Pokemon Kubfu Guide: How To Evolve Kubfu And Which Urshifu Form Is Better In Isle Of Armor

The Isle of Armor expansion for Pokemon Sword and Shield introduces a unique evolutionary path for the legendary Kubfu, offering trainers two distinct final forms. This comprehensive guide covers every aspect of the evolution process, from initial friendship building to advanced strategic considerations.

At the heart of the Isle of Armor narrative lies Kubfu, a legendary Pokemon gifted to you after conquering the Master Dojo’s three trials. What makes this creature particularly special is its ability to evolve into Urshifu, with two possible forms: Single Strike style or Rapid Strike style. Each form represents a different martial arts philosophy with distinct combat applications.

The evolution process involves multiple strategic decisions that will permanently shape your Urshifu’s capabilities. Unlike standard evolution methods, this journey requires careful planning and understanding of game mechanics to ensure you make the optimal choice for your playstyle and team composition.

Upon receiving Kubfu from Mustard, your first objective is building friendship through visiting scenic viewpoints marked on your map. This friendship-building mechanic is significantly streamlined compared to traditional methods – you’ll need to visit just two locations and interact with dojo members to achieve maximum bond. This typically takes 15-20 minutes and provides flexibility in route selection.

Once friendship is maximized, you’ll gain access to the Towers of Two Fists: the Tower of Darkness and Tower of Waters. This choice represents the most critical decision in the evolution process, as it determines your Urshifu’s final form permanently.

Each tower presents a five-battle challenge with specific requirements: your Kubfu must reach level 70 and be the sole Pokemon in your party. The final confrontation pits you against Mustard wielding his own Kubfu, testing your training and bond with your Pokemon.

The evolutionary outcome is directly tied to your tower selection. Conquering the Tower of Darkness yields Single Strike Urshifu (Dark/Fighting type), while the Tower of Waters produces Rapid Strike Urshifu (Water/Fighting type). This decision cannot be reversed, so careful consideration is essential.

Both Urshifu forms share identical base stats (100 HP, 130 Attack, 100 Defense, 63 Sp. Attack, 60 Sp. Defense, 97 Speed) and the Unseen Fist ability, which allows contact moves to damage opponents even through Protect-like moves. The primary differences emerge in typing, movepool, and competitive viability.

Single Strike Urshifu’s Dark/Fighting typing provides valuable Psychic immunity but creates a critical 4x weakness to Fairy-type attacks. This is particularly significant in competitive environments where Fairy types like Clefable and Tapu Fini are prevalent. Its signature move, Wicked Blow, delivers a guaranteed critical hit with 80 base power, effectively bypassing stat changes and dealing consistent damage.

Rapid Strike Urshifu adopts Water/Fighting typing, gaining resistances to Fire, Steel, Water, Ice, and Dark types. However, it becomes vulnerable to Electric, Grass, Flying, and Psychic attacks. Its signature technique, Surging Strikes, hits three times with 25 base power per strike, with all three hits guaranteed critical strikes.

From a strategic perspective, Single Strike Urshifu excels as a wallbreaker, utilizing Wicked Blow to penetrate defensive setups. Meanwhile, Rapid Strike Urshifu functions as an effective sweeper, breaking through Focus Sash and Substitute with its multi-hit signature move.

Type combination rarity is another consideration – Water/Fighting is exceptionally uncommon (shared only with Poliwrath), while Dark/Fighting appears in Pangoro and Scrafty. This uniqueness can provide tactical advantages in team building.

Competitive analysis reveals Single Strike Urshifu struggles against common Fairy-type threats but dominates against Psychic and Ghost types. Rapid Strike Urshifu counters prevalent Fire and Ground types while facing challenges from common Electric and Grass Pokemon.

Advanced trainers should consider team synergy when choosing between forms. Single Strike pairs well with Steel types that resist Fairy attacks, while Rapid Strike complements Grass types that cover its Electric and Grass weaknesses.

After evolving your Kubfu, the next milestone involves unlocking Urshifu’s Gigantamax potential. This requires returning to the Master Dojo and speaking with Mustard, who will provide additional training challenges. Successfully completing these trials grants access to Gigantamax forms for both Urshifu variants.

Gigantamax Single Strike Urshifu gains G-Max One Blow, a Dark-type move that prevents opponents from using moves with secondary effects. Gigantamax Rapid Strike Urshifu learns G-Max Rapid Flow, a Water-type attack that bypasses protection moves like Protect and Max Guard.

Common evolution mistakes include attempting the tower challenges with underleveled Kubfu or bringing additional Pokemon. Ensure your Kubfu reaches level 70 and is alone in your party before beginning either tower challenge.

For optimal performance, consider these advanced training tips: Single Strike Urshifu benefits from Adamant nature and Attack/HP investment, while Rapid Strike Urshifu performs best with Jolly nature and Speed/Attack EV training.

Post-evolution optimization involves mastering Urshifu’s movepool. Single Strike should prioritize Wicked Blow, Sucker Punch, and Close Combat, while Rapid Strike excels with Surging Strikes, Aqua Jet, and Close Combat for priority and coverage options.

Understanding the deeper mechanics reveals that while base stats are identical, the different typings create substantially different roles in battle. Single Strike functions as a powerful revenge killer, while Rapid Strike serves as an effective late-game cleaner.

Team composition considerations are crucial – Single Strike Urshifu pairs effectively with Fairy-resistant partners like Steelix or Metagross, while Rapid Strike Urshifu benefits from Grass-type allies such as Ferrothorn or Amoonguss to handle Electric threats.

No reproduction without permission：SeeYouSoon Game Club » Pokemon Kubfu Guide: How To Evolve Kubfu And Which Urshifu Form Is Better In Isle Of Armor Master Kubfu evolution with expert strategies for choosing between Single Strike and Rapid Strike Urshifu forms