In one of the franchise’s more bizarre spin-offs, Pokémon Unite turns the franchise into a League of Legends-inspired MOBA, with a roster of 20 Pokémon at launch to master.
Developed by TiMi Studios, Pokémon Unite sees two teams of five battle it out over multiple control points across a map – while players can also rack up points by defeating wild Pokémon roaming the field. While the franchise is known for its accessibility, that doesn’t mean Pokémon Unite glosses over intricate mechanics, possessing a wealth of depth in evolutions, character builds, and moves to get to grips with.
The 20 available characters (including Zeraora who is available to players who login before 31 August) are split between five character classes: Attacker, Speedster, All-Rounder, Defender, and Supporter. To master Pokémon Unite, teams will have to pick a roster with complimentary play-styles and abilities, as you would in any MOBA.
While you can find a full Pokémon Unite tier list here, in this guide we’ll break down and rank the characters in the Attacker class, which includes Pikachu, Greninja, Venusaur, Alolan Ninetales, Cramorant, and Cinderace.
Best Pokemon Unite attacker
Pikachu is the best Attacker in Pokémon Unite right now. Here are our full rankings:
| Rank | Pokémon |
| 1 | Pikachu |
| 2 | Cinderace |
| 3 | Alolan Ninetales |
| 4 | Greninja |
| 5 | Cramorant |
| 6 | Venusaur |
1) Pikachu
Difficulty: Novice
- Offense: 4.5
- Endurance: 1.5
- Mobility: 2.5
- Scoring: 2
- Support: 1.5
Pikachu Moves
Level 1-3
- Thunder Shock: Deals damage to enemies and paralyses for short time
- Electroweb: Attacks and captures enemies in an electric net, making them unable to move
Level 4
- Electro Ball: Throws electric orb to deal damage and paralyses for short time
- Thunder: Deals damage to enemies in area of effect
Level 6
- Volt Tackle: Pikachu charges ahead to damage enemies
- Thunderbolt: Deals damage with electrical blast in area of effect
Unite move: Thunderstorm
The most famous Pokémon around is both an easy starting point for new players and is our pick for the best Attacker in Pokémon Unite. Pikachu’s electricity attacks deal strong damage at range, and can paralyze opponents too. It’s Unite Move, Thunderstorm, blasts all surrounding enemy Pokémon with lightning, with the possibility of wiping out multiple foes at once.
2) Cinderace
Difficulty: Novice
- Offense: 4
- Endurance: 1.5
- Mobility: 3
- Scoring: 2.5
- Support: 0.5
Cinderace Moves
Level 1-3
- Ember: A flame attack which inflicts burn, causes additional damage for next three attacks
- Low Sweep: Deals damage and decreases movement speed briefly
Level 7
- Pyro Ball: Deals damage and burns
- Blaze Kick: Always critically strikes, knocks back and burns hit enemies
Level 8
- Flame Charge: Deals damage with a forward thrust, increases range and damage of next user’s attack
- Feint: Increases movement speed and makes them invincible for short time
Unite move: Blazing Bicycle Kick
Cinderace combines power with speed, in a similar vein to Greninja. Blaze Kick is also a guaranteed critical hit on opponents when it hits, while the Unite move Blazing Bicycle Kick shoots Cinderace’s trademark giant ball of fire to deal massive damage. For newcomers, Cinderace is one of the easier attackers to get to grips with, but is still capable of being one of the best attackers in the game.
3) Alolan Ninetales
Difficulty: Intermediate
- Offense: 4
- Endurance: 1.5
- Mobility: 1.5
- Scoring: 2.5
- Support: 3
Alolan Ninetales moves
Level 1-3
- Powder Snow: Attacks and decreases movement speed of those hit
- Icy Wind: Decreases movement speed with a ranged attack
Level 4
- Avalanche: Attack which causes an ice wall to form, deals damage when it collapses to nearby enemies
- Dazzling Gleam: Attack which stuns enemies when hit
Level 6
- Blizzard: Decreases movement speed and shoves enemies with a blizzard
- Aurora Veil: A protection field which reduces damage taken to user and allies in the nearby area
Unite move: Snow Globe
Alolan Ninetales isn’t the strongest of the attackers in terms of damage output or agility, but it can be a nuisance if utilised well. Players can freeze opponents in ice, making them unable to move or attack for a short period, which can be game-changing in crucial moments. Its Unite Move, Snow Globe, can freeze multiple opponents at once with a far-reaching blizzard.
4) Greninja
Difficulty: Expert
- Offense: 4
- Endurance: 2
- Mobility: 3
- Scoring: 3
- Support: 0.5
Greninja Moves
Level 1-3
- Bubble: Damages and decreases movement speed of enemies
- Substitute: Creates a substitute of Greninja
Level 5
- Double Team: Dashes from the current position, leaving a duplicate
- Smokescreen: Rolls in a direction while leaving a smokescreen
Level 7
- Water Shuriken: Throws a series of shurikens, increases movement speed while using move and restores user’s HP every time a shuriken hits
- Surf: Deals damage to enemies and restores user’s HP
Unite move: Waterburst Shuriken
Greninja is a ranged attacker much like Pikachu, albeit with some stealth quirks. The Water-type can make copies of itself to distract opponents and use smokescreens to evade any dicey situations, making for a versatile addition to any team. Its Unite move, Waterburst Shuriken, sees Greninja deal massive damage by throwing a shuriken from above.
It’s a high-skill Pokémon, but the effort to learn Greninja doesn’t really result in a dominant Pokémon. You may as well pick up a Pikachu or Cinderace for less effort in the current meta.
5) Cramorant
Difficulty: Expert
- Offense: 4
- Endurance: 3
- Mobility: 3
- Scoring: 1.5
- Support: 1
Cramorant moves
Level 1 – 3
- Whirlpool: Deals damage to enemies in the area of effect.
- Feather Dance: Decreases enemy attack and movement speed temporarily
Level 4
- Hurricane: Deals damage and temporarily stuns enemies in a wind
- Air Slash: Shoots out blades of air while jumping backwards
Level 6
- Surf: Attacks enemies with two waves of damage like a boomerang, can also be used to catch prey
- Dive: Creates a puddle which can be used to dive and damage others and catch prey
Unite move: Gatling Gulp Missile
Cramorant is one of the most unique attackers who uses the ability Gulp Missile to catch prey and wild Pokémon in its beak. When you take damage, Cramorant shoots the prey from its beak, dealing damage to others. Cramorant’s Unite Move, Gatling Gulp Missile, shoots a barrage of prey at any nearby opposing Pokémon.
6) Venusaur
Difficulty: Intermediate
- Offense: 4.5
- Endurance: 2
- Mobility: 2
- Scoring: 2.5
- Support: 1
Venusaur Moves
Level 1-3
- Seed Bomb: Damages nearby enemies in area of effect
- Razor Leaf: Fires a succession of attacks at nearby enemies
Level 5
- Sludge Bomb: Deals damage with sludge in an area, decreases movement speed and special defense
- Giga Drain: Suck HP from others to restore the user’s HP
Level 7
- Solar Beam: Deals damage with a beam of light
- Petal Dance: Increases movement speed and deals damage over time to users in range
Unite move: Verdant Anger
Venusaur is one of the most deadly characters in Pokémon Unite in terms of its damage output, but it struggles in virtually every other area. It’s slow, and offers very little in terms of support for teammates. Its Unite Move, Verdant Anger, is similar to Pikachu’s Thunderstorm, shooting a seed bomb which can damage multiple Pokémon within the vicinity.
For our breakdowns of the other classes in Pokémon Unite, check out the following guides: