How to Fight in ‘Harry Potter Wizards Unite’ vs ‘Pokemon Go’ [Comparison Guide]

Niantic Harry Potter Wizards Unite

Niantic’s new game, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, is similar in many ways to Pokemon Go, only a lot more complicated. And the battles (or fights) in HPWU is no different. Here’s a quick guide on how you to fight in Wizards Unite compared to Pokemon Go. 

In many ways, Wizards Unite is just a more complicated version of Pokemon Go. And battling is no different. Catching/battling Foundables is similar to catching Pokemon, and battling/fighting in a Fortress is similar to battling in a Gym. Here’s a quick look at how both work.

Essentially, catching Pokemon in Pokemon Go is parallel to catching “Foundables” in Wizards Unite. The stickers you get for registering Foundables is the equivalent of registering Pokemon on a Pokedex in Go. It’s a little more complicated than this, because some Foundables are made up of fragements, but that’s the basic gist for a beginner.

To “catch” a Foundable (most commonly traces) that you see in the wild, you’ll need to cast a spell on the Foundable rather than throwing a Pokeball. But just like Pokeball throws have a tiered rating that determines if you actually catch the Pokemon, the same is true for “catching” Foundables. You have to trace a spell’s symbol in order to “cast” it, and the faster and more accurately you trace the spell, the higher your spell’s rating. A fair spell will capture lower-level Foundables, but you’ll need a great or masterful spell to catch the toughest Foundables and put them in the registry.

When “catching” a Foundable, you can use potions kind of like you use berries in Pokemon Go. The only difference is that these potions are created by ingredients you find in the wild.

Catching Foundables is the simplest form of fighting or battles, but there’s also a second type of battle or fight in the Wizards Unite game. 

Battling in Fortresses in Wizards Unite is essentially parallel to fighting Pokemon in Gyms. Multiple players can fight in a Fortress, but only one player fights one creature at a time, unlike Pokemon Go where you’re all battling the same creature. In Fortresses, you can also heal your teammates who are hurt in battle. The more players in a Fortress, the more creatures you’ll need to defeat. When you finish one Fortress chamber, you’ll unlock a higher more difficult chamber.

In order to fight in a Fortress, remember that the target that appears at the top of the screen is your wand. Hold the wand icon that’s at the top of your screen with your finger and drop it on a target that’s on the creature you’re fighting. (In other words, drag a spell onto a foe, or onto a teammate to heal or enhance them.) Then you’ll be given a spell’s outline to trace (just like when you’re catching a Foundable.) You can also defend yourself by tracing outlines when you’re being attacked.

Be sure you have plenty of Spell Energy before you start a Fortress battle. Spell energy can be used up quickly in these situations. And don’t rush into a fight. Consider which of the creatures you and your teammates have the best chance against before choosing who you’re fighting. Try to choose a creature that has a green plus (or is neutral) because those are the creatures your profession performs best against. Try to avoid creatures that have a red minus, as someone in a different profession would have a better chance against those.

If you want to see a great guide for beginners who are fighting in fortresses, check out the Reddit thread here.

Many players are saying that Fortresses seem superior to Pokemon Gyms as far as game play, strategy, and teamwork. Fortresses certainly are more complicated than gyms. Wizards Unite in general seems to have more moving parts than Pokemon Go.

Looking for more comparisons outside of battles? Walking to hatch eggs in Pokemon Go is parallel to walking to unlock Portkeys in Wizards Unite.

Incubators are parallel to keys, and Pokestops are parallel to Inns. Pokeballs are essentially Spell Energy, but Spell Energy seems scarcer in Wizards Unite than pokeballs are in Pokemon Go. 

Have fun out there!