A PvP Analysis on Morpeko

Hey, we actually get a new Pokemon for Halloween this year! And it’s awfully cute and… uh… why is it suddenly snarling like that?

Let’s start off with our customary Bottom Line Up Front and then dive into PvP analysis on the new and very interesting MORPEKO!

B.L.U.F.

  • Electric rodents are nothing new in GO, though Morpeko comes with a Dark subtyping that already gives it some nice advantages.
  • The real story, however, is its exclusive move, which hits like a truck AND changes type during battle!
  • Bottom line: yes, it’s a worthy grind for PvP, looking quite interesting in Limited formats (including Halloween Cup this week!) and even perhaps in Open play. Get ’em while you can!
Source: Pokémon Sword & Shield

MORPEKO Stats and Moves

Morpeko ElectricDark

Great League Stats

Attack Defense HP
142 (139 High Stat Product) 98 (98 High Stat Product) 114 (119 High Stat Product)

(Highest Stat Product IVs: 1-15-15 1500 CP, Level 29)

It’s hardly unique for Electric types to be somewhat glassy — most of them are — but Morpeko is on the glassier side even among Electrics, down in the range of Galvantula, Luxray, and Jolteon (normally trailing all of them), and just above Manectric and Electivire.

That’s the bad news, though again, for an Electric type it’s not entirely unexpected. The GOOD news is that Morpeko comes with a completely unique Dark subtype, bringing in some interesting resistances (Psychic, Dark, and Ghost, added to Electric’s resistances to Flying and Electric) along with unfortunate weaknesses to Fairy, Fighting, and Bug (along with Electric’s vulnerability to Ground).

Perhaps the biggest plus is that this allows bringing a true Electric type into a meta that otherwise may not allow any… or a Dark type into an Electric meta (perhaps the return of Electric Cup?) that doesn’t normally allow them.

But I’m kind of going through the motions with this section, I’ll be honest. Let’s get to the GOOD stuff….

FAST MOVES

  • Thunder ShockElectric type, 1.5 DPT, 4.5 EPT, 1.0 CoolDown
  • Charge BeamElectric type, 1.66 DPT, 3.66 EPT, 1.5 CD
  • BiteDark type, 4.0 DPT, 2.0 EPT, 0.5 CD

So Niantic teased us with this one. When first added to the gamemaster, Morpeko had Thunder Shock and Bite assigned, the former being very useful and promising with energy gains surpassed only by Water Shuriken (4.66 EPT) and Lock-On (5.0 EPT) in PvP. Then Niantic altered the gamemaster and replaced Thunder Shock with the significantly worse Charge Beam for a while, which quite frankly would have completed torpedoed Morpeko’s usability. (We’ll look at how badly in a minute.) Then, they added Thunder Shock back, along with an all-new charge move. Speaking of….

Source: Pokémon anime

CHARGE MOVES

  • Psychic FangsPsychic type, 40 damage, 35 energy, Reduces Opponent Defense -1 Stage
  • Seed BombGrass type, 65 damage, 45 energy
  • Aura WheelElectric or Dark type, 100 damage, 45 energy, Raises User Attack +1 Stage
  • OutrageDragon type, 110 damage, 60 energy

Psychic Fangs was an unexpected bonus added into the mix when Thunder Shock came back, and it provides some handy coverage versus Fighters that may want to prey on Morpeko’s Dark typing, but generally its main value will be baiting shields and buffing Morpeko’s subsequent attacks. Seed Bomb provides a nice potential answer to Ground types that like to beat up on Electrics, and is actually a better answer than the Grass Knot or Energy Ball that other Electrics usually get.

But the real story here is new move Aura Wheel. At first it looks absolutely ridiculous, with the exact same stats as infamous Electric move Wild Charge… but Wild Charge comes with a big self-nerf (-2 Defense), keeping it in check, while Aura Wheel comes with a self-buff (+1 Attack). So it’s strictly better, right? Weeeeeeeeell….

There’s a catch. You will notice that for the typing, I said Aura Wheel is Electric type… or Dark type. What’s up with that?

Aura Wheel is in the game as TWO moves, one Electric and one Dark. And which one Morpeko uses depends entirely on when you use it.

You see, there are really two separate Morpekos as well. One of them is your typical smiling Electric rodent, full of life and full of belly. Literally. This “Full Belly” form uses Aura Wheel as an Electric type move.

Morpeko (Hangry) ElectricDark

However, the first time you use a charge attack, Morpeko gets hungry. Hangry, in fact. While its typing does not change (both are Electric/Dark), its appearance does, into a black and purple little monster, not unlike the Minions in Despicable Me 2. (Dang, that connection is rather striking. 🤔 Anyway….) While in Hangry form, it retains the same moveset… but Aura Wheel becomes a Dark move. Use it again, and Morpeko flips back to Full Belly form. As someone who brought a new kitten home less than two weeks ago, I can tell you that as fantastical as it might seem, this part is actually somewhat true to life… how fleeting a full belly is and how quickly the “hangry” can come out! 😹

Morpeko
Morpeko

But I digress. Back on topic, this is obviously a very new and different mechanic that comes with potential advantages (allowing you to get a hard-hitting coverage move versus things that resist Aura Wheel’s current typing by firing it, buffing, and then getting to the opposite, presumably unresisted typing) but also some disadvantages (no way to throw two Aura Wheels of the same type back to back, even when it would be really advantageous to do so). It also creates an odd tug of war with the opponent, where either your or they can very much control the pace of battle depending on how they shield. The possibilities are kind of mind-boggling, and I can’t even begin to predict how it will actually work out in battle.

What I CAN predict, at least somewhat, is what kind of ceiling we’re looking at based on the simulations. So let’s do that!

Source: Pokémon anime

GREAT LEAGUE

So first, as a reminder, the typing never changes, the other moves don’t ever change, so in practice and reality, the only X factor is what type of move Aura Wheel at any given time. That’s going to make the sims a little weird, as I can throw up the standard wins and losses but must put a big asterisk on it, as any repeat use of Aura Wheel is immediately going to go haywire.

What may be more useful is this: comparing Morpeko with Electric Aura Wheel and Dark Aura Wheel. You’ll notice that Electric does a little better, because it can neutrally hit (and overwhelm) things that resist Dark like Carbink, Clefable, and Drapion. Dark-type Wheel instead knocks out Arctibax, who resists Electric (and the other “elements” Fire, Water, and Grass, as all Dragons do). With shields down it’s more of the same: with Electric Aura Wheel takes out Dewgong, Greninja, Toxapex, and Drapion again, while Dark Aura Wheel instead does in Ferrothorn with unresisted damage and Alolan Marowak and Skeledirge with super effective damage. For what it’s worth, Dark Aura Wheel is superior in 2v2 shielding, with wins that Electric Aura Wheel cannot match over Ferrothorn, Arctibax, Cresselia, and Shadow Quagsire.

In short: I wish I had mind-blowing knowledge to share here, but in the end it just comes down to type effectiveness. Things that resist Electric but not Dark get hit harder by Hangry Morpeko, and things that resist Dark but not Electric do worse versus Full Belly Morpeko. I know… mind blowing, right?

What I can add for a little more insight is this: Morpeko performs overall on a similar level to other mighty mice… and can sneak into metas where they cannot, like this week’s Halloween Cup! It has enough PvP potential to be worth scooping up while it’s available, even if it may take more time than most new toys to get used to actually using.

Source: Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Pokédex

IN SUMMATION….

Yes, I recommend grinding for some good Morpeko during the Halloween festivities in GO this year. It’s arguably easier to get in Part 1 of the event than in Part 2, so you know what to do! Good luck, Trainers!

That’s it for today. Until next time (Halloween Cup analysis!), you can always find me on Twitter with regular GO analysis nuggets or Patreon.

Good hunting, folks! Be safe out there, and catch you next time, Pokéfriends!

Author & tags

JRE47
JRE47
PoGO/PvP Investigative Journalist, GO Hub and Silph Arena/Road Contributor, amateur cook, author of 'Nifty Or Thrifty' and 'Under The Lights' article series and #PvPfacts!

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