So you’ve finally gotten Pokemon Unite. What now?

After months of waiting in the pre-registration line for mobile, or saving up to buy your very own Nintendo Switch, you finally have your hands on the latest Pokemon spin-off game, Pokemon Unite. You download the game, set up your account, and in just a few minutes, you’re now ready to play this cute little MOBA-like game from the Pokemon franchise. But, you feel an itch on the top of your head as you realize that you don’t have the slightest idea of how to play the game.

Well, we’ve got you covered! Just read through this article to get to know the basics of playing Pokemon Unite. Today, we’ll be talking about Pokemon roles and how to play them.

So, what are you waiting for, let’s dive in!

Pokemon Roles

No MOBA game is complete without character roles. Just like your regular MOBAS, the classic roles of tank, support, and attackers are there. Today, we will discuss the roles and their main tasks during Unite Battles, as well as give you a few tips if you’re just starting out.

Attackers

Attackers are basically glass cannons. They are Pokemon with low defense and health, but compensate for it with high Attack or Special Attack stats. The best way to play these Pokemon would be to team up with a bulky tank or a support type Pokemon with a strong crowd control or sustain move. They are the main damage dealers of the team, often packing high-powered damaging moves in an area of effect.

Examples of this Pokemon role type are Greninja, Cinderace, and Pikachu.

Speedsters

Speedsters rely on their high-mobility moves and high damage to quickly swoop in on defending enemies, score and get out just before being burst down. Like Attackers, Speedsters are also glass cannons, which mean that once they are locked down, they pretty much an ensured kill for the opponent’s side. It is also their goal to secure side objectives such as Drednaw and Rotom.

There are currently four Speedsters in the game: Zeraora, Absol, Talonflame, and Gengar.

Defenders

Defenders are the tanks of the game. Blessed with high defense and health, these Pokemon stand on the frontlines and absorb all the damage that the opponents throw at your team. Don’t discredit their firepower, though. Defenders can also pack a punch, usually utilizing their crowd control-filled moveset to disrupt any enemies attempting to score goals.

Some great examples for Defender Pokemon are Blastoise, Slowbro, Crustle, and Snorlax.

Supporters

As the name suggests, these Pokemon provide sustain through healing and shields, as well as add to the crowd control that the Defenders already have. These Pokemon are less tanky compared to Defenders, but are tougher compared to Attackers and Speedsters. Some great examples for Supporter-type Pokemon are Blissey, Wigglytuff, Mr. Mime, and Eldegoss.

All-rounders

With blanched offensive and defensive stats, All-rounders are Pokemon who fight alongside Defenders, taking in a good amount of damage while also dishing out damage towards the opponents. All-rounders are flexible Pokemon who can work in any of the three other roles, except the Supporter role, as they need to rack up experience quickly due to their slow scaling capabilities.

There are currently four All-rounders in the game, namely: Machamp, Charizard, Lucario, and Garchomp.

Despite the Pokemon having their specific roles, there are some who can fit into other roles. For example, Alolan Ninetales, usually an Attacker, can be played as a Supporter, equipped with an Exp. Share to help both you and your lane partner gain experience quicker, Likewise, there are also some players who play Wigglytuff as a Defender rather than the usual Supporter role it gets slotted into. 

A few tips!

Practice all roles. Not sure which role is right for you? That’s easy! We recommend you start playing Standard Battles first, most likely until you reach Level 13. Try out as many roles as possible, as well as every Pokemon available for you, in order for you to get a grip on how the other Pokemon are played.

Don’t waste your Aeos Tickets! It might be tempting to go ahead and splurge your Aeos Tickets on Fashion Items for your trainer, but don’t do that. Instead, save them up or use them to buy Item Enhancers, which are used to upgrade your Held Items, making their effects and additional stats more powerful.

Score your points. Defeating Wild Pokemon and Pokemon from the opposing team grants you Aeos points, which you need to score to the opposing team’s goal post in order for your team to win the game. DO NOT HOARD your points. As soon as you see an empty goal post, go for it! The more points you try to score, the longer your waiting time to dunk will be, so don’t try to score your 50 points without having some backup.

Items are your friend. Held Items are similar to pre-game buffs that you put on your Pokemon to give them bonuses that can help them in-game. Currently, the most famous items are Buddy Barrier and Score Shield, with the latter providing you a shield after using your Unite Move, and the latter giving you a shield while you try to score your goals, preventing you from being intercepted.

These are some of the basic tips and a basic introduction to the roles in Pokemon Unite. This article has no authority in telling you how to play the game. The first and foremost objective of a video game is to make it an enjoyable experience for its gamers, so do whatever makes the game fun for you, just don’t ruin the fun for other players.