10 best Great League teams for Pokemon GO World of Wonders

The Pokemon GO World of Wonders season has started, and players might be wondering what the best Great League teams are. Being the most accessible format of PvP combat, it also has the most number of options, which can lead to some confusion when coming up with suitable team compositions.

This article has some meta-friendly team suggestions for you.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinions. Attacks marked with a * are Legacy Moves and require an Elite TM

Best Great League teams in Pokemon GO Battle League Season 18

1) Goodra, Lanturn, and Skarmory

Goodra, Lanturn, and Skarmory (Image via TPC)

Pokemon	Role	Fast Attack	Charged Attacks
Goodra	Lead	Dragon Breath	Aqua Tail and Power Whip
Lanturn	Switch	Spark	Thunderbolt and Surf
Skarmory	Closer	Steel Wing	Brave Bird and Sky Attack

Goodra received a new move in the GBL Season 18 balance changes. With Aqua Tail in its kitty, it is one of the best Dragon-types in Pokemon GO's Great League. It also has excellent coverage into all the prevalent Water/Ground-types, such as Whiscash, Quagsire, and Swampert, with Power Whip.

If you see a negative lead with Goodra, you can switch into Lanturn or Skarmory, as they cover different weaknesses. Both these critters feature decent bulk and the ability to hit their enemies for substantial damage. Overall, this team is well-balanced in terms of offense and defense.

2) Tropius, Shadow Poliwrath, and Feraligatr

Tropius, Shadow Poliwrath, and Feraligatr (Image via TPC)

Pokemon	Role	Fast Attack	Charged Attacks
Tropius	Lead	Air Slash	Leaf Blade and Aerial Ace
Shadow Poliwrath	Switch	Counter*	Icy Wind and Scald
Feraligatr	Closer	Shadow Claw	Hydro Cannon* and Ice Beam

Tropius is an uncommon Great League, but with two Water-types at the back, it has great value in the lead. It can counter prevalent Fighiting and Water-types, while also taking care of opposing Water-types.

Poliwrath is a powerful pick that has emerged after the addition of Counter, Icy Wind, and Scald to its moveset over the last year. To close this Pokemon GO Great League team out, you have Feraligatr with its new Fast Attack Shadow Claw. The Johto Water starter deals absurd amounts of damage in the endgame, and only few opponents can counter it.

3) Shadow Dragonair, Galarian Stunfisk, and Shadow Gallade

Shadow Dragonair, Galarian Stunfisk, and Shadow Gallade (Image via TPC)

Pokemon	Role	Fast Attack	Charged Attacks
Shadow Dragonair	Lead	Dragon Breath	Body Slam and Aqua Tail
Galarian Stunfisk	Switch	Mud Shot	Rock Slide and Earthquake
Shadow Gallade	Closer	Psycho Cut	Leaf Blade and Close Combat

Shadow Gallade is the star of this team. With Psycho Cut, it has the best pacing in Pokemon GO's Great League right now. The only critter that can match its speed is Greedent with Mud Shot and Body Slam. However, the latter has only a fraction of Shadow Gallade's damage output. With a shield advantage, there are barely any opponents Shadow Gallade cannot take down.

To support it, you have Shadow Dragonair and Galarian Stunfisk, both Great League staples that pair well with each other.

4) Annihilape, Cresselia, and Bastiodon

Annihilape, Cresselia, and Bastiodon (Image via TPC)

Pokemon	Role	Fast Attack	Charged Attacks
Annihilape	Lead	Counter	Ice Punch and Shadow Ball
Cresselia	Switch	Psycho Cut	Grass Knot* and Moonblast
Bastiodon	Closer	Smack Down	Stone Edge and Flamethrower

Annihilape in Pokemon GO is a relatively new addition, and the critter has already made its mark in all formats of GO Battle League. This Ghost and Fighting-type Pocket Monster can hit hard and tank hits with equal proficiency, making it an instant hit. It is also the only Counter-user that resists Counter damage.

As good as Annihilape is, it is not without its weaknesses. Depending on what lead you face, you can either stay in the battle or switch into Bastiodon or Cresselia, which have their respective strengths. What the two have in common is their massive bulks.

While Bastiodon is more alignment dependent, if you switch something that Annihilape is weak to, you are more likely than not to be able to hard counter that Pocket Monster. Cresselia can be considered the master of neutral matchups thanks to its versatile moveset and aforementioned bulk.

5) Cradily, Poliwrath, and Skeledirge

Cradily, Poliwrath, and Skeledirge (Image via TPC)

Pokemon	Role	Fast Attack	Charged Attacks
Cradily	Lead	Bullet Seed	Grass Knot and Rock Slide
Poliwrath	Switch	Counter*	Scald and Icy Wind
Skeledirge	Closer	Incinerate	Disarming Voice and Shadow Ball

Cradily is a powerful creature as its Grass and Rock-type gives it an interesting set of weaknesses and resistances. Additionally, the ability to hit Water/Ground-types, like Swampert, Whiscash, and Quagsire, for double super-effective damage makes it a really powerful lead pick.

Poliwrath covers Cradily's weaknesses fairly well, being able to hit them at least neutrally. Access to Icy Wind helps this critter sustain itself even in the absence of shields since it can debuff incoming damage. Combine that with the offensive pressure Poliwrath has with STAB Counter and Scald, this is a safe swap that is going to win you switch advantage more often than not.

Skeledirge has emerged as one of the best starter picks in Pokemon GO Battle League. The Incinerate buffs from Season 17, alongside access to Disarming Voice means Skeledirge can hit nearly every creature in the format extremely hard.

6) Whiscash, Greedent, and Skarmory

Whiscash, Greedent, and Skarmory (Image via TPC)

Pokemon	Role	Fast Attack	Charged Attacks
Whiscash	Lead	Mud Shot	Mud Bomb and Scald
Greedent	Switch	Mud Shot	Body Slam and Trailblaze
Skarmory	Closer	Steel Wing	Sky Attack and Brave Bird

Whiscash has only one weakness: Grass. Therefore, sending it out as a lead is a good idea since it can tank most incoming damage well. In the current season of Pokemon GO Battle League, it gained access to Scald, a move that now also deals more damage than before.

The safe switch for this team is Greedent, which has the potential to threaten shields or deal massive chip damage thanks to Trailblaze, which boosts the user's Attack. As the closer, this team has Skarmory. It is currently one of the highest-rated Pocket Monsters in the format, according to PvPoke, owing to the buffs to Steel Wing in the last season.

7) Lanturn, Talonflame, and Vigoroth

Lanturn, Talonflame, and Vigoroth (Image via TPC)

Pokemon	Role	Fast Attack	Charged Attacks
Lanturn	Lead	Spark	Surf and Thunderbolt
Talonflame	Switch	Incinerate*	Fly and Flame Charge
Vigoroth	Closer	Counter	Body Slam and Rock Slide

Although Water Gun Lanturn seems to be more in fashion now, this team, with Spark Lanturn in the lead, can do very well in the Pokemon GO Battle League's Season 18 Great League meta.

Talonflame had also received a massive buff, with the damage buff to Incinerate and the critter gaining access to Fly, which doesn't leave it with severely lowered defenses. If you are met with a Grass or Ground-type counter with Lanturn, you can safely switch into Talonflame.

Vigoroth, as a closer, ties this team up. It now has access to Rock Slide, a massive step up from Bulldoze, as it deals nearly the same amount of damage at a similar energy cost.

8) Swampert, Clodsire, and Mandibuzz

Swampert, Clodsire, and Mandibuzz (Image via TPC)

Pokemon	Role	Fast Attack	Charged Attacks
Swampert	Lead	Mud Shot	Hydro Cannon* and Earthquake
Clodsire	Switch	Poison Sting	Earthquake and Sludge Bomb
Mandibuzz	Closer	Snarl	Dark Pulse and Aerial Ace

Swampert has been a Pokemon GO Battle League classic for many seasons now. It has many winning matchups with popular lead picks in the Great League. Poison Sting Clodsire, as well as Mandibuzz, are brilliant answers to Grass-types that might threaten Swampert.

Despite Megahorn being virtually useless, Clodsire has seen an increasing pick rate in Pokemon GO Battle League thanks to its bulk and closing capacity. Mandibuzz is also a tanky critter who found the limelight thanks to the Aerian Ace buff in Season 16.

9) Shadow Dragonair, Carbink, and Medicham

Shadow Dragonair, Carbink, and Medicham (Image via TPC)

Pokemon	Role	Fast Attack	Charged Attacks
Shadow Dragonair	Lead	Dragon Breath	Aqua Tail and Body Slam
Carbink	Switch	Rock Throw	Moonblast and Rock Slide
Medicham	Closer	Counter	Ice Punch and Dynamic Punch

Shadow Dragonair may be frail defensively, but it has fantastic offensive potential. The critter can exert tremendous offensive pressure on the opponent's shields as long as you are not met with a Fairy or Ice-type Pocket Monster.

If it is the latter, you have Carbink as a safe switch. It can also do well against Fairies if you are willing to spare shields for it. To close out this team, there is Medicham. This Pocket Monster has been such a dominant force in the Great League meta that it has been nerfed constantly across seasons. Despite the balance changes over the last two seasons, it remains fantastic at closing type matches with its Fighting-type attacks.

10) Umbreon, Cresselia, and Serperior

Umbreon, Cresselia, and Serperior (Image via TPC)

Pokemon	Role	Fast Attack	Charged Attacks
Umbreon	Lead	Snarl	Foul Play and Last Resort*
Cresselia	Switch	Psycho Cut	Grass Knot* and Moonblast
Serperior	Closer	Vine Whip	Aerial Ace and Frenzy Plant*

This team is all about bulk. Feel free to switch between Umbreon and Serperior as the lead since both of them have solid matchups against the Pokemon GO Battle League season 17 Great League meta.

A Cresselia can be a safe switch or an endgame closer since its viability is not dependent on the number of shields available. If you play this team strategically, you can also turn around many potentially unfavorable

Pokemon GO Great League Season 18 Schedule

The open Great League will be available during the following periods over the course of the World of Wonders season:

March 1 - March 8
March 22 - March 29
March 29 - April 5
April 19 - April 26
April 26 - May 3
May 21 - June 1

Check out our other Pokemon GO guides: