Think all the best Pokémon Unite Nintales build options are the same? That's not true at all. Alolan Ninetales swaps out the fire of its distant cousin in favor of mastery over ice, Rather than burn, it uses its chilling breath to pin opponents in place. It's a great lane buddy, and by following our instruction and insight below, you'll soon become best friends with whoever you end up strolling down the lane with.
Alolan Ninetales is a ranged attacker that uses the Sp. Atk stat. Bear that in mind if you switch out any of the items below to suit your personal preference. You can read more about the Pokémon Unite Physical vs Special attack split here.
Before we dive into the details, think about refreshing your understanding of the Pokémon Unite fundamentals. Learning how to cancel abilities can help save cooldowns when the battlefield changes. Memorizing the stats and effects of Held Items and Battle Items can help you identify a team's strategy right from the loading screen, too.
The Best Pokémon Unite Ninetales Build Options
Pokémon Unite Ninetales Build - Dazzling Support
Best Items | Best Moves |
|---|---|
Eject Button | Lv. 1: Powder Snow |
Muscle Band | Lv. 3: Icy Wind |
Buddy Barrier | Lv. 4: Dazzling Gleam |
Assault Vest | Lv. 6: Aurora Veil |
Best for: Bottom lane support
It may sound odd, but perhaps the best Pokémon Unite Ninetales build right now uses the ranged attacker more like a Support. This is purely down to its many hindrance abilities and options for buffing its own teammates.
The item choices here are designed to make Alolan Ninetales less of a glass cannon and more a solid Support. The HP boosts and shields will go a long way when it's time to get a bit closer than your average fox.
There aren't many Support Pokémon in the game right now, and foregoing a purpose-built backbone over a hybrid option like Alolan Ninetails can give a team the DPS increase it needs to edge out. Muscle Band comes into play to ensure the Pokémon's Normal Attacks, which deal area damage and, when boosted, inflict Freeze. It's another reason why Aurora Veil is an important choice.
Pokémon Unite Ninetales Build - Mastery Over Ice
Best Items | Best Moves |
|---|---|
Eject Button | Lv. 1: Powder Snow |
Wise Glasses | Lv. 3: Icy Wind |
Shell Bell | Lv. 4: Dazzling Gleam |
Muscle Band | Lv. 6: Aurora Veil |
- Best for: Bottom lane offense
If playing a supporting role doesn't sound all too compelling, there are plenty of ways to put Alolan Ninetales' chilly attacks to work shredding the opposing Pokémon. This mostly boils down to boosting its already generally high Sp. Atk stat with some well-known items. Here's a Pokémon Unite Alolan Ninetales build that's sure to deliver.
Although it doesn't change things up too much over the Support Alolan Ninetales build, this one supplements the Pokémon's damage with the Sp. Atk boosts of Wise Glasses and Shell Bell.
Sp. Atk Specs could theoretically be tossed into the Muscle Band slot for extra raw stats, but Alolan Ninetales doesn't have the naturally high Sp. Atk needed to make its percentage scaling add all that much. It would also slow the Pokémon's Normal Attack rate right down, which is something you don't want to do when relying on Aurora Veil's boost effect for your damage and control.
If you're certain of your abilities, Eject Button could be swapped out for X Attack. It would boost the offensive power of Ninetales on the odd occasion, but it could also spur you into taking more risks that could jeopardize the match. It isn't all about KOs.
When Does Ninetales Evolve in Pokémon Unite?
Alolan Ninetales has the benefit of evolving very early on in Pokémon Unite. It evolves from Alolan Vulpix at level four. This can happen very quickly on the bottom lane, giving an early advantage that can snowball the team to victory.
What Is the Best Pokémon Unite Ninetales Counter?
Pokémon | Reason |
|---|---|
Zeraora | Zeraora's many dashes can get in fast and dodge Ninetales' attempts to slow it down. |
Absol | Absol can deliver a quick one-two-punch to Ninetales, directly countering its first (and likely only) attempt to slow Absol down. |
Talonflame | Talonflame can outright fly above Ninetales and dunk it hard, completely eliminating any chance of stopping it in its tracks. |
Garchomp | Most Garchomp builds run Dragon Rush and Dig, giving the all-rounder more than one way to get in close and rip the fox to pieces. |
Any good MOBA title features a roster of characters that either work well with others, or directly counters them instead, and this game is no different.
When it comes to selecting the best Pokémon Unite Ninetales Counter, you need something that can either shrug off its heavy crowd control abilities or get in fast, avoiding them completely.
What Is the Best Pair for Ninetales in Pokémon Unite?
Pokémon | Reason |
|---|---|
Crustle | Although it's a Defender, Crustle can cut through the team with X-Scissor. By slowing opponents with its ice, Alolan Ninetales can easily set the enemy team up for Crustle to chop and bash them into a nearby wall for extra crowd-control. |
Cinderace | This rapid-fire attacker can struggle to stay in range long enough to get its high damage out. Alolan Ninetales can slow opponents enough to help with that. |
Venusaur | Venusaur can decimate the team from afar with Solar Beam, but it can be difficult to land. By slowing opponents, Venusaur can snipe the entire team as they attempt to retreat together after a bad run. |
Alolan Ninetales pairs up well with just about any Pokémon in the game. Its heavy crowd control abilities can help burst speedsters stay on their targets, stop attackers from being dived, and make it easier for Defenders to land their heavier attacks. It's a great meta pick, but we'll outline some solid lane pairs below.
How Do I Unlock Ninetales in Pokémon Unite?
Alolan Ninetales is one of the rare Pokémon Unite characters that be unlocked completely for free. You're welcome to buy it from the shop (and may have to if this method is ever removed), but right now, you can put a Pokémon Unite Ninetales build to use for free simply by logging in on two separate days. Thanks to the 14-Welcome Gifts campaign, you can claim the Pokémon from the corresponding event window on the second day.
- Read more: Pokémon Unite Tier List
If you're struggling to put Alolan Ninetales to good use, consider checking out other crowd control Pokémon. Snorlax and Slowbro are two bulky picks, and Zeraora and Pikachu are two fast attackers that work hindrances into their play. Venusaur with Sludge Bomb and Solar Beam can play similarly as well. You can learn how to unlock each with our Pokémon Unite Licenses list.