Pokemon Unite is a weird game. Since launching for Nintendo Switch earlier today, Unite has attracted tons of players from all over the world, but the combination of Pokemon with MOBA mechanics similar to what you might see in League of Legends has naturally left fans of either or both series feeling pretty confused. I’ve played around 30 matches so far and am currently on a five-win streak in ranked play – not the most impressive thing ever, but not too shabby for day one either, eh?
As a result, I’ve learned a thing or two about what works in Pokemon Unite – and, perhaps more importantly, what doesn’t. I know some of you are only starting out and might feel a bit overwhelmed by how strange the whole concept of Unite is, so we thought we’d take the liberty of offering you a Helping Hand (eh? Like the Pokemon move. Come on).
Related: Every Pokemon In Pokemon Unite
Here are a bunch of Pokemon Unite tips and tricks I wish I knew before booting up the game this morning. Some might be obvious to a seasoned MOBA veteran, but again – this game is odd. There are some very peculiar, highly specific techniques that make a massive difference in whether you win or lose a match. So, without further ado, here’s our Pokemon Unite tips and tricks guide.
Pokemon Unite Tips And Tricks: Don’t Just Pick Your Favourite
Pokemon Unite isn’t like Pokemon. Sure, you might use Mega Charizard X in the mainline series, but here Charizard is an All-Rounder. If you’re not sure about MOBA roles, be sure to check out our Pokemon Unite roles guide to see what I mean.
I mean, you can play your favourite ‘mons, of course. But if you do, you need to be willing to commit to learn how they work in this particular context. It’s worth experimenting with all five roles – and, to be honest, all 20 Pokemon – in order to see which one fits your playstyle best. I desperately wanted to be a Gengar main, but I’m rubbish at Gengar. That win streak I mentioned earlier? All Lucario, despite the fact that I suck with him in Smash Ultimate. Who would have thought?
Pokemon Unite Tips And Tricks: Learn Multiple Pokemon
This kind of continues from our last tip – if someone else picks Lucario before me and that’s the only Pokemon I know how to play, I’m kind of screwed. Ideally you’ll want to be familiar with at least one Pokemon from each role, which means you’ll never be stuck no matter who the rest of your team picks.
Yes, that includes Support, too. Eldegoss is actually surprisingly fun to play – it’s not all about who gets the most kills.
Pokemon Unite Tips And Tricks: Use The Jump Booster
After a few minutes, you’ll notice a kind of trampoline contraption in your base. This allows you to propel yourself towards one of the three lanes, meaning you can get right back into the action way quicker than if you just walked the whole way.
To use a jump gate, press down on the D-pad, choose one of six landing points using the analog, and press ZR to confirm your location. Believe me, not many people seem to know about this yet – if you do this, a lot of players won’t expect you to come back so fast, giving you a massive upper hand in the late stages of a tense match.
Pokemon Unite Tips And Tricks: Farm Wild Pokemon To Get Evolutions Faster
Some of the Pokemon in Pokemon Unite don’t evolve. This is fair enough for the likes of Absol and Cramorant, but for some reason Pikachu doesn’t evolve into Raichu and Lucario walks out the gate fully grown, completely bypassing Riolu.
If you’re playing a Pokemon who does need to evolve though, you should pick your fights carefully. If you farm wild Pokemon, you should hit level four in no time, meaning you’re already at your second evolution and have a bit more survivability. The thing is, if you go up against the enemy players instead of wild Pokemon and get killed, the level gap will go in their favour and you’ll waste valuable time maxing out as Charizard or Venusaur. The longer it takes you to fully evolve, the worse it is for your team, and although fighting wild ‘mons might seem like a tedious method, it’s a whole lot quicker than coming back from the spawn ten times.
Pokemon Unite Tips And Tricks: Don’t Be Afraid To Use The Jungle
The Jungle, as MOBA players will likely know, is the middle lane. There are no zones to score points here – instead there are wild ‘mons and loads of grass to hide in (as in, if you’re in the grass, the enemy will only see you if they’re in it too, which is worth remembering and exploiting).
Ideally, the Jungle should be reserved for Speedsters – Zeraora, Talonflame, Absol, and Gengar. The idea is to skulk your way through here while keeping a low profile – if you kill all the wild Pokemon, your enemies can’t use them for experience and points. Meanwhile, you rack up loads of points, level up, and can pick off low-health enemies from the shadows. It takes a lot of practice, but if you’re having trouble in the bottom or top lanes in a more conventional role, it could be worth a try.
Pokemon Unite Tips And Tricks: Use Items, Dammit!
Pokemon Unite does an okay job of explaining held items to you. You can get renowned items from the main series like Leftovers, Shell Bells, and Muscle Bands, all of which buff your ‘mons. Ideally you’ll want to have three items for every Pokemon – don’t worry, you can share the same ones across multiple ‘mons – but you also need to upgrade them using item enhancement kits. You unlock these naturally as you go – just make sure to go into your item box in the menu, click held items, and upgrade the ones you use as much as possible.
What Unite doesn’t tell you is that you can also use items in battle. You can only choose one to bring with you, mind, but I was terrified to use the Potion I unlocked because I thought it was finite. Guess what? It’s not! It’s set to a cooldown of about 30 seconds and can be used indefinitely otherwise. Don’t be like me, kids – use your Potions.
Pokemon Unite Tips And Tricks: Don’t Just Kill People And Score Goals
We all want to be the hero, I get it. But do you know what? The number one thing you can do in Pokemon Unite is to play smart.
Earlier today, I sacrificed myself so that my teammates could take down Zapdos. While the other team probably thought I was an idiot, my team received 110 points that could be placed at any of three zones instantly and doubled, giving us a 220-point swing in the final turn of the game. Yeah, I died, but we came back and won – that’s way more important than being the top scorer, eh?
Next: Is Pokemon Unite On PC?
