Everything to know about Darkrai in Pokemon Unite
Darkrai is set to debut in Pokemon Unite on October 17, 2024, bringing its signature dark and eerie style to the battlefield. Known for its sleep-inducing abilities and overwhelming sinister aura, this mythical Pokemon promises to be a challenging but rewarding pick for players on the Aeos Island. Here is a breakdown of everything you need to know about Darkrai and its skills in the game.
Darkrai in Pokemon Unite: Overview
Darkrai is classified as a ranged Special Attacker with a unique ability to put opponents to sleep while dealing heavy burst damage. Despite being labeled as a speedster in the game, Darkrai does not have the mobility you would expect from that role. Instead, it behaves more like a bursty ranged attacker, specializing in taking down enemies from a distance.
- Role: Speedster
- Difficulty Level: Expert
Stats
- Offense: 4.5/5
- Endurance: 1.5/5
- Mobility: 3/5
- Scoring: 2/5
- Support: 2/5
Darkrai excels at capitalizing on sleeping enemies. Its passive ability allows it to deal damage over time to nearby sleeping opponents based on the target's maximum HP.
What is interesting about this ability is that the damage it inflicts does not wake up the affected Pokemon, giving Darkrai ample opportunity to follow up with powerful attacks.
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Darkrai in Pokemon Unite: Skill breakdown
Passive Ability: Bad Dreams
Darkrai’s passive ability, Bad Dreams, plays a pivotal role in its entire kit. Whenever a sleeping opponent is near it, they take ticking damage over time based on their maximum HP. This damage does not wake them up, allowing Darkrai to follow up with its powerful attacks.
Additionally, when a sleeping Pokemon takes damage, the next attack from Darkrai will deal increased damage, allowing for devastating combos.
Move 1: Hypnosis
Hypnosis is Darkrai’s early game bread and butter, putting enemies to sleep upon hit. The sleep effect triggers Bad Dreams, allowing Darkrai to deal continuous damage while keeping the enemy incapacitated.
Hitting a sleeping enemy also grants Darkrai a boosted attack, which deals extra special attack damage and has a massive range. This means Darkrai can strike enemies from a considerable distance once they are asleep, making it a threat even from afar.
Hypnosis sets the stage for Darkrai’s high burst damage. Once the enemy is asleep, Darkrai can follow up with devastating boosted attacks that can take down opponents swiftly.
Move 2: Calm Mind
Calm Mind is a straightforward skill that provides Darkrai with a temporary boost to its special attack, special defense, and movement speed. While this might not be as flashy as its other moves, it serves an important role in making Darkrai a little tankier and more mobile, which is essential for repositioning and surviving team fights.
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Darkrai in Pokemon Unite: Level 6 skills
At level 6, Darkrai gains access to its two primary attacking options.
1) Dark Void: This attack deals damage in a cone in front of Darkrai. When it hits, it marks the target, and after a short delay, the target falls asleep, activating the Bad Dreams passive. The attack has an impressive range and can hit multiple enemies, making it ideal for large clashes.
Upgrade Effect: Applies a slowing effect when hitting enemies.
2) Shadow Claw: Shadow Claw sends claw-like shadows emerging from the ground toward enemies in a linear path, marking and damaging them. Unlike Dark Void, this move provides two hits, with the first marking the enemy and the second dealing increased damage.
However, Shadow Claw has a narrower range, making it trickier to use.
Upgrade Effect: Increases the damage dealt by the move.
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Darkrai in Pokemon Unite: Level 7 skills
Once Darkrai reaches level 7, it unlocks two more powerful skills:
1) Nasty Plot: This is a dash move that increases Darkrai’s damage on the next attack. The ability has a stacking mechanic, allowing the Pokemon to store up to two charges of enhanced damage. Nasty Plot pairs well with Darkrai’s other abilities by adding extra burst damage while keeping Darkrai mobile.
Upgrade Effect: Resets this ability when putting an opponent to sleep, allowing additional dashes and combos.
2) Dark Pulse: Darkrai’s second dash option, Dark Pulse, is more complex. Darkrai dives into the ground in a shadowy form, allowing it to reposition and deal damage when it re-emerges from within seven fixed-positioned areas, similar to Hoopa's rings or Ceruledge's Phantom Force.
While in this form, Darkrai can interact with its other moves for additional damage or even put enemies to sleep again.
Upgrade Effect: Grants a shield when this move hits an opponent, providing extra bulk.
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Darkrai's Unite Move: Worst Nightmare
Darkrai’s Unite Move, Worst Nightmare, is a sure-hit move that pulls enemies into the dark nightmare realm, putting them to sleep and dealing damage over time. Here, you single out one Pokemon on the opponent side and have a 1v1 clash with them.
This move resets all of Darkrai’s cooldowns, allowing it to unleash a rapid sequence of high-damage moves.
This makes Dark Nightmare one of the most powerful Unite Moves in the game, as it can completely reset the fight by neutralizing key enemies and enabling Darkrai to chain together its attacks for devastating results.
When combined with Darkrai’s other abilities, Dark Nightmare can lead to game-changing moments, as the Pokemon can repeatedly put enemies to sleep, deal enormous burst damage, and escape unscathed.
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Darkrai brings a high-risk, high-reward playstyle to Pokemon Unite. Its ability to put enemies to sleep while dishing out massive damage makes it a nightmare for squishy targets and team fights. However, its low mobility and expert-level mechanics mean it won’t be easy to master.
For players who can handle its complex combos and time their skills correctly, Darkrai has the potential to dominate battles and carry games with its explosive power.
Whether you prefer long-range attacks or aggressive dive tactics, Darkrai offers plenty of flexibility and will likely become a favorite among skilled Pokemon Unite players.
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