As Niantic’s Pokemon GO cruises through its fifth-anniversary celebrations, the battle league is as popular and competitive as ever. But with so many new Pokemon and new or returning players, it can be hard to tell who is the very best there currently is. Here we break down the biggest hitters and scariest switches to face down in the 3v3 Great League battle arena so you can create your best team. 

Before beginning, it’s important to clarify three different types of Pokemon to give you the best chance of taking on your fellow trainer. Leaders are the most potent option for starting the battle. You might need to get intelligent with your shield for these monsters, but the punch they pack is often worth the sacrifice. Next, switchers are who you’ll be looking to when you’re outfoxed at the first hurdle and need to disrupt your opponent. Finally, closers are the safe pair of hands that can suck up the damage shield free and see out its foe.

With all that said, let’s get into the Pokemon GO Great League Tier List.

S Tier

• Galarian Stunkfisk – Switcher/Closer
• Azumarill – Closer
• Venasaur – Closer
• Medicham – Switcher
• Deoxys (Defense) – Leader

If you’re playing a lot of Great League, you’re going to see a lot of these Pokemon. Galarian Stunkfisk especially is the current bread and butter of the meta, with difficult to target Ground/Steel typing and thorough defensive stats. With so many other steel types, it’s no surprise to see Medicham in many teams, offering a solid and fast counter to Stunkfisk, Registeel and Bastiodon. Azumarill proves in this meta, as it has on the mainline games so often, to be a formidable foe with a high defense stat and powerful move options in Ice Beam, Play Rough or Hydro Pump. If you’re looking to hit hard from the outset, you will benefit from including at least one of these heavy hitters in your team.

A Tier

• Skarmory – Leader
• Machamp (Shadow) – Leader
• Registeel – Closer
• Altaria – Leader
• Umbreon – Switcher
• Alolan Marowak – Closer

They might not have made it to the top tier, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have some game-changing potential. Registeel is our second-highest ranked legendary, and its convenient typing and monster stats will annoy your opponent to no end. Altaria is, for once, king of the dragons and is an excellent choice for starting strong. Try a few of these A tier monsters in your team, and you’ll soon be flying up the rankings in PvP.

B Tier

• Bastiodon – Switcher
• Umbreon – Closer
• Jellicent – Leader
• Cresselia – Switcher
• Politoed – Switcher
• Forretress – Closer
• Lanturn – Closer

Some of these monsters have slightly fallen from grace with changes and new introductions to the meta, but they’re still well worth trying on your next team. Umbreon is a surprisingly reliable tank, and if you’ve got hold of one under 1500cp and with Community Day exclusive move Last Resort, then you’re really going to irritate your opponents. Bastiodon is a stalwart heavy attacker but has moved down the tables following the saturation of dynamic Fighting types. So if you need some filler in your team or there is a particular Pokemon you need to counter, try out these B-tier battlers.

C Tier

• Vigoroth – Closer
• Scyther – Switcher
• Mandibuzz – Switcher
• Alolan Ninetales – Leader/Switcher
• Mew – Switcher
• Abomasnow (Shadow) – Switcher

These might not exactly be your go-to picks for the Great League, but they can help you out in a jam or make some contribution if you’re still searching for that perfect Stunkfisk. Scyther is as quick as his speed stat would suggest, and when equipped with Aerial Ace, it’ll be the last thing your shieldless opponent will want to see if they’re reliant on a Venasaur or Machamp. Finally, Mew is our lowest featured legendary but has access to a wide movepool including Volt Switch, Ice Beam and Focus Blast and is a fun option to surprise your opponent. 

In conclusion, there are multiple options for your perfect trio here and even more suggestions that didn’t make the cut. Try using different line-ups and see what works for you, as no matter how good your team is, you’ll need to know your strategy and combinations before you start to really ascend the ranking ladder. As Pokemon GO continuously expands, we can expect to see more and more new monsters battling for a place in S rank, but for now, you can choose your favourites, catch ‘em, train ‘em and see if you can battle with the best.  

Pokemon GO is available on mobile devices.

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