What are the Best Held Items in Pokémon Unite?
The best held items in Pokémon UNITE are Focus Band, Buddy Barrier, Muscle Band, and Wise Glasses. These four items are considered core components in virtually any item build, providing significant advantages across various Pokémon and playstyles. While many other items exist, these stand out for their universal utility and impact.
Core Held Items: The Essentials
These foundational items offer robust benefits that enhance a Pokémon's survivability, damage output, or utility, making them top choices for most competitive builds.
1. Focus Band
- Effect: Restores a percentage of lost HP over time when your Pokémon's HP drops to a certain level.
- Why it's good: Focus Band provides crucial sustain in battles, allowing your Pokémon to endure more damage and stay in the fight longer. This makes it invaluable for both frontline defenders and squishier attackers who need a second chance to disengage or land a finishing blow. It significantly increases a Pokémon's durability, making it a staple for almost any role.
2. Buddy Barrier
- Effect: When your Pokémon uses its Unite Move, it and a nearby ally with the lowest HP gain a shield.
- Why it's good: Buddy Barrier is a game-changer for team fights and objectives. The shields provided upon using a Unite Move can absorb immense damage, turning the tide of critical engagements around Zapdos, Rayquaza, or during final pushes. Its ability to protect both yourself and a key ally makes it an unparalleled support item, crucial for securing objectives and ensuring your team's survival during decisive moments.
3. Muscle Band
- Effect: Increases basic attack speed and adds a percentage of the opponent's remaining HP as damage to basic attacks.
- Why it's good: For Pokémon that rely heavily on basic attacks for damage (typically Attackers and All-Rounders that deal physical damage), Muscle Band is indispensable. The increased attack speed allows for quicker damage output, while the percentage-based damage makes it effective against all targets, especially high-HP objectives and opposing tanks. It's a straightforward damage boost that scales well throughout the game.
4. Wise Glasses
- Effect: Increases your Pokémon's Special Attack stat.
- Why it's good: Wise Glasses is the go-to item for any Special Attacker. Pokémon that deal special damage benefit immensely from the flat Special Attack increase, directly boosting the power of their abilities and special basic attacks. If your chosen Pokémon's moves scale with Special Attack, Wise Glasses will significantly enhance their offensive presence, making their attacks more potent and their knockouts more consistent.
Situational Held Items: Adapting Your Strategy
While the four items listed above are broadly applicable, the game features many other held items that can be highly effective depending on your team's composition, the opposing team, and your personal playstyle. These items become "best" in specific scenarios, allowing players to fine-tune their builds for maximum efficiency. For example, some items might boost critical hit rate, reduce cooldowns, or provide movement speed, offering tactical advantages in particular situations. The optimal choice often depends on whether your Pokémon deals physical or special damage, your role in the team, and the current meta.
Summary of Core Held Items
Here's a quick overview of the essential held items:
| Held Item | Primary Benefit | Ideal For |
|---|---|---|
| Focus Band | Sustained HP Recovery / Durability | All Pokémon, especially Defenders, Supports, and those needing survivability |
| Buddy Barrier | Shields for User and Ally on Unite Move Usage | All Pokémon, especially Supports, Defenders, and those with impactful Unite Moves |
| Muscle Band | Increased Basic Attack Speed / % HP Damage | Physical Attackers, All-Rounders, Speedsters who rely on basic attacks |
| Wise Glasses | Increased Special Attack Stat | Special Attackers (e.g., Gardevoir, Pikachu, Sylveon) |
Understanding these core items and how to leverage their strengths is key to mastering Pokémon Unite and building effective strategies for any match.
