We take a look at 5 mainstay MOBA roles and the Pokémon that could fill them to fit beautifully onto the battlefield.
Whether you’ve been obstructing your enemies with Snorlax, shocking them senseless with Pikachu or soothing their injuries with Eldegoss; the archetypal tank, damage and support roles have now been well established within Pokémon Unite. There are many niches still left to fill however, so read on to find a few that may be realised within the game in due course…
Flex Role – Eevee or Aegislash
Flexible characters often excel within MOBA’s due to their ability to adapt on the fly to whatever role a team is missing. Has your squad made some bad choices and not picked a tank? Don’t worry, your flex character can pick up the slack and fill the gap. Is your set-up lacking damage? Never fear, flex is here!
Eevee would be a perfect choice for Pokémon Unite in this regard. Not only is Eevee a much loved, perennial favourite amongst Poké-fans, their unique evolutionary path means they can choose how they evolve via the use of an elemental stone and subsequently tailor their abilities. Imagine as the game starts, you know your team hasn’t drafted a healer, but you know you can pick certain talents as the game progresses to evolve into a Leafeon with nature-based support abilities.
Is your team looking a little lackluster in the damage department? Pop a Thunder Stone and take a talent route that would evolve you into a Jolteon to spark chaos throughout the arena. A frosty reception could also await your enemies if you choose to evolve a Glaceon, helping to slow and trap the enemy team and control the battlefield.
Another good flex Pokémon would be Aegislash. With its ability to change stances on demand into a swashbuckling sword swinger or a shield-bearing bulwark, Aegislash has the adaptability to become the perfect protector or damage dealer. On top of that, who wouldn’t want to play as a cyclopean floating ghost sword?
Global Role – Dugtrio
A global ability within a MOBA enables the character to be present almost anywhere on the battlefield at the drop of a hat thanks to an instant, or very fast, travel method. Being able to cover ground this quickly enables the character to collect experience or score points alone in one lane then almost instantly join their team for an important fight in another lane to turn the tide of battle.
A perfect global character in Pokémon Unite is Dugtrio. They’re another much-loved fan favorite with just the right abilities and theme to fit the map presence niche. Using its Dig ability, Dugtrio could instantly tunnel to and pop out from any bush within your vision range, surprising enemies or stealthily scoring points in unguarded lanes. These slippery sausages would have more tricks in store however, as when needed they can unleash powerful damaging abilities such as Earthquake and Mud Bomb.
Damage Over Time/Poison – Victreebel or Weezing
Poison offers some more depth to the typical damage role by changing the way enemies have to play against you. Instead of squaring up and brawling until the last punch, as a poison character, you’ll be able to intoxicate your foes then safely retreat whilst their life ticks away over time, consigning them to death unless they can find a well-timed heal.
With its Acid attack and envenomed Vine Whips, Victreebel would be a formidable addition to this role. Also, you’d be able to slap enemies in the face as a Bellsprout from level 1.
Weezing would also carry out the poison role with aplomb. When belched forth, their Smog, Sludge Wave and Toxic gas could spread briefly over an area in the lane, zoning out enemies, limiting their vision and polluting any foe foolhardy enough to blunder into its filthy emissions.
Second Life – Mimikyu
Many MOBA characters have a form of second life, whether it is a pilot in a mech who can continue to fight once their transport is destroyed (á la D.Va of Overwatch and Heroes of the Storm fame) or a special ability that is triggered when their HP hits 0 to sustain or prolong their life. These characters can be tricky to fight against as you always have to factor in that killing them once will not be enough…
The ghostly Mimikyu fits this role naturally as their Disguise ability enables them to survive a blow that would otherwise cause death and continue to fight in their busted form. This, coupled with the fact you’d be playing as an undead, reclusive ghoul in a badly made Pikachu costume just seems like a lot of fun.
Cloning/Mimic Role – Ditto
Characters who can mimic other characters or steal their abilities are often very fun to play within MOBA’s and none are better suited for this role in Pokémon Unite than the notorious Ditto.
Mimics often have a weaker, more vulnerable base form that is either forced to play extremely safely or out of harm’s way, often focusing on safer tasks such as gaining experience. This is usually only a temporary setback, however. When enough experience is gathered, a struggling Ditto could easily lure an enemy into a false sense of security before transforming into a replica of its assailant to bring the pain, then settling back into its amorphous blob form. There is flexibility in this role too, as transforming into the enemy tank or healer can benefit your team as much as mimicking their damage dealers.
With hundreds of Pokémon to choose from, the next additions to the game could come in any guise and from any angle. Those listed above, though, synergise well with some very fun and currently absent niches within the genre, so it stands to reason there is a chance you could be seeing them soon in a battle arena near you.
Looking for further tips to up your Pokémon Unite game? Check out this article for more MOBA help!
