Pokemon Unite: How to play All-Rounder Charizard, Lucario, Garchomp & Machamp

Charizard and Lucario Pokemon UNITEThe Pokemon Company / TiMi Studios

Pokemon Unite has five team roles that players can choose from. Here is a breakdown of how to play All-Rounders Charizard, Lucario, Garchomp and Machamp in the MOBA title.

Pokemon Unite has a roster of 20 Pokemon. Each of these characters fit into a team role such as Attacker, All-Rounder, Defender, Speedster, and Supporter.

Below we will explain how to play Charizard, Lucario, Garchomp, & Machamp as well as detail their movesets and special abilities. Here is the best way to use the popular All-Rounder ‘mon in the 5v5 multiplayer.

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Contents:

How to play Charizard in Pokemon Unite

Pokemon Unite Charizard over MapThe Pokemon Company / TiMi Studios
The Kanto Fire-type starter is a deadly ranged attacker.

Throughout its evolution line, Trainers playing the Kanto Fire-type starter will be using its deadly Basic Attack: a fire breath that creates continued damage to opponents. 

Enemies who become burned by your flame will actually take more damage. This is why the Flame Burst ability is extremely helpful as it inflicts the burn status on enemies caught in its radius.

As you level up, your basic fire attack will grow in distance. Those wanting to play ranged should upgrade Burst to Flamethrower at level five as it makes the Kanto starter a perfect poke attacker to melt down Defenders and Tank characters such as Snorlax from afar.

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While Fire Punch offers a good dash, you get Fire Spin which can be upgraded to Flare Blitz at level 13. Charizard’s Unite Attack, Seismic Slam, rounds out the character with a powerful close quarter move that will take an opponent out. 

When does Charizard evolve in Pokemon Unite?

Players start out as Charmander, however, after gaining EXP by scoring goals, knocking out enemies, and defeating wild Pokemon on the map, you will level up to Charmelon starting at level 5.

Thankfully, it won’t take too much longer to reach its final form, as Charizard can be evolved once you hit level 9. Those wanting to reach the third evolution fast should take advantage of earning points on the map.

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Charmander (Lv 1) Charmeleon (Lv 5) Charizard (Lv 9)
Charmander Charmeleon Charizard

Pokemon Unite Charizard Special attacks

Special 1

Attack Icon Description Upgrade level 
Basic Attack Basic Attack Fire creates continuous damage. The distance grows with each evolution.   Level 1
Flame Burst Flame Burst An explosive burning flame leaves opponents burned.  Level 5 (can be upgraded to one of the two following moves below)
Flamethrower Flamethrower A ranged blast of fire that will burn opponents. Level 11: Increased Damage
Fire Punch Fire Punch A massive punch surrounded by flames. Opponents knocked back can be burned. Level 11: Basic attack reduces abilities cooldown.

Special 2

Attack Icon Description Upgrade level 
Fire Spin Fire Spin Opponents become surrounded by a circle of fire.  The AOE attack can decrease enemies’ speed.  Level 7 (can be upgraded to one of the two following moves below)  
Fire Blast Fire Blast Pokemon caught in this deadly attack will receive damage over time, and have their speed reduced.  Level 13: Increased damage
Flare Blitz Flare Blitz Charizard dashes towards opponents while covered in flames. Pokemon hit by this are thrown. Using this move gives a shield. Level 13: Opponents speed is decreased if hit.
Seismic Slam 

(UNITE move)

Seismic Slam Charizard dives down from the air and grabs an opponent, before slamming it into the ground.  Can be used starting Level 9

How to play Lucario in Pokemon Unite

Pokemon Unite Lucario over MapThe Pokemon Company / TiMi Studios
The Sinnoh favorite is perfect for flanking and scoring goals.

Sinnoh favorite Lucario packs quite the punch, with its combined speed making it great for moving around the map quickly. The ‘mon’s basic attack is a flurry of punches, with its third hit inflicting the most damage.

Quick attack can be upgraded to Extreme Speed at level five, and also increases Lucario’s HP when used. We also recommend upgrading your second ability, Meteor Mash, to Close Combat. 

The powerful move gives the Gen IV character a shield. This means it can launch into an attack on an opponent about to score while becoming invincible to all other characters. You can then use Extreme Speed to make your escape.

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Finally, Lucario’s UNITE attack, Aura Cannon, gives him range while also hitting multiple Pokemon that fall in its zone. The popular monster’s incredible speed can be used for flanking as well as scoring goals. Make sure to utilize Speed Zones in maps such as Shivre City. It can also be used to reach Legendary battles first before the other team.

Pokemon Unite Lucario Special attacks

Special 1

Attack Icon Description Upgrade level 
Basic Attack Basic Attack Lucario throws a flurry of punches. The third hit landed is the most powerful.  Level 1
Quick Attack Quick Attack A dash attack that happens in the blink of an eye.  Level 5 (can be upgraded to one of the two following moves below)
Extreme Speed Extreme Speed Lucario rushes his opponents, for a close quarter attack. Using this gives HP. Level 11: Increased attack speed for a limited time
Power-Up Punch Power-Up Punch A charged-up attack that throws opponents back. The following attack after has boosted damage.  Level 11: The user takes no damage while charging up.

Special 2

Attack Icon Description Upgrade level 
Meteor Mash Meteor Mash Explode forward into enemies with a massive punch.   Level 7 (can be upgraded to one of the two following moves below)  
Bone Rush Bone Rush Lucario stuns an opponent with a bone, before throwing the object. Using the move again will automatically teleport you to the bone.  Level 13: Resets all cooldowns after using move a second time. 
Close Combat Close Combat A devastating combo-attack that deals multiple damage.  Level 13: Lucario becomes invincible while attacking.
Aura Cannon

(UNITE move)

Aura Cannon Charizard dives down from the air and grabs an opponent, before slamming it into the ground.  Can be used starting Level 9

How to play Garchomp in Pokemon Unite

Pokemon Unite Garchomp ProfileThe Pokemon Company / TiMi Studios
The Sinnoh favorite is devastating in Unite.

Garchomp is one of the best hitters in Unite due to its incredible passive ability, Rough Skin, which actually deflects a portion of melee damage back onto enemies. Meaning opponents will lose a little bit of HP each time they attack you. This makes the Sinnoh character an incredible tank of sorts.

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At level 6, users should swap Sand Attack for Dig. While Dragon Rush may be tempting, the ability gives the Diamond & Pearl ‘mon much-needed mobility as it is able to travel underground. Even more importantly, it pairs off with a second ability which we will detail below.

After hitting level 8, immediately trade in the second ability, Bulldoze, for Earthquake. When Dig is used inside the area of effect created by Earthquake it creates a larger AOE of damage, making for a devastating combination that can interrupt entire teams.

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Finally, Garchomp’s Unite special, Livid Outrage, gives users a powerful dash attack. Players can use the attack to dive into enemies trying to score or use it as a nuke attack on opponents grouped together.

Pokemon Unite Garchomp Special attacks

Special 1

Attack Icon Description Upgrade level 
Basic Attack Basic Attack Every fifth attack becomes boosted with damage while also healing HP. Each time a basic attack lands Garchom’s Attack speed increases.   Level 1
Sand Attack Sand Attack Sand is thrown in the eyes of opponents decreasing their vision. Each time the move hits Garchomp’s movement and attack speed gets boosted.   Level 6 (can be upgraded to one of the two following moves below)
Dig Dig Garchomp burrows underground only popping up once it runs into an enemy. Upon re-entering the map, opponents are thrown with AOE damage.  Level 13: Increased movement speed after the move is used. 
Dragon Rush Dragon Rush Garchomp throws itself into enemies and shoves them back.  Level 11: Enemies are thrown back further with decreased movement speed. 

Special 2

Attack Icon Description Upgrade level 
Bulldoze Bulldoze A massive stomp to the ground damages enemies in the AOE range. Level 8 (can be upgraded to one of the two following moves below)  
Earthquake Earthquake Garchomp jumps in the air before crashing into the ground with an AOE damage splash damage.   Level 13: Enemies hit have their movement speed decreased. 
Dragon Claw Dragon Claw Garchomp lunges forward and damages opponents with slashes. The move boosts damage and basic attack speed.  Level 13: Dragon Claw has increased Damage. 
Livid Outrage

(UNITE move)

Livid Outrage Garchomp unleashes a combo attack while dashing into enemies.  Can be used starting Level 10

How to play Machamp in Pokemon Unite

Pokemon Unite Machamp profileThe Pokemon Company / TiMi Studios
Machamp packs a punch in Pokemon Unite.

Despite its large size, Machamp is one of the most versatile All-Rounders when it comes to mobility. Not only does it have a series of hard-hitting attacks, but it also has some dash moves to move around the map quickly.

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At level 5, we recommend swapping Karate Chop for Close Combat. While Cross Chop gives Machamp a quick dash, the Kanto Pokemon gets a similar move in its second ability which we will detail further below.

Once reaching level 7 upgrade Bulk Up for Dynamic Punch. You can now use the attack to jump to a designated location on the map. This means jumping on enemies and then launching Close Combat for a flurry of hits.

Best of all, Dynamic Punch can also be used as an escape. Lastly, its Unite Move, Barrage Blow, is unique in that it has two levels to it. Users can trigger it to get a series of buffs to its stats. Using the attack a second time unleashes a deadly combination of punches. This is perfect for nuking grouped-up opponents, as well as team fights.

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Pokemon Unite Machamp Special abilities

Special 1

Attack Icon Description Upgrade level 
Basic Attack Basic Attack The third punch becomes boosted with damage increasing each time it hits.    Level 1
Karate Chop Karate Chop Machamp quickly chops its hands at opponents dealing damage.  Level 5 (can be upgraded to one of the two following moves below)
Close Combat Close Combat A flurry of punches is thrown in one direction. Machamp can move while using Close Combat.  Level 11: Increased damage. 
Cross Chop Cross Chop Machamp dashes forward slashing with his arms crossed across his chest. After the move is used, its critical rate is increased.   Level 11: Increased attack critical rate with each hit.

Special 2

Attack Icon Description Upgrade level 
Bulk up Bulk Up Machamp becomes temporarily invincible while using this move. After triggering Bulk Up its movement speed and Attack are increased. The next move also becomes a boosted attack.  Level 7 (can be upgraded to one of the two following moves below)  
Dynamic Punch Dynamic Punch Machamp jumps to a specified location and damages enemies that it lands on its AOE range. Opponents hit become paralyzed during the move. Movement and attack speed is increased, as well as the next basic attack becomes buffed. Level 13:  Increased Attack and Movement speed. 
Submission Submission Machamp’s speed is increased and it can not be paralyzed. The next basic attack becomes boosted and knocks enemies backward.  Level 13: Critical-hit rate and basic attack speed are buffed.
Barrage Blow

(UNITE move)

Barrage Blow Buffs movement speed, Attack, Defense, and Sp. Def. Triggering the move a second time unleashes a barrage of combo punches against enemies caught in the AOE. The final punch does a massive amount of damage. Can be used starting Level 9

Pokemon Unite will make its mobile debut on Android and iPhone devices in September, though no exact release date is known yet.

Tune in to our guides on the 5v5 MOBA as we will be covering the best ways to play each ‘mon as well as the best team strategies for each map.