On the hunt for the best Pokémon Unite Talonflame build? Despite its middling Offense stat on the Pokémon Unite in-game spread, Talonflame can be built to blaze through whole teams, dunking individual targets as hard it does Aeos Energy in a goal. It's prone to getting locked behind the prominent crowd-control of enemy targets, but with careful plays, the best Pokémon Unite Talonflame build can have you taking the speedster through the enemy and straight to the goal.
Talonflame is a physical speedster that uses the Attack 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.
Whether you're a new Pokémon Unite player looking for your first main or an established face on Aeos Island, there's likely still some stuff you don't know. For that, we have guides on how to report and block players, a detailed breakdown of Held Items (including how much it costs to max them out), and even a handy guide on how to cancel abilities. That last one really is something you'll want to make use of with Talonflame's precise strikes.
The Best Pokémon Unite Talonflame Build Options
Pokémon Unite Talonflame Build - Free-Flying
Best Items | Best Moves |
|---|---|
Battle: X Speed | Lv. 1: Acrobatics |
Held: Float Stone | Lv. 3: Peck |
Held: Scope Lens | Lv. 5: Flame Charge |
Held: Muscle Band | Lv. 7: Fly |
Best for: Jungle/roaming
One prominent Pokémon Unite Talonflame build ensures Talonflame always has an exit strategy. It's easy for the bird of prey to zero in on targets and have no backup plan for when they manage to shake off death. This one swaps out some of that damage potential for extra mobility, making it just as easy for Talonflame to retreat as it does attack.
All Talonflame wants to do is dunk, and its stellar movement speed and multiple dash abilities allow it to do just that. You can play this build in any lane. Just avoid diving too much in the early game: it'll only take one enemy gank or a burst of crowd-control to set you back.
Focus on practising your engagements and escape routes before you turn your attention to dunking other lanes. Muscle Band may give you a powerful edge in the stats department, but Scope Lens cements you as a Pokémon that ideally needs to hit hard and fast with a Scope Lens crit and get out before you're left with no other option but to bite the dust.
If you're needed in a hurry, use Fly to engage the enemy and follow up with Flame Charge. Land a boosted Basic Attack into the group while they're recovering for the throw and you should score a kill on softer opponents.
Should you have time to spare, though, using Flame Charge to engage is the better option, leaving Fly either as a follow-up that can benefit from the Defense-ignoring period from your last attack for extra damage or as an escape tactic if things aren't looking too peachy.
Likewise, both moves can get you to a goal in no time, making Talonflame a wonderful scorer that can bait targets to one net and quickly switch to another.
Pokémon Unite Talonflame Build - Reset Birb
Best Items | Best Moves |
|---|---|
Eject Button | Lv. 1: Acrobatics |
Attack Weight | Lv. 3: Peck |
Float Stone | Lv. 5: Aerial Ace |
Scope Lens | Lv. 7: Brave Bird |
- Best for: Jungle/roaming
A quick look at Talonflame's moves is all you need to notice one key quirk: one can reset the other. That's a dangerous precedent to set for a creature that prides itself on high and fast damage out of nowhere. Extending its burst window with another attack can make a world of difference, but it takes a brave bird to pull it off.
Brave Bird and Aerial Ace complement each other perfectly. Though the long cooldown of the former does sound like a flight risk, it enables an instantly boosted Basic Attack, which can reset Aerial Ace immediately, giving Talonflame a way to commit to the kill or retreat instead. Brave Bird in, Aerial Ace, Basic Attack, then decide whether to cut the enemy up with your freshly reset Aerial Ace or use it to make a swift exit while you heal up and wait to fly another day.
Before all that, though, you'll probably want to bulk up in the jungle. Talonflame doesn't really need Fluffy Tail for this. It's best to stick with Eject Button just for the extra lifeline in team battles. As a speedster with plenty of scoring potential, you'll often be darting around with high amounts of Aeos Energy, and risking that with team dunks makes a retreat buffer far more important than some extra jungle damage that it won't need after a few minutes of training.
As for Held Items, the only standout choice is Attack Weight. It's there to encourage scoring by promising extra Attack as a reward. If you're struggling to make the plays, though, Muscle Band may be a better option. Just remember that kills don't win the game: goals do.
When Does Talonflame Evolve in Pokémon Unite?
Talonflame starts each match as a Fletchling. This Pokémon can't take much of a beating, so learning to pull your punches until you evolve into Fletchinder at level five is a good discipline to master. Talonflame evolves for the last time at level seven, making it a relatively average-speed Pokémon to bloom into its late-game state.
What Is the Best Talonflame Counter in Pokémon Unite?
Pokémon | Reason |
|---|---|
Garchomp | Garchomp can watch for Talonflame's entry and time its defensive moves to shrug off its powerful burst, leaving Talonflame open to a deadly assault. |
Cinderace | Cinderace works similarly to Garchomp, only with added range. It can Feint through Talonflame's telegraphed entry and burst it down with ease. |
Machamp | With Submission in effect, Machamp can grapple Talonflame as soon as it lands. So long as it can burst it down during the stun, it should win out. |
When fighting against a Talonflame, you need something that can immediately stun the bird of prey as it lands. Talonflame can get into a fight easily, but it will struggle to escape if it's grabbed as soon as it lands.
What Is the Best Talonflame Pair in Pokémon Unite?
Pokémon | Reason |
|---|---|
Alolan Ninetales | This Pokémon's wide area slows and walls can easily group enemies up for a massive Talonflame dunk, leaving them stunned long enough to escape if need be as well. |
Zeraora | Talonflame is unlikely to one-shot healthy opponents, making a follow-up attack often necessary as Talonflame is best kept away from counter attacks. Zeraora's speed helps to clean up. |
Talonflame is a glass cannon that can nothing but launch itself head-first into a battle it might not survive. It's easy to miss with its high-damage strikes, so pairing up with a Pokémon that can slow the target or group them up for maximum team damage helps.
How Do I Unlock Talonflame in Pokémon Unite?
Talonflame is one of the cheapest top-tier Pokémon Unite characters you can unlock. You can't get it for free through login rewards or similar events, but at 6,000 Aeos Coins, completing the game's long list of tutorials will get you most of the way there. If you've burnt through your reserves, 345 Aeos Gems will have the same effect.
- Read more: Check out our Pokémon Unite tier list
If you're looking to unlock the full suite of free characters, we have it all planned out in our Pokémon Unite License page. And if Talonflame just isn't working out for you, use our Pikachu build guide, Cinderace build guide, or Lucario build guide to try some of the other best Pokémon instead.
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