Pikachu is, both surprisingly and unsurprisingly, one of the single best characters in Pokemon Unite. Despite being the only Pokemon on the current roster who has an evolved form but doesn't actually evolve, Pikachu is one of the most ferocious Attackers in the game right now – provided you've got the right build, of course.
Pikachu's status as an Attacker means that you obviously need to lean into its offensive capabilities if you want to maximize your effectiveness. It may just be a tiny little electric mouse, but once the sparks start… well, let's just hope you're not on your own, eh?
Related: Pokemon Unite Tips And Tricks Guide
If you're playing Pokemon Unite and have decided you'd like to main Ash Ketchum's best mate, there are a few things you should know before jumping into ranked matches. Fortunately, we've collected all of the details necessary for creating the best Pikachu build in Pokemon Unite in this convenient guide. Here's everything you need to know.
Pokemon Unite Piakchu Build Guide: Best Moves
Similarly to Zeraora, Garchomp, and Gengar, Pikachu is drastically different in Pokemon Unite compared to the mainline series. Like every other Pokemon in Pokemon Unite, you start each match with a choice between two moves. You unlock whichever move you didn't pick at level three and upgrade both moves twice each throughout the match, before eventually gaining access to your Pokemon's own unique Unite move.
Your first choice is between Thundershock and Electroweb. The latter is a better move against enemy Pokemon, but you'll only see wild 'mons until you reach level three anyway, so the lower cooldown of Thundershock makes it preferable as your starting move. At level four you get the choice between Thunder and Electro Ball. The former has higher DPS, but it has a longer cooldown and less support value – Electro Ball is fast, accurate, and stuns an opponent, making it easy to either finish them off or escape. At level six you need to choose between Volt Tackle and Thunderbolt – I've seen a lot of great Pikachu players working wonders with Volt Tackle, but Thunderbolt's shorter cooldown and stun effect once again make it the superior choice in my book. Plus, Thunderstorm, your Unite move, is unlocked at level nine and has wild DPS potential anyway. If you can stunlock your opponents before using your Unite move, you're pretty much guaranteed a team wipe.
Pokemon Unite Pikachu Build Guide: Best Items
Pikachu is like Gengar despite not being a Speedster. There's no point in using Leftovers on a squishy, and I'd wager that even the Shell Bell does very little here. Go with the Wise Glasses, Special Attack Specs, and Float Stone for your held items if you want maximum damage output.
For battle items, you should use X Attack or the Eject Button to boost either attack or mobility, respectively.
Pokemon Unite Pikachu Build Guide: Best Playstyle
Pikachu has frankly immense DPS potential, but its squishiness makes it a pretty bad pick for close-combat fights. Instead, use range to your advantage. Also, you should always pick either top or bottom lane and roll out with an All-Rounder, bulkier Attacker, or Defender who can take some hits for you while you stunlock enemies from a distance. It takes a little practice to get used to, but once you learn your effective range and recognize how Pikachu's engagement protocol works, you should be all set to rack up the most kills in every game you play.