Blastoise Guide: Builds and Best Items

The best guide on how to play Blastoise 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!

Blastoise Pokemon Pages
Blastoise Release Date	Blastoise Builds

Blastoise Latest Nerfs and Buffs (11/13)

Version 1.12.1.6 Patch Notes

Blastoise Basic Info

Blastoise
	Tier Rating: Role: Defender Attack Type: Ranged Damage Type: Special Difficulty: Intermediate Cost: 8000 / 460
"Blastoise is a durable ranged defender that can make use of its several mobility skills to move itself and enemies into the ideal areas of the battlefield."

Pokemon Unite Tier List

Blastoise Best Lanes

Top	Jungle	Bottom

Tips & Strategies for Every Lane

Blastoise Strengths and Weaknesses

Best Builds for Blastoise

Blastoise Builds
Rapid Spin Build
Disruptor Build	-

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

Rapid Spin Build

Rapid Spin Build
Moveset			Held Items
Water Spout Rapid Spin			Choice Specs Wise Glasses Sp. Atk. Specs
Battle Item
X Speed
Item Effects (at Level 30)			Recommended Lane
Sp. Atk: +102			Top Lane Jungle Bot Lane
Emblem Color Combination			Target Emblem Stats
Green x6 White x4			Positive Stats: • HP • Sp. Atk Free Negative Stats: • Attack • Movement Speed • Critical-Hit Rate
Note: The emblem color and stats here are suggestions only. The builds are still viable even without the suggested emblems.

Rapid Spin Build Explanation

Rapid Spin Build Damage Test

Since the build is centered on maximizing Blastoise's Rapid Spin and Water Spout combo, equipping items that will yield the highest possible combo damage is the ideal item combination.

As the results show, Choice Specs, Wise Glasses, and a fully-stacked Sp. Atk. Specs will produce the best damage output. The item combination gives Blastoise a massive Sp. Atk. stat boost, especially once Sp. Atk. Specs is fully stacked.

As for alternatives, replacing Choice Specs with Energy Amplifier would be the best option. The item combination produced the second best damage output for the combo. However, it does require Blastoise to fully stack Sp. Atk. Specs and trigger Energy Amplifier's effect first to reach maximum damage.

For the best build that requires no setup in any way, replacing Sp. Atk. Specs with Slick Spoon would be the ideal choice. The item combination is a straightfoward damage build that also gives some durability via HP.

For a more defensive build, replacing Choice Specs with Focus Band would be the best alternative. However, the item combination does require Blastoise to stack Sp. Atk. Specs first for maximum effect.

That being said, for the best defensive build that requires no setup, replacing Sp. Atk. Specs with Focus Band instead would be the prime option.

Disruptor Build

Disruptor Build
Moveset			Held Items
Hydro Pump Surf			Slick Spoon Energy Amplifier Focus Band
Battle Item
Eject Button
Item Effects (at Level 30)			Recommended Lane
Sp. Atk: +30 Defense: +30 Sp. Def: +30 HP: +210 Cooldown: -4.50% Unite Move Charge Rate: +6%			Top Lane Bot Lane
Emblem Color Combination			Target Emblem Stats
Green x6 White x4			Positive Stats: • HP • Sp. Atk Free Negative Stats: • Attack • Movement Speed • Critical-Hit Rate
Note: The emblem color and stats here are suggestions only. The builds are still viable even without the suggested emblems.

Disruptor Build Explanation

Disruptor Build Damage Test

Since the build focuses on displacing enemies with Surf and Hydro Pump, equipping items that will balance Blastoise's offense and defense is the ideal build. Focus Band is a core defensive item for the build.

As the result show, equipping Slick Spoon and Energy Amplifier would be the best item choice. Even if the item combination did not produce the best results in terms of damage, it is the most balanced item combination. It only scored the second best damage output but gives HP and cooldown reduction in return, which is perfect for the build.

As for alternatives, replacing Energy Amplifier with Choice Specs would be the best choice. The item combination maintains a good balance of offense and defense without the need for using Hydro Typhoon.

Blastoise Best Items & Moveset

Best Held Item

Item	Explanation
Sp. Atk. Specs	Sp. Atk. Specs gives Blastoise a large damage boost once it's fully stacked.
Score Shield	Score Shield adds more HP on top of Blastoise's already high HP, increasing the shield generated when scoring goals.
Buddy Barrier	Buddy Barrier also increases Blastoise's HP. But its true value comes from the shield it generates when using a Unite Move, making it a great item for Blastoise.
Focus Band	Focus Band is Blastoise's core tank item, increasing its static defenses and providing a reliable means of survivability, especially during Rapid Spin.
Wise Glasses	Wise Glasses is one of Blastoise's go-to damage item, increasing its moves' damage, particularly the Water Spout and Rapid spin combo.
Muscle Band	Muscle Band's attack speed increase allows Blastoise to perform boosted attacks faster and trigger its cooldown reduction effect. It's a great item to have when taking the jungler role.
Choice Specs	Choice Specs functions similarly to Wise Glasses, increasing Blastoise's moves' damage. It's a great item for burst damage moves like Hydro Pump.
Slick Spoon	Slick Spoon boosts Blastoise's damage output by ignoring a portion of its target's Sp. Def., particularly when using Rapid Spin and Water Spout. Its Sp. Atk. and HP bonuses also fit well with the Pokemon's gameplay.

List of Held Items

Best Battle Item

Item	Explanation
Eject Button	Eject Button enables Blastoise to set-up kills for the team via the Unite move. It also allows Blastoise to stay on top of enemies even while using Rapid Spin, maximizing the damage output.
X Speed	X Speed improves Blastoise's overall mobility. It can be used offensively and defensively depending on the situation.
Potion	Potion works great with Blastoise's innate HP, healing it for a large amount. It provides some survivability to Blastoise during Rapid Spin since it's exposed to enemy attacks.

List of Battle Items

Best Moveset

Move	Explanation
Rapid Spin	Rapid Spin is Blastoise's most versitile move since it can be paired with any of the other moves. It can dish out tons of damage while granting immunity, making it perfect for teamfights.
Water Spout	Water Spout on its own doesn't offer much for Blastoise. Its true value comes from activating it during Rapid Spin, greatly improving Rapid Spin's damage.

With the meta reverting to the traditional objective-based gameplay, the Water Spout and Rapid Spin combo has become viable once again. Furthermore, the buff to Rapid Spin allowed Water Spout to be cast for the entire duration instead of lasting for a while, dealing more damage as a result.

Choosing a moveset depends on the playstyle. For an aggressive playstyle, always choose Water Spout and Rapid Spin. For a typical defender playstyle, Surf and Hydro Pump is the best choice.

Which Moveset Do You Think is Best For Blastoise?

Let us know why in the comments!

Previous Poll Results

How to Play Blastoise

Jump to Section
Setup Knockouts in the Early Game
Reach Level 7 Quickly
Use Boosted Attacks to Reduce Move Cooldowns
Change Playstyle Based on Moveset
Save Hydro Typhoon for Teamfights

Setup Knockouts in the Early Game

Use Skull Bash and Water Gun in the early game to set up knockouts. The best way to execute this is by using Skull Bash to quickly go behind your targets, then pushing them back with Water Gun.

Reach Level 7 Quickly

Try to reach level 7 as soon as you can so you can access your full moveset. Don't get too aggressive in the early game, and only fight if you have an advantage over your opponents. Focus on defending your goal zone, farming wild Pokemon, and scoring points if given chance.

Use Boosted Attacks to Reduce Move Cooldowns

Blastoise's Boosted Attacks will reduce your move cooldowns by 1 second per use. This will still play in effect even if no enemies are nearby! If your moves are down and a crucial fight is about to happen, don't hesitate to fire some empty attacks in the air to reduce your moves' cooldowns.

Change Playstyle Based on Moveset

Blastoise generally has two playstyles; a traditional tank or an Sp. Atk damage dealer. These playstyles depend on which moveset you chose. Knowing and understanding how these move combinations work together allows you to play the Pokemon more effectively.

Get Aggressive with Rapid Spin and Water Spout

Rapid Spin and Water Spout turns Blastoise into an AoE damage dealer, especially when used together. If you're going with this move combination, you need to be aggressive once you have them both. Aim for squishy targets like Pikachu as you can potentially knockout them out within the duration of Rapid Spin. You can also try to steal objectives like Regieleki from the enemy.

Displace Enemies with Surf and Hydro Pump

Surf and Hydro Pump allow you to displace and control enemy movements. You can shove targets towards your team or zone them out entirely from areas. You can also set up fights and make it easier for your allies to follow up with their moves.

Save Hydro Typhoon for Teamfights

Hydro Typhoon is one of the best teamfight move in the game thanks to its wide AoE, stun, and damage. Try to save Hydro Typhoon only for teamfights as much as possible as it'll give you and your team a better chance in winning the fight. Morever, it's best to use it at the start of the fight rather than as a finisher.

Hydro Typhoon: Blastoise Move Effect and Cooldown

Use Eject Button for Better Positioning

You can use Eject Button to get a better position and use Hydro Typhoon. You can either use it before Hydro Typhoon or during it.

Eject Button Effect and How to Get

Progression and Leveling Guide

Top or Bottom Lane Guide

Jungle Guide

Blastoise Combos

Bash and Push Combs

Bash and Push Combo
►
Skull Bash ► Water Gun
This combo allows you to position yourself behind the enemy to push them towards your allies. Start by stunning the target with a Skull Bash, then pushing them back with a Water Gun. Abuse this during the early levels when your allies are ganking your lane.

Upgraded Bash and Push Combo

Upgraded Bash and Push Combo
►
Skull Bash ► Hydro Pump
This is an upgraded version of Bash and Push Combo, but uses Hydro Pump instead of Water Gun for pushing the target. You will be able to do this once Blastoise reaches level 5 and learns Hydro Pump.

Rapid Spin Combos

This set of combos takes advantage of Rapid Spin to deal consistent damage while also having hindrance resistance.

Rapid Spin Spout Combo

Rapid Spin Spout Combo
► ► + (Alternate)
Water Spout ► Rapid Spin ► Water Spout + Standard Attack (Alternate)
This variation is great for apllying constant pressure in an area. Start by pressuring the target from afar with Water Spout. Then go into the Rapid Spin. At this point, you can either use a Standard Attack or activate Water Spout. For the highest possible value, alternate between the two inputs until Rapid Spin finishes.

Rapid Spin Pump Combo

Rapid Spin Pump Combo
► ► ►
Hydro Pump ► Rapid Spin ► Hydro Pump ► Standard Attack
This variation is great for displacing opponents. Start by hitting a target with a Hydro Pump. Then go into the Rapid Spin. At this point, you can either use a Standard Attack or activate Hydro Pump. For the highest possible value, quickly activate Hydro Pump after Rapid Spin so you can have it on cooldown and use it a second time.

Ultimate Typhoon Displacer Combo

Ultimate Typhoon Displacer Combo
► ►
Surf ► Hydro Typhoon ► Hydro Pump
This is a hard crowd control combo that incapacitates opponents in an are with Blastoise's Unite Move. Start by cover ground with Surf. Make sure to use the move going towards the center of the battle where the enemies are. Then, activate Hydro Typhoon to stun all oppponents. Finish the move by hitting a target with a Hydro Pump.

Blastoise Matchups and Best Counters

All Blastoise Matchups

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

Hard Counter with Durable and Mobile Pokemon

Pokemon that can deal consistent damage and have mobility can counter Blastoise. Additionally, Pokemon that have means of dodging and escaping Blastoise's moves are also effective, allowing them to keep their distance while dealing damage to Blastoise.

Best Counters

Pokemon	Explanation
Cinderace	Rating: ★★★★★ • Can kite Blastoise from a considerable range with high damage output via critical hits and fast Standard Attacks.
Lucario	Rating: ★★★★ • Can maneuver around with its high-mobility moves. • Can deal significant damage with its Extreme Speed and Bone Rush Combos.
Dragonite	Rating:★★★★ • Can keep up with Balstoise's aggression with Outrage. • High HP-based, burst damage with Hyper Beam.
Venusaur	Rating: ★★★ • High HP-based, burst damage with Solar Beam. • Can sustain HP and deal continuous damage with Petal Dance + Giga Drain.

Even Matchups for Blastoise

What makes the Pokemon effective against brawls is that most of its moves can dish out crowd control on top of its high Sp. Attack damage. Be wary, however, of Blastoise's long move cooldowns.

Fight Through the Disables

Pokemon with Crowd Control Moves
How to Beat
• Take advantage of Blastoise's long-ranged Standard Attacks to pressure their HP while they charge toward you. • Fight through the crowd control with Rapid Spin. • Disrupt their moves with Hydro Pump.

Outlast Blows with All-Rounders

All-Rounder Pokemon
How to Beat
• Fight back using the Rapid Spin and Water Spout combo when they engage. • Disable and displace them with Surf and Hydro Pump. • Use Hydro Typhoon as a finisher.

Put Them in a Bad Position

Pokemon with High Offense
How to Beat
• Force them to let go of their position by throwing a Water Spout towards their area. • Go straight towards them using the Rapid Spin. • Disable and displace them to a bad position with Surf and Hydro Pump

Fight through the Sustain

Defenders and Supporters
How to Beat
• Since they have the ability to recover HP fast enough to negate most of your damage, it is best to not actively look to pick a fight with them. It is best to wait for an ally Attacker or All-Rounder to engage them first while setting up with your crowd control moves. • Disengage from the fight with a Surf and Hydro Pump.

Not Enough to Burst Down Blastoise

Pokemon with Burst Damage
How to Beat
• Bait their initial burst moves. Use Rapid Spin to get extra mobility. • Go in for the kill or disable them while their moves are on cooldown.

Easy Matchups for Blastoise

Take advantage of Blastoise's high defense and decent damage to pressure your opponents.

Easily Falls to Crowd Control

Pokemon that are Susceptible to Crowd Control
How to Beat
• Once you get close enough, displace them with either a Surf or Hydro Pump, then proceed to bombard them with Standard Attacks • Disrupt their combos with Surf or Hydro Pump.

Weak against Sp. Attacks

Pokemon with Low Sp. Def. Stat
How to Beat
• Use Water Spout to pressure them from afar. • These Pokemon are weak enough that getting hit with a single Hydro Typhoon will quickly deplete their HP.

Low Offense to Stave Off Blastoise

Pokemon with Low Offense
How to Beat
• Go straight for them using the Rapid Spin and Water Spout combo • Disable and displace them with Surf and Hydro Pump.

Best Teammates for Blastoise

Pokemon	Explanation
Greninja Venusaur	High Damaging Snipers
	These Pokemon have powerful burst attacks and are capable of stunning enemies from a safe distance. Blastoise can lead the charge for these Pokemon while they deal damage and secure objectives.
Blissey Mr. Mime	Shields and Sustain
	These Pokemon are capable of providing buffs, shields, and AoE heals during fights. This allows Blastoise to become sturdier and easily dominate lanes.
Slowbro Snorlax	Tanky Disablers
	As fellow Defenders that have disabling abilities, these Pokemon can lead the charge, soak up damage, and help Blastoise setup its attacks with their disabling moves.
Absol Zoroark	High Burst Damagers
	These Pokemon help contribute damage through pinning down enemies with combos and burst attacks. While it's still recommended to go with either a Defender or Supporter ally, Speedsters are a huge help when trying to dominate lanes as early as possible.
Machamp Tsareena	Hard-hitting Initiators
	These Pokemon are very dependable allies as they have means to buff or sustain themselves. Whether it's securing objectives or pushing lanes, Machamp and Tsareena are built to initiate clashes, stun enemies, and create openings for their teammates.

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

Blastoise Moves

Move Slot 1 (R)

Water Gun (Lv. 1 or 3)	Move Type: Ranged Damage Type: Special Cooldown: 9s Starting Damage: 608 Final Damage: 676
Attacks with a shot of water, shoving opposing Pokemon and decreasing their movement speed for a short time.
Water Spout (Lv. 5) Upgrade Lv. 8	Move Type: Area Damage Type: Special Cooldown: 7.5s Starting Damage: 1020 Damage per instance: 170, Number of instances: 6 Final Damage: 2214 Damage per instance: 369, Number of instances: 6
Spouts water toward the designated location, decreasing the movement speed of opposing Pokemon in the area of effect for a short time. Upgrade: Increases damage dealt by this move.
Hydro Pump (Lv. 5) Upgrade Lv. 11	Move Type: Ranged Damage Type: Special Cooldown: 7s Starting Damage: 1161 Long range damage: 387, Medium range damage: 774, Short range damage: 1161 Final Damage: 2190 Long range damage: 730, Medium range damage: 1460, Short range damage: 2190
Has the user attack by blasting out a huge volume of water, dealing damage to opposing Pokemon and shoving them when it hits. Upgrade: Increases damage dealt by this move.

Move Slot 2 (ZR)

Skull Bash (Lv. 1 or 3)	Move Type: Dash Damage Type: Special Cooldown: 10s Starting Damage: 380 Final Damage: 469
Fiercely rams an opposing Pokemon and leaves it unable to act.
Rapid Spin (Lv. 7) Upgrade Lv. 13	Move Type: Buff Damage Type: Special Cooldown: 11s Starting Damage: 1820 Damage per instance: 182, Number of instances: 10 Final Damage: 2680 Damage per instance: 268, Number of instances: 10
Has the user spin rapidly, dealing damage over time to nearby opposing Pokemon. Changes the mechanics of the user's basic attacks as well as its Hydro Pump and Water Spout moves. Using this move resets the cooldown of Hydro Pump or Water Spout. While this move is in effect, the user becomes immune to hindrances. In addition, the user's next basic attack after this move ends becomes a boosted attack. Upgrade: Also reduces the damage the user receives while using this move.
Surf (Lv. 7) Upgrade Lv. 13	Move Type: Dash Damage Type: Special Cooldown: 9s Starting Damage: 1056 Final Damage: 1567
Has the User charge forward on a wave, shoving opposing Pokemon and leaving them unable to act. The user becomes immune to hindrances while using this move and can jump in a designated direction once this move ends. Upgrade: Also grants a shield when this move hits.

Unite Moves (ZL)

Hydro Typhoon (Lv. 9) Upgrade Lv. 14	Move Type: Disable Damage Type: Cooldown: 140s Starting Damage: 1527 Final Damage: 2023
Has the user spout water to attack while spinning, throwing opposing Pokemon in a large area. This also grants the user a shield.

Standard Attack

Standard Attack	Becomes a boosted attack with every third attack, dealing continual damage and decreasing the movement speed of opposing Pokemon for a short time when it hits. After the user uses a boosted attack, the cooldown of its other moves is reduced.

Ability (Passive)

Torrent	All Evolution Stages When the Pokemon is at half HP or less, its Attack and Sp. Atk are increased.

Blastoise Stats & Evolutions

Blastoise Evolutions

1st Evolution	2nd Evolution	Final Evolution
Squirtle (Lv. 1)	Wartortle (Lv. 5)	Blastoise (Lv. 7)

Blastoise Stats

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

Blastoise In-Game Stat Listings

Offense	Endurance	Mobility	Scoring	Support

Blastoise Skins (Holowear)

Holowear
Fashionable Style Zirco Trading: 400	Firefighter Style Zirco Trading: 1200
Holiday Style Zirco Trading: 400	Tuxedo Style Zirco Trading: 400
Pokebuki Style Event: Season 7 Battle Pass	Sacred Style Zirco Trading: 2199

All Pokemon Skins (Holowear)

Blastoise Character Spotlight

Blastoise Achievements

Hydro Pump Achievement

Hydro Pump
Pokemon	Move
Blastoise	Hydro Pump
Mission: Show 2 or more Pokemon from the opposing team at the same time with Hydro Pump or Hydro Pump+ (10/20/40 times total)
Medals & Points	Rewards
Beginner 5	Aeos Ticket x100
Expert 5	Aeos Coin x300
Master 10	Holowear Ticket x3

List of Defender Pokemon Achievements

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	Blaziken	Blissey	Buzzwole
Chandelure	Charizard	Cinderace	Clefable
Comfey	Cramorant	Crustle	Decidueye
Delphox	Dodrio	Dragapult	Dragonite
Duraludon	Eldegoss	Espeon	Garchomp
Gardevoir	Gengar	Glaceon	Goodra
Greedent	Greninja	Hoopa	Inteleon
Lapras	Leafeon	Lucario	Machamp
Mamoswine	Meowscarada	Mega Mewtwo X	Mega Mewtwo Y
Mew	Mimikyu	Mr. Mime	Pikachu
Sableye	Scizor	Slowbro	Snorlax
Sylveon	Talonflame	Trevenant	Tsareena
Tyranitar	Umbreon	Urshifu	Wigglytuff
Venusaur	Zacian	Zeraora	Zoroark

Upcoming Pokemon

Upcoming Pokemon
Metagross December 26, 2023

Top 5 Master Rank Picks & Win Rate

Pokemon	Tier	Most Played %	Average Win %
Mew		21.5%	74.21%
Inteleon		13.8%	72.89%
Blaziken		12.3%	71.63%
Hoopa		10.8%	77.86%
Zacian		6.2%	76.50%

Top Picked Pokemon Per Role

Attacker	All- Rounder	Supporter	Defender	Speedster
Mew	Blaziken	Hoopa	Umbreon	Zoroark

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