Introduction
Welcome to GO Battle League! Whether you're just getting started or have some experience, building teams can be really hard, especially for a format you don't have much experience in. Below, we've got a couple of teams that you can try to throw together to get started. A few notes before the teams:
- Running all 3 moves on these Pokémon is very important unless otherwise specified. Without them, your Pokémon will not be able to hold the same coverage, and the team will be less coherent as a whole. If you’re not able to 3move some of the Pokémon in the Advanced section, consider just sticking to cheaper picks while you save up.
- Unless otherwise specified, these teams have no specific lead. Just use what works, and don't take the order listed here as how you should run them.
- Don't be afraid to go off script and test things out! Most Pokémon pages here on GamePress have their own recommended PvP movesets that you can look into, and PvPoke is also a great resource. Don't have one Pokémon? Try out some other things in the same slot. However, generally, the moves recommended are recommended for a reason, so start with these if you can!
- Finally, and most importantly, don't stress too much about losing. Improvement is a long road filled with lots of sucking, and that's okay. Even if you're just playing to farm rewards, you'll improve over time! Just have fun!
Budget Teams
“What’s a good cheap PvP team?” “I don’t have that much dust, how do I get into GBL?” These questions show up a lot in PvP chats, and here are a few ways to answer it!
As a note, there aren't that many strong Pokémon that only cost 10,000 dust to 3move. Whiscash, Skarmory, Victreebel, Obstagoon, Sunny Cherrim, Alolan Raichu, Wigglytuff, and Clefable are all notable ones, though. Additionally, if you have access to their legacy moves, Swampert, Meganium, and Venusaur are all really strong, but were left off to make these teams more acessible.
- Whiscash: Mud Shot + Mud Bomb and Blizzard
- Skarmory: Air Slash + Sky Attack
- Galvantula: Volt Switch + Discharge and Lunge
Skarmory’s a very powerful budget Pokémon because it can basically skip out on running a second charged move. Brave Bird is a powerful all-in nuke, but you do so much of your work straight Sky Attack. Whiscash is your only real answer to Galarian Stunfisk, so be careful with your positioning! Lead with Whiscash and only switch out to Galvantula if you encounter a Grass lead. If they have a Stunfisk in the back they will most likely bring it out right here: you can debuff it with Galvantula, and then farm some energy on Whiscash to threaten the incoming Grass-type with Blizzard. With Stunfisk out of the picture, Skarmory might be set up to sweep in the back!
- Wigglytuff: Charm + Ice Beam and Play Rough
- Sunny Cherrim: Bullet Seed + Weather Ball and Solar Beam
- Hypno: Confusion + Fire Punch and Thunder Punch
Hypno is one of the best safe swaps in Great League. With great bulk, and an incredibly versatile moveset, it can do well against almost anything. This specific Hypno is set up to play against Galarian Stunfisk and Azumarill, though the Electric+Fire combination’s just generally pretty good — keep in mind that other Hypno may be running Shadow Ball, so if they’re throwing more Confusions than it takes to get to an elemental punch, watch out!
- Obstagoon: Counter + Night Slash and Gunk Shot or Cross Chop
- Skarmory: Air Slash + Sky Attack
- Victreebel: Razor Leaf + Leaf Blade
Obstagoon to answer Galarian Stunfisk and Bastiodon, Victreebel to handle Azumarill, and Skarmory because Skarmory’s just really good. Both Victreebel and Skarmory cover Obsta’s main weaknesses to Fairy and Fighting. Obstagoon can either run Gunk Shot for a super effective hit on Azumarill, or Cross Chop to help out against Dark- and Steel-types.
- Altaria: Dragon Breath + Sky Attack and Dragon Pulse
- Whiscash: Mud Shot + Mud Bomb and Blizzard
- Victreebel: Razor Leaf + Leaf Blade
Probably the most budget friendly of the teams on this list (if you have the candy to evolve an Altaria), do note that Skarmory can also function in the Altaria slot. Victreebel’s your only clean answer to Azumarill here. If you lose lead, swap to Whiscash.
Advanced Teams
If you have a bit more experience, or a lot more dust to throw around, your options expand significantly. Make sure to 3move your Pokémon before using them!
- Bastiodon: Smack Down + Stone Edge and Flamethrower
- Victreebel: Razor Leaf + Leaf Blade (and Sludge Bomb)
- Cherrim: Razor Leaf + Weather Ball
Everyone’s least favorite team, termed “Grasshole”, isn’t exactly cheap but it’s very easy to pilot, and it’s grown more popular than ever. Note that Cherrim can be replaced with pretty much any other Razor Leafer with basically the same effect, be it Shadow Grotle or Tropius. Lead Bastiodon, and if you catch a lead that’s weak to Grass or Fighting, switch to Cherrim (or whatever your second Razor Leafer is). When they switch to a Flying-type to counter it, let it go down and then go back into your Bastiodon to farm it down. You’ll get wins from this team, but you’re not going to make friends. Even if you're not running it, keep in mind that it's popular enough that you need to make sure your team doesn't autolose to it.
- Umbreon: Snarl + Foul Play and Last Resort*
- Meganium: Vine Whip + Frenzy Plant* and Earthquake
- Machamp: Counter + Cross Chop and Rock Slide
Played to Rank 10 by our own Lorma96, this team shows the power of Umbreon lead with Meganium as a closer. In short: Shadow Machamp is your primary safe switch (though non-Shadow can also work in a pinch). For a more thorough guide on how to play against different leads, click here!
- Galarian Stunfisk: Mud Shot + Rock Slide and Earthquake
- Skarmory: Air Slash + Sky Attack and Brave Bird
- Azumarill: Bubble + Ice Beam and Hydro Pump
Two of the most powerful Great League cores available just crammed into one team. Turns out it’s pretty good! Galarian Stunfisk is, without question, one of the best Pokémon in Great League if you can get your hands on one. Azu’s your safe switch if you lose lead!
- Abomasnow: Powder Snow + Weather Ball and Energy Ball
- Azumarill: Bubble + Play Rough and Hydro Pump
- Alolan Marowak: Fire Spin + Bone Club and Shadow Bone* or Shadow Ball
Abomasnow’s an impressively versatile mon! It’s a Grass-type that’s great against other Grass-types, but also has play against Flyings! It’s especially powerful against Altaria (which is 4x weak to its Ice-type attacks!) Even more exciting, the Shadow variant can even beat Skarmory in the 1shield, so consider using that if you’ve got it available. Alolan Marowak likes its raid day move in Shadow Bone, but it can do just fine with Shadow Ball if that’s what you have. Azumarill runs Play Rough here over Ice Beam to give you a bit of extra play against opposing Azumarill, but run whatever feels best.
Galarian Stunfisk: Mud Shot + Rock Slide and Earthquake
Azumarill: Bubble + Ice Beam and Hydro Pump
Meganium: Vine Whip + Frenzy Plant* and Earthquake
Meganium is an incredibly powerful Pokémon. With its ability to spam out Frenzy Plants, or hit Steel-, Poison-, and Fire-types with Earthquake, it only really struggles against Flyings. Just do your best to make sure Meganium doesn’t end up in front of a Skarmory, though, and you’ll do just fine. But keep in mind: if you don't have a Frenzy Plant Meganium, you basically don't have a Meganium. See if you can trade for one!
Team Submissions
Is there a team you're using that you've been having success with at higher ranks? Are you willing to share it? If so, please consider leaving it here in the comments, or sending it to me on Twitter at @TForgery_, and I may include it in the article for others to use!
