Pokemon Go‘s Battle League has introduced thousands of players to the game’s competitive play system. While PvP battles has been part of Pokemon Go for almost a year, it struggled to catch on due to the limitations of either needing to be friends with the person you wanted to battle against or needing to be in close proximity to your rival trainer. That all changed with the addition of the Battle League yesterday, a new ranked online system that matches Pokemon Go players for battles, with a chance to earn Stardust and other prizes.
The Battle League will cycle between the game’s three different leagues, each of which have different CP requirements. Right now, the Battle League is focused on the Great League, which means that your Pokemon can only have a CP of 1,500 or lower. This means that some interesting Pokemon could wind up as the powerhouses on your team. Here are some of the best Pokemon to use in Great League battles in Pokemon Go.
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Skarmory
Skarmory is one of the best Pokemon to use in the Great League due to its hefty HP and Defense stats, plus its ton of resistances. As a Steel-type Pokemon, Skarmory is resistant to most types of attacks, making it a great Pokemon to use to lead off a battle. Skarmory works best armed with all Flying-type attacks, although you may want to add the Steel-type charge move Flash Cannon to maximize its coverage area. Skarmory can take out any Grass-type Pokemon with ease, and its bulk allows it to absorb most charge attacks without spending a shield.
Azumarill
Because of how many resistances Steel-type Pokemon have, you’ll likely see a lot of Steel-type Pokemon in play in the Great League. Several Steel-type Pokemon are weak to Water-type attacks, which is one of the reasons why Azumarill is such an effective Pokemon. Azumarill has a lot of bulk, resistances to seven different types of attacks, and several solid charge attacks that can hit several of the big players in the Great League. Any of Azumarill’s three charge moves (Play Rough, Ice Beam, or Hydro Pump) can be used to cover your team’s weaknesses, so try to plan accordingly.ย
Medicham
Medicham is a Pokemon that could only thrive in the Great League. This Fighting/Psychic-type Pokemon maxes out with a CP of 1431 and has weaknesses against Fairy, Ghost, and Flying-type attacks. However, Medicham also has access to several buff/debuff charge attacks, including the must-have Power Up Punch, a charge attack that is guaranteed to boost your Medicham’s attack. Medicham needs two charge attacks to be effective, so aim for Ice Punch if you want it to counter Flying-type or Dragon-type Pokemon, or Psychic if you want to clear out Pokemon like Azumarill or another Medicham.ย
Lanturn
Thanks to its unique Water/Electric-typing, Lanturn is a great Pokemon to provide coverage and has a decent amount of bulk. Lanturn’s main strength is that its strong against a lot of Pokemon commonly used in Great League, especially Steel-type Pokemon and Flying-type Pokemon. Its strongest moveset is a Water Gun/Thunderbolt combo, but you should also add Hydro Pump as a second charge move to maximize Lanturn’s ability to outmanuever your opponents.ย
Registeel
While the Regi-trio get a lot of flak as worthless legendary Pokemon, Registeel is actually one of the most effective Pokemon in the Great League if its equipped with Lock-On. Lock-On does a minimal amount of damage, but it causes Charge attacks to ready a lot quicker, meaning that Registeel can dish out a lot of damage very fast. With resistances to 11 different types and a ton of bulk, Registeel can absorb a lot of attacks while hitting Pokemon with a devastating Focus Blast or Flash Cannon. Be sure to keep a Flying-type Pokemon on hand to pair with Registeel to counter any Fighting-type or Ground-type Pokemon that could possibly take Registeel down.
Bastiodon
Bastiodon is another Steel-type Pokemon with a ton of resistances and a diverse moveset that can help provide coverage. As a Rock-type Pokemon, Bastiodon can easily dispatch Flying-type Pokemon, but it can also use Flamethrower to hit other Steel-type Pokemon, or Ice-type and Grass-type Pokemon. While it has some glaring weaknesses, there’s enough benefits to building up a Bastiodon for your Great League provided you have the candies on your team.ย
