Slowbro Guide: Builds and Best Items | Pokemon UNITE

The best guide on how to play Slowbro in Pokemon UNITE for Nintendo Switch and Mobile. Check here for the best builds, Held and Battle items, movesets, as well as the latest nerfs, buffs, counters, matchups, and more!

Slowbro Latest Nerfs & Buffs (05/30)

May 30 Update

Slowbro Move Changes (May 30)
Scald	• Damage increased from 2163 to 2263 (+5%). • Movement speed decrease strengthened. • Attack decrease strengthened.
Slowbeam	• Unite Move Charge rate increased from 134s to 122s (-12s).

Slowbro Basic Info

Slowbro
	Tier Rating: Role: Defender Attack Type: Ranged Damage Type: Special Difficulty: Intermediate Cost: 6000 / 345
"No matter the situation, Slowbro goes about life at its own pace. With its characteristic high defense and blissful unawareness, Slowbro is unfazed by opponents’ attacks."

Pokemon Unite Tier List

Slowbro Best Lanes

Top	Jungle	Bottom

Tips & Strategies for Every Lane

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths	Weaknesses
✔︎ Good range ✔︎ Great support skills Can vary builds based on moveset	✖︎ Low damage output ✖︎ Low HP for a Defender

Best Builds for Slowbro

Builds
Tank Build
Support Build	Offense Build

The Best Build for Slowbro is the one with the gold crown!

Tank Build

Tank Build
Moveset			Held Items
Surf Telekinesis			Wise Glasses Focus Band Buddy Barrier
Battle Item
Potion
Item Effects (at Level 30)
Sp. Atk: +39 Defense: +30 Sp. Def: +30 HP: +450
Recommended Lane
Top Lane		Jungle		Bot Lane

This is a defensive build centered on tanking damage and disabling targets using Surf and Telekinesis. Your playstyle mainly focuses on staying in the frontline and opening up opportunities for your allies to score or knock opponents down.

Focus Band and Buddy Barrier are standard tanking items that increases Slowbro's durability and survivability. Assault Vest can also be considered for high Sp. Attack matchups. Wise Glasses, on the other hand, contributes to Slowbro's damage output.

Potion gives Slowbro a much-needed health boost when in a pinch. Alternatively, you can run Full Heal to protect yourself from enemy disables.

Support Build

Support Build
Moveset			Held Items
Surf Telekinesis			Energy Amplifier Shell Bell Exp. Share
Battle Item
Eject Button
Item Effects (at Level 30)
Sp. Atk: +24 Movement Speed: +150 HP: +240 Cooldown: -9% Unite Move Charge Rate: +6%
Recommended Lane
Top Lane		Jungle		Bot Lane

This is a similar build to the previous one but leans more towards supporting rather than tanking. It's centered on the constant use of Surf and Telekinesis to set up kills for your team.

Energy Amplifier and Shell Bell reduces your moves' cooldown and your Unite Move's recharge rate, allowing you to use them more frequently in fights. Exp. Share the core supportive item that also gives a movement speed boost.

Eject Button is mainly for disengaging from losing fights.

Offense Build

Offense Build
Moveset			Held Items
Scald Amnesia			Wise Glasses Choice Specs Shell Bell
Battle Item
Potion
Item Effects (at Level 30)
Sp. Atk: +102 Cooldown: -4.50%
Recommended Lane
Top Lane		Jungle		Bot Lane

This build does not make use of Slowbro's disabling moves. Instead, it sacrifices utility for an offense-focused playstyle by taking advantage of Scald's fast and long rage damage to continuously pressure the opponent's HP. Amnesia will be Slowbro's burst of defense when it is being targeted by opponents. Overall, your playstyle is mainly soaking up damage for the team while taking advantage of Scald's short cooldown to consistently blast enemies.

Equipping both Wise Glasses and Choice Specs significantly increases Slowbro's Sp. Attack stat, which contributes to amplifying Scald's overall damage output. Not only will Shell Bell give more Sp. Attack, it also gives HP recovery when you hit enemies with Scald and reduces your move cooldowns slightly.

Potion will make sure that Slowbro is topped off in HP as he Scalds his way through opponents. Combine that with extra healing from Amnesia and you can brush off most burst combos from the enemy!

Slowbro Best Items & Moveset

Best Held Items

Item	Explanation
Exp. Share	Exp. Share is a core supportive item that also gives a movement speed boost. Its a crucial item to help with catching up on Exp. in lane!
Buddy Barrier	Buddy Barrier gives Slowbro a shield when performing its Unite Move, also granting shields to nearby teammates responding to Slowbro.
Energy Amplifier	Energy Amplifier improves the damage dealt with Slowbeam. Having this item can help secure eliminations of weaker enemy pokemon.
Focus Band	Focus Band is crucial for tankier Pokemon and Slowbro is no exception. Having that sudden health regen is good for surviving teamfights longer.
Wise Glasses	Wise Glasses are for more of an offensive type of Slowbro build, giving its offensive moves more punch.
Shell Bell	Since most of Slowbro's moves are easy to hit, Shell Bell is a decent item to have for HP regen when in a tight spot.
Choice Specs	Similar to Wise Glasses, Choice Specs are great for a more offensive playstyle. Benefiting from dealing more damage against enemies instead of supporting allies.

List of Held Items

Best Battle Items

Item	Explanation
Slow Smoke	Slow Smoke slows down the momentum of any damage dealing enemy pokemon. Giving slowbro wiggle room to isolate and pick targets to bully.
Eject Button	Eject Button allows for surprise combos like catching lone enemy pokemon by surprise. It also adds more mobility to Slowbro's kit.
Potion	Potion gives that clutch healing which can make or break a game when trying to support allies in a teamfight.

List of Battle Items

Best Moveset

Move	Explanation
Telekinesis	Telekinesis is a good disabling move unique to Slowbro! Telekinesis singles out an enemy pokemon and also leaves them vulnerable to attacks.
Surf	Surf is a good tool for pushing enemy pokemon away. Especially if they are chasing squishier damage dealing ally Pokemon.

Scald is a good move to have if you are going for more damage instead of disables! Pick Amnesia if your team does not have a tank! The extra beefiness helps make Slowbro look thicker in HP.

Which Moveset Do You Think is Best for Slowbro?

Let us know why in the comments!

Previous Poll Result

How to Play Slowbro

Change Playstyle When Needed

Slowbro is a Defender by role but can act as an Attacker or Supporter. Harass enemies with Surf, only take Wild Pokemon assists, and focus on zoning enemies and preventing them from killing your ally. If you can manage to steal enemy camps with a well-placed Scald, even better!

On the other hand, Slowbro is a great as a single-target disabler with Telekinesis and Slowbeam. It is best to around others as you can't deal the damage needed to defeat opponents on your own. Using Slowbro's skills, you can target their damage dealers and leave them open for your allies to finish off. With your disabling skills, you should be targeting the high profile damage dealers of the enemy team, both stopping them from dealing damage and allowing them to be picked off by your teammates.

Poke Enemies During Early Game

Slowbro's Water Gun has a long range that can be used to steal camps from enemy laners as well as poke them. Harass the enemy laners while your attacker farms safely from a distance. Slowbro also gains access to Surf or Scald at a very early Level 4, so you can use this early advantage to dive your opponents while their attacks and moves are still weak.

Stay in the Fight Longer with Slack Off

When fighting for the lane in the early game, you can save trip back to base by recovering HP with Slack Off. Make sure to use it at a safe place like inside a patch of Tall Grass or, better yet, inside an allied goal zone to get a speedy recovery!

Use Amnesia to Increase Survivability

Amnesia is a great tool for brushing off enemy attack while also amplifying your move damage. It may not give Slowbro full invulnerability against incoming damage, but that extra window of protection and HP recovery is enough to keep opponents engaged for your allies to intercept. It is best to save Amnesia in the middle of fights for an extra boost in defense!

Focus on Locking Down Key Threats

As a Defender, your job is to soak damage for your team and to prevent your allies from getting wiped out. Your disabling skills are perfect for stopping high damage dealers such as Attackers and Speedster dead in their tracks, making them sitting ducks for your team to wipe out.

Slowbeam Penetrates Immunities

Slowbeam ignores immunities like Unstoppable, allowing you to completely lock down targets without a way for them to stop it. Use it on targets like Machamp or Blastoise.

Progression and Leveling Guide

Top or Bottom Lane Guide

Level	Objectives
1 - 4	• Secure as many wild Pokemon as you can to level up quickly • If you're at the bottom lane, prioritize taking Audinos for more exp. • You can try to get early kills, but don't overextend • Choose Water Gun immediately, as this move is great for finishing off Aipom as quickly as possible.
5 - 9	• Use Scald and its quick cooldown against Wild Pokemon and Pokemon from the opposing team • Help your allies secure Rotom and/or Drednaw
10+	• Stick with your team to hunt targets, secure objectives, and push lanes • Reach level 13 before or when Zapdos spawns for a fully-upgraded moveset • Make sure you have Slowbeam available when Zapdos spawns • Help your allies win a teamfight and secure Zapdos

Slowbro Combos

Initiating Combo

Initiating Combo
►
Surf ► Telekinesis
This is Slowbro's bread and butter combo, especially if you're starting a fight. Use Surf to close the distance and knock up opponents, and follow up with Telekinesis to immobilize an opponent and prevent them from recovering. You can also choose to use Eject Button at the start to surprise your opponents.

Mid-Late Game: Lockdown Combo

Lockdown Combo
► ►
Surf ► Telekinesis ► Slowbeam
This is similar to the Initiator Combo, but with the addition of Slowbeam to ensure that the unlucky Pokemon caught in this combo will stay glued to one spot. Prioritize landing this combo on high damage dealing opponents like Speedsters and Attackers. If this combo connects during a teamfight, your team can practically wipe out the target with little effort.

Matchups & Counters for Slowbro

Slowbro Matchups

Matchup Notes
Hard Counter	Even Matchup	Easy Matchup
1. The chart is based on our own experience playing Slowbro. 2. Pokemon within each tier are unordered 3. Any Pokemon not shown here are still under investigation.

Hard Counter with Long Range, Immunity, or High Durability

Although a durable Pokemon, Slowbro has poor mobility, making Slowbro vulnerable to long ranged attacks. Pokemon with immunity have prevents Slowbro from disabling them. Lastly, Slowbro's damage is not on par with other Pokemon, making Slowbro weak against high durability Pokemon.

Best Counters

Pokemon	Explanation
Cinderace	Rating: ★★★★★ • Its speed, offense, and range are too much for Slowbro to handle. • Can reposition with Blaze Kick making it a hard target to pin down.
Pikachu	Rating: ★★★★ • Can easily evade Slowbro's disables.
Dragonite	Rating: ★★★★ • Can pressure Slowbro's HP with Hyper Beam in a brawl.
Crustle	Rating: ★★★ • Unless it learns Scald,Crustle's high durability is too strong for Slowbro's damage • Can do more damage and is more effective compared to Slowbro.

Even Matchups for Slowbro

Even matchups are always a matter of skill, luck and timing. Here are some tips to help push Slowbro ahead against other Pokemon on equal footing.

Burst Type Pokemon
How to Beat
• Outlast these Pokemon with Slowbro's massive HP. • Use Eject Button offensively by using it to close distance.

Support Type Pokemon
How to Beat
• Take these Pokemon on together with teammates because Slowbro may lack the damage output necessary to take them down.

Easy Matchups for Slowbro

Susceptible to Disables

Susceptible to Disables
How to Beat
• Use Slowbro's disabling moves and punish reckless plays.

Not Fast Enough to Pressure HP

Pokemon with High Damage Output
How to Beat
• Utilize Slowbro's Amnesia to more effectively tank hits and escape or fight back.

Best Teammates for Slowbro

Pokemon	Explanation
Alolan Ninetales Cinderace	Can deal the damage Slowbro lacks
	Slowbro's low damage output means that he'll enjoy having any companion that can deal high amounts of damage. Attacker Pokemon in particular love it when Slowbro turns opponents into piñatas for them to whack.
Wigglytuff	Can chain disables together
	Slowbro has powerful disables that can keep enemy Pokemon unable to act, and so does Wigglytuff. You can use each other's disables to setup your own disable, and keep the opponenet disabled for much longer.

Looking for teammates to synergize with you? Head over to our Friend Request Board to find other trainers to join you in your grind or just to hang out with!

Friend Request Board

Slowbro Moves

Move Slot 1 (R)

Water Gun (Lv. 1 or 3)	Move Type: Melee Damage Type: Special Cooldown: 5s Total Damage: 642
Shoots water forcefully, dealing damage to opposing Pokemon and decreasing their movement speed for a short time when it his. Holding down the button for this move increases its area of effect and damage.
Surf (Lv. 4) Upgrade Lv. 11	Move Type: Dash Damage Type: Special Cooldown: 9s Total Damage: 1035 / 2151
Has the user charge forward on a wave, dealing damage to opposing Pokemon in the area of effect and throwing them. This is followed by two more waves that deal damage to opposing Pokemon in the area of effect and decrease their movement speed for a short time. Upgrade: The second and third waves become larget and also throw opposing Pokemon like the first wave does.
Scald (Lv. 4) Upgrade Lv. 11	Move Type: Melee Damage Type: Special Cooldown: 5s Total Damage: 999 / 2263
Shoots boiling hot water, dealing damage to opposing Pokemon and creating steam when it hits. Opposing Pokemon inside the stream's area of effect are left burned and have their movement speed decreased for a short time. Upgrade: Increases the vapor's area of effect.

Move Slot 2 (ZR)

Slack Off (Lv. 1 or 3)	Move Type: Recovery Damage Type: Status Cooldown: 11s
Has the user slack off, continually restoring its HP for a short time. While the user is slacking off, if the user moves, performs a basic attack, uses a move, has a hindrance inflicted on it, or is otherwise interrupted, the HP restoration effect continues at decreased power.
Telekinesis (Lv. 6) Upgrade Lv. 13	Move Type: Hindrance Damage Type: Status Cooldown: 11s
Makes opposing Pokemon float with psychic power. If used again, pulls the opposing Pokemon toward the user. Upgrade: Increases this move's speed and range.
Amnesia (Lv. 6) Upgrade Lv. 8	Move Type: Recovery Damage Type: Status Cooldown: 8s
Has the user recover some of its HP using its stored-up lost HP. For a short time after this move, the user becomes immune to hindrances and gains increased Defense. Upgrade: Increases Sp. Def.

Unite Moves (ZL)

Slowbeam (Lv. 9)	Move Type: Hindrance Damage Type: Special Cooldown: 122s Total Damage: 1418 / 2487
Has the user stare at one of the opposing team's Pokemon and attack continually, dealing damage and binding it. Grants the user a shield and makes the user immune to hindrances while it's using this move.

Standard Attack

Standard Attack	Becomes a boosted attack with every third attack.When this boosted attack hits, it deals damage to nearby opposing Pokemon and decreases their movement speed for a short time.

Ability (Passive)

Oblivious	All Evolution Stages Has the Pokemon store up lost HP for a short time. When hitting an opposing Pokemon with a move, the Pokemon recovers some of its HP using the stored-up HP, and it also decreases the opposing Pokemon's Sp. Def for a short time.

Slowbro Stats & Evolutions

Slowbro Evolutions

1st Evolution	Final Evolution
Slowpoke (Lv. 1)	Slowbro (Lv. 4)

Slowbro Stats

Level	HP	Defense	Special Defense	Attack Damage
1	3241	70	60	150
2	3378	78	67	153
3	3535	87	75	157
4	4334	132	114	175
5	4543	144	124	180
6	4783	158	136	186
7	5058	174	149	192
8	5375	192	164	199
9	5740	213	182	207
10	6160	237	202	217
11	6643	264	225	228
12	7199	295	252	241
13	7838	331	283	256
14	8572	373	319	273
15	9416	421	360	292

Attack Damage is the damage of the Basic Attack as tested against the Training Dummy.

Slowbro In-Game Stat Listings

Offense	Endurance	Mobility	Scoring	Support

Slowbro Skins (Holowear)

Holowear
Training Style Zirco Trading: 400	Bonfire Style Zirco Trading: 350 / 18
Tuxedo Style Zirco Trading: 400	Gardening Style Event: Cramorants Daily Walk
Professor Style Zirco Trading: 1200

All Pokemon Skins (Holowear)

Pokemon UNITE Related Guides

List of All Pokemon

All Pokemon Guides and Builds

Best Build for Each Pokemon

Pokemon Roster
Absol	Aegislash	Alolan Ninetales	Azumarill
Blastoise	Blissey	Charizard	Cinderace
Cramorant	Crustle	Decidueye	Delphox
Dragonite	Duraludon	Eldegoss	Espeon
Garchomp	Gardevoir	Gengar	Greedent
Greninja	Hoopa	Lucario	Machamp
Mamoswine	Mr. Mime	Pikachu	Slowbro
Snorlax	Sylveon	Talonflame	Trevenant
Tsareena	Venusaur	Wigglytuff	Zeraora
Upcoming Pokemon
No new CONFIRMED Pokemon

Top 5 Master Rank Picks & Win Rate

All data is based on Season 04 Master Rank Top 100. Last Updated: June 28, 2022

Pokemon	Tier	Most Played %	Average Win %
Hoopa		19%	74.4%
Greninja		13%	76.3%
Blissey		11%	79%
Lucario		10%	71.4%
Greedent		7%	75.6%

Top Picked Pokemon Per Role

Attacker	Supporter	All- Rounder	Defender	Speedster
Greninja	Hoopa	Lucario	Greedent	Zeraora

Master Rank: Top Ranked Win Rates

Pokemon by Role

All Pokemon Roles
Attackers		All-Rounders		Defenders
Speedsters			Supporters

Pokemon by Characteristics

Attack Type
Melee Pokemon	Ranged Pokemon
Physical Pokemon	Special Pokemon
Stat Rankings
HP Ranking	Defense Ranking
Sp. Def. Ranking	Basic Attack Ranking