Pokemon’s first-ever expansion pass released nearly a month ago. Titled The Isle of Armor, the first half of the expansion is a pleasant addition to Pokemon Sword & Shield. The second half, The Crown Tundra, is due out in Fall 2020. With the time gap, trainers have plenty of time to enjoy and explore all that The Isle of Armor has to offer. Including the Legendary Pokemon Urshifu and its two unique forms – the Single Strike Style and Rapid Strike Style.
Kubfu, Urshifu’s pre-evolution, isn’t the first Pokemon to have multiple evolutionary options. It is, however, the first legendary to do so. For the record, Cosmog does not count because its evolution is based on which game you play.
In The Isle of Armor, trainers will have the option to explore one of two different towers. Exploring the Tower of Darkness will yield the Single Strike Style, while the Tower of Waters will yield the Rapid Strike Style.
Single Strike vs. Rapid Strike
The Single Strike Style form of Urshifu is a Dark-Fighting type. It presents a more grounded battle pose and is said to attack foes mercilessly. This form of Urshifu keeps its distance before lunging forward with powerful blows. Apart from its Dark typing, this form has the added benefit of its signature move: Wicked Blow. Wicked Blow always lands as a critical hit, meaning it will always ignore the target’s stat changes.
Urshifu’s Rapid Strike Form is a bit different. Instead of being a Dark-Fighting type, the Rapid Strike Style is a Water-Fighting type. This version battles with more elegance than its counterpart. Rapid Strike Form Urshifu’s signature move is Surging Strikes, which is a three-hit combo. It is always a critical hit as well.
New Ability: Unseen Fist
Both forms have the same ability: Unseen Fist. It is a brand-new Pokemon ability and is exclusive to Urshifu. Unseen Fist allows Urshifu to deal physical damage in situations where opponents use defensive moves like Protect.