win.gg
Win.gg Pokemon The best Dragonite build and items for Pokemon Unite

The best Dragonite build and items for Pokemon Unite

Steven Rondina
Steven Rondina Published 28/12/2021

Dragonite has arrived in Pokemon Unite and the original dragon Pokemon is an absolute beast with the right build.

Dragonite has always looked silly, but the Pokemon is tailor-made to terrorize in Pokemon Unite as part of the new season. With a number of different unique mechanics, it has the highest skill ceiling in the game by a significant margin. 

This also requires Dragonite to use a different build than anything else seen in Pokemon Unite. While there are a couple of catch-all builds that work for the vast majority of Pokemon, Dragonite needs to dust off some of the held items that players haven’t really used before. This might actually make the Pokemon unviable for most players that aren’t pumping money into Item Enhancers, but those who have loose pursestrings will get to thrash their way through enemies with Dragonite.

https://twitter.com/PokemonUnite/status/1470378092443099137

How to build Dragonite in Pokemon Unite

Dragonite has a few viable builds, but this guide will focus on one that turns Dragonite into a rampaging monster. This one opts for Dragon Dance and Outrage with items built around boosting Dragonite’s damage after initiating with a Unite Move. Dragonite has a unique Unite Move that doesn’t go from 100% to 0% upon use, meaning the Pokemon can get much more mileage out of held items designed to bolster Unite Moves.

Dragonite also has a rotating water, fire, and electric boosted attack, with each having a different effect. Players should familiarize themselves with the order and effects of these attacks to make the most out of Dragonite in high-level play.

Twister

Twister is the preferred level-one move for Dratini. Per usual, there isn’t a radical difference in terms of how quickly players can snowball but Twister does offer better neutral Pokemon clearing in the very early game.

Dragon Dance

At level five, players upgrade their first attack with Dragon Dance being preferred to Extreme Speed. Extreme Speed is the superior mobility attack, but Dragon Dance offers some maneuverability to Dragonite with a buff to attacks. This is important for level eight, when Dragonair evolves and learns its second upgraded attack.

Outrage

At level eight, Dragonite learns either Hyper Beam or Outrage. Outrage turns Dragonite from a ranged character into a melee one, with the bonus of dealing boosted attacks with each hit. This ability allows Dragonite to stand and trade with enemies comfortably, and escape, pursue, or change targets with Dragon Dance.

Dragonite Unite Move: Draco Impact

Dragonite’s Unite Move is Draco Impact, and it is arguably the best Unite Move in the game so far. It offers peerless mobility, with the option to use it as an initiation tool, an escape tool, or a mobility tool to sneak in goals behind enemy lines. It does solid damage and allows Dragonite to land on enemies, stomp them with Outrage, and then annihilate the competition.

Best Held Items for Dragonite in Pokemon Unite

The combination to maximize Dragonite’s damage output in Pokemon Unite is to use a Unite Move to drop onto enemies, stun them with Outrage, then Dragon Dance to deal as much damage as possible before Outrage ends. While this isn’t an unusual concept, it does require an unusual build.

https://twitter.com/PokemonUnite/status/1473745228645416961

Buddy Barrier is a standard item at this point, and Dragonite squeezes some extra juice out of it thanks to its ability to use Unite Moves more frequently than anyone else. This can be boosted further using Energy Amplifier, which boosts the regeneration of Unite Moves and gives Dragonite a damage boost after using one.

There are a number of hypothetical options for a third Held Item, with Focus Band, Muscle Band, and Scope Lens all being reasonable. The fact that Dragonite can effectively spam Dragon Dance makes Razor Claw the best for quickly and efficiently decimating enemies.

As for the Battle Item, Eject Button is the standard and gets the nod here, but Dragonite does have other options. X-Attack effectively amplifies the Pokemon’s damage even further while Full Heal has some use against enemy team compositions that are heavy with disables.

Steven Rondina Steven Rondina
About Steven Rondina

Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.

View full profile
Read Also
Nintendo Direct June 2026: Zelda, Fire Emblem, Pokémon DLC, and more announced News
Nintendo Direct June 2026: Zelda, Fire Emblem, Pokémon DLC, and more announced Zachary Roberts After months of waiting, a real Nintendo Direct was announced for June 9, accompanied by a Treehouse Live afterward. There hasn't been one since August, which left the Nintendo Switch 2 pretty barren in terms of first-party titles. That changed with this stream. Here's everything that was announced. First up, the initial reveal at the June Nintendo Direct was Rhythm Heaven Groove. This was not a new revelation, as it ...
Pokémon TCG announces 30th anniversary set Pokemon
Pokémon TCG announces 30th anniversary set Zachary Roberts Pokémon TCG, as well as the wider franchise, debuted in 1996. That means that this year is the 30th anniversary. Earlier in the year, the Pokémon Company announced several big things for the 30th, including the port of Fire Red and Leaf Green as well as the first look at Generation 10. Part of that livestream included a brief tease about something special for the 30th anniversary, specifically of Pokémon ...
All shiny Pokémon available in Pokémon GO in 2026 Pokemon
All shiny Pokémon available in Pokémon GO in 2026 Zachary Roberts Getting a shiny Pokémon in Pokémon GO is an absolute treat. It's not as easy to hunt certain things on that game as it is on something like Legends: Z-A or Scarlet and Violet, but you can endlessly play by walking around. The shiny odds are much higher, too. At 1/512 base odds, it's much more likely than in a mainline game, where the odds are 1/4096. If you're interested ...
Recent Pokémon sales prove nostalgia is still king Pokemon
Recent Pokémon sales prove nostalgia is still king Zachary Roberts To celebrate the 30th anniversary, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen were brought to the Nintendo Switch (and Switch 2) library. This came a little over a week before Pokémon Pokopia dropped. The former is a decades-old game, and the latter is a brand-new title unlike anything in the franchise. Additionally, it's a real Game of the Year contender. Yet, early sales reports indicate that the two are selling very similarly. FireRed ...
All Pokémon Glazed Cheat Codes: Full List & How to Use Them Pokemon
All Pokémon Glazed Cheat Codes: Full List & How to Use Them William Davis Pokémon Glazed is one of the most popular fan-made Pokémon games. Pokémon Glazed is a reimagined version of Pokemon Emerald, available for Game Boy Advance. Unlike regular Pokémon games, there are plenty of cheat codes that can be used in Pokémon Glazed. This version of the game works with emulators and changes some elements of the base game, Pokémon Emerald. Some of the features include gym leaders with weaker Pokémon, ...
Pokémon Legends Arceus: Adaman or Irida Choice – What You Need to Know Pokemon
Pokémon Legends Arceus: Adaman or Irida Choice – What You Need to Know Steven Rondina After a certain point in the Pokémon Legends: Arceus story, you are faced with the difficult decision of choosing between Adaman and Irida. The trouble comes after defeating and quelling the five frenzied nobles. You are expelled from Jubilife Village and forced to survive on their own, with the quests and services of the village no longer accessible. During this time, the final boss of the main story is looming ...
Here’s the difference between mythical and legendary Pokémon Pokemon
Here’s the difference between mythical and legendary Pokémon Steven Rondina Fans of Pokémon are obsessed with rarity, and no other categories of Pokémon are rarer than Mythicals and Legendaries. But what’s the difference between a Mythical and a Legendary Pokémon, and how many are there? Pokémon are loosely categorized in several ways, with one of the most awkward distinctions being between Mythical and Legendary Pokémon. Both are strong, and both are rare, but for casual players and TCG fans, there ...