Looking at the roster of available Pokemon in Pokemon Unite, you may find yourself drawn to the speedier members of the roster. MOBA veterans who play classes like Assassin will fit in nicely here, while brand-new MOBA players may be keen on the Speedster’s ability to move quickly around the battlefield and hold their own against any opponent.Be warned though, newcomers: most of these Pokemon are classified as “expert” difficulty for a reason. You may want to figure out the game’s flow with another type first. If you don’t want to wait and think Speedster is the class for you, these tips will have you running circles around your competition.
Absol
Absol is one of the more versatile Pokemon in the Unite roster. It’s an adept “jungler”–a role that focuses on battling wild Pokemon for energy–as it sports a few moves that attack enemies directly in front of it, perfectly suited for encounters with tougher wild Pokemon like Rotom and Drednaw. When it’s time to score Absol can also handle crowds with moves that attack multiple Pokemon in arcs, increasing its mobility in the process. It also helps that Absol is a critical hit machine, pairing moves that boost its critical hit rate with its passive skill Super Luck to land a ton of crits. Absol is a versatile Pokemon that can serve a lot of roles, so keeping an eye on the flow of battle is key to succeeding with it.
Role: Speedster
Style: Melee
Difficulty: Expert
Stats
- Offense – 7
- Endurance – 4
- Mobility – 8
- Scoring – 5
- Support – 1
Evolution levels: None
Special Moves
- Feint – Dashes at an arc-shaped trajectory, damaging Pokemon in the arc’s path. Defense statistics and shields do not apply to this attack. Cooldown is 8 seconds. Upgrades at Lvl. 5 to one of the following:
- Night Slash – Two-part attack, the first slashes outwardly and the second dashes to a designated location dealing damage. The first hit lowers opponents’ movement speed, while the second increases Absol’s critical hit rate. 5 second cooldown. At Lvl. 11 the move gains Lifesteal, healing Absol when it damages an opponent.
- Pursuit – Dashes to the designated area and changes its next basic attack to a forward charge. If that basic attack connects from behind, damage is increased and cooldown is reduced. 5 second cooldown. At Lvl. 11 Absol’s movement speed is increased.
- Slash – Slashes area directly in front of the user and increases critical hit rate. Cooldown is 6 seconds. Upgrades at Lvl. 7 to one of the following:
- Psycho Cut – Psychic-powered blades attack area in front of Absol. If the attack connects, Absol’s next three basic attacks have increased damage. 7 second cooldown. At Lvl. 13 this attack also increases Absol’s movement speed if it connects.
- Sucker Punch – Attack decreases movement speed of both Absol and opponent while delaying damage dealt. If Absol is attacked before this damage occurs, the opponent is also knocked back. 7 second cooldown. At Lvl. 13 basic attack speed is boosted if this connects.
- Passive Skill: Super Luck – Critical Hit rate increased.
- Unite Move: Midnight Slash – Multiple slashes followed by bursts of dark energy that damages all nearby opponents.
Gengar
Just like the Pokemon itself, Gengar is a trickster on the battlefield. A master of status effects, Gengar has access to moves that can inflict burns, poison, and sleep on an opponent, making it great for disrupting opponents and causing havoc. Its passive skill Levitate increases his speed when not in combat, meaning that Gengar can patrol the entire arena efficiently and move wherever the team is in need. A late-game combo to consider is Sludge Bomb (which inflicts poison) and Hex (which deals increased damage to poisoned opponents), as it will immediately weaken or even knock out anyone on the opposing side and give your team a huge advantage. Gengar isn’t the easiest Pokemon to learn, but his potent combos and ability to cover ground quickly make him a great option on any team.
Role: Speedster
Style: Melee
Difficulty: Expert
Stats
- Offense – 7
- Endurance – 4
- Mobility – 8
- Scoring – 6
- Support – 1
Evolution levels: Gastly Start | Haunter at Lvl. 5 | Gengar at Lvl. 9
Special Moves
- Will-O-Wisp – Multiple flames damage and inflict a burn on opponents. Cooldown is 5 seconds. Upgrades at Lvl. 5 to one of the following:
- Shadow Ball – Dark energy projectile damages and lowers movement speed and special defense of opponents it contacts. 4.5 second cooldown. At Lvl. 11 damage dealt is increased.
- Sludge Bomb – Sludge is thrown into a designated area, damaging and inflicting poison on the opponent. 8 second cooldown. At Lvl. 11 the duration of the poison status effect is increased.
- Lick – Tongue attack that pulls opposing Pokemon closer to it. Cooldown is 7 seconds. Upgrades at Lvl. 7 to one of the following:
- Dream Eater – Psychic energy puts opponents to sleep, letting Gengar appear behind them and attack. This attack restores some of Gengar’s HP and reduces cooldown on its other special move. 7 second cooldown. At Lvl. 13 damage dealt and HP restored are increased.
- Hex – Gengar disappears and reappears in a designated spot, dealing damage. If the opponent is poisoned when attacked, damage is increased. 7.5 second cooldown. At Lvl. 13 damage dealt is increased.
- Passive Skill: Levitate – Increased movement speed when not engaged in combat.
- Unite Move: Phantom Ambush – Two-step move, the first has Gengar jump to a designated spot and start sneaking, the second deals area-of-effect damage to opponents in the area while increasing Gengar’s movement speed.
Talonflame
Talonflame’s Speedster nature and mobile moveset mean it’s going to move around the arena with ease. Moves Like Acrobatics, Aerial Ace, and Flame Charge all send it charging ahead, good for both chasing after weakened Pokemon and getting it out of a jam. The speed boost Talonflame gets from being at high HP levels helps as well, so choosing your spots with a “stick and move” strategy will keep Talonflame alive and speedy. Just make sure not to get caught in a group of enemies alone, or else you’ll be staring at the respawn screen in no time.
Role: Speedster
Style: Melee
Difficulty: Intermediate
Stats
- Offense – 5
- Endurance – 3
- Mobility – 10
- Scoring – 7
- Support – 1
Evolution levels: Fletchling Start | Fletchinder at Lvl. 5 | Talonflame at Lvl. 9
Special Moves
- Peck – A quick charge forward followed by three quick peck attacks. Cooldown is 5 seconds. Upgrades at Lvl. 5 to one of the following:
- Flame Charge – Flies forward surrounded by flames, attacking and increasing its speed. 6.5 second cooldown. At Lvl. 11 the move also decreases the opponent’s speed.
- Aerial Ace – Charges toward an enemy causing damage and increasing damage of the next basic move. 6 second cooldown. At Lvl. 11 the damage dealt is increased.
- Acrobatics – Attacks an area from multiple directions and allows the player to choose the direction of escape when the move is finished. Cooldown is 7 seconds. Upgrades at Lvl. 7 to one of the following:
- Fly – Flies straight into the sky, and a second use brings it back down for big damage. 11 second cooldown. At Lvl. 13 the move throws enemies in the area when Talonflame comes back down.
- Brave Bird – Engulfs itself in flames and flies to a specified area for damage. The move causes recoil damage to Talonflame and reduces cooldown in basic attacks.11 second cooldown. At Lvl. 13 recoil damage is reduced.
- Passive Skill: Gale Wings – Talonflame moves faster when it’s at high HP.
- Unite Move: Flame Sweep – A long-distance charge while covered in flames, shoving enemies aside after contact
Zeraora
Zeraora is an absolute terror, widely considered to be one of the best characters in the game. Its passive skill Volt Absorb is a big reason for this, as its damage output is increased whenever it takes damage. It can also heal itself with Spark, confuse opponents with the movement of Volt Switch and Wild Charge, and buff its basic attack speed. Using Wild Charge’s extra area-of-effect damage lets Zeraora deal damage to multiple targets at a time too, so it can hold its own in a group for a little while. It’s not immortal–that low Endurance does mean it won’t last long on its own against a group–but there aren’t many Pokemon with a moveset as potent as that of Zeraora.
Role: Speedster
Style: Melee
Difficulty: Expert
Stats
- Offense – 7
- Endurance – 3
- Mobility – 8
- Scoring – 6
- Support – 1
Evolution levels: None
Special Moves
- Agility – A quick dash forward that increases basic attack speed. Cooldown is 6 seconds. Upgrades at Lvl. 6 to one of the following:
- Volt Switch – A quick dash that deals damage and increases basic attack speed. If this move is used again within a short period of time Zeraora will return to where the move was activated the first time. 8 second cooldown. At Lvl. 12 damage is increased and the boost to basic attack speed lasts longer.
- Spark – Jumps towards an opponent with an electrified attack. If the basic attack button is pressed while Zeraora is in the air, it will change course and attack the next closest opponent. This move can be used three times before cooldown. 10 second cooldown. At Lvl. 12 the move heals HP if Zeraora switches targets mid-air.
- Slash – A pounce attack that turns into a slashing combo, the final hit throwing opponents back. Cooldown is 8.5 seconds. Upgrades at Lvl. 8 to one of the following:
- Discharge – Lets out an electrical discharge that damages opponents and gives Zeraora a shield. If a damaged opponent is also paralyzed, the move will pull the opponent closer to Zeraora, inflicting more damage and leaving it stunned. 8.5 second cooldown. At Lvl. 14 the move also decreases opponents’ movement speed on hit.
- Wild Charge – A forward charge that turns into a combo when it makes contact. Zeraora takes damage when move is activated. If Volt Switch, Spark, or a boosted basic attack was used before Wild Charge, the combo is longer. 8.5 second cooldown. At Lvl. 14 the move deals area-of-effect damage to opponents close to whoever is being hit with the combo.
- Passive Skill: Volt Absorb – Deals more damage after being hit.
- Unite Move: Plasma Gale – Fires an electric blast that deals damage and creates a lightning field that deals damage over time.
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