Pokemon Unite has been so much fun to play lately. I am honestly surprised I am enjoying it because I decided to play it on a whim. My experience with MOBAs is limited. The only MOBAs I played for any extended time was League of Legends in the early days and Heroes of the Storm. My main issue with MOBAs in the past is that they are huge time sinks and though easy to get into, have a ceiling you will not be able to break through unless you dedicate a lot of time and sometimes you even need a dedicated group to play with. 5 years ago it was all about the nostalgia of Pokemon Go but Unite has me trapped now.
Pokemon Unite – MOBA for casuals?
In comes Pokemon Unite, a MOBA that though far from perfect is very friendly to casuals like me, and for the last few weeks I have been playing almost daily. Being a casual player doesn’t mean you have to be a bad player though, so here are my casual-player friendly tips after a couple of dozen hours in the game.
Understand the rules – Pokemon Unite is not a fighting game or single-player battle arena. The goal is not to get the most kills. The goal is to score the most points and to do what is necessary to ensure you are not outscored by the other team. Speaking of a team no matter how good you are you cant take on the 5 enemy players on your home so teamwork is important.
Learn your role – Are you playing as a Defender? Attacker? Support? All-rounder? or Speedster? Take the time to understand what these roles mean in the context of matches. Defenders have high health and stay mostly close to their goals to prevent the enemy team from scoring. Attackers deal high damage and are important for taking down opposing players for a clear run on their goal. Support pokemon buff, heal, or shield friendly pokemon allowing them to stay around longer in fights. Personally, I feel like this is the most powerful role when played well in a synchronized team. All-rounders can usually fulfill multiple roles but generally aren’t good at any one role with player skill and chosen moves being very important. Speedsters are the fast-moving glass cannons who can zip around the battlefield but are not expected to take part in a long fight especially if they are not in an advantageous position.
Wild Pokemon are important – one of the last lessons I learned is just how important defeating wild pokemon are as the match is happening. XP is shared between you and your team so the more wild pokemon you defeat the higher your level will be. I think that after scoring points, defeating wild pokemon and preventing the enemy team from doing the same is the next important tactic in Pokemon Unite.
Concentrate extra during the 1st and last 2 minutes – Normal matches in Pokemon Unite take 10 minutes but getting a good start and ending strongly is so important. You can get a good start by defeating all the pokemon on your side of the map and maybe even poaching a few from the enemy team as well as ensuring your win those early skirmishes. In the final 2 minutes everyone should be fully evolved and powered up plus points are doubled. Most of the points in a typical match are scored at this time so try to play strategically and not just run off while your team could use you pushing for points or winning a big skirmish near Zapdos.
Adjust your settings – The default settings for Pokemon unite are okay but better players have adjusted a few settings to ensure they have the edge. Advance controls, lock-on icon, scoring controls, move aiming are the forward settings I recommend changing NOW, while sensitivity and other control options and settings can be fiddled with as needed. Advance aiming allows you to press A to attack opposing pokemon or B for wild pokemon. Lock-on icon puts a new UI element on the screen that allows you to flick the right stick to lock on to a specific pokemon during chaotic group skirmishes – perfect for focusing on that pesky Blissey. Scoring controls allow you to press the X button once instead of holding it down while trying to score and move aiming makes your pokemon do their moves or dash in the direction you are facing – honestly, I find this most useful when I trying to escape.
Experiment with different pokemon – I am a huge fan of Charizard – he is the 1st pokemon a got and tried really hard to play him but the truth is he was just wasn’t the best pokemon for me. I then tried Slowbro and Snorlax and the defender playstyle really clicked with me. My point? Experiment with different pokemon in the practice arena, pay attention to their move descriptions and try them out to find the right fit for your playstyle then expand into new pokemon as you get comfortable. Experimenting with different pokemon also includes fiddling with pokemon you wouldn’t normally use but find yourself losing against in battles. Check out their moves to see how they fight so when you face off against them you know what to expect and how to counter as needed.
Send me your own tips!
That’s it, my tips for new players to Pokemon Unite. Got any more tips? tweet me @jamaipanese or leave a comment below – My Pokemon Legend Red Nendoroid will read them to me.