Pokémon UNITE – 7 Tips to climb to Master in Ranked Solo Queue

This article was written by our community writer Daniel Jan P. Medado

Even players who have previous experiences with MOBA games may find it difficult at first to understand Unite. And as you continue to learn, you may want to try your luck in the competitive ranked game mode.

Read more: How does the ranking system work in Pokémon UNITE?

Here are some essential tips to become a Master through Solo Queue:

1. Always adjust if your team won’t

It’s good to stay up to date with the meta, here is a list we made with the top Attackers you can use to carry and win your games. Picking an Attacker is good to help you control the chances of winning your game, but you should always prioritize having defenders and supports on your team. If your team won’t adjust then it’s best if you adjust for the team instead. 

Practically, it would be best to use Blastoise if you have to play as the defender/support. He has one of the best Unite moves in the game and is really useful when trying to secure Zapdos.

Snorlax and Greedent are also good alternatives to Blastoise as a defender. 

2. Zapdos is your Win Condition

Despite recent nerfs, In nearly every game of Pokémon Unite, the team who can secure Zapdos and score after will win the game. It’s not the most ideal gameplay mechanic but it’s part of the game, and it’s extremely important to remember if you want to reach Master rank. 

This means, play smart shortly before and after Zapdos has spawned: 

• DO NOT start Zapdos if you are ahead and leading in score. If your teammates start it then join them. If not, just make sure to defend any close goals and always keep an eye on the enemy team.
• DO NOT try to score if your team is fighting at Zapdos, it will be a 4v5 and your team will likely lose the fight. It’s best to help your team during a situation like this. 
• DO NOT push or extend somewhere in the map alone when Zapdos is still alive. If you get killed, the enemy team can force an advantageous 4v5 fight for Zapdos.  
• DO NOT waste your Unite move on an unimportant enemy or fight. 
• ALWAYS go for a goal if your team secures Zapdos. Do not try and fight if you don’t have to. Getting points for your team is more important than kills at that point of the game. 

Remember, losing Zapdos is not always an instant defeat. If you’re able to kill most of the enemy team before they are able to score, then it’s your opportunity to win. Grab all the points you find along the way, and go with your teammates to the enemy’s goal zones.

With most of, or the entire enemy team dead, you’ll have a short time to score all your goals and claim the lead. Always remember this and you can bring your team to victory even without the help of Zapdos.

3. Prioritize Drednaw at 7 minutes over Rotom

Even with recent buffs to Rotom and nerfs to Drednaw, Drednaw is still extremely important for your entire team as it will give everyone on your team a good EXP boost. Securing the Drednaw buff will help make sure your team is strong enough by the time Zapdos spawns. 

Because of this, you should almost always rotate to bottom lane before it spawns and help your team take it. If no one from your team attacks or starts Drednaw, you will have to either ignore it, take it alone, or try and steal it if the enemy team is attacking it. Don’t always try to solo Drednaw as this allows it to easily be stolen by your opponents. 

You can always see Drednaw’s Health bar by dragging your camera to his location, so make sure to keep an eye on it regularly. 

4. Use your Unite moves for Objectives or fights around them

During the game, you’ll want to always keep in mind the percentage of your Unite Move. Make sure you have it ready for Drednaw and especially Zapdos. You should use it when: Securing the last hit for Drednaw or Zapdos, Stealing either of the two or in an important teamfight for Zapdos or Drednaw. 

There are specific cases when you’ll have to use your Unite move to avoid dying and giving the enemy team EXP. It’s best to do this if Zapdos will not spawn for another 2 minutes or you have a large level gap against your opponents and don’t want them to catch up in levels. 

Remember, every time you score a goal your Unite move will recharge by 10 percent. Utilize this effectively to always have your Unite move prepared for important team fights.

5. Goal Assist

Many players are unaware that goal-scoring speed is increased when multiple teammates gather at the same goal zone. If you see your teammate scoring a big goal, then make sure to help him speed up his goal by standing on the same goal zone as him. These few seconds are important as some games are decided by a single point. Utilize this mechanic to increase your chances of winning games.

6. Farm instead of fight when behind

If your team has lost one, two or even all Drednaw’s don’t lose hope. Just make sure you’re taking all the wild Pokémon you can and try to keep up in levels. 

You can often find that by the 5-minute mark and beyond, there will be many wild Pokémon left that are safe for you to take for EXP.

All of your farming will be important once the 2-minute mark hits. You could have lost all Drednaw’s, but if you find that one good fight or timing for a steal that secures you Zapdos, you’ll win the game anyway.

And that leads to our last but not the least tip:

7. Never give up

You never know when a game can turn around. You can have a horrible start, horrible midgame, horrible teammates, but one good steal at that Zapdos pit can turn the game around. Every game is winnable.

If you’re in a losing streak and ranked down a lot, then take a break, take some time away from the game, and come back refreshed and ready to score some goals. Having a good mentality is important when trying to solo queue, you can’t beat everyone else if you can’t even beat yourself. 

Follow this guide and you’ll be a Pokemon Unite Master in no time.

Read more:

• This is why you can’t see the score during Pokémon UNITE matches, according to the developers
• Pokémon UNITE Tier List – These Pokémon are the best
• Is this the next Hisuian Pokémon to be unveiled in Pokémon Legends Arceus?

About the author:

This article was written by our community writer Daniel Jan P. Medado, an esports lover from the Philippines. He likes watching video game characters shoot each other and writes about the games he loves to play and watch, mainly CS:GO. His mission is to stay up to date on the latest esports news and events so you won’t have to.

Image Credits: Pokèmon UNITE