Summary
Pokerogueis afan-made gamethat has become incredibly popular in recent months, and for good reason. The game is incredibly addicting and is incredibly creative with the way it’s taken the basePokemongame structure and turned it into a tower-climbing roguelike browser/mobile game. Content creators, in particular, have played a large part inPokerogue’ssurge in popularity with all their challenge attempts and Classic Mode runs.
Classic Mode inPokerogueinvolves climbing 200 floors, battling Boss Pokemon, Trainers, and even a Rival along the way with everything culminating in a final battle against Eternatus and Eternamax Eternatus at the final floor. This final battle against Eternatus is exceedingly brutal, especially since players have to start over from the beginning if they lose. But, with the right Pokemon, beating Eternatus is actually possible, so let’s go over some of the most well-known recommendations for battling this godlike Legendary Pokemon.
8Garganacl
Salt Cure is Overpowered
First up has to be Garganacl. This thing is not only a fantastic Pokemon but is especially amazing for fighting Eternatus for one specific reason, Salt Cure. Salt Cure is the signature move of Naclstack and by extension Garganacl, and it has 40 Power and 100 Accuracy, which might not sound all that great. However, the extra effect of Salt Cure is that it deals 1/8th of the opponent’s Max HP per turn after it’s used against them once (and can be used against them multiple times, though the extra effect won’t stack).
Because Eternatus and Eternamax Eternatus have such absurdly high health that’s broken into segments, the amount of damage this move deals per turn is staggering. Additionally, once Eternatus, or any Boss Pokemon for that matter, has their health fully drained from a segment, they can’t heal back up past it, so this almost entirely nullifies Eternatus' potential for healing as well.
7Tinkaton
Any Steel & Fairy-Type Pokemon is Very Strong
In particular, when it comes to the more difficult battles in Classic Mode forPokerogue, two types are pretty universally helpful, Fairy and Steel. Technically Ice-type moves have more uses than Steel, butSteel-type Pokemon are a lot tougher to beatthan Ice-types. So, a strong Pokemon that’s both Fairy and Steel with access to powerful Fairy and Steel moves (AKA with STAB bonuses) is an absolute powerhouse against Eternatus.
And, that Pokemon is named Tinkaton. Tinkaton is a 9th-generation Pokemon with a Signature Move called Gigaton Hammer (which is Steel-type) and is able to learn the Fairy-type Move Play Rough. Even with just these two moves alone, Tinkaton has the potential to solo Eternatus, which is exactly why it’s so popular overall inPokerogue.
6Heatran
With the Proper Egg Move Unlocked
This next recommendation is very specific, but if you happen to be lucky enough to get it, then a Classic Mode win is very likely in your near future. Essentially, the player first needs to get Heatran fromPokerogue’sEgg Gacha, however not just any Heatran.
They need to get Heatran with a specific egg move unlocked, that move of course being Torch Song. Torch Song is maybe one of the strongest moves in all ofPokerogue, if notPokemonas a whole, as it’s an 80 Power 100 AccuracyFire-type Movethat, on every hit, raises the user’s Special Attack by one stage. Now, in a standardPokemongame, this would be great at sweeping an entire party of Pokemon, but inPokerogueany stat changes stay in effect until the game forcibly returns the player’s Pokemon back to their hand. Because of this, Heatran can either work its Special Attack to absurd levels mid-battle or clear the 150+ floors all on its own as long as it survives the first couple of usages of Torch Song.
5Skeledirge
The ‘Torch Song Tactic’ Poster Child
Now for probably the most obvious recommendation on here, Skeledirge. Skeledirge is the final evolution of Fuecoco,the fire starter from the 9th Generation ofPokemon, and it’s a Fire/Ghost-type Pokemon. Skeledirge is honestly a powerhouse of a starter Pokemon, with some great base stats in Health, Defense, and Special Attack. But, inPokerogue, it’s an unstoppable monster due to its Signature Move, Torch Song.
As mentioned in the Heatran recommendation above, Torch Song is an absurdly strong move, but it’s even better on Skeledirge due to its typing. With Heatran, there are a lot of Pokemon or moves that might be able to OHKO Heatran due to its typing ordue to it being a slower Pokemon. Skeledirge, however, has a decent base speed and is Resistant or Immune to 9 different types, so it’s much less likely to suddenly get destroyed by a trainer’s Pokemon. Plus, since it’s a starter, players can start a run with Fuecoco incredibly early on in theirPokerogueplaytime, making it one of the best recommendations for any newer players overall.
4Malamar
Specifically With the Move Topsy Turvy
An interesting combination that actually has a lot of potential specifically inPokeroguehas to do with a move called Topsy Turvy. This move, when used, turns all stat bonuses a Pokemon has given itself into equal negative. AKA, if a Pokemon buffs its Attack by two stages and then Topsy Turvy is used against it, now its Attack is -2.
Well, Eternatus, both in its first and second phase at floor 200, buffs itself quite a lot. For each of the segments the player depletes, Eternatus tends to buff itself in response. But, with a Malamar, the Pokemon that Topsy Turvy is the signature move of, all of these advantages given to Eternatus now become its downfall.
3Slowbro
One of the Most ‘Solid’ Choices You Can Make
Technically this recommendation should be for Slowking or Mega Slowbro, but those aren’t nearly as accessible as good ol' standard Slowbro is. With a pretty decent Slowbro equipped with Ice Beam, Psychic, Surf, and Amnesia, Eternatus trembles in fear.
Slowbro is already pretty tanky by default, but with Leftovers and the proper Amnesia setup, it’s unkillable. And, this isn’t even taking its Egg Moves into account, such as Bouncy Bubble (a Water-type Move) or Mystical Power (a Psychic-type Move). Essentially, Slowbro is just a very solid option for those who don’t quite have access to the more iconic options like Tinkaton or Skeledirge.
2Duraludon
Specifically Fused With a Fairy-Type Pokemon
This is another hyper-specific recommendation but one that, if found, makes it possible to go the distance in an Endless Mode run. Essentially, this recommendation is keeping a Duraludon on the team as well as any Fairy-type Pokemon.
Then, look for a DNA Splicer and splice Duraludon with said Fairy Pokemon tomake it a Steel/Fairy-type combination, thereby making it entirely immune to Eternatus by default. Of course, Tinkaton could also fill this niche, but Tinkaton doesn’t have the ability to G-Max, and Duraludon is a lot tankier than Tinkaton overall.
1Maushold
Either With Technician or Fused into Having Skill-Link
It might be surprising to see a recommendation for Maushold on here, given that it’s a Pokemon that’s essentially a family of mice versus the all-mighty world-destroying power that is Eternatus, but with the right setup, it’s more than possible. By default, a Maushold with Population Bomb and the Technician ability is already pretty strong and well worth using. But, if you manage to fuse a Maushold with a Shellder or Cloyster and happen to find even a single Multi-lens, Maushold becomes one of the strongest fighters in existence.
With Shellder/Cloyster’s Skill-Link ability, Multi-hit moves always hit the maximum number of times, and Population Bomb can hit a maximum of ten times. Then with a Multi-Lens, each hit now hits twice (albeit for reduced damage), so with a single usage of Population Bomb this fused Maushold would hit the Pokemon a total of 20 times. I don’t think we need to explain much more than that, do we?
