Defenders are crucial in MOBA games because they grant the powerful ability to lock down a specific location under the right conditions. In Pokemon Unite, controlling a goal zone can either prevent enemies from scoring, or, if occupying the area around an opponent's goal zone, can prevent adversaries from doing the same.
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Out of all the Defenders to choose from in this fast-paced team battle, Slowbro has arguably the best HP regeneration and easily the best damage negation, meaning that it will be far more difficult for opponents to take them down. That is if the player controlling Slowbro has put together a solid enough build to become a true wall on the battlefield.
- Surf
- Telekinesis
- Leftovers (Held Item)
- Buddy Barrier (Held Item)
- Focus Band (Held Item)
- Potion (Battle Item)
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This build focuses on controlling the flow of battle around Slowbro, like some sort of living whirlpool. Being able to push and pull enemies in and out of certain areas will not only mess with their plans but also put them at a disadvantageous position, however, since Slowbro doesn't truly have a significant offense with this build, this is a strategy that relies on the strengths of one's nearest ally when it comes to taking down enemies hindered by Slowbro's moves.
However, with that said, this Crowd Control build can sunder enemy formations and open them up to many kinds of assaults with a solid and well-timed Surf attack. This move is a dash-type one that causes waves to strike the foe in a wide linear pattern, though, thanks to its nature as a dash, also causes Slowbro to move forward and toward enemies; the last thing a ranged Defender wants when facing multiple foes, so be sure to make Slowbro move in the opposite direction that they are aiming their Surf to stay as far from one's foes as possible to avoid taking unnecessary damage. The 3 pushes that Surf can unleash are perfect for shoving foes out of either their own or the player's goal zone while also does some damage to them and slowing their movements for a short time.
While Surf is the outer shove of this maelstrom-like build, Telekinesis is the inner pull. By using this move once, Slowbro will stand still and lift an opponent up into the air to trap them for a few seconds. This move does not cause any damage, but, if used again while holding a foe, players can reel them in like a fish on a line. This is the perfect move for snaring foes low on health who are trying to escape or prevent a dangerous threat from unleashing their Unite move for a few moments.
- Scald
- Amnesia
- Leftovers (Held Item)
- Shell Bell (Held Item)
- Focus Band (Held Item)
- Potion (Battle Item)
One of the most important features of using Slowbro in a battle is its ability, Oblivious, which allows players to negate some incoming damage as long as they are dealing damage to the foe, which seems to include status effect damage. This is a subtle yet incredibly helpful trait for a tank build, especially one designed for dealing Special Attack damage, as while Slowbro is hurting opponents, their attacks will drop the target's Special Defense periodically. It should also be mentioned that Oblivious causes Slowbro to take damage much slower than other pokemon, which allows for more time to heal and regenerate HP by various means.
With this in mind, players can focus on holding their ground at the right time and place to trade blows successfully against most singular threats, as well as multiple foes if Slowbro is standing in one of their own goal zones and receiving bonus passive healing. Scald is definitely the most powerful out of Slowbro's moves when it comes to dealing damage to opponents, as it launches a boiling-hot jet of water in a linear pattern without causing Slowbro to move. This attack not only deals decent damage but also burns the foe, meaning that they take some damage over time for a few seconds while also being slowed.
Amnesia is an excellent buff that further increases Slowbro's longevity. While it does not heal the player as Slack Off does, Amnesia significantly increases damage resistance while also buffing Slowbro's Special Attack. This allows it to be used both offensively and defensively, therefore players should be using this buff every time that they engage foes. Combined with the effects of Leftovers, Focus Band, and using a Potion in emergencies, this build should be able to cleave away at enemy HP bars while being able to hold ground in most cases, possibly even being able to solo-takedown 2 reckless attackers at once.