Pokémon Unite Blastoise Build - Best Items and Moves

Looking for a launch day Pokémon Unite Blastoise build? It's the game's newest Pokémon, after all. While we can't guarantee the ones below will carry you straight to victory just yet, some serious thought has gone into them. Right now, we believe the two options will have you blasting through the competition no matter how you like to play the varied defenders of the Pokémon Unite roster.

Blastoise is a ranged defender that uses the Sp. Atk stat. Bear that in mind if you switch out any of the items below to suit your personal preference. You can read more about the Pokémon Unite Physical vs Special attack split here.

After you pick and choose your Pokémon Unite Blastoise build, think about checking out our other guides. We'll show you what those Pokémon Unite medals mean and how to view the Pokémon Unite statistics screen for a detailed breakdown of each match. We also have explainers on how Held Items and Battle Items work. They're two very different things that you'll need to understand to put the best builds to work. Now on with the guide.

The Best Pokémon Unite Blastoise Build Options

Pokémon Unite Blastoise Build - I Like Turtles

Best for: Top lane melee pressure

This build is a risky one. It attempts to make good use of Blastoise's Torrent passive, upping its offensive potential whenever it drops below half HP. That's generally not something ranged attackers want to do given their lackluster defenses. The aim is to have Blastoise's shields prop it up, with Potion and Focus Band helping maintain things as well.

With just how slow Blastoise is to evolve, though, you'll need to be careful at the start of a match. Squirtle isn't the bulkiest Pokémon around, and over-extending for a worthless KO can set you back massively, reducing the odds of surviving what this build expects from you.

If you're not used to melee-range pressure, take Water Gun first and use it to pressure opponents from afar. Once you've grown accustomed to getting in close, you can start with Skull Bash to pin enemies in place for easy ally KOs.

Like Cinderace, Blastoise can charge its Unite Move pretty quickly. And as it attacks in a circle around it, getting in close with the Surf and slowing enemies with Water Spout can help keep the whole team in range of its steamy jets. Buddy Barrier and Energy Amplifier won't be immediately noticable, but when the time comes to harrass objectives like Zapdos they could prove valuable.

Pokémon Unite Blastoise Build - River Rapids

Best for: Hyper-mobile ranged defending

Despite its size, Blastoise can become a versatile mobile defender. Similar to how Crustle can opt to dart around as a melee brawler with Shell Smash, Blastoise can opt for Rapid Spin, allowing it to slide around the battlefield. This lowers the damage it takes and even modifies its other attacks.

Again, you'll want to be careful how you plan your attack early on. It takes some time for Squirtle to evolve, which can mean any aggressive tactics that don't quite go your way can quickly come back to haunt you as others power ahead. Water Gun is a good starting move to get used to Blastoise's range and weakness, giving you the information you need to gauge how Rapid Spin can get you in and out of a pinch.

Whatever you do, you'll want to make good use of Blastoise's Torrent passive. You'll deal more damage at half HP, so make sure to save your Unite skill for those moments. Blastoise takes less damage while spinning, so bear this in mind when planning your attack.

In the end, you'll be relying on Hydro Pump. Its massive knockback can be a great defensive tool, but by pairing it with Rapid Spin you can quickly get behind individual enemies and fling the toward your primary attackers to deal with.

When Does Blastoise Evolve in Pokémon Unite?

Blastoise is a bit of a late bloomer, evolving from Squirtle into Wartortle at level five, and Blastoise at level nine. You'll want to avoid any stiff early-game competition with this one.

What Is the Best Pokémon Unite Blastoise Counter?

Outside of the small jump from Surf and the mobility of Rapid Spin, Blastoise isn't big on mobility, so a Pokémon like Zeraora will work well. Once you bait something like Water Spout, which it will struggle to land on something like Absol, Pikachu, or the aforementioned Zeraora, it should be relatively easy to bully.

What Is the Best Pokémon Unite Blastoise Pair?

Blastoise works well on both the top and bottom lane either as the defender it's designed to be or as a bulky attacker. For this, it's likely best paired with something that can slow targets down.

While it can do this itself with Water Gun, it's not available nearly as much as something like Alolan Ninetales' many chilling attacks. In the late game, it will do well to follow behind Speedsters, helping them pick off their targets.

How Do I Unlock Blastoise in Pokémon Unite?

Blastoise can be unlocked in Pokémon Unite by throwing 8,000 Aeos Coins or 460 Aeos Gems at the in-game shopkeeper. The cost matches that of the few post-release Pokémon added to the game in recent weeks.

• Read more: Pokémon Unite tier list

If you're struggling to make sense of Blastoise in battle, you may want to try another defender like Crustle. With Shell Smash and X-Scissor, it rushes in and out, which can help you understand a defender's life expectancy in battle. But if you'd rather hinder the enemy team in other ways, you could try Machamp. It's a powerful Pokémon that can't easily be stopped in its mission to grapple single targets.