Pokémon Champions: How Move Priority Works and How to Use It

In Pokémon Champions, there are hundreds upon hundreds of moves available from every generation of the series for Pokémon to use in battle. However, it is important to understand that the game features many battle mechanics that affect how moves work, including move priority. If you are still unsure what this means, this section of our guide will break down everything you need to know, including how to identify each move's priority and which moves act the fastest.

What Is High Move Priority?

In Pokémon Champions, as in many games in the series featuring traditional turn-based battles, the order in which moves are used is generally determined by each Pokémon's Speed stat. In other words, if the opposing Pokémon is faster than yours, it will act first.

However, certain moves allow a Pokémon to act before its opponent, even if the other Pokémon has a higher Speed stat. These are known as high-priority moves.

Pokémon Champions actually sorts all moves into different priority brackets and values.

• Low-priority moves: Have priority values ranging from -7 to -1.
• High-priority moves: Have priority values ranging from +1 to +5.
• Standard-priority moves: Have a priority value of 0.

Most moves in the game are neither particularly fast nor particularly slow, so they fall into the 0-priority bracket. High-priority moves, however, are highly sought after in competitive play, as they can swing the pace of a battle in your favor and allow you to attack before your opponent. You will therefore want to keep some of them at your disposal.

How to Check a Move's Priority

Checking the priority of different moves is easy. During a battle, when it is your turn, select "Battle" and highlight a particular move. Then press the "Details" button to open its information screen. This menu displays the move's priority value, as shown in the following screenshot:

Remember that a move's priority can range from -7, the slowest value, to +5, the highest.

If two Pokémon use moves with the same priority value, the order is determined by which Pokémon has the higher Speed stat. Otherwise, if your selected move has a higher priority, your Pokémon will act first.

Moves with the Highest Priority

Now that you know how move priority works, you will probably want to know which are the fastest moves in the game. Below are several of the moves with the highest priority values, including those with +5, +4, +3, and +2 priority:

• Helping Hand (priority +5): Boosts the power of an ally's move by 50% for that turn.
• Detect (priority +4): Protects the user from other Pokémon's moves during that turn. Each consecutive use reduces the move's chance of success to 1/3 of its previous chance.
• King's Shield (priority +4): The user changes to Shield Forme and protects itself from attacks during that turn. Lowers the Attack of any Pokémon that hits the user with a contact move by one stage. Each consecutive use reduces the move's chance of success to 1/3 of its previous chance.
• Protect (priority +4): Protects the user from other Pokémon's moves during that turn. Each consecutive use reduces the move's chance of success to 1/3 of its previous chance.
• Endure (priority +4): Allows the user to survive with 1 HP if it is hit by a move that would otherwise knock it out during that turn. Each consecutive use reduces the move's chance of success to 1/3 of its previous chance.
• Baneful Bunker (priority +4): Protects the user from other Pokémon's moves during that turn. Poisons any Pokémon that attacks the user with a contact move. Each consecutive use reduces the move's chance of success to 1/3 of its previous chance.
• Spiky Shield (priority +4): Protects the user from attacks during that turn. Any Pokémon that hits the user with a contact move loses 1/8 of its maximum HP. Each consecutive use reduces the move's chance of success to 1/3 of its previous chance.
• Quick Guard (priority +3): Protects the user and its allies from high-priority moves during that turn.
• Fake Out (priority +3): Makes the target flinch. It fails unless it is the first move the user performs after entering battle.
• Wide Guard (priority +3): Protects the user and its allies from moves that would affect all allies during that turn.
• Ally Switch (priority +2): Switches the user's position with that of an ally. Each consecutive use reduces the move's chance of success to 1/3 of its previous chance.
• Rage Powder (priority +2): Redirects all opponents' moves toward the user. It only affects moves that allow a target to be selected.
• Follow Me (priority +2): Redirects all opponents' moves toward the user. It only affects moves that allow a target to be selected.
• First Impression (priority +2): It fails unless it is the first move the user performs after entering battle.
• Feint (priority +2): Can hit targets that have used moves such as Protect or Detect and removes their effects.
• Extreme Speed (priority +2): —

Bear in mind that some Pokémon have Abilities that raise the priority of certain moves by one stage. Examples include Gale Wings, which increases the priority of Flying-type moves, and Prankster, which increases the priority of status moves.

Finally, Abilities such as Armor Tail and Queenly Majesty prevent priority moves from being used against the Pokémon with the Ability and its allies, effectively blocking their priority effects.