PokéPath TD picks by the job you need
These are mechanics-based choices from the original Pokédex, checked 9 November 2026. They form a team-building shortlist, with availability and levels left for your save to determine.
| Problem | Pick to consider | Reason and placement check |
|---|---|---|
| Armored enemies survive your core | Excadrill ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Armor Break doubles damage to armored enemies. It can use field and mountain tiles. |
| Groups move through together | Greninja ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Ricochet bounces between enemies, losing 30% damage per bounce. Field and water tiles are available. |
| Invisible enemies pass the damage pocket | Xatu ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Can hit invisible enemies. Mountain placement increases its range by 100%. It also uses field tiles. |
| A useful attacker needs more power | Sunflora ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Nearby towers gain 20% power. Use field or grass, with the attacker inside its support area. |
| A useful attacker needs shorter recharge | Comfey ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Nearby towers have 15% shorter recharge. Use field or grass and check the support overlap. |
Turn the shortlist into a team
- Keep one attacker that reaches the problem section. Before buying levels, check how long it can attack the enemy along the actual path.
- Fill the specific missing job. Add Excadrill for armor pressure, or Xatu for invisible targets, when that is the reason enemies survive.
- Add group damage when groups are the bottleneck. Greninja’s bounce pattern has a different use from a single-target armor attacker.
- Compare support with another attacker. Sunflora or Comfey is a candidate when an established damage pocket sits inside its effect area. A support placed out of reach adds little to that plan.
- Use the remaining slots for the boss and challenge. Review enemy resistances and the challenge’s item or level restrictions before repeating a normal-mode lineup.
For example, a route with armor and invisible waves can justify an Excadrill–Xatu core, with Greninja for groups and one nearby support where the terrain allows. Treat that as a role template to adapt. We have not established the levels, coordinates or complete wave clear needed to call it a tested winning lineup.
Decide what deserves the next upgrade
Upgrade the unit doing the missing job once its range and legal placement work for the route. If the attacker never reaches the leak, first move the damage pocket or choose another legal tile. If it attacks the right target but leaves it alive, levels and support become the next candidates.
A player discussion about early investment ↗ (new tab) asks whether to spend on eggs, items or existing Pokémon. Replies emphasize different picks by route and stage. For your save, record the enemy that leaks and its remaining health before spending broadly across the Box.
Read a tier list with the version beside it
The 1.7.2 update ↗ (opens in a new tab) removes Focus Band from Spinda, changes Decidueye’s ability and changes several attackers’ power or recharge. An older tier position may depend on a removed item interaction or different numbers. Compare the reason for the ranking with the current unit entry before investing.
For a concrete boss, continue to Route 1-3 and Lunala. For access and backups, use mobile and saves. The PokéPath overview links the original client.