ally can reapply a particle when one is used up, negating as many debuffs and hindrances received as they can take. Oh, and these particles do the opposite effect when stuck to teammates, adding a very brief amount of Stun to moves when they are received by a teammate.

They don't increase the damage taken, but that's fine. Ion Deluge is about neutralizing the effect of moves, not reducing their damage. Bubble Beam, on the other hand, is all about reducing damage, as each bubble provides a small shield, and each bubble can be combined to increase the shield received. It shoots out four bubbles, one for each ally, but the shield will be small in this way. It's better for one or two allies to split these shields up evenly, since shields don't last forever. Bubble Beam deals damage since Ion Deluge can't, but it deals a surprising amount of damage to enemies, considering Lanturn's ability to use high powered attacks like Surf and Thunder. Just because it's holding back doesn't mean it won't hurt.

Finally, we need to talk about the Unite Move, Spotlight Secure, once again. Since it requires all of your focus to aim and direct this move, using the Unite Move can leave you exposed to surprise attacks, especially long range moves like Lucario's Aura Cannon or Decidueye's Nock Nock. It only takes one hit to cancel the Unite Move, so make sure to pick a safe spot to cast this beam of light.

The range of Spotlight Secure is wide and vast, but it cannot reach everywhere. Say for instance, you use Spotlight Secure in the Tall Grass near the jump pads in Theia Sky Ruins in the Central Area. You can direct the light beam to as far as the central pit and some of the Tall Grass nearby, but not to the other side in Top or Bottom Lane. You can cast this paralyzing glow over some of the well known hiding spots around the Central Area, but not all of them.

The speed of the light beam is also static as well, you cannot affect this with an X Speed or anything like that since this is a Unite Move projectile, technically speaking. You can direct it over walls and obstacles, but you won't be able to chase down Speedsters or Attackers that really don't want to get caught. You also won't see invisible pokemon in view, unless they're within Illuminate range of Lanturn itself, though you'll have bigger problems to worry about in that instance.

The main appeal of Spotlight Secure is to use it in tandem with an ally and counter any ambushes the opposing team might try to pull off. If an ally is nearby a potential hiding spot, Spotlight Secure can safely cast down into the Tall Grass to check for enemies. If you guess right, the enemy will be Stunned for 1.5 seconds, blinded for 2.5 seconds, and have their Defense and Sp. Defense halved for 6 seconds. With the right teammate nearby ready to take advantage of the opening you create here, it will most likely be game over for the caught opponents.

You don't have to take a shot in the dark, when you've got a powerful light shining your way. The deep dark is yours to conquer.

And that's Lanturn for Pokemon Unite! Just because a new generation of pokemon is over and done with doesn't mean we can't give some special attention to the favorites of old! I certainly appreciate the novelty of a Water and Electric Type, you know, before Rotom took it away. Ah well, time marches on.

That'll be it from me for this week. See ya!

#Pokemon Unite #Lanturn #Chinchou

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