When it comes to meta games for Pokemon spinoffs, none is as complex or ever-changing as Pokemon Unite. In the true fashion of a MOBA, new characters coming out can change the entire course of the game’s meta, more or less being solidified in their tiers from the moment players get a good handle on how they function.
Pokemon Unite’s lineup in any given class is important for the meta. New characters as well as old all have a place, whether they fill a role that takes center stage or one that offers support. In this article, we’ll be ranking every playable Pokemon in Unite, and where they fall on a tier list for their own categories.
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Pokemon Unite: Supporter Tier List
Support Pokemon act just how you’d think they do. They provide buffs, heals, and nothing but support to Pokemon within the Attacker and All-Rounder classes, prioritizing healing among all members of the team as threats arise. Combat isn’t entirely devoid of a Support Pokemon, but it’s far from their emphasis. Support role Pokemon don’t bring damage to the table, but instead utility and balance. In the current meta, here are the tier rankings for each member of the Support group.
S Tier
- Blissey: This HP-centric Pokemon is the most long-lasting out of the entire class, having more HP than anyone else in its group. Its ability to take hits and be the brunt of damage in team fights makes it an invaluable member for damage absorption.
- Hoopa: The offensive boost that Hoopa provides is valuable for cooperation. The warping mechanic is unique to Hoopa, which can help promote team synergy and mobility, all the way across the map.
- Eldegoss: Hinderance moves are not unique to Eldegoss, but these in combination with an assortment of ranged moves make Eldegoss quite viable. As a Supporter, Eldegoss is a simple character to use, providing long-distance, straightforward moves that even beginners can learn.
A Tier
- Comfey: By itself, Comfey is a capable fighter with decent Attack and Defense. When attached to allies, Comfey can provide shields that give allies a unique buff all around. Due to the unique playstyle that Comfey presents, it may not be the best character for new players.
- Mr. Mime: While Mr. Mime was an opponent to be feared during the early game meta, it’s not so much the case now. Improvements to his trick-based moveset has helped Mr. Mime remain relevant while also keeping the basic animations in order. Mr. Mime gets points for being easy to use but difficult to master – able to take opponents on his own.
B Tier
- Clefable: The natural bulkiness of Clefable makes it almost a Defender by base stat nature. However, the move set of Support really makes Clefable stay at the top of the B Tier, outshining Wigglytuff in this area and soundly beating Sableye despite the tricks that the ghosty gremlin has up its sleeves.
- Sableye: Sabeleye would be a bit higher on the list if it had any kind of healing or shields that other supports have. The reason it stands out as a unique play however is all thanks to the Prankster ability, which can help your team via sneaking.
- Wigglytuff: Wigglytuff has all the makings of a great Defensive Pokemon, with high defense, utility, and support all around. The only major drawback that sets it at the bottom of its classification is the limit of its Unite Move, which can be helpful if the cooldown wasn’t so long.
Pokemon Unite: All-Rounder Tier List
All-Rounders are responsible for being the reliable Pokemon of the team. While Defense experts provide long-lasting support, All-Rounders take on specialist roles that heavily rely on their unique move sets and stat-changing abilities to make an impact on the battlefield.
S Tier
- Zacian: In its own class, Zacian is almost built like an Attacker, but gets classified into All-Rounder. Thanks to Intrepid Sword, the damage Zacian is capable of dealing places it on the top of the pile. The only issue with Zacian is that build potential is somewhat limited, with only two held items being of any use to the Pokemon.
- Mewtwo X: Save for Zacian, Mewtwo X is at the top of its classification, having all the physical strength it needs to do amazing feats of damage in any given situation. Even better when it has friends around, making the buff to its Attack, Defense, and other stats terrifying to deal with. The fact that it relies on the stat boost is a tad disappointing, but not something that would necessitate a lower rank.
- Blaziken: The Fire-Type starter initially was A-Tier during the beginning of the game’s shelf life, but thanks to a buff received after update 1.12.1.4, it has just the tools it needs to make up for a high skill requirement. Cooldown reduction also helped moves like Spinning Flame Fist and Kick more reliable.
- Mimikyu: Mimikyu is a recent addition to the All-Rounder class, strong despite the cuteness that lurks underneath that veil. Without any glaring weaknesses, it maintains the S rank by having basic moves that do a lot of damage.
A Tier
- Lucario: Tanky, speedy, and powerful, Lucario has a few basic weaknesses, scaling well from the beginning of the same to the end. The perfect balance of strengths is precisely what keeps Lucario out of S Tier; without high-risk moves, it doesn’t have anything that blows Defensive Pokemon away.
- Urshifu: Regardless of what fighting style Urshifu uses, the elaborate nature of the setup required to wield one keeps it just out of S Tier. While Mimikyu is built upon being simple, Urshifu is centered around continuous combo action. This leaves the Pokemon having a rigorous requirement for good gameplay. Spamming does no good for a Pokemon like this.
- Aegislash: The adaptability of Aegislash is what makes it a solid pick that can react to any encounter. With its shield form, it can tank damage, while the boosted attacks it gets from its standard form are great for both solo fights and team efforts. The greatest strength of Aegislash is also its greatest weakness, relying entirely on the form mechanic to get the job done.
- Buzzwole: In addition to being very strong, Buzzwole is buffed even further by its disabling moveset. Aside from the tactical niches that Buzzwole can fill, moves like Smack Down and Superpower can help even the odds even during team fights.
- Scyther/Scizor: These two sides of the same coin stay rightly in A Tier, because of their utility alone. If the player uses a Scyther, they can work with the two distinct stats that the pre-evolution has: Attack and Speed. Scizor takes an entirely different approach, bolstering defenses instead of speed or other quick stats. The only disadvantage to these Pokemon is that one is not interchangeable with another, meaning that Scizor is not compatible with Scyther’s gameplay, and the other way around.
- Azumarill: Huge Power is what carries Azumarill as an attacker, but little else sets it apart. It can’t compete with attack stats like that of Scyther or Buzzwole, instead having beefier HP in comparison to others of its class.
B Tier
- Dragonite: As an All-Rounder, Dragonite is quite unique due to being the only truly ranged one on the game. The major disappointment with Dragonite is that damage takes a long time to build up, only getting to proper stats at level 8 or so.
- Charizard: If you want a standard heavy hitter, Charizard is the obvious choice thanks to its high brawl potential. The only thing holding it back is the fact that to do any real damage, it needs to be substantially levelled up. Otherwise, it can’t compete with players like Mewtwo and Mew.
- Garchomp: Within the All-Rounder class, Garchomp is one of the most offensive with moves like Stomp and Dragon Claw. The only issue with Garchomp is that it’s subject to getting wiped off the map before it reaches its full potential, which only exists at later levels.
- Machamp: Through various buffs and all kinds of immunities to other types, Machamp makes great headway as a defensive Pokemon with the attack chops to make others in their class take the heat. In a 1 on 1 fight, Machamp is a terror to go against. The only thing holding a Machamp back is the slow build required to get his levels up to par.
- Tsareena: Survivability on a Pokemon that can kick hard is a great combo, which is why Tsareena is a specialist fighter choice. Compared to others within the class, Tsareena ranks on the lower side due to having almost no element of crowd control, making team fights a challenge.
- Tyranitar: Tyranitar is a great frontline Pokemon, with Sand Tomb to improve survivability and Ancient Power to help with stats. This makes it almost guaranteed to survive to the late game, the only real drawback being a lack of critical hits during Tyrannical Rampage.
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Pokemon Unite: Attacker Tier List
Attackers come in all shapes and sizes, from the cute Sylveon to the haunting glass cannon Chandelure. These Pokemon are front and center, either attacking as steady frontliners or participating in baiting in-and-out battle tactics.
S Tier
- Mew: Mew deals damage at any range, be it up close and personal or from far away with Solar Beam. If you want a fighter that can adapt to almost any situation, having great support ability via its Surf and Coaching moves. Beware, if you’re a new player, Mew operates in a very specific way, requiring lots of patterns to execute combos effectively and maintain field control.
- Mewtwo Y: Mewtwo Y would be at the top of S Tier if not for recent nerfs. When Mega Evolved, it’s still a highly dangerous Pokemon to take down alone while still being very much stoppable, at least once you get up close.
- Inteleon: Inteleon is a fragile but substantial attacker, making use of critical hits quite often. Even defensive and healing Pokemon have to watch out for Inteleon, especially if the Inteleon has the support of other teammates behind.
- Venasaur: Venasaur is a great choice for Pokemon that have sustainability due to the HP draining effects that it has with Giga Drain. With Solar Beam, it can even function as an effective sniper. However, what keeps Venasaur from achieving a higher rank within the S Tier is the early game. Without robust defenses, not even Giga Drain can supplement a good Defense stat.
A Tier
- Delphox: For magical attacks that can fling from a distance and cover a lot of ground, consider Delphox. The low cooldowns for Unite moves make Delphox a damage-dealing machine, working well in teams to combat foes during every phase of the fight. The only drawbacks of Delphox is low durability, and the fact that they make for great early takedowns if you can catch them before they get too powerful.
- Decidueye: Decidueye is a robust damage dealer that can pick off targets from afar. With both range and high damage potential, it would almost seem that Decidueye has relatively little weakness. However, for a Pokemon with wings, the mobility of Decidueye leaves much to be desired. While other Pokemon can teleport or leap out of harm’s way, Decidueye has no such panic buttons to get out of trouble.
- Gardevoir: Burst damage is Gardevoir’s specialty, providing disabling moves while also dishing out a few deadly ones of their own. For crowd control, Gardevoir is excellent, using its Unite Move, one that has a relatively decent cooldown time. The only issue with Gardevior is that it has no mobility for escaping risky situations and lacks the defenses to just tank hits during team fights.
- Pikachu: Pikachu makes for a great straight-up Attacker or a Pokemon ideal for hitting the enemy and running away. Thanks to Attack being its primary focus, Pikachu makes for a great frontline Pokemon despite not having the defenses of other front liners like Tyranitar. The issue for Pikachu is that its Defenses are truly terrible, so you’ll need to play cautiously if you want to survive the beginning phases of each game.
- Sylveon: Just as is true in the mainline Pokemon games, Sylveon has great offense and defense, being bulky enough to make good use of both stats. Calm Mind helps enhance its already-developed Attack while Draining Kiss helps bolster its HP if it ever gets in trouble. The only issue with Sylveon, if any, is that to start dealing high damage, you need to last long enough to level up.
- Alolan Ninetails: Alolan Ninetails is a great supporting Pokemon, one that can also deal great attack damage in a pinch. Evidence for this is easy to find, just use Auroa Veil with teammates nearby. This move also improves mobility as well, giving Alolan Ninetails all the basic building blocks it needs to survive. A buff would be great for Alolan Ninetails because currently, the only thing keeping it in A Tier and not S Tier is the fact that the damage scaling doesn’t keep up with others in its class.
- Chandelure: If you’re looking for a glass cannon that seems to be made of glass, Chandelure is your Pokemon of choice. It has magnificent firepower, dealing Damage over Time damage, and its Infiltration ability, which laughs in the Special Defense-heavy Pokemon. The issue, as you might have guessed, is that this thing is made of glass, and does not last long when taking the heat on its own.
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B Tier
- Cinderace: Cinderace is a classic example of a long-ranged attacker with low defenses. Not quite as attack-heavy as Chandelure, but not nearly as fragile, Cinderace serves that sweet spot in between that allows it to have great team-carrying potential. The only issue is that the team might have to help you get there since Cinderace is a great target for the early game.
- Cramorant: Cramorant is an Attacker, but not a fantastic one. The utility of Cramorant is where it shines, Dive being a strategy that can work well to defend areas if only used correctly. The disadvantage Cramorant has is a subpar Attack stat and not a Defense stat that can help make up for it.
- Espeon: Espeon is an unusual slot holder in the B Tier, with the unique ability Magic Bounce that allows it to shrug off hindrances that appear on the battlefield. It’s an easy Pokemon to wield, one that has both the burst damage to attack with ease and the tenacity to survive in the early game. However, without mobility moves, it’s relatively limited as an Attacker, unable to maintain in-and-out battles consistently.
- Dragapult: If you want a high damage output on a ranged Pokemon, Dragapult is an excellent pick. Thanks to Phantom Force, Dragapult has a great attack for a B Tier Pokemon, helping snipe from a distance along other Pokemon like Decidueye and other ranged attackers. Stealth abilities help promote survivability, but Dragapult’s leveling system makes it hard to keep up with other Pokemon as the game progresses.
- Glaceon: Glaceon uses powerful ice missiles to both freeze and attack opponents, making it a great Attacker. While it does have impressive crowd control, it relies almost entirely on crowd-controlling moves, making it more suited for a team setting rather than alone. Compared to other Eeveelutions, its Attack is only slightly lacking.
- Greninja: Despite being a great Pokemon almost anywhere else, Greninja suffers in the meta as it stands now. Currently, Greninja gets outclassed far too easily by Pokemon with the same moves, but more effective. It will need some buffs to make it even to the top of B Tier, let alone out of it.
- Duraludon: High burst damage and amazing utility are the hallmark traits of a good Duraludon player. The issue, surprisingly, is defense. If you can catch one of these before it gets too powerful with its move set, you can take it out quite easily with how low its Defensive stats are.
Pokemon Unite: Defender Tier List
Defenders are a team’s anchor, Pokemon that last to the end of the fight due to having the stats to pull through. They may not have much in the way of Attack right off the bat, but they can gain it through leveling up and doing what they do best: surviving for the long haul.
S Tier
- Slowbro: High durability is the reason Slowbro remains at the top of S Tier for its class, with moves like Telekinesis making it an invaluable defensive wall. Moves like Amnesia make it even more bulky.
- Umbreon: As you may have guessed, Umbreon is close to the top of the list, the only reason it doesn’t make the top tier of S is that it’s a tad more multifaceted than Slowbro. It can steal shields from opponents and use them for itself, making it a tank that’s also quite versatile.
- Blastoise: What Umbreon doesn’t have in crowd control, Blastoise can handle. Other defensive Pokemon rely on their defenses to get by, while Blastoise has both amazing range and bulk to its name.
A Tier
- Trevenant: Trevenant is a double-edged sword, doing damage to both itself and others. That being said, the damage Trevant can do is robust enough to heal itself while dealing damage from time to time, making it a good help for less durable allies if it works with others in a team.
- Lapras: Lapras was a bit broken before thanks to Perish Song, but with a due buff to that move specifically and how the mechanics interact with damage, Lapras is now solidly more balanced. Shell Armor was nerfed most recently, making it a tad weaker in fights, and keeping it out of the S Tier.
- Crustle: This sturdy Pokemon has done well after the buff it received in October. Sturdy does all the better for the Pokemon, and Crustle also has the buffs to Rubble Rouser to thank for its A Tier rank status.
- Goodra: This pseudo legendary sticks it out in the A Tier because of its capability of being a frontline, with moves like Muddy Water that can help fantastically with crowd control. Moves like Dragon Pulse can help when it comes to burst damage. However, the only thing Goodra lacks is a fast start, usually being a major target for early-game before things get too team-oriented.
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B Tier
- Mamoswine: Mamoswine handles like a truck, which is its strength and weakness. While moves like High Horsepower can take down almost anything, missing brings about grave consequences, ones that can leave your defenses in the dust.
- Greedent: Greedent is a tricky Pokemon to handle, whether you’re fighting one or trying to learn how to use one for the first time. With burst damage potential through Belch and healing moves that it gets from Berries, Greedent is a Pokemon you want to take down as soon as you see it.
- Snorlax: Snorlax is almost textbook similar to the Snorlax you find in the mainline Pokemon games. With high HP, you won’t easily take down one, which makes it a fantastic distraction for team fights. The only issue that places Snorlax at the bottom of its class is the fact that it has none of the Defender perks that make others above it unique.
Pokemon Unite: Speedster Tier List
Speedsters are the masters of in-and-out battles, being more focused as a class than Attackers and more narrow in the scope of accomplishments. They require specific strategies to wield well, so if you’re a new player, consider something a little more standard before you go in with a Zoroark or a Talonflame.
S Tier
- Leafeon: Leafeon defends the top spot in the S Tier of its class thanks to the burst rapid-fire nature of its attacks. It’s an efficient speedy character to play as, even after the nerfs taken to refill energy.
- Zoroark: Zoroark fights as you might expect it to, with obvious combos that work well even for beginner players. The passive ability Illusion is what sets it firmly in S Tier, avoiding damage in a pinch.
- Dodrio: If you want a stereotypical speedster, Dodrio fits that bill perfectly with the sprint mechanic. Burst damage and high mobility are the name of the game with Dodrio, high fragility that ensures that you won’t be taking on too many enemies at once with this Pokemon.
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A Tier
- Absol: The Attack stat on Absol is the star of the show here, with buffs that have helped Absol rise from the B Tier to the A Tier in relatively recent history. The attack stat was nothing to squint at before, but now that it has a due buff, it’s even more solidly at the top of A Tier.
- Talonflame: While it may not have as much attack as Absol, mobility is what makes Talonflame stand out. The trick to using Talonflame is knowing when to strike hitting targets quickly from a long rage before they can react. Mobility moves can save it from close encounters, but keep in mind how fragile it is when performing in-and-out fights.
B Tier
- Zeraora: Being canonically one of the fastest Pokemon out there, it’s a tad surprising to see Zeraora so low in the game. However, the reason for such a low rank is that Zeraora is an unmistakable glass cannon. If your moves miss, say goodbye to your defenses.
- Gengar: While Gengar may be at the bottom of the totem pole, a fast Pokemon is still a fast Pokemon. The strategy behind your average Gengar relies on debuffs, not buffs, making it a great Pokemon to use only if you understand the main principles. Sludge Bomb and Hex used in succession make for a devastating combo. The only downside to Gengar that holds it back is the lack of solo fighting capability.
Published: Nov 6, 2023 03:38 pm