Team composition and lane partners in Pokémon UNITE

What pokémon goes where and what kind of strategy should you use when paired up? Let’s take a look at team composition and some starter lane pairings.

Team composition

Before talking about so-called lane partnerships, we must first take a look at how the game is currently structured. Especially when approaching Pokémon UNITE a little more seriously, it’s very important to consider how your team is structured if you want to have any chance to defeat the enemy team. For example, a team of tanks will just get exploited by faster Pokémon on the enemy team, so striking a balance is important.

Currently some kind of meta has already formed, even though there are variations on it. This style of play sees a support Pokémon, most often Eldegoss – but Slowbro or Snorlax have been known options as well – paired with either a late-game carry Pokémon, ranged attacker or all-rounder. The idea is to protect the late-game carry and let him scale more easily, while pairing with an all-rounder or decent ranged attacker offers consistent damage.

In the jungle (or mid), fast Pokémon that can hit hard are preferred, which is why we often see the likes of Zeraora and Absol pop up. The bot lane is often where early-game action goes down, so picking a Pokémon that is strong from the get-go, often paired with a solid tank, is what you’ll see most of the time.

Top lane pairing

Like we said earlier, we’re looking towards all-rounders, ranged attackers or late-game carries in the top lane paired with a support. Let’s take a look at two pairings that work out very well.

Slowbro/Snorlax + Cramorant

Slowbro is very tanky and as he starts out with Water Gun and Slack Off, he’s got both a ranged attack and sustain, which pairs very well with Cramorant’s onslaught of ranged attacks. Later on moves such as Surf and Telekinesis are pivotal in setting up massive damage or perhaps set up the ideal gank, all the while Cramorant gets to attack freely. The same idea applies with Snorlax, who might even be better at tanking damage and keeping Cramorant safe, but his damage output overall will be lower.

Eldegoss + Garchomp/Charizard

Eldegoss might not deal much damage, but it’s the best option in enabling your late-game carry and keeping it safe till late game, when the pairing really gets online. Synthesis is great at replenishing your health as well that of your partner (later on Cotton Guard can do much of the same). Pokémon like Garchomp and Charizard have the potential of becoming late-game monsters and with the buffs and heals Eldegoss provides, getting there gets a lot easier.

Jungle

Junglers are obviously the odd ones out, as they don’t have to share a lane and experience with a teammate. This of course opens up the opportunity to put a Pokémon in the role that can deal a good chunk of damage while still maintaining enough mobility to help out the other lanes. Pokémon like Zeraora, Absol and Lucario can excel in the jungle if they play their cards right as they’re great at ganking and can travel long distances quickly, enabling their teammates as well.

Bot lane pairing

Crustle + Alolan Ninetales

Crustle and Alolan Ninetales are a very annoying duo to face in the bot lane and to make things worse, they often stay relevant throughout the game. Ninetales is a strong ranged attacker and can deal tons of damage, but she also provides tons of utility and support with her slows and silences. This can get annoying really quickly with Crustle by her side, which can provide quick stuns and slows too, but through Shell Smash can quickly become a huge threat. This lane can be very annoying to deal with, especially if you’re looking to scale late.

Pikachu + Mr. Mime

Pikachu is one of those strong Pokémon right off the bat, firing out strong ranged attacks and making the early game hell for the opponents. If he’s paired with Mr. Mime – who can be a solid damage dealer in his own right – they can work together to forcibly shut down others. Mr. Mime can keep Pikachu out of harm’s way by displacing opponents, allowing Pikachu to do the necessary damage.

Just have fun

Even though some strategies might work out better than others, it’s always recommended to keep on experimenting. You just might bump into the next overpowered tactic or discover a new synergy between two Pokémon that you didn’t know about before. These tips are merely a guideline if you’re looking to get started and are by no means rules set in stone. The beauty of a MOBA, especially a Pokémon-related one, is that we might get to see some interesting combinations we haven’t thought about before.

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