When you’ve cut your teeth in the Pokemon Go’s Great League, you’ll be ready for the exciting and dynamic Ultra League arena. Here, you’ll see a wider variety of Pokemon, teams, and tactics, but without the high-level chaos of the Master League.
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Because of the variety, the Ultra League’s Pokemon ranking is a lot more fluid and free. There’s a noticeable margin between the top ten and the rest, but it’s all fair game after that. Any Pokemon you train to the 2500CP level cap is a contender; the rest is just strategy (and a bit of luck, too).
Corviknight, Jellicent, And Skeledirge
A full coverage team with no easy counters. Giratina (Altered) is the enemy of both Jellicent and Skeledirge but is easy prey for Corviknight. You only need to know when to pivot and toss out another Pokemon to win with this team.
Corviknight XL
Skarmory has been dethroned as the Steel/Flying champion; now Corviknight sits atop the ranking. Weak to only Electric and Fire-type moves, you can easily cover this with your teammates’ typings. The result is a bulky, brick wall of a Pokemon. Corviknight’s only downside is that its best attacks– Sand Attack, Sky Attack, and Iron Head– charge slowly and are easily shielded against. So, try opening with Corviknight, scoping out your opponent, then pivoting to another teammate to lay on the shield pressure.
Jellicent XL
With a long list of resistances and few weaknesses, Jellicent is bulky and defensive. Perfect for spamming charged attacks and burning through shields, the Water/Ghost-type Pokemon uses Hex, Surf, and Shadow Ball. Use it to counter Skeledirge and Talonflame trying to take down your Corviknight, and bait out shields with Surf.
Skeledirge
As a Fire/Ghost type, Skeledirge has the most weaknesses of your team (five), but it hard counters Corviknight and Grumpig. Kit it with Incinerate, Torch Song, and Shadow Ball for a mix of shield pressure and high-damage attacks.
Grumpig, Lapras, And Talonflame
The B-team catches some of the best in the rankings but has far fewer resistances than the A-team. They’re perfect for mixing and matching to counter as you see fit.
Grumpig XL
After a few buffs, Grumpig XL has risen to second place in the PvPoke rankings. Dynamic Punch is the key here, giving it coverage and shield pressure. Along with Psywave and Shadowball, Grumpig is well-rounded and counters everything from Virizion and Lapras to Annihilape.
Lapras
Lapras does well in the Great League, and it does well here in Ultra League, too. With Psywave, it’s a Ghost-type counter, and Ice Beam makes it a Dragon-type and Water-type counter. Round it out with Sparkling Aria, and you have a versatile defender.
Talonflame XL
Talonflame is incredible at one special thing: KO-ing Corviknight. In a plain one-on-one, Talonflame can take out a Corviknight with barely a scratch. This volatile phoenix also counters Grumpig and Skeledirge, making it the perfect meta-breaker. Water-types like Lapras and Feraligatr are where it falters, so that’s where you pivot. Incinerate, Fly, and Flame Charge are its favored moves.
Feraligatr, Galarian Moltres, And Drapion
The C-team are an odd but potent bunch that’s good for switching in as your team demands.
Feraligatr (XL Or Shadow)
One of the few Pokemon countering Corviknight, Feraligatr does well simply because there are few high-ranking Grass or Electric types to counter it. With Shadow Claw, Hydro Cannon, and Ice Beam, you can counter the best Fire-types, Ghost-types, and Psychic-types with ease (which make up a big portion of the meta). Feraligatr’s only real enemies are Lapras and the fact that Feraligatr isn’t as bulky as the other contenders.
Galarian Moltres
As the top-ranking Dark-type, Galarian Moltres makes breakfast with the Skeledirge, Dusknoir, and Giratina on the meta– it even beats Corviknight. Its real enemies are Clefable, Primeape, and Steelix. Thankfully, its counters are rarely seen in high-level play, so it’s a great surprise pick to disrupt your enemy’s team. Use it with Sucker Punch, Brave Bird, and Ancient Power.
Drapion XL
With only a weakness to Ground attacks, Drapion is always a safe pick, with even Runerigas not carrying Sand Tomb in the current meta. With Poison Sting, Aqua Tail, and Crunch, Drapion is versatile and enjoys wins against most types across the board. Just watch out for Corviknight, Primeape, and Feraligatr.
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