Pokemon Go Master League team: Best Pokemon to use

The Master League is the ultimate challenge for competitive Pokemon Go players, so here are the best Pokemon to use and some recommendations for Go Battle League.

Pokemon Go players can test their skills in the competitive PvP mode known as Go Battle League. There are three leagues to compete in, with Master League being the toughest of them all. This also means it has the best rewards and practically no restrictions for the Pokemon trainers can use.

With a new season of Master League beginning in the Rising Heroes season of Pokemon Go, here are some recommendations for the best Pokemon to use.

• Best Pokemon for the Master League
• Best Team for the Master League
• Master League date & time

Best Pokemon for the Master League in Pokemon Go

Groudon

• Weaknesses: Grass, Ice, Water
• Resistances: Electric, Rock, Poison
• Best moveset: Mud Shot and Precipice Blades/Fire Punch

Groudon is a great asset for any team in the Pokemon Go Master League, especially if you caught it during a special event. Its massive bulk and extremely powerful attacks that benefit from STAB are perfect for dealing with powerful Steel and Fire-type Pokemon.

Mud Shot should be your Fast Move choice thanks to its power and quick energy generation. Precipice Blades is extremely powerful as a Charged Move, while Fire Punch is ideal for spamming and provides good coverage. With this arsenal, Groudon is perfect as both lead or closer in any battle.

Lugia

• Weaknesses: Rock, Ghost, Electric, Ice, Dark
• Resistances: Ground, Fighting, Grass, Psychic
• Best moveset: Dragon Tail and Sky Attack/Aeroblast

Lugia is another legendary Pokemon with great bulk and superb STAB moves. While it has many weaknesses, it can tank a lot of damage as well. Lugia also works very well with most of the Pokemon listed in this guide, so it can be a great addition to your team.

With Dragon Tail as Fast Move, Lugia will be able to deal massive damage with any Charged Move you choose. We recommend Sky Attack as a default for great STAB damage. Aeroblast can deal even more STAB damage, but maybe you’re looking for a coverage move, in which case Hydro Pump is your best choice.

Lugia will headline 5-Star Raids during the new Master League season, so be on the lookout.

Giratina

• Weaknesses: Ghost, Ice, Dark, Dragon, Fairy
• Resistances: Normal, Fighting, Poison, Bug, Fire, Water, Grass, Electric
• Best moveset: Shadow Claw and Dragon Claw/Ancient Power

Giratina has two different forms in Pokemon Go, but both of them will work great in any Master League team. The Origin form can have higher HP, which is what many competitive players look for in their Pokemon. Either way, with massive bulk and many resistances, Giratina is a force of nature.

Shadow Claw is the perfect Fast Move for both of Giratina’s forms. For the Altered form, Dragon Claw is a great Charged Move to spam and bait shields, while Ancient Power can boost stats and provide coverage. For Giratina’s Origin form, Shadow Ball can deal massive damage, while Ominous Wind will boost stats and deal STAB damage.

Giratina is one of those Pokemon that will leave a mark on your opponent no matter which turn you decide to use it.

Dragonite

• Weaknesses: Rock, Ice, Dragon, Fairy
• Resistances: Ground, Fighting, Bug, Fire, Water, Grass
• Best moveset: Dragon Breath and Dragon Claw/Superpower

Dragonite has been leading the Pokemon Go competitive scene since its early days and that hasn’t changed much even with big meta changes. It’s a great option for dealing with other Dragon-type Pokemon and can prove extremely useful for Steel types as well.

Dragon Breath and Dragon Claw are the best options for Fast and Charged Moves, respectively, thanks to the STAB. These attacks will deal tons of damage at quick intervals. If you have the chance to add another Charged Move, Superpower is a Steel-type destroyer that provides good coverage as well.

Meloetta

• Weaknesses: Bug, Dark
• Resistances: Ghost, Psychic
• Best moveset: Quick attack and Psyshock/Dazzling Gleam

With a max CP of almost 4000, Meloetta is a powerful Mythical Pokemon that surprised many Pokemon Go players. It’s extremely bulky for its slim figure and can take some of the most powerful Pokemon in the meta like it’s nothing. If you caught one through its Special Research, you might be in luck.

Meloetta’s best moveset should have Quick Attack as its Fast Move and Psyshock as its Charged Move. While Psyshock is great for STAB damage, you might also want to add Dazzling Gleam to Meloetta’s moveset for coverage.

Mewtwo

• Weaknesses: Bug, Ghost, Dark
• Resistances: Fighting, Psychic
• Best moveset: Psycho Cut and Psystrike/Shadow Ball

Any version of Mewtwo will work like magic in the Master League in Pokemon Go. Not only does it have powerful Stats, but it can also learn a huge variety of attacks to keep opponents on their toes. That said, you might want to reserve Mewtwo for the final stages of the fight since it’s not the bulkiest Pokemon on this list.

Psycho Cut is the ideal Fast Move for Mewtwo thanks to its fast energy generation. From there, we recommend using Psystrike and/or Shadow Ball as Charged Moves. The first one deals great STAB damage, while the second one is perfect for coverage from other Ghost-type Pokemon.

Zacian

• Weaknesses: Poison, Steel
• Resistances: Dragon, Fighting, Bug, Dark
• Best moveset: Snarl and Close Combat/Play Rough

Zacian has been a great addition to the Pokemon franchise since its first appearance in Pokemon Sword and Shield. The legendary Pokemon is now also a part of Pokemon Unite’s roster as a top-tier pick, just like in the Pokemon Go competitive PvP mode. Its type makes it a great asset for dealing with Dragon-type Pokemon.

Zacian’s moveset should have Snarl as its Fast Move to take advantage of its quick energy generation. Play Rough is a great Charged Move that can deal STAB damage and Close Combat provides coverage while also exerting tons of damage.

Melmetal

• Weaknesses: Fighting, Ground, Fire
• Resistances: Poison, Normal, Flying, Rock, Bug, Steel, Grass, Psychic, Ice, Dragon, Fairy
• Best moveset: Thunder Shock and Superpower/Double Iron Bash

Melmetal isn’t what it once was, but can still be a tough challenge in the Pokemon Go Master League. It’s currently the best Steel-type Pokemon to use, according to PvPoke, surpassing past top picks like Metagross.

While Thunder Shock is the only choice for Fast Move, Melmetal can learn a wide variety of Charged Moves from different types. We recommend the Ticketed Timed Research-exclusive Double Iron Bash for spamming STAB damage, and Superpower for some coverage.

Dialga

• Weaknesses: Fighting, Ground
• Resistances: Poison, Normal, Flying, Rock, Bug, Steel, Water, Grass, Electric, Psychic
• Best moveset: Dragon Breath and Iron Head/Draco Meteor

Dialga is another Pokemon that has seen better days in the Pokemon Go Master League. However, it’s still a great asset because it is one of the few Dragon-type Pokemon that isn’t weak against Fairy, Ice, or Dragon-type attacks.

You can’t go wrong with Dialga’s moveset because it has very limited options. Dragon Breath should be its Fast Move and Iron Head its Charged Move. If you have room and Candy for one more Charged Move, Draco Meteor will deal massive amounts of damage, but keep in mind that it will also affect Dialga’s Stats.

Togekiss

• Weaknesses: Poison, Rock, Steel, Electric, Ice
• Resistances: Ground, Dragon, Fighting, Bug, Grass, Dark
• Best moveset: Charm and Ancient Power/Flamethrower

Togekiss is a great alternative to Zacian for those who couldn’t get their hands on the legendary Pokemon. Having a Fairy type in your team can come in handy since there are a lot of Dragon-type Pokemon in the Master League.

For Togekiss’ moveset, you’ll want Charm as its Fast Move. While Togekiss has many different alternatives for that slot, no other attack will do much in battle. With the STAB damage covered there, Ancient Power and Flamethrower are great Charged Moves that provide coverage.

Gyarados

• Weaknesses: Rock, Electric
• Resistances: Ground, Fighting, Bug, Steel, Fire, Water
• Best moveset: Dragon Breath and Aqua Tail/Crunch

Gyarados has climbed the ranks in the last few seasons and can be a powerful ally both in its regular and Shadow forms. It’s also one of the few Pokemon in the Top 20 that isn’t Dragon, Ghost, or Fairy-type.

Gyarados’ moveset should have Dragon Breath as Fast Move and Aqua Tail as Charged Move for dealing great STAB damage. Crunch is a great option as a second Charged Move both for coverage and to debuff opponents.

Best Team for the Master League in Pokemon Go

With the above list of Pokemon in mind, the best team for the Pokemon Go Master League should include Mewtwo, Dialga, and Groudon.

Of course, including any of the Pokemon listed above will be great for your team composition. Keep in mind that there’s no ultimate team in Pokemon Go and every battle can go very differently depending on your opponent’s choices.

Pokemon Go Master League date & time

The Master League in Pokemon Go is currently active from Wednesday, March 29, 2023, until Wednesday, April 19, 2023. The Little Cup is taking place during this period before the new rotation starts.

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Image Credits: Niantic / The Pokemon Company