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Pokemon GO's eighth season of its PvP Battle League is underway, and it has brought back the Premier Cup for its Ultra League.
Pokemon GO's most determined trainers are already formulating the best teams to open Season 8, and things look a little different than in previous seasons, especially with Premier Cup's restrictions. Some PvP staples are still here, such as Galarian Stunfisk, Jellicent, and Skarmory. However, a new slate of Pokemon are already making their way into Pokemon GO's Season 8 PvP meta.
When it comes to the best Pokemon GO Premier League teams, there's no perfect fit, but there's certain Pokemon that will take players over the top.
Pokemon GO: Top Pokemon for each team role
Because of Pokemon and Pokemon GO's nature as games, there's never a lights-out perfect team for PvP. Pokemon and move choices are not only based on a player's preference, but also their overall strategy.
Different roles or elemental types are prioritized, and that shifts the team balance significantly. However, for Pokemon GO trainers looking to find great picks within certain roles, the community has been hard at work.
Sites like PvPoke have already compiled statistics and are scoring Pokemon based on their performances in every mode in Battle League. Because of this, players have access to metrics that can measure the performance of Pokemon in the current Pokemon GO meta for each team role.
Before attempting a deep dive into the Pokemon themselves, the defined roles of a team should be explained. The team roles are defined like this:
- Leads: As the name implies, these Pokemon are the first into a battle in Pokemon GO. They can apply heavy pressure to opponents's shields and hold out in protracted battles until the right opportunity to switch arises.
- Closers: The direct opposite of Leads, Closers are meant to finish out fights against opponents. Often boasting superior defense and stamina stats, Closers can thrive even without the benefit of shielding and take down opponents often with sheer resilience. These Pokemon tend to be some of the most self-sufficient in Pokemon GO PvP.
- Switches: Is your Lead Pokemon in trouble? Not to worry, that's what Switches are for. Switches exist to bring players back from falling behind, and as such are used typically to bail a Lead Pokemon out of a bad matchup or type disadvantage.
- Chargers: Something of a utility role, Chargers are best used when powering up their charged moves quickly and effectively. Once they're charged up, they can use their charged move to devastate unshielded enemies. While situational, Chargers can pay off big in Pokemon GO Battle League.
- Attackers: Technically more of a category than an actual team role, attackers excel at dealing large amounts of damage both per second and overall. They're often bulky, and as a result can power through bad matchups and a lack of shielding.
With those roles defined, PvPoke has compiled a list of the top-scoring Pokemon and moves in each category for Pokemon GO's Premier Cup. Though these lists are not definitive, they may help players build their ideal team to go on a win streak themselves.
The full lists are available on PvPoke, but a condensed list of the categorical top 5s can be found below:
Leads
- XL Shadow Nidoqueen with Poison Jab, Poison Fang and Earth Power.
- XL Shadow Abomasnow with Powder Snow, Weather Ball and Energy Ball.
- XL Pidgeot with Gust, Feather Dance and Brave Bird.
- Shadow Swampert with Mud Shot, Hydro Cannon and Earthquake.
- XL Dragalge with Dragon Tail, Aqua Tail and Outrage.
Closers
- Shadow Electivire with Thunder Shock, Wild Charge and Ice Punch.
- Shadow Magnezone with Spark, Wild Charge and Mirror Shot.
- XL Galarian Stunfisk with Mud Shot, Rock Slide and Earthquake.
- XL Hitmontop with Counter, Close Combat and Stone Edge.
- XL Skarmory with Air Slash, Brave Bird and Sky Attack.
Switches
- XL Galarian Stunfisk with Mud Shot, Rock Slide and Earthquake.
- XL Shadow Nidoqueen with Poison Jab, Poison Fang and Earth Power.
- Roserade with Poison Jab, Weather Ball (Fire) and Leaf Storm.
- XL Dragalge with Dragon Tail, Aqua Tail and Outrage.
- Bouffalant with Mud Shot, Stomp and Skull Bash.
Chargers
- Sirfetch'd with Counter, Leaf Blade and Brave Bird.
- XL Shadow Nidoqueen with Poison Jab, Poison Fang and Earth Power.
- XL Shadow Abomasnow with Powder Snow, Weather Ball and Energy Ball.
- Roserade with Poison Jab, Weather Ball (Fire) and Leaf Storm.
- Swampert with Mud Shot, Hydro Cannon and Earthquake.
Attackers
- XL Jellicent with Hex, Bubble Beam and Shadow Ball.
- XL Steelix with Dragon Tail, Earthquake and Crunch.
- XL Dragalge with Dragon Tail, Aqua Tail and Outrage.
- XL Scrafty with Counter, Foul Play and Power-Up Punch.
- XL Skarmory with Air Slash, Brave Bird and Sky Attack.
This list is just the tip of the iceberg, as there's countless Pokemon and move combinations.
Read More: Shiny Meloetta rumored to arrive in Pokemon GO Fest 2021.
