Pokemon Unite is a MOBA in the same vein as DotA, League of Legends, and Heroes of the Storm except this one has everyone’s favorite pocket monsters who try to dunk on each other’s goal posts to destroy their equivalent of nexuses. Its matches are shorter and a bit more fast paced than other MOBAs.
It’s a lot of fun, but it can also be a lot of new information to take in when you’re first playing. There’s a large roster of available Pokemon now, how do you know where to start? Here we show you the best Pokemon Unite characters to get started with.
If you already know what you’re doing, check out some of the best playable characters in the game.
1. Tsareena (All-Rounder)
An all-rounder is a Pokemon that is capable of a bit of everything. They often function similarly to attackers just with slightly less attack and better defense.
Tsareena is listed as an expert character in-game, but she is quite easy to pick up with a bit of practice. While Charizard is the suggested character the game tells you to pick when you’re first starting off, he doesn’t have the same performance as Tsareena does.
Best Tsareena Build for Beginners
For this build, you can take any lane – top, bottom, or mid/jungle. If you’re not sure how to jungle, go ahead and pick a lane with a support or tank to ensure you get as many last hits as possible. Be sure to take advantage of your Queenly Majesty passive as much as possible.
- Moves: Triple Axel and Trop Kick
- Battle Item: Eject Button
- Held Items: Muscle Band, Focus Band, and Buddy Barrier
2. Pikachu (Attacker)
As the main attacker, Pikachu is the main source of damage in team fights. That being said, you’ll be more prone to dying than a Snorlax or Blissey, so be sure to stick with the team unless you know you’re going to land a kill.
Pikachu is the mascot of the series and one of the best attackers in the meta at the moment. He has the ability to paralyze enemies with a few of his moves which leaves them unable to act for a bit.
Best Pikachu Build for Beginners
You can go bottom or top lane with a defender or supporter for this build.
- Moves: Thunder and Thunderbolt
- Battle Item: Eject Button
- Held Items: Choice Specs, Energy Amplifier, and Buddy Barrier
3. Blissey (Supporter)
Blissey is pretty much the perfect character to learn the supporter role with, and supporters and defenders are the best roles to learn the game with in general. If you had started a few months ago, Eldegloss might have been the better pick, but as it stands right now, Blissey is the best supporter in the game. She’s easy to play and incredibly powerful in her role.
Best Blissey Build for Beginners
In this build, you’ll take either top or bottom lane with one of the attackers or all-rounders on your team. It’s best to pick whichever Pokemon relies most on basic attacks as it’ll synergize well with one of your moves. As a good support, it’s your role to help them level up, so let them get the majority of the last hits.
- Moves: Helping Hand and Safeguard
- Battle Item: Eject Button or X Speed
- Held Items: Focus Band, Buddy Barrier, and Exp Share
4. Snorlax (Defender)
If Pokemon Unite was an MMORPG, the defender role would be the tank. You go into fights, soak up as much damage as you can while trying to stay alive, and either protect your friends or hinder your enemies to influence team fights. As said above, supporters and defenders are two of the best types to learn the game with in general, especially Snorlax and Blissey with their high health pools.
Snorlax is definitely the best defender for beginners and one of the best defenders in the game as a whole. He is a brutal tank – he can take a ton of damage, he has a game changing Unite Move when utilized correctly in a fight, and he can even be built as a sort of bruiser a la League of Legends.
Best Snorlax Build for Beginners
The main build for Snorlax, especially if you’re new to the game, is to focus on defense. You’ll pick a lane with another player and let them get most of the last hits on the wild Pokes to ensure they evolve and grow to be the best attacker, speedster, etc. they can.
- Moves: Heavy Slam and Block
- Battle Item: Eject Button
- Held Items: Focus Band, Buddy Barrier, and Weakness Policy
5. Absol (Speedster)
Like Tsareena, Absol isn’t listed as a novice Pokemon in-game. That being said, none of the speedsters are exactly beginner-friendly as they require jungling and knowing exactly when to engage in fights and when to back off. Don’t let that intimidate you, though, as Absol is still relatively easy to learn and he’s in a great spot right now.
Speedsters might seem like attackers at first glance, but they’re definitely not. Your role with Absol is to help your bottom and top lane teammates score kills against the enemy and to score goals while other players are distracted. You can do a lot of damage, but you’re a glass cannon, so don’t get overestimate your health bar.
Best Absol Build for Beginners
You’ll be taking the jungle lane. If you’ve never jungled before, Absol is a great character to learn how to do it with. There’s a lot of strategy involved in the process, but the gist of it is attacking the wild Pokemon in the middle of the map while your allies handle bottom and top lane. This allows you to get all the last hits you want while your other teammates don’t have to worry about sharing exp in a three person lane. You’ll also be tasked with going into their lanes on occasion and helping them secure kills.
- Moves: Night Slash and Psycho Cut
- Battle Item: Eject Button
- Held Items: Muscle Band, Scope Lens, and Razor Claw
For more Poke-goodness, check out our guide to the best Pokemon gifts for your loved ones.
