The best builds in Pokemon Unite after patch 1.5.1.6

Pokemon Unite's latest balance patch dropped on May 30, 2022, and the changes Tencent implemented have tweaked more than a few Pokemon.

Patch 1.5.1.6 saw a collection of buffs and nerfs for many Pokemon. Blastoise saw its Unite Move's damage reduced by 24%. Meanwhile, Gardevoir's evolution process was shortened, and two of its moves were increased in damage by over 15%.

Many other Pokemon saw buffs, including Crustle, Azumarill, Tsareena, Slowbro, Dragonite, and more. Meanwhile, major top-tier Pokemon like Lucario, Hoopa and Greninja were nerfed considerably.

The Pokemon Unite meta is still being developed as a response, and some players will be looking for the top loadouts to utilize. Below, trainers can find some fantastic build options for competitive play.

Note: This article reflects the opinions of the writer

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Pokemon Unite: Great loadouts to use after May's patch

Offensive Hoopa (Supporter)

Hoopa took some hits from the balance patch but remains a strong support option (Image via Tencent/The Pokemon Company)

There are no two ways about it: Hoopa was one of the primary nerf targets of this Pokemon Unite patch. Its Hyperspace Fury and Psybeam moves have had their damage decreased, and its Unite Move Rings Unbound has lost damage output.

However, with the right build, an offense-based Hoopa support is still incredibly dangerous. If Pokemon Unite players still want to stay competitive with Hoopa, they can try the following loadout:

Moves

• Shadow Ball - This provides slows and stuns for your team in order to assist in crowd control. Fortunately, this move's damage was untouched by the patch.
• Trick - This grants a movement speed buff and shields for the user and their target teammate. This move also extends Hoopa's basic attacks and Shadow Ball move by firing them from the linked teammate's position. It also increases the damage of Shadow Ball.

Battle Item

• Eject Button - This is the standard go-to item for most Pokemon builds in Pokemon Unite. It allows the user to blink forward a short distance to escape dangerous situations or chase down targets.

Held Items

• Exp. Share - This is a staple support item in Pokemon Unite, making certain that teammates don't fall behind in experience levels over the course of the match. It also gives its holder a boost in movement speed and increases HP.
• Muscle Band - This is an offense-oriented support build, so Muscle Band will assist more than usual. It increases attack damage and attack speed, making it a natural synergy with the move Trick.
• Focus Band - This Held Item will keep Hoopa in the match for a little longer by increasing its Defense and Special Defense. If its holder drops below 25% HP, it will recover a percentage of its HP over three seconds.

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Thunderstorm Pikachu (Attacker)

Pikachu's Unite Move can still drop entire teams when used tactfully (Image via Tencent/The Pokemon Company)

Pikachu remains one of Pokemon Unite's best glass cannons. It won't take much punishment, but if trainers use its abilities at range, they can pile on damage without being killed easily.

Pikachu's Unite Move, Thunderstorm, can kill several low-health enemies at once with its area of effect. This makes Pikachu an efficient combatant on offense and an absolute menace at cleaning up teamfights.

Moves

• Electro Ball - This is Pikachu's standard burst move in Pokemon Unite. It deals good damage and temporarily stuns opponents, opening them up for combos from teammates. It gets stronger as a targets HP percentage decreases, making it an excellent finisher.
• Thunderbolt - This is a crowd-killer in Pokemon Unite teamfights. Thunderbolt's sizable area of effect and strong stun can disable multiple opponents at once. Doing so can essentially win a teamfight for the user when deployed correctly, as the opposing team will be put it a huge damage deficit.

Battle Item

• Eject Button - This is an incredibly important item for this Pikachu build. This Pokemon is simply too squishy in Pokemon Unite and can be burst down in seconds. Blinking away from danger will help trainers avoid feeding opponents.

Held Items

• Choice Specs - This improves Special Attack, making Pikachu's moves more deadly. This also assists the holder in single-target matchups.
• Energy Amplifier - Thunderstorm is good enough to kill on its own, but Energy Amplifier will ensure that Pikachu can clean up any stragglers by increasing its damage afterwards.
• Buddy Barrier - This grants a shield to Pikachu after using Thunderstorm as well as its ally with the lowest HP. If things don't go well after using your Unite Move, this will ensure you have additional survivability.

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Sustain Tsareena (All-Rounder)

Tsareena's Attack buff makes it an even more dangerous All-Rounder (Image via Tencent/The Pokemon Company)

Tsareena was already a force in Pokemon Unite, and the most recent balance patch gave it an Attack stat increase.

Now, at maximum level, Tsareena's Attack jumps from 440 to 460. It may not seem like much, but it makes this Pokemon an even more impressive All-Rounder.

With this sustain build, Tsareena can dominate lane and dare its opponents to push it out.

Moves

• Stomp - This primary move deals considerable damage while healing its user. The stun is also a great feature, ensuring that Pokemon Unite trainers can remain in lane with high health while punishing any mistakes by enemy laners.
• Trop Kick - Part debuff and part crowd control, this move gives Tsareena an even more sizable advantage over its enemies. Targets hit by the kick will have their Attack reduced, while those that touch the move's wake will receive a movement speed drop.

Battle Item

• Full Heal - As Tsareena is more durable, Pokemon Unite trainers can tag out Eject Button for Full Heal. This Battle Item will allow the player to be rendered immune from stuns and disables for a short amount of time. Since All-Rounders are great at initiating teamfights, not being able to be stuck in crowd control is a huge benefit.

Held Items

• Muscle Band - This Held Item improves Tsareena's great damage even further with an attack damage and attack speed increase.
• Weakness Policy - This allows players to essentially spam Trop Kick and Stomp, triggering Weakness Policy and improving damage output.
• Buddy Barrier - This increases durability and sustain even more by providing an HP buff and a shield after using Tsareena's Unite Move.

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There are several more Pokemon Unite builds to capitalize on after the balance patch, but these are some of the most notable.

Though the patch has shifted the meta somewhat, the top contenders are still entirely viable and shouldn't be shied away from.

Even if your Pokemon of choice was tweaked for the worst, using the right loadout will ensure you can still compete and win handily.