Pokémon Unite is Nintendo's unique take on a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA). This competitive free-to-play title combines the formulas popularized by games like Smite and League of Legends with staple mechanics from the Pokémon universe. While Pokémon Unite is certainly easy to pick up and play, there are plenty of complex systems that require some serious investment to truly understand.
Much like many of the most popular MOBAs around right now, this Pokemon spinoff utilizes a customizable gear system with equipment catered to various scenarios. Battle Items and Held Items can fundamentally change the outcome of a match. If you're new to the genre or just looking to get an advantage in battle, here are some of the best builds for every class in Pokémon Unite.
Best Attacker builds
Attackers lead the offensive charge for your team. Coordinate with your ally Pokémon to ensure you can effectively KO the enemies in your lane to help push scores into the opposing goals. Their aggressive move sets are designed to help you and your allies get the advantage in battle.
Pikachu (Special Ranged Attacks)
Everyone's favorite electric-mouse Pokemon is hands-down one of the best ranged attackers in Pokemon Unite when played properly. With high damage and incredible mobility, you can make quick work of unsuspecting enemies.
| Pikachu | Best build |
|---|---|
| Moves | ○ Electro Ball (Lv 4): A long-range attack that deals area of effect damage and increases in power the lower the opposing Pokémon's health is. ○ Volt Tackle (Lv 6): Charge ahead and knock enemy Pokémon into the air. |
| Held Items | ○ Wise Glasses: Increases Pikachu's Sp. Atk ○ Shell Bell: Increases Sp. Atk damage, decreases cooldowns, and recovers health when damaged. ○ Energy Amplifier: After using a Unite Move, the damage a Pokémon deals is increased. |
| Battle Item | X Attack: Raises Pikachu's Sp. Attack and Attack for a short time. |
| Path | Bottom: Pair with a good support or All-Rounder on the bottom path. |
Venusaur (Special Ranged Attacks)
Much like Pikachu, Venusaur is an excellent ranged attacker. With potential for high burst damage courtesy of Solar Beam and debuffs as well as damage over time with Sludge Bomb, this grassy dinosaur is great at collecting enemy KOs.
| Venusaur | Best build |
|---|---|
| Moves | ○ Sludge Bomb (Lv 5): An area attack that deals damage over time and decreases enemy movement speed and Sp. Def for a short time. ○ Solar Beam (Lv 6): This ability has remarkable range and can deal enormous damage. Great for picking off fleeing enemies. |
| Held Items | ○ Wise Glasses: Increases Venusaur's Sp. Atk ○ Shell Bell: Increases Pokémon's Sp. Atk damage, decreases cooldowns, and recovers health when damaged. ○ Leftovers: Helps slowly regen health over time, keeping Venusaur in lane longer. |
| Battle Item | Slow Smoke: This cloud of smoke greatly decreases enemy movement speed. Use it when you need to make a hasty retreat. |
| Path | Bottom: Pair with a good Defender or All-Rounder on the top path. |
Cinderace (Physical Ranged Attacks)
Unlike Pikachu and Venusaur, who are Special Attackers, Cinderace is a Physical Attacker. This means you'll want items that bring out some of this fire Pokémon's raw physical damage. Cinderace is definitely a solid and easy-to-use choice for beginners.
| Cinderace | Best build |
|---|---|
| Moves | ○ Pyro Ball (Lv 7): Kicks a flaming ball at enemies causing massive damage and inflicting burn. ○ Flame Charge (Lv 8): Charge towards the enemy inflicting damage as well as increasing the range and damage of your next basic attack. |
| Held Items | ○ Muscle Band: Increases Cinderace's Attack, and basic attacks do an additional 1% of damage based on enemy's remaining health. ○ Scope Lens: Drastically increases the damage of basic attack critical hits as well as improving your Critical-Hit Rate. ○ Float Stone: Increases movement speed by 15% when outside of combat and increases Cinderace's base Attack. |
| Battle Item | X Speed: An excellent tool for chasing down injured Pokémon or fleeing from overwhelming forces. |
| Path | Bottom: Pair with a good Support or Defender on the bottom path. |
Greninja (Physical Ranged Attacks)
Greninja is a more advanced Attacker whose unique moveset allows for creative mix-ups that will keep enemies on their toes. This ninja-frog can't take much in the way of damage, but with the right equipment can quickly and easily eliminate opposing Pokémon.
| Greninja | Best build |
|---|---|
| Moves | ○ Surf (Lv 5): Greninja rides a wave that inflicts damage while also restoring HP. Defeating an enemy with this move resets its cooldown. ○ Double Team (Lv 7): Double Team is an amazing escape or distraction ability that sends out multiple illusory copies of Greninja. |
| Held Items | ○ Muscle Band: Increases Greninja's Attack and basic attacks to do an additional 1% of damage based on enemy's remaining health. ○ Focus Band: This item increases Greninja's defense and supplies much-needed health regen when at low HP. ○ Float Stone: Increases movement speed by 15% when outside of combat and increases Greninja's base Attack. |
| Battle Item | Eject Button: This Battle Item quickly moves your Pokémon in the designated direction. Great for chasing or escaping. |
| Path | Top: Pair with a good Support or All-Rounder on the top path. |
Alolan Ninetales (Special Ranged Attacks)
Without the proper counter, Alolan Ninetales can be an unstoppable force of nature in Pokémon Unite. With high damage and tons of crowd control effects like slow, this frosty fox can effortlessly send enemy Pokémon to their icy graves.
| Alolan Ninetales | Best build |
|---|---|
| Moves | ○ Avalanche (Lv 4): Attack with a stream of ice that forms an unpassable wall in front of the enemy. At level 11, this will decrease enemy movement speed as well. ○ Blizzard (Lv 6): Blizzard is an excellent setup for taking advantage of Alolan Ninetale's powerful basic attack. Slow enemies and pick them off as they try to escape. |
| Held Items | ○ Shell Bell: Increases Sp. Atk damage, decreases cooldowns, and recovers health when damaged. ○ Wise Glasses: Increases Alolan Ninetale's Sp. Atk. ○ Scope Lens: Boosts Critical-Hit Damage and Critical-Hit Rate for basic attacks. |
| Battle Item | Potion: A simple, yet effective Battle Item that will restore some of your Pokémon's HP. |
| Path | Bottom: Pair with a good All-Rounder on the bottom path. |
Cramorant (Special Ranged Attacks)
Cramorant is definitely one of the trickier Attackers to master, but there's no denying how dangerous its damage output is in the right hands. With great mobility and an arsenal of powerful abilities, this is an excellent choice for players who strive for high kill counts.
| Cramorant | Best build |
|---|---|
| Moves | ○ Dive (Lv 4): Dive into a puddle dealing damage to opposing Pokémon and shoving them if hit. Cramorant also catches Arrokuda or other wild Pokémon as they emerge from the puddle, which can be used as a counterattack when hit. ○ Hurricane (Lv 6): A tunnel of wind throws any Pokémon caught within up in the air, which works as a great crowd control ability. |
| Held Items | ○ Shell Bell: A consistently solid choice for special attackers. Increases damage and offers health regen. ○ Wise Glasses: Increases Cramorant's Sp. Atk. ○ Energy Amplifier: Cramorant has an incredibly powerful Unite Attack with a huge range. This will help pick off any enemies who survive the initial attack by increasing damage for a short time. |
| Battle Item | X Attack: This will allow for bursts of extreme damage and make picking off isolated Pokémon quite easy. |
| Path | Top: Pair with a good All-Rounder or Support on the top path. |
Gardevoir (Special Ranged Attacks)
This psychic/fairy Pokémon has some of the highest damage output in the game. Moves like Psyshock and Moonblast are absolutely devastating. Gardevoir may be a bit on the squishy side, but these abilities make this Pokémon a force to be reckoned with in the arena.
| Gardevoir | Best build |
|---|---|
| Moves | ○ Moonblast (Lv 8): Moonblast deals damage in a cone in front of Gardevoir and leaves the closest Pokémon to the attack stunned for a short time. ○ Psyshock (Lv 6): This powerful attack hits three times, and the cooldown for the move is reduced each time one of the three attacks hit an enemy Pokémon. |
| Held Items | ○ Shell Bell: Increases Sp. Atk damage, decreases cooldowns, and recovers health when damaged. ○ Wise Glasses: Increases Gardevoir's Sp. Atk. ○ Leftovers: Leftovers slowly restore health over time to the Pokémon when they are outside of combat. |
| Battle Item | Full Heal: This item removes all status conditions and makes the user immune to crowd control effects for a short time. |
| Path | Bottom: Pair with a good Support or Defender on the bottom path. |
Sylveon (Special Ranged Attacks)
The fairy evolution of Eevee, Sylveon, is a fast, aggressive Attacker. With high attack speed, life steal capabilities with Draining Kiss, and harassing moves like Mystical Fire, Slyveon is an excellent choice for players who prefer an aggressive playstyle.
| Sylveon | Best build |
|---|---|
| Moves | ○ Mystical Fire (Lv 4): Lunge forward and summon four fireballs which can be hurled at enemies. Every time an enemy is hit with this attack, Slyveon's Sp. Atk is increased and the move's cooldown is reduced. ○ ** Draining Kiss (Lv 6)**: Blow a kiss that bounces between enemies and restores health when returned to the user. Enemy's hit by the attack have their movement speed decreased for a short time. |
| Held Items | ○ Shell Bell: Increases Sp. Atk damage, decreases cooldowns, and recovers health when damaged. ○ Wise Glasses: Increases Sylveon's Sp. Atk. ○ Scope Lens: Boosts Critical-Hit Damage and Critical-Hit Rate for basic attacks. |
| Battle Item | Eject Button: Launches the user forward. Serves as a great tool for escaping enemy attacks. |
| Path | Top: Pair with a good Defender or All-Rounder on the bottom path. |
Decidueye (Physical Ranged Attacks)
Decidueye is a relentless Ranged Attacker with incredible KO potential. Successfully players will want to take advantage of this Pokémon's powerful basic attacks, buffs applied from keeping your distance, and devastating Unite Move.
| Decidueye | Best build |
|---|---|
| Moves | ○ Razor Leaf (Lv 7): Using this move boosts Decidueye's basic attack speed and enables the user to target multiple opponents simultaneously. ○ Leaf Storm (Lv 8): Fires out a tunnel of leaves that pushes back close-range enemies and temporarily decreases the movement speed of Pokémon damaged by the move. |
| Held Items | ○ Scope Lens: Boosts Critical-Hit Damage and Critical-Hit Rate for basic attacks. ○ Muscle Band: Increases Decidueye's Attack and basic attacks do an additional 1% of damage based on enemy's remaining health. ○ Energy Amplifier: Increases the charge rate of Pokémon's Unite Move. |
| Battle Item | Eject Button: Launches the user forward. Serves as a great tool for escaping enemy attacks. |
| Path | Bottom: Pair with a good All-Rounder on the bottom path. |
Duraludon (Physical Ranged Attacks)
Duraludon is a fantastic physical attacker with incredible range. Acting as essentially a mobile turret, this powerful Pokémon can do massive damage from a distance. With the proper spacing and an aggressive ally, you can quickly take down even the toughest enemies.
| Duraludon | Best build |
|---|---|
| Moves | ○ Flash Cannon (Lv 5): The user ruptures the ground in the designated direction, dealing damage and converting basic attacks into cannon attacks for a short time. These cannon attacks have increased range and deal damage to all opposing Pokémon hit by the light. ○ Dragon Tail (Lv 7): Has the user shove the opposing Pokémon and move itself backward a short distance. Afterward, the user's next basic attack becomes a boosted attack. |
| Held Items | ○ Scope Lens: Boosts Critical-Hit Damage and Critical-Hit Rate for basic attacks. ○ Wise Glasses: Increases Duraludon's Sp. Atk. ○ Shell Bell: Increases Sp. Atk damage, decreases cooldowns, and recovers health when damaged. |
| Battle Item | X Speed: Increases Pokémon's speed for a short period of time. |
| Path | Top: Pair with a good Defender on the top path. |
Espeon (Special Ranged Attacks)
This potent psychic Pokémon delivers a kit packed with debilitating crowd control abilities. With respectable offensive power and impressive debuff potential, Espeon is crucial ally on the battlefield. Psyshock and Psybeam are a truly domineering combination.
| Espeon | Best build |
|---|---|
| Moves | ○ Psyshock (Lv 4): The user hurls psychic projectiles at the designated direction, dealing damage to opposing Pokémon and decreasing their movement speed for a short time. Connecting with all projectiles leaves the Pokémon temporarily stunned. ○ Psybeam (Lv 6): Espeon fires a strange ray. If this attack hits an opposing Pokemon, it will split and deal damage to opposing Pokémon in range. Movement speed and stun debuffs are also transferred from the first Pokémon hit to all others effected by Psybeam. |
| Held Items | ○ Choice Specs: Adds a minimum of 60 damage to moves when they hit and boosts Sp. Atk. The higher the Pokémon's Sp. Atk, the more damage is increased. ○ Wise Glasses: Increases Espeon's Sp. Atk.. ○ Energy Amplifier: Reduces cooldown for abilities and increases Unite Move charge rate. Also increases Pokémon's damage after using a Unite Move. |
| Battle Item | X Attack: Increases Pokémon's attack for a short period of time. |
| Path | Bottom: Pair with a good All-Rounder or Supporter on the bottom path. |
Delphox (Special Ranged Attacks)
Delphox is devastating at a distance. A host of powerful abilities designed to shutdown close combat enemies makes this fire Pokémon a mighty ranged attacker. Low overall health puts Delphox at risk of rush down KOs, but opponents will have to get through your walls of fire first.
| Delphox | Best build |
|---|---|
| Moves | ○ Mystical Fire (Lv 6): The user launches a ball of fire in a forward direction If it hits an opposing Pokémon, the ball will explode, dealing additional area of effect damage. ○ Fire Spin (Lv 7): The user creates a vortex of fire in a designated area. The vortex moves towards the nearest opponent, dealing damage over time and decreasing their movement speed. After a set period of time the vortex will increase intensity leaving the Pokémon unable to act for a short time. |
| Held Items | ○ Choice Specs: Adds a minimum of 60 damage to moves when they hit and boosts Sp. Atk. The higher the Pokémon's Sp. Atk, the more damage is increased. ○ Wise Glasses: Increases Delphox's Sp. Atk.. ○ Shell Bell: Reduces cooldown for abilities and increases Sp. Atk. The Pokémon also recovers a minimum of 75 HP when it hits with a move. |
| Battle Item | Slow Smoke: Creates a cloud of smoke that greatly decreases the speed and basic attack speed of opposing Pokémon for a short time. |
| Path | Bottom: Pair with a good Supporter on the bottom path. |
Glaceon (Special Ranged Attacker)
This ice evolution of Eevee provides incredibly high single-target damage. Glaceon is a terrifying combination of agility and raw damage. Partnering this potent special Attacker with a tanky Defender like Snorlax allows for a nearly unstoppable combination.
| Glaceon | Best build |
|---|---|
| Moves | ○ Icicle Spear (Lv 4):The user fires all of its stored ice crystals. Successive hits with ice shards on the same Pokémon deals increased damage with each hit..○ Ice Shard (Lv 6): Increases the user’s movement speed for a short time. After using the Pokémon's basic attack speed is also increased for a short time, transforming basic attacks into chunks of ice. |
| Held Items | ○ Choice Specs: Adds a minimum of 60 damage to moves when they hit and boosts Sp. Atk. The higher the Pokémon's Sp. Atk, the more damage is increased.○ Wise Glasses: Increases Glaceon's Sp. Atk..○ Shell Bell: Reduces cooldown for abilities and increases Sp. Atk. The Pokémon also recovers a minimum of 75 HP when it hits with a move. |
| Battle Item | X Attack: Increases Pokémon's attack for a short period of time. |
| Path | Top: Pair with a good Defender on the top path. |
Mew (Special Ranged Attacker)
The exceptionally versatile ranged attacker Mew offers the most versatile of any Pokémon in Pokémon Unite. With the unique Move Reset ability, Mew can freely change between a host of six special abilities during combat. Unfortunately, this psychic-type Pokémon is a bit of a glass cannon in terms of damage and should be paired with a tanky ally.
| Mew | Best build |
|---|---|
| Moves | ○ Solar Beam (Lv 1): Mew fires out a beam of charged light damaging all Pokémon caught in the path. Hitting multiple enemies reduces the cooldown of Solar Beam. ○ Coaching (Lv 1): Mew moves towards an ally and grants that Pokémon a shield. This designates the target as coached and reduces the cooldown of Solar Beam, Electro Ball, and Surf. |
| Held Items | ○ Choice Specs: Adds a minimum of 60 damage to moves when they hit and boosts Sp. Atk. The higher the Pokémon's Sp. Atk, the more damage is increased.○ Wise Glasses: Increases Glaceon's Sp. Atk..○ Energy Amplifier: Reduces cooldowns for abilities and increases the damage a Pokémon deals after using a Unite Move. |
| Battle Item | Eject Button: Launches the user forward. |
| Path | Top: Pair with a good Defender or All-Rounder on the top path. |
