After the two-on-two battles of the third generation, Black and White add two formats with three Pokémon. In a Triple Battle, three Pokémon line up side by side; in a Rotation Battle, they rotate on a platform. Two very different ways of thinking about a battle.

👥Triple Battles

Each Trainer sends out three Pokémon at the same time, side by side: left, center and right. Position matters:

  • the center Pokémon can attack any opponent and be attacked by all of them;
  • the side Pokémon can only hit the opponent directly in front of them and the one in the center with a single-target move. They cannot reach the opponent on the opposite side;
  • a Pokémon can spend a turn moving to the center to reach a target that is out of range.

Moves that hit several targets, like Earthquake, Surf or Rock Slide, become hugely important: they hit all the opponents… and sometimes your allies too.

🔄Rotation Battles

Each Trainer places three Pokémon on a rotating platform, but only one fights at a time: the one in front. Each turn, before attacking, you can rotate the platform left or right to bring another Pokémon into the battle, without losing your turn. It is a game of bluffing: each player tries to guess which Pokémon the other will rotate in.

📍Where to play them

  • Some Trainers in the adventure challenge you directly in these formats.
  • The Battle Institute in Opelucid City offers Rotation Battles every day in Black and Triple Battles in White.
  • When linking with a friend, by infrared or by Wi-Fi back in the day, you could freely choose the format.

To go further, our Premium guide Triple and Rotation Battles: Strategies presents the best Pokémon, moves and teams for each format.