Plan Your Attack with This Minute-by-Minute Pokémon UNITE Guide

Plan your strategy with this breakdown of when to attack Drednaw and Rotom, when to battle Zapdos, and more.

Pokémon
UNITE‘s standard and ranked Unite Battles play out within a strict
10-minute time limit. If you want to be an effective member of your team, you
should know exactly what happens during that period and how you can make the
most of your time. To help formulate your battle strategy, we’ve put together
this minute-by-minute breakdown of a typical match.

Before diving in, though, it’s important to be aware of the
three sections of the map: the top path, the central area, and the bottom path.
Typically, it’s best to choose a section and stick with it early in the match.
When you’re in the pre-battle screen before a match begins, take a moment to
tell your teammates which map section you plan to cover. You can do this by
choosing Battle Prep and then selecting the Set Path option. Selecting your
path in this manner will alert your teammates of your decision, but you can
also use the Quick Chat function to let your teammates know which section you
want. If you’re unsure which section of the map is best for you to take, the
game will recommend one to you based on the Pokémon you’ve selected. Generally,
two Pokémon go to the top and bottom paths while just one Pokémon heads to the central
area.

Although it is good to stay in your section, to
really succeed in Pokémon UNITE, you should also be flexible and ready to leave
your designated area when needed. If your teammates in another section have
been knocked out, for example, it could leave your goal zones unattended. Keep
your eyes on the minimap, and if the situation calls for it, head over to an
area where your presence would be more valuable (just make sure you return when
you’ve finished helping).

With that in mind, let’s take a look at how a match breaks down.

Your first order of business when the match begins is to
immediately start defeating wild Pokémon to earn both Exp. Points and Aeos
energy. In these early moments, your objective should be to level up your
Pokémon quickly so that it can learn its more powerful moves.

If the opportunity presents itself, be sure to periodically
run that Aeos energy over to your opponents’ goal zones to score. Aeos energy doesn’t
help your team if you’re hanging on to it. However, don’t take any unnecessary
risks—you may not want to get mixed up in a battle directly against your
opponents at this point. Remember, your team wins in Pokémon UNITE by scoring
the most goals, not by defeating your opponents’ Pokémon. If you need to
momentarily retreat, do so, and don’t get too close to your opponents’ goal
zones unless you’re sure you won’t be knocked out. There’s no shame in dealing
a little damage with your moves and backing off.

At the 09:45 mark, Ludicolo and Bouffalant will
appear in the central area. These two are tougher than the usual wild Pokémon,
but in addition to Exp. Points and Aeos energy, they also reward you with special
effects that will make you more effective in battle. They both have strong
attacks that you should do your best to avoid, but fortunately, they clearly telegraph
these moves so you can move out of the way (just watch for the red bar that
appears showing the direction of the attack). Ludicolo and Bouffalant will also
respawn on the map one minute after they’re defeated, giving you multiple
opportunities to boost your abilities. These Pokémon are worth a lot of Exp.
Points, so it’s important that your teammate in the central area defeats them
as often as possible.

Defeating Ludicolo
gives your Pokémon a purple aura, and for a short time afterward, wild Pokémon
you attack will take more damage when they’re at low remaining HP. This makes
it easier to defeat the more powerful wild Pokémon in the game, like Drednaw,
Rotom, and Zapdos.

When you defeat
Bouffalant, your Pokémon will receive an orange aura. As long as that aura
persists, hitting a Pokémon (either wild or a member of the opposing team) with
an attack will cause that Pokémon’s movement speed to decrease for a short
time. If you find yourself caught in a battle with the other team, this buff will
give you a great advantage.

When the clock reaches 09:40, Aipom and Corphish will
appear on the top path, and Audino will appear on bottom path. Audino don’t
provide any extra advantages like Ludicolo and Bouffalant, but they do
grant more Exp. Points and Aeos energy than smaller wild Pokémon like Aipom and
Corphish, making them valuable targets between bouts with the opposing team.
Remember that you’ll only gain Aeos energy and Exp. Points if you deal the blow
that knocks out a wild Pokémon, so try to time your attacks carefully. Battles
over the middle Audino on the bottom path and the middle Corphish on the top
path can get especially heated, so be careful if you’ve selected a Pokémon
that’s not so hot early in the game.

Moving into the second minute of the game, you should still
be focusing on building up your Pokémon’s level, and new opportunities begin to
arise that will accelerate that progress. Right at the 09:00 mark,
Corphish will begin to spawn near the walls and grass of the top and bottom
paths. Ten seconds later, Vespiquen and their swarms of Combee will appear on
the top and bottom paths at 08:50. Like Audino, these Pokémon don’t
provide any extra effects when defeated, but they do give more Exp. Points and
Aeos energy than Aipom and Corphish, so make them a priority when going after
wild Pokémon. Players in the central area may sometimes want to join their
teammates on the top or bottom paths to help them secure these defeats.

All three of these Pokémon eventually respawn after they’ve
been defeated, so pay attention to the minimap to see when they return. Be
aware, however, that wild Pokémon may not always respawn in the same location.
Vespiquen and Combee, for instance, initially appear at the midpoint of their
respective paths, but as you destroy your opponent’s goal zones, they’ll start
to respawn closer to where those goal zones once stood.

At this point in the battle, you should be comfortably in
your groove, defeating wild Pokémon, leveling up via Exp. Points, collecting
Aeos energy, and scoring goals. Be careful about unnecessary altercations with
the opposing team when you can. If you find yourself overwhelmed, don’t be
afraid to retreat to your side of the map and grab a Sitrus Berry to restore
your HP or chill out in one of your goal zones—especially
if it’s been a while since you last saw the opposing team’s Pokémon that
started in their central area. It’s better to make a tactical retreat than to
be knocked out, as that causes you to drop some of the Aeos energy you’re
carrying (which can then be collected by your opponents) and removes you from
the action for a while as you wait to revive back at your base.

When it’s time to
make another run at the opposing goal zones, it might be smart to request
backup from a teammate or check the minimap for an opposing goal zone that may be
less well-defended.

Both Drednaw and
Rotom will appear on the map at the 07:00 mark. These Pokémon can
drastically affect the course of the game, so it’s smart to have a coordinated
plan for how to deal with them. They both appear at the midpoint between the
two teams’ bases, so start expecting some more direct confrontation with your
opponents as you assail these Pokémon.

Drednaw appears at the center of the bottom path, while
Rotom awaits at the center of the top path. Of the two, Drednaw should be your
primary target—so much so that it can be worthwhile for all teammates to
converge on it. Defeating Drednaw provides everyone on your team with a shield
that will absorb damage for a while. Perhaps more importantly, it also grants
your team a significant amount of Exp. Points that go a long way toward making
your team more powerful, which can turn the tide in your favor as the match
continues.

Once Drednaw has been defeated, a couple members of your
team will probably want to move up the map and focus on Rotom. When you defeat Rotom,
it will begin moving toward the opposing goal zone. If it reaches the goal
safely, your team gets a quick 20 points. The goal zone will also become
defenseless for a short period of time, allowing you to score goals instantly.

These Pokémon will
both reappear on the map two minutes after they’ve been defeated, giving your
team another chance to improve its standing. Be aware that they’ll leave the
map at the 02:00 mark, when Zapdos arrives on the battlefield.

It cannot be stressed enough how important Drednaw can be to
the final outcome. The Exp. Points it provides can give your team a huge level
advantage that will continue to benefit you for the remainder of the match. Remember
that the team that lands the final attack on Drednaw and Rotom gains the
benefit, so don’t let your opponents sneak in and steal your hard work. Saving
your moves until these wild Pokémon are low on HP is a good way to make sure
your team delivers the finishing blow.

Once Drednaw and Rotom begin spawning on the battlefield,
not much else “new” happens in a match until Zapdos appears at the 02:00 mark.
That doesn’t mean you can relax, though. Your actions during these few minutes
can prove pivotal to the match result. Spend this time setting yourself up for
victory before the big encounter with the Legendary Pokémon. This means
building up your level, scoring as many points as you can, and making sure your
Pokémon is at full health, ideally armed with a Unite Move, and ready to battle
when Zapdos appears.

If you happen to get knocked out or forced to retreat, note
that at the 05:00 mark, a superjump springboard appears right outside your
base. Stepping on this lets you quickly get your Pokémon back into the fray by
launching it to a target area of your choosing. If your opponents are
approaching one of your goal zones, the superjump springboard can toss you
right into the middle of the action, giving you an opportunity to disrupt their
scoring. Seconds count in Pokémon UNITE, so if you find yourself back at base,
take advantage of this tool.

As you battle
during this timeframe, remember to be flexible with your actions. Use creative
thinking to determine what you can be doing to best benefit your team and set
yourself up to be in an advantageous position during the final two minutes of
the match. The best players take note of the minimap so they can be aware of
what their teammates and their opponents are doing at all times, adjusting
their strategy to react to the current situation.

When the countdown timer reaches 02:00, be prepared
for two dramatic twists to the match. First, all goals scored from this point
on will be worth double the points. Second, Zapdos appears in the center of the
map. Combined, these two events can fill the final moments of every match with
frenzied action and threaten even the biggest leads. This is also when you see
the work you put in the previous eight minutes pay off—if your team built a
lead, they’ll have a much better shot of winning the crucial fight over Zapdos.

Defeating Zapdos is a difficult task that will usually require
multiple teammates to accomplish. If your team happens to be trailing behind
toward the end of the match, though, it can be worth the effort. Just be aware
of the positioning of your opponents—if you know your opponents are close by,
they’re sure to attack you while you’re trying to defeat Zapdos, so it may be
wiser to engage them first. When
Zapdos is defeated, the player that landed the final attack gets 30 Aeos
energy, and their teammates get 20 Aeos energy each.

These points will still
need to be scored in one of the opponents’ goal zones, but you’ll be aided by a
30-second window during which your opponents’ goal zones are defenseless,
allowing your team to instantly score goals. When you combine this with the
fact that scored goals are worth double the points during the final two minutes
of a match, securing a victory over Zapdos can really turn a match around.

Perhaps counterintuitively, if your team is in the lead when
Zapdos appears, it may be beneficial to not attack it. After all, your
opponents will be the ones who most need the points offered by Zapdos, forcing
them to abandon their primary routines to go after the Legendary Pokémon. This
will draw them to Zapdos’s enclosure in the central area of the map, where your
team can lie in wait to ambush them. And if they don’t go after Zapdos—or if
you think your team is ahead and Zapdos has already been defeated—you may want
to fall back on playing defensively instead. By standing your ground near your
base’s superjump springboard, you can easily leap across the map to reach the
opposing team’s goal zones when the opportunity presents itself.

While your
opponents are preoccupied with battling Zapdos and some of your teammates, your
other teammates can continue to score points on the opponents’ now unguarded goal
zones. If your opponents happen to defeat Zapdos, you should focus on knocking
them out before they reach your goal zones or holding them off for 30 seconds
until your goals are no longer defenseless. Remember, all that work to defeat
Zapdos only pays off if the winning team can score their points in a goal zone.

Like with Drednaw and Rotom, the team that lands the final
attack on Zapdos gains the benefits, so take advantage of that fact to steal
the moment from the opposition. Saving a Unite Move until Zapdos is nearly out
of HP is a good way to get that last hit in.

If your team is
struggling during the last few minutes of the game, make Zapdos your top
priority. It’s the kind of gambit necessary to get back on top. Just be aware
that all these previously mentioned strategies will now likely be used against
you. Take note of where the opposing team is, and get your hits in on Zapdos.
You will, of course, have a much easier time of things if you’ve spent the rest
of the match raising your levels.

Pokémon UNITE’s battles
may follow a clock, but the actions of you, your teammates, and your opponents
will make each battle a unique experience. There’s always something to learn
that will help you out in the next round. It’s important to understand the flow
of a match, but know that being able to properly react to the current situation
will greatly help you and your team achieve victory.

For more information, please visit the Pokémon UNITE official site.

Source: Pokemon