How To Evolve Duraludon In Cobblemon: Complete Archaludon Evolution Guide

Evolving Duraludon into Archaludon within Cobblemon requires obtaining the Metal Alloy evolution item and using it directly on a deployed Duraludon entity in the world. In standard Cobblemon setups incorporating Generation 9 expansion data, this process bypasses traditional level thresholds to initiate an immediate entity transformation. Players must locate Duraludon in high-altitude mountain or badlands biomes and secure the required metallurgical item through structure exploration or specialized crafting recipes.

Pre-Evolution Setup & Material Checklist

Before attempting to evolve Duraludon into Archaludon, you must ensure your Minecraft environment meets the necessary mod version requirements and that you have gathered the required items. Cobblemon handles item-based evolutions through direct entity interaction rather than menu toggles, making physical preparation in the open world mandatory.

Essential Equipment, Tools, and Materials

• Metal Alloy Evolution Item: The primary catalyst required to trigger the evolution sequence. In custom servers or expanded datapack environments, this may occasionally be substituted with a Metal Coat or refined Iron Ingot variants depending on active server configuration.
• Captured Duraludon: A wild Duraludon caught using specialized Pokéballs. Heavy Balls or Ultra Balls are recommended due to Duraludon's high catch rate resistance and high physical weight.
• High-Altitude Exploration Gear: Diamond or Netherite-tier armor, Feather Falling IV boots, a Elytra, or ample scaffolding to traverse mountainous biomes safely.
• Pokéball Supplies: Minimum of 20 to 30 Heavy Balls, Level Balls, or Ultra Balls for wild encounters.

Mandatory Prerequisite Knowledge & Engine Standards

• Cobblemon Version Compatibility: Ensure your server or single-player instance runs Cobblemon version 1.5 or higher alongside an active Generation 9 registry datapack (such as official community additions) that includes Archaludon's entity model, base stats, and evolution triggers.
• Entity Interaction Mechanics: Evolution items in Cobblemon cannot be given to a Pokémon via the party menu to evolve. The target Pokémon must be thrown out into the world space as an active entity before applying the item.
• Base Form Requirements: Duraludon has no minimum level requirement for evolution; it can evolve at Level 1 provided the evolution item is applied correctly.

Benchmarks & Resource Metrics

• Target Spawn Biomes: minecraft:stony_peaks, minecraft:jagged_peaks, minecraft:windswept_hills, or minecraft:badlands.
• Spawn Altitude Threshold: Y-level 90 to Y-level 256.
• Estimated Acquisition Time: 30 to 60 minutes for biome locating and capture; 15 to 30 minutes for evolution item procurement.

Step-by-Step Duraludon to Archaludon Evolution Protocol

Step 1: Locate and Capture a Wild Duraludon

Traverse your world to find high-elevation biomes. Duraludon is a Steel/Dragon-type entity that spawns primarily in mountainous terrain, stony peaks, and arid badlands plateaus.

1. Climb above Y-level 90 in a Mountain or Badlands biome.
2. Search during daylight hours or rain storms, as spawn weight configurations in Cobblemon prioritize Steel types during non-clear weather patterns.
3. Once spotted, initiate battle by throwing a Pokémon at Duraludon.
4. Reduce Duraludon's health to under 25% using non-lethal moves such as False Swipe. Duraludon possesses strong Physical Defense (115 Base), so physical attacks will deal reduced damage.
5. Apply status conditions like Sleep or Paralysis to increase catch efficiency.
6. Throw Heavy Balls (which receive a multiplier against heavy Steel types) or Ultra Balls until the capture is confirmed.

Pro-Tip: If you have access to server commands, run /checkspawns while standing in a mountain biome to verify if Duraludon is in the active local spawn pool and to view its current rarity weight percentage.

Step 2: Acquire the Metal Alloy Item

Archaludon's evolution hinges on obtaining a Metal Alloy. Depending on your specific modpack setup or datapack installation, you can acquire this item through three primary methods:

1. Loot Chest Exploration: Search chest structures within Mineshafts, Ancient Cities, and End Cities. Metal Alloys have an estimated drop chance of 5% to 12% in forge-related loot tables.
2. Crafting Recipe (Standard Modpack Recipe): Combine standard metallic elements at a Crafting Table. Place three Iron Blocks across the middle row, two Copper Ingots in the top corners, and Netherite Scrap in the bottom center slot to forge one Metal Alloy.
3. Wild Pokémon Drops: Defeat wild Steel-type Pokémon (such as Steelix, Aggron, or wild Duraludon) while holding an item with the Compound Eyes ability or using the Thief move to harvest rare held items.

Warning: Check your server's custom recipe book before gathering materials. Some custom Cobblemon servers modify the Metal Alloy recipe to require Iron Ingots mixed with Redstone Dust and Blast Furnace processing instead of Netherite.

Step 3: Deploy Duraludon into the World Environment

Unlike traditional handheld games where an item is selected from a bag menu, Cobblemon requires physical world positioning for item-use evolution.

1. Place Duraludon into your active party (slots 1 through 6).
2. Select Duraludon's party slot using your hotbar controls.
3. Press the default key (R on keyboard) to throw Duraludon's Pokéball onto a flat, unobstructed block surface.
4. Ensure the Duraludon entity is standing still and not engaged in active battle or pathfinding toward wild targets.

Step 4: Apply the Metal Alloy to Trigger Evolution

1. Place the Metal Alloy into your active main-hand hotbar slot.
2. Approach your deployed Duraludon entity.
3. Shift-right-click (or standard right-click depending on your control scheme) directly on the Duraludon entity with the Metal Alloy in hand.
4. Observe the animation particle effects. A sound cue will play, the Metal Alloy item will be consumed from your inventory, and Duraludon's model will transform into Archaludon.
5. Press 'R' to recall your newly evolved Archaludon back into its Pokéball to save the entity state to your party data.

Step 5: Verify Post-Evolution Movepool and Stats

1. Open your party menu and select Archaludon to review its updated stats.
2. Check for the signature move Electro Shot (an Electric-type special move that raises Special Attack on turn one and strikes on turn two, or instantly strikes in Rain).
3. If Electro Shot was not automatically offered during the evolution cutscene, visit a Move Relearner or use a Memory Mushroom on Archaludon to teach it from its expanded level-up movepool.

Duraludon vs. Archaludon Technical Specifications & Stat Matrix

The transformation from Duraludon to Archaludon grants a significant boost to Base Stat Total (BST), raising the entity from a mid-tier combatant to an elite pseudolegendary-equivalent powerhouse. The addition of the Stamina ability makes Archaludon exceptional in physical defense strategies.

Evolution Troubleshooting and Technical Fixes

Issue 1: Metal Alloy Right-Click Does Nothing

• Root Cause: The active Cobblemon version or server configuration lacks the Gen 9 evolution entry file linking the metal_alloy item ID to Duraludon's evolution trigger block in cobblemon/species/generation8/duraludon.json.
• Actionable Fix: Update the mod to Cobblemon version 1.5+ and confirm that Gen 9 extension datapacks are placed in the server's world/datapacks folder. If playing on a third-party server, ask the administrator if a fallback item (such as a Metal Coat or Thunder Stone) has been set as the evolution trigger.

Issue 2: Duraludon Fails to Spawn in Mountain Biomes

• Root Cause: Biome mod integration conflicts (such as Terralith or Oh The Biomes You'll Go) altering default biome tags, or altitude Y-levels being below the minimum spawn threshold.
• Actionable Fix: Verify your exact Y-level is above Y=90. If using custom biome mods, open your server configuration and map custom peak biomes to the #cobblemon:is_mountain tag within the Cobblemon spawn pool JSON files.

Issue 3: Evolution Item is Consumed, but Model Disappears or Glitches

• Root Cause: Server-client desynchronization during entity replacement, often caused by lag spikes or entity limits per chunk.
• Actionable Fix: Recall the Pokémon into its ball by pressing 'R', then throw it back out. If the entity remains invisible, disconnect from the world or server and re-login to force the client to reload entity renders from the server's save data.

Issue 4: Archaludon Does Not Gain the Stamina Ability Upon Evolving

• Root Cause: Duraludon had its Hidden Ability (Solar Power) prior to evolution, which maps directly to Archaludon's Hidden Ability (Stalwart) rather than its primary Ability slots (Stamina/Sturdy).
• Actionable Fix: Apply an Ability Capsule to Archaludon to swap between standard Ability 1 (Stamina) and Ability 2 (Sturdy). If the Pokémon possesses its Hidden Ability, use an Ability Patch to convert it back to a standard slot.

Frequently Asked Questions

What level does Duraludon evolve in Cobblemon?

Duraludon does not evolve via leveling up. It can be evolved at any level, including Level 1, as soon as you apply a Metal Alloy to its physical entity in the world.

How do you get a Metal Alloy in Cobblemon?

Metal Alloys are obtained by crafting them using Iron, Copper, and Netherite/Redstone (depending on server recipes), finding them inside loot chests in Ancient Cities or Mineshafts, or receiving them as drop rewards from wild Steel-type Pokémon.

Can you evolve Duraludon without modding commands or datapacks?

Yes, as long as your base Cobblemon mod is updated to a version that natively supports Generation 9 Pokémon (Version 1.5+). In these versions, both the Metal Alloy item and Archaludon's evolution code are included by default.

Does Duraludon lose its IVs, EVs, or Nature when evolving into Archaludon?

No. All Individual Values (IVs), Effort Values (EVs), Nature, Pokéball type, Shiny status, and nickname carry over directly into Archaludon without resetting.

What is the best Nature and Ability for Archaludon in Cobblemon?

A Modest (+Special Attack, -Attack) or Bold (+Defense, -Attack) Nature paired with the Stamina ability is optimal. Stamina grants +1 Defense every time Archaludon takes damage, turning it into an extremely resilient physical tank during long battles.

Master Your Cobblemon Team Engineering

Optimizing your roster requires precise knowledge of biome spawn conditions, item mechanics, and stat allocations. Upgrade your server's datapacks, track down high-altitude mountain peaks, and leverage Archaludon's massive base defenses to dominate your next Cobblemon battle.