Written by Tangent444, Nesabethan and NHoff

Graphic by g47ix

 

Event Details

 

On Saturday October 9th, 2021 (11 AM - 5 PM local time) Duskull, the Requiem Pokémon, will be appearing more in the wild & will be available as a shiny Pokémon (though certainly not for the first time)! The event bonus will be 3x catch stardust alongside incense and lure modules lasting for three hours. Remember - since Duskull is a Ghost Pokémon, you can Mega-Evolve a Mega Gengar to earn an extra Duskull Candy on each catch!

 

There will be a special one-time-purchase Community Day Box (available for 1,280 PokéCoins) that will feature 50 Ultra Balls, four Incense, four Star Pieces, and an Elite Charge TM.

 

Dusknoir will learn the Charged Attack Shadow Ball when evolved between 11AM and 7PM local time on the 9th. 

 

So what does this do for Dusknoir in PVP battles?

 

Unfortunately, this isn’t enough to make Dusknoir a strong consideration in PvP. Dusknoir currently learns the fast attacks Hex and Astonish, and the charge attacks Ominous Wind, Dark Pulse, and Psychic. Frustration and Return are also learnable on Shadow and Purified Dusknoir, respectively. If that array of charge attacks sounds familiar, it is because fellow ghost Cofagrigus is able to learn both Dark Pulse and Psychic alongside Shadow Ball. With Dusknoir now receiving Shadow Ball, it has essentially the same options as Cofagrigus does.

 

Cofagrigus is one of the stronger options in Great and Ultra League, does that mean Dusknoir will also be good?

 

Shadow Ball is certainly an improvement to Dusknoir’s repertoire. Unfortunately, there are many counter points that indicate that Dusknoir is not going to make an impact in PvP, especially when directly compared to Cofagrigus. First, the fast moves hold it back. While Dusknoir’s Hex is a solid move, it can’t compare with Cofagrigus’ Shadow Claw. Second, Cofagrigus has a decent-sized bulk advantage over Dusknoir in both Great and Ultra league and neither reach a high enough CP to make an impact in Master League. Dusknoir is lacking any low energy charge move, leaving it slow, predictable, limited on upside, and without an answer to Dark and Normal types. Cofagrigus has a few of the same problems but Shadow Claw is a move that allows it to overcome these limitations. Dusknoir cannot do the same, and it shows with underwhelming win/loss records in both Great and Ultra League.

 

Does this mean this is a Community Day worth skipping? 

 

Not entirely. The 3x stardust bonus is always a good bonus for those looking to gather more dust, and it is still wise to stock up on some Shadow Ball Dusknoir. At the current moment, Dusknoir will not see significant play in PvP, but you never know when that might change. Move updates happen and there are plenty of moves Dusknoir could see added at a later time. In the Main Series Games, it can learn Shadow/Fire/Ice/Thunder Punch, Payback, Rock Slide, Icy Wind, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Earthquake, Body Slam, Focus Blast, Counter, and Dynamic Punch, amongst other moves. It is very likely that you will also want to have Shadow Ball on Dusknoir if and when new moves get added, so make sure you have one for Great League and one for Ultra League in the bag. Recall that a Pokémon like Roserade arrived with lower levels of enthusiasm, but has since received two moveset buffs (Poison Jab buff and the addition of Leaf Storm) and that has allowed it to see play in some Great League themed cups (Silph Arena in particular) and Ultra League. The first Legend in Season 8 Go Battle League even achieved that tier using a Roserade. Now is the best time to future proof yourself with Dusknoir. Ultra League Dusknoir will require some Candy XL so now is a great time to stock up without feeling any pressure.  

 

Additionally, Dusclops is a solid Pokémon in Great League and can find play in themed cups. However it is often preferred as a purified Pokémon in order to either utilize Return (to give it a high damage move it otherwise would be lacking), or to bluff that it might be running Return while running two other moves. This means getting a good IV Dusclops is better achieved from grinding Rocket Grunts and searching for a good IV purified Dusclops, although the XL candies you gain during Community Day can help as Dusclops requires Candy XL to reach its highest stat product. 

 

While hunting be sure to use the [GO Stadium rank checker](https://www.stadiumgaming.gg/rank-checker) to help you find out if that 0/14/13 Dusknoir is good for Great League or if that 0/15/15 is any good for Ultra League.

 

Most of all - stay safe and have fun this Community Day!