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Drafting Guide 01
By Unite Academy
Table Of Content
About
What Is Drafting?
Drafting is the strategic phase before the game begins, where each team takes turns banning and picking Pokémon. It’s not just about choosing strong picks, it’s about building a team that fits together, adapts to what the enemy is doing, and ensures you’re equipped for every stage of the match.
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This guide was created to help Pokémon Unite players understand the fundamentals of drafting in a competitive environment. Whether you're participating in tournaments, scrims, or organized inhouses, proper drafting is a skill that can decide the match before it begins.
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Understanding the roles and sub-roles in Pokémon Unite is crucial for developing strong draft strategies. This guide focuses on helping you think critically rather than relying on specific Pokémon examples, since balance patches and meta shifts can quickly make those examples outdated. By learning the core functions, strengths, and weaknesses of roles like assassins, enchanters, brawlers, or snipers, you’ll be able to adapt your drafting decisions to any patch or situation. Knowing how different sub-roles interact, support each other, or counter the enemy team gives you the tools to build flexible, synergistic comps that remain effective over time. In short, understanding the why behind draft decisions is far more valuable than memorizing what’s currently popular.
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This guide is part of the educational resources offered by Unite Academy, a project founded by BlackCH to support player growth through coaching, community events, and competitive development.
Snake Draft Format (with Bans)
We will be referring to A as first pick / ban (Purple Team) and B as second pick / ban (Orange Team)
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Visual Reference:
A (top side) is going to be the first pick during draft
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Band Order: A - B - A - B
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Pick Order: A - B - B - A - A - B - B - A - A - B
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Ban Phase
Each team bans one Pokémon. The purpose is to remove oppressive picks or comfort picks from known players. Banning is as strategic as picking.
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First Pick Phase (A - B - B )
The first team opens with a strong or flexible pick. The second team responds with two that give early direction without overcommitting.
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Mid Phase ( A - A - B - B)
The most important part of the draft. This is where comps start to solidify and where adaptation becomes critical. Fill in core roles here.
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Final Picks (A - A - B)
Last chance to fix weaknesses, counter enemies, or finalize synergy. This pick often decides how well-rounded and reactive your team is.
General Rules of Drafting
1. Cover All Roles
Every team should have answers to the following needs:
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Frontline (tanks or peelers, generally the role that makes space)
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Backline damage dealer (usually ranged)
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Jungler (carry potential or tempo control)
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Support/Utility (sustain, shields, mobility)
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Disruption/CC (crowd control, zoning, interrupts)
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A Secure Pokemon
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A ripper Pokemon (Optional)
These can be fulfilled in different ways, but all need to be addressed.
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2. Draft With a Plan
Your team should have a goal: whether it’s teamfight dominance, objective control, early aggression, or late-game scaling. Your picks should build toward that plan — not fight against it.
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3. Adapt to the Enemy
Always consider what the opponent is building. If they’re stacking frontline, don’t double down on burst with no sustain. If they’re running multiple squishies, consider punishing with strong engagement or speedsters.
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4. Fix Weaknesses Mid-Draft
Drafting is about balancing what your team lacks, not just doubling down on what you like. Notice holes in your comp and fill them before the last pick, this is usually easy to do by picking flexible tanks or supports so you don’t have to reveal your carries, this way you avoid counterplay early on.
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5. Prioritize Flexibility
Flexible picks that can fill multiple roles or swap positions allow your team to stay unpredictable. They also give you room to pivot if the enemy drafts something unexpected.
Examples:
Rapidash, Umbreon, Suicune, Pikachu, Sylveon, Aegislash, Absol, Armorouge, etc
6. Think in Duos or Trios
Build small core combinations within your team, a tank and a damage dealer, or a support and a scaling carry. These “packages” often win skirmishes or dominate teamfights when they work well together.
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Examples:
Zoroark + Comfey, Hoopa + Rapidash, Talonflame + Hoopa, Snorlax + Garchomp, Umbreon + Gardevoir, Mamoswine + A9, Tsareena + Blissey, Zeraora + Comfey, etc...
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7. Tempo
Tempo in drafting means controlling the pace and flow of picks to keep your team ahead strategically. Instead of just reacting or picking your favorite Pokémon, plan how your draft will progress:
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Decide early which roles or Pokémon you want to lock in first to secure your core strategy.
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Be aware of the enemy’s picks and adapt to either counter or outpace them.
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Use bans and picks to disrupt the opponent’s tempo, forcing them into less comfortable choices.
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Coordinate with your team to ensure your composition can transition smoothly from early game to mid and late game.​
Having a tempo plan helps your team maintain control over the draft, avoid rushed decisions, and build a strong, cohesive lineup.
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8. Build Around The Support (optional)
Don’t treat the support as an afterthought, drafting around your support can define your team’s identity. Whether you're running an enchanter, anti-dive, or engage tank, the support sets the tone for how your team wants to fight. A dive-heavy comp pairs well with an initiator or follow-up CC support, while a poke or backline-focused comp needs a healer or anti-dive to keep carries alive. Knowing what your support brings allows your team to pick Pokémon that synergize with its strengths and cover its weaknesses, ensuring coordinated team fights and better execution.
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9. Prioritize Safe Early Picks, Hide Your Win Condition
Picking your core carry too early can make it easy for the enemy team to counter-draft. Secure flexible or low-commitment picks first, then pick your true win condition later in the draft when it’s safer. Start your draft with Pokémon that don’t reveal your strategy too early. Save your carry picks or comp-defining Pokémon for later, especially if they are vulnerable to counters. Let your early picks build a foundation without giving too much away.
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Draft Advices
Draft Pitfalls to Avoid
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Picking damage with no peel or frontline
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Drafting two late-game carries without tempo control
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Ignoring the enemy’s comp direction entirely
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Leaving gaps in roles because of player comfort
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Picking selfishly instead of for the team’s win condition
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Checklist Before You Lock In
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Do we have at least one tank or CC-heavy disruptor?
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Do we have enough consistent damage to win a fight?
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Do we have a clear jungler?
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Do we have synergy between picks?
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Are we weak to any specific comp style or strategy?
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Do we have enough damage to do objectives?
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Do we have a secure?
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Drafting Mindsets
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Not every strong Pokémon fits your comp.
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Sometimes it’s better to deny a pick from your opponent than secure one for yourself.
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Always be willing to sacrifice comfort picks if the comp demands something else.
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Don’t wait until the last pick to fix a broken comp, start building correctly early.
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Communication during the draft is more important than mechanical skill.
Role & Subroles
Understanding the roles and sub-roles in Pokémon Unite is essential for effective drafting. Each role brings specific strengths, weaknesses, and responsibilities to a team composition, and knowing them helps players make informed decisions that complement their teammates and counter the enemy lineup. Whether you're filling a key position, planning your team’s win conditions, or anticipating what the enemy might pick, recognizing the function of each sub-role, like divers, enchanters, brawlers, or snipers, allows for more strategic and synergistic drafts. This knowledge not only improves individual performance but also builds better communication and coordination during matches, giving your team a clear identity and purpose before the game even begins.
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Top Lane Carry
A top lane carry in Pokémon Unite is the player in the top path responsible for dealing the majority of the damage, securing wild Pokémon, and helping win fights to gain lane
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Assassin / Backline diver
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An assassin in Pokémon Unite is a high-burst, fast-mobility Pokémon designed to quickly eliminate key enemy targets, usually squishy carries, before escaping or repositioning.
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A backline diver is a Pokémon that specializes in bypassing the enemy front line to directly pressure or eliminate backline targets, such as attackers or supports, often disrupting team formations and forcing panic responses.
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Strengths:
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High burst damage, able to quickly eliminate key enemy targets.
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Strong mobility to engage and disengage from fights.
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Can disrupt enemy backline, forcing opponents to play cautiously.
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Weaknesses:
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Generally fragile and vulnerable to crowd control and focused damage.
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Requires good positioning and timing to be effective.
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Less effective if the team lacks frontline or peel support.
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Brawler
A brawler in Pokémon Unite is a durable, melee-focused Pokémon that excels in extended fights. Brawlers typically have a mix of damage and sustain, allowing them to thrive in close-quarters combat and contest objectives by outlasting opponents.
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Strengths:
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Durable with good sustain in fights.
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Strong in close combat and extended engagements.
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Can contest objectives and frontline effectively.
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Weaknesses:
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Crowd control
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Can struggle against high burst or kiting enemies.
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Relies heavily on good positioning and team support to maximize impact.​
Duelist
A duelist in Pokémon Unite is a Pokémon that excels in one-on-one fights, using strong damage, sustain, or outplay potential to win isolated skirmishes and gain lane or map control through solo pressure.
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Strengths:
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Excellent in one-on-one fights, able to dominate isolated enemies.
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Balanced damage and survivability.
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Good at applying pressure in lane and map control.
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Weaknesses:
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Less effective in large team fights if isolated or outnumbered.
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Can be countered by crowd control and coordinated focus.
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Requires good mechanical skill and map awareness.
​Warden
A warden in Pokémon Unite is a defensive Pokémon that specializes in protecting allies, controlling space, and anchoring the front line. Wardens use crowd control, zoning tools, and durability to block engages, peel for the backline, and maintain team formation.
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Strengths:
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High durability and crowd control to protect teammates.
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Strong frontline presence, able to disrupt enemy formations.
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Good at peeling for backline allies.
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Weaknesses:
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Heavily relies on teammates to follow up.
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Can be less effective without proper team coordination.
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Snipers
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Mage
A mage in Pokémon Unite is a ranged, ability-focused Pokémon that deals high damage through special attacks. Mages typically excel at area control, burst damage, and poking enemies from a distance, but are usually fragile and rely on positioning and team support.
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Strengths:
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High burst and area damage from range.
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Strong zoning and crowd control abilities.
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Can influence fights from a safe distance.
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Weaknesses:
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Fragile and vulnerable to dives or burst damage.
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Relies heavily on positioning and team protection.
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Limited sustain and escape options in close combat.
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Objective Secure
Objective secure (also known as smite) in Pokémon Unite refers to the ability to reliably finish off key objectives—like Rayquaza, Regieleki, or wild Pokémon—using burst damage or execute abilities timed precisely to out-damage opponents in the final moment. This role is often handled by the jungler or any Pokémon with high burst potential to “last-hit” objectives.
​Objective Shredder / Ripper
An objective shredder (or ripper) in Pokémon Unite is a Pokémon specialized in quickly breaking down large objectives like wild bosses or goals. They deal high sustained damage to these targets, helping their team secure important map objectives faster and gain an advantage.
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Support
A support in Pokémon Unite is a Pokémon focused on helping teammates by providing healing, shields, crowd control, or buffs. Supports prioritize enabling their team’s damage dealers and controlling fights rather than dealing high damage themselves.
Enchanter
An enchanter in Pokémon Unite is a support Pokémon that specializes in healing, shielding, and enhancing allies’ stats and abilities. Enchanters help their team survive longer and perform better by boosting their durability and effectiveness in fights, rather than focusing on dealing damage.
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Strengths:
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Provides strong shields, buffs, and utility to enhance allies' stats and performance.
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Keeps carries alive longer, especially in team fights.
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Scales well into mid and late game with team-focused impact.
Weaknesses:
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Low damage and limited solo impact.
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Heavily reliant on positioning and staying near allies.
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Struggles against burst or dive if caught without peel or escape tools.
Dedicated Healer / Shield
A healer in Pokémon Unite is a support Pokémon whose primary role is to restore health to teammates during battles, helping them stay alive longer and maintain pressure on the map. Healers focus on sustaining the team rather than dealing damage.
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Strengths:
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Sustains allies over time, allowing for extended fights and lane control.
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Excellent at helping teams recover between skirmishes.
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Enables more aggressive play by reducing downtime.
Weaknesses:
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Often lacks direct impact in fights (low damage, limited CC).
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Vulnerable to anti-heal or burst damage that outpaces healing.
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Needs team coordination to fully capitalize on healing output.
Enabler
An enabler in Pokémon Unite is a Pokémon that sets up or empowers teammates to deal more damage or make plays by providing crowd control, buffs, or zoning tools. Enablers focus on creating opportunities for their team rather than securing kills themselves.
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Strengths:
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Sets up plays through buffs, crowd control, or zoning tools.
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Increases the effectiveness of damage dealers.
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Highly flexible, fits many team comps and game plans.
Weaknesses:
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Team-dependent, low impact if allies can't follow up.
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May not provide enough sustain or tankiness alone.
Anti-Dive
An anti-dive support in Pokémon Unite is a support Pokémon specialized in protecting the backline by disrupting or stopping enemy champions who try to dive or jump onto your damage dealers. They use crowd control, shields, or heals to peel threats and keep their teammates safe during fights.
Strengths:
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Excels at peeling for the backline and protecting carries.
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Disrupts enemy assassins and divers with CC or zoning.
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Vital against dive-heavy team comps.
Weaknesses:
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May struggle to engage or make plays proactively.
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Less effective if the enemy team focuses on poke or ranged pressure.
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Needs strong awareness and timing to react to dives consistently.
Jungler
A jungler in Pokémon Unite is a player who focuses on farming wild Pokémon in the jungle area to gain experience and level up quickly. Junglers often have strong mobility and damage to gank lanes, secure objectives like Rotom or Drednaw, and help their team gain map control.
​Brawler
A jungle brawler in Pokémon Unite is a durable melee jungler who excels at sustained close-range combat. They farm wild Pokémon in the jungle, then engage in fights with a mix of damage and survivability, helping to control objectives and team fights through their toughness and presence.
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Strengths:
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Durable and excels in close-range skirmishes.
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Can contest objectives and frontline with strong presence.
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Sustains well in jungle and team fights.
Weaknesses:
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Limited burst and ranged damage.
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Can be kited by mobile or ranged enemies.
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Needs time to scale and impact team fights.
Assassin
A jungle assassin in Pokémon Unite is a fast, high-burst damage Pokémon that farms wild jungle Pokémon to level up quickly, then uses mobility and burst attacks to pick off priority enemy targets, especially squishy carries, by surprising them in fights or skirmishes.
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Strengths:
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High burst damage to quickly eliminate squishy targets.
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Great mobility for ganks and escapes.
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Can snowball early leads into game dominance.
Weaknesses:
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Fragile and reliant on good positioning and timing.
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Falls off if behind in levels or farm.
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Vulnerable to crowd control and peel.
Mage
A jungle mage in Pokémon Unite is a mage Pokémon that farms wild jungle Pokémon to quickly gain experience and levels. They combine high burst damage and mobility to control the jungle area, assist in ganks, and secure objectives while dealing strong magical damage in fights.
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Strengths:
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Strong burst and area damage from range.
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Can gank and zone effectively with abilities.
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Scales well into team fights with AoE presence.
Weaknesses:
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Squishy and dependent on positioning.
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Can struggle to clear jungle quickly early game.
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Vulnerable to dives and fast-paced skirmishes
Early Gank
An early gank in Pokémon Unite is when a player, usually the jungler or a roaming teammate, leaves their lane early to surprise and attack an enemy in another lane. The goal is to create pressure, secure kills, or force opponents to retreat, helping your team gain an early advantage.
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Strengths:
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Applies immediate pressure on lanes and disrupts enemy setups.
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Can secure early leads for teammates and snowball advantage.
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Often forces the enemy team to play defensively.
Weaknesses:
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Falls behind if early ganks fail.
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May sacrifice jungle farm and levels for risky plays.
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Needs strong decision-making and coordination.
Marksman
A jungle marksman in Pokémon Unite is a ranged damage dealer who farms wild jungle Pokémon to level up quickly. They use their high attack speed and damage from a distance to secure objectives, poke enemies, and carry team fights with sustained damage output.
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Strengths:
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High sustained damage, especially in mid-to-late game.
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Excellent at shredding objectives like Rayquaza.
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Can carry fights with strong positioning and uptime.
Weaknesses:
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Fragile and reliant on team for protection.
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Weak early game and vulnerable during jungle clear.
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Easily targeted by divers and assassins.
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Close Quarters & Dive
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They excel at close and medium range with high mobility, strong single target burst or disruption based pokemon. Your job is to target fragile backliners. They're essential for breaking stalemates, applying pressure, and flipping fights when timed well.
Strengths:
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Strong burst or brawling damage up close.
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Can duel or pressure backline directly.
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Often more durable than ranged carries.
Weaknesses:
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Needs to get into melee range to deal damage.
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Struggles against kiting or crowd control.
Objective Secure
Objective Shredder / Ripper
Bot Carry
Pokemon dedicated to the bot lane. Their job is to control the bottom lane by using high damage output, working with your lane support, secure farm, pressure objectives and scaling.
Sniper
Long range attackers that have high burst damage. Objective secures, poking the enemy, timing and precision are the main goals.
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Strengths:
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Extremely long-range poke and zoning.
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Can deal damage safely from a distance.
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Great for softening enemies before fights start.
Weaknesses:
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Low mobility (some of them) and vulnerable to dives.
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Often has low burst or sustained damage up close.
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Requires strong positioning and protection.
Control Mage (CC & AOE)
Strong area control (AOE), Crowd Control (CC), zoning/ disruption are the main uses for these pokemon. AOE control mages have a wider range of abilities to hold chokes, pressure/counter, and zone in fights. Crowd control mages use their status abilities, like stuns or slows, to disrupt or create space. Using your abilities to zone/disrupt is great for gaining ground or space to allow for other carries to engage or get a pick.
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Strengths:
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Strong area control with AoE and crowd control abilities.
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Great for holding choke points and setting up team fights.
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Can disrupt enemy formations and objectives.
Weaknesses:
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Typically lacks mobility and escape tools.
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Can struggle with burst trades or being collapsed on.
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Dependent on proper timing and coordination.
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Snipers outrange them
Marksman
These are your ranged damage dealers. Their focus is to use their basic attacks as a main source of damage (also called A pressers - ranged) to deal consistent high dps over time. They are great for ripping objectives. Late game scalers that are reliant on peel and positioning. Know your surroundings when choosing these.
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Strengths:
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High sustained DPS, especially in late-game.
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Strong objective shredder and teamfight presence.
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Scales well with levels and buffs.
Weaknesses:
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Fragile and reliant on team peel.
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Weak early game and during jungle invasions.
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Needs consistent uptime in fights to be effective.
Close Quarters & Dive
They excel at close and medium range with high mobility, strong single target burst or disruption based pokemon. Your job is to target fragile backliners. They're essential for breaking stalemates, applying pressure, and flipping fights when timed well.
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Strengths:
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Strong burst or brawling damage up close.
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Can duel or pressure backline directly.
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Often more durable than ranged carries.
Weaknesses:
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Needs to get into melee range to deal damage.
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Struggles against kiting or crowd control.
Objective Secure
Objective Shredder / Ripper
Tank
A tank in Pokémon Unite is a durable Pokémon that absorbs damage and protects teammates. Tanks usually have high health and crowd control abilities, allowing them to initiate fights, soak up enemy attacks, and create space for their damage dealers.
Hard CC
Hard crowd control (hard CC) in Pokémon Unite refers to abilities that completely disable or heavily restrict an enemy’s actions for a short time. This includes effects like stuns, knock-ups, or immobilizes that prevent opponents from moving, attacking, or using abilities. Hard CC is crucial for controlling fights and setting up kills.
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Strengths:
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Disables enemies with stuns, knock-ups, slows, or roots.
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Great at disrupting enemy plays and protecting allies.
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Essential for locking down key targets during fights.
Weaknesses:
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May lack damage or mobility.
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Relies on landing abilities to have impact.
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Less effective against teams with cleanse or mobility tools.
Engage
Engage in Pokémon Unite means initiating a fight by aggressively starting combat, often by jumping onto or crowd-controlling key enemy targets to gain an advantage for your team. Effective engage can set the tone for team battles and create opportunities to secure kills or objectives.
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Strengths:
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Starts fights by diving or forcing enemies to respond.
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Creates space for teammates to follow up.
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Strong presence in team fights and objective control.
Weaknesses:
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Risks overcommitting if the team doesn’t follow up.
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Vulnerable if initiation fails or is mistimed.
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Often first to die if isolated or unsupported.
Healer / Shield
A healer shield tank in Pokémon Unite is a tank Pokémon that combines high durability with abilities to heal and shield allies. This type of tank not only soaks up damage but also protects and sustains teammates, helping the team survive longer in fights.
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Strengths:
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Adds sustain and protection while still soaking damage.
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Keeps the team alive in extended fights.
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Excellent at enabling squishy carries and holding the frontline.
Weaknesses:
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Can struggle to apply pressure without team follow-up.
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Less threatening presence on their own.
Draft Tool (Unitestadium)
Practice Drafting with Others
Drafting isn't just about picking strong Pokémon , it's about creating a team composition with purpose. The best way to improve at this is by practicing drafts regularly with your teammates or against other teams. This helps you:
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Learn how to respond to different pick strategies
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Build synergy with your team
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Create game plans based on your comp
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Avoid last-minute, “vibe-based” decisions
Scrimming drafts or doing mock drafts gives everyone a chance to communicate, adapt, and think critically about roles, counters, and win conditions. The more you practice, the more confident and strategic your team will be on game day.
Don’t wait for tournament day to figure things out, build your habits now.
