Pokemon Masters, like many other popular mobile games at this point, feature dozens of units players can collect – with some being noticeably better than others. Weakness and resistance values can make identifying the best difficult at times, as each and every unit can be better or worse than another depending on the situation.
As the game lives and breathes with the introduction of new units over time, tier lists like this one are always subject to change. This Pokemon Masters tier list should be used as a guideline only, alerting you to some of the more versatile and sought-after units in the game with a brief explanation of how to get the most out of those pulls.
For general Pokemon Masters tips, check out this guide. We’ve also looked at some advice for making the most of your early game gems.
As Pokemon Masters splits units into different roles, we’ll highlight the three current “best” units of each.
Physical Strike Sync Pairs
The “sweeper” style of play has long been popular in competitive mainstream Pokemon titles, so we’re starting things off with the strongest physical attackers in the game.
Olivia & Lycanroc
Olivia’s Lycanroc takes the crown here thanks to its incredible raw attack and easy access to a 100% Crit Chance move. It’s a single target spammer, so it’s best to bring Lycanroc out for boss fights rather than easier trainer battles where AoE moves will speed things up. With plenty of access to self-buff techniques, Lycanroc can take care of itself so long as you take care of any Special Strikers before they can exploit the Sp. Def Lycanroc sacrifices while buffing up.
To get Lycanroc up to its full potential, you’ll need to unlock both Stone Edge and it’s Hard as Diamonds! buff to patch up Stone Edge’s middling accuracy and reach that 100% crit cap. If you have the extra items, unlocking the Amped Up! passive will let Lycanroc boost its Speed with each crit – a dangerous combination indeed. Rolling in with Support units can help buff its stats even further.
Noland & Mega Pinser
With similar power and buff potential, the only reason Mega Pinser isn’t above Lycanroc is the necessity to Mega Evolve in each match to reach its full potential. With the right set-up, this can be sped up considerably; but Noland & Mega Pinser still require a little time to get going. Once they do, they’re a force to be reckoned with.
As it takes some time to set up, pairing Mega Pinser with bulky support units it almost mandatory. Phoebe & Dusclops or Hilbert & Oshawott are fine choices due to their ability to further boost Pinser’s attack on the way there and can quickly replenish the move gauge to keep Pinser on the offensive.. You only really need to unlock Bring it On! for Pinser to shine, but X-Scissor will obviously have its benefits.
Brendan & Treeko
Despite confirming the odd decision for only female main protagonists to have starter evolutions, Brendan & Treeko have managed to climb to the top of the Physical Striker tier list. Treeko can burn through three chunks of the move gauge to boost its offensive stats to the max, with Leaf Storm, it’s choice move, eating up just as much. It’s a greedy creature, but one easily capable of taking down multiple targets and exploiting both Physical and Special defence gaps thanks to its moveset.
Getting the most out of Brendan & Treeko will depend on really committing to its growth through the move gauge, which requires unlocking No Turning Back! and Leaf Storm. Having Rosa & Serperior or Phoebe & Dusclops on your side can help keep things flowing. Buffing its Accuracy can help avoid wasting a large chunk of the move gauge on a bad Leaf Storm.
Special Striker Sync Pairs
Much like the Physical Striker, Special Strikers excel in dealing large amounts of damage – usually at the cost of personal bulk.
Blue & Mega Pidgeot
The introduction of Blue & Mega Pidgeot has shaken things up a tad since the beta release in August, earning the pair a top slot with ease. Mega Pidgeot isn’t entirely dependant on its mega evolution thanks to some powerful AoE strikes, but it certainly helps boost the creature above the competition. One AoE can inflict Confuse, while the other has a high natural crit rate.
Mega Pidgeon’s set-up lends to longer fights over shorter ones. Unlocking both Smell Ya Later! and Hurricane are essential. You can patch the latter’s low Accuracy by bringing a unit capable of making it rain if you’re unable to unlock the former.
Karen & Mega Houndoom
According to GamePress, Mega Houndoom can be bested by even some promoted 3-star units at times, but even normal Houndoom is all you’ll need to have a unit ready to take on the big leagues. This makes Houndoom a bit of a hybrid in terms of its role. As it can lower a target’s stats and potentially cause Flinch, it’s a powerful asset for stopping an opponent’s main Pokemon in its tracks.
You’ll want to unlock both Dark Pulse and Entertain Me! to allow Houndoom quick access to its mega evolution and interrupt targets with powerful strikes. Don’t worry about unlocking its passives.
Hau & Alolan Raichu
This decision might not be reflected on other tier lists, but Hau & Alolan Raichu were quite the powerhouse duo in early access. Alolan Raichu was frequently seen clearing the highest level content available at the time – its powerful AoE moves catapulting it up the usability list.
Maximizing Alolan Raichu depends on keeping your resident tank on the field. What Raichu lacks in HP it more than makes up for with Speed and overall DPS. Discharge is the main unlock here, but Feel the Alolan Breeze! can keep it fast on its feet and award the the evasiveness it’ll need to dodge death once a tank goes down. The earlier you pull this unit, the easier a vast majority of the content will be.
Tech Sync Pairs
Tech units specialize in punishing their targets with a barrage of status ailments. It isn’t unusual for them to then carve out extra damage with their sync moves against inflicted foes, but paired with a matching Striker, Tech units can pin strong targets in place while another knocks them out of the field.
Crasher Wake & Floatzel
By no means the single greatest Tech unit in the game, the exciting thing about Crasher Wake & Floatzel is their 3-star base potential. You’ll have to juice the pair up to push the envelope here, but having such easy access to a versatile tech unit can’t be ignored.
Floatzel can inflict a dizzying amount of ailments, with passives that can up the chance of these, too. After unlocking Water Pulse, Floatzel can inflict both Flinch and Confuse, with Aggravation 1 boosting those odds. If you really need to use its Flinch-punishing sync move on a target, its Crit and Attack buffs can allow for a devastating blow.
Koga & Crobat
Crobat isn’t the most exciting unit in the game, but semi-rare typing and access to the “Badly Poisoned” affliction opens up a few interesting strategies.
Having something be Badly Poisoned can break away large portions of a health pool once it gets going, making it great for melting through tougher targets like boss units. The evasiveness afforded with Move like a Shadow! and Speed boost of X Speed should allow Crobat to hang around as toss Poison at multiple targets. It can then take advantage of this with Venoshock or its sync move, but this shouldn’t be necessary unless you’re looking at a type advantage.
Agatha & Mega Gengar
Gengar shines even without its mega evolution due to the usefulness of its numerous applications. It can inflict Paralysis with Lick and Sleep with Hypnosis even before triggering a mega evolution, potentially saving a sync move for a more powerful unit on your team.
But Mega Gengar’s stat boosts make it a viable Tech/Striker able to rival even dedicated top-tier strikers. At 4-star base potential, it’s an uncommon pull that can fill in for any eventual 5-star once you unlock Shadow Ball.
Support Sync Pairs
Support units specialize in keeping the rest of the team fighting fit, not through healing traditionally, but tanking hits with their high bulk and buffing allies to hold their own.
Phoebe & Dusclops
Phoebe & Dusclops really shine in co-op, but they’re incredibly capable solo units, too. Access to Dire Hit All boosts the team’s crit rate, while Shadow Punch’s “Sure Hit” bonus can help get rid of any Pokemon that has been allowed to stockpile evasiness.
Dusclops really begins to shine once Unbreakable Bonds! is unlocked, gifting a bigger team Attack buff and move gauge replenish as its HP drops. Given its a natural tank, firing this off before Dusclops bows out can really turn the tables. If going co-op, be sure to unlock the Pass It On passive, which allows Dusclops to give half its buffs to whichever Pokemon replaces it in battle.
Rosa & Serperior
A unit everyone unlocks through the story, Rosa & Serperior simply need some love and attention to carry you to victory. You’ll need to evolve the base Snivy to reach peak performance, but it’s always worth the effort.
Serperior pairs well with Special Strike units due to its invaluable Sp. Atk. boosts, which are unlocked from the start. You’ll absolutely want to unlock “Time to Energize!” for the massive three move gauge replenishment, which will allow any team to rattle off powerful attacks or build up a sync move more easily. If you struggle to find an alternative tank, consider unlocking Giga Drain to keep it on the field a little longer.
Hilbert & Oshawott
While not actually available at the time of writing, Oshawott can be considered the Attack variant of Serperior. High bulk, Attack buffs based on lost HP, and X Speed All can push Physical Strikers beyond their base stats with ease.
Unlike Serperior, Oshawott has no way of healing itself, creating a time limit of sorts on the match. Where this helps is that Oshawott only needs a single unlock on In This Together to become a viable team asset. X Speed All should ramp up the time to victory, but you’ll need suitable physical attackers to make this most of this tiny sea creature.
So there you have it; a handy list of some of Pokemon Masters’ best units. As we mentioned above, each and every unit in the game has its uses, but we feel these are the Pokemon you’ll want to hunt down for the smoothest in-game experience. Some will need a spot of luck, whereas others will join you on the story, proving that no matter where they come from, every unit serves a distinct purpose with the right strategy.
Do you have any sync pair recommendations? Let us know in the comments!
