Ho-Oh vs Lugia: Which Legendary is stronger in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet VGC?

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Regulation G set has been around for a couple of months now, allowing players to bring one Pokemon from the restricted list onto their team. These restricted Pokemon are typically mascot Legendaries that appear on their respective game's box art.

Two Legendaries in particular, Ho-oh and Lugia, have rarely been seen this season, with many players wondering how they would interact. Additionally, with the meta now reasonably consistent, some trainers may want to bring a more unexpected pick into their team to throw off their opponent. Here is everything to know about each of these monsters.

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The benefits of using Ho-oh in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet VGC

Ho-oh is a Fire and Flying-type Pokemon (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Ho-oh is a Fire and Flying-type Pokemon, which grants it a 4x weakness against Rock-type attacks. However, this combination is very good offensively, and Ho-oh makes great use of it with access to Sacred Fire and Brave Bird. This critter also has access to various supporting tools like Life Dew and Tailwind.

Ho-oh has the Regenerator ability, which heals it for a portion of its health whenever it is recalled. This gives it a fair amount of sustain for long battles. Being a Fire-type in the current meta is very dangerous, with Urshifu dominating the scene, which is why Ho-oh has not been a popular choice during this season.

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The benefits of using Lugia in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet VGC

Lugia is a defensive tank that used to dominate the competitive scene (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Lugia is a Flying and Psychic-type and an old-school tank from the early days of the franchise's competitive scene. With access to Calm Mind and Recover, as well as the Multiscale hidden ability, Lugia is an unbreakable wall that can set up and sustain itself. This Pokemon is also considerably faster than Ho-oh.

While Lugia may be an amazing defensive wall, it lacks a lot of offensive coverage. With its role being set in stone, its only two viable attacking options are Aeroblast and Earth Power. Since there is very little room for experimentation with its moveset, it is rather predictable as well.

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Why Lugia is the better choice for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet VGC

Lugia is more consistent and has a much better defensive type combination than Ho-oh in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Lugia is the preferred choice due to its high defense and its counter potential against Urshifu. While Ho-oh is still a good choice, its typing is much worse defensively, so it does not get much value from its high bulk. It also leaves it vulnerable against Urshifu, whereas Lugia can defeat it.

While Lugia still may not be the most popular choice for players' restricted Pokemon, it has the potential to be a great anti-meta option for trainers wanting to experiment and have some fun with their team compositions. Lugia will pair well with monsters with redirection tools like Rage Powder or Follow Me.