Pokemon Go’s battle arena is always evolving. With each update comes new challengers, throwing the meta into disarray and dethroning old champions. Even those shiny legendary Pokemon you tried so hard to catch may be out of style in the arena.
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If you’re new to it, the Great League is where you’ll start. The level cap is only 1500, and it’s not hard to put a good team together. Of course, that’s only the beginning of your journey to being the very best, but the tips, tricks, and rewards will come later.
Mandibuzz, Clodsire, And Lapras
The top three of the PvPoke rankings also form a stellar team, making up for each other’s weaknesses and carrying a bevy of resistances too.
Mandibuzz
Sitting at the top of the current ranking, and with exceptional stamina and a diverse movepool, Mandibuzz serves as a reliable defender.
Fitted with Snarl, Aerial Ace and Dark Pulse, it counters tough customers like Feraligator, Clodsire, and Diggersby. Not to mention it’s resistant to Ghost, Psychic, and Fighting types.
Clodsire
Clodsire is second in the current ranking, and should be paired with Poison Sting, Earthquake, and Sludge Bomb.
Its resistance to Electric and Rock attacks makes it a perfect tag-in for when Mandibuzz is being countered. Use it to counter Primeapes and Wigglytuffs.
Lapras
Lastly, Mandibuzz and Clodsire are both vaporized when faced with an Ice-type, making other Laprases their biggest enemy.
A Lapras is often kitted with Psy-Wave, Ice Beam, and Sparkling Aria, but Ice Shard is viable too, if you have it. Use Lapras to counter other Mandibuzzes and Clodsires.
Malamar, Shadow Dusknoir, And Morpeko (Full Belly)
If you haven’t caught and trained the Pokemon in team 1, these Pokemon are the best alternatives, and fit together as one of the best teams too.
Malamar
Lapras, Clodsire, and Diggersby are among the most popular Pokemon in the Great League, but they all fall to a Malamar.
Use Malamar first in your team with the fast-charging Psywave to prepare Superpower and Foul Play, then burn their shields with these spam attacks.
Malamar’s biggest counters are Mandibuzz, Azumarill, and Primeape.
Shadow Dusknoir
Dusclops XL and Galarian Corsola are also great Ghost-type picks to round out this team with. They all have unique types of attacks to fill out your coverage– Dusclops has Ice Punch, while Galarian Corsola has Power Gem– but Shadow Dusknoir’s Dynamic Punch tends to be the most useful, especially in this team.
Astonish and Shadow Punch are generally not used for their super-effective matchups, and instead fill Shadow Dusknoir out as a versatile team member. These quick moves take extra advantage of the 20% attack bonus from being a Shadow Pokemon.
Morpeko (Full Belly)
Morpeko is considered the best electric Pokemon for the Great League right now, making it the perfect counter to high rankers like Lapras and Mandibuzz.
Thunder Shock, Aura Wheel, and Psychic Fangs are the best picks for Morpeko, with Psychic Fangs being perfect for drawing out shields too.
Shadow Galarian Wheezing, And Annihilape
There are also a couple of other extras to consider in your team.
Shadow Galarian Wheezing
Second only to Clodsire, Shadow Galarian Wheezing beats out old favourites like Drapion and Toxapex in the Poison type ranking. Their coverage as Fairy-types, along with their Dark-type move Brutal Swing make them perfect counters to Mandibuzz, Primeape, and Annihilape.
That said, they are weak to Ground-types, so Clodsire and Diggersby are their biggest fears. Round out their kit with Fairy Wind and Sludge for a dynamic teammate.
Annihilape
Annilhilape is new to the meta, but their unique typing makes them tough to counter. Ghost, Fairy, Flying, and Psychic are their weaknesses, while they have far more resistances.
Counter, Rage Fist, and Ice Punch give them great coverage against Morpeko (Full Belly), Lapras, and Corviknight. Their one downside is that they’re a glass cannon, and will be KO-ed by Mandibuzz and other Ghost-types.
It’s safe to invest in these Pokemon now, as they’re at the top of the food chain. When the meta changes, you can mix and match these Pokemon to keep climbing that competitive ladder. And for more help with your climb, check out our Battle League Guide.
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