Pokemon Unite may seem more casual than other Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBAs), on its surface at least. 10-minute games, simple controllers, and of course Pokemon create a fun environment that greatly contrasts those of League of Legends and Dota.
Those of us who love to compete want to master every aspect of the game. We want to play the strongest Pokemon, with the best items and strategies. That’s why I’ve put together this Pokemon Unite tier list for my fellow try-hards.
Pokemon Unite Tier List
One of the best things about Pokemon Unite is that you can take just about any Pokemon to just about any lane.
In this Pokemon game tier list, we’re going to include the best Battle Items and the Best Held Items for each Pokemon, as well as their best lane, but the Pokemon Unite meta is still young, so feel free to experiment!
Pokemon Unite S-TIER
Sylveon
- Lane: Bottom
- Battle Item: Eject Button
- Held Items: Buddy Barrier, Wise Glasses, Choice Specs
Gengar
- Lane: Middle
- Battle Item: X Speed or Eject Button
- Held Items: Wise Glasses, Shell Bell, Choice Specs
Tsareena
- Lane: Middle, Bottom
- Battle Item: Eject Button
- Held Items: Buddy Barrier, Focus Band, Muscle Band
Garchomp
- Lane: Top, Middle
- Battle Item: Eject Button
- Held Items: Buddy Barrier, Weakness Policy, Focus Band
Eldegoss
- Lane: Bottom, Top
- Battle Item: Eject Button, Slow Smoke
- Held Items: Buddy Barrier, Leftovers, Focus Band
Charizard
- Lane: Bottom, Middle
- Battle Item: Slow Smoke, Eject Button, X Speed
- Held Items: Scope Lens, Muscle Band, Energy Amplifier
Snorlax
- Lane: Top, Bottom
- Battle Item: Eject Button, Potion
- Held Items: Buddy Barrier, Score Shield, Focus Band
Greedent
- Lane: Top, Bottom
- Battle Item: Eject Button, X Speed
- Held Items: Buddy Barrier, Score Shield, Focus Band
Blastoise
- Lane: Top, Bottom
- Battle Item: Eject Button, Slow Smoke
- Held Items: Buddy Barrier, Energy Amplifier, Choice Specs
Wigglytuff
- Lane: Bottom
- Battle Item: Slow Smoke, Eject Button, X Speed
- Held Items: Buddy Barrier, Score Shield, Focus Band
Greninja
- Lane: Middle, Top, Bottom
- Battle Item: Eject Button, Slow Smoke
- Held Items: Buddy Barrier, Muscle Band, Scope Lens
Talonflame
- Lane: Middle
- Battle Item: Eject Button
- Held Items: Scope Lens, Muscle Band, Razor Claw
Pokemon Unite B-TIER
Decidueye
- Lane: Top, Bottom
- Battle Item: Muscle Band, Scop Lens, Energy Amplifier
- Held Items: Eject Button
Gardevoir
- Lane: Top, Bottom
- Battle Item: Eject Button
- Held Items: Wise Glasses, Choice Specs, Sp. Atk. Specs
Venusaur
- Lane: Top, Bottom
- Battle Item: Eject Button
- Held Items: Wise Glasses, Choice Specs, Sp. Atk. Specs
Alolan Ninetales
- Lane: Top, Bottom
- Battle Item: Eject Button
- Held Items: Wise Glasses, Choice Specs, Sp. Atk. Specs
Pokemon Unite C-TIER
Dragonite
- Lane: Bottom
- Battle Item: Slow Smoke
- Held Items: Buddy Barrier, Muscle Band, Scope Lens
Pikachu
- Lane: Bottom
- Battle Item: Eject Button
- Held Items: Wise Glasses, Choice Specs, Sp. Atk. Specs
Crustle
- Lane: Top
- Battle Item: Eject Button, Slow Smoke, X Speed
- Held Items: Buddy Barrier, Score Shield, Focus Band
Lucario
- Lane: Middle
- Battle Item: Eject Button
- Held Items: Attack Weight, Focus Band, Buddy Barrier
Absol
- Lane: Jungle
- Battle Item: Eject Button, Slow Smoke
- Held Items: Scope Lens, Muscle Band, Focus Band
Cinderace
- Lane: Bottom
- Battle Item: Eject Button
- Held Items: Muscle Band, Scope Lens, Razor Claw
Pokemon Unite D-TIER
Trevenant
- Lane: Top
- Battle Item: Slow Smoke
- Held Items: Buddy Barrier, Muscle Band, Focus Band
Mr. Mime
- Lane: Bottom, Top
- Battle Item: Eject Button
- Held Items: Buddy Barrier, Focus Band, Wise Glasses
Slowbro
- Lane: Top Lane
- Battle Item: Eject Button
- Held Items: Buddy Barrier, Shell Bell, Focus Band
Pokemon Unite F-TIER
Mamoswine
- Lane: Top
- Battle Item: Eject Button, X Speed
- Held Items: Buddy Barrier, Float Stone, Focus Band
Blissey
- Lane: Bottom
- Battle Item: Eject Button
- Held Items: Buddy Barrier, Float Stone, Focus Band
Zeraora
- Lane: Middle
- Battle Item: Slow Smoke, Eject Button
- Held Items: Wise Glasses, Muscle Band, Choice Specs
Machamp
- Lane: Bottom, Middle
- Battle Item: X Speed
- Held Items: Scope Lens, Float Stone, Attack Weight
Cramorant
- Lane: Bottom
- Battle Item: Eject Button
- Held Items: Buddy Barrier, Energy Amplifier, Choice Specs
Pokemon Unite Best Pokemon
Pokemon Unite is rather special, as far as MOBAs go, because every Pokemon (even F tier) is viable! I have personally witnessed a Cramorant massacre my entire team. So even if a Pokemon is low-tier, we encourage you to try them out if you like them or their playstyle.
With that being said, let’s go over some of the best Pokemon and explain why they’re so high up in our Pokemon Unite tier list.
Sylveon (Attacker)
Sylveon topped our Pokemon Unite tier list because they have insane damage output, and Hyper Voice makes them almost impossible to 1v1 or chase down.
Sylveon is good in just about every team comp because they can be used offensively or defensively. The only downside to Sylveon is that they are a bit difficult to play.
Moves:
- Hyper Voice
- Calm Mind
Held Items:
- Choice Specs
- Wise Glasses
- Buddy Barrier
With Sylveon, we focus completely on special damage. Melting Pokemon with Hyper Voice is critical to success. Keep in mind that you are squishy, so try to focus mainly on your positioning.
Gengar (Speedster)
Gengar has been the best Speedster in the game for a while, and you’ll likely find him at the top of every Pokemon Unite tier list. Even when Gengar is nerfed, he always finds his way back to the top somehow.
Take Gengar mid, and try to rush his final evolution. Gengar’s main weakness is that he doesn’t actually have any kill potential until he grabs Dream Eater.
Moves:
- Dream Eater
- Shadow Ball
Held Items:
- Wise Glasses
- Choice Specs
- Shell Bell
Gengar is an assassin, so we take held items that deal major damage. The goal of Gengar is to hit Dream Eater and burst down squishy enemies. Dream Eater and Shell Bell’s healing synergize extremely well, meaning you can win fights with very little HP remaining.
Charizard (All-Rounder)
Charizard has the best Unite Move, in all of Pokemon Unite. Charizard can pop their Unite Move and completely melt an entire enemy team solo.
Charizard’s only downside is that they are very weak in the early game, so try to get as much XP as you can as fast as you can.
Moves:
- Flamethrower
- Fire Blast
Held Items:
- Scope Lens
- Muscle Band
- Energy Amplifier
Charizard’s build is completely based around its Unite Move and its auto-attacks. Charizard’s auto-attacks deal major damage, especially after it has popped its Unite Move.
Blastoise (Defender)
Blastoise is my favorite Defender because he has fantastic zone control, and some of the best DPS and burst damage in the game.
Blastoise’s Unite Move can completely shift the momentum of team fights, so make sure to use it well.
Moves:
- Hydro Pump
- Surf
Held Items:
- Choice Specs
- Energy Amplifier
- Buddy Barrier
Blastoise builds more damage than most Defenders because it just works so well on them. Blastoise has a built-in defense, so taking a defensive build can be a bit overkill.
Eldegoss (Supporter)
Eldegoss was the first Supporter in the game with the ability to heal Pokemon. Eldegoss is still the best healer in the game, and one of the only Pokemon that can make their teammates completely unkillable.
Moves:
- Pollen Puff
- Cotton Guard
Held Items:
- Focus Band
- Buddy Barrier
- Leftovers
Eldegoss’s main goal during fights is to survive so that it can heal its team. That’s why this build gives a lot of health regeneration and shields.
Pokemon Unite Best Battle Items
For a while, Eject Button was the only viable Battle Item in the game. However recent patches have created more variety.
Eject Button
Eject Button is still extremely useful on many Pokemon. The instant gap closer is fantastic for chasing, escaping, and catching enemies off guard. If you have doubts about what you should take, go ahead and take Eject Button.
Slow Smoke
Slow Smoke has recently risen to the top of the Meta. It received a buff which increased its Area of Effect, which means you can drop it in the middle of team fights or 1v1s to practically disable enemies.
X Speed
X Speed is another great tool for escaping and chasing. X Speed increases a Pokemon’s movement speed and prevents slows. This means X Speed counters Slow Smoke and is overall the best-Held Item in Pokemon Unite.
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