The strongest picks for climbing ranked in Pokemon Unite

Pokemon Unite is still in its very early stages, but a meta of strong picks is already starting to develop. 

With only 20 Pokemon currently available, the game is limited how advanced the general meta can be. This means that many Pokemon will appear in most games, while only a few have fallen completely out of favor. Some of the strongest Pokemon will be seen carrying games all the time and will be picked up in any sort of team composition. These are also the ones that players expect to get a nerf in the future, but there might still be some time to climb with them before that happens. 

To increase the chance of winning and figuring out which Pokemon to unlock first, here’s a look at some of the absolute strongest picks right now. 

Gengar

A Pokemon that must be considered when playing Pokemon Unite is Gengar. Not only is Gengar one of the most popular and oldest Pokemon in the franchise, but it is also one of the absolute strongest picks and a scary carry that can take over a game by itself. 

Gengar is considered a Speedster that usually does the best in the jungle. Gengar is also a melee special attacker that can dish out a lot of burst damage if given the chance. Gengar will start out as Gastly and evolve at levels five and nine to Haunter and Gengar respectively. After evolving into Gengar, it will hit a huge power spike and will start to take over games if wielded correctly. 

With items such as Shell Bell, Wise Glasses, and Sp. Atk Specs, Gengar will be a Pokemon that should be considered for any team composition. 

Lucario

One of the absolute best physical attackers in the game is Lucario, who is also a great all-rounder that can jungle without problems. This makes Lucario a viable and versatile pick that will be worth taking up for any team composition out there. 

For Lucario, it’s all about dealing damage while being mobile enough to bounce in and out of fights. The best items options will be Muscle Band, Attack Weight, and potentially Float Stone to get extra movement speed while roaming around the map. With a few kills early on, Lucario is able to snowball the game out of control and be the main carry for its team. 

For moves, Lucario does very well with Power-Up Punch and later on Bone Rush. Its Unite Move Aura Cannon gives Lucario some range, unlike the other abilities. 

Zeraora

Another top-tier melee attacker is Zeraora, which can be easily obtained for free in the game for free. Even though Zeraora is a Pokemon that everyone will have, it’s one of the absolute best picks so far.  

Zeraora is usually seen in the jungle but can also work in lane if necessary. Just like Lucario, Zeraora is strong in offense and has a lot of mobility in its kit. Zeraora is also very good at scoring, so putting a lot of points on Zeraora will benefit the team as a whole. With its fast clear and speed, Zeraora is really strong in early fights and will also scale decently if given a lead. 

It’s usually hard to choose between Zeraora and Lucario since both have similar strengths and functionality. In most cases Lucario is considered the strongest of the two, but it really comes down to personal preference. 

Alolan Ninetales

The only alternate version of a Pokemon so far is Alolan Ninetales, which is a ranged attacker that can act as a great laner paired up with a tank or support. Alolan Ninetales is a special attacker, which means that items such as Sp. Atk. Specs and Wise Glasses can really boost its damage. Just like any other attacker, Muscle Band and Score Lens are also great options for Alolan Ninetales. 

In terms of gameplay, Alolan Ninetales has a lot of icy attacks that will slow the opponents and keep them in place for a kill. Starting out with Avalanche will give Alolan Ninetales a strong early game, followed up with Blizzard later down the road to deal great AOE damage. Blizzard will also knockback opposing Pokemon and is therefore a great team fighting tool. 

Snorlax

For players who don’t like the offensive carries, Snorlax is luckily here to save the day. The big and sleepy Pokemon is currently considered the strongest tank in the game and will even be able to do unexpected amounts of damage with certain builds. 

In general, Snorlax is the epitome of a tank with a lot of crowd control and sustain in its kit. To no one’s surprise, Snorlax has max points in endurance and also a decent amount in support. Snorlax is a novice Pokemon and is by no means a complex tank to succeed on. It’s all about hitting the crowd control abilities and making sure to take a long nap with the Power Nap Unite Move when getting in danger of dying. 

Besides plenty of heal and wombo combo potential with Heavy Slam, Snorlax synergizes very well with items like Leftovers, Assault Vest, and Rocky Helmet to stay as tanky as possible. 

Just like any other MOBA game, the meta is set to develop as new updates roll out to Pokemon Unite with balance changes and completely new Pokemon.