Pokemon GO Ninetails: How to get, PvP guide, best movesets & more

With Pokemon GO's Halloween event wrapping up, trainers everywhere are checking off the latest entries on the collection challenges. One of the many creatures players may have encountered on their journey is the limited-time costumed Vulpix and Ninetales exclusive to this autumnal celebration.

While many will just assume these costumed variants are only good for filling a spot in the Pokedex, some may want to take things a step further and experiment with them in the mobile title's competitive Battle League mode. However, given the high stakes many hold in regards to this game mode, trainers may want to do their research.

So is there any desirable trait for Ninetales in Pokemon GO? This becomes a tricky question to answer given the many different strengths and weaknesses each different creature in the game possesses. Along with that, there are three different tiers trainers can partake in. So how well does Ninetales stack against the competition?

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Ninetales in Pokemon GO: An Analysis

Official artwork for the second half of Pokemon GO's Halloween event featuring Ninetales and Vulpix (Image via Niantic)

The first thing to know about the standard form of Ninetales, which most players will have access to in Pokemon GO following the Halloween event, is its typing. Ninetales is a pure Fire-type Pokemon. This puts it at an advantage against Ice, Grass, Bug, and most importantly, Steel-type Pokemon.

Due to how present Steel-types are in the Great League, Ninetales has the potential to be one of the best anti-defensive carries in the game. While it has the typing to do so, it is lacking in other places such as its stats. Its highest stat is its defense sitting at 190. This greatly dampens the offensive potency this type is known for.

Its attacking stats of 169 is not the worst in the tier; however, it fails to provide it with the damaging potential to carry it in fights against types that it deals neutral damage to such as Fighting or Electric. With other contenders like Charizard and Typhlosion, there are simply better choices for Fire-type.

This has been amended by the existence of its Shadow variant which can be received from Team GO Rocket grunts. Since this variant is a bit difficult to come by at the moment, it is unlikely that players will have access to one. As the Shadow Bonus boosts Ninetales' attack power, it makes it slightly more viable.

In terms of its best moveset, Ninetales has a surprising amount of options. In terms of dealing the most damage possible, players may want to invest in a combination of Ember for a fast attack and Weather Ball for a charged attack. For those with the resources for a second charged slot, invest in Solar Beam.

Given Ninetales' low stat total and low maximum combat power, it will have the highest chance of success in Pokemon GO's Great League. Though experienced battlers may be able to get away with it in the Ultra League, there are much better options for Fire-types. Ultimately, Ninetales should just be caught to fill its page in the Pokedex rather than being used in battles.