Three more Pokémon have joined the fray! Find out how to best put their talents to work.

By George “Goof” Gebhardt, Contributing Writer

Three new Unite licenses have recently been added to the Pokémon UNITE roster: Tsareena, Dragonite, and Trevenant. Tsareena and Dragonite have been absolute powerhouse entries in the lineup, and the latest addition, Trevenant, brings unique gameplay to Aeos Island. Let’s look at how Dragonite and Tsareena have been put to use—and theorize about the future of Trevenant in Pokémon UNITE.

Tsareena Pokémon UNITE Tips

The Fruit Pokémon Tsareena made a fittingly dramatic entrance to the Pokémon UNITE metagame as the first Pokémon to challenge Lucario’s dominance over the top path. In Pokémon UNITE, Tsareena is a melee fighter that packs a punch and has staying power in the form of both healing and shielding.

As a late-game menace, Tsareena has few weaknesses at Lv. 6. Tsareena excels at diving in on ranged opponents on (and even behind!) their goal zones. When you’re playing Tsareena, look for vulnerable targets that rely on hard-to-aim moves, as they’ll struggle to hit you while you gracefully dance around them.

As for weaknesses, Tsareena struggles under heavy amounts of hindrances and single-target damage in the form of basic attacks or “sure-hit” moves. Watch out for attacks like Wigglytuff’s Sing and Pikachu’s Electro Ball.

Bounsweet, Steenee, and Tsareena’s Abilities

• Bounsweet/Steenee

  • Oblivious: Decreases the duration of hindrances on the Pokémon.

• Tsareena

  • Queenly Majesty: Decreases the duration of hindrances on Tsareena. Additionally, whenever Tsareena uses a boosted attack or a move, a section of Tsareena’s Queenly Majesty gauge is filled. When all three sections of the gauge are filled, Queenly Majesty activates, resetting the remaining cooldowns on Tsareena’s moves and applying an additional effect to the next move used.

Bounsweet, Steenee, and Tsareena’s Moves

• Move 1
  Razor Leaf: Razor Leaf is a damaging move with a forward-facing, rectangular area of effect. This move deals high damage and should be saved for getting the final hit on wild Pokémon in the early game to earn Exp. Points toward leveling up and evolving.

  • Move 1 Upgrades
    Triple Axel: This move is a dash that makes the user spin-kick three times in a designated direction. Opponents in the player’s path will be damaged by these powerful kicks and cause the user to gain a stacking buff that can have up to three stacks. This buff lasts five seconds, during which the user gains increased basic attack speed. While Queenly Majesty is active, each hit heals the user.

    or

    Stomp: Stomp is a melee area-of-effect move that damages and stuns opponents when the user jumps into the air and lands on top of them. If the Queenly Majesty is active, this move also heals the user.

• Move 2
  Rapid Spin: An area-of-effect dash that also damages the targets in the user’s path and raises the user’s movement speed when it hits.

  • Move 2 Upgrades
    Trop Kick: The user performs a flying kick that damages opponents in its path and decreases their Attack and movement speed. If Queenly Majesty is active during Trop Kick, the user will also gain a shield.

    or

    Grassy Glide: With this move, the user dashes in a direction, dealing damage to opponents, then does a follow-up attack in the opposite direction. Opponents caught in the follow-up attack will not only receive damage but also be shoved. If this dash is used while Queenly Majesty is active, the user gains a shield.

• Unite Move
  Queen Ascendant: Tsareena launches into the air with a targeted opponent on the opposing team and deals damage with a series of kicks. While airborne, Tsareena is immune to other attacks, and when it lands, it recovers health.

Recommended Held Items for Tsareena

• Muscle Band: Because of Tsareena’s extremely fast basic attack speed, Muscle Band will provide a lot of benefit. It adds up to 3% of the opposing Pokémon’s remaining HP as additional damage onto the user’s every basic attack. This is great for taking down Drednaw, Zapdos, and Rotom, as well as bulky Pokémon on the opposing team.

• Buddy Barrier: This held item is a solid choice for virtually every Pokémon, but for Tsareena, the extra HP early in the game and the shield when using Tsareena’s Unite Move later in the game are invaluable. The large shield can soak up damage while you use Tsareena’s self-healing to restore your HP.

• Razor Claw: With Queenly Majesty, Tsareena boasts move cooldown resets, as well as increased basic attack speed if using Triple Axel. Both factors make Razor Claw an ideal held item for this Pokémon, as you’re able to repeatedly gain the Razor Claw buff and make use of it via your speedy basic attacks.

Best Ally for Tsareena

• Blissey has multiple skills to help Tsareena in battle: Helping Hand, Soft-Boiled, and Safeguard all do wonders to help Tsareena dominate team fights. Because Tsareena is often positioned deep within the opposing team, Blissey can use its Unite Move to great effect, knocking opponents upward and setting up Tsareena to finish the job.

Worst Opponent for Tsareena

• Watch out for Cinderace! With powerful basic attacks, the mobility to stay at a safe distance, and Blaze Kick to hinder Tsareena, Cinderace is a nightmare. Try to engage and take out Cinderace quickly when both its moves are down.

Dragonite Pokémon UNITE Tips

Dragonite arrived on the scene just before the holidays and quickly made an impressive impact on the Pokémon UNITE ranked ladder. Perhaps the most dominant and strategy-defining Pokémon since the release of Blastoise, Dragonite is unparalleled in its ability to secure Drednaw and Zapdos with its powerful Hyper Beam. Keeping true to its designation as an All-Rounder, it also boasts impressive defenses, mobility, and basic attacks.

Though it’s not a Speedster, Dragonite has been most used in the central area, as that section of the map provides the most Exp. Points for evolving quickly and unlocking Hyper Beam. Compared to the ranged Attacker Pokémon typically played in the central area, such as Cinderace and Greninja, Dragonite requires a more up-close-and-personal approach. Nonetheless, Dragonite’s bulk and mobility make it extremely hard to take down.

Dratini, Dragonair, and Dragonite’s Abilities

• Dratini/Dragonair

  • Marvel Scale: When the Pokémon is afflicted by a status condition, its Defense is increased.

• Dragonite

  • Multiscale: When damaged by an opponent, Dragonite receives less damage for a short time. This Ability goes on cooldown after it is triggered. Multiscale makes Dragonite extremely hard to take down. It’s especially effective in time-sensitive situations, as it can make it hard to defeat Dragonite before you land the finishing blow on Zapdos or Drednaw.

Dratini, Dragonair, and Dragonite’s Moves

• Move 1
  Twister: This starting move attacks in a designated direction. Opponents caught in the twister will be damaged and have their movement speed reduced for a short time. This should be used in combination with Dragon Breath to secure final hits on opposing Pokémon. Try using Twister and then immediately using Dragon Breath to stack damage.

  • Move 1 Upgrades
    Dragon Dance: Dragon Dance is a dash that changes direction—left, right, and straight—with each use. When using this move, the user gains a buff that increases damage dealt, movement speed, and basic attack speed for a short time, as well as increases the damage dealt by Hyper Beam. This buff can stack up to three times and is refreshed each time Dragon Dance is used. This move has been the preferred choice among top players.

    or

    Extreme Speed: This dash sends the user toward a designated Pokémon on the opposing team. All opponents close to the target are damaged, slowed, and shoved, while the designated target is thrown. This move also resets the cooldown on Dragonite’s Multiscale Ability.

• Move 2
  Dragon Breath: Dragon Breath is a cone-shaped area-of-effect attack. If the move hits an opposing Pokémon, it makes the user’s next basic attack become a boosted attack.

  • Move 2 Upgrades
    Hyper Beam: The user fires a beam toward a target, which damages all opponents in its path. The beam also deals additional damage to opposing Pokémon equal to a set percentage of their max HP and the number of Dragon Dance stacks the user has. This additional damage is lower when applied to Pokémon on the opposing team than it is when applied to wild Pokémon. Be sure to use this move to secure final hits on opposing Pokémon when Dragonite has three stacks of Dragon Dance.

    or

    Outrage: This move is a close-range area-of-effect attack that deals damage to opponents within a small radius of the user. The affected opponents also receive additional damage based on the user’s last-used boosted basic attack. During this move, all of the user’s basic attacks become special melee boosted attacks with increased attack speed. This move is extremely powerful, making the choice between it and Hyper Beam difficult.

• Unite Move
  Draco Impact: Dragonite flies into the air and then crashes to the ground at a designated location. Opponents within the area of effect will receive damage and be thrown upward. The farther Dragonite flies, the more the Unite Move gauge is consumed. Try using this move at short range in combination with Buddy Barrier and Score Shield to force otherwise unattainable goals.

Recommended Held Items for Dragonite

• Buddy Barrier: Buddy Barrier is an obvious choice for Dragonite. Dragonite’s Unite Move often puts it directly in the middle of the opposing team, and the shield this held item provides will help Dragonite withstand the resulting incoming damage. Because Draco Impact can be used more often than other Unite Moves, Buddy Barrier is even more effective.

• Muscle Band: Muscle Band is the go-to item for ranged Attacker Pokémon. Coupled with Dragon Dance, it will make Dragonite’s basic attacks deal heavy damage.

• Score Shield: In conjunction with Buddy Barrier, this held item takes advantage of Draco Impact’s short cooldown to score massive goals for your team.

Best Ally for Dragonite

• Because Dragonite is such a powerful centerpiece for any team, it only needs a bit of support to dominate a game, but Eldegoss can support Dragonite well in battle. Shielding granted by Cotton Guard, increased movement speed granted by Leaf Tornado, or healing granted by Pollen Puff can accomplish just that.

Worst Opponent for Dragonite

• Sylveon’s Mystical Fire dash, with its short cooldown, gives Sylveon the ability to avoid every one of Dragonite’s Hyper Beam attacks. Wait until you have your team at your side before engaging a Sylveon of equal level.

Trevenant Pokémon UNITE Tips

Trevenant, the most recent Pokémon added to Pokémon UNITE, is still finding its best-fitting role in matches, but it’s made its way onto the ranked ladder nonetheless. Boasting similar defensive stats as Snorlax and coupled with various sources of self-healing, Trevenant is tough to take down in battle.

Because Trevenant has access to hindrance moves in both move slots in the form of Wood Hammer and Horn Leech, your opponents won’t be able to easily ignore your presence in team fights. On the other hand, with its powerful defenses and healing, Trevenant can’t always be the focus, either.

While Trevenant excels at controlling and displacing opponents in large fights, it’s at its weakest in small-scale confrontations during the mid-game where it can’t use combos that hit multiple opponents.

Phantump and Trevenant’s Ability

• Phantump/Trevenant

  • Natural Cure: If the Pokémon’s is at low HP, Natural Cure activates, triggering a continuous HP recovery effect that also reduces the cooldowns on Trevenant’s moves. When this HP recovery effect ends, there is a delay before Natural Cure can activate again, but this delay is reduced each time Trevenant hits an opponent with its moves.

Phantump and Trevenant’s Moves

• Move 1
  Will-O-Wisp: This move shoots out three flames that damage opponents and leave them burned for a short time. While burned, opponents have reduced Attack and Sp. Atk.

  • Move 1 Upgrades
    Wood Hammer: This move hits opponents in a semi-circle, pulls them inward, and stuns them. If this move hits at least one opponent, the user can use a follow-up attack, which slams a hammer down in front of the user, further damaging and stunning opponents. However, Wood Hammer also costs a small portion of the user’s max HP.

    or

    Curse: Creates a circular zone around the user that slowly consumes the user’s HP. Opponents within the zone take damage over time and have decreased movement speed. While using this move, the user builds up curse power every time it deals or receives damage. Releasing this built-up power deals additional damage to opposing Pokémon in the area of effect. If the curse power is at maximum when it’s released, the cooldowns for Branch Poke, Horn Leech, and Pain Split are reset.

• Move 2
  Branch Poke: The user jabs in a designated direction, damaging opponents and decreasing their movement speed for a short time.

  • Move 2 Upgrades
    Horn Leech: The user charges forward, becoming unstoppable and shoving and damaging opponents in its path. When the user reaches its destination, opponents who were shoved are hit again and then thrown. For each opponent caught in the charge, the user recovers HP. After this move hits an opposing Pokémon, the user’s next three basic attacks deal increased damage and reduce Horn Leech’s cooldown.

    or

    Pain Split: Creates a link between the user and a Pokémon on the opposing team, damaging the opponent over time and healing the user if their percentage of remaining HP is lower than the linked Pokémon’s. While the link holds, the user redirects a portion of the damage it receives to the linked Pokémon based on how low the user’s HP is.

• Unite Move
  Phantom Forest: Trevenant calls a cursed forest from the ground at a designated location. Opponents caught in the forest are damaged, thrown, and marked. While an opponent is marked, its movement speed is decreased, and it receives additional damage from Trevenant and its allies. If Phantom Forest hits an opposing Pokémon, Trevenant receives a shield, and while the shield lasts, HP recovery effects applied to Trevenant are increased.

Recommended Held Items for Trevenant

• Buddy Barrier: Buddy Barrier will help keep you in fighting form while your Unite Move restores your HP. Trevenant also benefits from the extra HP this held item provides.

• Focus Band: Focus Band amplifies Trevenant’s already strong ability to sustain itself in fights. With this Pokémon, it seems best to play to the Pokémon’s strengths and stay in each battle as long as possible, which makes Focus Band a good choice.

• Score Shield: Because Trevenant has some issues in smaller-scale fights, sneaking away to score a goal can be a good option. Because Trevenant is virtually impossible to knock out in one-on-one scenarios, Score Shield can definitely enable some plays.

Best Ally for Trevenant

• Pikachu’s Thunderbolt and Thunder combo can allow Trevenant to maintain distance from the fight and take advantage of the chaos. Trevenant is great at making messy fights and keeping opposing Pokémon away from their allies.

Worst Opponent for Trevenant

• Trevenant can struggle to survive under Garchomp’s incredible sustained damage. Garchomp is one Pokémon you typically don’t want to engage in a prolonged fight, as this match-up unfortunately turns one of Trevenant’s greatest strengths into a weakness.

Dragonite and Tsareena both profoundly impacted Pokémon UNITE organized play and ranked battles. Only time will tell if Trevenant, with its control-oriented style, will have the same effect on the game. All three Pokémon have creative designs and bring something unique to the table, so you can expect them to be a force in the Pokémon UNITE metagame for the foreseeable future.

For more Pokémon UNITE strategy and analysis, be sure to keep checking Pokemon.com/Strategy.