My guide to Pikachu in Pokemon Unite.

Introduction

Just something I made because I main Pikachu myself for other people who like to play Pikachu(My Username in Pokemon Unite is mvcpro, friend me if you see this I accept all friend requests)

Pikachu Summary

Pikachu is an Offensive/Supportive character that uses high-damage moves and powerful stuns to do damage while disabling opponents. He(Yes, the Pikachu in Pokemon unite is technically Male) also has the ability to do "combos", which are when you hit your opponents with a stunning move and then hit them with a damaging move before theyare able to act, giving him strong burst damage

Pikachu Strengths

High damage
Good support capability
Long range(I mean Looooooooooong)
Amazing early game
Fastest Unite move charge in the game
Low cooldown on average

Pikachu Weaknessess

Frail as glass
Might not have as much damage compared to other attackers
(Almost)Useless ability
Has a somewhat reliability on teammates
Weaker late game

Some stuff to note about Pikachu

Pikachu has average health for a sp.atk attacker(about 3700 at level 1 ~ 6300 at level 15)
Pikachu also has Average speed for Sp.attack attacker(They all have the same speed except for mewtwo y and armarougue)
At level 9, Pikachu gets spell vamp which recovers health equal to 12.5%(an 1/8) of damage done with sp.atk(boosted attack and moves).
Pikachu gets 5% cooldown reduction (reduces cooldown for moves) at level 5, 10% more at level 9(15% in total) and 10% more at level 13(25% total)

Pikachu Gameplan

As Pikachu, you will have multiple playstyles depending on your moveset and Held items.But honestly, as Pikachu, do whatever you want. You can have your own Gameplan depending on how you like to play Pikachu.

However here is some guidance:

Offensive: Offensice Pikachu should go down top or bottom path and try to fight wild Pokemon at range to reduce risk of being attacked by their opponent. If forced to defend goal zone, ask for help(If there is none) and try to use paralyzing moves to stall. After you reach lvl4, it's now time to go on the offense. Pick your lvl 4 move and attack the opponent from range and try to either try to pester them until they leave or just outright K.O them. If you can't/don't want try to try and attack their opponent at their goal zone, the go and try to farm more wild Pokemon to level up. When you have done enough grinding, you should either stay close to a teamate and back them up or help your team in attacking Rotom/Regieleki/Drednaw/Regice/Regirock/Registeel. But it is once you reach lvl 9 that the party really starts. Try to defeat as many opponents as you can(either solo or with a teammate) making tactical retreats when neccesary. If you are low on health and you see the Altaria/Vespiqueen swarm, you can use your moves on them to recover HP(Remember, Pikachu gets lifesteal from lvl 9 onwards). Follow this until the final stretch, then do 1 of 2 things:

Be a normal person and help your team attack Zapdos/Rayquaza
If you are built different, do a 1-man army and try to distract your opponents while your team fights Zapdos/Rayquaza(Note: It is very easy to get knocked out if you do this)

After that, use the buffs to score and win the game.

A fun fact

Pikachu's level 6 moves never have their base cooldown(9s for Volt tackle and 7.5s for Thunderbolt) because, as i have already said, Pikachu gets 5% cooldown reduction at level 5, which affects those moves as well meaning you can NEVER get the base cooldown of these 2 moves. The new cooldowns are 8.55s for Volt tackle and 7.13s for Thunderbolt.

Moves

Moves	Description	Strengths/Weaknesses
Thunder shock (Lvl 1/3)	Your starting move of choice.Pretty fast cooldown(5s) and does good damage with a slight AOE(area of effect). Basic, as most starting moves are.	Good Damage Fast Cooldown
Electro web(Lvl 1/3)	Your other starting move. This moves stops opponents from moving which is very good for early game rushes as it stops opposing Pokemon from running away from you in the middle of a battle. However, it has a long 9s cooldown (Pikachu's 2nd longest cooldown time)	Immobilization Long Cooldown No AOE Opponent can still attack you
Thunder(Lvl 4)	A Thunder shock replacement. This move is VERY inconsistent, but does MASSIVE damage compared to Electro ball if you get all hits. There are 5 hits to this move (1 hit every 0.5 secs for 2.5 secs). To get a good number of hits you can 1.aim it carefully to get a good number of hits and/or 2.use your other moves (which stuns) to get as many hits as possible. You can even use this move ahead of your target to damage(and potentially KO) them if they try to run away. Longer cooldown than Thunder shock and Electro ball (7.5 secs). The +version in increases the number of strikes for 5 to 7 but doesn't increase the time it lasts but instead make the strikes happen more often(once every 0.35714285714 seconds instead of 0.5s). Making the strikes faster helps the +version get more hits consistently while increasing damage.	Insane Damage (with all hits) BIG range (I mean BIG) Very Inconsistent Small-ish AOE Need other move to get all hits
Electro ball(Lvl 4)	Your other choice of replacing Thunder shock. Whereas Thunder is inconsistent, this move is very consistent(will quite literally follow an opponent all the way to base). Electro ball always hits, even if the opponent dashes out of the regular range and does extra damage equals to a percent of your opponents missing hp(Max hp - Current hp). This moves also paralyzes (30% move speed reduction*) which can stop opponents running away. Same cooldown as Thunder shock(5s). Lacks the insane damage of Thunder, but makes up with Consistency. The +version deals extra damage(the base damage and the missing hp damage).	Good Damage Fast Cooldown Paralyzation Very consistent Smaller range than Thunder
Volt tackle(Lvl 6)	Your 1v1 stunner(It doesn't stun it throws). Volt Tackle throws for a very long time, making it amazing at disabling your opponents and comboing with Thunder. But the 9s cooldown and long duration make it unsafe in a 1v2.It has been updated to increase your speed for 2s, so you can use it to get out of bad situations when needed. This move does about the same damage as Electro ball and is Unstoppable, so you can't be interrupted during the move. Using Volt Tackle immediately after Thunderstorm(Pikachu's Unite move) puts the opponent in a situation where they can't escape the Thunderstorm and are still getting hit by the Volt Tackle. The +version decrease the cooldown by 2s(It is a flat decrease meaning using cooldown reduction items/emblems does not affect it)	Good Damage Great combo ability Long throw time Very vulnerable during it Long cooldown No AOE Small range
Thunderbolt(Lvl 6)	The stun gun. Thunderbolt is like a time bomb, you launch it and it detonates after a short amount of time, stunning anyone in the AOE. This move has really good range and can be aimed anywhere in the range. Thunderbolt is really good for helping your team and yourself as, unlike Volt Tackle, you can still attack them while they are stunned.You caan also use this as a way to buy time for you (If you have low Aoes energy) or your teamates to score. The real problem is you have to aim it to really make sure it hits as the detonation time can be reacted to. Does less damage than volt tackle, more of a utility tool than a damage tool. Same cooldown as Thunder(7.5s). The +version increases damage, that is it	Good stunning Amazing range Stuns in an area Lets you act while they're stunned Poor Damage Reactable detonation time
Thunderstorm(Lvl 9)	Pikachu's Unite move. This move is really good as it affects everyone in its HUMONGOUS area and still leaves you actionable while it is active. Combined with Pikachu's stuns, you can also combo with this. It can affect multiple Pokemon(except wild pokemon) and does good damage, but that does not mean you should run into 3 or 5 Pokemon and use this, you will just die a very painful death. Pikachu has a Unite charge rate of 89, the lowest in the game(tied with Talonflame) meaning you will have this move very often. Very solid all-rounded move in general.	Fast recharge Huge area Amazing damage(with all hits) Can be comboed with

Movesets

Move 1(Lv1/4)	Move 2(Lv3/6)	Description	Strengths/Weaknesses
		Your starting moveset. Not really any synergy,unlike the other movesets Pikachu has. Use Thunder Shock for damage and Electro Web for Immobilization.Pretty simple overall.	Early stunning tool No synergy
		If you use Thunder, you have had this before.This moveset doesn't require and kind of aiming, just Electro web, then Thunder and it all the hits will work. This does MASSIVE damage, even more if a teammate is with you. Use this to put a big STOP sign on your opponents early game rushes and support your own. I use Thunder myself, so i have experience with this(I am not a Pikachu pro, please don't leave). As Electro web Immobilizes opponents, it can be used to stop your opponent from getting Sitrus berries during a early game rush, which can severely turn things in your favor.	Insane Versatility early game Stop opponents' rushes in their tracks Massive damage Long cooldown
		Imagine Thunder shock and Electroweb, but Thunder shock did more damage (and more equal to missing hp) and paralyzed. That's it.	Good damage Puts opposing pokemon's movement to a screeching halt No synergy
		Pikachu's classic mage moveset. This turns Pikachu into a weapon that doesn't have to get anywhere near you and can stun you while doing massive damage from very far away. Both moves have good AOE, meaning you can affect multiple opponents, which is amazing in team fights. This setup can be DEADLY in the right hands and/or if you have a teamate with you. Thunder and Thunderbolt even have the same 7.5s cooldown, so you will have both moves most of the time. However, since both moves won't always hit, and you need both moves for big damage, you can easily miss both moves and put yourself in critical danger so you have to aim it or else you are dead.	Massive range overall Equal cooldwn for both moves BIG AOE Both moves are inconsistent Requires Thunderbolt to hit for full combo You are probably dead if you miss this
		The STOP SIGN. Due to both moves disabling the oppnent in an area this moveset can be used the completely cripple any opposing pokemon in the area, allowing for a teamate to finish them off. The fast cooldown of both moves means that you will have these moves ready most of the time and you can really just spam the moves without having to worry about cooldown. While this moveset has great support capabilities, its damage is pretty bad. Due to both moves having less damage than their competition for the slot, even landing both moves might not K.O the opponent especially if they have high health. Not to mention that the stun from the thunderbolt provides almost no benefits to electro ball due to electro ball always hitting.	Low cooldown on average Completely destroys opponent movement Terrilble damage output Inconsistent combo ability
		The starter/mash moveset. The fact that both moves don't miss makes it incredibly consistent and reliable.It has amazing burst damage when used together, and take down a lot of your opponent's in an instant. The range is not as much as thunder bolt or thunder, but still good nonetheless. The real problems come with the lack of area, as although electro ball has some AOE, the moveset struggles to deal with multiple opponents effectively. Volt tackle can endanger you in team fights, so I reccommend having a defender next to you when running this moveset. And as the move cooldowns are so different(a 4 second difference) you may not have both moves at all times, which can limit burst damage.	Unmatched consistency Amazing burst damage Risky in 1v2s Unsynced cooldown can limit burst damage
		It's about drive, it's about power.This is Pikachu's most damaging moveset and can blow up frail pokemon while leaving a dent in bulkier ones. It becomes even scarier when you conisder how far you can land both moves, wuth Thunder having one of the highest ranges in the game and Volt tackle being a sure hit. Although damage is this moveset's greatest strength, it is really its only strength when compared to the sheer amount of weaknesses it has. For one, to make sure that you hit both moves, you have to use Thunder then use Volt Tackle. So if the opponent gets out of Thunder's AOE before you hit them with Volt Tackle, the Thunder will miss and you will be very vulnerable. There is also the fact that due to Thunder being AOE move but Volt tackle being a single target move, you cannot do a combo on more than 1 target. And if there are multiple opponents, Volt Tackle can leave you punishable.

Held Items

Held Items to help you in battle. They will be ranked in tiers based on how good they are on Pikachu(Strengths will be labelled in Green while weaknesses will be labelled in Red). All things from passives to stat buffs and cost will be shown

Tier	Held item	Buffs of item	Description	Strengths/Weaknesses
You must have at least one of these in your setup.	Energy amplifier(1000 aeos coins/625 aeos tickets)	Passive:Boosts damage by 7% at lvl 1-9/14% at lvl 10- 19/21% at lvl 20 upwards whenever you use your unite move Stats boosts:Energy gain/Cooldown reduction	All of the Pikachu masters (not me) use this item for a reason. Pikachu is easily the best pokemon at taking advantage of this item's passive and capitalizing(taking as much advantage as possible) on it like a king. Pikachu has a really fast startup on his unite move(The time between you pressing the button to the unite move doing damage) meaning he can use the buffs as long as possible. Pikachu also has the fastest unite charge(how it takes to get your unite move) in the game. with all these upsides, there is a downside. Energy amplifiers buffs are irrelevant if you are not lvl9 as the only buff you can use before that is the cooldown reduction.	It suits Pikachu's unite move perfectly Lets Pikachu's combos do MEATY(a lot of) damage Only gives you CD(cooldown) reduction until lvl 9
	Slick spoon(2000 aeos coins/1250 aeos tickets)	Passive:Has all your special attacks ignore 9% at lvl 1-9/12% at lvl 10-19/15% at lvl 20 upwards of your opponents sp.def Stat boosts:HP(health points),Sp.atk	Another amazing held item for Pikachu to use. The increased damage and sp.def ignorance seriously help with your role as an attacker.	Gives sp.atk The sp.def(special defence) ignorance let you break through sp.def boosts from opponents. The extra Hp gives slight extra survivability. No weaknesses
	Exp.share(1000 aeos coins/625 aeos tickets)	Passive:Grants the wearer 3 at lvls 1-9/4 at lvls 10-19/5 at lvls 20 and above exp(exprience) points per second when you have the fewest exp points on the team. It also increases the exp an ally recieves when they ko a wild/enemy Pokemon if they are not holding an exp.share. Stat boosts:HP, Movement speed	A MUST for supportive Pikachu. The increased exp for allies near you is amazing for supporting teamates. Note:Supportive Pikachu is a different dimension from offensive Pikachu, so DO NOT run this item with the other 2 items in this tier, you will just look dumb	Excellent support capabilities Helps teamates level up faster Gives extra bulk and speed Can hinder you in the process Puts you in exp war with other exp.share users
More Amazing items	Choice specs(1000 aeos coins/625 aeos tickets)	Passive: When you deal damge with a move, extra damage is added equal to(40/50/60 + 30%/35%/40% of sp.atk). This damage is only applied to 1 target. Note:There is a cooldown of 8s for this effect Stat boosts:Sp.atk	The BEST specs. Increased damage on every move is amazing is incredible for getting KOs faster or just for outright burst damage. Generally recommended for offensive Pikachu with the top 2 items on this list. However the cooldown and 1 target limit can make this item inconsistent at times.	Gives extra damage Increases burst damage Cooldown can make item inconsistent
	Buddy barrier(1000 aeos coins/ 625 aeos tickets)	Passive:Gives you and 1 nearby ally a shield equal to 15%/20%/25% of your maximum hp for 5s when you use your unite move. Stat boosts:Hp	The item in shining armor. Although Pikachu does not have much health, its unite move cooldown quickly makes up for this. It not only can be used to shield yourself during your unite move, you can also use it to help an ally in the process. An item for those who need some armor in desperaate times.	Protects you and an ally during your unite move Maximizes Survivability May not do much due to Pikachu's low health Is almost useless until lvl 9
	Focus band(1000 aeos coins/625 aeos tickets)	Passive:When at low Hp(25% of max HP), heal 8%/11%/14% of the health you lost every second for 3 seconds. Stat boosts:Defense,Sp.defense	A first aid kit in an item. An item that is viable on any Pokemon, This item's entire purpose is to save your life. It is extremely helpful in a dire situation, which you will constantly be in due to Pikachu being Pikachu. The added defenses help reduce incoming damage, further increasing ease of use.	Defies certain death Can rescue you from a tough situation Only works once in a while Saves you just barely, meaning you can still be KOed
	Curse incense(2000 aeos coins/1250 aeos tickets)	Passive: When you hit an opponent with sp.atk damage, weaken thier hp recovery(from healing moves, goal healing etc) by 20%/25%/30% for 1.5 seconds. The effect is doubled to 3 seconds if the sp.atk damage is dealt with a basic/boosted attack. Stat boosts: sp.atk	The true all around item. No matter if you play offensive or supportive you can make use of this item(if you know how to use it, that is). The reduction in hp recovery can severely help give an opening to attack an opponent that is either being healed by a supporter or in a goalzone for yourself and/or a teamate. And Pikachu's ridiculous basic attack range(i'm not sure if it has the highest range) the doubled effect isn't exactly far fetched.A somewhat niche but workable item for any Pikachu to use.	Decrease opponent's healing Creates openings for attack Pretty niche item Can be useless inn some situations
Pretty workable items	Shell bell (1000 aeos coins/625 aeos tickets)	Passive: When landing a move recover (50/65/80 + 40%/50%/60% of sp.atk) in hp. There is a 10s cooldown for this effect. Stat boosts:Cooldown reduction/Sp.atk	Ring Ring Ring! Time for healing! Recovering health for landing a move can give incredible survivability when combined with Pikachu's spell vamp. With the reduced cooldown and increased sp.atk, this is the perfect item for Pikachu who want to get health out of offense. Note: I before i knew pikachu got lifesteal at lvl 9 i thought the big healing i got was from this item and i was going to put this as the top item	Gives healing for attacking Decreases cooldowns Has a long cooldown
Pretty workable items	Wise glasses(1000 aeos coins/625 aeos tickets)	Passive: Boosts your sp.atk by 3%/5%/7%. That's it. Stat boosts:Sp.atk(How unexpected!)	The classic special attack item. The items infinite effect and ease of use make this item very good for begginers to use without any pressure of cooldowm, aiming etc. The real problem starts to come with the fact that the item is not actually very strong in terms of the buff, a 7% boost can be achieved and more by other sp.atk increasing items. It also does not provide some crucial burst damage choice specs gives or sp.def bypassing like slick spoon. Not a bad item, just outclassed	Buff is always active Very easy for begginers Buff is not very strong Outright outclassed
Not recomended	Special attack specs(1000 aeos coins/625 aeos tickets)	Passive:When you score a goal, your special attack is increasing by 8/12/16 points. This effect stacks to a maximum of 6 times. Stat boosts:sp.atk	Stacking items(Held items that increase your stats when you score goal) are greatly dependent on the Pokemon they are on and require specific factors to be useful. For sp.atk specs, you either need a Pokemon with low sp.atk to maximize the buff, or a Pokemon that is very good at scoring goals to get the buff quickly. And guess what: PIKACHU HAS NONE OF THIS. This severely reduces them item's usage capabilities and considering the item is not that good, this really shuts it down. If you are very good at scoring goals, or just like these kinds of items(Let's face it, it may be bad but it looks cool) then you can use this	Makes you remember to score Can gives a respectable buff when fully stacked Does not sync with Pikachu The effort is not worth it
	Muscle band(1000 aeos coins/625 aeos tickets)	Passive:Basic attacks do extra damage equal to 1%/2%/3% of your opponents current HP Stat boosts:Attack, Basic attack speed	Yes Pikachu can use this item(Though it doesn't mean you should). The only reason this item is on the list at all is due to the fact that it can benefit from Pikachu's massive basic attack range(I am not 100% sure if it is the highest in the game) and the extra damage can rack up easily, especially against high HP Pokemon. But, considering that it is a physical attack item and only affects Pikachu's basic attack, that alone does not warrant me putting it higher in this tier list	Extra damage can help against high HP Pokemon Physical attack item on a special attacking Pokemon Only affects Pikachu's basic attacks
	Rapid fire scarf(2000 aeos coins/1250 aeos tickets)	Passive:After 3 consecutive basic attacks, your basic attack speed is increased by 15%/22.5%/30% for 5 seconds. Once it activates ther is a 10 second cooldown before it can activate again. Stat boosts:Attack, Basic attack speed	The worst item on the list. Unlike Muscle Band, the effect of this item is not something Pikachu can use effectively. However, its ability to make 1 specific build THAT much more powerful earns it a spot on the tier list.	Can greatly strengthen 1 specific build Almost useless effect Not much worth aside from that 1 specific build

Boost emblems

Boost emblems can be very flexible, so I cannot make perfect guides. Here is some guidance though:

Stats you should increase:

Special attack
Cooldown reduction(if possible)

Stats you should decrease:

Attack
Critical hit rate(Pikachu doesn't get natural crit rate, so decreasing it does nothing)

Optional stats(Increase or Decrease them in any way you want):

Hp
Defense
Special Defense
Movement Speed(Ok, maybe try to not decrease this too much)

Colors you should try and get:

Green(Gives sp.atk)
Black(Reduces your cooldown)
Navy(Increase how fast your unite move charges)

Builds

Combining all the things from the previous tables and more, these are full blown builds that set your gameplan

Name	Boost emblems	Description
Full Thunder	Green Black	Classic mage build. High range and damage can let you dominate entire games. Lack of support is a problem though
I never miss	Green Black	Almost the exact same as the last one, just with a different moveset
STOP RIGHT THERE!	Red Black	The maximum support. The ability to disable your opponent with paralysis and healing loss is amazing. Rapid fire scarf and red boost emblems gives you more boosted attacks, letting you make your opponent regret getting out of bed in the morning
Utter destruction!	Green Black	Delete your opponents with two moves and lay waste to anyone who dare stand in your way! Mwahaha!