Cinderace Guide: Builds and Best Items | Pokemon UNITE

The best guide on how to play Cinderace 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!

Cinderace Latest Nerfs & Buffs (05/30)

May 30 Update

Cinderace Move Changes (05/30)
Blaze Kick	• Damage dealt to the opposing Pokemon decreased from 1002 to 875 (-13%).
Pyro Ball +	• Effects on the user strengthened.
Feint	• The move's movement speed increased has been strengthened.

Cinderace Basic Info

Cinderace
	Tier Rating: Role: Attacker Attack Type: Ranged Damage Type: Physical Difficulty: Novice Cost: 8000 / 460
"Cinderace doesn’t just have high attack power—it’s also got the speed to drive opponents crazy."

Pokemon Unite Tier List

Cinderace Best Lanes

Top	Jungle	Bottom

Tips & Strategies for Every Lane

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths	Weaknesses
✔︎ High Attack speed and Damage ✔︎ long auto attack range ✔︎ Effective Dash moves.	✖︎ Very weak early game ✖︎ Low Defense.

Best Builds for Cinderace

Cinderace Builds
Carry Build
Pyro Ball Build	Damage Stack Build

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

Carry Build

Carry Build
Moveset			Held Items
Blaze Kick Flame Charge			Muscle Band Scope Lens Razor Claw
Battle Item
Eject Button
Item Effects (at Level 30)
Attack: +30 Critical-Hit Rate: +8.1% Critical-Hit Damage: +12% Attack Speed: +7.50%
Recommended Lane
Top Lane		Jungle		Bot Lane

This build focuses on making Cinderace into a late-game damage powerhouse, mixing damage and mobility via Blaze Kick and Flame Charge.

Muscle Band, Scope Lens, and Razor Claw give you all the firepower you need to carry the game through damage, attack speed, and critical-hits. However, if you need more durability, replace Razor Claw with Buddy Barrier.

Eject Button gives you more mobility on top of your moveset, allowing you to make defensive and offensive plays.

Pyro Ball Build

Pyro Ball Build
Moveset			Held Items
Pyro Ball Feint			Muscle Band Scope Lens Buddy Barrier
Battle Item
Eject Button
Item Effects (at Level 30)
Attack: +15 Critical-Hit Rate: +6% Critical-Hit Damage: +12% Attack Speed: +7.50% HP: +450
Recommended Lane
Top Lane		Jungle		Bot Lane

This is the first widely-used build for Cinderace back during the first weeks of Pokemon UNITE, before major changes was done. It's centered on Pyro Ball and Feint.

Muscle Band and Scope Lens give you enough damage for your standard attacks via attack speed and critical-hits. Buddy Barrier gives you some durability through increased HP and survivability via shields. However, you can replace Buddy Barrier with Focus Band, exchanging HP for static defenses. It also helps you survive in lanes during the early game.

Eject Button is the default battle item for the build, giving you some mobility to work with.

Damage Stack Build

Damage Stack Build
Moveset			Held Items
Blaze Kick Flame Charge			Muscle Band Attack Weight Buddy Barrier
Battle Item
Eject Button
Item Effects (at Level 30)
Attack: +33 Attack Speed: +7.50% HP: +450
Recommended Lane
Top Lane		Jungle		Bot Lane

This build focuses on increasing damage through scoring goals for a better late-game damage output, using Blaze Kick and Flame Charge as your moveset.

Muscle Band and Attack Weight give you ample damage for your standard attacks and moves. Buddy Barrier gives durability and survivability, especially during teamfights. However, you can replace Buddy Barrier with either Score Shield for safer scoring or Focus Band for better durability and survivability.

Eject Button is again the default battle item for the build, giving you some mobility to work with. However, you can also use X Speed instead for a similar effect but with a lower cooldown.

Attack Weight Stacking Strategy

Try to fully stack Attack Weight as soon as possible. Consider just scoring minimum points in the early-game to ensure a faster progression.

Scoring Guide: How and When to Score Goals

Cinderace Best Items & Moveset

Best Held Items

Item	Explanation
Attack Weight	Attack Weight is beneficial for Cinderace since it adds more attack, allowing it to snowball early on.
Buddy Barrier	Buddy Barrier helps with Cinderace's survivability since he is prone to being bursted down quickly.
Scope Lens	Scope Lens helps Cinderace land more critcal hits with its normal attacks and moves.
Muscle Band	Muscle Band increases Cinderace's attack speed, which allows its Blaze passive to proc more frequently.

Held Item Tier List: Best Items to Equip

Best Battle Items

Item	Explanation
Full Heal	Full Heal helps Cinderace escape from disables, which stops it from getting bursted down.
Eject Button	A staple Battle Item for evading unwanted close-ranged fights. Eject button helps Cinderace keep its distance from enemies.
X Speed	X Speed gives Cinderace immunity from slows for a short duration. Allowing it to kite enemies more efficiently.

List of Battle Items

Best Moveset

Move	Explanation
Flame Charge	Flame Charge is best to outmaneuver opponents while bombarding them down with your fast attacks.
Blaze Kick	Blaze Kick is a sure-hit move that deals high single-target damage. It also allows Cinderace to reposition quickly should enemies get close or are fleeing.

Cinderace is all about lining up shots and melting opponents with its fast auto attacks. Replacing Flame Charge with Feint is ideal for a more defensive, anti-burst moveset. Meanwhile, going for a more mobile moveset will have you choose Flame Charge and Blaze Kick.

Which Moveset Do You Think is Best For Cinderace?

Why is it the best? Let us know in the comments!

Previous Poll Results

How to Play Cinderace

Play Safe Until Level 7

Cinderace is a rather late-blooming Pokemon similar to Gardevior. Cinderace evolves at Lv. 5 but does not get its first move upgrade until Lv. 7. Prioritize farming and keep your distance in team and objective fights before the first power spike at Lv. 7.

Team Up Cinderace with Defenders or All-Rounders

Teaming up with sturdy Defenders like Snorlax or Crustle will help to ensure a successful early game as you farm EXP. Otherwise, partnering up with a high crowd control Pokemon like Lucario or Slowbro will allow for safer engagement with enemy Pokemon and safer KOs.

Turn On Lock-On Icon and Advanced Controls

In team fights, using the Lock-On Skill as well as Advanced Controls is crucial for an auto-attack-heavy character like Cinderace. This allows you to focus on only one target or avoid attacking the nearest enemy approaching you while leaving critical HP enemies behind. It also allows you to choose the enemy you wish to snipe with Blazing Bicycle Kick by scrolling the target wheel first to your desired target.
List of Settings and Best Settings to Use

Spam Standard Attack After Using Moves

Cinderace's passive ability boosts the next standard attack after using a move and increases damage, speed, and crit rate when Cinderace is at 50% HP and under. This allows Cinderace to chase down and KO enemies with ease. Particularly, using Feint before basic attacking lets Cinderace rapid-fire increasingly potent standard attacks and even heal after it upgrades.

Boosted Attack - Move - Boosted Attack

Use moves after accumulating and using boosted attacks against enemies. This way, Cinderace would execute two boosted attacks in a row for maximum damage!

Boosted Attacks Guide: How to Use

Fight Through a Brawl at Low Health

When Cinderace's HP reaches 50% or lower, its attack speed and critical chance increases thanks to its passive ability, Blaze. There may be some cases where you are in low health while facing an opponent. It is best to just push through and take advantage of the increased damage output to knock down the opponent instead of retreating.

However, although Cinderace does gain a DPS buff at low health, it is important to play strategically and not over-extend looking for KOs. So, it is best not to deliberately let your HP down dangerously low to get the bonus damage all the time.

Utilize Dash Moves to Reposition or Escape

Since Cinderace will most likely become the focus of attacks due to its high damage output, The temporary invincibility from Feint can be used to escape, reposition and even chase down opposing Pokemon. It is important that you always maintain a respectable distance between you and your opponent - not to close to get hit, but not to far to get out of range.

Secure Objectives with Unite Move

Cinderace is very valuable for capturing Zapdos in the last 2 minutes of the game. After empowering standard attacks after using a move, Cinderace will begin to shred Zapdos' HP rather fast. You can safely attack Zapdos from the other side of the wall and avoid most of its attacks. Keep an eye out for the enemy team and communicate with your team to ensure a swift Zapdos KO.

Progression and Leveling Guide

Top or Bottom Lane Guide

Level	Objectives
1 - 6	• Secure as much exp. as you can during this stage • If you're at the bottom lane, prioritize defeating Audinos for a higher exp. • Avoid full-on fights, just kite or poke enemies instead • Play safe as possible until you reach level 7 • Don't risk getting defeated when defending goals, it's better if you just let them score, especially when you're outnumbered
7 - 9	• Continue to farm wild Pokemon for exp. • Start to get aggressive once you learn Pyro Ball or Blaze Kick • Join your team in securing Rotom or Drednaw, using Blazing Bicycle Kick to get the last hit • You can also try to defeat boss Pokemon by yourself while your allies zone out or distract the enemy team
10+	• Continue to farm and level up to at least level 13 until Zapdos spawns • Save Blazing Bicycle Kick for stealing Zapdos or winning the teamfight to secure it • You can also try to defeat Zapdos by yourself while your allies deal with the enemy team

Jungle Guide

Level	Objectives
1 - 5	• Clear the first wave of jungle camps as fast as possible to reach level 5 • Help top lane first by securing Vespiquen and Combees when they spawn • Score points for extra exp. if possible
6 - 9	• Go back to the jungle and clear the second wave of jungle camps, using Pyro Ball or Blaze Kick to quickly clear them • Help out bottom this time, securing Vespiquen and Combees when they spawn, ambushing enemies, and scoring points if possible • Try to reach level 9 to get Blazing Bicycle Kick when or before Drednaw arrives • Secure Drednaw when it spawns, use your Unite Move to secure it or fend off enemies
10+	• Continue to farm and level up to at least level 13 until Zapdos spawns • Save Blazing Bicycle Kick for stealing Zapdos or winning the teamfight to secure it • You can also try to defeat Zapdos by yourself while your allies deal with the enemy team

Cinderace Combos

Early Game Combo

Early Game Combo
►
Low Sweep ► Ember
During the early stages of the match, Cinderace should be focusing on farm but if they can find low enemies, they can dive in via Low Sweep then Ember to secure the kill.

Reposition Combo

Reposition Combo
►
Feint ► Pyro Ball
This is more of a mobility combo than a direct attack one. Feint grants Attack Speed Up, Movement Speed Up, and Invincibility for a certain duration. You can easily position yourself to hit multiple enemies with a single Pyro Ball while Feint is active. Make sure to also weave an auto attack per cast to maximize your passive!

Boosted Attack Stacking Combo

Boosted Attack Stacking Combo
x3► ► ► ► ...
Standard Attack x3► Pyro Ball ► Standard Attack ► Flame Charge ► Standard Attack ...
This move utilizes Cinderace's passive that gives it boosted attack after every move. First you stack up and use a boosted attack against an enemy, then follow it up with a move - preferrably Pyro Ball. After the move, you should have a boosted attack that you should use. Follow it up with a Flame Charge to reposition and provide you with another boosted attack! This combo should provide you with four boosted attack opportunities when done right!

Matchups & Counters for Cinderace

Cinderace Matchups

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

Hard Counter With Burst Damage

Although Cinderace is a hard-hitter, it is nonetheless fragile to high burst damage. It relies heavily on attacking at long range, which makes Pokemon that have means to get close to Cinderace a great counter.

Best Counters

Pokemon	Explanation
Zeraora	Rating: ★★★★★ • Can quickly get close to Cinderace with Spark or Volt Switch • Can easily burst down Cinderace with Discharge and Plasma Gale • Can completely avoid Cinderace's attacks using Wild Charge
Gengar	Rating: ★★★★ • Can quickly get close to Cinderace with Hex and Phantom Ambush • Can burst down Cinderace with its combos
Lucario	Rating: ★★★ • Has better mobility via Extreme Speed, Power-Up Punch, and Bone Rush • Can deal damage faster

Even Matchups for Cinderace

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

Bait Out their Burst Moves

Pokemon with Burst Moves
How to Beat
• Evade their mobility moves using Feint or Flame Charge • Reposition using Blaze Kick • Utilize your range advantage and kite them from afar with standard attacks

Outgun the Attackers

Pokemon that Keep Up with Cinderace
How to Beat
• Evade their moves using Feint or Flame Charge • Strike first using Blaze Kick, Pyro Ball, or Blazing Bicycle Kick • Utilize your attack speed advantage and outgun them with standard attacks

Best Offense is Good Defense

Pokemon that can Take a Beating
How to Beat
• Reposition using Flame Charge and/or Blaze Kick when it engages • Kite from afar if it doesn't have Shell Smash • Group up with allies if needed • Gain a significant level avantage

Easy Matchups for Cinderace

Utilize Faster Attack Speed

Pokemon with Ranged Attacks
How to Beat
• Utilize faster attack speed and higher standard attack damage • Deplete their HP with burst damage using Pyro Ball or Blaze Kick, or Blazing Bicycle Kick

Poses No Threat

Easy Targets
How to Beat
• Burst down quickly when they're isolated from their team

Use Suppression Fire Before they Get Close

Pokemon with Melee Attacks
How to Beat
• Utilize range and attack speed advantage • Pressure their HP with standard attacks or Pyro Ball before they get close • Reposition using Blaze Kick when they get close

Quickly Melt Down Sturdy Pokemon

Pokemon with High HP
How to Beat
• Utilize range and attack speed advantage • Pressure their HP with standard attacks or Pyro Ball • Utilize Blaze to stand your ground when they engage

Best Teammates for Cinderace

Pokemon	Explanation
Pikachu Gardevoir	Can help finish off enemies
	Dashing moves can sometimes be hard to aim with its narrow effect range. But with Pikachu and Gardevoir's stunning abilities as well as high damage, Cinderace's dash moves can be the perfect finisher.
Eldegoss	Can keep Cinderace's HP and defenses up
	While Cinderace is an amazing offensive attacker, it's defenses is a bit lacking and can be quickly killed by an equally powerful attacker. With Eldegoss, Cinderace can stay on the aggressive.

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

Cinderace Moves

Move Slot 1 (R)

Ember (Lv. 1 or 3)	Move Type: Sure Hit Damage Type: Physical Cooldown: 6s Total Damage: 285
Shoots out a small flame, dealing damage to opposing Pokemon and leaving them burned for a short time.
Blaze Kick (Lv. 7) Upgrade Lv. 11	Move Type: Sure Hit Damage Type: Physical Cooldown: 8s Total Damage: 566 / 875
Has the user perform a fiery flying kick. The user then jumps in the designated direction. When this move hits, it is always a critical hit, and it shoves opposing Pokemon and leaves them burned for a short time. In addition, the user becomes immune to hindrance while using this move. Upgrade: Increases basic attack speed for a short time when this move hits.
Pyro Ball (Lv. 7) Upgrade Lv. 11	Move Type: Range Damage Type: Physical Cooldown: 5s Total Damage: 1313 / 2003
Has the user kick a ball of flame in the designated direction, dealing damage to opposing Pokemon and leaving them burned for a short time when this move hits. Upgrade: Reduces the cooldown of Flame Charge or Feint when this move hits.

Move Slot 2 (ZR)

Low Sweep (Lv. 1 or 3)	Move Type: Dash Damage Type: Physical Cooldown: 7.5s Total Damage: 163
Has the user make a swift low sweep in the designated direction, dealing damage to any opposing Pokemon it hits.
Feint (Lv. 8) Upgrade Lv. 13	Move Type: Buff Damage Type: Status Cooldown: 11s
Increases the user's movement speed for a short time and makes the user invincible. Upgrade: After this move is used, basic attacks that hit opposing Pokemon restore the user's HP (Up to three times)
Flame Charge (Lv. 8) Upgrade Lv. 13	Move Type: Dash Damage Type: Physical Cooldown: 5s Total Damage: 274 / 397
Has the user charge forward cloaked in flame, dealing damage to any opposing Pokemon it hits. The user's next boosted attack after this move ends also decreases the movement speed of opposing Pokemon for a short time when it hits.

Unite Moves (ZL)

Blazing Bicycle Kick (Lv. 9)	Move Type: Sure Hit Damage Type: Physical Cooldown: 134s Total Damage: 3642 / 5658
Has the user create a giant ball of flame and kick it toward the designated location. The ball releases a fierce shock wave that deals damage to opposing Pokemon in the area of effect. This Unite Move also increases the user's movement speed for a short time when it hits.

Standard Attack

Standard Attack	Becomes a boosted attack with every third attack, dealing increased damage when it hits.

Ability (Passive)

Blaze

All Evolution Stages When the Pokemon uses a move, its next basic attack becomes a boosted attack. When the Pokemon hits an opposing Pokemon with a basic attack or move, a cinder is placed on that opposing Pokemon. Attacking a cindered opposing Pokemon a certain number of times will cause to cinder to flare, dealing damage to opposing Pokemon. When the Pokemon with this Ability is at half HP or less, its critical-hit rate and basic attack speed are increased for a short time.

Cinderace Stats & Evolutions

Cinderace Evolutions

1st Evolution	2nd Evolution	Final Evolution
Scorbunny (Lv. 1)	Raboot (Lv. 5)	Cinderace (Lv. 7)

Cinderace Stats

Level	HP	Defense	Special Defense	Attack Damage
1	3000	50	30	135
2	3034	53	32	140
3	3075	56	34	145
4	3125	60	36	151
5	3305	75	45	174
6	3376	81	49	183
7	3702	108	65	221
8	3805	117	70	233
9	3928	127	76	247
10	4076	139	83	264
11	4254	154	92	284
12	4467	172	103	309
13	4723	193	116	339
14	5030	219	131	375
15	5399	250	149	418

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

Cinderace In-Game Stats Listing

Offense	Endurance	Mobility	Scoring	Support

Cinderace Skins (Holowear)

Holowear
Captain Style Event: Season 1 Battle Pass	Space Style Zirco Trading: 400
Pastel 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 14, 2022

Pokemon	Tier	Most Played %	Average Win %
Hoopa		24%	73.4%
Lucario		16%	72.8%
Blissey		12%	80.8%
Greninja		12%	74.8%
Tsareena		4%	71%

Top Picked Pokemon Per Role

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

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