There's a difference between playing and competing in Pokémon Unite. While you can get by just picking a Pokémon and using its moves, the best know exactly how to customize your favourites to get the most out of their abilities.
Part of that boils down to Pokémon Unite Held Items. Read on to find out how these incredibly useful pieces of equipment can turn the tide of battle. Here are all the Pokémon Unite Held Items, what they do, and how to unlock them.
Itching to become a Pokémon Unite pro? Read up on how to level up fast and how to report and block players in Pokémon Unite. You never know when you might need to do that. And if there are any Held Items you like the sound of, click onto our Pokémon Unite tier list and click each Pokémon's name to view two different builds.
What Are Pokémon Unite Held Items?
Just like the main games, Pokémon can take select items into battle to help it perform at its best. Pokémon Unite Held Items work like equipment instead; rather than being stuck to just one, you can pick and choose any three to take in battle, buffing your Pokémon's stats and offering neat passive abilities with various effects.
Before you go slapping any powerful-sounding Held Item onto your favourite Pokémon, however, be sure to read up on how the Pokémon Unite Physical vs Special Attack system works. Knowing what type of damage your Pokémon deals is key to understanding which items work well, and which won't do a thing. It's not quite the same as a traditional Pokémon game.
All Pokemon Unite Held Items
Held Item | Effect at Grade 1/10/20 | Stat Increase | Respective Stat Value at Grade 30 | How to Obtain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Muscle Band | When basic attacks hit, the damage is increased by 1/2/3% of the opposing Pokémon's remaining HP. | Attack / Basic Attack Speed | 15 / 7.5% | Aeos Emporium or Day 1 Mission Rewards |
Rocky Helmet | When the Pokémon receives a certain amount of damage, damage is dealt to nearby opposing Pokémon equal to 3/4/5% of those Pokémon's max HP. | HP / Defense | 240 / 42 | Aeos Emporium or Day 1 Mission Rewards |
Assault Vest | When the Pokémon is not in combat, it is granted a shield that nullifies Sp. Atk damage equal to 9/12/15% of its max HP. | HP / Sp. Def | 270 / 42 | Aeos Emporium or Day 1 Mission Rewards |
Exp. Share | While the Pokémon has the fewest Exp. Points on its team, it gains two Exp. Points per second. However, it will no longer receive shared Exp. Points when its teammates defeat wild Pokémon. | HP / Movement Speed | 240 / 150 | Aeos Emporium or Day 1 Mission Rewards |
Sp. Atk Specs | When the Pokémon scores a goal, its Sp. Atk increases by 8/12/16. | Sp. Atk | 24 | Aeos Emporium or Day 1 Mission Rewards |
Attack Weight | When the Pokémon scores a goal, its Attack increases by 6/9/12. | Attack | 18 | Aeos Emporium or Day 1 Mission Rewards |
Aeos Cookie | When the Pokémon scores a goal, its max HP increases by 100/150/200. | HP | 240 | Aeos Emporium or Day 1 Mission Rewards |
Score Shield | While the Pokémon is attempting to score a goal, it is granted a shield equal to 5/7.5/10% of its max HP and its goals cannot be interrupted while it is shielded. | HP | 450 | Aeos Emporium or Day 1 Mission Rewards |
Buddy Barrier | When the Pokémon uses its Unite Move, that Pokemon and the nearby ally Pokémon with the lowest HP are each granted a shield equal to 20% of their max HP. | HP | 600 | Aeos Emporium or Day 1 Mission Rewards |
Float Stone | Increases movement speed by 10/15/20% when the Pokémon in not in combat. | Attack / Movement Speed | 24 / 120 | Aeos Emporium or Day 1 Mission Rewards |
Above is a neat table detailing each available held item, how to unlock it, the stats it gives at level 30, and the passive ability it gives to the holder. Use the table above along with our detailed explainer on how Pokémon Unite Physical and Special stats work to identify which Held Items will work best on which Pokémon.
How Do I Use Pokémon Unite Held Items?
The effects of held items trigger automatically when their conditions are met: like being outside of combat for a predetermined amount of time in the case of the Float Stone. These aren't items you need to manually activate to enjoy, but you need to equip them before the match starts. You can do this one of two ways:
- In the Battle Prep screen (accessible by pressing X on the main lobby screen) press X again to change the Pokémon you'd like to create a Held Item set for.
- In the pre-match lobby by tapping ZL to bring up the Battle Prep screen.
Ensure you have a different Pokemon Unite Held Item in each of the three slots available to your Pokémon and you'll be playing at your best.
How Do I Unlock More Pokémon Unite Held Item Slots?
When you're first getting started in Pokémon Unite, you only have access to one of three Held Item slots. That can hold you back. But so long as you're only playing against people of comparative trainer level, things should still be fair.
You unlock more Held Item slots as you increase your trainer level. Keep playing more matches and you'll quickly unlock all three held item slots; the first as soon as you start the game, the second at Trainer Level seven, and the last at Trainer Level ten.
What Are Pokémon Unite Held Item Stats?
Upgrading Held Items in Pokémon Unite provides boosts to not only its raw stat bonuses like Attack and Sp. Def, but its main effect as well. This can make a massive difference in battle. Fail to keep on top of Pokémon Unite Held Item upgrades and opponents that look the same on paper may overpower you.
Each item's main ability maxes out at Grade 20, but the passive stat bonuses upgrade all the way to Grade 30. You'll want to read up on the differences between Pokémon Unite Physical vs Special Attacks. The sooner you understand why there isn't much point putting Sp. Atk Specs on a Cinderace, the better off you'll be.
How Do I Upgrade Pokémon Unite Held Items?
To upgrade held items in Pokémon Unite, all you need to do is follow these steps:
- Press 'X' on the main lobby screen.
- Go into Battle Prep.
- Go into Held Items.
- Go into All Held Items.
- Select the held item you want to upgrade.
- Hit 'X' and L/R to review each upgrade step.
- Hit 'B' to back out and press 'A' twice to initiate the upgrade.
As you progress through Pokémon Unite, upgrading held items will become a necessary step. Without the added stat and passive ability bonuses they provide, failing to upgrade Pokémon Unite Held Items will put you at a noticeable disadvantage against those with three high-level Held Items on their chosen Pokémon.
Held items upgrade from Grade One all the way to Grade 30. Stats will increase with each step, but the held item's main ability will only upgrade at Grade 10 and Grade 20 respectively. To do so requires a growing number of Item Enhancer coins, which you can learn more about in our Pokémon Unite currency guide.
What Is the Max Level of Pokémon Unite Held Items?
Held Items in Pokémon Unite can be leveled all the way to Grade 30. Their stats increase with each level, but the bonuses of the main effect max out at Grade 20. It's considered a "soft cap" and something to aim toward. You want to get a full set of Grade 20 items on your chosen Pokémon before you upgrade one further.
How Many Item Enhancers Does it Cost to Max Pokémon Unite Held Items?
Because the amount of Item Enhancers needed to level up a Held Item in Pokémon Unite increases with each upgrade, it's difficult to know how many you'll need in total.
To level a Pokémon Unite Held Item to Grade 20 and unlock its final major upgrade, you'll need 567 Aeos Tickets. This is for a single item, so you'll need a whopping 1701 to level up all three Held Items used in a build.
If you're hoping to level all Held Items in your build to Grade 30, the cost increases exponentially. It takes 2587 Item Enhancers to take a single Held Item from Grade One to Grade 30: that's more than it costs to level three up to Grade 20.
For a full set, you're looking at 7761 Item Enhancers. That's over £99.99/$99.99 worth of Aeos Gems in case you were wondering.
Super Item Enhancers negate this grind entirely. A single one will upgrade any held item to Grade 30. These can only be obtained through limited-time events currently.
Will More Pokémon Unite Held Items Be Added?
As of the Pokémon Unite mobile launch on September 22, three additional Held Items have been introduced; the Choice Specs, Razer Claw, and Weakness Policy. You can read more about these on the dedicated Pokémon Unite New Held Items page.