Pokemon Unite Psyduck: Best movesets, builds, items, and more

Psyduck is set to splash onto Aeos Island as one of the most dynamic and versatile supporters in Pokemon Unite, making waves as potentially the best release of the year on November 14, 2024. With its unique blend of crowd control and disruption, Psyduck brings a fresh style of support to the game, capitalizing on moves that empower allies, hinder opponents, and change the tide of battle with its distinctive passive ability.

From movesets to playstyles, here's everything to know about Psyduck, the latest release in Pokemon Unite.

NOTE: Parts of this article are subjective and reflect the writer's opinion.

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Pokemon Unite Psyduck: Moveset breakdown and strategy

Psyduck will play the role of a Support on the Aeos Island (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Psyduck’s moveset provides excellent synergy for both aggressive and defensive playstyles. While it lacks a boosted basic attack, Psyduck’s primary focus is on positioning and timing its abilities, especially when the Mysterious Power from its Passive ability, Swift Swim, is active.

This ability not only grants brief invulnerability but also amplifies Psyduck’s moves by reducing their cooldowns and enhancing their effects, adding extra strategic depth to its gameplay.

Let us dive into the optimal moveset, combos, and strategies for Psyduck.

Early game: Confusion and Tail Whip

Start with Confusion for a reliable damage-and-stun combination that can pass through targets, making it effective for poking multiple opponents in the lane.

Once you get Tail Whip, a special defense-decreasing move that, when enhanced by Mysterious Power, provides a more substantial debuff, setting up your allies to deal higher damage.

This combination creates opportunities to punish opponents trying to overextend.

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Level 4 Move Choices: Bubble Beam or Surf

Choosing between Bubble Beam and Surf depends on your preferred playstyle:

• Bubble Beam: Best for team-oriented play, this ability hits multiple targets in a line and leaves bubbles that slow and damage enemies when popped. This move shines in large team fights, where your allies’ attacks can pop the bubbles, dealing consistent AoE damage and controlling the battlefield.
• Surf: More versatile and suited for players who like a bit of mobility with crowd control. When cast, Surf sends Psyduck forward on a wave, slowing opponents it contacts and allowing Psyduck to weave in and out of range. The real appeal of Surf is the double wave effect during Swift Swim, letting Psyduck hit targets multiple times for impressive damage and reduced opponent movement speed.

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Level 6 Move Choices: Psychic or Disable

As the match progresses, Psyduck’s secondary moves provide powerful utility:

• Psychic: This move brings incredible disruption by allowing you to control the opponent’s positioning. When cast, it creates an area around Psyduck, and if an enemy is hit, they can be temporarily pulled toward Psyduck, allowing you to reposition enemies at will.
• Disable: This is a high-value option for countering ability-dependent Pokemon. Disable stuns enemies and significantly increase their cooldown times. During Swift Swim, it bounces up to nine times, affecting multiple enemies and extending their cooldowns.

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Psyduck's Unite Move: Total domination in team fights

Psyduck’s Unite Move, Full-Power Psy-ay-ay, is an area-of-effect pulse that damages all enemies around it three times, quickly filling half of Psyduck’s Swift Swim gauge. This ultimate should be used when the enemy team is grouped up, letting you fully charge your passive and activate it immediately after the Unite move ends.

This combo maximizes your invulnerability and lets you continue disrupting the enemy lineup, keeping Psyduck in a powerful position within team fights.

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Pokemon Unite Psyduck: Best Held Items

• Buddy Barrier: Provides a shield to Psyduck and an ally when using the Unite Move, essential for survivability and ensuring your utility skills can be used to their full potential in team fights.
• Focus Band: A reliable defensive choice that helps Psyduck stay alive during extended skirmishes, especially when building up the Mysterious Power gauge.
• Exp. Share: For those who enjoy supporting, Exp. Share provides additional team experience while freeing up farm for your allies.
• Special Attack Specs: Special Attack Specs are for a more aggressive Psyduck build, as the item boosts Psyduck’s damage output through special attack scaling.

Other Held Item Choices: Aeos Cookie, Slick Spoon, Resonant Guard and Curse Incense

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Pokemon Unite Psyduck: Best Battle Items

• Eject Button: Allows Psyduck to reposition quickly, particularly useful when surfing into or away from opponents.
• Slow Smoke: A great pick for team fights, allowing Psyduck to slow down enemies further, setting up even more control.

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Pokemon Unite Psyduck: Best Emblem recommendations

Psyduck benefits from a balanced emblem setup focusing on HP, defenses, and a touch of special attack. Aim for six white emblems (HP), six blue (defense), and two green (special attack) to optimize survivability while boosting damage output slightly.

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Pokemon Unite Psyduck: Effective playstyle tips

Psyduck seen using its unique Surf in its teaser video (Image via The Pokemon Company)

• Positioning and peeling: Always stay close to your allies, especially squishy attackers. Use Bubble Beam or Disable to protect them by slowing or stunning approaching threats.
• Engaging with Surf: Psyduck’s Surf provides excellent initiation and disengagement options, especially when combined with Psyduck's passive. Ride the wave into enemy backlines to spread debuffs, then reposition quickly using Eject Button or Surf’s natural mobility.
• Timing your passive: Watch for moments when both you and your allies are taking heavy damage, as this will quickly charge your gauge. Activate the passive ability once it is full to turn the fight in your favor with enhanced move effects.

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Psyduck’s disruptive potential and synergy with various allies make it a must-try supporter in Pokemon Unite. Its blend of crowd control, repositioning, and area damage can effectively peel teammates or engage enemies, adapting to team needs.

Whether you are Bubble Beaming foes into oblivion or pulling them out of position with Psychic, Psyduck brings new strategic dimensions to the support role and could very well become a favorite among players.

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Check out other game-related articles here:

• Everything to know about the Goal Hacker in Pokemon Unite
• Is EX Pokemon leaving Pokemon Unite?
• Unite license tier list
• Unite Solo Queue licenses tier list
• Best Build for every Unite license
• Best Boost Emblems in the game
• Held Item tier list
• Battle Item tier list

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