Pokemon Unite: Free rotation for the week of August 15

Like many MOBA titles, Pokemon Unite offers a "free rotation" of playable Pokemon that players can utilize to try it out before gunning for its Unite License.

Free rotations can be an incredibly helpful resource, especially for players new to MOBA games, as few things are more frustrating than buying a playable character only to find out they don't fit one's playstyle.

Thanks to the changing nature of Pokemon Unite's rotations, its player base can spend some time with the ever-expanding roster of Pokemon and decide which options stick with them.

August 15th has brought a new free rotation in Pokemon Unite featuring Machamp, Greninja, Absol, and Mr. Mime.

---

Pokemon Unite: August 15 rotation breakdown

Image via Nintendo/The Pokemon Company

With Pokemon Unite updating its free rotation for the week of August 15th, it's worth looking into the merits and abilities of each Pokemon made available.

Each Pokemon in the current rotation is assigned to a different Role, and a Defender Pokemon has been omitted from the rotation this time. Below is an analysis of each Pokemon, their role, and what they do well:

Greninja (Attacker)

• An incredibly mobile Attacker, Greninja is played best when utilizing its movement and ability to misdirect opponents. Because it moves so well and has solid life steal, Greninja can also be built as a Jungler if the need is there for a team. Because of its passive ability Torrent, Greninja gains extra movement speed and damage. This means experienced Greninja players will ideally want to play consistently around half HP in order to utilize this Pokemon's optimal capability, but that takes practice. Greninja is easy to pick up, but it can take some time to learn its nuances in Pokemon Unite.

Absol (Speedster)

• One of Pokemon Unite's more popular picks in the Speedster role, Absol can close distances quickly and deal very high burst damage. Its Unite Move Midnight Slash also grants it the ability to not be targeted, boosting its escape chances in engagements as well as improving its ability to pursue fleeing targets. With the right positioning, Absol can absolutely shred most targets with its critical hit damage. Because of this, Absol is currently one of Pokemon Unite's better Junglers, and its ganking potential is exceptional.

Mr. Mime (Support)

• Although Mr. Mime isn't pumping out damage as a Support, it has pretty good setup to amplify the damage of its team. The better a team plays around Mr. Mime, the more efficient it becomes. Its ability to reduce opponents' stats may not be as coveted as the shields provided by Supports like Eldegoss, but if used in tandem with a team, Mr. Mime can still get the job done in its role. Its durability also isn't bad, giving it some staying power in lane. Mr. Mime isn't likely to blow players away with its abilities, but with so few Support Pokemon currently in Pokemon Unite, it's at least worth a try.

Machamp (All-Rounder)

• A bruising physical attacker, Machamp has hard-hitting criticals in Pokemon Unite and even possesses some immunity to hindrances. This is good, as one of Machamp's biggest downsides is its need to get in close before dealing damage. With very average mobility, Machamp players have to commit to targets and engagements. Despite its drawbacks, Machamp can serve well as a Jungle. Stealth will be more important when it comes to ganking, but dealing damage once at close range is no problem for Machamp.

---