Pokemon Unite, the hottest new MOBA by Tencent and TiMi Studios, is packed with the familiar creatures players have come to know and love over the past 25 years. However, the gameplay is very different from what they might expect. This chaotic MOBA is a frenzied battle to survive and score points on the map.
All the Pokemon in the game are sorted into one of five categories - Attacker, Defender, Speedster, Supporter, and All-Rounder. Each Pokemon has its own different strengths and weaknesses. There are some choices that are very popular in the current meta. But do these Pokemon deserve the spotlight?
5 Garchomp
Any Generation 4 Pokemon fan knows the fear that Cynthia’s Garchomp inspired in a player. This fearsome Pokemon is a pseudo-Legendary in mainline games, with an insanely high 130 base attack stat. In Pokemon Unite, Garchomp is an All-Rounder, which means that it is a perfect choice for those who are new to the game, or for those who want to be flexible in their team role.
Garchomp can handle Offensive and Defensive match-ups and can be thrown at most situations. Its basic attack even has a healing mechanic and Rough Skin passively reflects melee damage back at the attacker. This means it is rare to see a team without this fearsome Pokemon. However, with its poor mobility and support abilities, Garchomp is outshined by other All-Rounders such as Lucario and Machamp
4 Venusaur
Venusaur is a strong attacker that is perfect for players who want to control the playfield and crowd control. Its Basic Attack means that every third attack does increased damage and will pull the enemy towards the player.
However, with a low endurance and mobility stat, Venusaur has one major downfall when compared to other Attacker Pokemon. Enemies can land a couple of hits at close range if timed right when they are pulled in by Venusaur's vines. These few hits could prove devastating if the player isn’t running with a Venusaur tank build. Furthermore, because of its low mobility score, retreating can also be tricky. A Feint Scorbunny with an X Speed will make quick work of this Pokemon.
3 Charizard
Charizard is best described as a jack of all trades. This Pokemon sums up the All-Rounder Battle Type - a fiery ally that is good at all roles, but a master at none. Charizard is great for beginners but overrated as players get used to the game's mechanics. Synergizing its moveset with Attackers or Speedsters who can make up for its lack of bursts will be key to winning with Charizard.
Whilst it does struggle with support, Charizard’s basic attack deals continual damage with status affiliations, which can be very useful for dealing damage to crowds. The attack range increases with each evolution, maxing out at Level 9 when Charmeleon evolves into Charizard. This Fire-type Pokemon had a rocky start. In the first week of the game, there was a bug that would increase its basic attack power when paired with a Muscle Band once a player used their Unite Move. This bug was patched in a recent update, which means the damage has decreased considerably. This, in turn, has hurt Charizard’s viability.
2 Slowbro
Defenders are one of the most important Battle Types to have in a MOBA team line-up. These Pokemon are great at controlling the enemy crowds. Their main role in Pokemon Unite is to control a goal zone and lock that location down. Slowbro will quite literally forget to take damage if someone plays aggressively.
Whilst Slowbro may have the best HP regeneration of all Defenders, it doesn’t have as much endurance as a Pokemon like Snorlax. Slowbro is also very slow and, if left vulnerable by teammates, it struggles to defend itself.
1 Alolan Ninetails
Some players might be surprised to see Alolan Ninetails on a list of overrated Pokemon in Pokemon Unite. Many people consider this Pokemon one of the strongest Attackers in the current line-up, with its icy ranged attacks and fun playstyle. Players can unlock the Alolan Ninetails Unite License after logging in for two days. This makes it seem fun to new players, but it requires more talent than it first appears.
It has great offensive and support capabilities but is balanced with low endurance and mobility. This is a unique approach to an Attacker - a lot of players tend to use Alolan Ninetails as an all-out engage, which is not its role. This Pokemon doesn’t have enough burst to stand alone and is outshined by ranged Attackers like the glass cannon that is Gardevoir.