Whether you're playing on the phone or Switch, there are a few ways to make yourself more powerful in Pokémon Unite. But the most basic way is to give your Pokémon helpful Held Items. These can boost stats, protect allies, or increase the number of Experience Points your team earns, helping you take down enemies faster. Just like how Pokémon have a tier list, items do too. Pokémon can only hold one Held Item at first, but they unlock another Held Item slot at Trainer Level 7 and a third slot at Trainer Level 10. The more Held Items you have available, the more powerful you can be.
Best Held Items tier list
Like many of the best Pokémon games on Nintendo Switch, Pokémon Unite has several items. Here's how they rank against each other.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
| Tier | Held Item |
|---|---|
| S | Buddy Barrier, Scope Lens, Wise Glasses, Exp. Share, Muscle Band |
| A | Shell Bell, Focus Band, Score Shield, Energy Amplifier |
| B | Assault Vest, Float Stone, Sp. Atk. Specs, Attack Weight |
| C | Rocky Helmet, Aeos Cookie, Leftovers |
S Rank Held Items
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| Name | Why it's good |
|---|---|
| Buddy Barrier | Puts up a shield around a nearby ally with the lowest HP when that Pokémon uses its Unite Move. It's best for people who like to stick together during the battle. |
| Scope Lens | This increases critical-hit damage making it a great item for any high-damage Pokémon. |
| Wise Glasses | Increases damage dealt by the holder's Special Attacks. Best for Pokémon who use their Moves more often. |
| Exp. Share | The Support Pokémon's item of choice; this increases a Pokémon's passive Exp Point gain, letting Support Pokémon assist allies. |
| Muscle Band | Increases basic attack damage, making it perfect for any Pokémon who use their basic attacks more. |
A Rank Held Items
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| Name | Why it's good |
|---|---|
| Shell Bell | An incredibly good item that deals you whenever you successfully land a move. It also buffs moves, increases damage dealt, and reduces cooldown time. |
| Focus Band | This item continually restores a Pokémon's HP for a short time if the Pokémon's HP drops low. It'll help you escape hairy situations more easily. |
| Score Shield | Puts up a shield whenever a Pokémon goes to score. However, it's easily torn down. This is best for people who score often or try to score when opponents aren't around. |
| Energy Amplifier | After the Pokémon holding it uses a Unite Move, damage dealt increases for a short time. |
B Rank Held Items
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| Name | Why it's good |
|---|---|
| Assault Vest | When the Pokémon holding it isn't in combat, they have a shield that nullifies Sp. Atk. damage. However, it takes a long time for the shield to go back up after it gets taken down. |
| Float Stone | It's the only Held Item that increases a Pokémon's movement speed, but it only takes effect when you're not in combat. |
| Sp. Atk Specs | Increases Sp. Atk after the Pokémon scores a goal. This is best for people who score a small number of points often. |
| Attack Weight | Increases Attack after the Pokémon scores. It's best for people who score often. |
C Rank Held Items
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| Name | Why it's good |
|---|---|
| Rocky Helmet | It increases your defensive stats and damages nearby opponents when the holder receives damage. Definitely one to have in your pocket. |
| Aeos Cookie | Increases Max HP after scoring. It's really only good if you're frequently scoring a small number of points. |
| Leftovers | Restores a Pokémon's health over time and is always in effect. A great item for any role. |
Best Held Items for each Role
While some items are definitely better than others, some can be used to better advantage by different Battle Types. Here are the best Held Items for each role in Pokémon Unite.
Best Held Items for Attackers
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| Name | Why it's good |
|---|---|
| Float Stone | Increases movement speed when not in battle, making it a great option for any role. Help Attackers get to their allies or the goal faster. |
| Scope Lens | Increases a Pokémon's damage dealt, perfect for higher damage Pokémon like Attackers. Since Attackers are damage-focused, this will help them significantly. |
| Shell Bell | Reduces cooldown, increases damage, and heals, allowing Attackers to work more effectively. |
| Muscle Band | If your Attacker has a good basic attack, you'll want to have this on them as it increases the basic attack damage dealt. |
Best Held Items for All-Rounders
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| Name | Why it's good |
|---|---|
| Float Stone | Increases movement speed when not in battle, making it a great option for any role. Get All-Rounders to the goals or get out of danger faster. |
| Scope Lens | Increases a Pokémon's damage dealt. Since All-Rounders have balanced attack damage, this will help them deal even more. |
| Shell Bell | Reduces cooldown, increases damage, and heals, allowing All-Rounders to work more effectively. |
| Rocky Helmet | Increases defense significantly and hurts opposing Pokémon, which is something All-Rounders will especially benefit from. |
Best Held Items for Speedsters
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| Name | Why it's good |
|---|---|
| Float Stone | Increases movement speed when not in battle, making it a great option for any role. Get Speedsters to the goals or get out of danger faster. |
| Scope Lens | Increases a Pokémon's damage dealt. Since Speedsters have balanced attack damage, this will help them deal even more. |
| Shell Bell | Reduces cooldown, increases damage, and heals, allowing All-Rounders to work more effectively. |
| Wise Glasses | All-Rounders are more likely to use their different attack types, and this item increases Special Attack damage. |
Best Held Items for Defenders
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| Name | Why it's good |
|---|---|
| Float Stone | Increases movement speed when not in battle, making it a great option for any role. Helps get Defenders to goals and allies faster. |
| Rocky Helmet | Increases defense significantly and hurts opposing Pokémon. Since Defenders are intended to guard goals, this will help them keep opponents away more efficiently. |
| Leftovers | Defenders are intended to guard goals, which means they'll hold the line against opponents. This will help them last longer by restoring some HP. |
| Buddy Barrier | Puts up a shield around a nearby ally with the lowest HP when that Pokémon uses its Unite Move. Defenders can help their allies as they work together to defend goals. |
Best Held Items for Supporters
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| Name | Why it's good |
|---|---|
| Float Stone | Increases movement speed when not in battle, making it a great option for any role. Get to allies faster to provide support. |
| Exp. Share | Helps allies acquire Exp Points, so they can focus more on taking down the enemy. Perfect for Supporters as they are the ones intended to assist the most. |
| Shell Bell | Reduces cooldown, increases damage, and heals, allowing Supporters to last longer and thus assist allies longer on the battlefield. |
| Buddy Barrier | Puts up a shield around a nearby ally with the lowest HP when that Pokémon uses its Unite Move. Supporters can help their allies as they work together to defend goals. |
How to buy Held Items
Some Held Items can only be unlocked by increasing your Trainer Level or by purchasing the Battle Pass. However, most Held Items are purchased from the Aeos Emporium. Here's how to get there.
- Select Shops while in the main menu.
- Choose Aeos Emporium.Source: iMore
- Select Enter.
- Click on Items.Source: iMore
Now you're ready to buy any of the Held Items you can afford. Remember, Aoes Gems are only acquired by spending real-world money, while Aeos Coins can be earned while battling.
Hold me close
If you prepare your Pokémon by giving them the best Held Items to hold, they will perform a whole lot better during a fight. If everyone on your team has stat-boosting items on hand, it could be enough to turn the tide and make your side stronger.
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