Andrey "Wayfarer" Dovbysh Pokémon GO has undoubtedly become a breakthrough in the augmented reality gaming market and a realization of fans' dreams of continuing the legendary franchise on smartphones. The ability to feel like a Pokémon trainer without the need to buy a Nintendo console has been a decisive factor in Pokémon GO's popularity in regions where these consoles aren't as popular.
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Furthermore, unlike its predecessors, Pokémon GO offers a broad range of competitive options with real people through PVP mechanics, which has also captured the attention of fans. In this article, we will discuss the best Pokémon to use in the Great League in Pokémon GO PVP.
What is the Great League
The Great League is a Pokémon GO battle league that allows teams of three Pokémon with a maximum combat power of 1500. This means that even unevolved Pokémon can participate, making the league accessible even to beginners. Winning in this battle league depends on having a profound knowledge of your Pokémon's strengths and weaknesses, a strategic team composition for the competition, and sometimes just plain luck, which allows outpicking the opponent at the start of the match.
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Nevertheless, after millions of battles, the Pokémon GO community has identified certain Pokémon that are particularly well-suited for the Great League PVP format. These are often Pokémon with balanced attack, defense, and stamina stats, strong quick and charged attacks, as well as a wide array of immunities and resistances. Below, we will explore some of the most noteworthy among these Pokémon.
The best Pokémon to participate in the Great League
Azumarill
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Azumarill boasts strong stamina and defense stats, making it a solid choice for both defensive and offensive strategies in matches.
Additionally, its charged abilities, Play Rough and Ice Beam, deal significant damage to dragon, flying, and ground types of Pokémon (for example, the popular Great League contenders Altaria and Swampert). Its quick attack, Bubble, inflicts heavy damage and facilitates the rapid accumulation of charged attacks. Therefore, Azumarill's versatility allows it to be used in various combinations with other Pokémon.
Bastiodon
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The similarity to the word "bastion" is no coincidence, as Bastiodon possesses phenomenal health and stamina reserves, along with the ability Shield Bash, which temporarily increases its defense stats. This makes the Pokémon indispensable in defensive match strategies and a strong counterpick against Pokémon with high damage from charged attacks.
Furthermore, its charged abilities, Stone Edge and Flamethrower, allow Bastiodon to inflict significant damage on dragon, flying, grass, and ice types, which are widely sought after in PVP in Pokémon GO.
Skarmory
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Flying Pokémon are advantageous in PVP due to flight, which offers the ability to vary tactical battle schemes and evade the opponent's charged attacks.
Skarmory is a good choice for these purposes, as, in addition to flight, this Pokémon has a steel type, good defense, and speed. Add to this its charged attacks, Sky Attack and Flash Cannon, and you have a versatile machine capable of taking down various types of opponents.
Medicham
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This fighting and psychic type Pokémon possesses high attack and speed, making it an excellent choice for PVP battles, especially against Pokémon with weak defense. Medicham has access to the quick attack Counter and the charged attack Ice Punch, which can deal significant damage to the opponent. Thanks to its high attack stats, Medicham is well-suited for an offensive PVP style.
Registeel
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Another powerful tank option is Registeel. This steel Pokémon has high defense and stamina stats, making Registeel one of the best choices for a defensive playstyle. But it's not just good for defense – its powerful charged attacks, Hyper Beam and Focus Blast, can knock out even the toughest opponents. A great choice for wearing down an opponent and delivering a devastating blow!
Deoxys (defense form)
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Another option for a team playing defensively. Deoxys in its defense form is a psychic type Pokémon with high defense and speed. A solid choice for PVP battles. The combination of electric, psychic, and rock-type charged attacks allows it not only to defend effectively but also to inflict significant damage to almost all existing types of Pokémon.
Swampert
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Swampert is a balanced option for any team thanks to its good attack, defense, and stamina stats. Its water and ground types provide good resistance to most types of attacks (except grass), and the combination of Mud Shot and Hydro Cannon attacks can cause trouble for many typical Pokémon pairings in PVP. This gives Swampert flexibility in potential uses in PVP battles in Pokémon GO.
Umbreon
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A dark-type Pokémon with strong defense and stamina stats, capable of inflicting huge damage on psychic and ghost-type Pokémon. Its quick attacks, Snarl and Feint Attack, provide a good energy gain for using charged attacks like Dark Pulse and Foul Play, which have an excellent damage per second ratio. Therefore, Umbreon is well-suited both as an offensive player and as an surprise for the opponent.
Galarian Stunfisk
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A real trap for the unwary beginner! Don't be fooled by its average defense and attack stats — its outstanding stamina allows it to withstand prolonged encounters while remaining combat-ready. The ground and steel-type attacks (including Mud Shot and Earthquake) can make it challenging for the opponent to overcome this tenacious Pokémon.
Altaria
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Don't let its cute, plush cloud appearance fool you! Altaria is a formidable dragon and flying-type Pokémon with an excellent set of offensive abilities and good defense.
Altaria's flexibility is enhanced by its many resistances to damage types and excellent quick attacks, Dragon Breath and Peck. These ensure a steady energy gain for charged attacks, among which Dragon Pulse and Sky Attack are excellent for battling both dragon Pokémon and a wide array of other types.
Types of Pokémon for success in Great League PVP
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The Pokémon listed above are strong in PVP, but using them indiscriminately does not guarantee victory. There's always the risk of encountering an opponent who has chosen Pokémon with attack types to which your Pokémon are vulnerable. To minimize the likelihood of this happening, an additional classification of Pokémon for PVP is outlined:
Lead: The perfect choice to start the battle. These Pokémon usually have good offensive and defensive stats, allowing the player to either set the pace of the fight or withstand the initial pressure to later seize the initiative. Examples include Medicham, Swampert, and Cresselia.
Safe Switch: Used when the opponent's Pokémon completely overpowers yours due to vulnerabilities and immunities. In this case, a substitute enters the fray, which either counters the opponent's Pokémon directly or switches (hence the name) the pace of the fight to one more comfortable for the player. Popular Pokémon for this role are Feraligatr, Sableye, and Vigoroth.
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Attackers: These Pokémon are useful for putting pressure on the opponent when they still have shields, and you do not. Of course, this requires superior attack stats and powerful abilities. Attacker options include Bastiodon, Skarmory, and Registeel.
Closers: Powerful attacks or armor are the secrets to these Pokémon's success in situations where both trainers have no shields left and need to clinch the victory. To finish the match in your favor, consider using Registeel, Skarmory, and Carbink.
Useful tips for choosing Pokémon in Great League Pokémon Go
The strength of a true Pokémon trainer lies not in following the game's meta but in creatively adapting to each specific case. To achieve good results in the Great League, remember the following:
Create tactically flexible combinations. Relying on one imbalanced combination of characters is a direct path to defeat in the long run. Compose your trio of Pokémon so that an unsuccessful first battle does not ruin the entire match.
Use Pokémon of different elements. Each has its vulnerabilities and resistances, but combining them allows you to adjust your battle tactics on the fly. Otherwise, there's a high chance of encountering a counter-pick with dismal results for you.
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Do not neglect defense. Very often, beginners in Pokémon GO try to pick a "glass cannon" that can quickly take out enemy Pokémon — and such a cannon breaks against teams with high defense stats. At least one of your Pokémon should be capable of tanking damage, especially from the opponent's charged attacks.
Think outside the box. We intentionally do not provide possible Pokémon combinations in this article because only a player's creative approach will help win in PVP. Create unconventional combinations (including with non-meta Pokémon), try different elements — the path to victory is rarely straightforward, but that makes it all the more interesting!
We've shared our selection of Pokémon for the Great League in Pokémon GO. We hope this material helps you create your unique winning Pokémon combinations and become a new star in the Pokémon GO arena!
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