Held Item Tier List: Best Held Items to Upgrade (November Update) | Pokemon UNITE

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Last updated on: 12/29/2022 7:21 AM

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This is Game8's tier list for the best held items in Pokemon UNITE. Check here for our current rankings on the best Held Items as of December 29, 2022, which Items are the best to buy and upgrade, and the best Held Items for each pokemon and role!

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List of Contents

Held Item Tier List (December 29, 2022)
Held Item Tier List Explanations
Best Held Items for Each Pokemon
All-Rounder
Attacker
Defender
Speedster
Supporter
Best Held Items for Each Role
Tier List Criteria
Pokemon UNITE Related Guides

Held Item Tier List (December 29, 2022)

Tier List Updates (December 29, 2022)

Update Date	Pokemon	Summary
12/29	Drain Crown	B Tier ・After using Drain Crown on multiple games, we have decided to drop it down to B Tier. ・The healing Drain Crown provides is just too little at 10%, which is not game-changing even for auto-attack Pokemon like Cinderace and Garchomp. It's much better to slot in a Focus Band.

Held Item Tier List Explanations

S Tier Held Items

Item	Summary
Focus Band	Focus Band is a great item to bolster overall survivability. This item grants you Defense and Special Defense, and a burst of health regeneration whenever your HP falls too low. It is extremely effective on All-Rounders and Defenders who cannot get bursted down easily to maximize its critical HP regen effect.
Muscle Band	Muscle Band gives the Pokemon extra Attack and Attack Speed. It also grants the wearer further damage boosts based on the target's current HP, making it extremely useful against tanky targets like Defenders. This item is recommended for Attack stat Pokemon that have fast Standard Attacks.
Scope Lens	Currently, Scope Lens is the only item that gives a boost to Critical Rate and Critical Damage. This is an amazing item for most physical stat Attackers or Speedsters that rely on burst damage to compensate for their lack of defenses.
Weakness Policy	Weakness Policy is the go-to item for All-Rounders or Physical and Melee Pokemon in general. Not only does the item give extra HP for extra survivability, but it also allows the wearer to get some extra attack stat each time it takes a hit!
Wise Glasses	Wise Glasses is a straightforward but effective item for boosting Special Damage and is a must-have for Special Attack type Pokemon. Having a high Sp. Attack stat means more move damage and stronger heal effects for certain Pokemon.

A Tier Held Items

Item	Summary
Assault Vest	Assault Vest is a solid defensive Held Item that helps you withstand attacks from Special Attack type Pokemon that have burst moves. Aside from granting wearers Sp. Def and HP, this item also grants a shield that nullifies a certain amount of Special Damage as well.
Attack Weight	Attack Weight is a held item that increases your Attack Damage whenever you score a goal, making it incredibly useful for physical damage dealers that can convert the extra stats into damage. However, this item's effectiveness is held back by how often the wearer can score goals.
Buddy Barrier	Buddy Barrier is a defensive Held Item that grants large amounts of shields for its wearer and a low-HP ally whenever the wearer activates its Unite Move. Its effect is so impactful that it feels like having a second battle item. This is a particularly powerful pickup for Pokemon who utilize their Unite Moves to get into the frontlines of a fight so they can stay alive longer while also providing some support to their other allies.
Choice Specs	Choice Specs is a solid SP. Atk item that gives additional damage to every move you deal to an enemy. It allows normal Sp. Attack Pokemon to contribute more damage with every move hit. Running it with Pokemon with a high Sp. Attack stat will ensure high damage output.
Energy Amplifier	Energy Amplifier is a great item for bolstering damage through correct Unite Move usage. Having that extra firepower will be beneficial, especially when the Pokemon's Unite Move deals AoE damage. The cooldown reduction from the item is also a nice bonus, allowing you to activate your moves more frequently.
Rapid-Fire Scarf	Rapid-Fire Scarf provides a much needed boost to all Pokemon that relies heavily on auto-attacks to deal significant damage. It stacks with X Attack for even more attack speed, and synergizes well with Drain Crown for a high-sustain build for these turret Pokemon!
Razor Claw	Razor Claw provides solid Attack and Critical Hit Rate. It also grants the wearer a damage bonus to its next standard attack if a move is used beforehand, so it's a particularly useful item for Pokemon who can chain low cooldown skills and standard attacks together.

B Tier Held Items

Item	Summary
Drain Crown	Drain Crown is a solid item that not only increases Attack and HP, but also provides inherent lifesteal to a Pokemon! It allows Attack-type Pokemon that relies on auto-attacks to survive duels and long-term battles. Since health increases in proportion to damage dealt, slotting in critical-hit rate increasing items together with this item makes it work wonders!
Exp. Share	Exp Share is a solid item that grants comfortable stats such as HP and Movement Speed. Its unique effect also allows your lane buddy to gain levels and become stronger faster. However, the item is only decent for passive playstyle.
Float Stone	Float Stone is a nice pickup for Physical Damage dealers who prefer to roam and play around the vast central area map. Although the item doesn't offer any stats or effects that would be useful in a team fight, the consistent significant movement speed increase alone can be worth running, especially for playstyles that revolve around high mobility.
Score Shield	Score Shield is a niche item that can be extremely useful for certain playstyles, particularly in aggressive goal scoring. It is also an effective item for diving if your team is sieging the enemy goal post as you can score a goal in the middle of a fight to dodge attacks and recover HP. However, because of the nerf it received in the 1.5.1.2 Update, it has become easier for any Pokemon to shred through its shield and stop the user from scoring.
Shell Bell	Shell Bell is a good utility item for Special Damage Pokemon. Aside from boosts to Cooldown Reduction and Special Attack, this item also grants the Pokemon the ability to recover HP whenever it hit targets with Special Damage moves.
Sp. Atk. Specs	Sp. Atk. Specs is a great item for scaling Special Damage into the later stages of a match. It remains a key item for builds that have you max out an Sp. Attack Pokemon's moves - may it be for damage, healing, shield, etc.

C Tier Held Items

Item	Summary
Aeos Cookie	Aeos Cookie is a Held Item that rewards you with increased HP every time you score a goal. While having a large HP can be a very powerful asset, the item does not translate well with most Pokemon when score-related strategies focus on increasing damage instead of durability.
Rocky Helmet	Rocky Helmet is an amazing tank item that allows the wearer to counter damage. It falls lower on our tier list due to its effect needing an instant burst amount of damage instead of gradually making its return damage non-existent. However, its stat boosts are still great and can be useful for durable Pokemon that can make use of it.
Leftovers	Leftovers is a straightforward item that grants you passive HP regeneration when out of combat. While nice at the start, this Held Item starts to lose its appeal as you unlock better and more efficient alternatives later on.

Best Held Items for Each Pokemon

All-Rounder

Pokemon	Best Held Items
Aegislash	Attack Weight Aeos Cookie Score Shield Focus Band Scope Lens Muscle Band Razor Claw Weakness Policy
Azumarill	Attack Weight Score Shield Buddy Barrier Energy Amplifier Focus Band Scope Lens Muscle Band Weakness Policy
Buzzwole	Attack Weight Focus Band Muscle Band Razor Claw Weakness Policy
Charizard	Buddy Barrier Energy Amplifier Focus Band Scope Lens Muscle Band
Dragonite	Buddy Barrier Focus Band Scope Lens Muscle Band Razor Claw Weakness Policy
Garchomp	Buddy Barrier Focus Band Scope Lens Muscle Band Weakness Policy Rapid-Fire Scarf
Lucario	Attack Weight Score Shield Buddy Barrier Focus Band Muscle Band Razor Claw Weakness Policy
Machamp	Attack Weight Score Shield Focus Band Scope Lens Muscle Band Razor Claw
Scizor	Assault Vest Focus Band Muscle Band Razor Claw Weakness Policy
Tsareena	Buddy Barrier Focus Band Scope Lens Muscle Band Razor Claw Weakness Policy
Tyranitar	Attack Weight Aeos Cookie Buddy Barrier Energy Amplifier Focus Band Muscle Band Weakness Policy
Urshifu	Attack Weight Buddy Barrier Focus Band Scope Lens Muscle Band Razor Claw Weakness Policy Rapid-Fire Scarf Drain Crown

Attacker

Pokemon	Best Held Items
Alolan Ninetales	Exp. Share Buddy Barrier Focus Band Wise Glasses Muscle Band Choice Specs
Cinderace	Attack Weight Buddy Barrier Scope Lens Muscle Band
Cramorant	Buddy Barrier Energy Amplifier Wise Glasses Shell Bell Choice Specs
Decidueye	Attack Weight Score Shield Float Stone Focus Band Scope Lens Muscle Band
Delphox	Sp. Atk. Specs Buddy Barrier Energy Amplifier Focus Band Wise Glasses Shell Bell Muscle Band Choice Specs
Dragapult	Attack Weight Buddy Barrier Energy Amplifier Focus Band Scope Lens Muscle Band Rapid-Fire Scarf
Duraludon	Attack Weight Buddy Barrier Focus Band Scope Lens Muscle Band
Espeon	Buddy Barrier Energy Amplifier Focus Band Wise Glasses Choice Specs
Gardevoir	Sp. Atk. Specs Energy Amplifier Wise Glasses Shell Bell Choice Specs
Glaceon	Sp. Atk. Specs Buddy Barrier Energy Amplifier Wise Glasses Muscle Band Choice Specs
Greninja	Buddy Barrier Focus Band Scope Lens Muscle Band
Mew	Assault Vest Buddy Barrier Focus Band Wise Glasses Shell Bell Choice Specs
Pikachu	Buddy Barrier Energy Amplifier Wise Glasses Shell Bell Choice Specs
Sylveon	Buddy Barrier Focus Band Wise Glasses Choice Specs
Venusaur	Assault Vest Sp. Atk. Specs Buddy Barrier Energy Amplifier Focus Band Wise Glasses Shell Bell Choice Specs

Defender

Pokemon	Best Held Items
Blastoise	Score Shield Buddy Barrier Focus Band Wise Glasses Muscle Band Choice Specs
Crustle	Assault Vest Attack Weight Score Shield Buddy Barrier Focus Band Muscle Band Weakness Policy
Greedent	Assault Vest Attack Weight Score Shield Buddy Barrier Energy Amplifier Focus Band Muscle Band
Mamoswine	Score Shield Buddy Barrier Focus Band Muscle Band Weakness Policy
Slowbro	Assault Vest Exp. Share Buddy Barrier Focus Band Wise Glasses Shell Bell Choice Specs
Snorlax	Aeos Cookie Score Shield Buddy Barrier Energy Amplifier Focus Band Scope Lens Muscle Band
Trevenant	Rocky Helmet Score Shield Buddy Barrier Focus Band Muscle Band Weakness Policy

Speedster

Pokemon	Best Held Items
Absol	Attack Weight Score Shield Buddy Barrier Focus Band Scope Lens Muscle Band Razor Claw
Dodrio	Attack Weight Aeos Cookie Float Stone Focus Band Muscle Band Razor Claw
Gengar	Sp. Atk. Specs Buddy Barrier Wise Glasses Shell Bell Choice Specs
Talonflame	Attack Weight Buddy Barrier Focus Band Scope Lens Muscle Band Razor Claw
Zeraora	Attack Weight Score Shield Buddy Barrier Scope Lens Muscle Band Razor Claw
Zoroark	Attack Weight Float Stone Focus Band Scope Lens Muscle Band Razor Claw

Supporter

Pokemon	Best Held Items
Blissey	Exp. Share Buddy Barrier Focus Band Wise Glasses Muscle Band
Clefable	Exp. Share Sp. Atk. Specs Buddy Barrier Focus Band Wise Glasses
Eldegoss	Exp. Share Buddy Barrier Focus Band Wise Glasses Muscle Band Choice Specs
Hoopa	Score Shield Buddy Barrier Energy Amplifier Focus Band Wise Glasses Muscle Band Choice Specs
Mr. Mime	Exp. Share Sp. Atk. Specs Buddy Barrier Focus Band Wise Glasses Shell Bell Choice Specs
Sableye	Exp. Share Attack Weight Aeos Cookie Float Stone Focus Band Muscle Band Razor Claw
Wigglytuff	Exp. Share Buddy Barrier Focus Band Wise Glasses Choice Specs

Best Held Items for Each Role

Attackers	Speedsters	All-Rounders
Defenders	Supporters

Attackers

Item	Summary
Scope Lens	Scope Lens significantly increases the Pokemon's damage output through Critical Hits.
Muscle Band	Muscle Band is an effective item to further boost Standard Attack damage. This item is especially useful against tanky targets such as Defenders.
Attack Weight	Attack Weight is a solid pickup for Physical Damage Attackers such as Cinderace. This held item improves your attack everytime you score a goal, allowing you to scale well into the late game.
Energy Amplifier	Energy Amplifier increases overall damage whenever you activate your Unite Move. This is great for players who use their Unite Move with great timing and positioning.
Shell Bell	Shell Bell is a very versatile item which bolsters a Pokemon's Special Damage moves by increasing their damage, reducing their cooldown, and healing you for a certain amount whenever they hit.
Sp. Atk. Specs	Sp. Atk. Specs lets your Special Damage scale even higher whenever you score a goal. This is great for Pokemon such as Alolan Ninetales and Pikachu.
Wise Glasses	Wise Glasses is a straightforward held item that increases your Special Damage by a certain amount.
Float Stone	Float Stone is a solid pick up for Physical Damage Attackers such as Cinderace and Greninja.
Choice Specs	Choice Specs works similar to Wise Glasses but with the added bonus of increasing your moves' damage output by a flat amount. This is perfect for Sp. Atk. Attackers like Gardevoir, Pikachu, and Venusaur.
Drain Crown	Attackers that relies heavily on auto-attacks can significantly increase their overall survivability with the Drain Crown. Use this on attackers like Cinderace and Decidueye so they can go toe-to-toe in battles!
Rapid-Fire Scarf	Rapid-Fire Scarf inherently boosts Attack Speed at certain intervals. Auto-attack based Attackers can significantly increase their overall DPS with this item, and pairing it with X Attack increases it even more!

Attacker Guide: How to Play Attackers

Speedster

Item	Summary
Scope Lens	Scope Lens significantly increases phsyical Pokemon's damage via Critical Rate and Damage.
Muscle Band	Muscle Band is an effective item to further boost basic attack damage. This item is especially useful against tanky targets such as Defenders.
Attack Weight	Attack Weight is a solid pickup for Physical Damage Speedsters such as Absol and Zeraora. This held item improves your attack everytime you score a goal, allowing you to scale well into the late game.
Energy Amplifier	Energy Amplifier increases overall damage whenever you activate your Unite Move. This is great for players who use their Unite Move with great timing and positioning.
Shell Bell	Shell Bell is a very versatile item which bolsters a Pokemon's Special Damage moves by increasing their damage, reducing their cooldown, and healing you for a certain amount whenever they hit.
Float Stone	Float Stone is a solid pick up to bolster Physical Damage. The added movement speed is also great for Speedsters since they prefer to start in the jungle and gank lanes afterward.
Razor Claw	Razor Claw is another damage item suitable for Speedsters. The bonus attack damage after using a move fits a Speedster's aggressive playstyle, not to mention its 2-second cooldown. Also, the movement speed reduction is perfect for Speedsters since all of them are melee.

Speedster Guide: How to Play Speedsters

All-Rounder

Item	Summary
Scope Lens	Scope Lens significantly increases phsyical Pokemon's damage via Critical Rate and Damage.
Muscle Band	Muscle Band is an effective item to further boost basic attack damage. This item is especially useful against tanky targets such as Defenders.
Focus Band	Focus Band is a great defensive pickup to increase overall survivability in the middle of fights, a place where All-Rounders want to be.
Energy Amplifier	Energy Amplifier is a great pickup for boosting damage via proper Unite Move usage and timing. This is especially effective for All-Rounders who can activate their Unite Moves twice like Machamp and Charizard.
Rocky Helmet	Rocky Helmet is another good pickup to improve survivability in teamfights. This held item unleashes an AoE damage whenever you receive enough damage, which synergizes perfectly with an All-Rounder's in-your-face playstyle.
Assault Vest	Assault Vest is a solid defensive pickup. This held item grants you a shield that negates a certain amount of Special Damage.
Weakness Policy	Weakness Policy enhances an All-Rounder's playstyle of tanking and doing damage simultaneously via its stacking damage increase. It's quite easy for an All-Rounder to stack the damage increase since they like to be in the middle of fights to soak damage.

All-Rounder Guide: How to Play All-Rounders

Defender

Item	Summary
Rocky Helmet	One of the best pickups for Defenders. Rocky Helmet bolsters your defense and lets you reflect damage after you receive a certain amount, making you an even tougher target to take down.
Assault Vest	Assault Vest bolsters your Special Defense, which is great for tanking the front lines against pokemon such as Gengar and Alolan Ninetales.
Buddy Barrier	Buddy Barrier is a solid pickup for improving your HP. The main reason to get this item is for its special effect, which grants you and a low-HP ally a massive shield upon activating an Unite Move.
Focus Band	Focus Band is a nice pickup that improves overall survivability. This held item also grants you a sudden burst of HP regeneration whenever you fall too low.
Exp. Share	Exp. Share is a niche pickup, but one that can be useful in certain scenarios and matchups. Aside from the HP and movement boosts, you also gain passive exp gain whenever you're the lowest on the team in terms of level. This allows you to funnel all of the last hits to your Attackers instead, which can lead to lane domination early on.
Score Shield	Another niche pickup, Score Shield makes your goal attempts uninterruptible. This can be extremely useful for certain scenarios and close matches.

Defender Guide: How to Play Defenders

Supporter

Item	Summary
Rocky Helmet	A supporter's goal is to survive as long as possible to bolster their teammates. Rocky Helmet is a great way to increase your HP and Defense, while turning you into a difficult target to take down due to its special effect.
Assault Vest	Assault Vest grants you a barrier that negates a certain amount of Special Damage, improving overall survivability.
Buddy Barrier	Buddy Barrier grants you and a low-HP ally a massive shield whenever you pop a Unite Move. This is extremely useful for keeping yourselves alive in dire situations and can be the difference between victory and defeat.
Focus Band	Focus Band is another solid item that improves overall survivability. Its special effect grants you a burst of HP regeneration once you drop too much HP, potentially giving you enough time to turn things around for you and your team.
Wise Glasses	Wise Glasses is a straightforward item that increases Special Damage. This is a great pickup for Supporters since they primarily deal Special Damage.
Shell Bell	Shell Bell is another great pickup for Supporters because it improves Special Damage, reduces move cooldowns, and lets them regenerate HP whenever their moves hit a target.
Exp. Share	Exp. Share is a decent pickup with great stats for Supporters. Its special effect lets Supporters funnel exp towards their teammates instead, which usually leads to a smooth and dominant laning phase.

Supporter Guide: How to Play Supporters

Tier List Criteria

Full Criteria

Criteria
Item Stats	Effect Impact	Accessibility	Rank Usage

Each of these factors determine the Held Item's place within the tier list. Read on to learn what they refer to exactly:

Item Stats: We looked at the Held Item's basic stats and how efficient they are within the current metagame.
Effect Impact: Determines the overall power level of the Held Item's special effect and its scaling — How powerful is this effect overall and how does instrumental it is for a Pokemon's success?
Accessibility: Determines how useful the Held Item is across multiple Pokemon, regardless of role.
Rank Usage: We gauged the Held Item's performance in high-ranked matches to get a better glimpse at its overall effect in high-level scenarios and play.

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