Pokémon Unite - Best Battle Items (April 2022)

Pokémon Unite Battle Items are fundamentally different from Pokémon Unite Held Items in that they're activated manually rather than passively. This key difference makes them situationally more important than their not-so-distant cousins. Down below, we'll cover all the Pokémon Unite Battle Items you can use in the game, what the best Battle Items could be, and how to actually use them in battle.

Itching to become a Pokémon Unite pro? Read up on how to unlock every Pokémon Unite License, learn how to level up fast in your next match, and how to cancel abilities. Knowing what the Pokémon Unite Medals mean and how to check the statistics screen at the end of a match can help you better understand not only your own strengths and weaknesses in battle, but those of your opponents as well.

All Battle Items in Pokémon Unite

As of the mobile launch in late September, no new Battle Items have been added beyond the initial few. Three new Held Items were added at the time, but the Battle Item roster remains the same as ever.

What Are Battle Items in Pokémon Unite?

Though we've touched on it a little above already, here's why you're going to want to pay attention to Battle Items as you play more of Pokémon Unite.

Where Held Items and their passive abilities can be used to open new strategies, Battle Items serve to plug holes in a Pokémon's weakness or build on their existing strengths. It's a very generalized and simplistic description, but by being able to use these consumable items whenever and wherever you please, they have a distinct appeal over the comparatively limited Held Items you bring into battle alongside them.

Battle Items can buff chosen stats; which is a powerful move you can make when plotting a devastating attack or baiting an opponent into using an attack that would typically throw you through a loop. By choosing your timing just as well as the Battle Item itself, you can pull off the kind of plays that just might turn the tide of the match.

How Do I Unlock Battle Items in Pokémon Unite?

Battle Items in Pokémon Unite can't simply be bought from the shop like Held Items. Instead, they work like spells or abilities in other MOBA games. They unlock as your account levels up, typically by completing matches. This will take some time, but that just means you'll have plenty of opportunities to put each one to good use before potentially moving onto the next.

How Do I Use Battle Items in Pokémon Unite?

You can equip Battle Items in Pokémon Unite by following these steps:

1. Press 'X' on the main lobby screen.
2. Go into Battle Prep.
3. Go into Battle Items.
4. Select your preferred Battle Item.

Once you've unlocked a particular Battle Item (the Potion will be your first) you need to equip it to your Pokémon much like a Held Item before you can actually use it.

You'll have to do this for each Pokémon you plan to use. It's like a loadout. Just like your Held Items, you can change your Battle Item in the pre-match lobby as well. Just tap ZL on the character select screen to open up the Battle Prep menu. Your Battle Item loadout will be the first thing on the menu.

Have an opinion on this article? We'd love to hear it!

Join the conversation

In a Pokémon Unite battle itself, your equipped Battle Items can be used by pressing the 'Y' button. You'll see your item's icon (and its cooldown when used) at the centre-bottom of the screen beneath your Aeos Energy counter.

Can I Use More Than One Battle Item in Pokémon Unite?

Unlike Held Items, which you can take three of into each match, Pokémon Unite Battle Items are limited to one per match. You can use them multiple times in the same match, but you can only take a single item into battle.

What Are The Best Battle Items in Pokémon Unite?

Most Pokémon will benefit from the Eject Button. You can never have enough escape routes, after.

That being said, there is no real "best" Battle Item in Pokémon Unite. They'll all situational and can help patch a particular Pokémon's weakness or further augment their strengths. It's all about your playstyle and strategy.

Once you've played enough matches with your preferred Pokémon, you'll have a good idea of what their toolkit lacks and can pick out the best Battle Item to help with that.

• Read more: check out our Pokémon Unite tier list to see who's best

Most Pokémon will benefit from the Eject Button. You can never have enough escape routes. But Pokémon that like to dive into battle like Garchomp or Talonflame might use X Speed to exit the fight as soon as they entered, or fall back on Full Heal to ensure they're not stunned and shut down as soon as they try to attack.

Other examples are bulky Pokémon using Potion to last even longer, attackers buffing up with X Attack, and Speedsters using Goal Getter to increase their efficiency. And if you find yourself struggling to keep up as slower Pokémon like Machamp, Lucario, or even Crustle long enough to get a kill, Slow Smoke can help there as well. The best Battle Item truly is whichever you think aids your playstyle the most.

Will There Be New Pokémon Unite Battle Items?

There’s been no word just yet on whether new Pokémon Unite battle items are in the works. New held items were added out of the blue for the mobile launch, so it’s possible a theoretical 3.0 update could shake things up with new battle items as well, but we’re unlikely to know about them until the day they drop. It’s possible, but not worth stressing over.

Have an opinion on this article? We'd love to hear it!

Join the conversation