Substitute in Pokemon Survivor

Substitute at a glance

What Substitute does

Substitute is a Normal-type turret move. A decoy that stays behind shooting for you.

Normal moves are in every Pokemon's pool, so it can show up in any run. It reaches you as a new-move card when you level up, as long as one of your four move slots is free. No Pokemon begins a run with it, so you only find it on level-up cards. Each level-up draws three cards by weight from up to six new-move candidates, your move upgrades and the stat cards, so even a good move can sit out several level-ups.

Substitute stats by level

At level 1, Substitute deals 14 damage with a 4 second cooldown. At level 5 that becomes 29 damage every 4 seconds.

The turret fires on its own for a few seconds, so what it deals depends on how long it lasts and what stands near it. The table lists every number the game gives Substitute, so it has no single damage per second figure.

Substitute level-up changes

Each level-up card for Substitute applies the changes below. They stack, so the level 5 row above already includes all of them.

• Level 2: +50% damage
• Level 3: -26% delay between shots
• Level 4: +1 turret
• Level 5: +50% duration, +40% damage

Substitute evolution: Double Team

Substitute evolves into Double Team when it reaches level 5 and you have taken the Armor card at least once in the same run. Once both are true, a golden evolution card is always offered at your next level-up. Until then, the Armor card keeps showing up with a note that it unlocks this evolution, so you do not have to hunt for it.

Double Team keeps the Normal type and the same slot. Its damage goes from 29 to 53 and its cooldown stays at 4 seconds. The move evolution guide lists all 59 evolutions and the cards they need.

• +80% damage
• +1 turret
• -20% delay between shots

Which Pokemon can use Substitute

Every Pokemon can learn Substitute, because Normal moves are in all move pools. The real question is whether it is worth one of your four slots. No Pokemon starts with it. The table lists the top-ranked Pokemon overall by Stat Score. The full list is in the Pokedex.

How to use Substitute

• Turret moves do not need a target: Substitute fires on its cooldown wherever you are.
• No type takes extra damage from Normal moves, while Rock and Steel take 40% less and Ghost takes only 30% of the damage. Enemies with two types multiply both effects. See the type chart.
• The only other turret move is Will-O-Wisp. The moves list compares all 64.
• Each Reflexes card multiplies every cooldown by 0.92 and each Power card multiplies damage by 1.10. After 5 Reflexes cards the 4 second cooldown of Substitute at level 1 becomes 2.64 seconds.
• Only the move group in your active slot fires, and every move in the group keeps its own cooldown timer. A bond, which a rift win gives you, fuses loose moves into one group.

Substitute in Pokemon Survivor FAQ

What does Substitute do in Pokemon Survivor?

A decoy that stays behind shooting for you. It is a Normal-type turret move with 5 levels. It deals 14 damage at level 1 and 29 at level 5.

How do you evolve Substitute?

Level it to 5 and take the Armor card at least once in the same run. A golden evolution card then appears at the next level-up and turns it into Double Team.

Which Pokemon can learn Substitute?

All 966 Pokemon, because it is a Normal move. None of them start with it.

Browse all 64 moves in the Pokemon Survivor moves list, or read the Pokemon Survivor guides.